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John Gwako may have been a last-minute entry at the 3M Half-Marathon, but he was first across the finish line.
After dueling like a couple of prize fighters, trading surges along the course as the miles flew by, Gwako, a 25-year-old Kenyan, threw in a one final surge Sunday to win the 10th annual race in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 15 seconds while American Sylvia Mosqueda shattered her own women's record, lopping nearly a minute off the mark with a time of 1:09:53. The two winners each earned $1,200.
Ideal conditions — temperatures in the mid 50s and clear skies — greeted the field of more than 4,000 runners, but with the U.S. Olympic marathon trials looming in two weeks, the elite men's field was markedly smaller than in past years. Defending champion Andrew Letherby, who finished second Sunday, would have won easily were it not for the surprise appearance by Gwako at the eleventh hour.
Gwako said he learned Friday from his agent, Shawn Hellebuyck, "that I was going to run this race. I got right on the plane from Albuquerque."
According to Hellebuyck, Gwako was a replacement for a French runner who had a knee injury.
"I didn't want to let down 3M's race coordinator, Jon Andrews, so I asked John Gwako, who just arrived here from Kenya two weeks ago, if he would run," said Hellebuyck, the wife of 2001 3M champion Eddy Hellebuyck.
"He wasn't sure of his fitness level, but wanted to give it a shot."
Gwako, Letherby and American Teddy Mitchell — all Albuquerque-based runners represented by Shawn Hellebuyck — took the race out at just under a five-minute-per-mile pace, passing the two miles in 9:44.
But Mitchell, who ran 1:03:57 last week at the Halliburton International Half Marathon in Houston, decided to hold back for the upcoming Olympic marathon trials Feb. 7 in Birmingham, Ala., and let the other two go.
Running stride for stride, Letherby and Gwako hit five miles in 23:45 and passed the 10-kilometer mark in a swift 29:29. The pair traded surges, but neither could break away.
Heading down the gentle slope on Medical Arts Parkway, now averaging 4:45 per mile, the duo passed the 10-mile marker in 47:19, and it looked as though Andres Espinoza's course record of 1:01:16 might fall.
On Guadalupe Street, just past 12 miles, Gwako made one final move. Letherby could not respond and settled for second in 1:02:32, a personal best, while Mitchell took third in 1:04:26.
"I never would have run this fast if John hadn't shown up," Letherby said.
Gwako was just relieved to hit the finish line. "I was tired," he said. "I had trained hard earlier this week, not knowing that I would race."
There was no such drama in the women's race. Defending champion Zivile Balciunaite of Lithuania was a no-show, and Mosqueda — who placed 12th in the New York Marathon in November — quickly settled into a 5:20-per-mile pace. "I threw in a 5:10 mile at mile five," she said. "When I saw my time was 26:20, I knew I was rolling."
Running far ahead of her nearest competitor, Mosqueda hit 10 miles in 53:30.
"At that point, I knew I just had to maintain my pace to break the record," the 37-year-old Los Angeles native said. "I was never hurting — the weather was perfect, and I liked that the course was rolling. Mosqueda finished more than 2 1/2 minutes ahead of second-place Dorata Gruca while running the fastest half marathon of her career. Gruca, of Poland, was timed in 1:12:35 while Nicole Kulikov of Fort Collins, Colo., grabbed third in 1:14:05.
"I have a tendency of being too timid," Mosqueda said. "I think I could have pushed it even harder. Next year I may shoot to break 1:09 here."
Lori Stich-Zimmerman of Cedar Creek, who along with Mosqueda has qualified for the U.S. Olympic women's marathon trials, set a personal best of 1:15:51 while placing seventh. Her husband, Paul Zimmerman, won the men's masters title in 1:09:02 while Austin's Carmen Troncoso topped the female masters in 1:16:53.


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An excellent international resource for the laboratory equipment industry.
Tool Lowers Construction Costs, Speeds BuildingMani Golparvar-Fard, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, has developed an augmented reality modeling system that automatically analyzes physical progress on large-scale construction projects. The system allows a contractor to determine whether a project is on, ahead, or behind schedule, leading to cost savings and reduction in project delivery time.Without the need for a Global Positioning System (GPS) or any other location tracking technology, the modeling system, named the 4 Dimensional Augmented Reality or D4AR, is able to geo-spatially store digital pictures of a building in 4D (3D plus time) and integrates the photos with Building Information Models (BIM) during any and all phases of construction.Read more: http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2012/09/tool-lowers-construction-costs-speeds-building
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subset: commoncrawl


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Congratulations!!! COEDSO wishes to congratulate graduates of the ED PhD program.
Welcome to COEDSO!! New features:
Welcome to the College of Education Doctoral Student Organization (COEDSO) website. Our organization is open to all students, faculty, alumni, and staff of the College of Education Doctoral Program. We hope you will consider joining our organization as we strive to provide opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to interact as a learning community. Please take a moment to peruse our website. Click the tab labeled COEDSO on the right to review our mission, goals, and information on joining the organization. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at email@example.com .
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President, COEDSO
Texas State Disclaimer


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Blending the soup creates the thick consistency for which split pea soups are known. The soup is hot, so be sure to process it in small batches to keep from getting burned.
Oxmoor House OCTOBER 2006
1. Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan; crumble. Add onion and next 3 ingredients to pan; cook 7 minutes or until tender. Add water and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until peas are very tender.
2. Place half of soup in a blender; process until smooth. Repeat procedure with remaining soup. Ladle soup into individual bowls; sprinkle evenly with bacon.
Go to full version of
Split Pea Soup with Ham recipe


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Sexless marriage: Millions of moms are in one, yet it's taboo to talk about it. Momlogic asked 2,500 married women to reveal the dirty details about their sex lives after marriage and we were shocked by what we found--half found sex to be a depressing, embarrassing or a hassle! PLUS: Three moms and a deprived husband share their stories of sexless marriage. AND: Expert advice for spicing up your relationship.
The most eye-opening findings:
50% of women find sex either depressing, embarrassing or a hassle: We also found out that although 77% of the women claim their sex life is somewhat to very important to them, 54% of married women admit they're the ones who don't want to have sex.
According to 29% of married women, they're just too tired: Not too surprising--at least to those of us with young kids-- that this was the main reason women say they don't want to have sex.
What would women rather do than have sex?
⢠24% would rather take a bubble bath.
⢠26% would rather read a book.
Also, according to our survey:
⢠23% of the women who have sex do it because they love their husbands and want to make him happy.
⢠49% of the women have sex because they want it.
⢠26% of the women surveyed say their sex lives took a turn for the worst after they had children.
Even momogic contributor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Shannon Fox was surprised by the results of our survey. "It is sad to see that half of the women polled described their sex lives as depressing, embarrassing or a hassle. That is a lot of unhappy women! That means that even the women who are having sex more often aren't happy with the quality of the sex they are having."
But on the flip side, although things look bleak when it comes to married sex, Shannon Fox says, "77% say of the women say that their sex life is important. I've found that the husbands in sexless marriages are often shocked to discover that their wives think sex is important. Spouses in sexless marriages often feel neglected and that their desires are unimportant to their mates."
Shannon Fox adds, "It is not surprising to see that the frequency of sex decreased for many couples after the birth of their first child. Many women report less opportunity for sex, dislike for their post-baby bodies and sheer exhaustion as the main killers of their sex lives after children."
According to statistics, living in a sexless marriage is VERY common; however, for some reason, it is still one of the most taboo subjects around. But we found three moms who invited us into their homes (and marriages) and shared their own experiences of being in a sexless marriage. And it's not all what you'd think...
A deprived husband turns to momlogic to help save his sexless marriage. Keep reading for the complete interview.Check out our gallery and spice up your life life with an aphrodisiac.
Ladies…all you who complain about no sex from your husband. Sit down by yourself and think. Is he messing around? Is he at least affectionate with you? If the answer is, yes and no, then if you're stuck in the marriage, you go right ahead. No law says that you can't have good, great sex. Just pick a guy like some of these (I almost said getting stiffed, LOL!) who love their wives too, so there's no temptation on either part to break up an otherwise perfectly good marriage. That's how they do it in France, and most of Europe as well. Divorce figures are very low over there, because the people are happy to keep their marriage contract alive for the sake of kids, family, etc—and because it's totally understood that in each marriage, there is usually one person who wants sex more than the other, and there's no reason why she can't have it as long as she's discreet and pays attention to her husband (on those rare occasions when he wants to, LOL!) because killing a marriage is hell on the kids, and lack of sex is so not a reason to divorce, not when there's so many needy and cute people out there! There should be no such thing as a sex-starved wife or a sex-starved husband, and with a little bit of care, all can be happy!
