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LightSquared, the beleaguered satellite company that plans to revolutionize the wireless industry as a new competitor, could spring back from the dead with an alternative plan it has been quietly shepherding through the regulatory process over the past year. Most industry observers considered LightSquared's fate sealed when it filed for bankruptcy back in 2012 after failing to receive government approval to launch its cellular network in the face of interference concerns with GPS. But the company has been diligently pursuing an alternative path to bring its business plan to market.
The government has yet to green-light the company's new plan, but LightSquared faces a new threat: Dish. At this stage of the bankruptcy proceeding, LightSquared's assets are on auction to the highest bidder and Dish is looking to capitalize. With $2.2 billion on the table, the pay-TV operator currently has the leading offer.
Dish's gambit to purchase LightSquared is part and parcel of the company's broader strategy to transform itself into a broadband company. Last fall the company launched DishNET, a satellite-based Internet service targeting rural and underserved areas. The Internet branch of the company is helping to stem the tide of customers leaving its other services. In the last quarter Dish lost 78,000 pay-TV subscribers, but it gained 61,000 DishNET customers.
Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen has ambitions to build a nationwide wireless network. But to get in that game, he needs more airwaves that power mobile connectivity. That's where LightSquared comes in. The hopeful Internet provider isn't going down without a fight, however. LightSquared founder Phil Falcone, a high-profile hedge fund operator, has sued Ergen, alleging that he broke the law by secretly buying up the company's debt—a credit agreement prohibits direct competitors from doing so. Ergen is now one of the principle holders of LightSquared's debt.
On the surface it's a business battle between two billionaires, Ergen and Falcone, but at the end of the day it's really about the future of the wireless industry. If LightSquared emerges victorious, the market could see a new entrant with an innovative business model. If Dish wins, the impact is less clear, as Ergen has left everyone guessing on what he plans to do. In his most recent earnings call, Ergen left the door open to a wide number of possibilities, including merging with T-Mobile or DirecTV, making a network sharing agreement with another carrier, or simply selling the airwaves.
To understand where this is going, it's worth taking a look at how this all began.
LightSquared history
Back in 2010, Falcone acquired the mobile satellite provider SkyTerra through his hedge fund Harbinger Capital and announced his grand plans to build a nationwide wireless network.
He dreamed of building a nationwide 4G wholesale network that would enable device manufacturers and regional cell phone carriers to purchase connectivity to the Internet at a reduced rate. LightSquared promised to offer the same quality of broadband as the current national players—AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile—at a lower price point since they wouldn't be competing in the retail space.
In order to execute, the company needed government approval to use its airwaves to power cellular communication, the infrastructure that supports mobile phones, iPads, and the like. Those signals are land-based and operate through a network of towers; satellite service signals travel from ground to space.
In January of 2011, LightSquared got initial approval from the Federal Communications Commission(FCC) to move ahead with its vision. But the agreement came with a major caveat. The approval (or waiver, in FCC parlance) was conditioned on resolving interference concerns with the GPS industry.
In the following months, the GPS industry and LightSquared engaged in a bitter public battle over the extent of the possible harm and how and whether it could be resolved. The issue became a political firestorm resulting in a number of hearings on Capitol Hill and accusations that the Obama administration was guilty of capital cronyism for its so-called support of this dangerous plan.
LightSquared and the GPS industry blamed one another for the interference problems.
The satellite company accused the GPS industry, which operates in airwaves adjacent to those licensed by LightSquared, of "squatting" in its territory. Simply put, LightSquared claimed that the GPS industry was using its neighbor's land. But according to the GPS industry, the real problem lay in the power of the network it wanted to build. The strength of such land-based signals was never meant to exist alongside satellite, it argued. And in order to be able to hear signals from the satellite, noise in the area couldn't be too loud.
Regardless of who was to blame, the interference problems were real, and the FCC was not going to let the satellite company move forward without a solution to the problem. After more than a year of testing and more verbal sparring than anyone involved probably cares to remember, the federal government put the kibosh on LightSquared in February of 2012.
That May, the besieged satellite operator filed for bankruptcy and most people wrote it off for dead. However, it continues to offer satellite-based voice and data services, primarily to public safety, through a network of providers such as Infosat Communications and International Satellite Services.
A new plan: Spectrum swap
Last fall, LightSquared unveiled a new plan involving a spectrum swap. If the company can share 5MHz of airwaves currently used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it will give up its right to use terrestrial signals in the 10MHz closest to GPS. The ability to use the NOAA spectrum, coupled with another 25MHz the company has, will be enough to get its network off the ground, LightSquared said.
To help steward this plan forward, Falcone has maintained a handsome stable of lobbyists and government affairs executives. So far this year, the company has spent $1.3 million on federal lobbying alone.
LightSquared has some reason to be hopeful. The FCC granted it authority to test the feasibility of sharing with NOAA, an indication of the seriousness to explore this possibility. What's more, it could help the government in other ways if this works out. "There is much more interest to prove now that spectrum sharing among federal and commercial users is possible," said Harold Feld, a senior executive at the consumer interest group Public Knowledge.
The mantra from the administration, following the release of a presidential advisory committee report last summer, is that government and commercial users will have to find ways to share this finite resource in the long run.
It also helps that a handful of major trade associations—including CTIA, the Competitive Carrier Association, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association—have expressed some support for the new proposal.
Perhaps most notably, the GPS industry has not kicked up a fuss about LightSquared's new vision, but it also hasn't given its blessing.
According to GPS sources, the industry is having conversations with LightSquared about the characteristics and possible interference arising out of handset use of airwaves close to GPS.
The FCC, Dish, and LightSquared declined to comment for this story.
But time is working against the company. The bankruptcy court judge plans to rule on a reorganization scheme this December, and Dish has already put enough money on the table to make the lenders whole.
When it comes to the bankruptcy proceeding, "the one overarching factor is how much money people are going to pay and how much money do the creditors get and when," said Madlyn Gleich Primoff, a partner at Kaye Scholer who specializes in bankruptcy law. "The 'when' piece is really dependent on FCC approval."
"It seems that the lenders are willing to let the assets go, and that means that there should be a sale," Primoff added. "Unless there is something that Falcone can put on the table that has some chance of success."
To that end, the folks at LightSquared are hoping that their Hail Mary, the plan to use the NOAA spectrum, will get the FCC's blessing.
The end game
In all likelihood, the FCC will only push to make sure the spectrum goes to good use, not to help any particular company.
"Getting it out in the marketplace will be the first priority, and ensuring competitiveness will be the second," a former FCC official said. It may not even be Dish or LightSquared. A third candidate could emerge, as anyone is now free to make an offer on the assets.
Blair Levin, principle author of the National Broadband Plan, argues that it will be tough for either company to make a splash now.
"Now a lot of people have 4G; it will be much more difficult for a new entrant to successfully compete," Levin said. "I don't think either of the plans Dish and LightSquared have really involve creating a new competitor. I think for both of them it's an adjunct niche market strategy."
Others see an opportunity for a meaningful impact.
"What we are hoping is that LightSquared would still emerge with at least a 10 by 10MHz wholesale network," said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Project at the New America Foundation. "The concept of a wholesale-only network; that's what consumer groups were particularly excited about."
Feld argues that Dish could also bring some healthy competition that would benefit consumers.
"If Dish were able to offer a terrestrial wireless service my sense is they would do it in combination with their video service," Feld said. "It would be a good competitor to cable."
The consensus among industry observers is that both companies will need a partner to successfully monetize the spectrum. A likely candidate for both is T-Mobile, the weakest of the big four.
"The FCC is very wary of the market positions of AT&T and Verizon," said Jeff Silva, telecommunications analyst at Medley Global Advisors. With Sprint's recent merger with SoftBank, a Japanese telecommunication company, "that leaves T-Mobile as a partner, or to acquire."
One factor boosting Dish's position is that most of their spectrum holdings do not have major interference issues to resolve.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Charlie Ergen prevails in the bankruptcy proceeding," Silva said. "He is very persistent and I think he is playing to win."
The heated battle over this troubled asset demonstrates just how starved the industry is for this infrastructure.
"One thing that hasn't changed [in recent years] is the rapid ongoing increase in mobile data usage and so the demand for spectrum by the entire mobile market," former FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said. "Federal agencies must push forward on all possibilities for freeing up spectrum for commercial use."
Eliza Krigman is a freelance writer based in Washington, DC. She has written extensively about technology policy, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, and The Atlantic.


