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Hoffman's HOF induction seems inevitable
SAN DIEGO -- Trevor Hoffman was inducted into the Padres' Hall of Fame on Saturday, which was a nice honor for the National League's all-time leader with 601 saves. But this is just Hoffman's appetizer for 2016.
The closer's almost certain election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame seems as destined as the tide coming in or a Tony Gwynn base hit through the 5.5 hole.View Full Game Coverage
SAN DIEGO -- Trevor Hoffman was inducted into the Padres' Hall of Fame on Saturday, which was a nice honor for the National League's all-time leader with 601 saves. But this is just Hoffman's appetizer for 2016.
The closer's almost certain election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame seems as destined as the tide coming in or a Tony Gwynn base hit through the 5.5 hole.View Full Game Coverage
"Certainly it would be a dream come true," Hoffman said after the Petco Park ceremony, addressing the issue publicly for the first time. "There's no sure ticket for specialty guys like me. I will be watching very interestingly."
The glass ceiling for closers was shattered in 1992 with the induction of Rollie Fingers, and the subsequent elections of Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter and Rich "Goose" Gossage have paved the path to the Cooperstown, N.Y., for other great relievers.
Eckersley pitched the first half of his career as a starter and the second as a lights-out reliever. John Smoltz, who won 210 games and saved another 154 for the Braves, is on the ballot, along with Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, for the first time at the end of this year. Smoltz will get in, if not in 2015, then soon after.
Hoffman is eligible for the Class of 2016, and Yankees great Mariano Rivera, who saved a record 652 regular-season games and 42 more in the postseason, will complete the cast in 2019.
"I think Mo is a slam dunk for sure," Hoffman said. "We can say our careers paralleled each other a little bit, but when you're talking about the greatest closer of all time, that sets him apart."
Comparatively, though, Hoffman certainly is the greatest closer in NL history.
"I don't know if that's a ticket to Cooperstown. You and I both know that," he said. "But I appreciate it. It's something I didn't allow myself to think about as a player. I remember Tony answering questions about it and him waiting nervously for that phone call. 'Do you realize your place in the game and what you've accomplished?' And still there was that 'not sure' attitude. I get that. I understand that. There are contemporaries I [compare] to as well. So, we'll see. I hope things happen."
Gwynn, who batted .338, amassed 3,141 hits and won a record-tying eight NL batting titles, passed away after a long battle with cancer on June 16 at the age of 54. He was elected on the first ballot just behind Cal Ripken Jr. in 2007 with 97.6 percent of the vote, just 13 of the 545 ballots cast short of unanimous.
Gwynn is one of the 11 men to play or manage at least a part of their careers in San Diego with a plaque in the famed museum in central New York. But he's the only one to spend his entire 20-year career with the Padres.
Among the others are Fingers and Gossage, manager Dick Williams and Dave Winfield. The latter duo are both in Cooperstown and the once seemingly dormant Padres Hall of Fame. Winfield entered the National Hall in 2001 and was the first player to wear a Padres cap.
Locally, Hoffman joins Gwynn, Winfield, Randy Jones and Nate Colbert as the only players in the Padres Hall. Williams was the previous person inducted, in 2009, a year after he and Gossage were elected to Cooperstown.
With the death of Gwynn, Hoffman has certainly inherited the mantle of moving the 46-year-old franchise's legacy forward.
"I certainly appreciate all that Tony represented and will try and -- not necessarily to pick up the torch -- but remember things he stood for and do so as well," Hoffman said.
Hoffman has quite a job ahead of him. The Padres have never won a World Series, had a hurler pitch a no-hitter or had anyone hit for the cycle. The Padres haven't been to the postseason since 2006. During Hoffman's 16-year tenure, which ended when he left for the Brewers as a free agent after the 2008 season, the Padres went to the postseason only four times and to the World Series only once, in 1998, when they were swept by the Yankees.
There are several gaping differences between Hoffman, Gwynn and Rivera. Hoffman's postseason numbers: four saves, a 1-2 record and a 3.46 ERA in 12 appearances. Plus, unlike the two aforementioned players, Hoffman didn't start or end his career with the same team.
Hoffman was drafted by the Reds and played shortstop in the Minors before he was converted to a reliever. He was selected by the Marlins in the expansion draft before the 1993 season and traded to the Padres only months later in the famous fire-sale deal that sent Gary Sheffield to Florida.
Along the way, Hoffman recorded 552 of his saves for the Padres, second all-time (behind Rivera) with a single club. But it was Hoffman's presence in the clubhouse that was the real signature of his forceful personality.
"He was a very special person," said Greg Maddux, who played almost two seasons with Hoffman and was honored by the Padres on Friday night for his recent induction in Cooperstown. "He was a very good teammate, a very good leader. He led by example. I think Tony Gwynn was the face of the Padres forever, and I think Trevor took over for Tony when Tony stopped playing."
For that reason, among so many others, it was strange that Hoffman had a rocky departure from the Padres because of a contract dispute after the 2008 season. He was given a low-ball offer that was ultimately pulled off the table.
"It wasn't the path that it was going to happen," Hoffman said about finishing his career in San Diego. "When we came to the fork in the road, it wasn't, 'Choose one,' it was, 'Take that one.'"
Hoffman's 600th save came at Milwaukee's Miller Park for the Brewers on Sept. 7, 2010. A few months later, he retired. In the end, all was forgiven and Hoffman returned to his old club in a front-office capacity. During the 2011 season, his No. 51 was retired, joining Winfield, Gwynn, Jones and Steve Garvey as the only ones placed by the club forever in mothballs. Like Maddux in Texas, Hoffman is now the upper level Minor League pitching coordinator and is putting his imprint on the young pitchers in the organization.
Hoffman's inevitable election to Cooperstown will simply close the circle.
Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Boomskie on Baseball. Follow @boomskie on Twitter.


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LATINO AMERICANS is a three-part series that chronicles the lives and experiences of Latinos in the United States from 1800 to the 21st Century. Through its people, politics and culture, LATINO AMERICANS tells the story of early settlement, conquest and immigration; of tradition and reinvention; of anguish and celebration; and of the gradual construction of a new American identity from diverse sources that connects and empowers millions of people today. The series utilizes historical accounts and personal experiences to vividly tell the history, featuring interviews with close to 100 Latinos from the worlds of politics, business and pop culture, as well as lesser-known Latinos who lived through key chapters in American history.
LATINO AMERICANS premiered on September 17, September 24 and October 1 from 8:00 – 10:00pm ET nationally on PBS. The bilingual project includes a companion book by Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent for PBS NEWSHOUR.
For more information on the series: http://www.pbs.org/latino-americans/en/

subset: commoncrawl


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Since 2004, the Ohio dog auctions have grown into anything but run-of-the-mill.
Breeders who participate in these auctions are raising large numbers of dogs and puppies with profit as the primary motive for existence. Many of them are found to be unhealthy, not screened for genetic diseases, do not show resemblance to the breed standard and lack good temperament.
The picture shown above is just one of hundreds of dogs represented at this auction.
The auctions serve as a major distribution channel for buyers and sellers from 15 states, many of whom have long standing, repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act and/or have been convicted of animal cruelty:
> Wanda (McDuffee) Kretzman of Minnesota, who has been issued multiple citations by the USDA
> Kathy Jo Bauck of Minnesota and Lanzie "Junior" Horton of Ohio, who have been convicted of animal cruelty
> Daniel P. Esh of Pennsylvania, who had his license revoked March 19, 2010 by the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.
It's a sad life for man's best friend. And a business managed by a tremendous amount of corruption and consumer fraud.
Click here to view the WKYC Channel 3 (NBC) Investigation: Dog Auctions Accused of Animal Cruelty...


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5x7 Flat Card
As low as $0.69
Pink plaid and bright green lines cover this card and frame your photos beautifully. We suggest using black and white photos for this card, but you can add any photos that you'd like.
Fresh Pink Plaid is part of our Girls Birth Announcements Collection and is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee, just like all of our other photo books, cards, and calendars. Mixbook uses only the highest-quality, heavy-weight papers that are ethically sourced from sustainable forests and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance.


