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Regular price: $13.99
When Caleb Devereaux's younger sister is kidnapped, the scion of a powerful and wealthy family turns to an unlikely source for help: a beautiful and sensitive woman with a gift for finding answers others cannot....
After being left at the altar, Jade Roberts seeks solace at her best friend's ranch on the Colorado western slope. Her humiliation still ripe, she doesn't expect to be attracted to her friend's reticent brother....
Joseph Ingram made the mistake of stealing from me - four million dollars. Now I'll take something from him - something irreplaceable. His sister. Collateral....
I owe him a debt. A big one. The payment can't be settled with money or favors. He only wants one thing. Me....
It's been a year since ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly saw his wife Rachel alive. Now he's received an anonymous phone call claiming Rachel is alive....
New Orleans belongs to me. You don't know my name, but I control everything you see - and all the things you don't....
When Caleb Devereaux's younger sister is kidnapped, the scion of a powerful and wealthy family turns to an unlikely source for help: a beautiful and sensitive woman with a gift for finding answers others cannot....
After being left at the altar, Jade Roberts seeks solace at her best friend's ranch on the Colorado western slope. Her humiliation still ripe, she doesn't expect to be attracted to her friend's reticent brother....
Joseph Ingram made the mistake of stealing from me - four million dollars. Now I'll take something from him - something irreplaceable. His sister. Collateral....
I owe him a debt. A big one. The payment can't be settled with money or favors. He only wants one thing. Me....
It's been a year since ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly saw his wife Rachel alive. Now he's received an anonymous phone call claiming Rachel is alive....
New Orleans belongs to me. You don't know my name, but I control everything you see - and all the things you don't....
When Gabe Hamilton saw Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel's grand opening, he knew he was going to hell for what he had planned. After all, Mia is his best friend's little sister. Except she's not so little anymore. And Gabe has waited a long time to act on his desires.
Gabe has starred in Mia's fantasies more than once, ever since she was a teenager with a huge crush on her brother's best friend. So what if Gabe's 14 years older? Mia knows he's way out of her league, but her attraction has only grown stronger with time. She's an adult now, and there's no reason not to act on her most secret desires. As Gabe pulls her into his provocative world, she realizes there's a lot she doesn't know about him or how exacting his demands can be. Their relationship is intense and obsessive, but as they cross the line from secret sexual odyssey to something deeper, their affair runs the risk of being exposed - and is vulnerable to a betrayal far more intimate than either expected.
I generally enjoy Maya Banks' work, but this one left me a little cold. I didn't like Gabe very much as a character and, while I thought I'd grow to appreciate him more as the story progressed, I didn't. I didn't mind Adam Paul's narration - he does speak rapidly but to be honest, that was a plus in a book I just wanted to get out of the way.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
What disappointed you about Rush?
Really liked 50 shades trilogy, the crossfire series, and the Stark trilogy. I was looking for something similar but this was awful. He just seemed mean and I have no intentions reading about sharing I mean seriously, if you love someone you don't farm them out to others. Will go no further in this series!!
What was most disappointing about Maya Banks's story?
Main male character too mean. Shared the girl with other men. Even though he regretted it, I was not interested. And then later, he was such a wimp. Did not stay in character
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Adam Paul?
Needed a female. He was monotone and you could tell he didn't get it. Made a bad story worse.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
All the above except sadness. Was pretty disgusted and sorry I wasted a credit
Any additional comments?
No more for me. Will cross this author off my list
26 of 27 people found this review helpful
Where does Rush rank among all the audiobooks you've listened to so far?
I am unable to rank it due to the narrator; The story had was ok, it could have been very good with a better narrator. I would recommend reading it instead of linstening with this narrator
Would you be willing to try another one of Adam Paul's performances?
No the narration ruined the story.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
As soon as I finished this book I had an overwhelming feeling of anger and disappointment. I felt like I was forced to witness something I didn't want to imagine. So much comparison with the FSoG trilogy and it's nothing like it!!! What was erotic and sexy in FSoG was made dirty and degrading on this story. And I just don't get it because Maya Banks is an amazing writer!!
Very unlikeable characters. Gabe was a selfish jerk. A supreme A-hole and I did not believe his "change" at the very end of the story. Mia is supposed to be an experienced college graduate, a 24 year old rich New Yorker so it's just impossible to believe that she is a spineless girl willing to be used as a cheap sex object. This book felt like cheap smut written for men. It's all about the man's pleasure. And taking his pleasure by humiliating a woman. He would scream and curse at Mia and then use her for his pleasure because he could not "control" himself. And then comes Paris. It actually made me nervous and I had to pause the story and say please let this not be what I think it's going to happen. And then I press play and it was just as bad as I thought. Just disgusting! And to be so easily resolved??
I think that what pissed me off so much was that I was expecting something remotely similar to FSoG. I loved the trilogy and have listened to it several times. I also loved Bared to You and Reflected in you so I enjoy a story with lots of kinky "lovery". But in those stories the men, although damaged, adored their women and it was all about their pleasure and never in a gazillion years would sharing their partner would occur to them. Eww!!!
And after enduring this too crude story the end was beautiful but it didn't explain what would happen with them in terms of the degrading crap Gabe puts Mia through... I'm just mad! If you like sexy stories backed by romance and love you will most definitely NOT like this. Rush is more geared towards men and women looking for audio porn.
Narration: this terrible story is narrated by a terrible narrator. Adam Paul was very monotone, many times read too fast and you get the added bonus of hearing the pages turn. The cheap "love scenes" we're read like an instruction manual. An all around bad experience :(
72 of 79 people found this review helpful
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Different narrator, more likable characters, more complete back story.
What was most disappointing about Maya Banks's story?
The main characters are not likable at all. Gabe comes off as a cold hearted, over controlling Dom. I lost respect for Mia that she would enter into a relationship with Gabe because I could not find anything redeeming about him. This is basically a bad knock off of 50 Shades of Grey.
What didn't you like about Adam Paul's performance?
The narrator is awful, his female voices sound mocking, and his delivery is monotone.
You didn't love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Any additional comments?
I don't think after listening to this book, I will purchase the other 2.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
Would you ever listen to anything by Maya Banks again?
Yes, I am a fan of her work. However, this story was not at all what I expected.
What didn't you like about Adam Paul's performance?
All of his character voices sounded the same.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Rush?
The debasement scene in Paris. It was just awful. It was reminiscent of porn. O_o
Any additional comments?
I thought this book would be similar to FSOG. It was not. The characters were one dimensional and not very likable. The only character I liked a little was Mia and she was just a doormat. I felt like part of the story was unrealistically resolved. After this story, I am not sure if I will listen to the other 2 books in the series.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
It's all pretty much been said before - but this is the second MB download that has disappointed me.
This one could have been a tender hot love story but instead it seemed to be very degrading to Mia (beautiful but a doormat) who felt the only way to get her longtime childhood crush (on her brother's best friend and now business partner) and all the fantasies that went with him, out of her system was to sell herself to him and so BDSM enthusiast Gabe, who just came across as a rich, domineering and spoilt jerk, gets his evil contract signed. Unfortunately, for him (and us listeners) things eventually take a turn for the worst when he invites associates to share his toy.
To engage in stories you have to sympathise, empathise, understand and like the characters and their lives but this fell on the seedy side until Gabe finally sees the light and the romance kicked off at the end.
Worth a credit? This fell in my $10 rule so I bought it however in July/August I will download book 2 Fever which is Jace's story in the hope the saying 'things can only get better' will apply.
19 of 21 people found this review helpful
Story a FSOG knock off, but not near as descriptive. The narrator totally ruined the whole story.
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
This story was like a modern romance on crack! There were too many major points to contribute to the story line but not enough build up. I felt like the story was like BAM point 1 then BAM point 2 then etc. The story was rushed! I guess modern romances now are trying to meet/ exceed the "50 shades" standards, but it took 3 books to tell that story. I don't want to read a book and think I'm getting the "cliff notes" version.
Also, the narrator was not that enjoyable to listen to. I think he gave a one note performance and even he rushed some of the dialogue. If a man narrates a romance, then he should narrate it in more of a sultry tone.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
I enjoyed the story- it was just as hot and smutty as I wanted in a modern romance novel. I just wish I would of listened to the sample before I used my credit on this book. I would of enjoyed it much more had I been able to read it on my kindle vs listening to Adam Paul's performance. I normally enjoy male voices for romance novels but not when the story is written from a woman's point of view.
Would you be willing to try another one of Adam Paul's performances?
I would avoid all books performed by Adam Paul in the future. His voice is so monotone that I found my attention wandering. I had to frequently rewind to catch an important part of the story. In a romance novel I want to be wrapped up in the action, not "wait, what's going on? He put what where?" Unfortunately I was tuned out more than I was tuned in.
19 of 22 people found this review helpful
I really like the "sweet" series and since then i hope that maya creates another sizzling hit. Therefore expecting more i was disappointed. The story was predictable and a little flat. The sexy parts were ok. But all in all surprisingly boring Its always difficult when the hero has no humour at all. i couldn`t connect with gabe s character at all. Good looks is not enough.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Characters are quite flat and although it wasn't an unpleasant experience, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
What was most disappointing about Maya Banks's story?
Story is very predictable and no real surprises.
What three words best describe Adam Paul's voice?
Took me a while to get used to having a male voice ina story I felt was more suited to a femine one, but he did grow on me...
If this book were a film would you go see it?
Out of curiosity yes, but I can't see it becoming a big success...
Any additional comments?
If you've read 50 Shades, you'll be disappointed.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I loved this book the character's came to life
and in some places I cried and others I laughed.
I Am now listening to book 2in this aerie.
Gabe and Mia - she's his best friend's little sister and as such, is completely off limits. She's had a crush on him forever and when he decides she's ready for defilement, she jumps at the chance to be with him. He offers a mild version of dom/sub and some fairly well written sex ensues.
They have to keep their relationship quiet because her brother will go postal when he finds out. Unfortunately, he walks in on them in the middle of...um... well, you know, and all hell breaks loose.
It's not as good as Sylvia Day or Jodi Ellen Malpas. Even Twilight is of a better quality. Having said that, it is a good read.
It's enjoyable, steamy and endearing.