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March 2 Wash Day
So wash day was da bomb hair fail. You'll see what I mean. So if you have been following me here or on other platforms, you know I have a weird work schedule, thanks to being in healthcare. I work 7 days straight and then I am off 7 days. My 7 is wed to… Continue reading March 2 Wash Day

subset: commoncrawl


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Galway woman scoops €297,860 on EuroMillions
A Galway woman, whose car was so worn out that the reg plate was held together with sellotape, has scooped €297,860 on the EuroMillions draw.
'I honestly just can't believe it, it really is a dream come through, my whole family are only delighted for me'.
A delighted Niamh O'Meara, who has played the Lottery every week since she was 18, picked up her cheque from National Lottery headquarters after winning the Match 5 + Lucky Star prize on the EuroMillions draw on Tuesday 04 April.
She said she could not believe it when her numbers came up.
'This came at the perfect time for me. I was down to the last €24 in my bank account. Last week the registration plate fell off the back of the car. I had to resort to the sellotape to keep it hanging on. Not any more though, my first purchase was a brand new car once I realised I had hit the jackpot'.
Niamh visited National Lottery Headquarters with her two sisters to pick up her cheque, and the win was still only sinking in for them all.
'I've played the Lottery every week since I turned 18. I play the EuroMillions every Tuesday and Friday, and pick up the odd scratchcard every now and again."
"I always felt I would win the lottery, and that one day I would be here in the National Lottery picking up a cheque. Our mam passed away a few years ago and in some ways I think this was a gift she has sent me. I'm off on holidays on Monday to celebrate and after that a new house and some celebrations with the family are in order,' said Niamh.
Do you want to share that winning feeling? Friday's EuroMillions Jackpot is a guaranteed €17 million. Play in store, on the National Lottery App or online for your chance to win.


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Indie Southern City's Lab
Ethers /// The Nothing320kbit/s4:2953 12Like Repost SocialAddDownloadto Set to Group to Playlist···Suggest Genre4:29
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Ethers is a Russian rock band formed in Krasnodar in 2016. Originally was making dream-pop music at home. Then changed genre to indie rock and released their debut studio album No Karma with minimalistic sounding of post-punk in October of 2016. For now band is experimenting with sounds and rhythms and working on a new album which will be released in 2017.
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Technique Tuesday — Motivation Meditation
The leaves are turning. The weather is cooling. The season is changing. The transition from summer to fall can be a bit abrupt in the Pacific Northwest. Our late Indian Summers keep our sunshiny spirits high well into October and then BOOM — it's time for scarves, boots, and rain jackets. Once Halloween hits, it's off to the holiday races, so it's important to keep our crazy brains in check — to keep our minds strong — so that we can sustain balance and remain steady amongst the flurry of year-end activities.
Sometimes, mental strength manifests as simple motivation — to continue to wake up early even as the days shorten, to make it through your long weekend run even when it's a little too chilly for comfort outside, or to make it to your Sunday yoga class even when you might be slightly hungover from tailgating the day before. Instead of focusing on how many steps are between you and your next finish line — whatever form that might be — focus on the step right in front of you. Just get up, just get dressed, just go. The key is to start from where you are because once you make that first step, you won't turn back.
So, the next time you're feeling overwhelmed or lacking the motivation to make some moves, hit up this simple meditation to boost your mental strength:
Try it: Motivation Meditation
- Stop right where you are and focus on your breathing. No particular pattern or pace required, simply breathe deeply — this will help to relax and invigorate you, which creates the conditions for optimal performance.
- Once your breathing feels steady, "feel" for your intention. Don't try to think of something to do, instead see where your attention naturally goes. If a few things come to mind, just pick one thing, and turn it into a clear, action-oriented word/phrase.
- Take a deep inhale while thinking "I will..."
- Then exhale while thinking your intention. For example: Inhale "I will..." exhale "run hard today..." OR Inhale "I will..." exhale "stretch my hamstrings for 5 minutes..."
- Continue for at least 2 minutes so that even the action/task at hand begins to feel more easeful.
- Eventually, stop repeating the words, acknowledge the motivation you've created around your intention, and GO OUT THERE AND KICK SOME BOOTY!
Motivation is like a muscle. You gotta work it. Keep it simple. Keep it steady. Keep it strong, OMies.