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Resources for Renville County
If you wish to have your group listed, or have a suggestion for a group we should add to this list, please go to this form.
Support Groups
ND Hands and Voices
A parent driven organization that provides support, education and resources to parents/families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing so that the children can have the best outcomes possible.
Meeting Info: Contact Stephannie Stiel for locations
Contact: Stephannie Stiel
General Parenting
ND Parent To Parent Project
ND Parent to Parent, a project of Family Voices of ND is a statewide network of parents supporting families of children with developmental delays, disabilities, and special health needs. As trained supporting parents, we offer emotional support and information, and act as a valuable resource to families. We offer assistance in learning the necessary skills to help parents face the challenges of raising their child.
Meeting Info: Mohall
Call or email Donene for times on
Contact: Donene Feist, FVND
Family Voices of ND
Assist families as they navigate public and private systems, including health systems and insurance plans. Provide assistance to families in accessing services and resources for their children and how to partner with providers and caregivers. Listen to families as they describe their encounters with systems and help guide them to possible solutions. To work with families, health care providers, public and private agencies, and advocacy or support groups to promote family-centered care and medical homes for children with special health care needs. To promote discussion and linkages among families, providers, managed care programs, and government to better serve the health care and related needs of children and families in North Dakota
Meeting Info: Mohall
Call or email Donene for times on
Contact: Donene Feist, FVND


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K&H Feather-Top Orthopedic Bed is made of 5" of medical grade foam and topped with super soft fleece. Good for dogs or any other pet. Read More
This product is currently unavailable for purchase.
Ultimate comfort, combined with superior orthopedic support. Made of 5" of medical grade foam. Topper is quilted with super soft fleece and filled with 1.5" of baffled duck feathers.
Removable cover to make machine washing a breeze.
- Brand: K&H Manufacturing
- Dimensions: 30" x 40"
- Machine Washable: Machine Washable
- Type: Orthopedic
- Color: Tan/Brown,Gray/Black


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Extension Service is a cooperative partnership between your Seminole County Government and the University of Florida in Gainesville. Our education programs are directed at broad national and state concerns, as well as issues specific to Seminole County, with locally determined and citizen influenced priorities. What is UF/IFAS?
Want to get involved or learn what UF/IFAS has to offer? Check out a list of the classes on Eventbrite.com
A youth education program which provides children and young adults ages 5-18 the opportunity to learn life skills needed to become productive and self-reliant members of society, good citizens and leaders of tomorrow.
Whether you are new to Florida or have lived here all of your life, our presentations and workshops will provide you with practical, common sense tips that will save you time and money for a better looking/healthier landscape.
The Urban Horticulture program promotes environmentally sound practices to manage plants inside/outside your home, while the Master Gardener program trains volunteers in basic horticulture principles.
Providing solutions to improve your health, your home, and your family life.
A place where commercial growers and livestock producers can access up-to-date production and marketing information from the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.


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Jsbagel needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 152 designs submitted by 72 freelance designers.
Jersey Shore Bagel & Deli
We are a newly opened bagel shop located on the beautiful Jersey Shore. We make fesh Hand Rolled Bagels and have a full deli and grill menu and serve breakfast and lunch. We are located within walking distance from the beach and ocean. We are looking for a logo that will best repesent the atomsphere and feel of the wonderful Jersey Shore everythime you look at our logo or step into our store
Everyone!!! we would like to make people wanna find our store if they havent been there and if they have think of the shop as soon as the see the logo
we are open to Creative and fresh ideas Suprise us!! we would like to have Hand Rolled Bagels in the logo somewhere and we would like to go with a light and fun fresh logo thats easy to look at and remember
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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First Delta Bank works hard to provide banking products and services that are of quality and value as well as convenient for our customers. We know that our customers are our greatest asset. Local ownership means important banking decisions that impact a customers life and livelihood are made quickly and by people who know you as a person and not as an account number. Here at First Delta Bank, our goal is to earn your banking business.
We are proud of who we are and invite you to learn more about us and what we stand for at First Delta Bank. We offer a full range of services from checking and savings accounts to many types of loans to a variety of Internet Banking services!
We have the loan to suit your needs. Find out more


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November 28, 2012 10:43 ET
CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 28, 2012) - Utilities today are looking for ways to increase efficiency of the design process while maintaining a clear focus on safety. ASI's goStandards and goAssemble services provide utilities with 3D parts, assemblies and tools to combine assemblies on a single pole structure.
ASI's goStandards service is available as an on-line library of 2D or 3D parts and assemblies for overhead construction. The library contains individual part models with relevant manufacturer information for the designer.
"This is a paradigm shift for the electrical utility industry," says Peter Krotky, P.Eng, President of Automated Solutions International Inc. "Visualizing overhead standards in 3D improves safety by allowing the designer to verify clearances and working space for operations staff."
Using their cloud-based goAssemble service, assemblies may be combined based on user-defined industry standards such as CSA or RUS to create a complete pole design and generate a material list. These standard templates may be customized for each utility. The resulting model can be integrated to your GIS and/or structural analysis software. Their engineering team complements these on-line services to provide utilities with a complete outsourced design service.
goStandards and goAssemble are part of the ASI goUtility Application Suite. Together these solutions provide off-the-shelf business application and workflow solutions to help utilities reduce redundancy, increase workflow efficiencies and data accuracy, better manage assets, provide easily accessible comprehensive regulatory reporting and improved business management.
ASI will be exhibiting at the EDIST conference in Markham, ON in January 2013.
Automated Solutions International Inc. is an innovative and solutions-based leader, providing Asset Management solutions from design to disposal. ASI's expertise includes Distribution Standards Development - linear and non-linear, engineering design/estimating, implementation and support of GIS/Mapping/Asset systems including field data collection, asset inspection applications and services, and distribution system analysis/protection coordination studies. Clients also benefit from comprehensive Asset Management and Green Energy plans. ASI's mission is to empower companies with simple integrated information systems, to provide informed asset management and allow critical business decisions. ASI was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario.
Source: http://www.goasi.com
Automated Solutions International Inc.Peter firstname.lastname@example.com
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Artichoke Risotto Recipe
Stuffing risotto into jumbo artichokes can be a stylish way to serve the main course of your next dinner party. Given that the delivery device for the risotto is an artichoke, it only makes sense to repeat the flavors in the dish itself. In general, you shouldn't use too many ingredients to flavor a risotto, so I limited the additions to chopped roasted yellow bell peppers and artichoke hearts. To make the risotto creamier and more colorful, I also added cheddar cheese.
Mother's day is coming soon, and this dish would make an excellent choice if you're planning on cooking for the mom(s) in your life. We'll be taking my mother-in-law to her favorite restaurant for lunch, and I'm planning on helping the girls prepare a special dinner at home. In case you need inspiration, I'll be posting dinner menu suggestions for Mother's day soon, so stay tuned.
Yields: 8 servings8 jumbo artichokes
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 sprig marjoram
1 sprig lemon thyme (or regular thyme)
1 lemon
½ teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 cups Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
3 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium vegetable broth, warmed for 2 minutes in the microwave
1 cup water
1-½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 (5-ounce) chunk cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese powder, freshly grated
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons avocado oil
Prepping the lemon: Zest the lemon and gather about 1 teaspoon. Set aside.
Roasting the bell pepper: Stem, wash and pat dry the bell pepper. Brush with oil. Place a grill on your stove and char all the skin of the pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes until you can handle it without discomfort. Clean the pepper using a knife; the skin will come right off. Seed it and chop the flesh.
Prepping the artichoke hearts: Coarsely chop the artichoke hearts. Set aside.
Prepping the cheddar: Cut the chunk of cheddar cheese into 8 thin slices and cut the rest into small chunks. Set aside.
Cooking the vegetables: In a large deep pan, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots and cook until golden. Add the artichoke pieces to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chili flakes. Cook until each side is brown (for about 3-4 minutes). Add the yellow pepper, lemon juice and sugar. Toss well and transfer the vegetable mixture to a plate.
Making risotto: In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the minced garlic clove and cook until golden. Add the sprig of lemon thyme, marjoram and the Arborio rice. Make sure that each grain is coated with butter. Stir until light translucent. Add 1 can of warm broth. Stir constantly.
After bringing the liquid to a boil, add the chunks of cheddar cheese and lower the heat to medium-low for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of flat-leaf parsley. (I also use the stems, because that's where the flavor is strongest.) Season with salt and pepper. Check the liquid and periodically add ¼ to ½ cup of broth (and water when all the broth is used) when all the previous liquid is absorbed. Let simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
When the rice is almost cooked, add the vegetable mixture. Check the seasoning and add salt (if necessary) and pepper. Add the rest of the butter. Stir well. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme and marjoram.
Preparing artichokes: (While the risotto is cooking)
Place a large bowl filled with water in the sink. Swirl each artichoke upside down in the water. Make sure there is no dirt trapped between the leaves. Cut the tough outer leaves. Cut the stems and trim the tops a little, using a sharp knife. Cut the thorns from the leaves using a pair of scissors or a sharp knife.
Boiling the artichokes:
Place the artichokes in a very large pot. Cover with 1 quart of water.
Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 30-35 minutes until the bottoms of the vegetables are tender. A good way to check is to poke the choke with a paring knife.
Remove the artichokes from the pot and let stand for about 5-10 minutes. Drain the artichokes thoroughly and let them cool a little (do not rinse and let the liquid evaporate). Once the artichokes are cool enough to handle and have dried thoroughly, remove the center leaves. Using a large spoon, scoop out and discard the lower portions (inedible part) until you reach the heart.
Assembly time:
Spoon the artichoke risotto into each artichoke. Top with ½ of a slice of cheddar (previously cut in half) and sprinkle with parmesan. Place the filled artichokes on a baking pan, previously greased with oil. Broil in the oven, for about 3 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with parsley.
Bon appétit!
If you like other types of cuisine, check out the Indian equivalent to risotto called Biryani. It's a saffron-flavored basmati rice. You can also check out the Asian equivalent with Cantonese-style fried rice.
You can also use chicken broth, which is actually the more standard way to prepare risotto. My husband is a vegetarian so I use vegetable broth.
To get a cheesy flavor and yellow color without the stringy cheesy bits, add it right after boiling the broth.
It's important to keep adding warm stock as the rice cooks. The key is to add the liquid incrementally and never let the dish dry out, or the rice at the bottom would burn.
For this dish, I used exactly 6-¼ cups of liquid. The quantity of liquid may vary depending on the heat of the stove and how long you're cooking the rice. At the end, I let it simmer uncovered, sometimes adding another ¼ cup of liquid until I achieve the right consistency and level of doneness. I like the rice al dente, not too mushy.
I used jumbo-sized artichokes because the bigger the artichoke, the bigger the heart . I like to pick artichokes with dense, tightly packed leaves and sharp thorns. The stem should be still moist with a light color, which indicates freshness.
You don't have to trim the leaves (thorns) but I always find it unpleasant to be "stabbed" by an artichoke leaf.
Cooked artichokes do not refrigerate well; so prepare them right before serving.
You can keep the uncooked artichokes in the refrigerator for several days in the vegetable drawer. Make sure you wrap the stem with a moist paper towel to prevent oxidation. Alternatively, you can put them in a vase filled with room temperature slightly sweetened water. It's pretty and it reminds you that they need to be cooked.
Published By: on May 1, 2010.


