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Housing market stuck in downward spiral: Shari Olefson
The link above goes to a Yahoo article with a video. Yahoo did a great job with the title, as it gets your attention and maybe your reaction was similar to mine: "downward spiral" ? ... What?
Instead of disputing that and sharing Boise-area numbers, I prefer to hammer on some of the other statements, and I do understand that the Boise market is different than the nation as a whole. For example, Shari Olefson "sees more potential buyers turning into renters and believes there's a lack of suitable housing and loan products for what people can afford now." Let's start with the first part of the quote regarding renters.
Renters. Yes, there seems to be a growing preference to rent over buy. Some say this is because many saw friends and relatives lose their homes after the crash and don't want to take the risk. Others prefer to rent because they don't want to have to worry about maintenance. Or, they want the flexibility to move easily without having to worry about selling and figuring out if they have to sell first in order to buy at the new location. In so many ways, renting is the easier approach and could even be the cheaper approach.
Lack of suitable housing. I am getting ready to list a 13-year-old, 1300-square-foot home with a 2-car garage for $150,000. With FHA or IHFA financing, a buyer could get in with as little as $4,500 down. Actually, even less if the deal were structured differently. So, in at least the Boise market, there is affordable housing. Albeit it, if you want granite counter tops, and custom trim work, and the other "mack daddy" features, you are going to have to spend more. Or, you can rent something with those features, and perhaps spend less. Typically the advantage of renting improves with the higher the value of the house they are renting.
Loan products. Come on. In the example I gave above, the buyers could be in a home for as little as $4,500. Let's not fall in that trap again. If we had a higher down payment and reserve requirements in 2005-2008, we probably wouldn't have seen values spike the way they did and we probably wouldn't have had a crash like we did. So no need for this "economic stimulus." Let the market be the market and let's quit playing around with interest rates and loan packages to try to help. Oh, in the example I've been using, the buyer's PITI would be less than the rent. But, they can't just up and leave any time they want. They have to maintain the home at their expense. And, there is no guarantee that values will improve or won't fall back. Today, with so many disposable products in people's lives, does it not surprise us that people see renting as the more immediate and flexible option.
Then my last remarks are about the cost of multi-family and single-family construction. Hey, the builders are following the demand. It's cheaper to build multi-family real estate. You can build multi-family with the same amenities as a "mack daddy" home, for less, for so many reasons. One is density, such as land prices, more units on a single foundation, building vertical, common walls, etc. Multi-family sells for less per unit not to undercut single-family homes, but simply because it is cheaper to build.
- Boise Area Rental Market
- Property Management
- Boise Area Real Estate
- SEO & Property Management
- Rental Property Maintenance
- Boise Real Estate Market
- Property Managment
- Boise Area Real Estate Market
- Taxes
- Interest Rates
- Boise and Idaho in the News
- Deferred property maintenance
- Charity
- Fair Housing
- 2019 First Quarter Vacancy Report
- The Value of Employee Development
- Blog and Vacancy Update
- Metric Trends
- Set and Stagger Leases
- Melissa Sharone
- Julie Tollifson
- Tony Drost
- Kristen Curtis
- Arica Elordi
- Jim Sharone
- Lacey Hofman
- Kurtis Tarbet
- Arica
- Tyler Selee
- Tyler Brown
- Tara Pecora
- Marie Swanson
- Lizz Loop


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Regarding Dr. Kamal Dutta's "-'Defensive medicine' fuels soaring health-care costs" (Other Views, April 12):
Dutta's support of the pending federal medical malpractice bill is largely premised on his position that there is an epidemic of costly defensive medicine being practiced. This is not only undocumented, but refuted.
Several years ago, even before the pervasiveness of managed care, the congressional Office of Technology Assessment found that less than 8 percent of all diagnostic procedures are likely to be caused primarily by liability concerns.
In January 2004, the Congressional Budget Office stated, "So-called defensive medicine may be motivated less by liability concerns than by the income it generates for physicians or by the positive (albeit small) benefits to patients. ... CBO believes that savings from reducing defensive medicine would be very small."
The Government Accountability Office has likewise rejected the defensive medicine theory. No one disputes that some doctors are subject to exorbitant medical malpractice insurance rates - especially those in high-risk areas practiced by physicians like Dutta.
But the law before Congress will not fix that. Repeated studies show that limiting compensation to negligence victims, as the law proposes, does not control insurance rates. It does, however, deny patients fair compensation, especially the most severely injured like brain-damaged children.
If doctors want to control their insurance rates, they should go after the insurance industry that rakes in record profits while ripping them off. It is hard to fathom why Dutta would instead blame innocent patients - those he dedicates his life to saving.
Laurie Beacham
Communications Director
Center for Justice & Democracy
New York

subset: commoncrawl


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I recently got back from an amazing trip to Bali! (the kind you don't want to come back from or come back home and immediately look for ways to get back). Since several people asked me for more information about my trip, I'm writing this Bali travel guide as an introduction to Bali travel. Last week, I posted my 7 day Bali itinerary and this Bali travel guide, coupled with the itinerary should hopefully help you plan the perfect trip to Bali.
Bali is one of the 17,000+ islands that make up the archipelago of Indonesia and is Indonesia's most popular tourist destination. Here are some of the basic facts about the island along with some helpful tips and recommendations to plan your travels.
First up in this Bali travel guide is weather. Bali experiences two seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. However, regardless of the season, daytime temperatures hover between the upper 80's to the lower 90's fahrenheit for most parts of the Island. Temperatures in the central hills like Ubud can be lower during the nighttime. Bali is very humid throughout the year.
Wettest Month – January
Hottest month – May
Most humid month – December
When to Visit
The best time is visit is from April to October which is Bali's dry season. The high season is considered to be from July to August. Low season follows immediately, except in December when tourist flock to Bali from the neighboring countries.
Where to stay
This really depends on what you want to do in Bali. Distance wise, it only takes 2-4 hours to drive from the north to the south or from the east to the west. Being an island, Bali has amazing beach resorts everywhere along the coast. The ones in the south/south west (from Canggu to Uluwatu) are more popular while the ones in the north and east are quieter. Kuta is known for its party scene and might be best avoided unless that is what you want to do. Uluwatu is renowned for surfing and cliffside bars while Seminyak is a shoppers and foodie's paradise.
Bali is also known for its lush green rice fields and Ubud is the popular destination to experience this. There are lots of accomodation options in Ubud that are in the middle of rice fields and jungles providing for some ultimate rest and relaxation. Ubud is also Bali's cultural center where arts, crafts and dance is prevalent.
Where I stayed
I chose to stay in Ubud for the first few days of my vacation. The reason being that Ubud was central to some of the placed I wanted to visit in the east, north east and central Bali.
Vrindavan Ubud Villa
This hotel is situated about 15 minutes from the heart of Ubud and is located on a rice field. The property has private villas with pools and is a great place to relax. Although, the place is completely isolated, they offer a free shuttle to take guests to and from the Ubud city center.
HERE is the link if you want to check the place out.
Villa Alamanda
This villa is located in Seminyak and a very short distance from all the restaurants and the beach. Although Seminyak is crowded we didn't feel it at all because the villa is in a quieter back road. I fell in love with this place the minute I walked in and didn't want to leave.
HERE is the link for Villa Alamanda
Although resorts and villas in Uluwatu are much more quieter, Seminyak is known for its food and bar scene. Given this, I wanted to be in the center of all that having spent our first few days in a quieter location.
How to Get Around
The best way to get around Bali is to hire a driver. The cost depends on the distance and time. Drivers will usually quote for half day (5 hours) or full day (10 hours) tours.
If you can drive a scooter that may also be an option to consider. However, one word of caution about the way people drive though! (Might be not for you if you are not used to a hundred other scooters weaving in and out of traffic)
For short distances, your options are,
- Blue Bird Taxi – Metered taxi. Keep their number handy
- Go-Jek and Grab – App based like Uber
Note – Neither Blue Bird nor app based taxis are available in Ubud. You will have to haggle with a local taxi driver. Also note that some of the app based taxis may also not be available in certain beaches in the south.
What to See
There is so much to see and do in Bali. I covered this in much detail in my Bali itinerary post last week . See a sample in the pictures below.
Check out my Bali itinerary post HERE
Check out my post on visiting Nusa Penida HERE
What and Where to eat
Let's talk about the most important section of this Bali travel guide; Food! Bali is a food lovers paradise! From traditional Balinese cuisine to more contemporary flair, Bali has got you covered!
Bali is known for their warungs or small restaurants, offering traditional indonesian cuisine and is a big part of Balinese food and culture.
Popular Indonesian Cuisine
Nasi goreng/mee goreng – Fried rice/fried noodles. usually comes with satays and crackers
Satays – Meat on a stick smothered with sauce! (need i say more?)
Nasi campur – The Indonesian version of rice and accompaniments like vegetables and meats. Every single flavor is distinct and pure. Ask for sambol (spicy sauce)
Lumpia – Spring rolls
Tried and Tested Restaurants
(no means a comprehensive list)
Clear Cafe, Ubud – Has an extensive menu that focuses on clean and healthy eating.
Sweet Orange Warung, Ubud – This warung is in the middle of a rice field, and you have to walk along a ridge surrounded by rice fields to get to the restaurant. The food here was so amazing! Highly recommend this place and the experience!
Balinese Home Cooking, Ubud– Even if you don't go anywhere else, you have to check this place out! It's owned and run by a few families and is situated in a lovely garden setting. Try the nasi campur or indonesian pork ribs (wow!)
Crispy Duck, Ubud – This restaurant is next to the tegenungan waterfall and serves some really good satays.
Nalu Bowls, Seminyak – Creative, beautiful and super healthy smoothie bowls. The restaurant upstairs has a full breakfast menu.
Sister Fields, Seminyak – Your classic and upscale brunch spot. The food was amazing and beautifully presented. Call ahead to reserve.
Biku, Seminyak – Indonesian cuisine in an upscale setting than a Warung. They also have high-tea and an extensive dessert and cake bar (which they made up sit next too!)
Made's Warung, Seminyak – Popular restaurant for traditional Indonesian cuisine.
Jimbaran bay, Jimbaran – Seafood in a beautiful beach setting. The entire bay is full of restaurants with colorful tables lines up on the golden beach. You can either order ala carte or from the set menu. We paid $25 each for all the seafood shown below plus rose' and dessert. The meal also comes with steamed rice and vegetables. Best time to go is just before sunset! We ate at Made Bagus Cafe.
Red Carpet Champagne Bar, Seminyak – This champagne bar is right in the heart of Seminyak and has an extensive champagne and cocktail menu. The music was great too and had people getting up from their tables and dancing the night away. Oh and the best part? Free hors d'oeuvre! Staff walked around every 15 minutes or so carrying trays of various appetizers and bite sized desserts!
La Plancha, Seminyak – Cocktails and sunsets in a colorful setting.
Single Fin, Uluwatu – Perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean, Single Fin is a hip place to hang out, have a drink, eat and watch the surfers out on the ocean all while grooving to the beats.
Gaya Gelato – Sweet relief from the heat! You can find Gaya right next to Saraswathi Temple.
What to Pack
As I mentioned, Bali is hot and humid throughout the year and cotton clothing is probably the best for this kind of weather.
It also goes without saying that Bali is a photographers paradise, so, if you are female and plan on taking pictures bring a couple of long flowy dresses for those perfect instagram shots!
You have to cover up at most temples and the good news is that a sarong or wrap is included in the ticket price. However, if you don't like to wear what another person wore before, bring a wrap or long skirt to cover your knees when visiting temples.
Bring sneakers if you plan on hiking!
Bali has round 2-pin style sockets, so bring an adapter that will work in Bali (especially if you are traveling from America)
Bali is hilly and is full of steps everywhere. You will have to climb up or down stairs at most attractions, including beaches.
If you need relief from sore calves and quads, get yourself a massage! There are so many spas and massage places in Bali and the rates are unbelievably cheap (by any western standard!) and I cannot recommend this experience enough! You can even get a massage therapist to come to your villa.
I very rarely carry money with me and pull out cash from a local ATM when I get to a country. Usually, I have found that an ATM always gives the best rate (the rate you see on google), even with the $5 fees my bank charges.
I hadn't been to Asia in a while and had completely forgotten that this is not the case there. In Bali, ATMs had a cap of how much you could withdraw, and both banks charged a fee (the locale ATM bank and my bank) which made it very expensive to keep pulling out money. Luckily, I had a few dollar bills but you get the best rate for $100 bills (this is common in Asia). All things considered, my recommendation is to carry $100 USD bills to convert to rupiah. You will need cash to pay for attractions and your driver.
One thing to be extremely careful about is where you change your money. Only go to an authorized money changer. You will see many places that offer rates that seem higher than usual (I especially saw this in Seminyak). THIS IS A SCAM! (capitalized for emphasis!) Google is a great way to check the ongoing rate. If the rate advertised looks too good to be true, it definitely is! From all the authorized money changers, the airport changers definitely had the lowest rate so only change a minimum at the airport.
Places like restaurants and bars will take credit cards. Make sure to get a card with no foreign transactions fees and to let your credit card issuing company know that you plan on using it in Bali. Some places may charge you a fee for using your credit card. Overall, liquid cash is probably your best bet in Bali.
Staying Connected
Considering how expensive roaming can be and how cheap a local sim card is, it's honestly not worth it to pay for roaming. In fact, I always get a local sim card whenever I travel. The only caveat here is that you need to have an unlocked phone.
You can either buy a sim card at the airport or at a convenience store along the streets. Although expensive, I recommend buying a sim card at the airport because they register the card for you. This is a new law that came into place and convenience stores cannot do this for you.
You will see the sim card shops on your way out of the airport (after collecting your bags). They will ask you how long you are staying in Bali and recommend a package for you and take care of the registration.
Language and Religion
While the official language is Indonesian, Balinese is the native language and is spoken throughout the Island. English is spoken in all tourist areas.
Hinduism is the main religion in Bali. 83% of Balinese are hindus and hinduism is very much a part of everyday life. Devotees dressed in traditional attire, engaged in rituals and ceremonies is a common sight in Bali.
What to book in advance vs. what to book there
You can buy tickets to most attractions (temples, rice fields, waterfalls etc.) when you get there. The only things I recommend booking in advance are your accommodation and a driver. Restaurant reservations, dance performances and massages can be booked once you get there.
Did you find this Bali travel guide and tips useful? Please let me know by liking/commenting below or sharing this post on social media! Thank you!!
HERE is my Bali itinerary post again!
Pin this Bali travel guide for later!
Let me know in the comments if there is anything else you would like to know about Bali that I didn't cover in this Bali travel guide.