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The Concord Eye-Q Go Wireless digital camera ($179.99 list) eliminates the need for cables and cradles, instead transmitting images directly to any Bluetooth-enabled PC, printer, PDA, or even cell phone. It's also fairly easy to use, produces very good daylight images, and comes bundled with great software. But sluggish performance and a lack of features cancel any advantage wireless image transfer may offer.
The compact Eye-Q weighs a scant 4.5 ounces with the battery and comes in an attractive two-tone (silver and light blue) all-plastic case. The few controls are conveniently situated, letting you easily operate the camera with one hand. In addition to 7MB of built-in flash memory, the camera accommodates optional SD/MMC cards. To maintain its small form factor, though, the unit is powered by a single CR123A non-rechargeable lithium cell rather than less expensive double-A batteries. USB and video-out ports supplement the Bluetooth connectivity.
The BB-size 9.9-mm, f3.2 lens is fixed-focus. A slide switch below it lets you adjust the depth-of-field for macro, portrait, and distant shots, though. Subjects remain correctly framed when you use the 4X zoom, but because it's digital, you won't see the effect in the optical, fixed-focus viewfinder, which is also limited to 85 percent coverage of the actual image area (thus you see 15 percent less than the lens captures). Unfortunately, images on the 1.6-inch LCD display are nearly impossible to see in bright- or low-light situations.
The Eye-Q, which has a 2-megapixel CMOS image sensor, can shoot at resolutions of 1,600-by-1,200, 1,280-by-960, and 640-by-480, recording in JPEG format at three compression levels. It can capture silent 320-by-240 AVI videos at 15 fps, and when attached to a PC via a USB cable, can double as a Web camera. The point-and-shoot camera's only user-selectable exposure setting is exposure compensation. The Eye-Q offers three preset white balance options as well as an automatic setting, but ISO equivalency is fixed at 100. The built-in flash has just three modesauto, off, and filland illuminates to a maximum of only 8 feet. The camera has fireworks, party/indoor, sunset, night landscape, and beach/snow shooting modes.
Shooting the Eye-Q is a slow, sometimes frustrating experience. The camera takes 7.6 seconds to bootmost 2MP models take less than 3.5and When set at high resolution and low compression, it recycles in 5.7 seconds with the flash and LCD enabled and 3 seconds without. Although it lacks a two-step shutter, which would let you check focus and exposurebut add a pauseshutter delay is still a frustratingly slow 0.7 seconds. And beyond such annoying delays, turning on the self-timer requires six button pushes. Still, playback, although Spartan, is simple, and even though paging to the next image takes a few seconds, the pan-and-zoom feature is fast and jerk-free.
Installing and setting up Bluetooth presents no difficulty. The camera comes bundled with a nifty key-drivesize Bluetooth USB receiver, the software is simple and direct, and you can easily change the default camera name and security parameters for better interaction with other Bluetooth-enabled devices. We flawlessly transmitted pictures to any point in our studio within the 33-foot range. For real-world use, however, the capability is less than satisfactory. There's no batch command, so you can transmit only one image at a time. And though a standard quality VGA image took 3.6 seconds to upload, a high-quality, high-resolution image took 90 secondsand those times didn't include the 17 seconds or more that selecting each image and establishing communications required. Also, because the incremental file names are reset every time you delete earlier images or reformat the memory card, you can easily overwrite files.
Image quality is mixed. Our simulated daylight test shot was very good, with accurate exposure, satisfactory colors, and sharp edges. But our test flash shot was at least two stops overexposed, with no true blacks and a loss of detail. The Concord Eye-Q Go Wireless is an interesting but ultimately unsatisfactory attempt to break through the image transfer process that so intimidates and confounds many digital camera users.


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The South Korean Electronic Company will add IoT technology into their upcoming lineup of Smart. Also their 2016 series of high-end, 4K-resolution LCD TVs (known as SUHD TVs). All will be compatible with the company's Internet of Things platform SmartThings.
With SmartThings enabled, you will be able to control other Smart Things-compatible devices, like locks and thermostats, from your TV on a single interface.This is gonna make everyone having this device way easier in managing them. Imagine controlling TV, Locks, thermostat, etc with a smartphone. Cool, uh?
Motion sensors installed in the house can also send pop-up notifications to your TV, and you can adjust the brightness of your living room lights to set the mood for movie-watching. Which means you can received updates and notification alert in your TV. We won't miss anything happen around us.
Launched in 2014, Samsung's SmartThings service is the company's central platform in the fast-growing industry on Internet of Things, the idea of connecting more devices and objects to the Web.