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By opting for surgery to remove her breasts while they were still healthy, Angelina Jolie joined a growing number of women who have used genetic testing to take control of their health.
Here are answers to some common questions about how DNA influences breast cancer risk and what women can do about it.
What genes are involved in breast cancer?
The two primary ones are known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Hundreds of variants of these genes have been found that make a woman — or a man — more likely to develop breast cancer. The mutations can increase one's lifetime risk of breast cancer from about 50% to more than 85%, said Rebecca Nagy, president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.
DNA and breast cancer: A Q&A in the May 15 Section A about how genes influence breast cancer risk implied that the average woman's risk of developing breast cancer was 50%. As stated elsewhere in the article, most women face a 12% to 13% lifetime risk of the disease. For women who have certain mutations in their BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, that risk rises to between 50% and 87%.
In her essay in the New York Times, Jolie said her doctors believed the mutation found in her BRCA1 gene raised her chance of developing the disease to 87%.


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Add a perfect finishing touch to create an authentic seaside setting for beach or nautical themed events. These charming coral reefs are crafted from poly resin in a white pebble finish that perfectly replicates real coral. They can be used as placecard holders to hold seating arrangements in any seaworthy events, or give them as gifts to guests after the party's over. They are sure to give much surprise and delight your guests in your beach or nautical themed wedding, bridal shower, baby shower, birthday party, anniversary and more oceanic inspired occasions!
Features and Facts:
Processing TimesThis item is shipping out of one of our New York warehouses. Processing time generally takes 1-2 business days for non-personalized items or with personalized tag it will take 3-4 business days. For countries other than the United States and Canada, up to 6 additional business days are required to process your orders. Please visit our International Orders page for more information.
Transit TimesTransit times generally take 1-6 business days when shipping to the United States or Canada. To view the transit time map click here. We have 3 options for international orders, Priority mail (3-4 weeks transit time), Express Mail (1-2 weeks transit time), and DHL Global Express (4-5 business days). If you are unsure if your items will arrive by your event date or you have any questions regarding transit times, please feel free to contact us by phone, email or live chat.
Please include the your event date or the latest day you are able to receive your order by in the additional information box located on the billing information page.


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Sweaty Little Bride Tank Top.
Welcome to Bride Bikini™! This listing is for one eco tank top that says "Sweaty Little Bride". These tank tops are SO light, and flowy! The eco tanks are one of our favorite style of tank tops, and is absolutely perfect for those warm summer days! These awesome tanks are screen printed in beautiful Gilbert, AZ!
Heather White - this is not a pure white!
Heather Black
Heather Gray
Heather Purple
Heather Aqua Blue
Heather Pink
Heather Green
Heather Navy Blue
Heather Royal Blue
SIZE CHART (in inches) -
XS: Chest 30 // Body Length 26
Small: Chest 32 // Body Length 26.5
Medium: Chest 34 // Body Length 27
Large: Chest 36 // Body Length 27.75
XL: Chest 39 // Body Length 28.5
How to measure: Chest is measured 1 inch below armhole. Body length is from the highest point of the shoulder. For reference, model is 5'2 and wearing an XS.


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John Avalos represents District 11 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He once organized for the Justice for Janitors Campaign of the (SEIU) Local 1877 and has a degree in social work. He's third-generation Mexican American, and was among the first in his family to graduate from a four-year college. And he is running to be San Francisco's next mayor.
KALW News' Ben Trefny is talking to every one of the 16 candidates for San Francisco's top office, including Supervisor Avalos. In this interview, Supervisor Avalos explains his priorities for San Francisco, should he become mayor.
* * *
BEN TREFNY: Tell me about your neighborhood.
JOHN AVALOS: My neighborhood is the Excelsior neighborhood which is just over the hill from here. It is a fabulous neighborhood; it is the most diverse neighborhood in many ways except for we're not very diverse in terms of income – we're all about working class, middle class people.
TREFNY: So you work at City Hall right now. In a way that's kind of a world away from the Excelsior neighborhood. For a lot of people, when they picture the northeast side of the city they picture the bay fronts, they picture the financial district. So what kind of worldview do you have coming out of the Excelsior neighborhood?
AVALOS: The Excelsior is like the South Central part of San Francisco. The worldview I have is, I have a city-wide perspective but I have a perspective of a neighborhood that is underserved in San Francisco. There are a lot of neighborhoods that are outside the downtown core that are underserved.
I think a mayor who can really look at all of our neighborhoods across San Francisco can really be forward-thinking in building equity in how we deliver services all over the city. That's what I provide as a person running from the southern part of the city.
TREFNY: I share your perspective about what parts of the city are somewhat neglected by City Hall. Although the Excelsior/Visitation Valley has a pretty amazing park and playground there at Crocker Amazon.
AVALOS: Yes. We see good things happening. But when it comes to Muni and you're riding the 14 line down to Daly City, you might get dropped off on Ocean Avenue, and have to wait for the next bus to come, just like people in the Sunset have to – they get dropped off on the N-Judah, they get dropped off somewhere before the end of the avenues.
TREFNY: And sometimes at 19th Street…
AVALOS: At 19th, and so you have to wait for the next N-Judah to come.
TREFNY: …to get the other 30 blocks down to the ocean.
AVALOS: Yes, that's a common experience people have outside the downtown core of San Francisco. So I think having a series of mayors who think more about the downtown core than about the neighborhood is a part of the problem. I think having a mayor who can think about downtown and the neighborhoods would be a good thing for San Francisco.
TREFNY: Let's talk a little bit more about Muni. They were studying the Transit Effectiveness Project and started making some reforms. Do you think they went far enough, or what more would you like to see from Muni and how would you fund it?
AVALOS: They haven't really fully implemented the Transit Effectiveness Project. They studied it. These are the ideas they have. And then they implemented some of the ideas.
Overall the goal of the Transit Effectiveness Project is to bolster the service along our transit corridors like Mission, and Geary, and Market. Part of it that I'm concerned about is that they cannibalize some of the neighborhood routes that get us to the transit corridors to better serve the transit corridors. So you see some diminishment in service at one level, while you are bolstering on another side.
I'd like to see a transit effectiveness project that can actually lift all boats. Certainly we want to be able to make our transit corridor service stronger. I'm all for that, but I want to make sure that we actually are protecting our neighborhood routes as well. To do it we're going to need some funding. We've lost about $65 million a year from the state because they can't get their act together in balancing the budget. We have to find local sources of revenue. One idea is looking at a local vehicle license fee – we need state law to enable that. Hopefully this year it will get passed and we'll be able to put something on the ballot that will allow us to collect here locally to shore up Muni, Muni service, our streets, pedestrian safety, and bicycling.
TREFNY: That's outside of your purview though as mayor of San Francisco, that's a state funding solution, so how would you do it internally?
AVALOS: I'm not interested in raising Muni fares; I'm looking at a local income tax. We need state law to do that as well. Last year I put on the ballot an increase to the real estate transfer tax for properties that are sold at a cost of over $5 and $10 million dollars – it's brought in about $45 million to help balance the budget over this year. That's a significant amount of money. I'm always looking at how we can find progressive tax solutions to help deal with our services. I assure that we have revenue for our services. We do a lot to cut. We do layoffs, we cut service, we raise fees – those are ways to balance the budget, but we should be looking more at how we can shore up our revenue as well.
TREFNY: What does being mayor of San Francisco mean for you?
AVALOS: For me it really means changing how City Hall works fundamentally. I'm very concerned that over the past several decades San Francisco has worked more and more for the wealthiest and the most powerful business interests in San Francisco.
For me being mayor is to be able to tip the playing field to support people and neighborhoods first. I want to support small businesses, so that they are getting better support from the city, that we don't see fees rising on them. I want to look at our working class and middle class people. How we can build not just luxury housing for people who are newcomers to the city, but how we can build and support the renovations of existing housing that supports working class and middle class people. That has not been a model and approach that people have been willing to take, and I want to do that in San Francisco.
I'm concerned about working families and families who are leaving the city in droves. We are losing our diversity and we're changing the city over not supporting people who are existing residents, who are working class, and I think we need to have a city that really focuses on that, or else, we lose a lot. We lose a lot.
We lose children; we're losing children. A city without children is a city that doesn't have a lot of vibrancy. I keep thinking of the movie "Children of Men" where there's no children in that society anymore and what does that society become, and it's obviously a dystopian look at the world but I think we have to figure out how we make this city work for everyone. If we make this city work for families first, then I think we can make it work for everyone.
TREFNY: Providing affordable housing is one solution. What are other ways to retain and bring families back to the City?
AVALOS: I think helping people to feel good about our public education system and assure that we have local jobs as well for residents so they do not have to leave and can work here in the city. If we can figure out how to diversify our economy and assure that we are providing not just jobs for the biotech, tech, and hospitality industry, but how we can look at new industries and help new industries emerge in manufacturing or on our port facilities.
We have all these great facilities on our port that are assets that can be built upon for job creation. We have a dry dock in the shipyard that could be used for retrofitting ships for green technology. Ships could come from all over the world to get retrofitted here in San Francisco. And that could be an industry that could create thousands of jobs.
But we're not looking at that; we're looking at how we can support Larry Ellison and America's Cup, (that are) first and foremost, temporary jobs, or, to give our port land to office buildings and spaces for the wealthy to use.
How can we assure that we have a more mixed approach to our port facilities that can serve more people? That's what I want to bring and I think having a perspective of like mine, from the Excelsior or Visitation Valley or Lakeview neighborhood helps to give a broader sense of what we can do with our local economy.
Listen to the 20-minute version of the interview, and find all of the mayoral candidate interviews on our SF Mayor Race page.


