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Category: Kauffman Stadium
Cook & Son's MLB Adventures (Vol. 1)
The offseason and January 1st are for remembering the past and looking forward to the future.
As far as remembering our baseball past goes, here's a video that I made in 2010 that I absolutely love:
I really need to put together Volume 2 soon.
That's all for now. Go Mariners!
Every MLB Stadium: Check!
I am way behind in writing our game entries — 4 games to be exact. But, in the meantime, I wanted to share a photo compilation I completed today. This past weekend, we attended two games at Marlins Park in Miami. Tim and I have now been to every current MLB stadium, plus several closed stadiums. Here is a photo six years in the making:
As of today, Tim has been to 139 MLB games, with Safeco Field, Camden Yards and Citizens Bank Park topping the "most games" list. But here is a list of the first (or only) game Tim attended at each of his 34 MLB stadiums:
- Safeco Field (9/12/06)
- Citizens Bank Park (6/30/07)
- Camden Yards (8/9/07)
- Yankee Stadium ('23) (9/3/07)
- PNC Park (9/29/07)
- Great American Ball Park (8/15/08)
- Progressive Field (8/17/08)
- Shea Stadium (9/7/08)
- Chase Field (9/12/08)
- Citi Field (4/25/09)
- Nationals Park (5/17/09)
- Yankee Stadium ('09) (7/2/09)
- Fenway Park (7/3/09)
- Wrigley Field (8/14/09)
- H.H.H. Metrodome (8/15/09)
- Miller Park (8/16/09)
- U.S. Cellular Field (8/17/09)
- Rogers Centre (9/26/09)
- Oakland Coliseum (6/9/10)
- Dodger Stadium (6/11/10)
- Petco Park (6/12/10)
- Angel Stadium of Anaheim (6/14/10)
- AT&T Park (6/15/10)
- Minute Maid Park (5/27/11)
- Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (5/28/11)
- Comerica Park (7/3/11)
- Sun Life Stadium (8/13/11)
- Turner Field (8/15/11)
- Tropicana Field (8/19/11)
- Target Field (5/12/12)
- Busch Stadium (5/14/12)
- Kauffman Stadium (5/16/12)
- Coors Field (5/18/12)
- Marlins Park (8/31/12)
2012 Cook GFS Game 4 – Orioles vs. Royals (5/16/12)
On Wednesday, May 16, 2012, we woke up for the last time in our St. Louis area Caboose and hit the road for Kansas City. The drive to KC was pretty easy, just a few hours. Nothing like our 550+ mile trek from Minneapolis to St. Louis.
However, we had put the wrong address in our GPS, which resulted in us driving right by our hotel (literally right by it, it was right off Exhibit 18 on I-70), right by Kauffman Stadium…
…and all the way into one of the least desirable sections of Kansas City. After figuring out our mistake and backtracking 20 minutes, we found our hotel and just rested in our room for several hours. But our hotel time, I reconnected by phone with Royals season-ticket holder and myGameBalls.com member Garrett Meyer. We'd met Garrett last season at Ballhawkfest. Garrett knew we'd be at this game. After catching up a bit, Garrett and I discussed gate times and the Royals "early-bird" tour.
After discussing it with my dad, we opted to meet up with Garrett and do the early bird tour, which gets you into the Royals…
…Hall of Fame (where we saw some cool stuff like this…
…) and then it gets you into BP way before the rest of the public.
Besides getting in early, the normal BP people have to stay in the outfield for a while once they are let into the stadium. Meanwhile, the early bird tour people stay on the infield, behind the dugouts. We set up shop behind the Orioles' visitors' dugout on the 3B line:
It was beautiful. Our view looked like this:
At the beginning, Garrett was on the Royals side (where the Royals pitchers were warming up). A bunch of fans wearing Orioles gear were on our side and they all seemed to be either autograph collectors or folks who just wanted some extra time to see the Orioles. No one seemed to have any interest in getting a baseball tossed to them. Also, if foul balls are hit into the stands down the foul lines, the usher will let you run down and grab it. It was a crying shame that ZERO baseballs were hit into the foul seats (which is amazing).
Anyway, while the Royals were taking BP, several infields took grounders at SS and 3B. The first group of infields included Alcides Escobar…
…and the second group included former-Mariner Yuniesky Betancourt. Both the tossed stray BP balls to us on their way off the field.
Thanks, Alcides and Yuni!
A few Orioles were hanging around in the bullpen below us. Since people were asking for autographs, I asked Tim if he wanted to get one of our new baseballs signed. He did. Dana Eveland was happy to oblige Tim's request:
During much of BP, Tim played with ants that were crawling out of a little hole in the cement…
…and Kellan just walked up and down the rows like walking was going out of style.
At some point, Garrett came over to the 3B dugout. I hadn't even seen him yet when I noticed an Orioles coach standing by the Orioles BP ball bin start tossing balls out in the crowd. He must have thrown 6-7 baseballs in a row.
Moments later, Garrett walked over to me and Kellan and said, "That Orioles coach is tossing a Camden Yards Commemorative to anyone who asks for one!
Kellan and I high tailed it down there. He was no longer throwing baseballs, but was still standing at the ball bin. I called out to him and when he looked up I was happy to see the face of former-Mariner Jim Presley looking back at me.
I asked for a OPACY commemorative ball, he dug around in the bin until he found one (I saw it too), and then he tossed *a baseball* to us:
(Photo taken after the game started)
I was thrilled! I shouted out a big:
Thanks, Jim!
And then Garrett whispered to me, "it is not commemorative!" He could see in my glove as I thanked Presley and saw the MLB logo on the ball he'd thrown. I was utterly confused because I *saw* Presley grab a commemorative baseball and throw it to me. Or at least I thought I did.
Garrett and I exchanged puzzled looks. And then I got bold. I called out to Jim again and asked (paragraphing), "Hey, Jim. I don't mean to be annoying, but is there any way I could trade this baseball for one of the Camden Yards baseballs?" He looked up at me with a confused look and asked, "That one wasn't one!?"
I tossed it back to him. He put it back in the bin and he tossed me a pearl of a Camden Yards commemorative baseball.
Thanks again, Jim!
Presley then walked away from the bin. My dad and Tim had not heard or seen what was going on. When Garrett, Kellan and I went back down toward the OF end of the dugout, I told my dad that he and Tim should give it a shot if Presley wandered back over to the bucket.
Well, wouldn't you know, he did…
…and they did, and he hooked them up to!
Quadruple thanks, Jim Presley!
It was our first Camden Yards baseballs and my dad's first baseball of the trip. So it was a very special interaction with a first class former Mariner.
Moments after Tim and my dad returned with their Camden Yards baseballs, an Orioles fan was getting an autograph from Brian Roberts at the camera well at the end of the dugout.
Tim and I swooped in and capitalized big time:
In one fell swoop, we accomplished three things: (i) Tim got Roberts to sign his new Camden Yards baseball, (ii) he got his picture with Roberts (first ever picture with an Oriole!), and (iii) Roberts held the baseball and gave a thumbs-up in the picture so it qualified for five points in the myGameBalls.com photo scavenger hunt!
Thanks, Brian!
Tim was in a thumbs-up mood. So he got a thumbs-up picture with Garrett too:
While the Orioles pitchers warmed up down the LF line (where we could only go if a foul was hit into the stands), three set of Orioles position players played catch right in front of us at the dugout. When the final group was finished, Chris Davis tossed us his warm up baseball before walking back into the dugout.
Earlier in BP, my dad and I had a little bit of discussion with former-Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair. Tim and I have had several nice discussions with Adair at Camden Yards since he joined the Orioles' coaching staff.
Well, after all of the Orioles pitchers had warmed up down the LF line, I saw Rick down the line chatting with an O's pitcher and tossing a baseball back-and-forth from hand-to-hand. He was probably 150 feet down the line. When he finished chatting with the player, I called out, "Hey, Rick!" and I flashed him some leather. I was hoping he would make a big long toss throw to me.
Instead, he walked toward us. He was on his way to the dugout. It was clear he was going to give us the baseball, but he wasn't into the long toss idea. As he got closer, he was into Tim's catching range, so I pointed to Tim.
Adair made a good toss, but Tim botched the catch. It fell to his feet and he picked it up. He's actually botched the toss from Jim Presley too. So he wasn't having a gold glove day so far. But he got the ball on his own, so it was all good.
Big thanks to Rick Adair!
Eventually, a friendly female usher who was chatting with us behind the dugout told us that the entire stadium was open so we could move around wherever we wanted to go. My dad went to the team store to buy some baseballs (he buys a team or stadium baseball at each stadium he visits), Garrett went out into the outfield where we saw several Orioles air mail baseballs over his head, and Tim, Kellan and I headed down the LF line, but stayed in foul territory. We took up a spot on the wall and watched BP:
Orioles pitcher Luis Ayala was running around LF wearing a huge, oversized glove. From myGameBalls.com and other mlblogs, I know there are several guys around the country who use a "big glove" like this. So I scanned the crowd, and soon we met Minnesota's own Big Glove Bob:
I love that picture of Tim and BGB. Bob has the face of a man stuck in the middle of Tim unfolding a long and overly detailed story. I believe this particular story was about how Shawn Camp tossed Tim two baseballs the day before in St. Louis. That was a story with which Tim regaled anyone who would listen while at Kauffman Stadium – notably, Garrett about five times or so.
Kauffman Stadium was great, but the setup of the seats down the LF line was frustrating me while we were down the line. At some stadiums the seats in the corner are situated diagonally so the end seat in each row butts up against the fence. In that type of row, I can block Kellan into a defined space. But none of the seats down the line at Kauffman Stadium butt up against the fence. In fact, there is a huge amount of space in front of the seats. So it was very difficult to keep Kellan near us without chasing him back and forth.
I decided we should go out to LCF so I could block in Kellan at the end of the bottom row next to the batters' eye. We ended up going out there for a very brief time, but the sun was right on us and it was too hot.
While we were there, Ronnie Deck and someone named "Flaherty"…
…were shagging fly balls in CF and LCF.
I placed my third or fourth call of the day to my "Orioles guy," Avi Miller. The call went like this:
Todd – "Hey, Avi, what is Flaherty's first name"?
Avi – "Ryan."
Todd – "Oh…wait, I gotta go."
I called him back about 30 seconds later. That call went like this:
Todd – "Ryan Flaherty just tossed us a Camden Yards commemorative. Thanks for the assist!"
Avi – "Any time, sir."
If you're visiting Camden Yards or seeing the Orioles on the road, Avi is a good guy to know. Well, he's a good guy to know in general, I guess.
Thanks, Ryan and Avi!
That was it for BP. Thanks for the early bird tour, we snagged 7 baseballs with almost no effort. Not too shabby.
As we made our way toward foul territory, we stopped briefly at the bullpen. One of the Orioles coaches was crossing the warning track grabbing stray balls. Totally out of view, he tossed one right over me. I didn't see it in time to get my glove up and it sailed right into the fountain.
While we were out in LCF, me and the boys met up with my dad and Garrett. After BP, Garrett offered to take us to the only "Kauffman Stadium" sign in the ballpark, which is above the Royals dugout on the 1B side, so we could get a Kauffman Stadium bonus picture for the myGameBalls.com photo scavenger hunt. Because of the Diamond Club, you cannot get from the 3B side to the 1B side on the field level without going up into the concourse. While we were passing through the concourse, Tim and Garrett posed for a picture with the Royals pig:
There were a bunch of kids in the first row above the dugout and it was far from an ideal situation to get a picture featuring the Kauffman Stadium sign. This was as good as we could do with Garrett's assistance:
I took a second picture of Tim from the first row just in case the last picture came out horribly:
Then, we split off from Garrett and the boys, my dad and I headed up to the upper deck to try again from up there:
That one isn't ideal either, but it was better. Tim was pretending to be scared his heights while up there. That's why he isn't smiling in the photo.
While up there, I also got this panorama from the front of section 420:
And then we walked the concourse a bit. All the way down the LF line, we could see a classic spiral ramp and the KC Chiefs stadium next door:
We all headed down to the field level for the beginning of the game. We got some great tickets on stubhub for way under face value. This was our excellent view from section 112:
And this was the view of the first pitch of the game:
Fairly quickly after the game started, Tim wanted to go see the kids play area that I'd mentioned was behind the scoreboard in CF. I didn't know what all was back there, but I was up for checking it out. On our way, we met Sluggerrr:
As passed behind the Royals Hall of Fame, we noticed that the crown on top of the scoreboard had little spikes on it. We figured we ought to take a picture of it:
We also figured we should take some panoramas from the top of section 202 in LF:
And from down at the bottom of section 202, just above the LF fountains:
As we made our way to the play area, we ran into the Kauffmans…
…who were apparently very enthusiastic with their waving.
On the back of the scoreboard, the Royals have a big "KC" logo instead of a "Kauffman Stadium" sign:
There was one big problem with the play area: it had too much fun stuff. Literally, it was just too much. Tim was really excited about it. But I quickly realized we could end up spending the entire game there. And I wasn't too excited to spend our only game at Kauffman Stadium behind the scoreboard where I couldn't see the game.