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(612) 781-9270 - Contact Us
St. Anthony Village Dentistry
Welcome to St. Anthony Village Dentistry, the dental office of Dr. Nicole Hoiland. We feature family dentistry in a neighborhood setting that offers great value to our patients. We incorporate the latest technology to bring you the most convenient and accurate care possible so that you and your family can enjoy a lifetime of healthy smiles.
If you experience a dental emergency, we encourage you to contact us right away. If you have pain, we will work to quickly diagnose your condition, provide treatment options, and restore your comfort. Even if you are a new patient with an emergency, we will do our best to treat you on the same day.
Our office is conveniently located on 33rd Avenue between Silver Lake Road and Stinson Boulevard two blocks west of St. Anthony Village High School. We proudly serve St. Anthony Village, NE Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, New Brighton, Arden Hills, Roseville, Saint Paul, Blaine, Fridley, and the surrounding communities.
We provide comprehensive preventive care, quality restorative treatments, implant restorations, treatment for TMJ and TMD, tooth-colored fillings, periodontal treatment, and digital dental x-rays.
We currently welcome patients of all ages to join our dental family, and we look forward to seeing your smile.
Give us a call to schedule your next dental appointment.


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I'm so happy and blessed that I could roll on the floor crying tears of joy right about now. Today was an awesome day for me. So many things went well at church. I tend to feel amazing when I leave church but on much deeper levels today was special.
I battle with fear when it comes to singing solo / lead. I thought this was obvious to everyone – especially since we use a huge projection screen at church. A few weeks ago I shared this with our Music Director as I was feeling pretty bad about a small lead part I did in the service. I got complements from several people but I couldn't receive any of them. I even got complements on the clothes I was wearing (which were new and I liked a lot) but i didn't even feel good about that. I realized that this was my issue and things weren't quite as bad as I was making them out to be. I just was afraid of 'messing up' and even more afraid that I was bad and no one would tell me. Me telling Fran (our Music Director) about how I felt along with talking about it in one of my groups really helped me to see just how my attitude was. It was exposed and in the light and suddenly it didn't seem so big.
Fast-forwarding to this week, I was given a lead part with two solo verses. Fran really wanted me to pray about leading this song because the lyrics were definitely something that I could sing from my heart.
Sometimes at night
I am afraid
I cover my eyes,
Cover my shame
So here in the dark
Broken apart
Come with your light
And fill up my heart
Oh great light of the world
Fill up my soul
I'm half a man here
So come make me whole
Oh great light of the world
Come to impart
The light of your grace
To fill up my heart
— Great Light Of The World by Bebo Norman
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I immediately wanted to sing the song, but was afraid that it was too high for my range. Fran and his wife Cheryl were really accommodating and willing to work with / support me in whatever way I needed. Now it was time for me to really work on the song by myself since we wouldn't have our normal rehearsal — due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. I practiced… realized I was even afraid to sing loud at home (what would the neighbors think) but pushed past that fear too.
Sunday morning finally came and while I was sleeping I had a dream – it was too random to go into detail here, but it charged me up with confidence that I was a valuable part of the team at Church and that I needed to do what I do there. Our pre-service rehearsal went well with only a few corrections along the way. The service flowed well and the message was convicting to me. I got some new insights on the teaching that John the Baptist did in preparing the way of the Lord. And after the message was the time for my song. I sang it and thankfully my mom was sitting down front and one of my friends stood the entire time I sang – that support blessed me so! I sang the song… I think I up a few words at end of a verse or two, but overall I did my best. I still felt rather neutral — and didn't anticipate any positive response.
After the service our Music director gave me a big smile a "great job" and one friend came to tell me she cried as I sang the song. Another friend said he stopped what he was doing to come in and listen. Several others gave complements and a couple people asked me "how dod you do it? I would be way too nervous or scared!" They were amazed when I told them how little confidence I had going in! I realize that – especially on stage — I'll project confidence even if I feel everything but! Part of my challenge is learning to feel good just in knowing I did my best. Validation / approval from others is GREAT ( I promise you it is!!!) but for me to grow more, I'm going to have to internalize that for myself. I was really happy that I pushed past so many of the fears I've had in the past and that it resulted in a great time of worship for me and for many in our congregation. That's purpose!
The other great thing that happened today was having the 20's/30's group unexpectedly sing Happy Birthday to me. My Birthday is coming up on Wednesday and I'd honestly forgotten that the date was quickly approaching so I hadn't made any major plans. But it was just neat to know that others are thinking about me and were happy to lift their voices in song. It took me back to one year ago when I was first becoming more connected at church. To know that because of the good relationships I've found there SOOOOO many things in my life have changed and are being healed. I'm taking more responsibility for myself, I'm growing emotionally and spiritually. My community of friends and family is amazing. I'm becoming more sure of my gifts and callings. I'm growing my business and growing up as a man.
I'm really surprised I'm not completely in tears at this point. I've had to stop several times today just to rejoice for how God has blessed me. I really am SO happy. That isn't to say life isn't without it's challenges and difficulties. Those will always be a part of this world. But to face life with the hope and support of God and his people is something that's powerful beyond words.
I thank GOD for his purpose and the hope that he's given me! Indeed, he's come to my rescue, he's lit-up my life, and has redeemed me!