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Discussion in 'Adult League & Tournament Talk' started by HunterST, Sep 15, 2012.
The sound of that food is convincing me otherwise rather swiftly...
Let's face it... one of the reasons I play tennis is so that I can burn calories so that I can drink beer after tennis without feeling guilty
That is always the real reason, except for me it is just food and not drink.
Exactly why I have a single racquet cover. I'm a 2.5-3.0 with only 1 racquet! I don't want to be known as "that guy" who has a pair of $230 racquets, brand new 12 racquet bag, etc. and then goes out 6-0.
This is sort of like combining all the benefits of bowling with tennis.
You should see some of the guys on the golf courses. All the best equipment, clothing, etc... They got everything except game...
Luckily, we have a bar inside the tennis club. And for those on a gluten-free diet, deep-fried cheese curds, http://t1dandglutenfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/low_carb_deep_fried_cheese_curds_plated.png
You should try drinking while you play. It's pretty fun. Nothing like a bunch of 3.5 to 4.0-able drunk idiots playing like 3.0's because we cant read the spin on the ball because our eyes are looking in two different directions.
Would not recommend drinking in league matches.
Save it for Sunday free play, and later afternoon/night games. You dont want to be drinking beer at noon during a league match in the blazing sun.
Saw the result of drinking and playing in doubles. Sober forehands tattooing the drunks. Seriously, save the burgers and brats till the match is over. Pretty heavy to play on.
I like how this thread manages to stay page 1 near the top...
Done that more times than I care to mention. My 4.5 team is a merry bunch and we often bring beer to practices. Oddly enough a beer or two sometimes makes me play better - if I'm tight, it loosens me up. More than 2 beers though is not a good idea...
That reminds me of kegger softball.
Keg of beer at second base. Before you could run to third, you had to drink a cup of beer from the keg.
Cut down on a lot of home runs and triples.
Good times.
I kinda understand how the guy feels.
Our local tournament they seem to ALWAYS schedule my match during the food service times...and by the time we finish no food left.
and well...that part of it for me is the free food/beer and socializing.
what I have started to do is Bring a tupperware container and I have my wife go thru the food line and fix me a plate and then when my match is over and we head home I can zap it in the microwave and eat then.
Serena once left and ate 3 all you can eat buffets
This thread is back on top, page 1... lol
Separate names with a comma.

subset: commoncrawl


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Filing for city, school elections set to open
By BY MELISSA CROWE - email@example.com
Jan. 30, 2013 at 1 a.m.
Updated Jan. 29, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
Candidates seeking office and re-election for city and school positions can register to have their names on the ballot Wednesday.
Filing opens 8 a.m. at the city secretary's office, 105 W. Juan Linn St. It closes March 1.
Mayor Will Armstrong said he plans to be first in line to register Wednesday morning.
"I'll be there bright and early," he said.
His position is up along with Councilman Joe Truman's and Councilman Tom Halepaska's - who represent the Super Districts 5 and 6 respectively.
The school district has three seats up for the election – positions 1, 6 and 7.
Armstrong was first elected in 2004. While he said he has heard rumors that others may attempt to unseat him, there have been no confirmations.
"Every time I've ever run, I've run on the basis that I want to work to make this a place for my children and a place our grandchildren can live meaningful lives," he said.
He wants to put more emphasis on residential street repairs.
"We've put a lot of money into thoroughfares, but we've got some residential streets that have deteriorated beyond what is reasonable," he said.


text:
About 150 people turned out to celebrate Hanukkah as the Chabad Jewish Center of San Clemente lighted a 10-foot menorah at the end of the pier on Sunday, the second evening of the Jewish holiday.
Visitors were treated hot latkes, doughnuts, music, balloons, dreidels and gelt.
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean revolt of the second century B.C.
Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, marked by lights on a menorah, a type of candelabrum.


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I said before the Philly game that if Bradshaw started, and saw the lion's share of the work, the Giants were going to lose. So, I pretty much expected to see what happened on Sunday night. I wasn't surprised at all.
I thought the best way to attack the Philly defense was by running the ball up the gut with Andre Brown. I thought this would be effective for several reasons:
1....The Wide Nine stretches the gap responsibilities of the linebackers.....the LBs have to cover alot of ground, and that's going to result in arm tackles.
2....The Philly defense is undersized, which favored a running attack.
3....Andre Brown is a tough downhill runner with good ball security and the ability to break arm tackles.
4....Establishment of the run would increase the effectiveness of the play-action.
5....The success of Martellus Bennett would require that Philly's linebackers accounted for him, which would help the running game.
In another post, Roanoke posted the following....
"....We expected it to be more 50/50, but as the [Eagles] game was going, it looked like it was one of those days where we wound up throwing the ball more and so Ahmad wanted to be in there more," said Gilbride. "We'll play it out and see who's having some success. Unfortunately neither one of them were having a lot of success. So it was no reason to stay, from a running perspective, with one of them as opposed to or over the other. It was really a matter of what were we doing? Well, we were throwing more and Ahmad, right now, is a better pass protector......"
As a result of that strategy, our most effective runner is swapped out for our least effective runner, in order to provide pass protection against a defense built specifically to counter the Giants passing attack.
And then, with the game on the line.....Bradshaw ****s up a simple running play that Carl Banks said would have a otherwise been a nice gain. I'm thinking that if the Giants had 2nd and short, and inside a 40 yard kick, it would have influenced what Coughlin later decided.
Obviously we'll never know. But like I said, it's no surprise this approach has now lost the Giants 8 of the last 9 against the Eagles.
The longer they stubbornly stick with Bradshaw, the tougher it's going to be to win the NFC East. So far, were 0-2 in the division with him carrying the rock.