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Found yet another underreported news item, on yet another White House failure in dealing with private enterprise:
Automakers GM and Chrysler were pressured to quickly close hundreds of dealerships by the Treasury department without regard for the job losses that would result, according to a government watchdog report out Sunday.
Treasury was charged with helping the car companies out of bankruptcy through the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Together they've received over $80 billion in government funding.
"Treasury made a series of decisions that may have substantially contributed to the accelerated shuttering of thousands of small businesses … potentially adding tens of thousands of workers to the already lengthy unemployment rolls," said the report, released by the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP), Neil Barofsky.
If only there were some kind of orderly, legal means for fixing broken corporations, rather than ham-fisted political wrangling.


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Found 150 streets in Plympton-wyoming (Ontario, Canada). List of streets You can see below map of Plympton-wyoming.
1st Street
2nd Crescent
2nd Street
Aberarder Line
Ann Street
Aspen Valley Lane
Augusta Street
Baldwin Avenue
Beverly Glen
Blue Heron Road
Blue Point Bay Path
Blue Point Bay Trail
Bluepoint Drive
Bonnie Doone Road
Broadway Street
Brooke Street
Brush Road
Cairns Boulevard
California Avenue
Camlachie Road
Canada Drive
Cardinal Lane
Centennial Street
Chruchill Line
Churchill Line
Clarence Street
Co Op Street
Collingwood Street
Commodore Drive
Confederation Line
Craigmere Lea
Creekside Drive
Cullen Drive
Dalrymple Street
Dana Street
Delmage Avenue
Devonshire Road
Donaldson Avenue
|Douglas Line
Douglas Street
Dunbar Lane
Dunbar Walkway
Edith Lane
Egremont Road
Eleanor Street
Elevator Street
Elizabeth Way
Elm Street
Elmsley Road
Erie Street
Eton Court
Evergreen Lane
Fairweather Road
Ferne Avenue
Fisher Beach Road
Fisher Beach Walkway
Fisher Line
Fleming Road
Forest Road
Forsyth Trail
Francis Street
Franklin Avenue
Front Street
Gallie Street
George Street
Glen Abbey Gate
Gordon Road
Harris Point Drive
Highway 402
Hillcrest Road
Hillsboro Road
Hubbard Line
Hummingbird Lane
Huron Street
Hyde Street
|Hyslop Line
Isabella Street
Ivy Lane
Jane Street
Ken Street
Kerrigan Road
King Street
Lake View Avenue
Lakeshore Road
Lakeside Street
Lambton Lane
Leyton Street
London Line
London Street
MacFarlane Road
MacK Avenue
Main Street
Maitland Street
Mandaumin Road
Maple Street
Marg Avenue
Mary Street
Michigan Line
Minielly Road
Mockingbird Lane
Mutual Street
Nettys Way
Niagara Street
Norma Avenue
Norman Street
O'banwell Street
O'brien Road
Oil Heritage Road
Old Mill Road
Ontario Street
Park Street
Pepperhill Drive
Pheasant Lane
|Plowing Match Road
Plympton Street
Point View Drive
Pond Trail
Queen Street
Rear Street
Ross Street
Sandpiper Trail
Santa Monica Boulevard
Sarnia Street
Schram Drive
Scott Avenue
Shirley Lane
South Plympton Road
Spruce Street
St Andrews Circle
Stewardson Road
Sunset Drive
Sycamore Crescent
Thames Street
The Moorings Circle
Thomas Street
Toronto Street
Townsend Line
Turnberry Lane
Uttoxeter Road
Victoria Street
Wanstead Road
Warehouse Street
Wellington Beach 1
Wellington Beach 2
William Street
Windcliff Lane
Woodford Street
Wright Line
Zone Street