Here are two of the things we didn't do:
On the left, that is a miniature golf course. See how the ground is all wet in front of the mini-golf? Well, we didn't notice as we made the approach. And then a huge blast of water flew straight up my pants. I walked over a fountain set into the walkway exactly when it went off. My shorts were completely drenched.
It was funny, but I could have lived without the comic relief.
Tim was really excited to play, but I had to limit him to the play fort thingy. Mini-golf just takes too long!
The play area would be great if this wasn't our first game at Kauffman Stadium. It would be ideal for the down time between the end of batting practice and the beginning of the game.
The other non-ideal thing was that the play fort was a bit too advanced for Kellan. So Tim played for a bit while Kellan and I just roamed around. And I got this panorama from behind the scoreboard:
And soon enough, it was time to head back into the infield and grab some dinner:
We go the nachos and grandpa got the BBQ sandwich. In retrospect, I wish I would have tried a BBQ sandwich too, but I missed out.
Actually, I basically just missed out on dinner because this was going to be our only game in KC and I needed to run around and see the stadium. So the boys ate dinner with Grandpa and I took off.
I started by heading the LF corner and I got this panorama from behind section 104 – just on the CF side of the Royals bullpen:
Then I checked out the fountains…
…and the trough behind the CF wall, where a few people have jumped down to grab homerun balls. I could see several baseballs down there.
I got this panorama from the walkway behind section 101:
Then I walked through the area behind the batters eye and below the scoreboard, and I popped out on the other side in the party porch:
I walked across the party porch and got another panorama from RF:
Behind the Orioles bullpen in RF, there is a bar thingy that I didn't go inside…
…and I'm not sure if it is open to the public.
There are more fountains and less seating in RF than in LF. There are also more statues in RF than in LF:
Here is one of my favorite panoramas that I got at Kauffman Stadium, from above/behind the fountains in RF (the thing on the far upper right is the bottom corner of the scoreboard):
I circled around that bar thingy and got this panorama from section 248:
Then I headed up to the 300 level (which I would naturally call the "second" level). It seemed to be a suite and club type level, but it seemed that they let anyone walk through it.
I had a funny interaction in the suite level concourse. I ran into a super-drunk Orioles fan who was also walking around the stadium taking pictures. He saw me walking with my camera and thought it was hilarious. We chatted a bit, and he had previously also lived in Pennsylvania. He ended up taking a picture of the two of us. I gave him a hugely over-exaggerated thumbs-up in the picture. I imaged that the next day he probably scrolled through his pictures and scratched his head thinking, "Wow – I drank too much. Who in the world is this guy!?"
Anyway, I got panoramas from section 321:
And another from the stairway between sections 315-316:
I noticed that this would have been the ideal spot to get our picture with the Kauffman Stadium sign:
Maybe next time!
By the way, although I never tried to walk into the Diamond Club, it seemed as if anyone could sit in any seat at Kauffman Stadium without an usher ever asking to see your ticket.
Next, I headed up to the upper deck and got a couple shots before my dad texted that Kellan was asking for me. First, I got this panorama from section 419:
And this one from section 417:
After twirling my way down the spiral ramp, I noticed that there was a cool "Royals" sign on the exterior of the stadium:
When I got back to the seats, it was reaching twilight. The scene in the outfield looked pretty cool with a pink water show going on in the RF fountains:
By the way, I should mention the game was 0-0 through four-and-a-half innings. In the bottom of the fifth, the Royals finally found the plate, twice, on the strength of a Humberto Quintero single to CF. That made it 2-0 Royals.
Soon, it was time for ice cream. Tim, Kellan and I went in search of some ice cream helmets. We finally found them behind 3B. I was surprised to find that the Royals only offered vanilla soft serve. I thought that was odd. And it was outside of Tim's chocolate wheelhouse. But the Royals made up for it with a strong showing on the toppings front. Tim got crushed Oreos and Tim got chocolate chip cookie dough topping. And the toppings looked and tasted GREAT!
Here's a pretty sight:
Unfortunately, I didn't get to share in much more than a single bite. I used the ice cream time to finish my tour of the stadium.
I started by running up to the .390 Bar & Grille on the second deck. It was a nice looking restaurant with a big sign "NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC." Unfortunately, all but one of my pictures in their came out completely blurry. But the one that came out clear was the most important. Here is clear was the most important. Here is our view if you choose to dine at the .390 Bar & Grille:
Wait, I got one more good picture from the restaurant:
That's my dad holding Kellan as he scarfs down some ice cream. We had the first four seats in the row and Tim is off-camera eating his ice cream in seat number 4.
I left the restaurant and got this panorama from section 401:
I already had a panorama from the front of section 420, so I went for another from the back row:
As I circled behind the first base dugout, a Royal (I think it was Francouer, but I'm not certain) smoked a foul ball right to OUR seats. I zoomed in to see if I could see if my dad got it…
…, which would have been really hard while holding Kellan.
He didn't get it. Actually, if you look right between the ballboy next to the "Firestone" sign and my dad and Kellan, you can see a guy (two rows in front of my dad) in a blue shirt and light colored shorts. He is leaning forward with his hands over his head. In his left hand, you can see him holding the foul ball. That is darn close!
I kept moving and got this shot from the stairs between sections 425 and 427…
…this one from between sections 435 and 437…
…, and this one from the very last seat at the end of section 439:
My tour was essentially complete, but I got a couple more pictures as I made my way back to our seats. I got this shot from section 230:
And this one admiring the big World Series trophy that is part of a sign for the Royals team store:
By this time, it was official, I was hardly spending any time at all in our seats. And, frankly, it wasn't going to spend much more time there. It was very late in the game by this time. Like the 7thor 8th inning.
Kellan had been in the seats most of the game and he was ready to move around. Mere minutes after returning to the seats, Kellan and I headed to the cross-aisle. We ended up stopping in a huge tunnel behind section 118 (right behind 3B):
Kellan had a great time running around in this cross-aisle. It was pretty clear that the Royals ushers didn't care what fans did in this huge open area. Kellan was sprinting back and forth across the big piece of cross-aisle/tunnel real estate, and all we got were "oh, that's adorable" looks from the ushers.
After a while, Kellan decided it was time to continue his hanging from railings strength training:
The game was still tight. In the top of the 8th, the Orioles finally got on the board on an RBI double by Nick Markakis. That made it 2-1 Royals heading into the bottom of the 8th.
But the Royals got the run back pretty quickly. After two quick outs, Billy Butler hit a single. He was then replaced by pinch runner Mitch Maier. Moments later, Maier motored around the bases and beat the tag…
…on a double by Alex Gordon.
That made it 3-1 going into the top of the ninth.
With three quick outs and the Royals could tuck the win into their back pocket.
We decided to get a closer look. Garrett had texted and mentioned he was in the fourth row in section 118. I noticed that the usher were not checking anyone's tickets. So as the teams made the offense-defense switch before the top of the ninth, Kellan headed down the stairs and met up with Garrett.
This was our view:
View nice.
Garrett was sitting with fellow myGameBalls.com member Leiming Tang. Like the seats, Leiming was very nice too.
But you know what wasn't nice? The Royals' decision to bring in Jonathan Broxton to close out the game. Living in the Phillies' television market, I know a thing or two about Broxton. Well, really I only know one thing, I HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM CLOSE A GAME SUCCESSFULLY. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, there is a chance that I have seen him do it. But I seriously do not remember that ever happening.
Guess what? It didn't happen at this game.
You know, I said bringing in Broxton "wasn't nice." I take that back. I had wanted to see two games in Kansas City, but the length of the drive to Denver wouldn't permit it. And, frankly, I had missed a lot of this game because I was touring around the ballpark.
So I think the Royals were actually doing the nicest thing they could for me. They extended the game, and almost let me see two games in one.
So, I guess you can tell by now, Broxton blew the save. He blue it BIG TIME.
He coughed up the first run on a homerun by Wilson Betemit:
That made it 3-2 Royals.
He then gave up singles to Chris Davis, Xavier Avery, and J.J. Hardy. Hardy's single was of the RBI variety.
Tie ballgame, 3-3. Extra innings on their way, and so was a huge dose of hitting futility (or pitching dominance).
In the top of the 10, we were happy to see 5'7" Royals pitcher Tim Collins. Like Tim Cook, Tim Collins also sports number 55:
He sat the Orioles does in order.
After the 9th ended, Tim and my dad came down and met up with us in section 118.
Tim entertained Garrett with story after story after story. Every fifth story, it seemed, was about how Shawn Camp tossed Tim two baseballs the day before in St. Louis.
Garrett was great. He handled Tim's shower of stories like a champ:
A friend of mine from New Orleans had told me a day or two before this game that a local guy named Johnny Giavutella had just been called up to the Major Leagues by the Royals. Well, Giavutella pinch hit in the 10th inning:
He came up empty in the 10th inning, but eventually went 1-3 on the night.
We had lots of time to chat and take random photos, like these shots by my dad:
In the 13 inning, Nick Johnson hit a double for the Orioles. For some reason, the ball was thrown out of play after the hit, and it was eventually tossed into the stands. Johnson's double-ball now resides at my parents' house!
Sluggerrr came and visited our section to keep the game entertaining (just in case the duel of the relievers wasn't entertainment enough for some of the fans):
Heading into the 14 inning, Kellan was ready for more baseball!
In the top of the 15th inning, Adam Jones took matters into his own hands:
He hit a solo bomb to LF (way out of there) to break the 3-3 tie.
Kellan continued to clown around with Grandpa during the top of the 15th inning:
And then Tim, Kellan, and I moved into the first row with Leiming during the bottom of the 15th inning:
Actually, Tim had already been down there with Leiming and Garrett – and he had been having a blast hanging with the guys. They were both awesome and really made Tim feel like one of the guys.
It just so happened that we were directly above the umpire's tunnel. Our friend (well, we don't know him, but he's been friendly to us in the past) Angel Hernandez was behind the plate. We were in absolutely ideal post to get an umpire baseball. Leiming, Tim, Kellan, and I all had our gloves ready when the final out was recorded. (By the way, Garrett had moved to see if he could get the final out baseball – he was unsuccessful).
As we prepared for the final out, I told Tim he needed to be sure he squeezed that ball tightly if Hernandez tossed him a baseball because it would fall back down into the umpires' tunnel if he missed it.
After the final out was recorded, Angel Hernandez walked right to us. We all called out to him. He then looked at me and Kellan and said, "Let's let the little guys get one first!" and he flipped a ball to me. He then flipped a second ball to Tim, and Tim caught it! Success!
Finally, he tossed a third baseball to Leiming before ducking into the tunnel.
Thanks, Angel!
With these two baseballs, Angel Hernandez has now tossed us a baseball on each of the last three Cook GFS Roadtrips.
A few minutes later, we got a late night photo of four happy Cooks:
What a night! Tim and I tied the longest game of Tim's life, and Kellan set his new longest game record as well.
As we drove back to the hotel, I looked back, snapped this photo…
…and wished The K a good night. It was a great one.
The next day would be a travel day. A long one, we would be driving all the way to Denver.
2012 C&S Fan Stats
|8/7 Games (Tim/Kellan)
|12/11 Teams – Tim – Phillies, Mets, Marlins, Athletics, Orioles, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Twins, Cubs, Cardinals, Royals; Kellan – Marlins, Nationals, Athletics, Orioles, Mets, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Twins, Cubs, Cardinals, Royals
|11 Ice Cream Helmet(s) – Phillies 1, Orioles 1, Mets 2, Twins 2, Cardinals 3, Royals 2
|42 Baseballs – Marlins 4, Mets 8, Nationals 1, Phillies 1, Umpires 5, Orioles 6, Athletics 1, Diamondbacks 4, Blue Jays 1, Twins 1, Cubs 7, Cardinals 1, Royals 2
|6 Commemorative Baseball(s) – Marlins Park, Mets 50th Anniversary 2, Camden Yards 3
|7/6 Stadiums – Tim – Citizens Bank Park, Nationals Park, Camden Yards, Citi Field, Target Field, Busch Stadium, Kauffman Stadium; Kellan – Nationals Park, Camden Yards, Citi Field, Target Field, Busch Stadium, Kauffman Stadium1/1 Mascots Photos – Tim – Sluggerrr; Kellan – Fredbird
|3/1 Player Photos – Tim – Ricky Bones, Willie Bloomquist, Brian Roberts; Kellan – Willie Bloomquist
|2 Batting Gloves – Ronnie Deck
|4 Autographs – Willie Bloomquist 2, Tim Byrdak, Brian Roberts