Sex which is spontaneous with few inhibitions is usually forbidden fruit which means neither party is looking for commitment only the gratification.Marriage changes the concept as it makes the sex a part of normal accepted behaviour in the minds of both men and women.It becomes a job and the spontaneous combustion is gone then as neither is seducing the other only going through the motions associated with marriage.Familiarity creates complacenty if you are not careful and that leads to seeking what your imagination and exuberance of youth told you was the ultimate thrill.
its been so long sence i had sex, i forgot who ties up who.
Yes it is ok to do it for your partner once in awhile.. even if you don't want to for what ever reason..it shows your love, that is what marriage is about and there are reasons it is called 'making love' some time you have to 'make' it for it to happen
These comments give me no hope.
My boyfriend and I have been dating for over 2 years now, in which sex has only recently been involved (few times). We always talk about marriage and how great the future will be, and this is just depressing.
I just hope that sex won't be the determining factor of our marriage and that he will need to find some OTHER woman to satisfy his "needs." The woman and the man are both at fault here, they just need to figure out how to make each other happy.
God, it's so sad. :(
Seriously, why is it the woman that has to practically change her frame of mind in order to be satisfied in her marriage. Last I checked, marriage was a partnership and both parties should work just as hard to reach any goal. I think there are many women out there that are tired, stressed, and under-appreciated. I think that if these are the issues preventing a woman from pursuing or even desiring sex the man in the relationship should take note and do things that will ease her life a bit. Also, like someone said it is such a huge turn off when your husband just grabs your boob or butt. To me, that just reminds me of someone else wanting something from me. It does not INSPIRE me to want sex.
Now what should one do if your husband doesn't want sex? Does that give me the right to "roam?"
Men need to blow a load on a daily basis!
In my opinion, men love nothing better than oral sex. A well timed blow job gets you most anything you want and if he feels deprived, nothing is sexier than a woman who loves to do this for her man. BTW - we have 5 children and 5 grandchilden between us and have been together 12 years.
After 25+ years of catering to HIS needs, I've decided I'm sick of it. The guy still has sex like he is in the back seat of a car. He has never given me an orgasm and doesn't give one whit about MY needs. It's all about him…typical type A, self absorbed workaholic. No amount of communication has given the guy a clue. Believe me, I have tried everything. I love sex. Just not with him. I'm the one trying to change it up and keep it exciting. It's always the same old same old. So I've cut him off…and I don't feel the least bit bad about it. You can only give for so long and pretty soon there's nothing even left of you.
It may be until death do you part…but until then I intend to keep having a fabulous intimate relationship with my right hand because real intimacy is something he can't seem to grasp….not even for me.
A well timed blow job can cure a multiple of problems. I very rarely have trouble getting my husband to help out since he knows a treat is waiting for him later. Works for us after 5 kids and 5 grandkids!
Polly Amory - what the hell did you get married for in the first place if you're just going to carry on shagging around when you are married!!!??? I am a married man, and there is no way on this planet that I could accept the fact that my wife's sleeping around and that i am doing the same, you should be ashamed of yourselves for breaking your vows, in fact you're nothing more than a little slag, the pair of you. Marriage is a commitment between2 people to stay with one another and not to go shagging around with whoever, if you feel that it's ok, then I wish you all the best in you life 'together', but if I found that my wife was cheating, I'd be out the door faster than you could blink!!
I'm a 51 year old lady who has had several medical issues in the past decade. Although I'm in pain most of the time, I find that even if my husband and I don't have intercourse, I get great satisfaction giving him oral sex. Needless to say, he loves it as well. It's so important to feel the closeness. We also snuggle a lot. Hey it works for us.
women just dont get it! For every woman that has a headache there are 2 that have a bottle of aspirin!
Been married 42 years now and its way too late to get sex back into our mariage now. After the first child, my wife really got 100% occupied with our daughter… and completely let herself and me go. At first I joked about the lack of intimacy and was ignored. Then I complained more loudly about celebancy and was told to quit being a sex fiend so I burried myself in my work and tried to believe it would get better later. Then the second child came along and she really went totally cold and grew even heavier. That is the point when I should have left to start over, but I couldn't leave the young family then, Plus, I always thought that when the kids got older, she would become my lover again. Well, twenty five years of celebancy and it only got worse with each passing year. I firmly believe that a marriage with no sex and intimacy is just a shell of loveless cohabitation. Sex is the glue that not only holds marriage together, but also makes it better and stronger with each application. So I would say to any young couple just starting out, that if any signs of a sexless marriage surface, you had better rectify it right then and there… or walk away then, cause it ain't gonna get any better later…. only worse, and it may be too late to start over then to find a happy marriage.
how about some of these fat whiney women lose 5-10 or 70 lbs. ? and they wonder why their hubby's don't want sex with them….they're unattractive , and can't see that….
men forget about romance its give me some or feel your boobsnot sharing or talking or sharing
I have been married for thirteen years and have six children.It may be difficult but my husband and I make time at least three to four times a week.If you try new things or places it isn't boring and make sure you both get what you need.Our sex life slowed down after kids but never would we let it go.Keep your husbands or wives happy and yourselves and nobody will want to stray
Marital sex is not a job, it's an adventure ! Communicate with each other to find out the problem and be honest. If it takes wearing a sheep's costume and hanging from the chandelier, DO IT !Pre-sex "soft porn" is an awesome way to begin……..go out and buy "9 1/2 Weeks" with Kim Bassinger and Mickey Rourke. Good luck ladies !
Married Women Hate Sex
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
filed under: momlogic investigates
Investigates WHAT? Stick to baby names and coupons, you obviously know nothing about marriage!
you dont wanna take the time to have sex kids is just an excuse i have three kids all 4 and under and my husband works three jobs and we have sex almost everyday


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"Good day, help us to help others. Collaborate by donating pens, writing pads, pencil erasers, schoolbags and suchlike. Whatever you can contribute to pitch in will help the children of families who subsist by scavenging from garbage dumps. Add a little grain of salt :) For more information, call 786 467-1226 in the USA or (505) 8897-1109 in Nicaragua."
Facebook Link:
Perhaps a charitable donation made in someone's name for this worthy Nica charity.
The organization, The Working World (La Base), provides fair financing to democratic workplaces in Nicaragua, Argentina, and now in New York. We have been chosen out of a pool of over 850 organizations as a semi-finalist in this year's Ashoka Changemakers competition which would provide $50,000 to expand our work!
Man of action, Ilan Levy, is nine days into his 8,200 km trip cycling across Canada to raise money for Nicaraguan school children. Levy's goal is to raise $100,000 to provide school supplies for 8,000 children and build 8 classrooms in rural Nicaragua. To date, he has raised $25,000 on a trip where he plans 66 days of cycling over 81 days. Levy is a long time friend of SchoolBox founder, Tom Affleck.
Full Article
The following press release appeared in The Edmonton Sun. I am reproducing it in its entirity here.
Canada World Youth is looking for host families for a volunteer exchange program.
Hosts will take in two 21- to-24-year-old volunteers from Sept. 23 to Dec 18. and will receive a weekly allowance of $168.
Canada World Youth is looking for host families for a volunteer exchange program.
Hosts will take in two 21- to-24-year-old volunteers from Sept. 23 to Dec 18. and will receive a weekly allowance of $168.
Does anyone know of any shippers that would offer free space for donations? I am trying to send a piece of machinery to a vet clinic in Granada. I have tried to contact DHL and UPS but have not heard back. And I also tried a charity based in Miami that offers lower shipping to other charities but have had no luck so far.
Thank you!!
I understand that as a tourist you can rent a car using your US driver's license. But I'm a permanent resident and I don't have a Nicaraguan driver's license. Can I still use my Florida Driver's license?
The discussion about how the poor are treated here and, in particular http://www.nicaliving.com/node/16390#comment-88874 has inspired this related topic. Namely, what social programs exist in Nicaragua and how you might compare them to what exists in the U.S.
I am setting up a non-profit to send medicines to the needy in Nicaragua and a few other Latin American countries. i need the names of hospitals/churches/orphanages/charities with whom I could establish a formal relationship so as to facilitate the regular sending of medicines and medical related goods. Once I obtain names of entities, I can finalize my business plan.
Can anyone direct me to the contact persons and names of some hospitals, etc. with whom I can speak about this? BTW I speak fluent Spanish
I would need:
Contact Person
Name of entity
We've noticed two different shanty towns pop up down by the lake and wondered who these folks were....Turns out they are mostly fishermen and families who have been evicted from their lake shore huts by the National Electric Co....
Bad Google translation from LaVerdad
I'm about to head back to the states after three weeks on Ometepe. Had a great time. Wish I could stay longer. These will be on my packing list next time:
1. Flyswatters. I didn't see any in the stores (or anywhere else). I would hand one out (with operating instructions) to each restaurant. There were never tons of flies, but even one can be really annoying while eating. And really easily dispatched with a flyswatter.