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With so much anger over USC's football season, this would be the perfect time for the basketball team to provide a positive alternative to the flagship sport's struggles.
So far that is not case, and if USC does not improve on its 5-8 record, Coach Kevin O'Neill might consider wearing sunglasses and a hood by the end of the season.
In O'Neill's defense, USC has played a brutal nonconference schedule, with losses to four top-25 teams (Minnesota, Illinois, San Diego State and New Mexico).
More troublesome are losses to UC Irvine and Georgia. USC is an enigma with more questions today than before the season. There is hope the Trojans will put it together and become a force in the Pacific-12 Conference.
"We're still pretty optimistic about about the Pac-12 (season) because we've played so many good teams," Trojans center Omar Oraby said.
The alternative might not be pretty for O'Neill.
Here's how the Trojans look entering tonight's conference opener against Stanford at the Galen Center:
USC's guards were supposed to be its strength, but instead point guard Jio Fontan and shooting guard J.T. Terrell are each shooting 29 percent from the field. That is a huge reason USC is a mess offensively.
Terrell averaged more than 30 points last year in junior college, but his shot selection has been erratic in the first 13 games this season and O'Neill recently took him out of the starting lineup. That's not a good thing when he was expected to be a difference-maker.
Fontan redshirted last season because of a knee injury, but that does not explain his cold shooting. He is still the team's leader, but that won't get USC many victories in Pac-12 play if he can't start making some shots.
"That's on me," Fontan said. "I need to do a better job."
Sophomore Byron Wesley has been solid, but he is also a liability on the perimeter, shooting 29 percent. He does play hard, though, and his slashing style complements Fontan and Terrell.
Perhaps one mystery is why a team that struggles from the perimeter is not using 3-point specialist Greg Allen more. He appeared in only seven of the first 13 games.
USC might be struggling, but the Trojans would be a lot worse off if not for forwards Oraby, Eric Wise and DeWayne Dedmon.
Wise, a transfer from UC Irvine, leads the Trojans in scoring (11.4 points per game) and his dependable style of play contrasts with the erratic nature of so many other players. Dedmon leads the Trojans in rebounding (7.1 per game) and has not fouled out this season.
Oraby, a transfer from Rice, is a smooth presence around the basket with a good touch and already rescued USC in a couple of games. He will probably need to play more than his current 15 minutes per game if the Trojans hope to finish in the top half of the conference.
It would be easy to blame the Trojans' bench for their woes, but the starters are are a better target. Sometimes forgotten is forward Aaron Fuller, who keyed Sunday's victory over Dayton with a crucial basket and finished with 12 points. Fuller could easily become a starter at any point especially if O'Neill .
Walk-on Chass Bryan has been a better-than-expected backup to Fontan at the point. Forward Ari Stewart is inconsistent, especially after going into O'Neill's doghouse. He played two minutes in a 44-point victory over UC Riverside.
Center James Blascyk gives USC a third 7-footer (the only team in the nation to boast three) and that could be valuable in conference games when foul trouble usually becomes a concern.
Season to date
With so many transfers, hopes were high that USC could be a top-four team in the Pac-12 and erase memories of last year's six-win season. But after 13 games the Trojans are disjointed and frequently flat to start games.
It might understandable because of the challenge of blending five transfers into the roster and developing chemistry. That means the Trojans need to figure out a way to come together in the second half of the season, or O'Neill's status will become a common topic.
And athletic director Pat Haden, already under fire for keeping football coach Lane Kiffin, might feel like he needs to do something even if Trojans fans normally care little about basketball.
email@example.com twitter.com/InsideUSC
Eric Wise 13 27.4 .538 11.4 1.4 4.6
J.T. Terrell 13 24.9 .292 9.3 0.6 1.9
Byron Wesley 13 29.5 .455 8.9 1.8 4.3
Jio Fontan 13 33.2 .296 1.2 5.3 8.2
Omar Oraby 13 15.3 .625 8.0 0.6 4.2
Guards Jio Fontan and J.T. Terrell actually start making some shots. . . . The Trojans' start playing defense the first 35 minutes of games. . . . Center Omar Oraby starts playing more than 15 minutes per game. –


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Taylor Lebaugh Skater Profile
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Winter hasn't been kind to vehicles, car washes
An unusually snowy winter like this one may seem ideal for the car wash business, given all the salt-streaked cars it produces.
But local car wash owners say the weather hasn't been much of an advantage.
Some snow definitely helps business, explained Noah Levine, who owns Rapid Car Wash on Colman Street in New London, but there's a limit.
This winter, "there's just too much snow," he said Sunday. "Too much of a good thing."
"Customers are going to want to have three or four days of a clean car," said Levine. If bad weather is predicted and "they think it's going to last one day or until they get to the traffic light," drivers figure a wash isn't worth the cost.
Herbert Nyberg, who owns Colonial Car Wash in Norwich and in Niantic, agreed with Levine's assessment.
The day of a snowstorm and several days after are bad for business, said Nyberg, but on the third or fourth day the cars start to roll in.
He said the clustered snowstorms of early 2014 have impacted the demand for car washes because by the fourth day after a storm it's often snowing again.
February is usually one of the busier months, but Nyberg had to close because of bad weather several times this month, which has hurt his revenue. Adding to the problem, is that the bitter cold has also kept customers away even when it doesn't snow.
On a warm day after a snowfall, the line of cars at Rapid Car Wash sometimes stretches all the way to the street, said Levine's wife, Linda. But although they might get 500 customers on a day like that, it's often followed by a few days in which only the most loyal customers come in, so it averages out, she said.
Linda Levine said there are some people who will visit the car wash before a storm or even while it's snowing, but they are unusual - "faithful diehards," as she described them.
Stacie Girardin of Groton was one of dozens of customers who packed the Rapid Car Wash parking lot on Sunday afternoon, taking advantage of the sunnier weather to clean and vacuum her car.
Girardin said it was the first wash she'd given the minivan all winter, because there was no point in cleaning frequently with the continuous bad weather.
"I feel like I wash my car less" in the winter, agreed fellow customer Blaze Wiersch of New London, who said she will usually hold off if she knows more snow is coming.
But both Levine and Nyberg encourage people to wash during the winter, because the salt and other chemicals can damage vehicles.
Salt, which dissolves easily in water, is not difficult to rinse off cars, explained Levine.
"Cleaning the car in the winter is probably easier than doing it in the springtime," when bugs and pollen stick to the vehicle, he said.
But if salt is left sitting on the vehicle for days on end, cautioned Nyberg, it could mar the finish, so drivers should clean the car regularly. He said salt and dirt could also accelerate rusting on brake lines and other car components.
Additionally, the magnesium chloride the state uses in combination with salt can corrode the undercarriage of cars, so both Nyberg and Levine suggest getting an underwash to remove it.
A report on the Connecticut General Assembly's website acknowledges that magnesium chloride, which is only used when the temperature is below 25 degrees, can corrode vehicles, but said the chemical increases road safety.
The Department of Transportation encourages drivers to wash their vehicles, including the undercarriages, regularly during the winter, according to the report.
High school referee Tony Gigliotti and NBA referee Josh Tiven
Full replay: New London vs. Wilbur Cross in CIAC Class LL girls' basketball semifinal
North Stonington's homespun school opens, state made it possible
The kids I write about, unwittingly, came to my rescue over the weekend
Trump: Social media sites discriminate against conservatives


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Notions Marketing: Full-time temporary Graphic Designer (Grand Rapids, MI)*
Notions Marketing Corporation is a growing wholesale global creative arts distributor. We are currently looking for an experienced Graphic Designer to join our in-house Creative Services Department.
- A Bachelor's degree in Art Design or Graphic Design strongly desired.
- Advanced understanding of Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop).
- Knowledge of QuarkXPress a plus.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to multi-task and adapt to shifting priorities and deadlines.
- Positive and professional attitude.
- Knowledge of pre-press processes.
- Thrive in a deadline driven environment requiring strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Comfortable working through all stages of the design process from concept to development/refinement and production.
- Working knowledge of internet design-related software a plus.
*Please note that Scrapbook Update is in no way associated with the companies and the positions listed here. Please forward all questions or comments about the job listings to the offering organization via the links provided with this article. Thanks!


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Twitter for iPhone and iPad has been updated with several new features that focuses on headlines and photos, discovering popular tweets, and searching for a new perspective. You can now preview photos and article summaries in Discover without tapping and "View all Tweets" to see what's popular among the people you're connected to. Also, when performing a search, related photos will appear at the top of the stream and can see who's favorited a Tweet.
I would love to provide feedback on the on the new Twitter 5.1, but unfortunately, I've been unable to successfully stay logged it. The few times I didn't receive an authentication error, I was kicked out only moment later. Is anyone else having issues logging into Twitter for iPhone and iPad? If not, let us know what you think of Twitter's update!
Free - Download Now
Source: Twitter
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.