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Kingston 16GB microSDHC
- Brand: Kingston
- Subject: Storage
- Category: Flash Memory
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PMA 2018 Report
PMA 2010 - Kingston announces the release of a 16GB microSDHC Class 10 card. The high-capacity card complies with the SD Association Specification 3.00 to meet Class 10 requirements. The 16GB microSDHC card has a minimum data transfer rate of 10MB/sec. and ships either as a stand-alone microSDHC card or with adapters. Kingston takes mobility and versatility a step further with the addition of the SD adapter pack, and the SD and miniSD adapter pack. Inserting the card into the SD adapter turns it into a large-storage, speedy SDHC card that can be used to capture continuous images or videos in digital cameras.
High-speed Kingston 16GB microSDHC memory card
"With the new speed class, host devices such as high-definition cameras or the latest smartphones are being designed to optimize their write performance to take advantage of the more responsive memory card speeds," said Wendy Lecot, Flash card business manager, Kingston. "Now that the Class 10 card specification is five times faster than a Class 2 card, users will see swifter copying and transferring of photos, music, videos and e-books when using a multi-format card reader such as the Kingston Media Reader or MobileLiteG2 with a PC." The 16GB microSDHC Class 10 card is backed by a lifetime warranty, 24/7 tech support and legendary Kingston reliability.
Kingston 16GB microSDHC Class 10 features
Compliant: with the SD Specification Version 3.00
Versatile: when combined with an adapter, can be used as a full-size SDHC card with write protection or as a miniSDHC card to transfer data
Compatible: with microSDHC, miniSDHC and SDHC host devices; not compatible with standard microSD-enabled device/readers
File Format: FAT32
Reliable: lifetime warranty
Capacities: 16GB
Dimensions: 0.43" x 0.59" x 0.039" (11mm x 15mm x 1mm)
High-Speed Class Rating: Class 10 - 10MB/sec. minimum data transfer rate
Operating Temperature: -13˚ F to 185˚ F (-25˚ C to 85˚ C)
Storage Temperature: -40˚ F to 185˚ F (-40˚ C to 85˚ C)