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Meeting in the Historic Schoolhouse on June 26, the council unanimously approved a budget about 5 percent larger than the previous year's: $6.18 million in spending on expected revenues of $6.2 million, including about $800,000 from the utility-users tax. A surplus of $37,437 is expected, with $32,825 of that in the general fund.
New town employees — those hired this year or later — must now contribute 6.25 percent of their base pay toward their retirement accounts. (For employees hired before January, the town pays the employee's share of their retirement costs.) The town will contribute 10.28 percent and the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) will pay the rest. If CalPERS were to increase the town's share, the council should consider passing it on to employees, Mr. Pegueros said.
The town has also added seven years to the formula for calculating pension benefits for new employees. Staff hired before January 2013 can work for 10 years, for example, retire at 55 and claim a pension calculated by multiplying 10 years by 2 percent of the average salary over the final three years of work. For new employees, that formula won't be available until age 62.
The budget shows spending on contracted services, including planning, legal and geological analysis of home sites, as around $811,000, a 4 percent drop from the previous year. Spending on outside planning services is expected to drop by $40,000 after the hiring of Karen Kristiannson as deputy planner. Ms. Kristiannson has been a contract employee and associate of former town planner George Mader and current Town Planner Tom Vlasic.
The town will start outsourcing janitorial services with an allocation of $50,000 following the June 13 retirement of Senior Maintenance Coordinator Skip Struthers.
Other expenses
To keep the public playing fields green and playable, but with less water, the budget includes $35,000 for an efficiency study and possible changes to field management practices.
At the request of library staff, the budget allocates $35,000 from a dedicated reserve fund to correct the lighting in the library to remove shadows over the stacks that make reading difficult.
With town trucks more than 12 years old, the budget allocates $35,000 for a new Ford F-150 EcoBoost-equipped pickup truck. The truck's technology will raise fuel efficiency and lower the town's greenhouse gas footprint, officials said.
At a cost of about $8,000, the Town Center will get a permanent antenna for the town's AM radio transmitter. This initiative by the Emergency Preparedness Committee provides the town with a town-wide AM radio broadcast channel during major emergencies.
Using money from the Open Space Acquisition Fund, the budget allocates $90,700 to improve the "natural water features" and create a vernal pool on Spring Down Open Space, the six-acre meadow that borders Town Center.
Grants and gifts
Among the grants and gifts Portola Valley is expected to receive in the coming year are:
• A $224,000 grant for road resurfacing, from OneBayArea Grant, a transportation infrastructure program funded by regional sales and bridge tolls and state and federal fuel taxes.
• Reimbursement grants from the state totaling $232,214 for the now-ongoing project to rehabilitate the Ford Field baseball diamond.
• Two $100,000 donations toward Ford Field rehabilitation — one from the Sand Hill Foundation and another from Alpine-West Menlo Little League — and other private donations that add up to $59,000.
• Reimbursement from the federal government in repairing an estimated $300,000 in damage to the shoulder of upper Alpine Road during a storm in late December.
This story contains 639 words.
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Small things that make you feel special in tough times
Affordable Little Luxuries
TDS Reader Solutions
Related Articles
Video: The Decadent Frugal Life
Cheap, but Meaningful Pampering
My Fabulously Frugal Lifestyle
We all know that we're not living in boom times. It seems like every article in the newspaper and every report on the evening news begins with a comment about how hard things are. We're not going to harp on the negatives, but instead we're going to focus on some positive solutions. We've all cut back, but that's no reason to feel deprived. We asked our readers to share some inexpensive luxuries that they do to replace the more expensive things they have given up. Here are a few of our favorite "Little Luxuries"
Enjoy a Good Read
My favorite "little luxury" is a book (purchased at a thrift or checked out of the library), a nice tall cold drink and quiet time in the backyard to read for an hour or so. The time allows me to unwind, enjoy a good read and costs next to nothing.
Do You Really Have to Give It Up?
Right after Christmas, our local movie theater (a nice one with about eight screens and some stadium seating) went to $3 movies every day for all shows. And they offer $1 shows on Tuesdays. What a gift! Many I know, myself included, had written off going to the movies, but for $1, we no longer have to give up the movies. I would encourage fellow readers to check out local theaters. Or maybe even suggest something like this.
To help its local customers, our cable company has a new program called Lifeline. It includes local channels, PBS and a few others, and they are charging only $10 a month. There are no bells or whistles, but it's enough for me.
Just wanted to encourage people to re-visit some of their local companies, etc. for really great deals on "little luxuries."
Joan in AZ
Go "Resorting"
My friend and I go "resorting" for a little luxury. We live in the SW so luxury resorts are many. We go to a resort's restaurant for a glass of soda or tea and perhaps a dessert and then just leisurely absorb the atmosphere. We walk around the grounds before we head home again.
Janet in AZ
Mom's Night In Means Luxury
I read with interest the comment about GNO (Girls Night Out) being moved from fancy restaurants to homes. My Mom's Night Out (MNO) group has recently done something similar. We've been friends since our teenagers were toddlers, and schedule two nights out a month. Recently, we made one of those night out a "night in," so we have MNOs and MNIs. Twice we've done movie nights with DVDs, and once we had a Wii night. The hostess provides soft drinks and simple snacks. We'll each take a turn hosting during the year and we'll still have our nights out once a month, too.
The Luxury of Premium Chocolate
There are times when a girl just has to have chocolate and the more smooth, rich, delicious and fancy the chocolate the better. Premium chocolate (even when purchased at the grocery store) can be very expensive. I've started hunting through the "Manager's Special" (a.k.a. Discount Bins) at the grocery store. This week I found a huge stock of premium brand chocolate bars with delicious fillings at 50-75% off. I stocked up and now I have a stash in a cabinet for when I need a little chocolate luxury.
Back to School
Get your hair done, nails done and a good massage at a local school. It is usually around $5 for a hair cut, $10 for a color or perm and just a few dollars for a blow out or set. You can usually get your nails done for around $5 too. A good massage runs you about $15 to $25, depending on the school.
Also locally we have a culinary school that has dinner nights where they serve a three or four course meal for $10. There is a waiting list and you don't get to choose your food, but it's generally an amazing meal.
And lastly the town I grew up in had an automotive program at the vo-tech school. You could have your car worked on for the cost of parts only. It did generally take a few days to get it back (if they had an opening), but it was great, especially for the more labor intensive repairs.
Amy in Mississippi
A Yummy, Yet Affordable Splurge
My little luxury is a Mocha Caramel drink from the Bob Evans restaurant. Rather than going in for a meal, which for a family of four is rather expensive, I treat my daughter and me to a Mocha Caramel, which is half coffee and half hot chocolate with caramel and cream topping. It is delightful, and at 2.49, it's affordable. My son loves their sweet tea, so when we need a little splurge, we head there after school for our little luxury.
Mini Vacation for Free
My favorite little luxury is staying at a friend's or family member's home while they are out of town. My daughter lives nearby and she has a spa tub, an in-ground swimming pool, and satellite TV, all little extras that I do not have. I love going to her house and sleeping on her clean, cool sheets. I feel like I am at a luxurious hotel without the expense! I also enjoy swapping places with my brother. He is a city dweller, and I am a country girl. Somehow it just seems to feel like a mini vacation at someone else's house!
Savor Your Favorite Scent
Don't give up your favorite scent. Just don't buy it in the spray bottle and waste it spraying it through the air. Instead, buy the regular bottle and dab it directly onto your skin. Your dollars spent on fragrance will stretch a lot farther this way.
Imagine how much simpler life could be if
you were debt free.
Now take the first step to getting there.
Have a Hairfest
I am sharing a way that my sister, myself, and a couple of friends have a fun night for ourselves and get our hair colored for a lot less than at the salon. We call it Hairfest!
Three or four of us get together on a Saturday or a Sunday night every five weeks or so. We all bring our box of store bought hair color. The hostess serves a quick dinner like pizza and a dessert. We rent a "chick flick" and we color our hair. We each take turns in the chair as a friend or sister puts on the color and then we swap places. We set the timer, comb through, and rinse accordingly. After all is done, we have dessert and set up the time and place for the next Hairfest! It is a great way to keep in touch and have some quality "chick" time. Plus, we get to see all the "chick flicks" we want without dragging along the guys! Fun does not have to go because you need to cut your budget!
Pamela in Des Moines
You Can Still Go Out
Happy Hour is a great inexpensive treat if you find the right restaurant/bar. You don't have to drink alcohol to enjoy. We went last Friday to a local seafood restaurant that has half priced drinks and appetizers. We had a beer, a soft drink, a cup of clam chowder, two very generous appetizers, and complementary wings, which came to $22 for two. It filled us up and we even took a doggy bag home. We also like the fact that this gives us the chance to support a local business.
editor's note: Many of us have given up a lot because of the economy. If you have a "Little Luxury" that you'd like to share, please send it to firstname.lastname@example.com with "Little Luxury" as the subject.
Reviewed March 2017
Take the Next Step
- Is there an expensive luxury in your life that you can replace with something that's equally satisfying but less expensive? For ideas, look at your credit card statement or checkbook to see where your money is going.
- Join those who 'live better...for less' - Subscribe to The Dollar Stretcher newsletter, a weekly look at how to stretch both your day and your dollar! Subscribers get a copy of our ebook Little Luxuries: 130 Ways to Live Better...For Less for FREE!
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Darky28 wrote:Jone wrote:I've used the site to group some of the pets with shared abilities so I could compare the fastest, strongest, and healthiest. Spreadsheet should be public and editable here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... vOEE#gid=0
The last column is an attempt to see which pets have balanced, high stats, but I don't think it's really effective yet. Does anyone have any suggestions for a function that determines a generally good pet?
Hi Jone
Checkout the pet ranking.. its pretty much what you did on your spreadsheet, just for all the possible ability sets
That is really super. Thanks, you've saved me redoing this for snails and owls next!


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'Full' world versus 'empty' world paradigm at the time of globalisation
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Volume (Year): 45 (2003)
Issue (Month): 1 (April)
Pages: 11-18
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References listed on IDEAS
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- Tisdell, Clem, 2001. "Globalisation and sustainability: environmental Kuznets curve and the WTO," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 185-196, November.
- Max-Neef, Manfred, 1995. "Economic growth and quality of life: a threshold hypothesis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 115-118, November.
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JEDI Database Desktop replaces and extends Borlands Database Desktop, which is not free. The goal of this project is to implement the functions of the original Database Desktop and add some useful features. The application is written in Delphi 6 / Kylix.
An API onto MySQL for development in win32, VC++. The contents of this API is similar to those of the existing MFC-DAO extensions. It also has extra classes to extend the existing DAO-classes in MFC and communicate with this API.