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It's an emblematically annoying ending to the Democratic campaign, one that reflects both the acrimony between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and the fact that Clinton, in the end, is winning her party's nomination by every available measure.
At 8:20 p.m. EDT on Monday night, The Associated Press declared Clinton to be the presumptive Democratic nominee based on her having accumulated 1,812 elected (pledged) delegates and 571 superdelegates, for 2,383 total delegates, exactly the number needed to win the nomination. In the overwhelming likelihood that Clinton's nomination is confirmed at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia next month, she will officially become the first woman nominated for president by a major American political party.
In a statement released after the AP's call, the Sanders campaign argued that the media is wrong to declare Clinton the presumptive nominee by including superdelegates, correctly pointing out that superdelegates can change their vote up until the convention, as several dozen superdelegates did in flipping from Clinton to Barack Obama in 2008. FiveThirtyEight's pledged delegate count, which does not include superdelegates, has Clinton with 1,8111 pledged delegates to 1,526 for Sanders. The Sanders campaign said its "job from now until the convention is to convince superdelegates that Bernie is by far the strongest candidate against Donald Trump."
But Sanders's statement — and the AP's call — distract from the larger point. Clinton will be the Democratic nominee because substantially more Democrats have voted for her. In addition to her elected delegate majority, she's received approximately 13.5 million votes so far in primaries and caucuses, compared with 10.5 million for Sanders.
There also isn't much sign of forward momentum for Sanders, after a strong run of contests in late March and early April. Over the past seven weeks, from the New York primary on April 19 through Puerto Rico on Sunday, Clinton has won 505 pledged delegates compared with 428 for Sanders. Her current lead in our national polling average, 14.4 percentage points, is the widest it has been since mid-February.
On Tuesday, Clinton will almost certainly clinch majorities of elected delegates and the popular vote. Suppose that Sanders, who currently trails Clinton by a narrow 5 percentage points in our California polling average, were to win the state by 20 percentage points instead. Even in that case, Sanders would still trail Clinton nationally by almost 200 elected delegates and about 2 million votes, depending on turnout in California.
In fact, Clinton can still win an elected delegate majority provided that she wins just 215 of the remaining 714 pledged delegates available Tuesday and in the District of Columbia's primary next week, or 30 percent. Because Democratic delegate allocations are highly proportional to the vote share in each state, that means she'd need only about 30 percent of the vote. Thus, even if Sanders won every remaining contest 70-30 — by 40 percentage points — he'd still only roughly tie Clinton in pledged delegates and even then would very probably still trail her in the popular vote.
There are not many plausible arrangements under which Sanders would have become the Democratic nominee. He's been aided by caucuses, which have much lower voter participation. He'd trail even if all states had open primaries, which are generally favorable to Sanders. If the Democratic race were contested under Republican rules, with no superdelegates but winner-take-all delegate allocations in states such as Florida and Ohio, Clinton would have clinched the nomination long ago. Clinton has won in those states where the turnout demographics most closely resemble those of the Democratic Party as a whole.
So it's not just that Sanders can win only if a huge number of superdelegates flip their vote to him.2 He can win only if a huge number of superdelegates who have committed to Clinton flip their vote against her, despite her having won a clear majority of votes and elected delegates, thereby overturning the popular will.
But the AP's "call" of the race, which has been confirmed by several other news organizations, means that superdelegates, rather than elected delegates, will have put Clinton over the top, removing some of the theatrics from Tuesday night's elections. Clinton had scheduled a "victory rally" in Brooklyn in New York on Tuesday night, on the assumption that the networks would call the race for her on the basis of elected delegates in New Jersey, where Clinton is heavily favored and where polls close at 8 p.m. EDT. (Clinton will almost certainly clinch a pledged delegate majority once the first batch of votes is reported in California late Tuesday night, but that may not be an event that the networks commemorate or that viewers stay awake for.)
The early call could also have somewhat unpredictable effects on Tuesday's turnout and results. It probably won't matter much in California, where many or most votes are cast by mail and cast early, but it could matter in New Jersey and in smaller contests such as South Dakota and New Mexico.
Listen to the latest episode of the FiveThirtyEight politics podcast.
In the end, none of this will be enough to affect the outcome of the Democratic nomination, which has been fairly obvious since March. But Clinton needs support from Sanders voters or she could face a close call in the general election against Donald Trump. Any sense from Sanders or his voters that the system was "rigged" in her favor or that she won the nomination illegitimately — however ill-informed — could be harmful to her at the margin.
Still, even if the final 36 hours of the campaign don't quite go as Clinton would have scripted them, she's going to win the nomination and is the betting favorite to become the next president. Neither she nor Sanders, who has run a good campaign, has much to complain about.


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As the clock wound down on Buffalo's brief Jim Wilson era the Bulls were in the midst of a 3-3 season and on their way to Oxford Ohio to take on the Miami Redskins.
While the Bulls were led by Wilson Miami's head coach was Ara Parseghian, yes that Ara Parseghian.
After playing for two seasons with the Cleveland Browns Parseghian ended up on the staff at Miami, his Alma Mater. He took the reigns in 1951. He would lead Miami to a 39–6–1 over five seasons and win two Mid American Conference titles. He owuld of course eventually land at Notre Dame and become one of his era's best known coaches.
Buffalo was coming off of two straight wins UB was hoping to make it a third behind the running of Don Holland.
Holland played a spectacular game but Miami was too strong for the Bulls. In a bitter cold November dat Buffalo lost by a final score of 27 to 7.
With temperature dropping from 32 degrees at kickoff to a final gun reading of 24, an estimated 2.500 spectators remained long enough to see. -- Buffalo Currier Express
Buffalo managed only 64 yards on the ground and had to punt seven times. The first of those punts was blocked leading to a short field and Miami's first score.
Buffalo's only score was a late touchdown on a 2 yard plunge by Doc Holland. Holland split his duties on the drive between left Half back and Quarterback. Throwing the Bulls down the field until UB was in the red zone, the 77 face saving drive nearly doubled UB's offensive output.
Holland was 13-21 passing, getting all 128 UB passing yards. He also carried the ball 15 times for 53 yards. When the day was over UB's star accounted for more than nine out of every ten Buffalo yards.
One of Parseghian's assistants was Doc Urich, In his first year after graduation the Miami end joined the redskin staff. Urich would follow Parseghian to Northwestern and then to Notre Dame before becoming UB's head coach in 1966.


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"It never matters what you're wearing if you practice with your heart," said Ms. Suh (at left). "You all come in, you all commit." Still, in an ultra-hot room, Ms. Suh said, it was helpful to have clothes that did not ride up or slip off, and could withstand the wear of a daily class.
And so The New York Times dives deep into the trenches of today's sticky news: What on earth do we wear to HOT yoga class? (or Bikram, you know, whichever). Thank goodness the steadfast reporters of the NYT have come to our rescue with product reviews to answer our problems, accompanied by a pretty slideshow (definitely a slow news week). Featured brands include: yogabela, lulu, shakti activewear, and gear like Manduka mats and Yogitoes skidless towels, and not everything gets a rave review. Oh and sorry guys, you're still out of luck, these hot skimpy yoga clothes are only for the ladies (unless you're into that sort of thing, we won't judge).
Though we're not huge fans of the string bikini yoga attire ourselves (too much slipping and sliding in sweatiness), we understand it gets pretty hot in 105 degrees and you might need something easier to move around in…like underwear. Seriously, some of the clothes are so tiny we have to wonder, where's the naked Bikram yoga? It's a hot trend…someone copyright and franchise it asap!
[Photo: Evan Sung for The New York Times]