subset: commoncrawl


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(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that's happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.)
Who knew a hashtag could wield this much power? This one — #OperationGetKaylaToMeetTaylorSwift — worked so well, it brought Kayla Kincannon to Nashville for lunch with Taylor Swift . Kincannon has been fighting brain cancer and brain tumors since 2011 but has been a Swift fan for much, much longer. So the suburban Detroit teenager's family and friends had started a social media campaign to get her to meet Swift. They probably considered it a long shot because of Swift's busy schedule and international travels. Yet somehow it just worked, and Swift and Kincannon were having lunch in Tennessee. Kincannon had this status update on her Facebook page to thank everyone for their support. "My mom received a call from a little lady named Andrea Swift, and apparently I'll be busy Saturday (Jan. 19) waiting for Taylor Swift's tour bus to arrive to pick me up at the place I'm staying in TN, on a four hour drive to take me to lunch with a little known country singer named Taylor Swift," she wrote. After lunch, her family posted on Kincannon's website, "This was no quick meet and greet photo opp." Lunch with the Swift women lasted two hours. But the memories of that lunch? I'm pretty sure those will last forever.


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The music, the editing, the slow-mo. It's fit for only the most outstanding of powerslides. Or, you know, skidding an old Ford Sierra.
These are the same hoons behind the Daihatsu Charade Bad Boys-style hoon vid from ages ago. It just goes to show that even a clunky old family sedan can be a perfect hoonmobile, particularly if it's got rear-wheel drive


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Lady Gaga Is a Centaur in New Photo
We all know Lady Gaga is otherworldly, but she has further proven that fact by releasing a photo of herself as a centaur, which is half-human, half-horse.
Finally, her "Mother Monster" persona and name make a whole lot of sense. Gaga is sporting a unicorn horn, as well, so she's furthering the mythical nature of the creature and the pose in this photo.
The image appears to have been taken during the earliest promotional phases of 'Born This Way' and looks like her Billboard cover sessions, since she was wearing similar attire. But it's the first time we've seen this magical image. Gaga is sporting cheek implants and was prone to distorting her face during that period of promo for the record, and she took things a step further by distorting her body in this image.
Can we just tell you that we love her version of the hooves? Leave it to Gaga to transform into a creature such as this and do it fashionably, with chunky, reverse platform heels that look like horse hooves; these are something that fashion-forward women would want to wear.
The photo is beautifully done since Gaga is able to maintain perfect, upright, bipedal posture, despite having a horse's body attached to her. It's another example of Gaga not only breaking the mold, but creating her own mold.
Again, she shared this photo via LittleMonsters.com. She has been giving fans plenty of exclusive images via her site as of late. Like the photo of her and her boyfriend, 'T'.'
Watch the Lady Gaga 'Born This Way' Video


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As a major finding of the EU project RECONCILE, which was completed in February 2013, it is expected that, according to recent measurements, the ozone layer over the North Pole should recover by the end of the century. Scientists from 35 research institutions, among them the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of DLR, and universities in 14 countries spent four years investigating the chemical process of ozone depletion. Their findings verified once again that chlorine compounds are indeed responsible for this. The scientists used the new insights to improve existing climate models. These models facilitate more reliable predictions on how the ozone layer will develop in future and on the possible consequences of climate change for the stratosphere.
To achieve these results, the researchers performed numerous laboratory experiments, field measurements and computer simulations. One of the highlights was a measurement campaign with the M55 Geophysica. The Russian plane is the only European research aircraft capable of flying at altitudes of up to 21 kilometres. Between January and March 2010, the Geophysica flew over the Arctic thirteen times collecting samples and data. Preparing and conducting the measurement flights at ground temperatures of up to minus 40 °C was a unique challenge faced by those involved in the campaign.
Even if the ozone layer recovers, climate change could alter the underlying conditions. Climate change could alter the temperature, circulation patterns and chemical composition in the stratosphere. This also influences the ozone layer, which in turn has a bearing on temperature.
Contact: Hans Schlager
Link: RECONCILE Webseite (at Forschungszentrum Jülich)


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Millbrook Pinot Noir 2018 750ml
New York Wine, Hudson Valley
About Millbrook Winery and Vineyard
John Dyson's interest in wine goes way back to his days at Cornell's College of Agriculture when, never keen on beer, he bought a jug of wine to impress a date at his fraternity's party. This led to a lifelong interest in wines and his enrollment in a wine course at Cornell's famed hotel school.
John met Kathe in Washington, DC while they were both working there. Their first investment in the wine world began in 1979 in John's hometown of Millbrook, NY as they began to convert an old dairy farm into Millbrook Vineyards & Winery. He initiated viticultural experiments using several varieties, rootstocks and trellising techniques, and proved that world-class vinifera wines could be produced in the Hudson River Valley. Millbrook's first commercial vintage was produced in 1985, and the 2005 vintage wines represent our 20th anniversary.
Called "the Hudson Valley's flagship winery" by The New York Times and "a great place to visit" by The Wall Street Journal, we are conveniently located in the magnificent Hudson River Valley just 1.5 hours from both New York City and Albany. It is glorious to visit any time of year.
Our world-class wines have won acclaim from critics and consumers alike, and they compare favorably with top wines from California and France. Millbrook is considered one of the top wineries not only of the Hudson River Valley but all of New York State and indeed the eastern seaboard. Fifty of the vineyards' 130 acres are planted, half in Chardonnay. The rest is in Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tocai Friulano, as well as some rare varietals that are well suited to Millbrook's microclimate. Our winemaker, John Graziano, has been crafting these high quality wines for Millbrook since 1985. He has been the only winemaker at Millbrook since its establishment. Currently, John is producing approximately 14,000 cases of wine annually from fruit across New York and California.


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This tutorial will show you how to create a straight seam when you are joining your half double crochet in the round. It will also show you how to minimize the seam that will result from the various methods I suggest.
8 thoughts on "Straight Seam In Half Double Crochet When Working In The Round"
Thanks for replying. I have not been able to reach the designer, which is why I started to do research and I found your article. At least I know now that I can join in the chain two which I have been doing for the base. I think I will try your method for the body to decrease the visibility of the seam. I don't think it matters if the seam shows for the base. Thanks so much for your guidance. Regina
I am crocheting baskets. To crochet the bottom pattern says to chain two after join and hdc in same stitch. I have been joining in top of chain two so I don't lose a stitch. Should I be counting the chain two as a hdc? I am going crazy with the pattern because of the noticeable seam and losing a stitch if I don't join in the 1st hdc.. Also for the body it say to ch 2 and then hdc in next stitch.
I must be doing something wrong. I am trying your first method of sl st, ch 1, hdc in same stitch and I love the look. However, I'm losing a stitch on every round. I'm making sure to do my hdc in the same stitch as the join, and then joining in the first stitch of the first hdc and NOT the chain as you state in the video, but still somehow losing a stitch. Any thoughts where that might be happening?
Thanks for responding, Deja. You're right. It was the last stitch of the round. I figured it out not long after I posted.
The hat turned out great. Thanks so much for the tutorial.
Thank you for posting this. I knew someone had addressed it before, but I could not find it and was about to reinvent the wheel for my own purposes. Given that I have the attention span of a small rodent, my beanies would still have that slant had I not watched you work this out for me! I'm going to look now, as I have seen the pattern written for, and accidentally made a sc working back and forth in the round where the seam is straight and almost hidden. Again, I had to read the pattern each time, follow the instructions and it worked out, but as I am a visual learner and no one actually "showed" me how to do I, I never quite grasped the concept. Again, thank you and consider me subscribed and a promoter of this site!