2. Computer headsets. Skype is everywhere, but more than once I wasn't able to use it because there was no headset available.
Most of us have heard of the government's Cero Hambre program. There are also NGOs that are giving away things to families to try to make them self-sufficient. In general, however, these tend to be one-time grant programs.
I had wondered about how well such programs might work. One issue is that they are not big enough to give away enough cows, chickens, seeds, ... But, beyond that, followup is another issue. We just gained a bit of first-hand knowledge.
Today our city had a celebration to present a donation of this refuge truck to Jinotepe, Nicaragua. I sure hope they can put it to good use and afford the gas and upkeep. Santa Cruz California also has a sister city program with Ukraine, Venezuela, Italy and Japan. We have also had caravans of school buses full of donations on their way to Cuba. It is nice to know that the US can help out and not expect anything in return.
Asunto: URGENTE AYUDA: DOS NIÑAS DESAPARECIDAS
Tania Noemí Saenz Zeledón y Scarleth Masiel Gutierrez Pineda
Estas dos niñas de 14 años, desaparecieron el martes 5 de agosto, de Matagalpa
Cualquier persona que tenga alguna noticia al respecto,
I have a problem with some chickens, they have seen me with a slingshot & know that they are in no danger, any suggestions?
El día de hoy instead of just hoy is commonly used.
— --


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Elysium mixes exciting action sequences and thoughtful political commentary. In other words, this sci-fi thriller offers whats been missing throughout a summer of straightforward blockbusters that wouldnt know subtext if it yanked on their capes.
Part allegory, part cautionary tale, Elysium presents a pollution-ruined future Earth inhabited by have-nots and orbited by the sleek space station Elysium, where the wealthy live and where technology assures perfect health.
Though vegetation is scarce on mid-22nd century Earth, Elysium residents enjoy manicured lawns, swimming pools and in-home medical equipment that instantly identifies and cures ailments, from broken bones to cancer.
South African filmmaker Neill Blomkamps impressive follow-up to his similarly sci-fi and political Oscar-nominated 2009 film District 9 takes on universal health care, immigration, and 1 percenters seemingly infinite power. It also succeeds as a man-on-a-mission action film whose decimated version of Earth is realistic enough to inspire shivers.
Helping establish that realism is Matt Damon, steady as ever as Max, a robot-factory worker on Earth who needs to get to Elysium, and its medical pods, after his exposure to radiation at work. Such equipment does not exist in Earths homes. But graffiti and crumbling paint do.
Damon is all muscled up and tattooed here, sporting a shaved head. Yet he maintains the reassuring everyman quality we associate with him. Max can summon strength when fighting those who get between him and Elysium (a bio-mechanical exoskeleton assists in that), but the radiation has weakened him. Damons displays of vulnerability enhance the urgent humanity within this tale of a system that shuts out the underprivileged from basic services.
Blomkamp, whose aliens-on-Earth story doubled as an apartheid allegory in District 9, again addresses government-mandated ethnic and class divides.
On Earth, advanced technology mostly benefits machines serving as proxies for Elysium officials, who control Earth but fear its air. Determined to retain his humanity amid the filth and machines, Max tries to joke with a robo-cop that shakes him down on the way to work. The robo-cop breaks Maxs hand.
Max lives in 2154 Los Angeles, where crime is rampant and the landscape is littered with debris (Blomkamp shot some scenes in a Mexico City dump).
He speaks Spanish the dominant language in 22nd century L.A. as well as English. So do those desperate souls, mostly Latino, who gamble their life savings on rogue shuttles that Spider (Wagner Moura), a hacker, coyote and longtime Max acquaintance, sends to Elysium.
Ensuring most illegal shuttles never reach the space station is Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster, slightly French-accented and perfectly frosty in a smallish role), a top Elysium offficial. Her sleeper agent (Sharlto Copley, from District 9) unleashes missiles on the shuttles, from Earth.
But some illegal immigrants do make it, and knowing theres a shot at getting to Elysiums magical medical pods keeps them coming.
The long odds mirror, to a degree, those of people who seek a better life by trying to enter the United States illegally from Mexico. Blomkamp depicts the characters seeking passage in Elysium so sympathetically that anyone with a modicum of humanity will identify. They might not support illegal immigrants receiving benefits from the U.S. government. But they will identify.
Elysium also speaks to our deep-seated fear that the world is rigged in favor of the wealthy. When ecological disaster strikes in the film, the poor bear the brunt and the rich find loopholes. In Elysium, that loophole is a circular space station that resembles a Mercedes logo.
Blomkamp likely used loads of computer-generated effects to create pristine Elysium, (scenes set there were shot in Vancouver, British Columbia) and grubby Earth. But the effects are virtually undetectable. Most Earth scenes occur in daylight, with robots and hovering spacecraft merging seamlessly with the landscape.
The violence in Elysium is stark and cruel, befitting a film about a divided society. Damon, star of the Bourne films, is a scrapper from way back. Max duels convincingly with guns and fists. His main foe is Kruger, the sleeper agent who can throw up a protective shield to ward off blows and bullets.
Copley gives Kruger a maniacal zeal that plays a bit too comically for this weighty film. Moura goes over the top as well, though Spider, the coyote, eventually becomes a well-rounded character.
Diego Luna, as Maxs best friend, and Alice Braga, as his childhood crush, offset Mouras and Copleys fervor with soulfulness. But their characters are not sufficiently developed for us to root for them as much as Max does.
Elysium sometimes seems overedited and overscored, with choppy scenes and musical cues that put too fine a point on the action or the stakes. These moments feel so unlike District 9 that you wonder if a producer or the studio tinkered with this film after Blomkamp completed it.
That probably did not happen. But Elysium inspires one to challenge The Man.
Call The Bee's Carla Meyer, (916) 321-1118. Follow her on Twitter @carlameyersb.
Call The Bees Carla Meyer, (916) 321-1118. Follow her on Twitter @CarlaMeyerSB


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Tag Results
69 posts tagged castlevania
69 posts tagged castlevania
New on Fangamer, this "Castle in the Night" shirt is something I would like to wear. Designer Scott Balmer reinterprets the main highlights of classic 'Vania – whip guy, creepy castle – into a really spooky design.
BUY Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, upcoming games
TinyCast 27! Our latest episode is a post-Game Developers Conference chat about Animal Crossing, Koji Igarashi leaving behind Konami and Castlevania, and how awesome the GBA was. Turns out it was really awesome.
Direct download (MP3, 28.6 MB) / RSS
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Koji Igarashi, the lead on all those "Igavania" games I love so much, left Konami this weekend, so he could actually work on some games.
"I've decided to break out on my own to have the freedom to make the kind of games I really want to make — the same kind I think fans of my past games want as well," he told Polygon.
He's starting up a small studio, and will be presenting about the Metroidvania games at GDC, where I'm sure we'll hear more and/or hear his Kickstarter pitch for the first time (I'm guessing there's a Kickstarter – it makes sense for an old-school game producer popular in the West!)
Konami will continue its focus on Metal Gear and soccer.
Image is… not Igarashi, but comes from the Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin site.
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Yessss! This is the perfect example of the kind of game I try to replay every couple of years but never find the actual time to follow through with. Having it living on my 3DS is the perfect way for me to actually get through a game I haven't finished since I was like 10.
Also, hey Nintendo! If you want, you can send us this stuff and we'll totally handle announcing it for you! I mean if you're just going to drop these trailers on the eShop like it's not a big deal, we can absolutely help get the word out. Just saying. Images from this collection!
BUY Nintendo 2DS & 3DS/XL, upcoming games
Amazing Castlevania map by Bill Mudron
It comes in both black-and-white and full color, and i is just so incredible to look at. Think it would be appropriate for a baby room? Asking for a friend.
You can pre-order this now for $45. Mudron's also working on an underworld map of The Legend of Zelda:
BUY Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, upcoming games
Just a goofy Super Mario Bros. joke in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, found by That Boy Ain't Right.
BUY Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, upcoming games
If you head to the eShop later this afternoon, you can grab the 3DS demo for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate. The impressions I've read for the trial so far have been mixed, but supposedly the actual game is decent times. Plus the cutscenes, like the ones you see in these GIFs posted by video game stuffs, seem to have the right tone.
As usual, you can see the full list of handheld digital releases for today, a couple new sales, and more on our Upcoming Releases page.
PREORDER Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, other upcoming games
Castlevania: Mirror of Fate's North American box. I'm surprised Konami didn't stick with the same illustration that was revealed for Europe's box — this artwork looks a bit more generic than what everyone across the Atlantic will get.
It actually makes you miss the anime-ish covers for the first two DS games (Order of Ecclesia probably has the best packaging art for the portable Castlevania series since Aria of Sorrow).