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Created by Uri Fridland
Created by Mikael Falgard
Created by Aidan Flanigan
Outdoor stadiums only. Good luck!
Created by unibwin
Created by Elgan Rees Evans
Rediscover the World with this updated map providing better diversity, more countries, without any blurry pictures or photosphere! 14.000+ hand-picked locations, currently removing bad places. More details: https://goo.gl/Gj76EF — v3.0b13 2019/03/19
Created by Mapper
This is like "A Diverse World" but only inside towns (from the biggest towns to the small towns for lesser developed countries). Map shouldn't have photospheres or blurry pics, report them to KillerMapper on Reddit if you had one. | 1.5 • 2018/12/15
Created by Zanko Ralenekov
Created by Austrolepelican
Created by Edd82
La France métropolitaine, avec un peu moins de région parisienne pour des spawns mieux répartis, un véritable régal !
Created by JDay


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The Tricel UK 10 is suitable up to 10 people
The Tricel sewage treatment plant system was adopted to fulfill a need to provide exceptional wastewater treatment on sites that are unsuitable for a standard septic tank. When BS Standards EN12566-3, was introduced only treatment systems that have received European Certification can be installed.
The waste is treated through a mechanical aeration process. The level of treatment achieved enables the effluent to be discharged into a watercourse subject to receiving the relevant consent to discharge from the local regulatory bodies such as the Environment Agency for England and Wales, Scottish Environment Agency for Scotland and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency for Northern Ireland.
Tricel was awarded the CE mark after successfully completing 9 months of rigorous testing by the certified laboratory PIA Gmbh Testing Institute for Wastewater Technology in Aachen, Germany.
The Tricel system only requires a granular bacfill with its standard invert and as long as site conditions alow.
Average running cost only £5 Per Month
If you have any questions or require further advice on the Tricel treatment plant please call us on 01923 261660
Delivery maybe more for certain parts of Scotland & Southern England, please call us
Tricel Tanks achieving the European standard
The Tricel sewage treatment plant has successfully passed these tests and is approved to the New European standard EN 12566-3
The Tricel system was placed through a rigorous 38-Week test, by the certifier laboratory PIA GmbH-Testing Institute for Wastewater Technology in Auchan, Germany. The Biological tests carried out in Aachen on the Tricel System provides us Knowledge that our product is still the best in the Business with a treatment efficiency of 95.7% of BOD5 and 95.4% for S:S. Structural testing (leak test, crush test & Durability test) was carried out by PIA staff at our headquarters in Kilarney and the range of tanks up to p50 successfully passed all of the required test.
CE Performance Requirements: 20/30
Tricel Result:11/16


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Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary
"Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary" by the Editors of Nolo, Gerald N. Hill and Kathleen Thompson Hill is promoted as, "This is 'not' your grandfather's law dictionary." This law dictionary is written in clear English and contains compete definitions of legal terms you need today.
As an attorney, this book will not replace my "Black's Law Dictionary" which is the standard for legal dictionaries, but this lighter, plain-English text is very convenient to have on hand. For most people, this text is all they would need when wondering about a legal term.
To illustrate the differences in dictionaries, let's look at the word "partner." Most of us know what it means, and it is a common word that we use in business all the time. The definition in "Nolo's" is:
"One of the co-owners and investors in a partnership. Each partner claims a share of the the (sic) business's income or losses on the partner's individual tax return. General partners are responsible for the debts, contracts, and actions of all the partners in the business. Limited partners do not share responsibility for partnership debts and cannot share in management decisions." (Note that I found a typo in the definition noted with the (sic)).
"Black's" provides much more under the listing of "partner."
"A member of partnership or firm; one who has united with others to form a partnership in business." The there are definitions for each of the following: Dormant partners, full or general partner, junior partner, limited partner, liquidating partner, nominal partner, ostensible partner, quasi partner, secret partner, silent partner, special partner, and surviving partner.
"Black's" contains much more than "Nolo's," but that is what you expect, and for most people who are not attorneys, "Black's" has much more than is needed, and is not as easy to understand as "Nolo's." The size and cost of the books is very different too. "Black's is a very large and heavy book, and much more expensive. "Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary" is smaller, paperback, easier to grab off the shelf or take with you, and costs less.
If you would like an easy to understand law dictionary, full of the most common terms non-lawyers will most likely need, this book will be a very good addition to your reference library.


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electroman needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 120 designs submitted by 47 freelance designers.
I need a logo that can be incorporated into the masthead of my website, InnovationTools (http://www.innovationtools.com). The current logo, which I created myself, has been used for 6 years. The site needs a design update (another project), but as a first step, I wanted to get moving on an updated logo.
During the past 6 years, InnovationTools.com has established itself as the premier website for news, trends, best practices and the best information on innovation, with a secondary emphasis on creativity and brainstorming. It's a trusted source that receives 170-200K unique visits a month. As the site has steadily grown, it has become evident that the site design needs to be updated to match the editorial quality of the content. As a first step, I am soliciting designs for a new logo that will become the centerpiece of a sitewide redesign and upgrade. The redesigned logo needs to be roughly twice as wide as it is tall, but no wider. It needs to be compact enough to fit in a website masthead, next to a 468x60 banner ad, and be compact enough to fit into the masthead of my HTML e-newsletter (http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/49566356737544f2acbaf53c33025f7a.htm) and still remain readable.
- Simple but eye-catching
- Logo should suggest innovation, creativity, brainstorming.
- I favor a Web 2.0 look - very contemporary - possibly emphasizing blue and green as the primary colors.
- Art in PNG or vector format, which I can easily manipulate in Adobe Fireworks and resize as needed without any loss of quality
- I don't want anything cartoonish
- Nothing too complicated - just a simple, elegant design
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Seeing the Forest From the Trees: Are We Too Quick to Treat "Abnormal" Findings?
By Jasper Sidhu, BSc, DC
As chiropractors, we're trained to detect abnormal findings on physical examination and administer the appropriate treatment. If a patient may have a disc herniation on an MRI, we may end up basing our treatment around disc herniation protocols. A patient may have asymmetrical scapula positioning. We may then initiate a mid-back stabilization treatment strategy with the goal of normalizing scapular asymmetry. If we see limited range of motion in the hamstring muscles, we may end up working on increasing flexibility with the thought that it may prevent hamstring injuries in the future.
All these findings may appear to be abnormal on examination. However, the question to ask is, are the areas of examination really abnormal findings? Or are they simply "normal" for the given patient? These questions arose as I was having a conversation on physical examination strategies with Dr. Andreo Spina, creator of Functional Anatomy Seminars. Let's review some of the key points of that discussion and outline clinical research that questions the "abnormal examination finding," such as range-of-motion findings, muscle asymmetry and radiological findings.
Do Abnormal Findings Dictate Treatment?
As clinicians, we're constantly searching for an abnormal finding we can use to justify treatments. However, the focus needs to be on the assessment. According to Dr. Spina, "The focus of an assessment is based on two steps: get to the histological diagnosis and expand the assessment globally. If we rely solely on a histological diagnosis, we may not be focusing on the real source of the problem."
An excellent example of this is the reliance on radiological and imaging findings. When assessing the low back, we've been taught to assess the source of pain and administer the appropriate treatment strategy. Several studies focused on non-contractile structures as the source of pain have found very limited correlation with diagnostic imaging. Studies have shown that 52 -81 percent of asymptomatic individuals have evidence of a bulging disc.1-2 The percentage of asymptomatic individuals with evidence of Schmorl's nodes is between 13-19 percent.1,3
Unfortunately, these findings increase as we age. Disc degeneration, facet joint osteoarthritis or osteophytes are present in nearly 90 percent of subjects over the age of 64.4
Preliminary research on contractile elements doesn't fare much better. An interesting study looked at the correlation between muscle damage and pain intensity, finding that there wasn't much correlation, contrary to the researchers' initial hypothesis. Although it was a small sample and the subjects had no previous history of low back pain, the study supports the assertion that relating a tender spot in a muscle as the cause of low back pain should be interpreted with caution.5
How Do We Define "Normal"?
Another key issue with the assessment process is defining exactly what is normal to begin with. According to Dr. Spina, "We often tend to comment that someone has a 'tight muscle' or 'poor posture' without really understanding the definition of normal. What's normal for one group of patients may not be normal for another. For example, flexibility or strength norms may be drastically different when comparing a ballerina to an office worker."
These simple "scientific analogies" (as we'll see in the research on muscle asymmetry and range of motion a bit later) don't always explain the reality. Dr. Spina agrees:
"To say that a muscle is 'tight' has various problems. What does one mean by 'tight'? Does that mean there is aberrant neurological signalling? Or that there is a mechanical problem like fibrotic development? The word tight doesn't provide enough information to properly select a course of management. It has to be further defined in order to ensure that our treatment selection mirrors the histological issue."
An interesting example that highlights this issue is muscle asymmetry. Static posture exams are often done to assess normal versus abnormal asymmetry. However, current research suggests little correlation between asymmetry and pain.
A recent study looked at correlation with various factors and paraspinal asymmetry – occupational demands, handedness, disk height narrowing, and age, among other potential contributors. Investigators found associations were inconsistent and explained little of the variance in muscle asymmetry.6
Another study found no correlation between asymmetry of the multifidus muscle and severity or duration of nerve root compression.7 Some muscle asymmetry may be due more to participation in a specific sport, such as soccer or tennis, rather than an abnormality requiring intervention / treatment.8
That leads us to the question on whether static muscle asymmetry alone should dictate our treatment goals. A study conducted in 2012 assessed whether asymmetrical resting scapular position should be used to help us decide what "normal" motion is. The study looked at professional baseball pitchers and concluded that scapular asymmetry may not be due to a pathology, but instead due to normal adaptation of the pitching shoulder.9
A systematic review for assessing the diagnostic accuracy of scapular physical examination tests for shoulder disorders couldn't find a useful physical examination that predicts shoulder dysfunction.10 Dr. Spina's experience validates that conclusion:
"People evolved in various environments. So the idea that there is one 'good' posture is severely flawed. The research would suggest that the best posture is one that is constantly changing."
Avoid Falling Into the Pattern Trap in Practice
The aforementioned research findings are excellent examples of the tendency to get set in comfortable patterns in practice. According to Dr. Spina, "We tend to get stuck in this 'everyone has this problem' mindset. We are always looking for the most common patterns and / or force patients into patterns, as opposed to relying on our assessment findings on each patient individually."
Our discussion reinforced the idea that as chiropractors, we need to continue maintaining our palpation skills. "We sometimes are taught to only look for something," Dr. Spina said. "We move away from training our tactile system to identify the feeling of normal." A good example is the overreliance on range-of-motion findings.
Range of motion is often assessed upon the initial examination to establish a baseline to treatment. However, by itself, does it really affect treatment outcome or predict future injury? A review study debates the use of hamstring flexibility as a predictive screening tool. The same study states that studies can't agree on whether range of motion of the hamstrings can be a predictive tool for groin injury, either.11
Another study questioned whether range-of-motion findings lead to a prediction of an injury or disability. The study found that active lumbar range of motion and disability were poorly correlated.12
This also leads to the question of exactly what "normal" range of motion is. A recent study involving an asymptomatic population looked at normal values of cervical range of motion across age groups. The study found that normal active cervical range of motion decreased significantly after the age of 50.13
Another study assessed the prevalence and severity of lumbar spine motion in normal subjects.14 Eighty percent to 86 percent of normal subjects had spine impairments due to loss of range of lumbar motion according to the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment.
Does all this mean we should abandon the examination findings just discussed? Not at all. What it does entail is challenging our notion that relying on one single assessment finding dictates treatment. Assessment should involve exploring several different factors, correlated with the treatment outcomes; and having the ability / willingness to abandon our pattern of treatments if results are not being accomplished.
We need to continue using our palpation skills as an asset, further validating our assumptions on what is abnormal. By expanding our assessment from histological findings to globally assessing dysfunctions, we can continue to see the forest from the trees.
Click here for more information about Jasper Sidhu, BSc, DC.