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Mets land Church, Schneider from Nats
Outfielder Milledge departs in deal intended to balance lineup
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
At a price they could readily afford, the Mets solidified their outfield and their catching for at least two seasons, balanced their batting order and created circumstances that will benefit two of their key reserve players while bringing in a veteran presence. And at the same time, they set in motion the likely departure of Johnny Estrada, the catcher whose Mets tenure will probably end before he is fitted for a uniform.
A deal in the works for weeks, according to general manager Omar Minaya, cost the Mets a player who combines potential and youth and, over two seasons, occasionally made his age -- as it related to behavior -- more of an issue than his talent and caused his trade value to diminish.
Minaya, familiar with Schneider and Church from their days together in Montreal, bottomed-lined the move by saying, "We see ourselves as a better team now. [The trade] fills two needs with players in the primes of their careers."
But he also understood that the public might not embrace the first trade between the two franchises since April 2002, when he was the Expos' general manager. He referred to Schneider and Church as "not known names" but said "[the public] didn't understand it when we traded Kris Benson," not bothering to mention that John Maine was acquired in that exchange in 2005.
In dealing Milledge, the Mets lose a 22-year-old outfielder who had been the first player they took -- and the 12th selected overall -- in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, a player who was unlikely to play his best position, center field, because of Carlos Beltran and whose occasional miscalculations in left and right field diminished his value to the club.
Milledge had been a key figure in trade talks that the Mets had with the Red Sox, involving Manny Ramirez in 2005, and with Orioles and Astros, involving Roy Oswalt, in 2006. And he was usually the odd man out when club executives spoke of a future outfield of Fernando Martinez in left, Beltran in center and Carlos Gomez in right. Their presence prompted Minaya to say he had "a surplus of outfielders."
Milledge remains highly regarded because of his quick bat. But he wasn't as good a fit as Church for the Mets -- at least for 2008 and perhaps '09 -- because he bats right-handed. With Schneider, a left-handed hitter, catching and Church playing right field, the Mets now can have three switch-hitters (Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo and Beltran), two right-handed hitters (David Wright and Moises Alou) and three left-handed hitters (Carlos Delgado and the two new men) in their most regular lineup.
Church's presence will also allow the Mets to use Endy Chavez in the role in which he is most effective, a No. 4 outfielder, to rest Alou against some right-handed pitchers and afford Gomez -- if he isn't included in a package for a starting pitcher -- more time to develop. Moreover, Church could replace Alou in left field in 2009 and play the position in Queens until Martinez has developed.
At the same time, Schneider, who turned 31 on Wednesday, is ideally suited to share the catching with right-handed-hitting reserve Ramon Castro. His presence and left-handed bat will enhance Castro's place on the roster, not to mention improve the Mets' defense up the middle and against the run.
"I'm big on defense up the middle," Minaya said. And he considers the Mets' catching "situation" as good as "any in the game."
The two-for-one deal came after Mets management said that the timing of a trade for a starting pitcher might interfere with the club's pursuit for a catcher in that the club wanted to retain its primary trading chips to fill the void at the front of its rotation. But judging from their conversations with other clubs, the Mets concluded that other players, particularly Gomez and Minor League pitcher Kevin Mulvey, were more coveted by other clubs than Milledge.
"We called the clubs we've been talking to to ask if this trade would hurt our chances [of dealing for a pitcher]," Minaya said. "They said, 'No' -- we still have enough players in our system to complete other deals."
A package including Gomez and one of the younger pitchers still could import left-handed Erik Bedard from the Orioles or right-handed Dan Haren from the A's. Minaya said he intends not to involve Church in trade talks.
Bedard and Haren are the two highest-profile pitchers the Mets seemingly have a chance to acquire. Johan Santana appears to cost more than the Mets are willing to pay the Twins in overall talent and more than their resources in young talent.
The Mets have far less interest in Joe Blanton of the A's, though they have a stated need for an innings eater in the wake of Tom Glavine's departure. Bedard or Haren could become the Mets' No. 1 starter. Blanton, a Bobby Jones-type pitcher in terms of results and how he pitches, would fit well in the middle of the rotation.
Because of the trade Friday, whichever pitchers the Mets do acquire will have a highly regarded defensive receiver. Schneider is a definite upgrade over Estrada, who was acquired in a trade with the Brewers on Nov. 20. Schneider is also 5 1/2 years younger than Paul Lo Duca, the man he replaces. Beyond that, he is signed through 2009. Estrada has no contract for 2008 and is eligible for arbitration. The Mets will likely non-tender Estrada on Dec. 10, unless another club is intent on acquiring him and makes the Mets an offer before the deadline for tendering contracts.
Schneider is precisely the kind of catcher Minaya and manager Willie Randolph had coveted, one who is concerned most with the pitching staff and the game at hand. He has started between 105 and 125 games since the beginning of the 2004 season.
"One of the [better] parts of my game is working with the pitching staff, sticking with the game plan, executing it along with controlling the running game," Schneider said. "My favorite thing to do is throw someone out at second base.
"I like to work with the pitchers and have them work the game plan."
Once he produced remarkable numbers throwing out would-be base stealers -- 63 caught stealing against 60 steals in 2003 and '04 combined. He threw out 24 of 77 would-be base stealers last season, and, beginning in 2003, 40 percent of 363 runners. Even with that drop in percentage, Schneider still may be the Mets' best throwing catcher since the early years of Todd Hundley's career -- 1990-93.
Schneider's offensive production, while not eye-catching, is quite comparable to that of Lo Duca. Schneider has averaged 12.9 RBIs per 100 at-bats over the last three seasons. Lo Duca, playing his last two seasons with the Mets' more productive batting order, averaged 11.4 RBIs per 100 at-bats from 2005-07. Schneider, likely to bat eighth for the Mets, hit 20 home runs in 1,187 at-bats the last three seasons, and Lo Duca hit 20 in 1,402 at-bats. Neither played his home games in a park conducive to home run hitting.
Church, 29, doesn't appear to have as high a ceiling as Milledge, but he is more accomplished than the player who is to be the Nationals' center fielder in 2008 and beyond. Church, eligible for arbitration as a Super 2, had 59 extra-base hits -- 43 doubles and 15 home runs -- and drove in 70 runs in 470 at-bats last season.
|Church, 2007
|Milledge, proj.
And Minaya said that Church "still has upside." Church characterized his career as "up and down," noting time spent in the Minor Leagues.
"But I've come out on top," he said. "And that's only made me a stronger person."
Church started 126 games for the Nationals -- 87 in left field and 39 in center. He has started 133 in left, 95 in center and 27 in right during his career. But he had played mostly right field in the Minor Leagues and he is equally comfortable in any of the three positions. The Mets consider Church's defense in right to be an upgrade over what Xavier Nady and Shawn Green provided during the last three years. Church may provide the best defense in right field the Mets have had in decades -- other than when Chavez has played there and when Mike Cameron started in right in 2005.
Milledge became involved in "situations" with the Mets because of a rap recording this past season and because of reporting late, on-field celebrating and creating strained relations with some teammates in 2006. Minaya said that none of that hastened the trade.
"Did he make mistakes? Yes, he made mistakes," Minaya said. "I don't know if I'd call it baggage."
Marty Noble is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Chau - it might have been because of not feeding it enough while at room temps. I didn't have a feeding schedule but fed it when ever I thought about it (maybe every 3 or 4 days). My past experience has been rapidly multiplying the starter at room temps - not just letting it just sit out.I'm back to keeping the starter refrigerated and sealed - and only keeping it at room temps when multiplying.I got into using a starter without much research about the how's and why's. I just took a bunch of the wild grapes from a vine 50 feet from the house along a fence line and added water and flour - it became active overnight. It is now 2 years old.Thanks for your reply's.
Chau,I may get into the fun of this experiment as well. The only thing differently I may do differently is, after the two week period I may starve both cultures for a week and then refresh for two days or split the starters in two, so four starters total, and starve two and maintain the other two as before. I am curious about the starving aspect at room temp and if it also influences flavor.
Since I have a captive audience on this thread, I have another question for discussion. When you guys keep a starter idol and under refridgeration of a long period of time, do you pour off the hooch, or do you stir it back into your culture. Why, or why not? I generally pour off at least some if not all, just wanted to get some other opinions.
Why? Because its impossible? Or because its unlikely?
And furthermore, how would you explain all these different observations out there? Would you simply say that everyone who experiences their starter's uniqueness withering away over time with successive feeding cycles is a flat out liar? That's too easy.
A week is nothing. Try an entire summer in an unairconditioned place because you spend the summers somewhere else in another state. I'm describing myself there.
And yes, I've had mold grow in starters. And I've resurrected starters with mold in them. Mold does not necessarily mean all hope is lost. Just dig down past the mold, grab a tiny sample, put it in a new jar, add some flour and water and within the next two weeks or so of intensive care you're back at full froth.
I do not believe that the healthy yeast cells present within the flour need to be at high concentrations to contaminate a weak colony, which is by definition an unstable colony.
You don't need a complete takeover to change characteristics. You simply need contamination to do that.
With due respect to you, you should read the thread a little more thoroughly before replying. I don't feel like its that long.
I've stated, in my very *first* post AAMOF, that folks should not have a problem maintaining purchased starters so long as they take care of them properly. I've also stated, more than once, that under proper circumstances there should be no real issue with native microorganisms taking over a sourdough culture. I've stated that, so you should not be attributing alternate beliefs to me by this point.
However, I have also stated that there is some truth to the idea that starters are hardly 'bulletproof' things. 'Indestructible' is not a common description for a sourdough starter. This thread would, in fact, be the first time I've ever even seen that implied. Here we have folks literally scoffing, implying that any negative experiences reported with sourdough sustainability are utterly unbelievable!!
Based on what I've seen, sourdough cultures are instead most often described as 'finicky, temperamental, inconsistent, and not worth the trouble' compared to plain yeast.
In other words, it ain't exactly uncommon to have a starter destroyed and to have to replace it, or reorder another one. Apparently, though, nobody here has ever heard of that.
Lastly, I have also stated in post #19 that changing food sources can mean changing a lot. It really can turn out to be a pretty big deal. You can change an entire culture based on what you feed that culture over a sustained period of time. Switching food sources means switching certain enzyme concentrations, certain sugar concentrations, certain impurity concentrations, etc, etc in the actual food source. This means that for a given strain of microorganism different metabolic pathways now become preferred, which means that the same byproducts being produced by these microorganisms are now being produced at different relative concentrations. This alone can give the *impression* of the starter changing over time with successive feedings, even though the microorganisms actually present have not changed that much at all in terms of their relative concentrations.
I don't think its strange at all. Its a sourdough. Inconsistency is the *norm* for sourdough, not the exception.
This is a big reason why the vast majority of commercial pizzerias don't use it. Including those in Naples.
Varasano can hardly predict how many customers he's going to get on a given day anyhow, so how would he ever be perfectly consistent? He may have a big batch of dough left over from the day before on one occasion and then on the next occasion he may have nothing left from the previous day at all.
I think this all says it isn't the yeast we should be so worried about changing. It's the bacterial portion of the colony that we should be more focused on.
I think this is even less likely than the idea of a complete takeover of both yeast and bacteria. Sourdough culture is a symbiotic relationship between specific species/strains of specific yeast and bacteria. Doesnt mutualism work as a natural defense against exactly what you are suggesting?
I usually don't like to get into discussions about sourdough, too many conflicting opinions and information or more likely misinformation. Like I said, sourdough is a topic best left out of friendly conversation!
Maybe for you. Ive never run my business to steer away from doing the right thing because it is difficult. Rather we do what is best. I dont look at pizza any differently. Nothing in life is consistent, but with effort, you can narrow the uncertainty to where it is manageable IFF you are willing to put in the effort.What does this have to do with delivering a consistent product?
I dont know what to make of this here. Both yeast and bacteria can exist without one another, and frequently do. You could argue that the relationship is synergistic, but its unbelievable that you are actually claiming that either cannot exist without the other or that specific strains need specific strains.
You do realize that yeast can be isolated, right? Just about any yeast strain you can dream up is available for purchase. Even commercial yeast was once natural.
So after being called "uppity", I get a short lecture about how the right way to make pizza is with a sourdough. About how the best thing to do is use a sourdough. I guess all you lazy commercial yeast folks are making pizza wrong. This is in response to me pointing out the fact that most pizza makers across the globe, even the *best* ones, have switched to commercial yeast because the difficulties inherent with sourdough can make it not worth the headache. If that's your response then I've got news for you. What is "best" is very subjective. Especially in a case like this. And especially dealing with food in general.
Once again, you are reading things that were not written. I didnt even mention the word synergistic. I said symbiotic which is absolutely accurate. Of course the specific yeast and bacteria strains could exist without each other, but they thrive in the sourdough culture because of the mutualism. Its no accident that you find specific strains of S. exiguus or C. milleri and specific strains of L. sanfranciscensis together, for example. Water causes amylase enzymes to break down the starch in the flour into sucrose and maltose. L. sanfranciscensis predominantly feeds on the maltose (and often can't metabolize other sugars); S. exiguus can't metabolize the maltose, so there isn't any competition for food. While consuming the maltose, the L. sanfranciscensis releases an enzyme that breaks down maltose into two glucose molecules. L. sanfranciscensis will use one of the molecules leaving the other, boosting activity of S. exiguus. In addition to the acids produced, the L. sanfranciscensis also produce other antibiotic agents that keep other bacteria down without affecting the yeast. The specific strains that work the best together will win out thus resisting invasion by other species/strains. You have a firm grasp on the obvious.
I called you uppity because I couldnt think of a friendlier way to address your disrespect which I thought uncalled for. I dont understand why you seem so bound and determined to put the most negative possible spin on things written?
You did not mention synergistic. I did not say you did. You did mention symbiotic, which itself is such a poorly defined term that I submitted "synergistic" as something concrete enough to work with. Something that you could argue. I thought that "synergy" was consistent with what you were saying, which was that the yeast and the bacteria thrive in the presence of one another. Or that they do better with each other than without. So what in the heck is the problem?Then you go on regurgitating whatever you just Googled, which does not answer the question about whether bacterial colonies can experience changes due to treatment that impact the performance of the starter. And what specifically those changes are. How reversible are these changes? Nope. You're still stuck talking about a takeover from the flour, which we've all admitted is unlikely for one reason or another.
Actually, I googled that a long time ago Where else is the takeover going to come from if not from the flour?