PREORDER Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, other upcoming games
Preorder the game at GameStop and you'll get one of these to decorate and protect your (original style) 3DS. The game will be out… man, sometime in 2013? Hopefully? Right now Gamestop says March 1, but that's almost certainly a placeholder.
PREORDER Castlevania: Mirror of Fate
"I <3 3DS Colors" by I am Kid Dracula. It's the perfect day for this spooky, cute drawing: New Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate trailer day!
Preorder: Castlevania: Mirror of Fate
See also: More Castlevania posts
Castlevania-customized Game Boy by Oskunk. Just in time for Halloween, and to remind you that while Castlevania: Mirror of Fate was delayed into 2013, Castlevania: The Adventure released to 3DS's Virtual Console last week.
Preorder: Castlevania: Mirror of Fate
See also: More Castlevania posts
[Via Oskunk]
Man, Japan's eShop is killer next week! On the 17th, the 3DS Virtual Console gets Castlevania, Mega Man 4, and Donkey Kong, all at once. Strangely, it appears to be the normal Famicom version and not the "Original Edition."
We're getting lots of Virtual Console games in the next couple of months, but the only Castlevania on the list is Castlevania: The Adventure, which is not equivalent. At all.
Buy: Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL consoles
See also: More eShop news and media


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Before & After: Kristan Cunningham's Painted Cabinets
We mentioned "Design on a Dime" host Kristan Cunningham's own kitchen remodel, but only in passing, and then we found these before photos. Take a look at how a bit of paint (and plywood) transformed her kitchen!
Cunningham's original cabinet style looks just like the cabinets we see all the time in our readers' photos and kitchens! It's those standard rental oak boxes and faux-country fronts. Cunningham dealt with this by painting, but she also had to get creative about the style of those cabinets.
To really change the look, Cunningham and her husband also attached strips of wood to the fronts of the cabinets and drawers, covering up the cathedral arch in the cabinets and creating a faux Shaker style.
Then they painted and added new cabinet hardware found at a Restoration Hardware outlet.
Cunningham's renovation was relatively inexpensive; she didn't replace cabinets or appliances. She just painted, added beadboard on the walls and hardware to the cabinets. All told the renovation was about $900.
Would you go to that length to update your cabinets?
• Read the whole article: The Amazing $905 Kitchen Makeover at Ladies Home Journal
• More info on the renovation: DIY queen Kristan Cunningham's rental kitchen makeover at The LA Times
Related: Kitchen Makeover: White Walls and Pine Cupboards
(Image: Ladies Home Journal)
7 Comments
Absolutely, and I will as soon as get the time!!
Yes, I would definitely do this if I had a kitchen with good bones!
I definitely would, and I love the look of the cabinets now. The problem is that she's removed all the warmth and life from the room by painting that wood. Now it looks institutional with all that white, gray, and steel.
i really like that the bottom and top cabinets are different colors. That's what i want to do in my kitchen!
I haven't done it in my kitchen--its just not worth putting th effort in--it needs to be blown up. BUT my sister has done it twice.
The first time was on those laminate cupboards with the strip of oak at the bottom--classic 80s. She painted out the oak to be the same colour as the laminate (in this case, cream) and then put small brushed aluminum bar handles on the strip. The difference was incredible for such a little thing.
The second time she moved into a house built in about 1980. The kitchen cabinets were that heavy fake wood laminate. The handles were those dark metal handles that I guess are meant to be tudor style? I always think they look medieval?? Anyway, we (I) sanded all the fronts of the cupboards, painted the top ones a dark brown--kind of a mink colour, and the bottom cupboards off-white. She put long brushed stainless handles on the bottoms. She left the counters and the flooring and what an incredible makeover. I wish we had before and after pics. Just recently she painted the walls a soft orange colour. Awesome!!
this is so inspiring for us! we redid our kitchen on a tight budget and are slowly adding a backsplash and new countertops...i love seeing that other people use what they have or remove and add shelving instead of busting everything down and starting with all new cabinetry! always a greener option to use what you have and this layout and flow is magical! bravo!
A gorgeous kitchen! I really love the open shelves and brackets, but it's too bad they don't carry them anymore at Rejuvenation.com. Anyone know a source for something comparable? And the light blue dishes on the shelf are exactly what I've been looking for, but the source isn't listed in any of the articles. Any ideas?


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Some years ago, a trio of colorful, contemplative, and sometimes a little bit absurd science fiction films from East German studio DEFA found their way onto home video in the United States. Of them, The Silent Star was the most beloved thanks to its combination of serious speculation and pop-art design, as well as the fact that it was familiar to many in its old dubbed and re-edited version, First Spaceship on Venus. In the Dust of the Stars was the most visually outrageous, combining the futurist aesthetic of the 1970s with the flared pleather jumpsuits and feathered mullets of the disco era. And Eolomea (which I reviewed as a guest writer for Die Danger Die Die Kill) was the most often ignored, with its more somber production design cribbed from Solaris and the message being less about the wonder and dangers of space travel and more about how boring and frustrating it can be. But even more ignored than Eolomea — so much so that it wasn't even included in the set — was DEFA's forgotten science fiction film, Signale — Ein Weltraumabenteuer.
Tag Archives: Germany
Raumpatrouille Orion
To the very limited extent that the German science fiction series Raumpatrouille Orion (full English title: Space Patrol – The Fantastic Adventures of the Starship Orion) is known in my own United States, it tends to be the victim of a certain unfair association. On those pitifully rare occasions when it's mentioned, it's seldom without being compared unfavorably to Star Trek – and sometimes even referred to as "The German Star Trek", usually in the dismissive tone reserved for inferior foreign copies of iconic American brands. That Raumpatrouille is an imitation of Star Trek is unlikely, given that the series made its debut on German television within just two weeks of Trek's initial bow in America (and quite a few years before Captain Kirk and company would make it to the German airwaves). And while the series does share some striking similarities with Trek, those ultimately just serve to highlight some even more striking differences.
Aguirre, The Wrath of God
There are a lot of directors who work with that special someone of an actor forging a partnership that becomes legendary within the cinematic world. Martin Scorsese had Robert DeNiro. ohn Ford had John Wayne. And German director Werner Herzog had Klaus Kinski. If you know anything about Klaus Kinski, this may seem a bit of a raw deal for Herzog. After all, as far as anyone knows, John Wayne never tried to knife Jon Ford to death on the set of a movie, and Robert DeNiro never insisted to Marty that he was the reincarnation of Jesus or the famed violin virtuoso Paganini. On the other hand, it's equally unlikely that Scorsese has ever returned a knife fight with his own conspiracies to murder his favorite leading man. Although one has to question the authenticity of some of the wilder tales about the working relationship between Herzog and Kinski, there's no doubt that some of it was indeed true and they had the sort of relationship that could be described, if one wanted to be tactful about it, as "dynamic." The defining factor in the relationship between Herzog and Kinski was that Kinski was, to use a scientific term, bat-shit crazy while Herzog, in turn, was crazy as a shithouse bat. Yet somehow, you throw the two together, and the result was sheer brilliance etched from utter lunacy.
Cultural Gutter: Hebrew Horrors
A new Frolic Afield! I'm back on Cultural Gutter writing about the rarity of Jewish horror films. Hebrew Horrors looks at two horror films that are set within the realm of Jewish folklore: 1920's well-regarded and somewhat controversial Der Golem, and the little-known Yiddish-language horror film The Dybbuk.
Die Danger Die Die Kill: Eolomea
Todd from Die Danger Die Die Kill is responsible for many of the best reviews on Teleport City, including reviews of two East German science fiction films produced by DEFA. I got a chance to return the favor (a little) by writing about a DEFA science fiction film, Eolomea, for his site.
Three Golden Serpents
The sad passing of actor Tony Kendall – aka Luciano Stella – back in November of 2009 inspired me to get back on board with the project of reviewing the Kommissar X films for Teleport City. Not that I can say with authority that the Kommissar X films represent the best of Mr. Stella's work, mind you – I haven't, for instance, seen Yeti: Giant of the 20th Century, or Hate Is My God, to name just a couple of his many non-Eurospy efforts. It's just that it's those movies, and Kendall's portrayal within them of dick-both-public-and-private Joe Walker, that won him permanent residence in a very special secret space-age lair located deep within my heart.
Death is Nimble, Death is Quick
Austrian writer and director Rudolf Zehetgruber had two shots at the Kommissar X franchise, and Death is Nimble, Death is Quick, the second entry in the seven film Eurospy series, was the first of them. It's a commendable, if not especially controversial effort on his part, although, thanks to a particular directorial quirk it revealed, it has resulted in me becoming damn near obsessed with the man. In my review of Death Trip, the fourth Kommissar X film, I described how Zehetgruber, the director and writer, inserted himself – i.e., Zehetgruber the actor — into the action, casting himself as a sort of all-purpose deus ex machina who single-handedly bridged an impressive array of narrative gaps and plot holes.