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What's an inexpensive eye moisturizer that is good to use daily?
Do we like this jacket?
Gesendet von meinem iPhone mit Tapatalk
What's an inexpensive eye moisturizer that is good to use daily?
Personally, I've been using Kiehl's Powerful Wrinkle Reducing eye cream in the morning, and using sweet almond oil at night (the Kiehl's stuff costs a ton, but I think the almond oil is a bit too greasy to wear during the day with eye make-up).
Is anyone familiar with Urban Decay's All Nighter setting spray? I bought some a few weeks ago, and it doesn't seem to be making much of a difference. I passed by the counter a couple days ago and asked the assistant if she thought I might be applying it wrong since my eye make-up is still smudging in the outer corners of my eyes. She said that the setting spray was more for foundation, and that I needed an eye primer. So I dropped £17 on the Primer Potion in Eden. Just looked at some reviews on Make up Alley and a lot of people were complaining that it made their eyes very cakey and flakey, and it was very difficult to blend the shadow on it. I don't want to end up shelling out £40 on products and still end up dissatisfied with my eye make-up, so I'm considering taking the eye primer back since I haven't opened it yet.
If anyone uses their setting spray, do you have to use a lot of it for it to work? Am I wrong in expecting a make-up setting spray to set all of your make-up including eyes?