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- McLaren news
McLaren must show improvement - Button
- Race:
- Spanish Grand Prix
- Drivers:
- Jenson Button
- Teams:
- McLaren
Jenson Button says McLaren must show an improvement at the Spanish Grand Prix, but that the team's updates are no longer "crucial" to its season.
Having been unable to challenge for victory in any of the opening four races, Button described McLaren's updates for the first European round of the season as "crucial". However, when asked in Barcelona if that was still a word he'd use to assess the situation, Button replied: "No. I think it's important we see an improvement, yes.
"I think we need to see an improvement here; we're not going to see us putting it on pole position but to see an improvement at least in the car and getting through to Q3 with it not being a massive struggle I think has to be our aim this weekend."
Button said he hadn't been following the wind tunnel results for McLaren's updates too closely in order to focus on what he feels from the car on track.
"It's very difficult to always look at numbers and simulations and what have you, so I think we have to reserve judgement until we actually drive the car this weekend. There's a lot that's different you'll be able to see, with the aerodynamics of the car and you'll understand the difference in airflow of the car. Hopefully it works; maybe it all won't work but we've just got to get a better understanding and a better correlation with back at the MTC. I think if we get a good correlation between the circuit and the wind tunnel that's just as important as seeing improved lap time this weekend."
With Pirelli supplying an extra set of prototype hard tyres on Friday morning, Button said it will help McLaren analyse its new parts as long as the weather stays dry.
"I think so and it also means people will run earlier, which is good for us as they clear the circuit; we can get a good understanding. But also I think it's going to rain so we won't be running so much in the wet, I don't think. When you turn up to a place with new parts you don't normally have a lot of them, so I don't think we'll be doing a lot of wet running to be honest."


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Updated 4pm: Cary Woodard, the 61-year-old shooting suspect is in custody. Oregon State Police SWAT team members took him into custody around 12:10 a.m. after a short struggle. Medics transported him to an area hospital with unknown injuries that were not life-threatening. CCSO deputies then brought the suspect to the Columbia County Jail, where he was lodged on charges of menacing and felon in possession of a firearm. The scene was also processed for evidence under a search warrant on the property.
The Search warrant produced evidence of a marijuana growing operation at the residence, and the Sheriff's Office is following up on that through the Columbia Enforcement Narcotics Team (CENT). One resident is listed as a "Caregiver," but the 19 mature plants there were not appropriately being grown at that location.
Columbia County Sheriff's deputies, with the help of a number of outside agencies arrested the 61-year-old shooting suspect after a nearly 10-hour standoff in the Clatskanie area last night.
Deputies responded to the vicinity of 18382 Co Op Rd., west of Clatskanie, at 2:20 p.m. last night after receiving reports that Cary Lee Woodard of Clatskanie had gone berserk during a squabble at the residence there. Woodard reportedly took a .22-caliber, bolt-action rifle and began firing it off in the house.
Residents in the home fled the area uninjured, going to a neighbor's house to call 9-1-1. Story continues below...
As they responded to the scene, deputies learned that Woodard had a criminal history of arrest for murder, but had been convicted of a lesser offense (manslaughter). The victims in this case also reported that Woodard would resist arrest.
The Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) was activated. Officers and deputies on the team responded and took up perimeter positions, but waited for a response from the Oregon State Police SWAT team, which had been already been previously deployed in another location.
OSP SWAT team members began arriving around 9 p.m. The Sheriff's Office was assisted by officers from the Clatskanie, Rainier, Columbia City, St. Helens and Scappoose Police Departments, as well as the Oregon State Police. Two tactical dispatchers from Columbia 911 were also on scene and assisted with tactical operations.
"My thanks to the OSP SWAT team and the officers from the agencies in our county who stepped up to help us in this life-threatening situation," said Sheriff Jeff Dickerson. "Thanks also to the firefighters of the Clatskanie Fire District who stood by throughout the ordeal, and to the dispatchers of the Columbia 911 communications district who helped immensely during the standoff."
Police first responded around 2:20pm to a house in Clatskanie Friday for what ended up to be a 10-hour standoff. Cary Woodward, 51 was inside his house with a .22 caliber rifle which he had allegedly fired. Woodward reportedly had became very upset following an argument. Police activated their critical incident response team and an Oregon State Police SWAT team provided assistance at the scene.
Deputies learned Woodward had previously been convicted of manslaughter. Woodward was taken into custody around 12:10am on Saturday. He was transported to a hospital. Its not clear the extent of his injuries. He faces various charges including felon in possession of a firearm.