Death Trip
For me, one of the hazards of watching one of the Kommissar X movies is that it means I'll have that "I Love You, Jo Walker" song stuck in my head for the next two weeks and will be at constant risk of bursting into it at any given moment, which is actually more of a hazard to those around me than it is to myself. Personally, I don't care if the world knows that I love Jo Walker (though my wife might have some questions about it). Given that he's a character with all the depth of a walking Playboy cartoon, it's actually surprising how lovable he can become with repeated exposure. Death Trip, the fourth entry in the Kommissar X series, is also quite lovable, though only once you get past the expectations that it raises and learn to love it for who it really is.
Kill, Panther, Kill!
In the opening moments of Kill, Panther, Kill! we see the daring escape, during a prison transfer, of master criminal Arthur Tracy (Franco Fantasia). Tracy has been in stir for four years after thieving a fortune in jewels worth three million dollars. Now his loyal henchmen, Anthony and Smokey, lie in wait beside a desolate hillside road that's apparently intended to be overlooking Malibu — but is actually some anonymous European location — as the LAPD van baring Arthur approaches. After dispensing with Arthur's guards in a hail of machinegun fire, the three pile into a getaway car, at which point Anthony (Siegfried Rauch) says he knows of an ideal place for them to hold up. "They're holding a rodeo this week in Calgary," he says. "Nobody will look for us there." And truer words were never spoken. The only thing that I'd be looking for at a rodeo in Calgary would be a thorough ass-kicking.
The Girl from Rio
Amazing, isn't it, the kinds of ridiculous crap they used to play on broadcast television back in the days before cable? I saw Jess Franco's lurid, sleazy, wholly indescribable The Girl from Rio on afternoon TV under its alternate title, Future Women. It was on WDRB-TV 41 in Louisville, a scrappy independent station that was, for at least part of its lifespan, actually run out of someone's garage studio. At a time when there were only three broadcast channels plus PBS (which, back then, was actually watchable thanks to their affection for 60s and 70s British spy and science fiction shows), having WDRB pop up was a real treat, especially for a kid like me. WDRB was more than willing to broadcast all sorts of weird stuff the majors wouldn't touch, and it was thanks to them that I first saw Godzilla, kungfu movies, and a whole pile of Eurosleaze horror cinema.


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April is providing no fools for our Jade in the shade session. Jade Vivian did a great job posing in our outdoors session. Here in Texas we have a small window of comfortable outdoors weather so we took advantage of that and had a fantastic session with Jade…..in the shade ;) Check out our pictures in our branches photo section.
Next month, we're giving you a super fanboy spectacular session with comic book pinup Taffeta Darling. She has an infinite crises of costumes ready for your sketching enjoyment so grab your blue line sketchpads and don your capes because this one is going to be a DC/Marvel crossover spectacular, true believers. EXCELSIOR! We still have some great prizes from our fabulous sponsors, "What Katy Did" and "Baby Tattoo" with heroic sound provided by DJ TIGERBEE.
Copyright © 2011–2014 - Dr. Sketchy's Dallas


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Player Previews
2009 Player Previews - Neal Cotts
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2008 Season Recap: Neal Cotts
I tried for quite some time to come up with something flashy to say about Neal Cotts, but I just couldn't come up with anything. He's just not flashy and not really good either. Somehow, he has continued to have a job as the LOOGY in the Cubs pen, and it once again he is the only lefty in the pen with Sean Marshal in the starting rotation.
Cotts has been unremarkable for the Cubs the past two seasons, and was downright awful for the Sox three years ago. Before that, he turned in a pretty nice season for the Southsiders on their way to Championship. The one saving grace is that he just turned 29, and might have a few more decent seasons in him.
Last season, Cotts had a 4.29 ERA in 35.7 innings. He did strikeout 43 which helped the 1.430 WHIP he supported. In 07, he spent most of the year in AAA as he only threw 16 2/3 innings. While Cotts hasn't been great, there really hasn't been any other person to throw either. Lou didn't like Scott Eyre for whatever reason, and he was sent packing. With very few lefties on the market (Will Ohman not withstanding), the Cubs decided to bring in a guy who hasn't pitched in two years (Mike Stanton). Well, that experiment was doomed from the start, and he was sent packing yesterday long with Paul Bako.
What does that mean for Cotts? For one, he should feel pretty safe about a job, because the Cubs don't have another option. This spring, Cotts has a 3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 innings. He's fanned six, while walking two. The problem is that spring stats don't count, and he feels no pressure about a job. We can only hope that Cotts turns into the guy that who had a 1.94 ERA in 60 innings back in 2005.
I really blame the Cubs for not going out and spending the money on a lockdown LOOGY. We need somebody that can come in and get an out against lefties, and I don't really have that warm feeling when I see Cotts stroll to the mound.
Update: I forgot to point out (as the comment pointed out) that Cotts really isn't really a LOOGY. I pulled up his splits, and just forgot to put them in the story. So, there is more proof that we don't have anybody to get lefties out.
2009 Player Previews - Chad Gaudin
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2008 Season Recap: Chad Gaudin
More on the Fifth Starter - Gaudin vs. Heilman
Somebody has to ask it: what the hell is he thinking? Maybe he saw Reed Johnson last year, decided his popularity was because of the beard, and decided to bite off it? Or perhaps Gaudin is expressing his admiration for his all-time favorite movie Deliverance? Maybe he's just crazy?
Whatever it is, Gaudin looks like he sprung fully grown from the idiot factory. But that's fine - a team that once sported striped baby-blue road jerseys really can't say much about a player's looks. The problem with Chad Gaudin is that he is smack in the middle of redefining the concept of "suck."
Just look at those numbers. Wait, don't. Have a stiff drink first, and then let yourself imagine what will happen when Gaudin blows one too many Carlos Zambrano starts in '09. Because if he can't do any better than a 10.54 ERA with 20 hits, 9 walks, and 4 homers surrendered, then it will be a long, tough 2009 for the Bush Man of N'Awleans.
The thing of it is, Gaudin is young enough and has had enough success to lead me to believe that he could be a dependable pitcher for the Cubs. His career ERA's not great, but he really has posted acceptable numbers as a starter. The only problem is that youth and past success will only get you so far in life ... just ask Jerome Williams. The man with the creepy necklace was traded to Chicago at the age of 23, a year after a 10-win, 4.24 ERA season, and was out of baseball entirely by the age of 26.
So maybe Gaudin will rebound from his terrible spring and horror-movie-like facial hair. Maybe he'll be the insurance option the Cubs were angling for when they pulled the trigger on Rich Harden. Or maybe he's just another big ol' turd. We'll find out soon enough.
2009 Player Previews - Derrek Lee
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The Cubs wrap up spring training in the very near future (officially Thursday, but functionally Saturday), and no where on the diamond has the team shown more promise than first base. Their star first baseman has led the team in virtually every offensive statistic. He's racked up 5 dingers in 78 at-bats, 15 runs, 22 RBI, and a .590 Slugging percentage. Oh, and the .295 average isn't bad, although I wouldn't mind seeing that .337 OBP go up a few dozen points.
But enough about the backup (Micah Hoffpauir). Let's discuss the starter. Derrek Lee has always been a slow starter. He suffered a minor injury (I believe it was WBC-itis) this spring and has only seen limited action. In 48 at-bats, Rodan has managed just one homer, 5 runs, 6 RBI, and a .396 SLG. To finish the comparables, Lee's batting .271 with a .327 OBP. In fact, the only major offensive statistic in which D-Lee compares favorably to Micah Hoffpauir is in K/AB. D-Lee struck out in 19% of his at-bats this spring, vs. 21% for Hoffpauir.
So what does this all mean? Well, there's the obvious. Derrek's had a poor spring. Not miserable, but certainly not good. Hoff on the other hand has battled his way onto the roster like a drunken rock star... or something like that. But Spring is Spring, and over a long season, very few people would take Micah Hoffpauir over Derrek Lee.
As someone who hasn't followed the club closely enough this spring to fall in love with the Hoff, I'm obligated to point out that he's probably at his all-time peak in terms of trade value. We're talking about Google at $715, Yahoo at $108, or even Volkswagon at $208.
Now Derrek, on the other hand, could be the most crucial man on the roster. If we see pre-wrist!Derrek out on the diamond, this team could threaten the 1906 Cubs (or not, but it sounds pretty good). If we see post-wrist!Derrek, well this team could win 97 games.