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Monday, March 10, 2014
Starburst Fruity Slushies
Another new year, another new variety of Starburst. This year it's Starburst Fruity Slushies featuring four new flavors inspired by ... actually, I'm not sure what prompted these flavors.
The orange package is easy to spot and features a bunch of images of tasty looking fruits and some odd blue raspberries on it. The new flavors are strawberry lemonade chill, citrus slush, cherry splash and blue raspberry rush.
The colors are great, if a little unnatural, but the palette is pleasant and easy to tell apart from the other Starburst varieties.
Strawberry Lemonade Chill is in a pink wrapper. It's a standard strawberry but a little more tart and less floral. I didn't like it as much as the regular Strawberry Starburst, which is surprising because the idea of strawberry with a touch of tart lemon and a hint of zest would be fantastic. This does not have those qualities.
Cherry Splash is in an easy to spot red wrapper. It tastes exactly like a Cherry Starburst. I don't know what the splash is, maybe there's a hint of lime in there, but it's basically the same wild cherry flavor that has been in the Starburst pack for decades.
Citrus Slush is in a sort of peachy orange wrapper. There weren't that many in my package, so I had to make my tastings count. Instead of a citrus blast, it's more like a fruit punch. It's tart and has some nice tangerine notes, but not as much variety as I would have hoped. Could be orange, so again, not much different from the regular Starburst pack so far ... cherry, strawberry and orange.
Blue Raspberry Rush is in a cerulean blue wrapper and the piece inside matches exceptionally well in its "this is not food" impossibility. The piece smells like raspberry jam, and there is a definite jammy quality to the boiled fruit flavor. It also has a slight effervescent note to it. Overall, a well rounded flavor that ends rather sweet.
The variety was not innovative. I feel like the new Starburst are stuck in this rut or retreading the same territory. While I enjoy the idea of there being an infinite exploration of flavors for Starburst and Skittles, I think we have the standard flavors for a reason, they work well in this medium.
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:31 pm Candy • Review • Mars • Wrigley's • Chews • Starburst • 7-Worth It • United States • Target •
Friday, June 21, 2013
Starburst Minis (Original)
Last month at the Sweets & Snacks Expo, Wrigley's showed off their new Starburst Minis. They were kind enough to send me some samples of the new version which should be hitting stores this month.
As you would expect from the name, they're mini versions of the regular Starburst chews. They're also unwrapped. (Some folks who make chains from the wrappers will not find this to be a selling point.) The flavors are the same as the Original packages: orange, lemon, cherry and strawberry.
A wrapped Starburst is .75 inches square and approximately .33 inches high. Each is approximately 5 grams. The new Minis are slightly more than .5 inches square, though the sides are not straight, they're pinched and are .25 inches high. So my calculations show that they're about one third the size.
What's more interesting is the ingredients list. Starburst contain gelatin. So, they're off limits to vegetarians and have never been Kosher/Halal to my knowledge.
Starburst Minis do not contain gelatin. They use pectin, which is derived from vegetable/fruit sources. In addition to the artificial colors, the other ingredient of concern to some folks would be the use of confectioners glaze, which has shellac in it. Shellac is derived from insects,so it is not a vegan product. It is gluten free. Also, oddly, this is made in Mexico. (I checked my other recent Starburst purchase of Starburst Very Berry but confirmed that they were made in the USA.)
Aside from the size and the enhanced ability to combine flavors, the other difference is texture. I found that the pieces were slightly aerated. They weren't as dense as a regular wrapped Starburst, and also not quite as intensely flavored. But they're softer and easier to chew. The chew had the same long-lasting flavor and lack of grain ... but a lighter dissolve on the tongue (I think because of the aeration).
They don't do well in humid climates. Humidity in Los Angeles, lately, has been around 40% and they've done well, but one damp morning and they were rather stuck together. I left them in the office overnight where it's air condition and they separated again. So if you're in a humid area, you might want to stick with the wrapped version or keep these sealed in a zipper bag when you're not busy consuming them.
The key feature to recommend the Starburst Minis is not their size, it's the fact that they're unwrapped. But I'm sure there are a lot of folks who will hone in on the fact that they don't have gelatin in them. I don't like the texture as much, but I can see the appeal of these, especially in circumstances where the wrappers are a hindrance, such as snacking on a plane or in a movie theater. But mostly I figure Skittles are mini Starburst - not quite the same flavor array, but a good approximation and they don't stick together.
UPDATE 9/3/2014: I picked up another package, because I've noticed some comments about the flavor and texture that were inconsistent with my initial review. Since that was a year ago and the candy has been in production for a while, I thought perhaps there were differences when the candy sits around on shelves for a few months or if they'd tweaked anything.
I found them to be quite firm, tough even. It's workable, but not a feature I find comforting. The flavor is also off, especially on the citrus flavors ... I definitely got a little note of something metallic with the lemon and orange. If this is the way everyone else is tasting them, I'd downgrade them to a 6 out of 10. I'm sticking with regular wrapped Starburst.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:21 pm Candy • Morselization • Review • Mars • Wrigley's • Chews • Starburst • 7-Worth It • Mexico •
Friday, March 22, 2013
Starburst Very Berry
Wrigley's has quietly introduced a new Starburst flavor variety: Starburst Very Berry. The package features four flavors: Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry and Blueberry.
This isn't Starburst's first foray into the berry world, they used to make a version called Berries and Creme which had a creamy version in strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and mixed berry. This version is a bit more bold, dumping the creme for a more fruity intensity.
The package says Great fruit taste! Real fruit juice! (That's apple juice. They all have apple juice, and less than 2% of it, too.) They also have 20% of your RDA of vitamin C.
I picked these up in their Easter box, but they're also available in the single serve package and bags. The hazard with the bags and box is that you're never sure of the ratio you'll get. My box had an inordinate amount of blueberry and only one raspberry.
This flavor sounded great, even though I'm never sure what the difference in artificially flavored candies is between raspberry and blackberry aside from the color.
The flavor is, well, good. It's very floral and deep with a lot of black cherry, cranberry and raspberry notes. But overall there's a sort of softness to it, it's not a lack of intensity, it's just not puckery or dry like pomegranate can be.
I had a lot of these and I was a little put off by the color. It's not the color of food, it's the color of a drug or a toy. The flavor is balanced and does a good job of being blueberry "flavored." It's a mix of tannins, like iced tea and a floral note that reminds me of ball point pen ink. It's a little tangy, between the tartness level of a citrus and the blander strawberry.
Blueberry is hard and the most interesting thing about blueberries, to me, is the combination of textures. It's a difficult thing to mimic in a chewy candy, like the fuzz on a peach or the layers of flavor and mouthfeel of a concord grape.
Well, it's the strawberry Starburst. There's not much else to say except, "Welcome!" It's a softer flavor, more like cotton candy than a sour berry flavor. There's a light tartness to it, but mostly it's sweet with a little kiss of floral strawberry flavor.
The wrapper is a different color pink or at least it seemed brighter. I'm glad it's in this mix.
This is very floral and deeply jammy. There's a hint of pineapple tartness but overall it's a well rounded flavor with some cherry notes as well. It's not wholly raspberry, it lacks a "seed" flavor to it. I can't say much more because I only had one.
Overall, it's a nice mix. It's less sour than some of the other varieties that include citrus flavors. I liked the colors, and if you're going for something like a glass jar that would be on display on your desk or at a party, the look is quite striking.
Starburst contain gelatin, so they're not for vegetarians and not Kosher/Halal. They are gluten free.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:53 am Candy • Review • Mars • Wrigley's • Chews • Starburst • 7-Worth It • United States • Target •
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Starburst Sweet Fiesta
Starburst come in a myriad of flavor packs these days. I picked up a few of the less common flavors at some convenience stores recently. The Starburst Sweet Fiesta has been out for a few years. At first I thought it was a limited edition version, but it appears to be a regular item.
The package contains four different flavors, each is a combo flavor all based on a sort of tropical and sub-tropical flavors. It has Cherry mango, peach guava, strawberry pineapple and melon berry, with three of each flavor in the 2.07 ounce pack.
Strawberry Pineapple is pink and delightful. It's sweet and tangy with floral notes that are close to honey and then something a little deeper and more heady.
Melon Berry is bright green. It's quite melon, a cross between watermelon and musk melon, but there's a strong sort of papaya note to it. It's too musky for me, to tropical.
Peach Guava is peachy. It smells like coconut and has a peachy, apricot note at first. The guava is not terribly strong, which is fine with me because I'm not that keen on guava, it's almost like passion fruit.
Cherry Mango is red. It smelled like the regular Cherry Starburst at first, but the flavor is quite a bit better. It's cherry, with all those woodsy flavors, but there's a pine and peach note to it that's quite good. I'm not usually a fan of cherry, but I like how Starburst does them for the most part, and this is a good example.
Overall, this flavor set is different enough from the standard Starbust Fruits but I don't feel like it completely breaks out of the show of the perfection of the original. If you're the type of candy fan that hates citrus, this is a good mix, as it has none, which is pretty rare. I love the pineapple, but I'm not big on melon, so I'd probably give this a pass in the future as a whole pack, but if I can just pick out the Strawberry Pineapple and share the rest, it's all systems go.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:56 am Candy • Review • Mars • Wrigley's • Chews • Starburst • 7-Worth It • United States • 7-11 •
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Starburst Flavor Morph
Wrigley's which now runs the Starburst franchise of products just came out with a new variety, called Starburst Flavor Morph. They come in both the long single serving pack, a king size and the 13 ounce bag I picked up at Target over the weekend.
The package says that they have Flavor Changing Beads, which sounds kind of high tech and kind of like a feature of cosmetics/hygiene products.
The newest Starburst offers more than just a variety of flavors in each pack - now, consumers will get to experience a variety of flavors in every square. The candy, which features flavor changing beads, morphs from orange to orange strawberry or cherry to cherry lime.
So, basically, instead of four flavors in the package, there are just two.
Cherry -> Cherry-Lime is wrapped in red with white waves on the little waxed paper wrapper. They're dark pink and at first do taste just like the traditional Cherry Starburst. The Cherry Lime notes come in rather late, and the advertised flavor beads aren't evident as pops or crunches. The lime notes were actually a welcome transition in the flavor of the chew, the citrus goes well with the very traditional artificial cherry flavor.
Orange -> Orange-Strawberry looks just like an Orange Starburst, but with a few little flecks. However, it smells like a Strawberry Starburst. So the flavor morph in this instance was not really transitional ... the flavor was absolutely orange and strawberry the whole time. I liked the combination, it's different from the usual citrus or strawberry combinations.
I haven't been excited or converted from the classic Fruits package by any of the new Starburst introduction in the past 10 years. This version is no different, it's a novelty. It's missing the usual variety and the flavor combinations while appealing aren't radical enough. While it doesn't say Limited Edition on the package, I don't expect them to stick around very long.
Starburst are marked as a gluten-free product. They do contain gelatin, so are not appropriate for vegetarians/vegans and are not Kosher. There are no statements about nuts or other allergens on the package though other sources say they're nut free. A serving of 8 pieces contains 20% of your daily RDA of Vitamin C. I found them expensive as well, $3.14 for a 13 ounce bag of sugar candy is a bit steep.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:04 am Candy • Review • Mars • Wrigley's • Chews • Starburst • 6-Tempting • United States • Target •
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Starburst Sour & Sweet
Mars has definitely mucked around with new Starburst over the past few years. Luckily they don't touch the original.
The newest item on the shelves is this Starburst Sour & Sweet mix. (It's a little unclear if this replaces the Starburst Sour or not, but the actual words on the package are New flavors - Starburst Sour - Sour (6 chews) Sweet (6 chews).
The two sour flavors are Sour Watermelon & Sour Green Apple and two sweet flavors are Sweet Strawberry & Sweet Blue Raspberry.
Sour Watermelon - hot pink - this has an immediate sour bite that's almost salty. The flavor other than that is the typical fake watermelon. It's quite intense all the way to the end.
Sour Green Apple - acid green - quite tangy and juicy, there's the plastic flavor of chemical green apple and just a little dash of apple juice flavor in there.
Sweet Strawberry - maroon - This was weird. I thought it was just a regular strawberry Starburst, but the flavor, maybe from being near the green apple, is much more artificial and less floral.
Sweet Blue Raspberry - cerulean blue - at first this seemed much too tangy to be called a "sweet" flavor, but then I ate a few more sours and it seemed a bit tamer after that. The raspberry flavor is mellow, a little jammy but not much in the floral notes.
The balance of sweet and sour was fun, especially since I don't think I could eat a whole package at once. The sours seemed much more sour than the previous Starburst Sours I've had. I enjoy Starburst's smooth chew and intense flavors. I think they could probably lighten up on the food coloring, seeing how they're individually wrapped. But the flavor assortment was kind of boring, I'd love to see them really reach for some exotic, powerful flavors instead of these same retreads.
Starburst's website is insanely annoying. It takes two minutes to load ... and then another two minutes once I clicked on "products" ... then clicking on nutritional info takes me to a Mars list of products (okay, no biggie, central databases are good) but I have to navigate that list AGAIN. It also doesn't list this product specifically, it still has the old flavor array for the Starburst Sour on the Starburst site and not at all on the Mars site.
Starburst Sour still contain gelatin but are listed as Gluten Free on the package.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:46 am
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Starburst GummiBursts
In that grand shipment of goodies from Mars last month I also got a box of these, Starburst GummiBursts.
They're a new product hitting the shelves in the US, described as Liquid Filled Gummies. They come in four flavors: Strawberry, Cherry, Orange & Lemon.
The package also boasts that they have Real Fruit Juice! and Great Fruit Taste(r).
I thought the package was a little light at only 1.5 ounces (a package of Skittles or Starburst are over 2 ounces for the same price). But then again, with the light caloric density, that makes a package only 140 calories.
Inside the little medallions are a little larger around than a nickel.
Each gummi has the juicy S on it and beneath that little dome of the letter lurks the burst. Biting into the firm gummi, there is definitely a thick flavored syrup center.
The gummi texture isn't as rubbery as some, it doesn't have that bounce.
The liquid is thick and tangy, but pretty much the same as the gummi, but in a different texture. The flavors, well, they're the same as the Starburst chews.
At first the goo center squicked me out, but I got used to it. But it never really did much for me. They're a "moister" feeling gummi, but that solves a problem I didn't really have. The flavors in the package, though consistent with what's in a regular Starburst Chews package, just don't seem to do much for me. They're not quite tangy enough to get my salivary glands going, they're just plain ordinary. Of course if one of my initials was S, I'd probably be more partial to these.
These were announced by Mars early this year, but I've not seen them on store shelves and can't seem to find them anywhere online.
The package says that they're gluten free. They do contain gelatin (of indeterminate origin) and are unsuitable for vegans.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:29 am
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Starburst Sours (New)
Just when I think I'm done, I get pulled back in again! I thought I'd reviewed all the Starburst on the market today when I saw that the Starburst Sour have new flavors.
It's not like I was that thrilled with the original set of flavors in the Starburst Sour array, so the new ones might be better.
As luck would have it I picked up the new flavors, then saw the original flavors at the 99 Cent Only Store. Before you go thinking that this will be a redux of the LifeSavers, both of these products are fresh.
Original Starburst Sour were manufactured in June of 2006 with an expiration of 8/2007. New Starburst Sour were manufactured in December 2006. (Curious how I know this, check out What Does that Mars Code Mean?)
Here's the flavor breakout:
Sour Tangerine (was Orange) - I really had to work hard on this one. The wrappers were the exact same shade of orange and the candies were the exact same shade of orange. I had to admit that the new Sour Tangerine was different from the orange. It had a "high note" of orange and tartness that just wasn't in the original. I can't say I prefer one over the other, but I'm glad there's something citrus in there.
Sour Green Apple (was Cherry) - I was pretty surprised that this wasn't in the original mix. It's definitely a synthetic sour apple taste, but it's quite intense and of course sour. It has some nice real apple juice notes to balance it out, especially as the chew goes on.
Sour Strawberry (was Grape) - While I enjoy a sassy tart and crispy apple and even a juicy tangerine, I have a hard time with sour strawberries, as they're so much better when they're sweet and ripe. It smelled like strawberry - a cross between summer flowers and cotton candy. The chew though, was a little less pleasant. It was sour but it didn't match up with the flavor, it was like a blind date that was going horribly, uncomfortably wrong. It made me break out in a sweat twice, not because it was too sour, perhaps because of the red food coloring. I didn't eat the third one in the mix.
Sour Blue Raspberry (same) - still an insane blue, still an unnatural flavor for food. Tart and a little on the lime side, a little bitter/dry aftertaste that I kind of liked it this time around.
Overall, I prefer the much more rounded flavors of the classic Starburst. I can see these being a nice change of pace and if I were doing more bike riding or running where I wanted a little something to get rid of dry mouth, this might be the stuff because they're so portable and of course a good variety in every pack.
Some of our wheat sensitive friends will be happy to hear that the new packaging now says that New Flavors Starburst Sour are Gluten Free (please make sure that your package says that if you're gluten intolerant since the old flavor set does not say that!).
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 6:09 am
Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.