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Chaos, this reminds me of a wizard children's story about a death stone, one of the Deathly Hallows.
It had the power to bring back the dead but there was no life in them once they were brought back. Just...gloomy figures.
(A smile suddenly spreads across Queenie's face, only one dimple digging into her cheek as she twirls her wand.)
I think I can handle finding that. (She apparates out of the room)


text:
2018-01-27 2018 CrockPot Cook-Off
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2018-02-03 Lift A Glass Wine Tasting Dinner
2018-02-10 Second Saturday Writer's Group
2018-03-10 Dragonmead Microbrewery Beer Tasting Dinner
2018-03-10 Second Saturday Writers Group
2018-04-14 Second Saturday Writers Group
2018-04-28 Community Unity Extravaganza
2018-05-19 Ore Dock Brewing Co. Beer Tasting Dinner
2018-07-01 45th Independence Day Celebration
2018-08-01 Curtis Sidewalk Sales Day
Date: 2015-08-19 through 2015-08-20.
This annual variety show will include both live and "not so live" numbers. Advance reserved tickets available starting July 20th. Ticket prices are $15.00 and $5.00 to students under 18.
Registration at Mick's Bait Shop.
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$500. 1st place prize. Prizes up to 5th place. Big Manistique Lake, South Manistique Lake, Milkokia Lake & Millecoquin Lake. Register at Mick's Bait Shop. Contact Mick for info @ 906-586-6040
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Join in the fun...Cook's Choice Crock Pot Cook Off. At Kim's Tally Ho. Cooks are to check in at 12:30, tasting starts at 1pm - 4pm. $5.00 entry fee and $2.00 to taste.
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Writers discuss and share their work. All are welcome to attend. Contact info Ruthette, 906-586-9974
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Giants still hopeful Pagan can return this season
By Chris Haft / MLB.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy hasn't ruled out the possibility that center fielder Angel Pagan will play again this season.
Pagan, said Bochy, has resumed swinging a bat while working out and rehabilitating his surgically repaired left hamstring at the Giants' training complex in Scottsdale, Ariz.
"We don't have a date when we think he'll be ready, but he feels pretty good," Bochy said Thursday as the Giants began a light workout at AT&T Park.
When Pagan underwent surgery on June 24, it was announced that he could be sidelined for as many as 12 weeks, which essentially would finish the switch-hitter and leadoff batter for the season. But, asked if Pagan had a chance to rejoin the team before the regular season concludes Sept. 29, Bochy said, "Sure. And he feels the same."
Sabean: Giants not looking to move Lincecum
SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants general manager Brian Sabean indicated that Tim Lincecum will stay put for the rest of the season. And the right-hander couldn't be happier.
"I've always had a great time here and I hope to see it go further," Lincecum said Thursday after the Giants held a light workout at AT&T Park.
Trade speculation has hovered around Lincecum, who's eligible for free agency after this season. But Sabean quashed such whispering on his weekly radio show on KNBR-AM, the Giants' flagship station.
"I expect Timmy to be in a Giant uniform," Sabean said. "I find it hard to believe that he'd pitch elsewhere this year."
Thursday would have been Lincecum's turn to pitch if it weren't for the All-Star break. The right-hander insisted that he felt good enough to start, even after his 148-pitch effort in last Saturday's no-hitter at San Diego.
"If today would have been that day, I'd be fine," Lincecum said.
"I'm just glad that he doesn't have a cast on his arm," Giants manager Bruce Bochy jokingly said.
Bochy explains decisions on Giants' All-Stars
SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy explained why three of the club's four All-Stars -- second baseman Marco Scutaro, left-hander Madison Bumgarner and right-hander Sergio Romo -- didn't appear in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic, which the American League won, 3-0.
Bochy said Thursday that Bumgarner was assigned the emergency long-relief role and that Romo, who warmed up briefly in the late innings, was being saved for extra innings. Scutaro, Bochy explained, would have pinch-hit in the ninth inning if left-handed-batting Domonic Brown of Philadelphia had made it to the plate and the AL had summoned a left-handed reliever.
Bochy, who managed the NL All-Stars, said that the pitching for both teams looked just as good, if not better, than it appeared on television.
"It was like if you didn't throw 95 [mph], you weren't allowed to pitch," Bochy said. "I can't think of another All-Star Game when there were that many great arms out there."
Worth noting
• The Giants stuck with the order of their previously announced post-All-Star-break starting rotation: Chad Gaudin, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum and, in one of Tuesday's doubleheader games against Cincinnati, Barry Zito. Bochy mentioned left-hander Mike Kickham and right-hander Yusmeiro Petit as candidates to pitch the twin bill's other game.
• As expected, San Francisco's four All-Stars -- Bumgarner, catcher Buster Posey, second baseman Marco Scutaro and right-hander Sergio Romo -- were excused from Thursday's workout. Also absent were outfielder Jeff Francoeur and right-hander Sandy Rosario, who were in their first days of fatherhood.
Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – We're a big fan of wireless Bluetooth speakers like the Jambox, but let's face it: for most people, they are both too expensive, and too much of a pain in the butt to remember to pair and unpair. When NFC sees broad adoption, the latter will change, and you'll be able to play from a wireless speaker just by laying it on top of the device.
Why wait for NFC, though? RCA of all companies is here at CES with a super cool new speaker line called the Soundflow, and it can play music from any smartphone or tablet just by laying it on top of the speaker. Best of all? The technology is so cheap that for the price of one Jambox, you could buy five or six Soundflows.


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Photographer's Note
The Trans-Mongolian Express on the home leg towards Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Its great to see the transition from dry, sparse, grassland to greener pastures as you get close to the city, well in summer anyway
Nobody has marked this note useful
Critiques | Translate
lgir (7363) 2013-09-06 0:33
Hello Cale,
nice POV with this perspective drawn by train reflecting the beautiful colors of the surrounding landscape.
Well done
macondo (20347) 2013-09-06 5:29
Hello Cale
A very expansive, quite breathtakingly vast landscape view, enhanced by the sense of motion one gets from the curve of the train. Marvellous sky and well caught reflection in the shiny side of the carriage.
Photo Information
- Copyright: Cale Lawlor (calelawlor) (249)
- Genre: Places
- Medium: Color
- Date Taken: 2013-06-13
- Categories: Transportation
- Exposure: f/7.1, 1/200 seconds
- More Photo Info: view
- Photo Version: Original Version
- Date Submitted: 2013-09-05 21:49