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There's something dystopian about the expansive seventh floor of Prada's USA headquarters. The ceiling is unfinished cement, the overhead lights are neon fuchsia, and the building's massive cylindrical supporting columns, like something from a ship or a parking garage, are painted pale matte pink—set details left over from the resort show, held a couple nights before. Headless mannequins dressed in an enviable wardrobe dot the space, numbered tags dangling from their rigid, willowy wrists. The view from some of the oversize windows is the roof of a luxury car dealership, Lamborghinis and Bugattis stretching out under the midday sun; from others, it's a bright glimpse of the Hudson. It's a setting that might appear in a beautiful, disturbing film by someone like Sofia Coppola (a frequent face in Prada's front row) or Nicolas Winding Refn (who participated in a project called Soggettiva earlier this year at Fondazione Prada, the contemporary art institution, in which artists present a survey of personally inspirational films).
Miuccia Prada, who celebrated her 70th birthday in May and possesses the kind of timeless features that beg to be rendered in oil paints, would herself look more at home in the lush, rich palette favored by Luca Guadagnino (another fan, who once called Mrs. Prada "a constant source of inspiration"). Her hair, curling gently at her collarbone, is buttery blonde. Maroon orbs dangle from her ears like dragon eggs; her marigold knee-length pleated skirt is a staple style for both Prada the brand and Prada the woman. Under a caramel-hued short-sleeve sweater she's wearing a tight, crepe-thin white undershirt that peeks out just so at her sleeves and neckline. It's unexpected. It's perfect.
This is, after all, the creative force behind the sartorial juggernaut that is Prada Group, which, between Prada mens- and womenswear and Miu Miu, puts out 10 complex and cinematic collections each year. This is a woman who has spent a lifetime perfecting the art of personal aesthetics, who honed her eye as a teenager and college student in Milanese vintage shops scouring for Yves Saint Laurent, and donned children's clothes so as not to blend into the crowd. But when I ask her whether she still finds such joy in putting on clothes every morning, she makes a particular, unnameable expression—lips turned down and pursed, head pulled back—that somehow communicates both "perhaps" and "absolutely not."
"I tend to dress in uniform," she says. "Most of the things that I love, I can't wear because of my age."
Like what?
She smiles. "Like miniskirts."
"The miniskirt she mentions a lot," says Verde Visconti, Prada and Miu Miu's longtime PR director, a balletic attaché who accompanies Prada to most public appearances and has been with the company for more than 20 years. For the duration of our interview she sits, catlike, about five feet away. I'm not sure if she means that Prada often mentions her personal desire to wear miniskirts, which might be true, or that she does in a grander referential sense through her work, which definitely is: a pleated olive knit number in 1994; raw-edged silk printed with a beach scene in 2010; Lilliputian patterned skorts in 2017. When they haven't been scanty in length, they've often been so in opacity. Gauzy '90s cuts over black leotards. Webs of iridescent plastic gems. She sent male models down the spring 2019 runway in shorts so tiny they seemed destined to inflict genital harm; she called them miniskirts for men.
"Provocative," Prada says gravely, still imagining the skin-baring clothes she'd be wearing were it not for the burden of time. "Seriously."
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It's an image seared in our cultural memory: Mel Gibson—eyes bleary from alcohol—staring directly into camera, his face ruddy, bloated, and glistening with a sheen of sweat. But enough about the 2017 Academy Awards. We'll talk about those later.
This year marked what's been described as a comeback or redemption for Gibson, whose decades-long career stalled following a string of controversies beginning in the mid-aughts. Starting in the late 1970s and going into the '90s, he had built a name for himself with Australian and American action series like Mad Max and Lethal Weapon, then moved into directing with films like Braveheart (which he also starred in) and Passion of the Christ. Gibson had created an image that wasn't just tough, but also moralistic, making his downfall—which occurred concurrently with his 2006 film Apocalypto—all the greater.
2006 was a particularly rough year for the actor/director. Not only was he pulled over for drunk driving in Malibu, but a transcript of his sexist and anti-semitic rant against his arresting officers was leaked to TMZ, creating what, at the time, was considered a career-ending scandal. "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," he raged to a male deputy, aggressively asking, "Are you a Jew?" Then to a female sergeant: "What do you think you're looking at, sugar tits?"
But this moment in which Gibson displayed such shockingly blunt anti-semitism and sexism did not, in fact, end his career. Nor did the leaked 2010 audio tapes—which Gibson claimed were heavily edited—of him berating ex-girlfriend and mother of his child Oksana Grigorieva, despite the shocking verbal abuse that included both incredibly racist and misogynistic epithets.
Grigorieva: I don't, I don't, I don't walk around in tight clothes, I stay at home for most of the time.
Gibson: Yes, you fucking do. You go out in public and it's a fucking embarrassment to me. You look like a fucking bitch in heat, and if you get raped by a pack of niggers it'll be your fault. All right? Because you provoked it. You are provocatively dressed all the time, with your fake boobs, you feel you have to show off in tight outfits and tight pants (garbled) you can see your pussy from behind…
[Emphasis mine.]
From the second leaked tape:
Grigorieva: You need medication.
Gibson: I need a woman! Not a fucking little girl with a fucking dysfunctional cunt. I need a fucking woman. (panting) I don't need medication. You need a fucking bat in the side of the head. All right? How 'bout that? You need a fucking doctor. You need a fucking brain transplant. You need a fucking, you need a fucking soul. I need medication. I need someone who treats me like a man, like a human being. With kindness, who understands what gratitude is, because I fucking bend over backwards with my balls in a knot to do it all for her and she gives me shit, like a fucking sour look or says I'm mean. Mean? What the fuck is that? This is mean! Get it? You get it now? What mean is? Get it? (panting) You fucking don't care about me. I'm having a hard time, and you fucking yank the rug, you bitch, you fucking selfish bitch. (panting) Don't you dare hang up on me.
Gibson and Grigorieva also discuss physical violence that occurred during a domestic dispute:
Grigorieva: (angry) You were hitting a woman with a child in her hands. You. What kind of a man is that? Hitting a woman when she's holding a child in her hands? Breaking her teeth, twice, in the face, what kind of man is that?"
Gibson: (sarcastically) Mmm, ooh, you're all angry now …
Grigorieva: You're going to get to, you know what?
Gibson: You fucking deserved it.
Grigorieva: You're going to answer, one day, boy, you're going to answer.
Gibson: Huh?
Grigorieva: There.
Gibson: What, what? What are you threatening me?
Grigorieva: Nothing, nothing. I'm not the one to threaten.
Gibson: I'm threatening, I'll put you in a fucking rose garden, you cunt. You understand that? 'Cause I'm capable of it. You understand that? Get a fucking restraining order. For what? What are you going to get a restraining order for? For me being drunk and disorderly? For hitting you? For what?
Following another incident with Grigorieva in 2011, Gibson was arrested again, this time on a misdemeanor battery conviction. He pled no contest.
In the past six years, Gibson has laid relatively low with a handful of under-the-radar parts and the occasional escorting of Jodie Foster to award shows. With the industry-lauded release of Hacksaw Ridge, a World War II film directed by Gibson, 2016 and 2017 have been dubbed his comeback years, a redemption after years away from the spotlight caused by... what was it again? The industry can hardly remember; the tapes on which he threatened Grigorieva have been forgotten to time. His 2006 drunk driving arrest lives on a little bit more in infamy, occasionally being dredged up by comedians at award shows—though that, too, has not had a lasting effect on Gibson's career.
Throughout award season, which blissfully has come to a close with Sunday's Academy Awards, we've watched stars like Andrew Garfield and Vince Vaughn sing Gibson's praises with only the most gentle mentions of his notoriously abusive behavior.
"I love Mel," Garfield, star of Hacksaw Ridge, told E! "I have nothing but love for him and pride in him, not only as an artist and a filmmaker, but also as a man and as a good friend... I think it's a good sign that the Academy has acknowledged his work. It's utterly deserved, but it's a really good sign that finally the healing he's been doing internally and in his life and with the people in his life can finally be recognized on the outside as well. He's not going anywhere. He's been ready for this for awhile."
The "healing" Garfield mentions likely refers to Gibson's sobriety, but it's not clear what he's referring to. Gibson's attitude regarding his 2006 arrest remains unapologetic. As he told Payback, Variety's podcast, in October 2016:
"It was an unfortunate incident. I was loaded and angry and arrested. I was recorded illegally by an unscrupulous police officer who was never prosecuted for that crime. And then it was made public by him for profit, and by members of — we'll call it the press. So, not fair. I guess as who I am, I'm not allowed to have a nervous breakdown, ever."
He added:
"I've never discriminated against anyone or done anything that sort of supports that reputation. And for one episode in the back of a police car on eight double tequilas to sort of dictate all the work, life's work and beliefs and everything else that I have and maintain for my life is really unfair."
Gibson can cry victim all he wants, but, as the above audio recordings and transcripts prove, he's absolutely guilty of discrimination, though perhaps not in the legal sense of the word. He's freely used the word "nigger," called his girlfriend a cunt, told her she should be raped, and physically assaulted her. Claiming that any bias the public has towards him is unfair is, quite simply, ridiculous, especially when you consider that he's still wealthy, still successful, and still being embraced by the Hollywood elite. While it's true that alcoholism is a vicious, personality-attacking disease, any assertion that the public has unfairly judged Gibson is a bold-faced manipulation of the facts.
In a surprising reversal of the beaming audience cut-aways to Gibson that we've seen over the past few months, John Mulaney and Nick Kroll are among the few who've had the balls to take aim at the director during this award season. Hosting this year's Film Independent Spirit Awards, Kroll remarked, "We like to think of these awards as the ones without Mel Gibson. People wondered how long it would take Hollywood to forgive someone for anti-semitic, racist hate speech. The answer? Eight years!"
And that barely touched on half of it.
The film industry, despite actors' and directors' continual claims that they're the epicenter of liberal progress, is a deeply cynical and fucked up place where men (and women) like Gibson are allowed to thrive while coworkers like Garfield will call them brave. Gibson can sit with Rosalind Ross, his new girlfriend and mother of his ninth child, in the first two rows at the Academy Awards and host Jimmy Kimmel won't make mention of his abusive past. A bigger to-do is made when a convicted attempted rapist who (low bar here) at least served time for his crimes is allowed into the Kodak Theater than is made about a known racist and abuser nominated for Best Director. Gibson's only "time served" is the handful of years where he didn't get to make as many movies as he wanted. Not to mention the alleged abusers who actually won their categories.
Perhaps Hollywood and movie-goers are willing to forgive Mel Gibson because most people have never actually listened to the tapes on which he lashes out at his ex. (Listening to them for the first time in years, I was shocked at how violent they were.) Or, more likely, the industry doesn't care about what Gibson has said to a woman who's been publicly dubbed as a whore and gold digger, because people don't care about women all that much anyway, and because Gibson continues to make the studio money.
Mel Gibson is one of a long line of horrible people to be "forgiven" and embraced again by his chosen industry, but that doesn't mean that you have to forget, sugar tits.


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text: Program Description with Andrea Chapelo: Come and learn some of the most essential tips and strategies of two successful single photographers who have spent over twenty five combined years fighting, scratching and clawing their way to the top of their markets. Andrea and Carrie will walk you through how to create specific goals you will be able to achieve. You'll also walk away with the tools to reach those goals. This program will give you the knowledge and the confidence to create your own Happily Ever After. Why do I do what I do: I was born to create. From a very early age, I had a camera, a paintbrush, and clay in my hands. There's a light inside of everyone…I'm lucky I found how to make mine burn bright. Many don't. I am a print artist and I love that generations to come will have portraits in their hands that are worthy of passing on. I am passionate about creating photographs-real pictures-printed on professional archival paper. I believe the best way to provide exceptional service to all my clients is to present them with beautiful professionally finished work. I want to ensure my clients' memories last forever. Biography: Carrie Clippard-Perez M. Photog, owner Photography by Carrie, is an award winning, published photographer in southeast Missouri. Ranked one of the top ten photographers in her state by PPA, Carrie has established her studio as the premiere location to preserve the memorable moments of her clients. Her boutique photography studio was started in 2005 and quickly grew to the profitable studio it is today. Carrie specializes in the fine art of newborn and children's photography, from the expecting mother to the newborn infant to the determined toddler and the curious child, her photography captures the unique qualities that are exclusive to the essence of childhood. Catering to little ones equals big business at Photography by Carrie and in her seminar she will explain how you can use her tips and tricks to make your studio successful in today's saturated market. Carrie will "get real" with you about how to make your time as well as your client's time in your studio a wonderful experience. http://www.photographybycarrieperez.com/


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The firm behind Ace Hotels branches out with a historic property in Casco Viejo.
When Atelier Ace decided to venture beyond its widely successful Ace Hotels chain, it set its sights on Panama and looked to partner with local businesses. Conservatorio, a Panama City-based development firm committed to restoring and operating defunct buildings, seemed the perfect fit. Together, the two firms set out to salvage the American Trade Building, a circa-1917 structure in the Casco Viejo neighborhood. The edifice had special significance for Conservatorio cofounder Ramon Richardo Arias—his great-great-grandfather had built American Trade almost a century ago. But it was just as meaningful for the architectural community, as a preeminent example of Leonardo Villanueva Meyer's work and the "Bellavistana" style he originated. To restore the neglected structure to its former glory, local architect Hildegard Vasquez and Los Angeles-based design firm Commune Design were brought on. The resulting interiors are stunning—white panelling, dark wood accents, low-slung leather chairs. True to Conservatorio's local mission, this elevated aesthetic isn't reserved for visitors alone. Locals are welcome to partake in refined cuisine at either The Dining Room or Lobby Cafe and Bar, both helmed by Panama City chef Clara Icaza. The hotel's main draw is Danilo's Jazz Club—a world-class jazz club showcasing both international and local talent such as Danilo Pérez, a Grammy-winning jazz pianist and composer. Overall, to stay here is to experience true Panamanian culture in a contemporary context.
Panama City