I think going into the system, most fans are anticipating a similar performance as 2008 from Lee, while hoping for a 2005 style surge. Still, as eternal optimists, we're probably understating the likelihood that 2005!Derrek was Google, Yahoo, and Volkswagon at their peak (a fleeting sensation to be remembered for quite a while as we all wonder why the current version can't compare.) If that's the case, it's good to know we've got Hoff wasting away on the Pine if it turns out to be the case.
2009 Player Previews - Luis Rivas
Note: this was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I had too much fun with the rant that I'd written. Colin was supposed to write about Neal Cotts way back on Friday, and he's supposed to write about Chad Gaudin today. He assured me he'd write about both via an Email ... so stay tuned.
For all I know, he may not even be on the roster now (have I mentioned how much I dislike following Spring Training) and he certainly won't break camp after Spring Training is over. Instead, I'd like to take this time to talk more about the guy who probably will make the team as the backup middle infielder: Andres Blanco (or maybe Bobby Scales).
But first, a little on Rivas:
- A career .257 hitter, at the age of 23 Rivas was the regular starting shortstop for the Minnesota Twins.
- He has since spent most of his time bouncing around between the Majors and Minors. Last year, he only played in the Major Leagues, batting .218 in 206 at bats for the Pirates.
- Lawdy, he sucks.
This Spring Rivas is batting .231 with no extra base hits. If he's still on the team, it's only because of how desperate the Cubs are to find a backup who can play the left side of the infield.
A better option might be Bobby Scales (GROTA edict: if he makes the team, he must be referred to with an exclamation point after his name. ie: Bobby Scales! got a hit today) Scales has never been called upon to play in the majors, but in 10 minor league seasons he's batting .285. He has modest power and base stealing skills. Most importantly, Bobby Scales can play first, second, third, the outfield, and he's even played shortstop a bit.
His primary competition for the role is Andres Blanco; a guy who's played shortstop and second base with a few tastes of third. In 226 career major league at bats, the lamer Blanco (as compared with Henry) has a .252 AVG. He has no power to speak of and modest speed.
Between the two, I'd have to pick Scales and not just because he has an awesome name. My reasoning is this: versatility. While Scales has never played shortstop a ton, his time playing third and second has convinced me he can play the position in the middle. Besides, in every year of his minor league career but one, Scales has outhit the career averages of Blanco and Rivas.
If only I'd been more accurate in thinking ahead back when I scheduled this post in late February. Ah well.
2009 Player Previews - Angel Guzman
Tell me if this sounds familiar? A can't miss project with all the talent in the world has injury problems, a surgery and now is struggling. Who is it? Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, or Bobbie Brownlie. Well, all of those names could work, but we are talking about Angel Guzman today.
Guzman was touted since the Cubs signed him in 1999. Right off the bat, Guzman looked like a sure-fire prospect that was destined for greatness. He finally, arrived in 2006 and made 10 starts for Dusty Baker's team. It didn't go well, as he posted an 7.39 ERA in 56 innings, while walking 37.
Injuries caught up with him and he only pitched 40 innings in the next two seasons, including last year's 5.59 ERA in 9 2/3 innings.
I would seriously consider getting out of the Cubs organization if I was a pitching prospect. It just doesn't work out for the most part (Brownlie, Sisco, Veal to name a few).
Coming into the season, Guzman had a fair shot to win a bullpen spot. He still has a good fastball, but his control is still hurting him. Guzman has a 9.00 ERA in 8 innings so far this spring. Of course the main problem is that Guzman is out of options. The Cubs choices are carry him instead of somebody pitching well, placing him on waivers, or trading him. None of the choices are that great, and I have a feeling that Guzman will be sent packing before the Cubs break camp. Also, Lou Pinella stated that Chad Gaudin is still slated to start the year in the pen, even with his 10.03 ERA.
Right now the pen looks like this (if we carry 7 in the pen)
Closer/8th Inning – Carlos Marmol or Kevin Gregg
7th Inning – Aaron Heilman
Lefty – Neal Cotts
Long Man – Chad Gaudin and Luiz Vizcanio (Both make millions of bucks, so they are probably staying unless they come down with an injury.
With six guys already penciled in, that means there is 1spots left for Guzman, David Patton, Chad Fox, Jeff Samardzija, Kevin Hart and Mike Stanton.
Stanton hasn't been great this year, but he is lefty. Patton is a Rule-5 guy that has looked great. Hart is going back to Iowa. Fox is just a moment away from his arm falling off. Samardzija is probably the front-runner for one of the spots, but he could easily be headed back to Iowa to start as well.
So, if the Cubs don't trade Guzman there is probably a 50/50 chance he makes the roster.
2009 Player Previews - Sean Marshall
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I already congratulated the young lad last week upon his winning the Great Fifth Starter Debate of 2009. I mentioned that I feel quite confident Marshall will easily match the output of last year's fifth starter, the never-lamented Marquis du Suck.
Why am I so confident? Well, first of all, Marshall is going to get more than the 28 starts Marquis made last year. Even if he doesn't win any more than the 11 games du Suck won last year, he will take up more innings (> 167) which makes life easier for the poor souls and confirmed arsonists in the pen. It will also make Larry Rothschild's life easier, and in turn Sweet Lou's, and in turn, our own lives will be fuller, more enriched, and much more pleasant.
But perhaps I expect more out of the 6'7" lefty. Maybe, based on this spring's stellar performances, I expect Sean Marshall to be this year's story of reDempster-tion.
Good lord, that was awful. Sorry. Really.
But can he take two steps up - go right from "bullpen guy", skipping over "serviceable starter", all the way to "All-Star"? Here are some things he has in his favor:
- size - delivers pitches with steep arm angle
- lefthandness - hey, if Bud Light can make a big thing out of "Drinkability", then I can adopt "Lefthandedness" as a desirable trait
- attitude and coachability - Marshall has done his best historical work while being directly tutored by Greg Maddux in 2006. Unlike many big leaguers, he demonstrates a willingness to learn and adjust.
- confidence - he is showing a confidence this year that has spread to his coaches and teammates, and in this game, having your team behind you is more than half the battle
- the so-called best offense in the league behind him
What Sean doesn't have in his favor is a track record. Dempster for his part had enjoyed a couple of productive years as a starter for Florida before wrecking his elbow. Dempster also ran up mountains the whole winter of 2007-8, and to my knowledge, Marshall wasn't running any mountains near his offseason home. It was also a Contract Year for Dempster - I'm not even sure Marshall will be arbitration eligible next year, with 2 years and change in MLB service time, so the lure of a big payday is not in Sean's immediate future.
Most national scouting sources rate Marshall as a poor man's Andy Pettitte, only with a twin brother instead of an asswipe friend. What this also means is that unlike the rest of the Cubs' rotation, Marshall doesn't have "great stuff" that overpowers hitters. His success will rely on his control, command, and any resulting matchup issues that may arise when opposing teams bench their left-handed hitters on days Marshall pitches.
Most published internet "projections" via standard tools seem to have been formed before he won the "fifth starter" role, which on a team with Tricky Rich Harden, will actually end up getting 32-33 starts in 2009. None of the tools projections show him with more than 110 innings - I project he will have above 180, hopefully well above 180. He has never thrown this many innings before, but prior to last year, Dempster hadn't thrown that many innings since 2002.
I am not saying just because Dempster took a quantum leap in 2008, that Marshall will necessarily make such a leap in 2009. But if attitude and pride have anything to do with it, then perhaps he will.
2009 Player Previews - Micah Hoffpauir
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Did you know that if you ignore all the at bats in which Micah Hoffpauir made an out last year, he's a 1.000 hitter at the Major League level? For that reason alone, he should get consideration to start first base.
No, seriously, that's the argument some bloggers are making. If you ignore his 0-for games this spring, then Hoffpauir is considerably outperforming the slow-starting Derrek Lee, and therefore should be the starting first baseman on opening day.
Me, I have a better idea. Micah Hoffpauir should be used as a pinch-hitting backup outfielder and first baseman. He could - and should! - give the Cubs an immensely valuable left-handed bat from the bench. He may - and likely will be! - the bench presence that Daryle Ward was supposed to be last year.
In other words, Micah Hoffpauir as a backup will be one of the most valuable Cubs on the 2009 team. But as a starter, sorry, I have doubts that he'd be able to outperform Derrek Lee.
So let's look at The Hoff. He's really quite the impressive story. After 7 years in the Cubs minor league system, most of which were unimpressive, Hoffpauir tore the cover off the ball in 2008. In 290 minor league at bats, he batted a ridiculous .362 with 25 homers and 100 RBI. His OPS was an astonishing 1.145. He was then promoted to the big leagues for the first time at the age of 28, and he proceeded to capture the imagination and hope of Cub fans everywhere.