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Rolling Stone,
October 1984
"Handsome millionaire rock star, 34, seeks soul mate for long-term relationship. Must be willing to relocate to L.A., No drugs."
Lindsey Buckingham wants a girlfriend. The handsome, intelligent and reclusive musical mastermind behind Fleetwood Mac is living by himself these days. A solitary man. And he doesn't dig it. He's a millionaire at thirty-four, a rock star and, actually, quite a charming fellow. But: "My personal life is fairly barren," he says, sitting in his $2 million home, which is hidden near the end of a dead-end street, far above Los Angeles in exclusive Bel Air.
Buckingham would seem to have it all. Nice house, nice car, nice pool. Nice twenty-four-track recording studio right across the hall from his bedroom. Yet, since the painful breakup of a relationship that had lasted six years, his life has become, well, not so meaningful. He'd like nothing better than for a "wonderful, sensitive, soul-mate girl" to knock on his door.
He glances around his expensively furnished living room, complete with a six-foot-high statue of King Tut and several small glass pyramids. "A house full of new furniture doesn't mean a whole lot," he says in his slightly high-pitched voice. "It doesn't mean shit. It just means you have a nice place to watch TV. But so what?"
He stares at a color TV a few feet away, where Frank Sinatra is crooning his way through a new video, "L.A. Is My Lady." "Yes, it's lonely," continues Buckingham, munching on some potato chips. "I feel pretty isolated at the moment. I'm sort of like a guy on the top of a hill in a little castle of his own. I hope that won't last forever."
The hot Southern California sun streams in through the floor-to-ceiling windows that make up at least one wall of nearly every room in the house. It's bright, airy, spacious. Palm trees outside; bamboo plants inside. It's as if the house itself were attempting to pull its owner out of the emotional slump of a failed love affair.
The phone rings. Buckingham chats about how his new album "Go Insane" is doing, then says to the caller, "You've got a nice girlfriend, I've got a nice pool table." He laughs dryly. "It's gotten hard to be shallow. Hard to just bring a girl in. How did we used to do that?"
When he wants to, Buckingham can look just like a genuine L.A. rock star. Not affected, but slightly larger than life. Nouveau riche. A bit arrogant. Very cool. This is just how he looks today, strolling into his classy living room. His curly brown hair is stylishly cut a la Eraserhead, and his expressive blue-gray eyes are hidden behind large tortoise-shell shades.
He's the kind of millionaire who wears the same black shirt, blue denims and scruffy gray cowboy boots for days on end, and who mixes those jeans with an expensive black-and-white striped sport coat. He has few friends, but greets the ones he has with a casual "Hey, dude." A down home kind of rock star. A guy who hangs framed stills from Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock" in his bathroom, stocks his Seeburg 200 Select O Matic jukebox with records like the Marcels' "Blue Moon" and Frank Sinatra's "I've Got You Under My Skin" and the Beach Boys' "I Get Around," and leaves a platinum album celebrating the multimillion sales of "Rumours" shunted aside in the corner of a room, as if it didn't mean a thing.
The Lindsey Buckingham the world never sees is the one who spends much of his time by himself in his home recording studio. "He's a studio rat," says his manager, Michael Brokaw. On a typical afternoon, sounds waft down a long hallway from the direction of the studio strange, syncopated sounds. A plucked violin string. Electronic drums. A funky synthesizer. Spacey, high pitched chipmunk vocals. Very rhythmic, very oddball. Very Lindsey Buckingham. "I love to be in the studio," says the shy rock star, surrounded by instruments and electronic equipment. "That's what I like to do best."
He takes his music making very seriously. It was his obsessive desire to do something new that led him to pull away from the formula Fleetwood Mac had developed on the albums "Fleetwood Mac" and "Rumours." His offbeat work on "Tusk," the band's next album, confounded many of the 15 million people who had purchased "Rumours." On "Mirage," the group's latest LP, they returned to the less adventurous sound that had characterized their earlier success. One senses that Buckingham derived a perverse satisfaction from the failure of the album to match the sales of "Rumours."
Here in the studio, away from the realities of day-to-day life, Buckingham seems confident, at ease. This is where he has been creating a sonic world of his own. Inspired in part by the unconventional late-Sixties work of Beach Boy Brian Wilson and the spirit of the Seventies punk movement, but playing by his own rules, Buckingham has been stretching the traditional idea of a pop song, turning strange sounds into hooks, slowing down or speeding up his voice to create intricate, otherworldly harmonies, experimenting with a drum machine and a Fairlight computer, attempting to find new sounds, create a truly new song. "I'm trying to break down preconceptions about what pop music is," says Buckingham, who played nearly every instrument and sang all the vocals on "Go Insane." "I'm struggling to be original."
Out of the studio, it's another story. Fleetwood Mac may have sold millions and millions of records, and Buckingham may be a rock star, but behind the shades he's plainly insecure. "That's something that's always been there," says his forty-one-year-old brother, Jeff Buckingham, an insurance broker. "Just a little self-doubt."
His manager describes him as "private" and "introverted." His brother Jeff says he's always been a loner. Growing up in Palo Alto, a suburb less than an hour south of San Francisco, Lindsey used to spend hours by himself, listening to Jeff's 45s, hits by Elvis and Buddy Holly and Little Richard. Later, after Lindsey learned how to play a few songs on a plastic Mickey Mouse guitar, his parents bought him a real instrument. He taught himself to play be accompanying Kingston Trio records. In high school, he joined Fritz, the only band he has ever played in besides Fleetwood Mac.
He is still unsure of himself. He wonders aloud if he's interesting enough to be written about. Reassurances don't help. "Do you think you have enough for a feature story?" he nervously asks on several occasions. He worries visibly about being the good host. "Can I get you anything? Are you sure everything is all right?" And later: "I don't really do that much. I told you it was going to be boring. Want to play a game of pool? Croquet?"
Even in his own home, Buckingham seems the outsider. "I've been trying to get to you. Hey little girl leave the little drug along. I just can't seem to get through. Hey, little girl, leave the little drug along." Lindsey Buckingham, "I Must Go"
His house didn't always seem so empty. For six years, Lindsey Buckingham lived with Carol Ann Harris. "Go Insane" is about their relationship and is dedicated to Harris. An attractive blond who grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Harris was a twenty-three-year-old receptionist at Producer's Workshop, a Hollywood recording studio, when Buckingham met her while mixing "Rumours" in 1977. "At first, she was just another conquest," he says, sipping a light beer. "And then later, obviously not."
"I had been in Europe, and it was my first day back at work," says Harris in a separate interview, recalling how they met. "I walked in and saw Lindsey and that was it."
Friends say the relationship was an intense one. The two were inseparable, and as Fleetwood Mac producer Richard Dashut, a close friend of Lindsey's for over ten years, puts it, "They were both very much in love. They saw things in a very serious way. I can't say either one of them had a real sense of humor together. For the first two or three years they were very, very happy and very close. In fact, I think that was one of the happiest times in his life."
Buckingham and Harris kept to themselves. "We lived in seclusion a great deal of the time," she says. "Even on the road, when everyone would be out partying, Lindsey and I would close ourselves off and stay together. He needs a lot of peace and quiet."
But living with a rock star who spends so much of his time in the studio became difficult especially for a woman who didn't have a life of her own. "It was very lonely," says Harris. "I think I lived my life for Lindsey. I really felt it was important for me to be there for him, whether or not he was there physically, but for him to know I was there at home. He needed me there emotionally. It was rough. I don't think I can remember relaxing the whole time I was with him."
Life in the rock & roll fast lane also took its toll. There were "personal problems" that neither Harris nor Buckingham will talk about. There were drugs, especially cocaine. "That was a problem," admits Harris. "For him, too. It's very easy to get lost, and I'm sure I did. But I'm in much better shape now than I've ever been. And I still like cocaine. I must admit to that vice." (Buckingham says cocaine was never a problem for him.)
"She was a sweet young girl, very pleasant," recalls Lindsey's brother Jeff. "But she changed to a music scene, hardened, drug-hardened person. It just wasn't the same."
"Probably, if I had known what I was getting into, I would have thought twice about it," says Harris. "That was right before "Rumours" broke. So when I met him, it was entering a world that was, to say the least, a little bit hard-core. But I fell in love with him. I had no choice. It's not a life I would have chosen for myself. Thinking back, I've been through the worst of times and the best of times. But it is a very rough world. Especially at the top. A lot of people are changed by it, not in a good way. It leaves a lot of victims. A lot of it's not very pretty. It's easy to get very cut off from reality. Trying to keep one foot in the real world and one foot in the rock and roll world is not easy."
"She got pulled into this whole little world that maybe she wasn't ready for," agrees Lindsey. "She's a girl from a small town who found herself in a world of people who were not particularly responsible." He is silent for a few moments. "I don't really want to talk about that. I don't think it would be very fair. I think it would hurt her."
About a year ago, after much soul-searching, they separated. Buckingham helped Harris move into a place of her own. She has been studying acting and, as she puts it, "finding myself." "It got to the point where she had to move out," he says quietly. "She's still not working. I'm still supporting her, for the time being. We worked out an agreement where I would sort of keep her afloat for a couple of years. I don't mind doing that."
His former lover has mixed feelings about having their relationship turned into "Go Insane." "Some of it makes me angry, sad. A lot of it is upsetting," she says. "But I think there's a lot of love there. It's hard for me to listen to it."
Buckingham doesn't regret writing about something so personal. "I didn't have too many second thoughts, mainly because it was either that or go to a shrink," he says. "I know that sounds a little flippant. I think it was something that had to be addressed. People who write things that mean something, usually they're a little too personal for somebody else. That's a risk that has to be taken."
Lindsey Buckingham seems to thrive on taking risks. He is doing his best to leave behind the band he helped turn into a superstar act and establish a successful solo career for himself. After recording the critically acclaimed solo album "Law and Order" (which contained the hit single "Trouble") in 1981 for Asylum, Buckingham hired high powered manager Brokaw, signed a multi-album deal with Elektra, spent a year recording the eccentric but excellent "Go Insane" and flew to London to make a surreal video. "Punching out of the Fleetwood Mac microcosm," he calls it.
What he has not been doing is spending any time with the other members of Fleetwood Mac in or out of the studio. Aside from a brief, inconsequential meeting backstage at a Christine McVie concert, it's been two years since he's seen any of them. Yet, despite his intentions, Buckingham can't seem to let go completely of Fleetwood Mac. One finds the platinum albums and old magazine photos around the house. Stevie Nicks just sent him a tape of a new song that she wants him to hear. Mick Fleetwood called this morning, asking if he could use Lindsey's studio for a few hours. And as he talks, with or without prompting, Lindsey often refers to Fleetwood Mac.
Ten years ago, Lindsey and then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks, who were performing together as a folk-rock duo and had recorded one unsuccessful album, "Buckingham\Nicks," were asked by Mick Fleetwood to join his relatively unsuccessful British blues band. The rejuvenated Fleetwood Mac's first album, "Fleetwood Mac," was a big hit.
Attempting to follow up their success, Fleetwood Mac spent nearly a year recording the pop rock soap opera "Rumours," which documented the breakup of both Buckingham and Nicks' relationship and Christine and John McVie's marriage. Even then, there were musical differences. "I can remember during "Rumours," recalls Buckingham, "saying to Mick, 'Well, things don't seem to be going exactly the way I would like them to go.' And he said, 'Well, maybe you don't want to be in a group.'"
Despite the conflicts, Buckingham was the major force behind "Rumours." "His contribution to the album was tremendous," confirms Richard Dashut. "If any one person had the most to do with the production and the arranging and the inspiration, it was Lindsey." Although Fleetwood Mac is listed as the producer, along with Dashut, Ken Caillat and Cris Morris, Buckingham now says, "I can't figure out why I didn't ask for production credit."
"Rumours" went on to become one of the biggest-selling records of all time. Yet for Buckingham it was a bittersweet experience. "When "Rumours" went crazy, I just couldn't bring myself to feel that strongly about the album. At some point, all the stuff surrounding it started to become the main focus. There was a gap between what I felt was important internally what I had accomplished musically and the popular acclaim."
"Tusk" was "a rebellion against that." For Buckingham, who had become excited by the spirit of punk and New Wave, Dashut remembers Lindsey playing him records by the Sex Pistols, the Clash and Talking Heads, it meant abandoning the pop formula that had made "Rumours" such a success and plunging into the unknown. On tour he began using a portable studio to record in his hotel rooms. Back in L.A., he put together songs by himself in a spare room at his house, taping vocals in the bathroom. His efforts were not well received by the band. Still, Buckingham got his way. "Basically, if Lindsey hadn't been allowed to do what he did on "Tusk," I think that you wouldn't have had a band," says Dashut. "Or that they would have got another guitar player. I think that everybody else went along to save the band, as opposed to really agreeing with where his head was at."
Buckingham remembers things differently. "I would bring tunes in, and everyone would go, 'Oh, that's great.' When Mick took the "Tusk" album down to Warner Bros., everyone was jumping up and down going, Oh, this is really one of the neatest things we ever heard' although I have subsequently heard that when a lot of those people at Warner Bros. heard that album, they saw their Christmas bonuses flying out the window. I do think there was a time when everyone in the band was quite carried away with the spirit of experimentation. But when it began to become apparent that it wasn't going to sell 15 million copies, then everyone from the band looked at me and went, Oh, you blew it, buddy.'"
Today, Buckingham feels removed from the other members of Fleetwood Mac, though they were never close socially. "We never hung out. Never," he says. "We were never friends in the sense that I would call Mick up and go hang out." Now there isn't much of a creative bond, either. "What used to keep them together was the music," says Dashut. "These days he doesn't share much in common musically with everybody else."
Buckingham is plainly bored, and a little disappointed, with what his colleagues have been up to on their own. "I've seen Stevie's show, I've seen Christine's show. To me, they both bordered on being lounge acts, simply because they were resting so heavily on Fleetwood Mac's laurels. But I think you owe it to yourself and you owe it to your audience to try at least."
He is vague about his future with Fleetwood Mac. He might make another album with the group. Still, as he says, referring to "Go Insane," "If this album becomes quite successful, everything's going to change radically."
"I've heard rumors that if I was not ready to do an album in the next three or four months, or at least talk about it, they were going to seek out somebody else," he says. "Like Pete Townsend. That's probably an idle rumor that's somehow gotten around. But at the same time I can't say that doesn't more or less coincide with the kind of psychology I've seen go on in the group at certain times. If something needs to get done, they'll get it done one way or another. And if Lindsey doesn't want to play ball, **** him. They'll fire him and get somebody else. That's the way the band works."
Lindsey Buckingham is standing in the "rain room." This is his favorite room in the house other than the recording studio. The room has a glass ceiling. Flip a switch and a gentle shower of water begins pitter-pattering against the roof, as if it were raining. "It's great for freaking people out," he says, smiling. "You just turn it on without saying anything, and you're in here talking, and suddenly they think it's raining." the room also contains an immense pine tree growing right out of the floor and up through a hole in the ceiling.
As he stands in the kitchen, there is a knock on the door. A moment later Mick Fleetwood breezes in, followed by a couple of guys lugging boxes of recording tape. Fleetwood wants to use the studio to listen to live recordings of his band, Mick Fleetwood's Zoo. The two members of Fleetwood Mac greet each other warmly, but there is a slight undercurrent of tension. Fleetwood finds himself a beer. Lindsey doesn't ask Fleetwood about those Pete Townsend rumors.
The phone rings, and as Lindsey answers it, Fleetwood wanders out of the room. He returns a moment later with a novelty item, a life-size rubber hand with a wire running from it to a button. When the button is pushed, the fingers move. "I've got to have this," says the drummer. Then he unzips his pants and arranges the rubber hand so that it sticks out of his fly like a mutant phallus. Pushing the button, Fleetwood grins like a maniac as the fingers wiggle.
Chatting on the phone, Buckingham appears oblivious to Fleetwood's antics. Eventually, the drummer and his entourage move back to the studio and the Zoo tape is played. The music is bluesy, meat and potatoes rock and roll. Lindsey stays in the studio for just a few minutes, then slips away. The next day he says, "I didn't feel comfortable with the music they were playing. I was almost getting embarrassed. So soon we forget. You see Mick, and all the chemistry comes back, and then all the down-side comes back, too."
As it turned out, Mick Fleetwood and his buddies kept Lindsey up until five a.m. "Finally I had to say 'Mick, I have to go to sleep now. Mick!' It brought back being in the studio and wanting to leave," said the lonesome rock star. "Only I really had nowhere else to go. I mean, this is my house.
Oct, 84