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January is usually a challenging time in the lives of many people. The anticipation of the holidays is over, there are messes to be cleaned, and lots of cold weather and dark days ahead. From times past, I know that it helps me every year to refocus and get a new perspective in order to make it through the long winter months with more grace. I wish you were here today, the flurries of snow are so lovely as it peacefully dances through the air and falls softly. It is so white, so pure, so wonderful. It reminds me of the gentleness of God's word and the beauty of it as it fills our soul. That is exactly the way I feel now as I ponder our morning devotions where we discussed the virgins that didn't bring enough oil for their lamps.
1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. (Mathew 25: 1-3)
Some of the virgins were called wise and some were called foolish. Why?
Because they had oil? Well, partially but more because they had thought ahead to the priorities in life. They didn't let things in life distract them from the truly pressing, the truly important, the true priorities. The wise virgins took the time to put oil in their lamps--to be ready to meet the bridegroom.
What does it mean for us to be ready to meet Him? To see Him face to face? How does that play itself out in the warp and woof of our home life? There are times in our lives when we definitely get distracted by dirty rooms, meals to prepare and oh yes, definitely laundry! But, are these the things that put oil into our souls? Likely not.
However, focusing on the Savior that is in the manger and on the cross will definitely fill our soul and guide our hands to the priorities of a time to visit with God every day, a time to talk to our children about why they are created in God's image and maybe some help in how they can walk that out today. Maybe it is time in prayer for the neighbor, friend who is mourning, or family member that feels so alone and misunderstood.
All of our busy-ness will be in vain if it is not in preparation to see Him, to celebrate Him in our homes, to ready all of our children to put Him as the highest priority as we await that wonderful day when He will come back to the earth. God wants us to be ready and anticipating His coming.
The wise virgins were ready--they had faithfully prepared to see their Savior face to face. When we are in readiness the priorities are a lot more clear and our steps are so much more sure. So, as January approaches, evaluate your life in light of this wonderful little story. Take some time today to make sure you have the oil you need for your lamp and you too will be wise.


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Munich Weihnachtsmarkt and Hofbrauhaus/
After we were done at the Deutsches Museum, we decided to head over to the Munich Weihnachtsmarkt in Marienplatz. Being Saturday, in Munich, two weeks before Christmas, it was packed. Like, almost shoulder to shoulder packed. But, we were there and, gosh darnit, we (ok, I, Aaron wasn't all that interested), was going to experience the Munich Weihnachtsmarkt. So, that's exactly what we did.
But, before we headed to the market, there was, surprise!, another church we wanted to visit. Man, was this one BEAUTIFUL!! It's Munich's oldest church and after being built originally at the end of the 12th century, but it burned in 1327. It was rebuilt as the one standing today and was completed in 1368. I don't know how we missed it last time we were here, but I really think this one is prettier than the Frauenkirche Cathedral (the famous cathedral in Munich with the twin towers). Along each side are a number of small alcoves, some with tombs, some containing confessionals and one containing the relics of Saint Munditia (she is a martyr about whom not much is known, but her remains were transferred from Roman catacombs to Munich in 1675) and Saint Erasumus of Formiae (aka, Saint Elmo, the patron saint of sailors). They were all closed off to public access. St. Peter's has a tower that you can climb for a couple euros, but the line was ridiculously long. We had decided to wait until it was closer to dark, thinking that the line and photos from the top would be cool.
There were a few Christmas presents that I still needed to pick up, so we headed to the market. We ended up finding a couple of things that we liked ourselves to bring back. We also had the requisite Glühwein (each place is different so you have to try them all!, just kidding....kind of) and even tried the stollen (German fruitcake), which was tasty. So tasty in fact that we picked up a small loaf to bring home with us.
We then headed into the courtyard of the Rathaus (city office building), but before we made it, I noticed a bunch of people standing in front of an elevator, waiting. Further investigation informed me that the wait was to go up to the Rathaus tower (which, incidentally, is directly above the Glockenspiel by a few floors). It wasn't very expensive, and we had the time, so we did it. And it was worth it. The beautiful view from the top gave a fantastic impression of Munich and we could even see the Alps! Since we went up this tower (with only minimal steps to climb), we decided that we didn't need to climb the St. Peter's tower (which would have been over 300 stairs).
After a couple of hours, Aaron had had his fill of the Christmas market so we headed over the the world famous Hobrauhaus for dinner and some beer (hint, the Bavarian beer is better than the beer near Mannheim). Interesting fact, this is where Hitler held his first public rally and it used to be a popular meeting place among those in the Nazi party. It was our first time and it was only slightly less busy than the Hofbrau tent during Oktoberfest. No matter, we managed to find a seat at a table. A couple changes of tablemates later, we found ourselves with two Spanish, a Russian and German couple, and two Americans with us. Needless to say, it was a fun table! One of the best parts of traveling is meeting other people and talking to them and the German ''family style'' tables, where you sit with whoever happens to be there, make this possible
Now, here are some tips if you are planning on heading to the Hofbrauhaus yourself:
- Service is terrible. It took us nearly 15 minutes just to get a waiters attention to order beer. And then we had to wait for him to come back and actually take our order.
- Beer is typically served in a maß, or a liter at a time, just like at Oktoberfest.
- You pay each time you order. The servers don't keep a running tally of your bill. And in all honesty, this would be far too difficult becuase it's so busy.
- Depending on when you go, you will most likely have trouble finding a table, especially if you are part of a large group. Reservations are available in different areas of the restaurant, but you would miss out on the excitement that is the beer hall. If it is just a few of you, and you are dedicated to eating and/or drinking at the Hofbrauhaus, just keep wandering around until you find a table with enough room for your group. Ask if the spot is free, or if there is room, and if the answer is yes - congrats!
- Make sure you talk with your table mates. I will guarantee that you will walk away with some cool stories!
So that was the end of our first day in Munich. Our Sunday was pretty low key. Check back to see how we spent our Sunday!
- Meghan -


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Whether you're a pitcher or catcher, I'm sure you'll find this week's Sports Stud a treat. As we're now into Spring, I thought I'd highlight an athlete from a sport we'll be seeing a lot of over the summer months – baseball. This week's hottie is 21-year-old Mike Trout who plays MLB (Major League Baseball) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He's so beefy, it's hard to believe he's only 21!
Still very early in his career, he's definitely one to watch. He was named the second-best overall baseball prospect by Baseball America in July 2010 and made ESPN's Keith Law's top 100 prospects list in 2011. These are just a couple of the recognitions he's received in the past couple years.
His nicknames included "Millville Meteor,""Prince Fish", MT Hammer and "King Fish 2.0", in reference to retired Angel Tim Salmon. He's super sexy so keep your eye out for him on the field. In the meantime, check out some of his photos below!