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Once upon a time I was tied with the Cubs
But now I'm only falling apart
And there's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the Cards
Once upon a time there were arms in my life
But now there's only Carlos and Luke
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the Cards
All right, so it's not quite that bad. However, given today's celestial phenomenon, I believe every writer of all every stripe and field has to make some eclipse joke or reference, so I'm just getting mine out of the way. It's not completely irrelevant, though. Just over a week ago, the Cardinals had an eight game winning streak and were in first place with the Cubs. Since then, very little has gone right. Whether it's bullpen meltdowns, rough starts, or injured pitchers, the optimism and excitement we were dealing with even last Monday has dwindled very, very fast.
If the team was going to turn around, every now and then they'd need to get a win. They'd also really be served well by taking three of four from Pittsburgh while the Cubs were taking on a Blue Jays team that you didn't expect to really challenge the divisional leaders. The latter was true–the Cubs swept the Jays–but the former, well, let's take a look.
Thursday (11-7 win)
Hero: Dexter Fowler. Two for three, two walks, three runs, three RBI. Fowler's two-run triple in the seventh brought the Cardinals all the way back from their early 5-1 deficit and gave them a lead they would not relinquish. Fowler said after the game that he really finally feels healthy and the results seem to indicate that. Not counting last night's game, he's hitting .441/.587/.824 in the 11 games (10 starts) he's played since coming off the DL earlier in the month. While that will cool, obviously, if he can go forward with even three-quarters of those numbers it feels like the griping about Fowler that still occurs in some portions of the fan base will be significantly lessened. Not eliminated, because there are people that will complain and whine about anything, but lessened.
Goat: Adam Wainwright. I appreciate that Wainwright is the gutsy warrior that we've come to know and love. I know from first-hand experience that he can at least keep a team in a game with impaired stuff. I know that he always thinks he's going to be the best option. Still, if things are bothering you that much, you've got to really consider the fact that maybe you aren't the best option. Or the manager needs to make sure to lay it out for you, perhaps. Wainwright didn't have the command he had against the Braves and so was unable to get outs with his lesser stuff. Three innings, seven hits, five runs, no strikeouts. If this had been earlier in the year, that would have been a death sentence for the Redbirds. Thankfully the offense has improved enough to give you a reasonable chance of coming back from a start like that, but continuing to put them in a hole is a terrible thing for a starter to be doing.
As you know, Wainwright went on the disabled list after this one and they are hopeful that he's returning. (Waino's also had some time to read up on some blogs, as Dr. Miles found out to his chagrin.) There's hope that rest will be enough to get Wainwright back on the mound this season and perhaps it will. That said, if Uncle Charlie doesn't have to have some sort of surgery this offseason, it'd be pretty surprising. Maybe if he does, he'll be more like the Wainwright we saw over a stretch this summer, when he had a 3.29 ERA over six starts. Then again, you look at the game log and you see even in that stretch he had a game where he allowed six runs. Wainwright's 2017 has been a model of fluctuation and even healthy it makes it difficult to know what 2018 would bring.
Notes: The bullpen did a fine job of covering the innings and keeping the club in the game, at least until Seung-hwan Oh pitched the ninth. Luke Weaver threw two scoreless innings and will move into the rotation for Wainwright, starting Wednesday's game against the Padres. Sam Tuivailala had some issues, giving up three hits and two walks in an inning-plus, but worked around them (and Matthew Bowman came in to help him out in the seventh). Patron Pitcher of the Blog Tyler Lyons had the eighth, as he's been doing more of late, and allowed his first hit of the month.
Oh, however, scuffled again. He gave up two singles and Mike Matheny then left him in to face the lefty Josh Bell, who already had a walk-off homer against him. We've talked and talked about how Oh really shouldn't face lefties at all, but he wound up getting Bell out only to fall victim to an RBI double by David Freese. So if the righties are going to start clocking him as well, this is so dicey. After he hit Adam Frazier to load the bases, he got an RBI groundout and a flyout to end it. Nothing in that outing gave folks much confidence that Oh could reclaim the closer role. That doesn't mean he won't be out there at times, though.
Jedd Gyorko had three hits, including a home run in the second that got the Cards on the board. Between this and his blast on Sunday night, I'd like to say that Gyorko is coming around and getting back to what we've seen, but the numbers don't show that yet. He's hitting .180 (before Sunday) in August in general and that number isn't much different over the past week. At least Matheny's moved him out of the cleanup role, but it would really be good if Gyorko could find that gear he was in earlier in the season.
Tommy Pham went two-for-four with a home run, his first extra-base hit in quite some time. One of the more remarkable things about the run of success the Cards have had is that they did it without peak Tommy Pham. He was still contributing, but he wasn't carrying the team like he was earlier in the year. If he gets hot while others are going, things could be very interesting.
Randal Grichuk and Yadier Molina both had two hits in this one as well. It was a good night for the offense and most of the bullpen. It was also the best game of the series for Cardinal fans.
Friday (11-10 win)
Hero: Paul DeJong. Three hits, including a solo homer in the third that made the game serious.
Goat: Mike Mayers. Let's be clear, Mike Mayers has some talent. He wouldn't have been in baseball this long without it, nor would the Cardinals have kept him around if there wasn't at least something there. He's thrown more innings than anyone else on a Memphis team that's crushing everyone this season and done so with a 3.48 ERA. That said, it feels like whatever talent he has never is going to translate to anything in the big leagues. He's got 10 innings in the big leagues now over two years. That's seven appearances. In only one of those has he not been charged with a run, last year against Pittsburgh when he threw an inning against them. In those seven outings, he has that dismal first start where he gave up nine in an inning and a third, a one inning stint last season when he gave up six, and this game, when he gave up five runs (four earned) in less than a frame.
It all boils down to a 3.100 career WHIP and a 19.80 ERA, a mark that could be higher but he's given up two unearned runs. Even the advanced metrics like FIP show him with an 11 mark. I don't know how many more chances you give a guy before you conclude that there's something in his stuff that doesn't translate to the bigs, that he's a Quad-A player. Maybe another team could get more out of him or have more opportunities in the big leagues for him to adjust, but it feels like we probably shouldn't see him again as a Cardinal. Which means he'll probably get the call when rosters expand.
Notes: When you have an 11-3 lead, you should not have the winning run on second base in the ninth inning. You really don't want to see David Freese coming to the plate with the chance to win the game for his team. After Mayers' meltdown, Brett Cecil stopped that bleeding, but Matthew Bowman opened up the wound again, getting the first guy out then walking two and hitting the third to load the bases. Zach Duke then came in to face Josh Bell, but he couldn't do the LOOGY thing and walked Bell to force in a run. Matheny then went to Oh again for reasons that aren't real clear, but there probably weren't many great options. He could have gotten the Patron Pitcher, perhaps, but he'd already used most everyone else and, as much as we love Sam Tuivailala around here, that probably wasn't the place to put him. And Oh, even though he danced on the line quite a bit, got the job done–a sacrifice fly from Freese and then, after an intentional walk to load the bases, a strikeout of Elias Diaz. Cardinal fans breathed for the first time in about an hour.
All this overshadowed a fine start from Carlos Martinez. He again struggled early, allowing solo homers in the first and second, but then settled in. A large lead will help with that, of course. Only four strikeouts in seven innings, which is a little low for Martinez, but the overall line was fine and you'll win a lot of games with a pitcher doing that.
Offensively, it was another big day. Tommy Pham hit another homer, Matt Carpenter hit a three-run bomb that broke it open, and Randal Grichuk and Greg Garcia both had a couple of hits. While they couldn't have saved any of these runs, the offensive exploits were pretty much done for the weekend.
Saturday (6-4 loss)
Hero: Jose Martinez. Two hits, including a home run in the ninth inning.
Goat: Carson Kelly. Kelly's in a tough spot, of course, because he doesn't play enough to get into a rhythm or have any way of adjusting at the plate, but in this one he went 0-4 with three strikeouts, including one to end the game with two runners on. I don't know what the solution is for Kelly–there probably isn't one for this year–but hopefully he'll be able to adjust to the lesser playing time.
Notes: A tough outing for Michael Wacha, who allowed five runs in four innings. All of those did come in one frame, the second after Wacha had sat through a two hour rain delay. If the bullpen had been more rested or more effective, Matheny might have gone ahead and pulled Wacha when the rain came. (Given how clear it was, apparently, that there was going to be a delay, he could have done the old Tony La Russa trick of starting a reliever and then bringing in your starter after the delay.) With Wacha's history of injury, having him sit and then restart might not have been the best thing, but I don't think that played into anything here. More likely the rust and out of sorts from the delay led to it, as Wacha then threw two more innings that were pretty effective. And the delay might not have been the issue–Wacha might just have had an off-day–but given that complication it's hard to draw any conclusions until perhaps next time out.
Two hits also for Randal Grichuk here, who is having a pretty good August all in all. Grichuk is slashing .284/.324/.522 this month and while you'd always like to see him walk more, I think we can just come to terms with that not being part of Grichuk's game. Remarkably, he's hitting .305 since the All-Star Break. There's still something to Grichuk and we shouldn't just write him off. That said, if he could keep this up and build up his trade value, that might be the best possible situation for the Cardinals.
Josh Lucas made his major league debut, throwing two innings and giving up a pinch-hit homer to Jose Ozuna. Other than that, it went OK–a few too many hits, but he struck out two in his two innings of work and didn't walk any. We've seen much worse from folks getting their first taste of the bigs. Or their seventh.
Sunday (6-3 loss)
Hero: Jedd Gyorko. Two hits, including a two-run homer which was most of the scoring.
Goat: Mike Leake. What to do with Mike Leake. Since somehow putting up seven scoreless innings against the Rockies, Leake has had five starts and has an ERA of 9.26 over those outings. He's averaging 4.2 innings per start over that span, which either means he's hurt or just supremely ineffective, something Tara and I discussed last night on Gateway. You almost hope that he is hurt, because at least there is some clarity there. You can put him on the disabled list and see who you want to use to fill the void, whether it's a Jack Flaherty if you want to go for it or a John Gant if you just want to fill the innings. There's a path that makes sense.
If he's not hurt, though, what do you do? As much as folks would probably love to cut him, that's not happening. There's three more years of this deal, one that could be very ugly by the end of it if things don't improve. (Ben from Talking About Birds is saying, "I TOLD YOU SO!" right about now.) You can't really slide him into the bullpen, though perhaps that's not completely crazy. Actually, never mind–he's giving up a .302/.331/.491 line in his first 15 pitches, so that doesn't seem to indicate that it is repeated exposure that's the problem. Although that way he could avoid cleanup hitters, maybe. Guys hitting in the fourth spot have a 1.168 OPS against the Cardinal starter, which is just being blasted.
If you keep throwing Leake out there every fifth day, though, you are basically either challenging your offense or conceding every fifth game. Which you can do when you are 10 games out or, like the Giants, already officially eliminated. If you are going to even pretend to be in a race, though, you just can't afford to do that. This coming week could be really interesting for the rotation as a whole.
Notes: While the Little League game was fun and it was great to see how the players interacted with the kids, there is an argument for not throwing a gimmick into a playoff race. I don't think playing the game at the different stadium was really all that big of a deal, but there didn't seem to be any reason to add a 26th man to the roster for this one. Stephen Piscotty was the Cardinals' selection, even though it was apparently down to him and Magneuris Sierra, and he of course started off by batting second. He also got two hits, which is probably going to see him activated very soon, if not by Tuesday. Tara threw out the conjecture that you'd see Luke Voit return to Memphis and, as much as that'd crowd up the outfield carousel, I think that makes a world of sense. Letting Voit get back to some regular at bats and for him to enjoy the playoffs with the team that he helped get there lines up so well with what the Cardinals do that I'd now be hugely surprised if that wasn't the move.
Yadier Molina continues his hitting ways, belting out three hits and scoring two of the three runs. There are many reasons that Kelly isn't playing much, but the fact that Yadi keeps hitting keeps the uproar to a minimum. Kolten Wong was 1-4 but drove in the only non-Gyorko related run and is now hitting .309 on the season. We always felt if you left Wong alone, you'd see him produce and he's quietly done that at the bottom of the order. There are a lot of issues for this team, but right now second base surely doesn't seem like one of them.
With the loss, the Cardinals fall back to 3.5 games out, though they are just four games out now in the wild card. It just feels like no matter what they do, they really can't get over that hump. As we pointed out on the show last night, when John Mozeliak had the big shakeup press conference, the Cardinals were 4.5 behind the Brewers. Now, two months plus later, they are 3.5 behind the Cubs. As the saying goes, if you aren't the lead dog, the view never changes. The winning streak was nice, but they haven't seemed to build on that, to take that push up the standings and hold that ground. Instead, they've pretty much given it right back. With the bullpen and rotation issues we've seen this week, it's harder to see how they can climb that hill again.
Lance Lynn goes against Clayton Richard on Tuesday as the Padres come into town. The Padres are 14 games under .500 and shouldn't be a threat, so the Cards have no excuse not to win this series (and a sweep would be really nice as well). The Cubs will be playing the Reds, so any slip against San Diego likely will cost ground in the race, though the Reds did beat the Cubs last week. Some key series are coming up and it'd be really nice to see some solid Cardinal baseball during this stretch!