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Pedroia out for rest of Classic
AL MVP hampered by left oblique discomfort
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
Pedroia, the 2008 American League Most Valuable Player and starting second baseman for Team USA, was examined by Red Sox medical director Dr. Tom Gill on Saturday night.
"While he will be held out from activity for a couple of days, it is not expected that he will miss significant time," the Red Sox said in a statement. "Pedroia will rejoin Red Sox Spring Training camp on Sunday and is no longer participating in the World Baseball Classic."
Pedroia felt a pinch in his side while swinging the bat in warmups on Saturday before Team USA faced Puerto Rico in second-round action in the Classic. He was replaced on the roster by Baltimore's Brian Roberts.
Mark DeRosa played second base on Saturday night.
In first-round pool play in the Classic, Pedroia was 2-for-16 with a pair of doubles.
"I was hitting extra [Saturday], and I kind of felt a little soreness," Pedroia said. "I started taking flips today. I kind of felt a shooting pain, a little bit."
Hitting coach Reggie Smith immediately shut Pedroia down once he said there was discomfort.
The All-Star second baseman has been in contact with the Red Sox, and he left Miami for Fort Myers late Saturday afternoon. He didn't stay for Team USA's game with Puerto Rico at Dolphin Stadium.
In preparation for the Classic, Pedroia did some extra training in the offseason. From the first game of the Classic in Toronto, he played all nine innings.
Pedroia said he has never had an oblique issue.
"No. Nothing like that. I've never really had anything like this," Pedroia said. "It's frustrating. Obviously I trained really hard in the offseason to prevent something like this from happening. Maybe I pushed it a little too hard, too fast to get this going. I'll get this checked out Sunday."
The timing of the ailment comes about three weeks before Opening Day, but the All-Star second baseman fully expects to be ready by them.
"I'll be fine. I'm not concerned about the season," Pedroia said. "I'll be ready for the season. I'm not worried about that."
Known as a gamer who plays all-out, Pedroia is disappointed leaving his team during the second round. When he left the ballpark, he was hopeful he might be able to return.
"I'm not too excited about leaving," he said. "This is a great time, obviously, representing your country. This is the second round, and games are going to get extremely exciting and fun. Hopefully, everything checks out good [Sunday] and I'm back."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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