Since his success last year, The Hoff has seen a swelling of fan support. People wanted to trade Derrek Lee so Hoff could start first base. They wanted him to get a shot at starting in right field before Milton Bradley signed. Somebody even suggested that the Cubs release Lee outright - thereby eating a hefty salary - and let Hoff start. All of this brings us back full circle to the jabrone Cubs blogger who wants us to ignore certain stats in order to conveniently prove his ridiculous point.
I think that we should be happy for Hoffpauir. He's quite the story. And if he can play well in a minor role in '09, his story will be an even better one. But I remain unconvinced that Lee is finished as an All Star first baseman, much as I remain doubtful that Hoffpauir could be an effective starter at the Major League level.
But for those of you in the Micah Hoffpauir fan club, I'll throw you a bone. If, on June 1st, Derrek Lee is struggling and Micah Hoffpauir is killing major league hitting, then Lou Piniella should revisit his options. Until then, I hope we can be happy for an already impressive success story -- the elevation of Micah Hoffpauir from minor league obscurity to becoming the top bench player on the best team in the National League.
2009 Player Previews - Aramis Ramirez
Did you know: The Goat Riders of the Apocalypse sponsor Aramis Ramirez's baseball-reference page? It's true. Also true is that GROTA was recognized as one of the great Chicago Blogs (capital C capital B) by Chicago Magazine. It's true! I read it on Aramis Ramirez's baseball reference page!
Sure, you know all that. Everyone knows that. But do you know why we sponsor his page? Do you know why, given alllllllll the possible Cubs - past, present and future - we could sponsor (Les Lancaster, Frank Castillo, Sandy Martinez...the list goes on and on), we chose Aramis Ramirez? Do you?
It's because he rocks. It's because he's the answer to the question "who's finally filled Ron Santo's shoes (so to speak*)". It's because of his 36, 38, 31, 27, and 26 homer seasons since coming over to the Cubs. It's because he's finally learned to consistently take a walk. It's because his defense has gone from poor to decent to pretty damn good.
(* yes, I know he wears shoes. I'm not sure where I was going with that)
The people who used to bitch that he doesn't hustle? They're in someone's crawl space. The people who claimed that he's selfish? They'll trapped under a stack of Tribune articles revealing that Aramis took less money to stay with the Cubs. Those people are trapped and can't get to food and are really hungry and have to pee and it's really sad. Because they're going to have to pee on themselves. And maybe poo a little.
If only that had realized that Aramis is the best thing to happen to the Cubs since Slammin' Sammy and Kid K. He's Mister Consistency and Mister Spectacular all at once (and Mister Clutch. Don't forget about Mister Clutch). He's the true heart of the Cubs and Cub fans should be praising Hendry for bringing him over from his Pittsburgh Purgatory.
Because he rocks. Here's to more of the same in 2009.
Go Cubs.
2009 Player Previews - Reed Johnson
Reed Johnson will be filling a vital role this season. His participation will be crucial cog for the '09 Cubs. He...must...BLOG.
That's right, my favorite Cubs SWP will be taking over as team blogger with the departure of Mark DeRosa. So far, he's off to a solid start as he's promised to insult Mike Fontenot at least once in every post he makes. Glorious.
As for that other stuff he does on the field, I guess that's fairly important too.
Around this time last year, I was a bit puzzled and confused when Jim Hendry decided to reach down into his big sack of tricks and pull Johnson off the scrap heap. Bringing in a guy who recently recovered from back problems didn't sound like a good idea as back injuries are the ones that tend to linger on and on.
But as with most things baseball-related, I was wrong. Johnson was a solid producer off the bench with the bat (.303/.358/.420, 50 RBI, 6 HR) and the glove (providing one of the most amazing catches I've ever seen...too bad MLB made everyone take it off the Interwebs).
The versatility and gritty whiteness that Johnson displayed in 2008 should serve the team well this season too. While Reed will technically be declared a "backup" to Fukudome in centerfield, his role as a platoon member, late-game defensive sub and right-handed pinch hitter will be invaluable. I'd apply my SWP formula to statistically show you how important Reed really is, but the numbers would overwhelm you to the point of pulling out your torches and pitchforks and marching to Wrigley Field demanding Reed Johnson be a full-time starter. Plus I'm too hungov-, err, lazy to look it up.
But on a serious note, White Slice (as his teammates call him apparently) might be the one of the most complete and important bench players in all of baseball based on what will be asked of him by his manager. He is to the Cubs what Toni Kukoc was to the Bulls, but less European and with much more blogging ability.
Maybe Johnson doesn't get the recognition he deserves, but like Hank White, he'd be one of those guys who you wouldn't missed until he was gone.
2009 Player Previews - Ted Lilly
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What's not to love about Theodore Roosevelt Lilly? For one, he was named after a man that went to war just for the adventure. Secondly, he goes to the mound for 30+ starts and throws close to 200 innings. The last two seasons as a Cub, Lilly has thrown 411 innings and amassed a 32-17 record.
Lilly posed a 3.82 ERA in 2007, and followed that up with a respectful 4.09 ERA last season. Of course things didn't start off well for Lilly in '08. In April he posed a 1-4 record to go along with his gaudy 6.46 ERA. I don't know about you, but I thought old Jim might be headed back to the hospital regretting the contract he made the year before.
But like his namesake, Lilly rebounded and went 8-3 after the All-Star break with a 3.33 ERA, including a 4-1 record in September. Of course Lilly didn't see the mound or San Juan Hill in October as Lou Pinella went with Sir Walks A Lot, Gimmie Big (Z)ero Defense and Harden(ly) a shoulder in the three-game sweep.
I was critical of the Lilly signing two years ago, but he has slowly grown on me. He's the perfect 4th starter on this team. He breaks up all the hard-throwing righties, and he keeps the Cubs in ballgames as long as Davey Johnson doesn't let him play left field this weekend.
As for projections, the PECOTA projections have Lilly finishing with an 11-8 record in 161.7 innings. I'm not sure what it is, but the projections have not liked the Cub pitchers this year. They think he will finish with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.29, which isn't too bad. I have a feeling that Lilly does slightly better this season with a 14-7 record to go along with a 4.05 ERA.
I really think Lilly will be just fine this year. He just needs to stop giving up so many home runs to team Puerto Rico. The main problem I have with the WBC is that Lilly hasn't gotten regular work. He's thrown twice in the tournament, and he needs more work to get ready.
Overall, Lilly is one of the signings for Hendry that has turned it out well for the Cubs. I just hope the WBC cause him to start as slow as he did last season.


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When it comes to Web site design, there is one important rule to remember: Keep it simple, stupid.
While simple may seem unsophisticated, uninteresting or frill-free, it is also an approach that drives a Web site's accessibility, usability and effectiveness.
Since starting my consulting business, it has been amazing and troubling to see many Web sites feature too much information, poor navigation and ineffective messaging that they make it difficult, if not impossible to be used.
Rather than pulling in people to read more content, get more information, register or make a transaction, these Web sites drive people away because they they seem too complicated, intimidating or not user-friendly. In other words, they don't make things simple for people to use.
So why does simplicity matter?
The harsh truth is Web users are lazy and time-strapped. As a result, they want Web sites to be delivered on a silver platter. They don't want to think about what they should do; it has to be blatantly obvious and intuitive. And it needs to be obvious with seconds, otherwise people will quickly click to the next Web site or search engine.
Many companies fail the "keep it simple, stupid" approach because they buy into the idea that by showing or telling as much as possible, it will provide visitors with a variety of options to make a decision.
Unfortunately, this approach doesn't work.
It's like going to a Denny's restaurant with a menu featuring dozens of choices. It can make ordering an agonizing process. An easier option is going to a diner that only has a handful of items on the menu. It's easy and quick for people to order because less (fewer choices) can be more (quicker choices).
So how can a Web site be simple yet effective? There are three key considerations:
1. The overall design, which takes into account the use of colours and whitespace, graphics and icons, etc.
2. The navigation, which needs to be intuitive, dead simple and obvious. People shouldn't have to think about what to click on next; instead it has to be straightforward and easy.
3. Messaging, which means having text that effectively articulates what a company does and its benefits, as well as nomenclature that is easy to understand and intuitive.
Coming up with a good-looking, well designed and easy to use Web site can be a major challenge, which explains why so many Web sites are, at best, mediocre. In many cases, it comes down to money because effective Web site isn't a cheap proposition.
But I believe that it's an attractive investment that involves short-term pain but long-term gain.


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iFixYouri sent 9to5Mac images of a white digitizer for the iPad 2. This is exactly the same size as the black digitizer. A third proof is that the leaked screen protectors for the iPad 2 fit this digitizer perfectly. It's highly possible that Apple will also announce a white iPad 2 at this week's iPad event!Read more: via
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Mary Humphrey T'99 is helping make the Jane Goodall Institute a leader in on-the-ground conservation.