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All-Bergen Team: NL Position Players
Rob Johnson (SDP). Most backup catchers hit fairly lightly, it's true, so the Padres probably aren't too upset at his complete lack of production, but it's pretty rare that a Major League Baseball player has an AVG, OBP, and SLG under 250. If Johnson's slugging falls five points, that's exactly what he'll be. Beyond that, he's lost 0.2 wins defensively. Not a good combination.
Dioner Navarro (LAD). Johnson's neighbor to the north, Navarro isn't putting up much better numbers – especially considering he's had two seasons with an OPS+ of 100 or better, and his 94 OPS+ in his previous stint in Los Angeles (2005). If he continues on his current pace, he will post his third consecutive negative-WAR season since his All-Star year, 2008. Unlike Johnson, however, Navarro has a positive dWAR, so at least there's that.
First Basemen
Aubrey Huff (SFG). Those of you who remember watching Huff struggle in Houston in 2006, only to turn around and have a couple of strong seasons in Baltimore, already know that he is an often-frustrating player to watch. Imagine, then, Giants fans – who saw Huff post 5 Wins Above Replacement last year, only to put together a -1.3 bWAR so far this season. He's done it by slugging worse than he ever has in his career, but the real damage has been done on defense, where he's lost 1.2 wins.
Lyle Overbay (PIT). When the Pirates signed Overbay to a $5-million deal this offseason, they likely weren't expecting the .230/.306/.356 line he's put together so far this year, or the seven errors he's accumulated at the halfway point of the season.
Jorge Cantu (SDP). Even with an offensive decline in 2010, Cantu looked like a solid offseason pickup for the Padres, who was expected to platoon at first base with Brad Hawpe and backup Chase Headley at third for the Friars. But after watching him stumble to a .194/.232/.285 line through 155 plate appearances, the Padres requested release waivers for him on June 21.
Second Basemen
Bill Hall (HOU/SFG). Arguably the Astros' biggest offseason acquisition, Hall's tenure with the team only lasted 46 games, during which he hit just .224/.272/.340 before he was released from the worst team in baseball. The Giants, no doubt thinking that Hall deserved another chance after the 104 OPS+ he put up in 2010 with the Boston Red Sox. It's still only 12 games into his San Francisco career, but he's already lost almost half (0.4) of the Wins he lost in almost four times as many games in Houston.
Dan Uggla (ATL). Uggla is a two-time All-Star, and finished third in the ROY voting in 2006. Last season, he won a Silver Slugger award and finished in the top twenty in MVP voting. This season, he's hitting just .175/.241/.330 while remaining the butcher in the field he's been his entire career.
Wilson Valdez (PHI). Certainly, starting Valdez at second base thirty-one times wasn't Plan A for the Phillies, but it hasn't exactly hurt in their quest to be the best team in baseball, despite the 0.6 wins he's lost for them, mostly on the defensive side of the ball.
Third Basemen
Casey McGehee (MIL). After two consecutive seasons with an OPS+ well over 100, McGehee looked to be one of the rising stars in Milwaukee, but he's struggled so far this season, posting just a .221/.272/.305 line, and is on pace to hit just half as many home runs as he did in 2009, his career low (16) – far off of the 23 he hit last season.
Chris Johnson (HOU). Johnson hasn't exactly hit poorly this season, though he hasn't hit particularly well, either. He's well off of the pace he set his rookie season, dropping 65 points in batting average; 53 points in on-base percentage; and 88 points in slugging percentage. But he's third among NL third basemen in errors, which has helped him lose an amazing 1.6 wins on defense alone.
Jose Lopez (COL/FLA). Another former All-Star, Lopez struggled mightily at the plate in his first season for Colorado – so much so (.208/.233/.288) that the Rockies released him. Enter the Marlins, who picked him up after his release. It took just twelve games, during which he performed even worse (.103/.161/.138) for them than he did for Colorado, before Florida decided to designate Lopez for assignment.
Yuniesky Betancourt (MIL). Sure, the right side of the Brewers' infield are starting the All-Star game for the National League, but between Betancourt and McGehee, the other half of the infield holds down the fort in the All-Bergen team.
Edgar Renteria (CIN). 1996 ROY runner-up, 5-time All-Star, two-time MVP top twenty candidate, two-time Gold Glove winner, 3-time Silver Slugger. But his tenure in Cincinnati has been less than stellar. Just 1 home run through 150 plate appearances, a .315 OBP, and a .282 SLG is far off of his pace.
Raul Ibanez (PHI). Prior to 2011, Ibanez had posted 10 straight seasons with an OPS+, so the 84 he's put together so far this year is pretty surprising. In fact, it's his lowest since 2000, the last year of his first stint in Seattle. He's on pace to lose as many wins this year defensively as last (1.2,) but is also on pace to drop his oWAR by 2.5.
Tyler Colvin (CHC). Colvin was a pleasant surprise last year in Chicago, so they can be forgiven for thinking that he would continue to grow and flourish. But he's dropped more than 400 points in OPS this season, which hasn't offset his improved defense. He's currently on pace to hit one-fifth as many home runs this year as he did last year. The upside is that Colvin is just 25 this year, and has plenty of time to return to form.
Ryan Spilborghs (COL). Spilborghs has quietly put together a nice career in Colorado, including three seasons with an OPS+ over 100. He's well off the pace this season this year, however, down in almost every offensive category and losing almost as many wins (.04) defensively as offensively (0.5).
Willie Bloomquist (ARI). What's always amazing to me isn't that Willie Bloomquist continues to struggle as a Major League player, but rather that he continues to get chances. The 85 OPS+ he posted last year (split between Cincinnati and Kansas City) was the highest of his career; he has a career .652 OPS; and he's had a negative dWAR in almost every professional season in which he's played.
Mark Kotsay (MIL). The 35-year-old Kotsay is down over a hundred points from his career OPS this season, and after posting his worst statistical season of his career in 2010, he's brought it down even farther this year.
Willie Harris (NYM). Harris has traditionally hit fairly lightly, but this year he's not hitting too poorly. Unfortunately, his defense has declined in recent years. He had -0.2 dWAR in 2009, -0.3 in 2010, and -0.4 so far this year.
Jerry Sands (LAD). Just 23 years old, Sands has been pressed into service this year for the Dodgers, largely because of a number of injuries they've faced. Sands has been a superstar in the minors, however, belting 35 home runs last year between Great Lakes and Chattanooga. He's a bright star on Los Angeles' horizon, but his Major League season in 2011 has been far less than stellar.
Eric Patterson (SDP). Patterson hit just .214 in 2010 between Oakland and Boston, but apparently the Padres saw enough potential in him to make him the Player To Be Named Later in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. Through 103 plate appearances, he was hitting just .180/.272/.292, and was designated for assignment on June 9 before he could do any more damage.
Up next: AL Pitchers.


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Nino Brown (We The Best) (Feat. Mavado) - Who Wan Test (In Studio Performance)
We The Best's Nino Brown & the gully gad Mavado in studio
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