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Then many of the Jewish leaders who heard him say these things began believing him to be the Messiah. Jesus said to them, "You are truly my disciples if you live as I tell you to, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." ~ John 8:31-32 TLB
This was the bible verses listed as 'Verse of the day' on BibleGateway.com on Monday of this week. So why am I telling you this? On Sunday at our corps (church) it was our Vision and Commitment Sunday. During which we were asked to make a new commitment to be God's disciple, and Monday's verse of the day fitted perfectly with the discipleship promise we made on Sunday:
N.B. Although the photo above shows I've not signed my commitment, I have signed a copy of this commitment.
I made a public commitment to serve God all life a number of years ago, when I was commissioned as a senior soldier at Rutherglen Salvation Army. During that service, the singing company (junior choir) sang a song which I choose as it was special to me, Lord, Thou Art Questioning.
I've committed to be God's disciple every day and in all I do, have you?
Here's a beautiful band arrangement of that song. I've listed the words of the song below also so you can follow them.
Lord, thou art questioning: Lovest thou me?
Yea, Lord, thou knowest, my answer must be;
But since love's value is proved by love's test,
Jesus, I'll give thee the dearest and best.
All in my heart, Lord, thou canst read;
Master, thou knowest I love thee indeed.
Ask what thou wilt my devotion to test,
I will surrender the dearest and best.
How couldst thou smile on me if, in my heart,
I were unwilling from treasures to part?
Since my redemption cost thee such a price,
Utmost surrender alone will suffice.
Down at thy feet all my fears I let go,
Back on thy strength all my weakness I throw;
Lord, in my life thou shalt have thine own way,
Speak but the word, and thy child will obey.