Len Greenhalgh is working to end the exploitation of Native American tribes.
How one of the most complex projects in Tuck Global Consultancy history pushed the boundaries of experiential learning.
Tuck is tapping into its loyal and dedicated alumni to extend its reach around the...
Growth and change at Tuck.
Richard Shreve teaches MBA students about business ethics in his Ethics in Action...
Yaniv Dover uses mathematical models to understand the dynamics of social networks.
Michelle Mooradian D'95, T'04 guides strategy at Under Armour.
Kenny Mitchell D'97, T'04 manages the NASCAR brand.
Daniel Rowe T'09 is blending his love of music into a successful career with a...
Begin with self-discovery, says General Mills' Helen Kurtz T'97.
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GreatSchools Rating
Teacher quality
Principal leadership
Parent involvement
While our child's teacher was well meaning and personable, we regretted not selecting a home in a better school district. Teachers have very few resources, which are exclusively directed towards meeting Common Core reading and math standards. No computers in the classroom or foreign language program. I have never seen such a pitiful library in an elementary school, despite the constant PTA fundraising. While several reviews boast lots of "parental involvement," this involvement mainly consists of large numbers of unemployed parents loitering without purpose and further congesting the chaotic pick up and drop off process. I think the school's rating of 8/10 reflects its test scores compared to other (poor performing) California schools, but otherwise, I would rate this school a 5. Glad to be moving to a better district next year!
I would overall rate this school as being only worried about child attendance and money! The overall feeling at this school is that you must be there whether your child is sick or not so that the school gets the payment for your child being there. I have a teenager who has gone to many schools prior to us living her where we had much better experiences. Since we have moved to concord and our child has attended highlands its been a nightmare! I can't wait till we move, and if we don't move soon we are considering putting her in concord Christian just to get away from the politics that have a heavy sway in this school and also the Mt Diablo school district. It's all about Money and school ratings! I am a fed up parent with a weary child who is barely learning anything with the overfilled classes and impatient teachers.
I have four children that have attended this school so far. The oldest has left and gone into middle school and so I have a kindergartner, a 3rd grader and a 4th grader. I have to say that this school is so great because of the parent involvement and the caring teachers that trully become part of your family for the school year. Each teacher has provided an email address for themselves and has made parent communication as easy as possible. There are so many fun things for the families like the end of the year school bbq and the family movie nights. I recommend this elementary school to anyone who asks. The middle school...now thats another story.
I have a fourth grader at HIghlands now and my older son attended K-5th here. Highlands is special because of the amazing parent involvement; fabulous, caring teachers; friendly office staff; attentive, friendly Principal; and even the hard-working, kind custodial staff. Highlands is the only elementary school in the area that has a Science lab (thanks to the supportive parents who help PTA fund this program) The caring Highlands staff also serves the diverse population including special needs children. Few elementary schools in the area provide education for children of ALL needs. Remember this when reviewing state test scores as ALL student scores are lumped together. Overall, the Principal, teachers AND parent community make this school such a wonderful place! There are multiple family activities throughout the year! Many fundraisers but, many fun, FREE events like Family movie night too! We are proud to be a Highlands family!
We moved into this neighborhood for the schools. Little did I know that Highlands would be such a pleasure for our son. The teachers are superior. The parental involvement is amazing. We have met so many involved parents. Not just Moms, but many dads! I have never seen so many active fathers at a school. The teachers are caring and have a realistic interest in my child. The principle even know my kid's name. We are so happy!
I had my daughter at a private school in Walnut Creek for Kindergarten and first grade. I put her in Highlands for second grade because I was frustrated with the education she was getting at the private school level. She is getting a far superior education at highlands because of the teachers. I am saving about $10,000 a year now sending her to public school and she is getting a much better education thanks to the teachers and parental involvment at Highlands! Thank You mdsd for your teachers!!!!!!!!
I have 2 children in Highlands and I love this school. My eldest has attended from 1st-5th and she couldn't be happier she loved all her teachers and is sad to be leaving this year. My Son has been going to highlands from K-1st and will be entering 2nd grade. He loves his school and friends. My child a very strong reader so his teacher has made sure that he is challenged by giving him homework adapted to his ability. This school does plays, concerts, special days by grade, spirit days and much more. Highlands is wonderful./
Highlands is a better elementary if you're comparing it to other Concord schools. The faculty seems fine. The office staff are okay. The curriculum and the District's support of teachers needs improvement. It seems that instruction is geared to 'teaching to the middle' to find a balance between higher and lower-performing students. Highlands is satisfactory, but it wouldn't be my first choice.
I attended this school and now have the pleasure of sending my kids there. I couldn't be more satisfied with the K-3 teachers. I really believe that these teachers are here because they enjoy seeing children learn and grow (which in my opinion is very important when doing an extremely tough job such as teaching). My ONLY problem is the dropping off of children and the lack of control or interest the school has over people parking in a drop off zone. Many times I get stuck behind a parent that gets out and walks their child to class, leaving their car parked in this zone. No way to go anywhere because the car behind has pulled up. They need to have this monitored by police or a FIRM parent. The school didn't hesitate to block off the teacher parking lot when they saw a problem.
In general, it's a good school in a good neighborhood. I've experienced the staff K-2 and found them to all be very good teachers. They have a very well loved Principal too. It is California so the school population is big. Not as big as some, but big enough for a parent of a shy small child to worry. The biggest problem I have found is that there is afterschool interaction with the middle school kids as they both get out about the same time. There is not enough supervision to keep the middle schoolers 'in line' around the smaller kids so you hear a lot about swearing, getting flipped off, teasing. That was enough for me to move my shy child to a smaller more structured school where behavior like that is not tolerated.
It is a pretty good school, my 2 kids went here. They recently added new buildings that will take care of the lack of air-conditioning problem they used to have in classes.
Highlands Elementary School is one the best Elementary School in Concord, CA. They have a wonderful academic program that challenges the children. They also have a great music program that children enjoy. There is so much parent involvment that we always have more then needed. My son's teacher was able to detect my sons gifted ability, which others had not been able to do so. Their academic program is equal to the private schools. My son came in from a private school and felt challenged when switching schools. I do reccommend this school to any parents looking for an elementary school in Concord, CA
My child attends Highlands Elementary School and is in the first grade. The teachers are lovely, each with their own unique teaching style and personality. My child enjoys the programs here--music, computer lab, science, etc. The principal is approachable and personable. Even the custodians are so friendly and helpful! It's like family here, really. My child is a lot younger than most and the teachers show and offer my child different ways to learn and excel. (i.e. reading and how to use a number line when adding and subtracting.) I find this very helpful to continue my child's learning at home. The level of parent involvement is huge. There are so many parents that want to volunteer and help in any way they can. And when the parents get involved, you know your child is attending a wonderful school!
good school. Teachers are knowledge and friendly. parents are very involved in the classroom. Always 2 to 3 parents there. parents always know what the child is doing inclass. This is my first year in this school so I still need to wait and see but the outlook is positive.
Highlands is a great school with teachers who care about each student. The students are friendly and fun to be around
We have been very happy with the teachers and staff at Highlands Elementary School. The onsite daycare has been a blessing for us and the staff at the onsite have been extremely great with my child. We do notice as the kids go up in grade level the parent involvement in the classroom begins to go down and ends up one or two parents and the teacher having to put all the holiday celebration parties together for the kids. That has been very disappointing to see.
What a good school. Principle could be more assertive and involved, but the teachers and parents are great.
I was very pleased with my sons education at highlands. His teachers were wonderful. Parents had full involvement, no complaints.
Our son has been at Highlands for his 1st and 2nd grade and absolutely loves being there. We too are fortunate to have had the same teacher twice in a row. Our son is an excellent student. We've recently moved to the Clayton/Highlands area to be in this nice neighborhood to bring up our other 2 children to reap the opportunity to go to Highlands/Pine Hollow Middle and Clayton High schools as well in the future.
Our daughter was moved to Highlands for her education based on our job situations and day care provider. It was the right move! Her teacher has been with her for two years (first and second grades) and the continuity provided is splendid. The first years of school are tough on the young kids but by not having to change instructors has done wonders. The teacher does a great job based on what I have seen by being in the classroom and watching my daughter grow. Test scores tell a story, but the academic growth of a child can far outweigh them. Our thanks to the staff at Highlands for helping our daughter learn.
Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.
The Community Rating is the school's average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.
1326 Pennsylvania Boulevard
Concord, CA 94521
Phone: (925) 672-5252
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'Pentagon created Arab Spring over decade ago'
- Russiatoday
- uploaded: Jan 1, 2012
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The Arab Spring uprisings were arguably the most significant events of the last 12 months. Protests are still raging across the region, even after regimes were toppled. Journalist and author F. William Engdahl gives his view on the Arab world in 2012. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com
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