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An interview with Pierre Josselin, Senior Designer of the Reimagine Azamara staterooms.
Reimagining every stateroom onboard the Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest is no small feat. It takes all hands on deck to assemble an innovative product that pays homage to Destination Immersion® experiences. It also requires a lot of hands off deck, and that's where Pierre comes in. Pierre Josselin is the Senior Designer responsible for bringing our stateroom vision to life. We'd tell you more, but we'll let the man himself do that.
Q: Hi Pierre! Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
A: I am from Paris, originally. After graduating with a design degree, I spent a year in New York to learn English. I fell in love with the city and decided that I would live and work here one day. I went back to Europe and, not to lose my English, I moved to London where I lived for 8 years. Initially, I worked on corporate projects, until a friend introduced me to Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), an international design firm. At the time, I honestly had no idea what hospitality design was, but very quickly got to love it and never looked back.
Q: How did you get started in interior design initially?
A: In design school, I couldn't draw a silhouette, so fashion was out. I didn't want to spend my entire day in front of a computer, so graphic design was out. I was always attracted to spaces and how to improve them to make you feel better, so I pursued interiors.
Q: Where are you currently?
A: After 10 years with HBA, I eventually pursued my dream and made it back to New York, where I am currently with Wimberly Interiors.
Q: Tell us a bit about Wimberly Interiors and your role.
Wimberly Interiors is a design consultant for the hospitaltity, leisure, and entertainment industries. We are cosmopolitan, imaginative and passionate about design that immerses every guest in a unique story. Our goal at Wimberly Interiors is to intrigue and inspire our clients with solutions that embrace refined, bespoke design. We choreograph spaces around individual moments as the guest experiences them. These compelling narratives shape our design and create indelible impressions. We collaborate with iconic luxury brands and hospitality operators to create suites that guests enjoy more - and differently - every time they stay. From idea to installation, from concept to check-in, we devote ourselves to telling the story of every room, from the broad narrative down to the smallest most meaningful details.
Personally, I am a Senior Interior Designer and Project Manager. I oversee the design direction and mentor the team from concept to production to completion.
Q: Storytelling is a big part of the Azamara brand. Seems like your philosophy is on the same page.
Yes. It's really about escaping from daily life and finding somewhere unique to go to immerse yourself in that destination and experience.
Q: Did we just become best friends? No wonder Wimberly was chosen for this project. Can you take me through the process for designing the staterooms?
We met with Azamara for a kickoff meeting where they shared their vision of the brand and how the design should reflect that vision. We toured the ships to understand the existing condition and what we were working with with.
From there, we began creating the concept with images and sketches. After the concept was approved, we moved forward with the renderings.
Q: I know you've been working closely with Azamara's Hotel Operations on this project. Can you speak on that collaboration process?
Hotel Operations is the one who briefed us and spoke about their vision. Our role was very much to translate these words into images and create a design supporting this vision. We are lucky that they had a clear vision of what the design should be/feel like, which only made our job easier.
Q: Speaking of collaboration, I've been told there are other design teams working on separate areas of the ship and I'm sure the goal is to have everything coordinate, no?
Yes. It was interesting at the design presentation. They presented their part, we presented ours, and it was almost like there was one design team that did the entire ship. It coordinated seamlessly.
Q: Sounds like that is another testament to a clear vision. How would you explain the vision and goals for this Reimagine project?
The overall concept was Destination Immersion, local, emotion, romantic, slowing down, re-energizing, discovering, mesmerizing. We came at it with a jewelry box approach: refined, tailored, sleek and modern, Calvin Klein inspired, with some organic elements to give a sense of authenticity. It's a very international design.
We wanted to break away from what you'd typically expect from a cruise ship, which is very colorful, a lot of bright colors, a lot of blue for the water and things that are obvious. We went with something much more subtle, much more elegant and timeless. More like a sunset rather than a bright shining sun.
Q: I feel re-energized just thinking about it. Where does your inspiration come from?
We like to bring some kind of elegance and refinement to whatever project we are working on. We use a lot of images found on Pinterest to support our vision. People respond better to images than words.
Q: See? Pinterest isn't just about cute cupcake recipes. Would you say living in different parts of the world influences your style as well?
I guess in some way. I've never really thought about it. I think it does expose you to different peoples' styles and standards. In America, it's bigger and better while in Europe it's more refined and petite. The Middle East feels more European style-wise, while South America is more like the states.
Q: I'm excited to experience the finished project. Any last words?
Bon voyage!
Other Blogs You May Like...
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Reimagine Azamara
We have exciting news! Azamara Journey® and Azamara Quest® will undergo major enhancements in 2016. From bow to stern, our two award-winning...
Reimagine Azamara - See The Renderings!
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What We Do
The ETS San Antonio, Texas office is the headquarters of our K–12 Assessment Programs Division. It serves as ETS's base of operations for the development of products and services to advance learning for students in grades K–12, as well as professional development services for teachers.
Contact Us
- Mail:
- ETS San Antonio, Texas Office
10999 IH 10 West, Suite 400
San Antonio, TX 78230 USA
View Maps and Directions
- Phone:
- 1-210-558-5600
- Toll Free:
- 1-800-290-5992
- Fax:
- 1-210-558-5826
For inquiries on the AP®, SAT®, GRE®, HiSET®, Praxis®, TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests and other tests or products, please see general Contact Information.


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June 4, 2009 · Lessig
This is fabulously cool: iFixit has built a teardown platform. I've used the site many times to take apart Mac's I've needed to fix. But those instructions were iFixit prepared. They've now enabled anyone to build a teardown ("the act or process of disassembling") spec for any product. The site offers the structure and advice for building great teardowns. It then hosts and supports feedback. It is a fantastic example of a "hybrid," as REMIX defines the term — and all submissions are CC-BY-NC-SA.


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It may sound crazy choosing laminate floors over hardwood, but for many people, it makes perfect sense. In many houses, the weak get trampled on, scratched, stained, and scarred. If you can't cut it, you're out of there. We're talking about the floors, of course. And lately, many families are replacing their battered and bruised hardwoods with beautiful, durable laminate floors and not looking back.
With small kids, big dogs, and a flurry of activities in their home, many families don't have the time or patience to live their lives around fragile hardwood floors. Sure, they tried in the beginning. After they moved in to their home, families spend afternoon helping her adhere those furry little circles to the bottom of every chair and table leg in the kitchen, dining room, and living room.
But then they started noticing the other ugly realities of hardwoods. There were the gouges left from her sons playing "crash" with their toy cars. Or worse, when they played "crash" with their tricycles. And don't forget the scratches that multiplied every time her dogs chased each other. It seems like families with hardwood floors are walking on eggshells.
Thanksgiving was the final straw for one family. Last year, they hosted all of their relatives, and in the course of one afternoon, the floors met their doom. It started when someone dropped the silver candlesticks, leaving meteorite-sized craters upon impact, and ended with a giant red wine stain after her father-in-law gesticulated a little too wildly.
That's why many families choose laminates over hardwoods: so life can be easier. Once that the stress of living with hardwoods is gone from their lives, the family seems happier than ever and more comfortable in their home.


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- debug :: Middleware
- debugHandle :: (Text -> IO ()) -> Middleware
Prints a message to
stderr for each request.
debugHandle :: (Text -> IO ()) -> MiddlewareSource
Prints a message using the given callback function for each request. This is not for serious production use- it is inefficient. It immediately consumes a POST body and fills it back in and is otherwise inefficient


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St. Bonaventure University students study hard – but they also play hard.
More than 80% of our students play intramurals, club sports or work out at the Richter Center, our state-of-the-art fitness center on campus.
And if you're a fan of Division I college basketball, or any intercollegiate sport, this is your school. We field 14 men's and women's intercollegiate teams in one of the nation's best conferences, the Atlantic 10.
We're one of the smallest Division I schools in the country, which means you get the benefits of big-time sports along with those of a small, student-centered university, including guaranteed admission to every home contest in every sport.
So whether you're a fan, a player, or someone who simply likes to stay in shape, you'll find it easy to be a Bonnie on the go at SBU.
Application forms, procedures and additional information
There are many ways to experience
St. Bonaventure for yourself
Learn more about the programs that interest you


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Nearly 200 years ago someone planted two sugar maple trees when our house was built. I can easily imagine the holes being dug and the saplings carefully placed. They knew how much and when to water, those saplings really took off and grew steadily for so many years. One tree was lost before we moved here, the stump is still visible.
The remaining tree was magnificent. It was so real to me, I fell in love with it! Like a person! It was so historical...witnessing all the marvels of time. I know I am not alone in this as my son Henry admits he has many tree friends. Henry is a good friend to trees and people.
So as you can see above the tree had to come down. Every bit of wind would take down a branch. It was getting dangerous, even though it had cables running within it to kind of keep it together.
I watched as they took it down. I felt some relief as I didn't realize how much I thought about it falling on the house. Time sure changes things. I wonder if someone said to the person who planted it if they thought it was too close to the house. "Oh well, we won't have to worry about that...not for like 200 years" Then they went in and had a good laugh about what it would be like in the 2000's.
It's okay they laughed...at least we are smart about some things, like running water and electricity. We are lucky people to have showers built right into our houses with hot water even!


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She's blaming it on her teenagers, who were in charge of wrapping gifts, and confessed to her this morning they'd sampled some, then re-closed and wrapped the box.
She is (understandably) mortified.
She's given us a new box, and taken that horror away.
So we're having chocolates and caramel corn for lunch today. With a side of cookies.


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With candidates and political action committees (PACs) working 24/7 to get their desired results on Election Day, strange ethical conundrums arise on a daily basis. Case in point: is it foul play to register the domain name connected to your opponents' PAC if they forget to do so in time—and then to point the whole domain to a satirical political article from The Onion?
Please visit our website
Arlington Heights is a sprawling middle-class Chicago suburb of 75,000. On the ballot tomorrow is a bond issue that would give the Arlington Heights Park District the green light to raise up to $39,000,000 to improve the city's aging recreation facilities. As with most issues that involve raising property taxes, the bond issue has evoked passions on both sides; supporters and opponents both took out full-page ads in today's Daily Herald, a local newspaper (select "Northwest Suburbs" and "11-5-2012" and you can see the ads on pages 38 and 39.)
"Independent, bipartisan, grass-roots Political Action Committee" Taxpayers United opposes the bond issue, and its ad directs readers to visit a website for more information. But the PAC made one small oversight: it failed to actually register a domain name. The gaffe was noticed by an Arlington Heights resident and friend of mine—we'll call him Bob, since he asked not to be identified out of concern for how a political issue might reflect on his employer—on the opposite side of the issue.
"We saw the [newspaper ad] and we know people who are involved in the 'pro' campaign," Bob told me. "When we saw the name Taxpayers United, which we knew was a national-level PAC organization, we were irritated to see national money pouring into a local-level issue." (Taxpayers United of America is the name of the national group; the local Taxpayers United has no direct connection with the larger group. Though Bob assumed a link, it's not clear that the local group does in fact receive money from the national group.)
Bob has a couple of small children and would gladly pay what supporters describe as a property tax increase of $2.20 per month to improve the park district's facilities; opponents say the increase could lead to tax hikes of up to 23 percent annually and that cheaper options (such as facility renovation) exist.
After pointing out the PAC's gaffe on Facebook, Bob's friends encouraged him to take action. So Bob did what any self-respecting computer geek would do—he registered the domain name himself to become the owner of nstaxpayersunited.com.
Bob thought about using the domain to throw up a "quick page making fun of" his opponents but decided on an easier way of getting his point across. As of publication, the domain currently redirects to an article on The Onion's website called "Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group." (Update: Bob tells me via Facebook that the domain now points to the correct site: "Well Eric, thanks to your reporting, I was able to figure where the guy was hosting his site (even though he hadn't responded to my email). I changed the name server entries to point the ones at Word Press and his website is working now.")
Change of heart
When contacted by Ars, Roland Ley, the local head of Taxpayers United, seemed a bit confused about the situation. "I'm working with WordPress and I'm not sure what happened," he told me. "They cancelled [the website]—hopefully they can retrieve it."
Ley had apparently been using WordPress to set up a site devoted to fighting the referendum but hadn't "been to the website" in about six months. He said he had only found out about the site not working after the ad was "already in process." When told that the domain name now pointed to The Onion, Ley sighed.
"I'll have to pursue it, I guess," he said.
He won't have to pursue it very far. Bob has since decided to turn the domain name over to Ley's group and, in the meantime, to point the site's IP address to Taxpayers United's WordPress site (the ownership transfer process can be somewhat drawn out.)
"I feel a slight twinge of a guilty conscience that I am in an incorrect way influencing the outcome of the election," Bob admitted.