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My Guide To Creating A Beautiful Couple's BedroomSunday, November 15, 2015
When you have a live-in partner, often it can be hard to create a bedroom that you both love. While he might crave a masculine monochrome look, you most probably prefer decor that's a little more girly.
When your decor ideas clash, it can sometimes be hard to know what route to go down when it comes to designing the perfect bedroom. Should one of you cave and give the other free reign or should you compromise and create a space that you both love?
Of course, when the two of you have different tastes, you might not think that it's possible to create a room that you both love. It might take a lot of smart thinking, but even if you have different tastes, you can still design a beautiful bedroom.
Get inspiration
Sit down together and take a look at some couple-friendly bedroom designs online. Use sites like Pinterest.com for this - here, you should find some fabulous ideas. Any ideas that appeal to both of you save onto a mood board so that you can refer to them later.
As well as looking for design inspiration, it's also a good idea to look at color scheme options. He might hate the idea of pastel pink walls, but he may be happy to incorporate mint or powder blue, instead. Be direct, ask him which colors he hates, and which ones he would compromise on. Once you know what he likes, you then need to share your likes and dislikes.
Go neutral
For the walls, opt for a color that is neutral - cream, beige, powder blue, mint green or gray are all ideal. If you opt for a color that's more feminine or masculine, this could cause tension. Go neutral to avoid any arguments.
If you are a wallpaper couple, make sure to think about the pattern that you choose carefully. Steer clear of floral patterns, including hearts or butterflies, or anything too girly. Instead, look for designs that are gender neutral.
Make your bed the focal point
In any bedroom, the focal point should always be the bed. After all, it is the central feature of the room. Regardless of whether you love big, beautiful girly beds, opt for a design that's suitable for you and your partner. Look for a bed frame that's simple but classic - a design that is neither too masculine or too feminine.
As well as choosing the perfect bed frame, think about the mattress that you get. If you both prefer different mattress types, opt for a design that is adjustable. As well as traditional mattresses that adjust, you can also get some fantastic adjustable air beds. These can be just as comfortable and as they have different air chambers, and so, are easier to adjust. To find out more about investing in an air bed instead of a traditional mattress, check out the air beds at izonebed.com. Whatever mattress you choose, just make sure that it's suitable for both you and your partner.
Add luxury
Your bedroom should be yours and your partner's retreat from the outside world. It should be the place that you look forward to coming home to at the end of a long day. There's no better way to create a beautiful bedroom than by making it wonderfully luxurious.
Add stylish pieces of wall art - decide on the designs together. Invest in a chic faux fur rug for the floor - there's nothing more luxurious than a fur rug. Swap your short curtains for floor length ones - there's something about long curtains that add a wonderful sense of luxury.
It can sometimes be tricky to get your couple's bedroom just right, but by taking note of these tips, you can make it a little easier.


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by Rev. Edward Pinkney
While the United States celebrates over 200 years of the obliteration of the slave trade, the city of Benton Harbor, Michigan in Berrien County is trapped in a time warp of monumental proportions. Living in Berrien County feels like it must have felt in America before Brown vs. The Board Of Education.
All world citizens should know how corrupt the Berrien county legal system is. It is a danger to every traveler, visitor, and guest worker from out of state, and to every individual who takes the risky steps of entering Berrien county. Just ask the Hispanic families of prisoners, who are not informed that family members are arrested. Many are serving long prison terms in Michigan after they were jailed on flimsy, tainted evidence from
Berrien county law enforcement.
The reality is that Berrien county which proclaims itself the land of freedom has the most dishonest, dangerous, and corrupt legal system (or equal to the worst) within any developed nation. Legal corruption covers Berrien county like a blanket. It is well-known, but well-hidden by the news media. The corporate media owners are afraid both of the reprisal and social revolution that would come from exposing the truth.
An April 24, 2007 Detroit Free Press OpEd states that in Berrien County, most or all defendants are sent to prison. The prison industry is growing all across America, and Berrien County is leading the charge. The USA, land of the free, has twenty-five percent of all prisoners in the entire world, and the largest prison gulag.
Many are innocent and being arrested. The police, prosecutors, and judges in America have no concern at all whether they have arrested someone who is innocent. They just do not care. When a crime is committed, they arrest almost anyone just to say they've caught the bad guy. Police, prosecutors, and judges do not like to admit they made a mistake. Once they arrest you, the police, prosecutors, and judges will try to make up and plant evidence to help convict you. A common trick is to take criminals they know who are facing jail on other charges and have those criminals to be false witnesses in court.
The police, if they do arrest you in America, they like to pile on the charges. The ideal is to charge you with as many crimes as possible, to make you look as bad as possible.
The only people who can really expect fairness in American courts are the rich and the corporations. Nobody else really matters to American judges and prosecutors.
There is a huge amount of bribery in America, perhaps even more than in the courts of any other country. Nearly all bribes are given to judges by lawyers. This is considered the safe way to bribe a judge. Bribery is rarely spoken about - just understood.
No one should be fooled by this country's propaganda - about being the land of freedom. The system is broken. It is the Have`s against the Have-Nots, Rich against the Poor, and Corporations against you and I. They are attacking all of us for the same reasons: political oppression, economic exploitation, and social degradation. All from the same enemy. We must say enough is enough.