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01/20/18 – Josh Young, MSt. (Cantab)
Today, we find ourselves in a situation with civil strife, presidential task forces and calls for reform. Trust has been lost between police and the public. The public is no longer satisfied with police opinions as the final word. With this shift in public perception, it is time for our profession to move towards the same evidence-based practices that have galvanized the field of medicine for years. Evidence-based practices are determined by applying data and the best possible scientific research to guide policy and practice. Medicine accomplished this 150 years ago creating the American Medical Association (AMA) to combat quackery, or people espousing fake cures, calling it medicine. The AMA dedicated their organization to advancing the art and science of medicine. Similar to medicine, policing is an art, and although not a physical science, there is also a social science behind policing. Policing is, therefore, an art and a science. Doctors study doctors to advance their empirical knowledge of their profession, why aren't cops studying cops? Just as practicing doctors created the AMA to shape their profession with scientific evidence, practicing cops established the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing (ASEBP) to shape the current police culture with scientific evidence.
American Society of Evidence-Based Policing (ASEBP)
In the summer of 2015, the President of the Police Foundation, the oldest nationally known policing organization located in Washington DC, and several of its Police Fellows began having regular talks about the need to integrate evidence-based practices into American policing. It was decided to recruit eight working cops and a crime analyst who have research backgrounds and who have demonstrated their ability to infuse science into daily policing. Each of the founding members was specifically chosen because of their uniquely accomplished backgrounds, in-depth understanding of evidence-based practices and passion to improve American policing. This ad hoc committee was first tasked with brainstorming police problems and assessing if they were capable of creating a positive, and equally important, measurable difference in American policing. The result was the creation of the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing (ASEBP).
The ASEBP is a non-profit organization founded on the principles that frontline police officers should be a stakeholder in the re-engineering of their profession. This re-engineering requires not only input from officers but also input from citizens, researchers, and policymakers. There is currently no national society that brings together all ranks and members of police organizations. To date, all of the major societies cater to executive management. ASEBP was established in 2015 under the umbrella of the Police Foundation in Washington DC. ASEBP is focused on the need for street cops, management, community members and researchers to take an active role in shaping the future of policing.
Currently, the media is in control influencing and shaping policy coming from the White House. Without science, we are left with opinion and experience.We see science as a solution to guiding the art of policing. The ASEBP is designed to drive the national conversation towards ensuring that the least harmful, most effective, fairest and safest research-based strategies are employed to prevent crime, reduce harm and improve community and officer wellness. At the core of ASEBP is the belief that law enforcement is a noble profession, filled with talented professionals, who are capable and ready for positive change towards evidence-based practices. Also, we believe every member of our community possesses intrinsic value regardless of their social class, race or sexual orientation.
The change we advocate calls on police departments to integrate practices which are supported by the best available research. Much like medical doctors and a myriad of other professional fields, police should have continuing educational hours based on the latest research in their field. In this forum, academics and cops can assemble to learn, research and collaborate on pioneering techniques for the purpose of promoting police tactics that improve officer and citizen safety, reduce stress, and create less societal harm. These tactics, grounded in research, will produce the most effective and safest outcomes for citizens and cops alike.
We believe police practices and management is not only enhanced by science but it is in their very nature to coalesce to form a better system of policing. Research allows for a faster feedback loop to determine which practices should be kept and which practices need to be eliminated. For instance, it was almost 20 years before the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) program was evaluated and found lacking. Over 50 million dollars in taxpayers' money has been spent on a program that does relatively little to prevent kids from using drugs. This money could have been better spent putting cops on the street, purchasing better equipment, or implementing training. Integrating an evidence-based approach to testing interventions before scaling them up nationwide would be a more cost-effective way of implementation by getting rid of useless programs before emotional attachment takes hold.
ASEBP wants to do this by bridging the gap between academics and police practitioners. Academics are often viewed negatively by cops because they do not want people who haven't spent a day on the street telling them how to be cops. This is a misconception. Cops and academics can effectively work side by side. Cops can propose new tactics and academics can scientifically analyze the outcomes of the intervention. Academics can also evaluate the social processes that are occurring during the intervention and analyze the outcomes to give cops feedback. Feedback is integral to learning. Without a feedback loop, policing will never understand whether programs, projects or interventions are effective. ASEBP wants to dispel the myth that integrating an evidence-based policing culture and scientifically testing innovations is outside the scope of local police agencies. Police working together with academic institutions can create empirical evidence to guide practice. Although ASEBP is at the early adoption stage, we think we can get to the first great tipping point; introducing the current policing culture to evidence-based policing (EBP) and creating an in-depth understanding of what EBP is and isn't. If we assimilate EBP into police agencies, then collaboration with academics will be seamless which can lead to the testing of various interventions to address unique problems specific to each community.
Three Pillars of ASEBP
We Educate
We aim to provide knowledge about evidence-based practices to front-line officers, mid-management, senior police commanders, community members and policy makers. We are convinced that through the sharing of knowledge, we can all benefit. ASEBP plans to accomplish this by translating research from academic language into policing language and then putting it into a format that is easily digestible, short white papers, videos, or podcasts.
We Advocate
We advocate for the use of evidence-based practices in all aspects of policing as a way of ensuring we are serving our communities in the most efficient manner without causing harm. The research guides us on what works and what doesn't work in policing. ASEBP will accomplish this by presenting current EBP practices to Chiefs, Sheriffs, policy makers, and citizens at relevant conferences.
We Facilitate
We facilitate the creation and use of research in policing by acting as a conduit for both police and research professionals. For years, academics and researchers have examined policing and conducted experiments, but until recently the results have not made it to the hands of the people on the front lines. In conjunction with the Candian Society of Evidence-Based Policing, we are creating a matching application that will help academics and practitioners find each other based on the academic's experience and the practitioner's problem they wish to solve.
Addressing Problems and Identifying Solutions
The Problem
Police research is not getting into police departments.
Every police officer receives basic police training on tactics, rules, criminal law and procedure. However, once that initial training is completed, the level of ongoing education varies from agency to agency with an over-reliance on experience and intuition. ASEBP suggests there is a better way to conduct business. By rigorously studying everything we do, we can more accurately determine what works, what doesn't and what is promising when it comes to our core functions of preventing crime and improving community wellness.
The advancement of the policing profession comes by continuously learning and adopting best-known practices. There has never been a time in the history of American policing where our officers have ever been more educated and capable of re-engineering our profession. We believe our profession is at a tipping point and ASEBP looks to be a catalyst for positive and measurable change.
To get police research into the hands of our police officers, we need to address two points:
- Criminological studies need to be written in a digestible format for cops, and
- Police departments need to adopt EBP into the education curriculum.
There currently exists valuable research on police practices such as hotspot policing, solvability factors, and procedural justice, to name a few. Most of the evidence gathered from these studies can be generalized and replicated across law enforcement agencies to increase their efficiency and maximize their resources. Currently, however, police research is written in an academic language using advanced statistical methods that are indigestible for cops to translate and implement in their police organization. If officers read any lengthy article, it tends to be case law reviews. When academic articles run 30-40 pages, officers will not take the time to read them. This can leave police managers feeling frustrated with the idea of integrating research.
However, when EBP is taught by cops and academics who understand both the realities of daily police work and criminological research, we find ubiquitous excitement to integrate this model of policing. Officers are interested in being more effective on the street; we just haven't been introduced to the research that shows us how. When officers are taught about the multitude of studies that exist showing what works, what doesn't, and what looks promising in policing they get excited. It's like reinforcing what your intuition told you all along, but now you have science to support your beliefs. In today's policing climate, we need to start supporting our intuition with science.
A Solution
We want to create a culture of curiosity.
Police are curious by nature. We like figuring out "who done it?". We enjoy finding pieces of evidence that support our theory about "who done it." We love getting information from the public that fits that final piece of the puzzle, creating a solid case that demonstrates what our intuition has told us all along. This is what EBP has to offer, evidence to support our opinions. It is fundamentally who we are as cops. ASEBP wants to support police intuition with science, so our profession can be viewed by the public as professional.
What if we measure success differently? What if we reward officers, not for making the most arrests, but for demonstrating the ability to prevent crime and increase public trust using evidence-based practices. This flips the reward system on its head and will drive reform starting with frontline officers who reflect the department's image.
What ASEBP has to offer
Membership to the ASEBP is open to everyone. Whether you're a police officer, academic or interested community member, we invite you to join. Membership costs $40.00 a year, and members will get access to the following benefits:
- An online library of articles and conference presentations.
- Discounted admission to the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing Conference.
- Translation of research into accessible formats such as video, podcasts, and one-page white papers.
- Networking with law enforcement professionals, researchers, and educators from all over the world providing opportunities to both acquire and share information.
- Access to a growing body of pracademics (practitioner/academics) that can assist with finding the research needed for your particular problem or connecting you with an expert in the field.
Officers, citizens, researchers and policy makers have a place in the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing. We hope that in the future, rather than riots and reform; policing will become a learning profession that swiftly implements new evidence into practice to improve policing outcomes and community wellness. As our membership increases, we look to increase the impact of our message and shape the future of policing. Whether you are interested in actively participating or simply believe in our message, we ask for your support. You can find us at www.AmericanSEBP.com, click on the membership button and become a member today.