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Locksmith 89147
You absolutely need to call 89147 Locksmith if you need 24 hour emergency locksmith service in 89147, NV! Our experienced service technicians are on hand at all hours of the day to address your needs and provide you with best emergency locksmith work in 89147, NV. We take care and pride in each job we perform. Our 24 hour emergency services cover and automotive, residential, or commercial service that you may need. 89147 Locksmith will resolve your issue with the professionalism that you would expect. Locksmiths Las Vegas For immediate service, call 89147 locksmith now at: 702-583-7787 89147 Locksmith is the absolute leader in 24 hour emergency locksmith services for the 89147, NV area. Our qualified service technicians are available around the clock 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Using the most up to date service methods and state of the art tools, we are able to provide exceptional service at competitive rates. We hold our employees to the highest standard in order to give our clients the service that they deserve. Our phone representatives are ready to take your call and dispatch a service technician to your location immediately. Call 89147 Locksmith, the best and most reliable 24 hour emergency locksmith, now to have your automotive, residential, or commercial issue fixed immediately. You can reach us at 702-583-7787. Our knowledge of the locksmith industry is unrivaled in 89147, NV. The various locksmith services we provide to our satisfied customers include emergency locksmith service, car lockout services, home lockout service, barrel replacement, cylinder replacement, lock rekeying, lock installation, door lock repair, and much, much more. For immediate service, call 89147 Locksmith now at: 702-583-7787
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Locksmith Services


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Top 10 iPhone games
Posted by Unknown in iPhone on Saturday, March 23, 2013
Dead Space
Dead Space is one of the most popular iphone games. It is an action game that has horrors and space creatures chasing the player all through. As you are being chased, it is important to know how to negotiate corners and turns. The more creatures you escape from, the more points you earn. This game can last for over four hours. You can download it here.
Order and Chaos Online
If you like warcraft games, then Order & Chaos Online is the game for you. The game is packed with good graphics that can make you forget that you are playing it on an iphone. In the game, players are given tasks of fighting evil creatures and as one succeeds, they are taken to the next level. You can play this game as first or third person. You can download it here.
Angry Birds Rio
This is a popular game whereby, players destroy wood, brick and glass structures by targeting bonds that hold them in place. Also, players kill monkeys as they try to downloaded golden eggs that have been laid by big birds. You can download this game here
Plants vs. Zombies
Plants vs. Zombies game is among top ten iphone games that one can play on an iphone. Here, players place plants with special abilities in front of their yards to prevent zombies from reaching their doors. Armed with over 49 plants, you can have a good time as you try to fend off about 36 zombies. It is a game that you can't get bored playing. You can download it here.
Fruit Ninjas
This is a game where players target cutting fruits as they fall to the bottom. However, the trick is to cut as many fruits as possible and at the same time avoiding bombs that fall randomly together with the fruits. You can download it here.
Words with Friends
Words with Friends made it to the top ten iphone games in the year 2009. It is a scrabble game that has been customized for the iphone. The trick in playing this game is to create the longest words. Longer words earn you more marks. The player with the highest amount of points wins the game. Words with Friends can be downloaded here.
Infinity Blade II
Falling among top ten iphone games, the game features big swords that players use to fight off giant evil enemies. You can play this game for over 5 hours. Infinity Blade II can be downloaded here.
Tiny Wings
This is one of the simplest games to play on an iphone. In Tiny Wings game, a player targets swallowing as much sunlight as he can. They are elevated by hills as they try to jump higher. You can download it here.
In this game, players target hitting orange bricks and pegs as they control cannon full of silver. You can download Peggle here.
NBA Jams
NBA Jams is a popular among top ten iphone games. It features players who perform dunks from exaggerated distances. This game has amazing features such as fast game play. It can be downloaded here.
This entry was posted on Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 5:00 AM and is filed under iPhone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.


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Since its founding in 1998 within the Stanford University Athletics Department, the PCA Movement has spread across the U.S. thanks to the generous support of our foundations, corporate allies, and hundreds of individual donors.
National Office
1001 N. Rengstorff Ave., Suite 100
Mountain View, CA 94043
Phone: (866) 725-0024 (toll free)
Fax: (650) 969-1650
PCA Chapters
Each of the Chapters listed below are headed by an Executive Director who works with a Local Board of Directors. Visit our Chapter pages to learn about PCA activities in those communities.
PCA Sales Locations
In our sales locations, a Partnership Manager works to bring area schools and youth sports organizations into partnership with PCA to train coaches, sports parents, student-athletes and school or organizational leaders.
Brandon Whiting, Partnership Manager
Emerging Markets
We've identified Miami/South Florida as an emerging market, where we hope to expand into over the next year. Contact Kristi Yamaoka, OOT Partnership Manager, if you have questions about partnering your school or youth sports organization with PCA in South Florida. Interested in bringing a chapter to your location? Contact PCA's National Director of Business Development Jason Sacks.
If your city or region is not listed, contact Kristi Yamaoka, our Out-of-Territory Partnership Manager who works with youth sports organizations and schools based outside our established chapters/locations and emerging market territories.


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There are no Upcoming Shows listed for this comedian.
Matt Walsh
Matthew Paul "Matt" Walsh (born October 13, 1964) is an American actor, writer and comedian best known as a member of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe, one of the stars of Dog Bites Man on Comedy Central and currently as star & creator of the new Spike TV series Players, which began airing on March 2, 2010.
Along with Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, and Ian Roberts, he is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv comedy troupe and played "Trotter" in the troupe's sketch comedy series, which ran for three seasons on Comedy Central. Before the show, the UCB comedy foursome had already been doing improv shows at their theatre in New York, which used to be a burlesque house before they remodeled it to become a theatre. To date, they have founded two successful Upright Citizens Brigade comedy theaters located in New York and Los Angeles.
Besides his sketch work with the Upright Citizens Brigade, Walsh is also known for his memorable supporting roles in popular comedy films in recent years including Old School, The Hangover, Role Models and Semi-Pro. Walsh also wrote and starred in the cult indie-comedy Martin & Orloff, which had a limited theatrical run in 2002 and 2003. In addition, he was also a correspondent on The Daily Show from 2001-2002, made regular appearances in comedy sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and MTV's Human Giant as well as starring in the Comedy Central mockumentry series Dog Bites Man in the summer of 2006. He has the distinction of appearing in every Todd Phillips comedy film to date, most often playing characters aptly named "Walsh".
He had been frequently involved in various comedy segments on the popular radio program "The Best Show on WFMU". Sadly, due to his recent spat of toilet talk on the February 23rd, 2010 broadcast of the Best Show, he was heave-ho'd, and received a lifetime ban.
Walsh recently finished filmed a new half-hour comedy series Players, for Spike TV. Walsh (creator, writer, director and executive producer of the show) will star in the series alongside his Upright Citizens Brigade partner Ian Roberts, as two brothers who run a sports bar together. Spike has ordered 10 episodes of the series, which recently filmed in Los Angeles and will begin airing on March 2, 2010.
Walsh currently hosts the podcast "Bear Down" (beardownpodcast.com) with comedian Scot Armstrong (screenwriter of Old School) where they discuss their favorite football team The Chicago Bears and do sports-themed comedy bits such as fake call-ins and in-character interviews, most often played by comedian Sean Conroy. The podcast also features regular appearances by comedians such as Horatio Sanz, Joseph Nunez, and Matt Price.
Matt Walsh's Upcoming Shows
Matt Walsh is Known For
|Spike TV