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ExxonMobil in Deep Water, Legally Speaking
The Securities and Exchange Commission is currently investigating ExxonMobil(NYSE: XOM) on two charges. First, on hiding evidence of climate change -- evidence that would have changed both shareholder value and industry outlook. Second, on possibly incorrectly reporting written-down values of their oil.
In this week's episode of Industry Focus: Energy, Taylor Muckerman and Sean O'Reilly explain the context around the charges, what Exxon has to say in their defense, and how the findings might affect the company and shareholders.
Also, the hosts take a look at what will probably come of the OPEC meeting next week, why Smart Sand has chosen to IPO during a downturn in the energy industry, and why BP is on their radar this week.
A full transcript follows the video.
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This podcast was recorded on Sept. 22, 2016.
Sean O'Reilly: Welcome to Industry Focus, the podcast that dives into a different sector of the stock market every day. Today isThursday, September 22nd, 2016, sowe're talking about energy, materials, and industrials. I'm joined in studio by The Motley Fool's very own Taylor Muckerman. I am Sean O'Reilly. Taylor, happy autumnal equinox!
Taylor Muckerman: Is that what it is today?
O'Reilly: Yeah.
Muckerman: What does that mean?
O'Reilly: It means that the days are starting to get shorter.
Muckerman: But that's been happening, right? It's just the first official day that it's shorter.
O'Reilly: Yeah, how does that work? Hold on...
Muckerman: We don't have time to get into it.O'Reilly: No, we're not going to do that. Butwhat we do need to talk aboutisExxonMobil.Muckerman: Yeah,making our lives shorter by denying climate change.O'Reilly: Notonly that,but accounting shenanigans, too. What are these guys doing?Muckerman: Supposedly.O'Reilly: Supposedly, yeah. What's going on?Muckerman: I guess the SEC had acurrent investigation trying to decidewhether or not Exxon has defrauded shareholders bydenying impact of climate changeon their business. This week, the SEC andthe attorney general for New York City are now adding to thatwhether or not they've properly written-down assetsduring the latest downturn. And,I guess not properly written down assets,but whether they should have written down anything,because the industry, since 2014,has basically written off around $200 billion worth of assets.O'Reilly: Everybody'sreserves have fallen by half,because reserves are based upon -- for our listeners, we've done an episode on PV10, that's the present value of reserves. Everybody's beenwriting down this stuff by halfbecause inputin that calculation is the price of oil.Muckerman: Yeah. Exxon?O'Reilly: It's very odd. Youactually go to their balance sheet,and their assets haven't really changed in the last five years.(laughs)Muckerman: Even before that, this has just been a theme of the business. In the '90s, I think,there was a class action lawsuit from Mobilshareholders when Exxon was trying to take on Mobil. Obviously, they did,because they're nowExxonMobil. But they didn't write downtheasset value when oil prices slid, then, either. So, Mobile shareholdersfelt like Exxonshares were overvalued, so they weren't really getting...O'Reilly: How did that conclude? It was merged, obviously, but... ?Muckerman: I'm assuming the ExxonMobil law team is pretty good at their job, because...O'Reilly: Do you think they have good lawyers? Do you?(laughs)Muckerman: ... it reached the statute of limitations with no decision. So, it just expired.O'Reilly: Wow! OK.Muckerman: Now, though,if you look at Exxon and think, "Oh, $200 billion in writedowns, maybe it's the smaller players," no. If you combineShell,Chevron,BP(NYSE: BP), andTotal, they've written off $50 billion worth of assets since the downturn started in November of 2014.O'Reilly: And you have Exxon here, December 31st, 2014, total assets $349.5 billion. 2015, $336 billion. What, $12 billion? What's going on here?Muckerman: Basically,when you look at an oil company,the reserves are what you're investing in. If they have to write down the value of the reserves,the company is far less valuable to shareholders. But they have said,in response to this, that they're generallypretty conservativewhen booking reserves values. So,they're saying maybe there's not much to write down, because they booked it moreconservatively than their competitors. And then, they say theseshort-term fluctuations in price don't impactthe long-term value of the reserves. Which is probably true, to some degree. Butthe entire industry is writing down their reserves. They could obviously bring the asset value backonce the price rises. But they're just not willing to take this temporary hit.O'Reilly: That'swhat I really wanted to talk to you about. When I saw this, I was like, "Haha, that's funny," because one, I had seen the balance sheet, and it hasn't changed, so there's that. Buton the other hand,Exxon is known for having theseenormous longtail projects. Is there an argument to be made thereon their behalf that, bottom line, these hugelongtail projects,offshore, they're going to take years to develop, they're going to get oil out of them for 20-30 years, the cost of oil,to get that out of the ground, will eventually be super low, so they don't think they need to write this down?Muckerman: Yeah,that's probably pretty fair. They're a fairly low-costproducer, because they have a lot of conventional resources,like you mentioned,projects that are supposedly going to last decades. I could see some validity there,but when you look at peers writing down $50 billion between four of them, and Exxon doing nothing... I'd scratch my head a little bit. Whether or not anything happens, if it's going to impact shareholders negatively, I don't think so,just because of the strength of their balance sheet. They have one of the strongest credit ratingsof any company in the world. So I wouldn't be too nervous,if I was a shareholder of Exxon. Butit's just another feather in their capof shady business.O'Reilly: Fun stuff, yeah. Andregarding the climate change investigation and all that... that,however you want to frame it,it's been going on for decades, then.Muckerman: Well,not the investigation...O'Reilly: No, yeah,the fact they're denying it,or however you want to say it.Muckerman: They've known about it,because they found documents a while agofrom the seventies and eightiesfrom some of their head scientists and head engineersthat support the fact that climate changeis happening. But they swept those under the rug.O'Reilly: Thisreminded me of the tobacco industry.(laughs)Muckerman: It'simpactful on their business,so that's what that original investigation is for --not necessarily financially,but whether or not they're beingupfront with their shareholders. Exxon, traditionally,produces outlooksfor the industry that go out 20, 30 years.O'Reilly: For oil consumption.Muckerman: For oil consumption, foroil production, everything in the energy sector. Natural gas, as well. So when you have this company going out andprojecting the next 20 to 30 years of the energyindustry on a consistent basis,and they're not acknowledging climate change,that could lead people astray.O'Reilly: Wow. So,you're not worried about XOM?Muckerman: Notbecause of this, no. If they have to write it down, sure,that's a temporary hit. But again, if oil prices rise,they can adjust the value of those assets again. Andif there's a fine, I would imagine it would be in the millions, maybe tens or hundreds of millions, but even still, you'retalking about the largest energy companyin North America.O'Reilly: Right. So,moving on,the energy sector is getting an IPO! What's going on?Muckerman: Yeah! It's not abankruptcy, it's a birth!O'Reilly: This is amazing to me.Muckerman: We'readding to the crop rather than subtracting.O'Reilly: Yeah. The company is calledTudor, Pickering & Holt...Muckerman: No.O'Reilly: Oh,Smart Sand, I'm sorry. Tudor, Pickering, & Holt is the investment firm doing the offering.Muckerman: Yes, that's right.O'Reilly: So, Woodlands-based company thatproduces sand for hydraulicfracturing plans to go public. You sent this over kind of like an "LOL" kind of thing, but then we were like, "Wow, this is actually a big deal! What does this mean?"Muckerman: The LOL wasjust the fact thatan energy company is going public right now. Not so much this particular business.O'Reilly: Yeah. We talked about that company that IPO'd a year and a half ago, the Permian player. It is what it is. Why are these guys going public right now?Muckerman: I mean,when you look at what's happening in the U.S. with shale production, natural gas, and oil, sand has been a major driver of the ability to extract these tight oil and natural gas reserves, because after you inject the water and fracture these wells, the sand has been used as a proppant to keep those fissures open, enough for oil and natural gas to flow through. And you've seen the level of sand used in these wells rise dramatically. O'Reilly: As I understand, sand has been a really big component in the last couple years,as these companies became more and more efficient.Muckerman: Yeah,you're looking at millions of tons of sand used on an annual basis,millions of pounds used per well. EOGsaid they're using 700% more sand per well than they were in 2010.O'Reilly: (laughs)Muckerman: 700%. And that's the largestindependent U.S. producer. That'smoving the needle. This isn't some tiny little regional mom and pop shop. This is the largest U.S. independent oil and gas producer, 700% in six years.O'Reilly: That's crazy.Muckerman: Yeah. And youlook at companies that are averaging around 8-11 million pounds per horizontal well, across the board.O'Reilly: So, "Smart Sand operates,"I'm just reading from the article you sent me, "two whitesand processing sites inWisconsin with a combined 344 million tons ofproven recoverable" --there's that word again.Muckerman: Yeah, proven, just like oil,that's the best kind of reserve, proven. Then you haveprobable, and then you have possible.O'Reilly: Right. 344 million tons of recoverable sand reserves!Muckerman: Yeah. That might be a couple years' worth. Maybe the year, for the entire industry.O'Reilly: So,these guys are not large.Muckerman: No, they're not. They havecompetitors that are somewhat larger. But when talking about their sites being inWisconsin, some of the focus on other playershas been to find more regional sand, so,Texas, Arkansas, places that are going to be cheaper to transport it to these major basins. Wisconsin, obviously closer than Texas to North Dakota.O'Reilly: Are they putting all this sand on the back of trains and sending it to Texas?Muckerman:Yeah, they are. They'reloading up these trains. That's exactly what they're doing,sending this sand southfrom Wisconsin.O'Reilly: "Look, Mommy! That train has a bunch of sand!"Muckerman: You have a couple other players:U.S. Silica, Hi-Crush Partners, those might be two of the biggest in the industry. And then,CARBO Ceramicsis a proppantproducer, but theymake their own silica proppants,so they're not necessarily a sand miner. Butthey were the industry darling during the peak of this fracking,because you couldcreate custom pellets,basically, to optimize the well. But when you look at pure sand plays, you're looking at U.S. Silica, Hi-Crush Partners, and possibly Smart Sand, as they IPO fairly soon.O'Reilly: Have youconsidered these names possible ways to playthe oil industry without being an actual producer? Because it sounds like they need the sand.Muckerman: Yeah. They do. And they're talking about...Credit Suissehad a report on this saying that they expect demand to go up 50% in 2017 for frack sand. And then, even with the depressed rig count, they're going to need that much or more than they were needing in 2014, which was the peak of fracking and rig count. So, yeah, you're looking at more sand per well. The fact that wellsaren't being drilled at the same alarming rate,sand is still needed. U.S. Silica's stock has more than doubled this year.O'Reilly: Wow.Muckerman: Impressive. A very leveraged play,because they're selling sand strictly to frackers.O'Reilly: Those guys go under, game over.Muckerman: Yeah. Fracking cuts back again, then these guys are hosed, again.O'Reilly: Buton the other hand, more sand is being used per well,so that something, too. So, TheMotley Fool is more about long-term investing,fundamentals, looking for a good company. We don't really pay attention to macro stuff. ButI think we have to talk about OPEC a little bit here.Muckerman: OK.O'Reilly: I know you don't want to, sorry.Muckerman: It's OK.O'Reilly: They kind of set off this whole oil downturn in 2014.Muckerman: They did, like,the day before Thanksgiving.O'Reilly: "Happy Thanksgiving, jerks."Muckerman: Maybe on Thanksgiving. I'd just gotten done hiking in Texas with zero cell reception. I turn on my phone, I'm in the car with the buddies I went hiking with, andI look at the market, and I'm like, "Oh my dear god, oil is down 40%. What is going on?"O'Reilly: Andthat was basically them being like, "No, we're not going to support oil prices, sorry."Muckerman: Yeah,it was basically a race to the top in terms of who canproduce the most, rather than who can save prices.O'Reilly: Right,and then that set off Saudi Arabia being like, "We want to go for market share now... " They meet, what,once or twice a year?Muckerman: A couple times. Some of the smaller countries ask for random meetings to try and stem the outflow of...O'Reilly: Money, just say it.Muckerman: Yeah, money, to the industry. But,this is a scheduled meeting next weekin Algeria.O'Reilly: Got it. So,that's beenscheduled. We obviously don't knowwhat will happen, but there's hopes that they'regoing to put at least a production cap or something.Muckerman: Yeah,but then again, that's clever phrasing,and they leave a lot of the facts out,especially the facts that they're producing record highs.O'Reilly: They're all producing at record highs, yeah.Muckerman: Yeah. So,Russia is not part of OPEC,but they want to at least be part of that production cap. They just produced in Septembera post Soviet-era highper month.Libya is trying todouble their production by the end of the year. Nigeria has production...O'Reilly: Iran is already in the 3.5 million range, I think.Muckerman: Iran is there.Venezuela is looking to dump $3.5billion into their Orinoco project.Schlumbergerjust signed on to help them drill 80 wells. Even though Schlumberger has been letting people go in the country and removing itself fromVenezuela, they just, I think this was either today or yesterday, they signed to be the driller of 80 wells. And then there's maybe 400 other wells they're trying to drill. But, those are usuallyprivate drillers that are doing that. But the reports say they'regoing to useHalliburton andBaker Hughes' equipment.O'Reilly: Good stuff.Muckerman: All three companies are going to be involved in some way, but Schlumberger will actually be an operator. So, those are four countries right there that are trying to ramp up production. And we expect a production cap.O'Reilly: That's the thing with cartels, you have an incentive to cheat, too. So, really quickbefore we head out, I wanted to talk about,you're an analyst for one of our services,doing very well up there in Canada,I wanted to pick your brain a little bitabout a stock that is interesting right now.Muckerman: Yeah,I think this is something that we'll continue, right? Maybeat the end of every show, we'll highlight one stock?O'Reilly: We'll see how it goes, yeah. If people hate it, we'll stop.Muckerman: Yeah. So, this being the first time, maybe the last time, I'm going to go with an integrated, and I think BP right now stands out to me above the fray.O'Reilly: Now, if Tyler Crowe were here, he would be all about Total.Muckerman: Yeah, he's definitely a Total boy.O'Reilly: Why should I go with the British and not the French?Muckerman: I think with BP,it's more of a traditional energy play. Totalis more and more getting into renewable energy.O'Reilly: They own half ofSunPower.Muckerman: Exactly.BP is generating some pretty solid cash flow, good yield. They've taken on debt since the Macondo spill, but they've done ita little bit more prudently thansome of their larger peers.I just think that management has pulled some of the right levers. Revenue and income is down in the last couple of years, as it is with everyone now. The cash flow is still there, and it has a great free cash flow yield, which is something you value when you'relooking at the sustainability of the dividend.O'Reilly: Are you doing this as acontrarian playto that movie Deepwater Horizon that's coming out?Muckerman: Yeah, maybe,because ticket sales suck,maybe the price of BP will go upbecause people don't remember what happened. The more people that get exposed to it,the worst the share price will be. They're going to drum up the bias again and, no, I don't think it'll have any impact on shares.O'Reilly: Great time to be a value investor!(laughs)Muckerman: Yeah,I don't think it'll have any impact on shares. It's five years behind us. I think all their legal liabilities are handled.O'Reilly: Kind of, sort of?Muckerman: Yeah. The bulk of them. The worrisome portions.O'Reilly: Got it. So, they're donehanding out sacks of money to people that ask for it.Muckerman: Yeah. I'm not an investor in it, nor am I with any integrated, but it's something I've been looking at lately.O'Reilly: Cool. Thanks for your thoughts.Muckerman: Appreciate it, yeah.O'Reilly: That is it for us, folks. We'd like to give a special shoutout, as always, to our producer, Austin Morgan. Hi, Austin!Muckerman: Woop woop!O'Reilly: He's behind the glass, working his video and audio magic. If you're aloyal listener and have questions or comments,we would love to hear from you. Just email us at email@example.com. Onceagain, that's email@example.com always, people on this program may have interests in the stocks they talk about, and The Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against those stocks, so don't buy or sell anything based solely on what you hearon this program. For Taylor Muckerman,I am Sean O'Reilly.Thanks for listening and Fool on!
Sean O'Reilly has no position in any stocks mentioned. Taylor Muckerman owns shares of Halliburton. The Motley Fool owns shares of EOG Resources, ExxonMobil, and Halliburton. The Motley Fool recommends Chevron and Total. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Hundertwasser Hundertwasser
"I want to show how basically simple it is to have paradise on earth." So said the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000). Today, with his ideas on green architecture, ecology and 'urban gardening', he is more topical than ever. Hundertwasser's heart beat fondly for the liberation of nature and mankind. He was a painter, eco-activist and architect who with his pictures, manifestos and fairytale buildings wanted to make the world a better place. His spectrum includes mixed brightly coloured spirals, golden cupolas and wild-growing trees with things as down-to-earth as humus toilets, nettle soup and home-sewn clothes. In his time he was controversial. Hundertwasser's paintings and his buildings both look like living organisms. They grow before our eyes. He scorned geometrically straight lines and sad, monotonous housing. With paintings, prints, design, architectural models, films, photos and quotations the exhibition guides us into the artist's enchanting universe.


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A friend of mine wants to transfer his trailer to me so he will not have to list it as an asset in an insurance case. He still wants to use it, what type of backlash could happen worst case scenario.
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Ask a Professional Truck Driver..


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SQL Server 2014, Part 2 of 9: Installing
with expert Don Kiely
So your company has decided to purchase or upgrade to SQL Server 2014, so now what? This course will cover how to prepare for a SQL Server 2014 installation. It will help you to understand what is involved in upgrading an earlier version of SQL Server to SQL Server 2014. See how to install a default instance of SQL Server 2014 and find out how to configure the server after the installation.
Intermediate | 1h 43m | April 30, 2015
SQL BISQL AdministratorBusiness IntelligenceDatabaseSQL DeveloperSQL ServerTSQLCourse Outline
Don Kiely
Don Kiely is a featured instructor on many of our SQL Server and Visual Studio courses. He is a nationally recognized author, instructor, and consultant specializing in Microsoft technologies. Don has many years of teaching experience, is the author or co-author of several programming books, and has spoken at many industry conferences and user groups. In addition, Don is a consultant for a variety of companies that develop distributed applications for public and private organizations.


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About Andy
In 1997, following his retirement from professional cycling, Andy Hampsten knew there was nothing he'd rather do than share his passion for the best riding, food and wine he discovered while racing in Italy. He founded Cinghiale Cycling Tours hoping to lure fun-loving cyclists and food enthusiasts from around the world to have a taste of the Italian experience. With over two decades of living, cycling, and sharing meals in a quiet corner of Tuscany, Cinghiale Cycling Tours has a following of loyal addicts who can't get enough of Italy, and who appreciate the intimate experience of the country offered by Andy and his crew. As a company we've explored some of the most exceptional and unknown areas of Italy, looking for unique and authentic experiences to share with our guests. As a family, Andy and his wife Elaine, are rooted in the local life, spending part of the year in Tuscany.
Rouler: My stomach is Italian. Bicycling: Catching Up with Andy Hampsten
Bike Radar: Andy Hampsten's Strada Bianca
Bike Rumor: Nahbs 2013: Andy Hampsten...
CycleEXIF: Hampsten Cycles 7-Eleven Tribute
Cycling Inquisition 2011: Racing in Columbia with Columbians
Cycling News 2008: 91st Giro D'Italia
Elephant Journal: The Hampsten
Elevation Outdoors: Big Trip: Italy
Elevation Outdoors 2011: Andy Hampsten
Fat Cyclist Blog: Fatty's tour with Cinghiale
NY Times 1988: US Cyclist Captures Tour of Italy
NY Times 1989: Cycling for a Cleaner Image
NY Times 1992: CYCLING; Hampsten Climbs Up, but LeMond Goes Down
NY Times 2007: The Bicycling Paradox: Fit Doesn't Have to Mean Thin
NY Times 2010: Slimmer Doesn't Always Mean Fitter
NY Times 2012: Putting a Spin on Touring
NY Velocity 2009: Andy Hampsten Interview
Outside: 52 Ways to Wander Better
Park Tool: A Visit with Andy Hampsten
Rapha: Andy Hampsten Feature
Bicycling Hall of Fame: Andy Hampsten


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Manly Experience
Mustache Happiness
Mommys Broken Christmas
Christmas 2013
Christmas Eve
Getting Ready For Christmas
So Silly I have to share
Curtis Eating… Its that Great!
Another Zoo Trip
Yes there are many places to visit and lots of things to do in the great state of Utah but the zoo is one thing we do at least once a year. This year my girlfriend told me about a free day! How did I not know about such a terrific thing?? Lesson learned. Anyway we went as a big group and it was so much fun! Isnt everything better with friends? Hehe lots of questions in this post.
A new thing they have are the sea lions. Those guys are so much fun to watch. They have little seats there as well so the kids can take a break and watch these amazing creatures swim back and forth. This was Curtis's first trip to the zoo. As always he was perfectly happy the whole time. Sitting in the stroller with a huge grin on his face. It was a little chilly since it was November but still lots of things to see.