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Anti-vomiting drug could prevent thousands of hospitalizations, save millions of dollars
An economic analysis led by Canadian researchers, in collaboration with UNC's Michael J. Steiner, MD, concludes that routinely giving ondansetron to children with gastroenteritis-induced vomiting would prevent thousands of hospitalizations and save millions of dollars each year.
Media contact: Tom Hughes, 919-966-6047, email@example.com
Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010
CHAPEL HILL – Two years ago, a study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers found that an anti-vomiting drug called ondansetron helps reduce vomiting, the need for intravenous fluids and hospital admissions in children with acute gastroenteritis.
Now a new economic analysis led by Canadian researchers, in collaboration with Michael J. Steiner, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at UNC, concludes that routinely giving ondansetron to children with gastroenteritis-induced vomiting would prevent thousands of hospitalizations and save millions of dollars each year.
"In the past, people always thought that ondansetron was so expensive that its use 'wasn't worth it.' Our findings challenge that belief and may change clinician decision-making as well as practice guidelines," Steiner said.
The new study was published online this week by the journal PLoS Medicine. The lead author is Stephen B. Freedman, MDCM, a pediatric emergency physician at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto. Co-authors are Steiner and Kevin J. Chan, MD, also a pediatric emergency physician at SickKids.
"This study is the first to demonstrate that in addition to being clinically beneficial, the administration of oral ondansetron to children with dehydration and persistent vomiting secondary to gastroenteritis, is economically advantageous, making it a dominant treatment strategy," Freedman said.
Gastroenteritis is an infection, often caused by a virus, that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is popularly called "stomach flu" and is a very common ailment in children during the winter months. Persistent vomiting from acute gastroenteritis can be very frightening to children and their families and also poses a risk of dehydration.
In many cases gastroenteritis in children can be managed effectively with oral fluids, including oral rehydration therapy, but some cases are severe enough to require hospital admission for intravenous fluids. However, current practice guidelines do not recommend the use of ondansetron, in part because there was a lack of clear evidence that the treatment is cost effective.
To answer this question, study authors used a type of statistical analysis, called decision tree analysis, to compare the costs of treatment in the hospital emergency department setting both with and without ondansetron. Due to significant price differences between the U.S. and Canada, they conducted a separate analysis for each country.
They concluded that giving ondansetron to eligible children in the U.S. would prevent 29,246 intravenous insertions and 7,220 hospitalizations each year, with annual savings of $65.6 million to society and $61.1 million to payers of health care costs (including private insurance providers and Medicare and Medicaid). In Canada, the study concluded, ondansetron given routinely would prevent 4,065 intravenous insertions and 1,003 hospitalizations each year, with annual savings of $1.72 million (in Canadian dollars) to society and $1.18 million to payers of health care costs.


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Move expands international acceptance of lab's efforts
The Intl. Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) has accepted the Water Quality Assn. (WQA) as a stakeholder.
"We are pleased that our new role in this prestigious organization will help give businesses even more confidence in our facility," said Tom Palkon, director of the lab.
ILAC is an international cooperation of laboratory and inspection accreditation bodies formed more than 30 years ago to help remove technical barriers to trade. Accreditation bodies around the world, which have been evaluated by peers as competent, have signed an arrangement in an effort to enhance the acceptance of products and services across national borders.
According to ILAC, accreditation allows people to make an informed decision when selecting a laboratory, as it demonstrates competence, impartiality and capability. It helps to underpin the credibility and performance of goods and services.
Stakeholders of ILAC include representative international, regional and national organizations.
At the WQA laboratory, products are tested to independent NSF/ANSI standards and earn Gold Seal certification if all requirements of the standard and Gold Seal policies are met.


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Ghosts and Goblins, things of fear, in the haunting hours, they ALL MEET HERE!
Bizarro's Factory of Fear Haunted Attraction welcomes guests to Hamilton Ontario's scariest haunted attraction!
Get ready to scream as you make your way through the dark twisted hallways of Charles Bizarro's twisted imagination! There are monsters waiting around every corner to make your worst nightmare become a reality!
You are now the star of your own Horror Movie! Will you make it out alive? Or will the monsters of the Factory Of Fear consume another victim?
Situated at Mizener's Antique and Flea Market on Highway 5 West in Flamborough, Bizarro's Factory of Fear is truly frightening! Feel the insecurities while you walk through the pitch dark of the 64 Acre property, what lies around every barn, silo and corner is still a mystery
Hollywood style sets, amazing special effects, state of the art sound and visual effects, live entertainment, amazing vendors and more wait for you at this one of a kind attraction!
A portion of proceeds goes to various not for profit charities to help support the community around us!
We welcome you to experience fear at it's purest form!
Visit www.bizarroshaunt.com for more information!
Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
There is no age limit to visit Bizarro's Factory of Fear. The Haunted Attraction has multiple startle scares, tight corridors, dark hallways, terrifying characters so it may be to scary for guests under 13. We will accept any guest but please take note that refunds will not be given if a guest is to scared to go through or complete the attraction. There are 3 "chicken" exits throughout the haunt, those are the only times a guest is able to leave the haunt once they commit to entering.
What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?
Bizarro's Factory of Fear is located in rural Flamborough, there is a large parking lot on property capable of holding 200 cars. Because it's on Highway 5 there isn't any public transportation available during open hours. The area gets extremely dark at night and we require guests to go no faster than 10km/hr on the property to ensure safety. Due to the event being outdoors and in the fall season there are tendencies of rain. The parking lot it made of gravel and the Haunted Attraction itself is in a grassy field, please wear appropriate footwear.
What can/can't I bring to the event?
Since it's October it can get cold, chilly and wet. Please be sure to bring extra layers of clothes. The haunt is in a field so please bring appropriate footwear that is waterproof since the ground gets wet once night falls. Absolutely no heels or bare feet are allowed in any attraction.. Seriously, you're going to be scared, the last thing you want is to break a heel and sprain your ankle!
We welcome guests to bring cameras & video recording devices (hey, it's free publicity) BUT we require all guests to not have any light source on them at any time while in the haunt (IE. Camera Flash, Phone Screens, Flashlights, etc.) Please post them on social media and tag us #BizarrosHaunt
A NON SMOKING policy is in effect at Bizarro's Factory of Fear, there is a designated smoking area in the parking lot. The use of ANY open flame (including cigarettes, matches, lighters etc) outside of the designated smoking area is STRICTLY PROHIBITED and any guest caught doing so we be removed from property without refund and/or will be charged.
Due to the nature of the event (you will get scared) NO WEAPONS are allowed on the haunt property. No firearms, knives, pepper spray, whips, handcuffs or frankly ANYTHING that could cause harm is allowed on property. Our security does regular walks through the parking lot looking into cars to ensure safety of all guests. Failure to comply to this rule will have you evacuated off property and charged at the highest criminal charge.
We are all about having fun but please do NOT bring any alcohol, drug or substance onto the property. Please do not show up under the influence of a narcotic or alcohol substance. We all want to have fun including our actors and by participating in the attraction under influence you are bringing your safety and ultimately everyone else's safety at risk. Failure to comply to this policy will have you immediately evacuated off property and charged at the highest criminal charge.
No animals are allowed on property. Seriously, it's a dark, scary place no animal deserves to experience it.
To ensure safety, no costumes can be worn by guests. Our performers have been trained for safety, sure it's fun to dress up and act like you're part of the event but unfortunately it's not safe. You will be asked to leave.
We know you mortals can get hungry and we encourage guests to purchase some awesome food from one of our vendors but we also welcome guests to bring their own food and drinks as long as they do not leave the car they've arrived in. Any outside food/drink waste and garbage must be taken home with you. We want the property to stay clean.
Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?
You can contact Bizarro's Factory of Fear by visiting our website or emailing: firstname.lastname@example.com
Is my registration/ticket transferrable?
As long as the person with that name is there with ID it is perfectly fine to have guests attend. (IE. Parent buys tickets for entire family, as long as that parent is there to prove that the tickets were purchased and not fraud we will gladly accept you in.)
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
Yes! A printed ticket is your ticket into the attraction!
What is the refund policy?
No refunds will be given UNLESS the event organizers have canceled the event. Then a refund will made within 3 weeks of cancelation
The name on the registration/ticket doesn't match the attendee. Is that okay?
As long as the person with that name is there with ID it is perfectly fine to have guests attend. (IE. Parent buys tickets for entire family, as long as that parent is there to prove that the tickets were purchased and not fraud we will gladly accept you in.)


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July 9, 2009
In a revealing interview with the New York Times, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says abortion should be used to control useless eaters and unwanted populations.
|Ginsberg: "Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of."
She does not say it like that, but she might as well have.
Asked out "reproductive choice" — that is, the choice to kill a fetus — Ginsburg said the Supreme Court ruling on Medicaid surprised her. In 1980 the court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of Medicaid for abortions.
"Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of," said the Justice (emphasis added).
In other words, Ginsberg says abortion is a eugenics tool designed to weed out the undesirable and useless eaters, to specifically control the number of people the ruling elite "don't want to have too many of," i.e., the poor and specifically people of color.
"Those least fit to carry on the race are increasing most rapidly," declared Margaret Sanger, a member of both the American Eugenics Society and the English Eugenics Society and founder of Planned Parenthood. "Funds that should be used to raise the standard of our civilization are diverted to maintenance of those who should never have been born."
Sanger was a follower of Francis Galton, the "humanist" who believed that inferior races and people should cease to breed or "be considered enemies of the State" and exterminated. The American and British Eugenics Societies were founded on Galton's writings. Sanger became a member of the American Eugenics Society in 1930, and a member of the International Congress of Eugenics in 1932.
Elmer Carter, an editor of Sanger's The Birth Control Review, wrote in 1932 about the "Negro Problem." He said "that the race problem in America is infinitely aggravated by the presence of too many unhappy born, sub-normals, morons, and imbeciles of both races. Therefore, those fighting for birth control must take eugenics into consideration."
Roe v. Wade was instituted primarily for eugenics, as James R. Weddington admitted in 1992. Weddington was one of the co-counsels for Roe v. Wade. "But you can start immediately to eliminate the barely educated, unhealthy and poor segment of our country," Weddington wrote to then president Clinton. "Even if we make birth control as ubiquitous as sneakers and junk food, there will still be unplanned pregnancies" and the need for abortion.
[efoods]In May, the London Times reported on the gathering of a "secret billionaire club" in New York. Attendees included David Rockefeller, Ted Turner, Bill Gates and others who are obsessed with "how their wealth could be used to slow the growth of the world's population," in other words culling the useless eaters.
"The notion that these elitists merely want to slow population growth in order to improve health is a complete misnomer," writes Paul Joseph Watson. "Slowing the growth of the world's population while also improving its health are two irreconcilable concepts to the elite. Stabilizing world population is a natural byproduct of higher living standards, as has been proven by the stabilization of the white population in the west. Elitists like David Rockefeller have no interest in 'slowing the growth of world population' by natural methods, their agenda is firmly rooted in the pseudo-science of eugenics, which is all about 'culling' the surplus population via draconian methods."
In his film Endgame, Alex Jones documents how David Rockefeller's father, John D. Rockefeller, exported eugenics to Germany from its origins in Britain by bankrolling the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute which later would form a central pillar in the Third Reich's ideology of the Nazi super race. After the fall of the Nazis, top German eugenicists were protected by the allies as the victorious parties fought over who would enjoy their "expertise" in the post-war world (see The Ruling Elite's Agenda for Global Population Reduction).
"In the 1950s, the Rockefellers reorganized the U.S. eugenics movement in their own family offices, with spinoff population-control and abortion groups," explains Dr. Len Horowitz. "With support from the Rockefellers, the Eugenics Society (England) set up a sub-committee called the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which for 12 years had no other address than the Eugenics Society. This, then, is the private, international apparatus which has set the world up for a global holocaust, under the UN flag."
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, so her opinion about culling the useless eaters is understandable.
The eugenicist David Rockefeller, after all, was a director of the CFR.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!


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Meghan Klingenberg and her Houston Dash teammates turned up at Sky Blue FC on Wednesday night ready to play. And they did—just not soccer.
Klingenberg expected to make her long-awaited Dash debut in New Jersey but the weather had other ideas. And so the Dash players passed the time during the long delay with an impromptu game of baseball at Yurcak Field.
Despite the unexpected chance to admire Ella Masar's pitching and Becky Edwards' bat speed, Klingenberg would have loved to have stepped on the field as a Dash player for the first time. It's a full month since the USWNT defender had her first training session with the team after her move from Swedish club Tyresö FF. And it's six months since she knew she'd be moving to Texas this summer after the Dash selected her in the Expansion Draft.
But injury, national team call-ups and now lightning have frustrated her hopes. Still, her next opportunity to pull on the orange jersey is coming right up. The 25-year-old is expected to make her Dash debut at home on Saturday as Houston host the Western New York Flash in a vital encounter at BBVA Compass Stadium (8 p.m. CT; TICKETS).
"I honestly believe that maybe the world's conspiring against my Houston Dash debut!" the Pittsburgh native told HoustonDashSoccer.com. "It'll hopefully come on Saturday against a good opponent in our home town, that could be a really special experience. I'm just looking forward, trying not to dwell on what I can't control and just looking forward to playing for the team.
"I think we just need to look forward to Saturday, grab those points, grab all the points we possibly can to try and make the playoffs."
Originally set for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff, the match was eventually postponed about four hours later as a stubborn storm lashed the region and lightning blazed through the sky around Piscataway, about 35 miles southwest of New York City. Conditions recalled the Dash's game against the Chicago Red Stars in May, which was delayed for three hours. While the weather eased off on that occasion and the match was completed, this time the teams and fans were not so lucky and the clash with Sky Blue will have to be rearranged for later in the year.
"Twice in the same season. Usually that happens once in a blue moon and you forget about it," head coach Randy Waldrum told HoustonDashSoccer.com soon after the fixture was called off. With the Dash returning to Houston to prepare for Saturday's important match, there was no possibility of playing on Thursday.
"It's just one of those things that in light of what we heard about this week up in Columbus, with a fan getting struck by lightning, you can't play with that. As much as we wanted to get the game in, the projection was that it was going to stay around tonight to anywhere between 1 and 4 a.m., so we couldn't wait that long," said Waldrum.
"The points are still going to be there to be taken at some point in the season, whether it's in two or three weeks from now, or whether it's in August, whenever it can be fitted in, we're hopeful that those points are still going to be valuable to us."
The wait gave the Dash players the chance to watch events elsewhere, as bottom club the Boston Breakers tied 3-3 with the Washington Spirit and runaway leaders Seattle Reign FC beat the Flash 2-1. It means the Flash currently occupy the fourth and final playoff place in the NWSL standings on 20 points, seven ahead of Houston. But the Dash have beaten the Flash twice already this season and have two games in hand on Saturday's opponents. So a run of wins, starting at BBVA Compass Stadium this weekend, can bridge that gap.
Looking on the sunny side despite Wednesday's cloudy skies, Waldrum hopes that the postponement means his players will be fresher for Saturday's crucial encounter. Though long-distance travel can be tiring, a three-match week has been reduced to two. But this will be Western New York's third game in eight days.
"We'll find out on Saturday but in some regards it could help us. It's one of those weeks where we would have had three games in seven days. Even though we traveled, by not playing tonight, maybe it'll keep us a little bit more fresh for what would have been that third game this Saturday. Then we have a week in-between games," said Waldrum.
He is optimistic that defender Osinachi Ohale will be available. She missed the trip to the Northeast because of illness. As for Saturday's forecast? It's favorable, so surely this will be Klingenberg's moment at last.
"People really aren't going to believe that she's actually here and going to play for us!" said Waldrum. "It's a hamstring injury, its a national team call up, it's now a rain delay… Hopefully Saturday she's going to get to make her debut so let's spread the word, get the fans out and see if they can welcome her at home for her first game."
Tom Dart is a contributing writer to HoustonDynamo.com and HoustonDashSoccer.com. Former editor and reporter for The Times of London and reporter for SI.com, Dart currently freelances for The Guardian.


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By Domenica Goduto
The days are getting longer and brighter, but this does little to dispel Edinburgh's eerie atmosphere.
With its narrow closes and bloody history, it is the perfect setting for "Hauntings: The Science of Ghosts," a one-day public event that will be held this Saturday, April 4, as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, in the appropriately creepy University of Edinburgh Anatomy Lecture Theatre.
"Hauntings" is a series of talks concerning the many aspects of ghostly phenomena. The speakers, all experts in their fields, will discuss ghosts from the viewpoint of scientists, social historians, and the entertainment industry.
Dr. Caroline Watt, one of the event's organizers, hopes the combination will prove both "informative and entertaining."
The talks are expected to attract people interested in the science of ghost research, as well as the cultural and historical significance of the supernatural.
Dr. Watt is a psychologist at the Koestler Parapsychology Unit at the University of Edinburgh.
"My own work deals with the ways in which a person's experiences are shaped by their expectations, and how our experiences can be distorted by the experiences we're having – whether we're cold, or tired," she explains.
While Dr. Watt concedes that "We can't be absolutely certain that ghosts do not exist," she quickly points out that many factors can contribute to the impression that something supernatural has occurred.
She agrees that parapsychology occasionally gets a bad reputation because "it tends to be associated with all sorts of fringe pursuits by people who aren't really aware of what it is we do."
In fact, she explains, parapsychologists take a very scientific approach. They do not generally conduct overnight vigils in allegedly haunted locations in the hopes that something may appear. She feels that "there is little to be gained" by these attempts, regardless of the impression given by many popular television programmes.
However, parapsychologists will visit locations to measure a variety of physical conditions, such as light levels, humidity, and electromagnetic activity, though not necessarily at night.
Dr. Watt has conducted experiments with Professor Richard Wiseman – a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire and another of "Hauntings"' organizers – in Edinburgh's Underground Vaults.
They found certain correlations between physical conditions and the experiences people report.
People seem to get a spooky impression in dark locations, as well as in large rooms, both of which Dr. Watt points out "tend to make people feel vulnerable."
Expectations also play a role – people feel more uneasy in places they already believe to be haunted. "Any ambiguous event – a draft, shadow, noise – can then be interpreted as ghostly," Dr. Watt explains.
Levels of electromagnetic activity may also contribute to ghostly impressions, although to what extent and in precisely which manner is unclear. Dr. Watt notes that the evidence in this area is still "patchy," although people are certainly sensitive to these levels.
In the lead-up to the "Hauntings" event, Professor Wiseman held a competition in which members of the public were encouraged to send in ghostly photographs for analysis. The entries were posted online, and viewers could comment and vote on the authenticity of each photo.
The results of the competition will be discussed at the seminar on Saturday, although the top ten photos have already been announced online.
Dr. Watt says many of the photos can be explained by the fact that people are "hard-wired as individuals, almost from birth…to see faces." Thus any kind of pattern seen in nature, or in a photo, tends to be interpreted by our brains as a face. It is a matter of "seeing shapes where there aren't any."
Often, when a photo is zoomed in, it is possible to see the effects of light or texture which create the impression of a face.
However, Dr. Watt admits that the winning photo (left), taken at Tantallon Castle in North Berwick, is more difficult to explain. She and Professor Wiseman visited the site and attempted to recreate the photo, but there is nothing in the background that could suggest a face, possibly belonging to a figure in period clothing, looking out of an upper window of the castle. Furthermore, experts confirm that the photo shows no sign of tampering.
The area of the castle in which the figure appears, however, is open to the public, so they cannot rule out the mysterious face belonging to a very human visitor.
For the moment, though, the picture has yet to be fully explained.