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Sorry, but that looks like one ugly jacket ... the breast pockets make anyone wearing it look a right tit (pun intended).
Bontrager's Commuting Jacket raises the bar for three seasons street inspired performance clothing impressing in the saddle while cutting a dash around town. It does a great job whether lining up at the traffic light grand prix in Lycra, dropping by at the accountant or simply calling at a friend's for Sunday lunch. Style and practicality come close to top marks thanks to colour choice, discrete, yet plentiful pockets and razor sharp detailing. However, as might be expected there's some trade off between climate control and weather protection but it dries pretty fast following sharp showers while embedded charcoal neutralises nasty niffs between machine washes.
Nylon/polyester/elastane mixes won't set pulses racing but the fabric here strikes a very workable compromise between performance and durability while keeping the ticket price sensible. Thoughtfully Bontrager have introduced a charcoal layer to keep things fragrant between washes-perfect for those warmer spring rides and/or a spot of fair weather touring. Pockets (two breast, one large poacher and two internal cubby types) are better organised and more practical than most for stashing all manner of stuff while the zippered hip pockets provide somewhere for the hands when mooching around town.
Elsewhere the subtle dashes of Scotchlite don't feel like they've been lifted from existing garments and shows genuine thought to the design brief while a precisely tailored cut still entertained a base layer and race jersey beneath. Climate control is pretty good, with the mercury nudging the mid twenties I've bowled along at a steady 20mph with only the faintest hint of dampness around the pits and collar. Lowering the full-length zipper is easily managed on the fly and provides some additional cooling. To my surprise and Bontrager's credit, looser elastic in the cuffs and tail hasn't any negative implications in blustery headwinds, remaining gently, yet firmly in place, keeping rain and coastal chill from blowing inside. Odour control isn't quite on par with the likes of merino wool and Gore Tex but nonetheless keeps things very civilised, inspiring confidence whatever the occasion.
Extremely stylish and practical fair-weather jacket for commuting and everyday riding
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Bontrager Commuting Jacket
Size tested: Medium Brown
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
"Bontrager's Commuting Jacket is a high-performance top that offers premier comfort and function in a stylish, modern look. Made from stretch-woven nylon for long-wear durability, the Commuting Jacket's semi-fitted design contours to the body for non-restrictive, non-bulky comfort. Perfect for cool spring mornings and evenings, this lightweight, wind-cutting jacket features subtle reflective highlights for on-bike visibility while remaining fashionable in any environment".
Does exactly what is says on the tin with great style
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Stretch-woven fabric moves with you, cuts the wind and is extremely breathable
Super-tough nylon for long-wearing durability
Fabric fibers contain a bamboo charcoal finish for natural odor management
Discrete reflectivity helps keep you seen on-bike yet is subtle enough for off-bike fashion
Semi-fitted design is shaped to the form of the body. If you prefer a slightly roomier fit or are in-between sizes, consider ordering one size up
Fabrics seem hardy and it machine washes beautifully at 30 degrees.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Bontrager have hit all the right notes, producing a three seasons' jacket suitably tailored to perform well on the bike while cutting a dash in all but the most conservative of settings. Ideally it would be water repellent and the wicking prowess that bit more efficient but this hasn't proved problematic when worn with a decent base layer.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Pretty much everything.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing, given the design brief.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
About the tester
Age: 37 Height: 1m 81 Weight: 70 kilos
I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)
8 comments
On second thoughts, I think it looks more like the sort of think Ernst Stavro Blofeld would wear if SPECTRE budget cuts forced the replacement of a planned monorail with hire bikes to get around their latest under-volcano lair.


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Tallahassee City Commissioners say they support an ongoing effort to return Amtrak to the area. They recently unanimously voted yes on a resolution to restore the passenger rail service. The route would be between New Orleans and Orlando.
Former City Mayor John Marks is a member of the Gulf Coast Rail Working Group, which has been working to get Amtrak reestablished along the Gulf Coast. But, he told the commissioners that despite their backing, Congress has still not budgeted any funds.
To read more, CLICK HERE


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I first heard about Vipassana from Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer for Weezer. He was explaining that despite being a rock star, he was celibate because of Vipassana. Powerful stuff, I guess. He raved about the benefits of it, although I don't remember exactly what he said anymore. It stuck in my mind, and over the years I thought about signing up, but something always seemed to be in the way of me leaving society for ten days to learn how to meditate.
The idea is simple and extreme, both of which appealed to me. You go to a meditation center in the middle of nowhere, agree to be silent and without any contact with the other world for ten days. Then, on a donation only basis, they teach you how to meditate, which you do for ten hours each day.
Finally, after knowing about it for five years, I signed up and went to a course. No notepads were allowed in, so this is reconstructed pretty faithfully from memory.
4:30 PM I'm pulling up a dusty dirt road to the Vipassana center of California in North Fork. I signed up mainly because they allow no talking / technology / contact with the outside world for ten days. I also like that they wake up at 4am every day. Not sure what I want to get out of meditation, but it seems like a universally good thing to do.
4:45 PM I'm filling out a questionnaire. All of the questions are normal except for a giant space on the back for a "short biography". This is a small warning sign for me. Why do they need to know? I write about being a gambler and pickup artist, and then include that I'm close with my family to counterbalance the weirdness. Ninety percent of the space is left blank.
4:55 PM I'm once again asked to confirm that I will indeed stay for ten days. I start getting the impression that this might not be as easy as I thought it would be. I worry about my $5 bet with Annie. She thinks it will be harder than expected.
5:01 PM Off to a bad start. I'm assigned to bunk 12, which doesn't exist. One of my dorm mates breaks the code of silence and asks what I'm looking for. Dammit. I don't want to break the code of silence, but don't want to be rude. I mumble "Bunk 12", trying to break the code by as little as possible. He can't find it either, since it doesn't exist. I round down and put my stuff on bunk "11B".
5:04 PM Hmm. There's nothing to do here. Dinner is at six, so I emulate my dorm mates and lie awake in bed staring at the ceiling.
6:02 PM Dinner is surprisingly good. Salad with lots of good things like seeds and nutritional yeast, brown rice, and fruit.
6:31 PM Still nothing to do. I get back in bed to wait for orientation.
6:55 PM Just broke a rule by accident. A mosquito was biting me and I killed it.
7:01 PM Wow. The meditation room is really nice. Big and clean with pleasant dim lighting. Older students use pillows and weird little benches, but us new students just sit on the little pads.
7:05 PM Uh oh. We're chanting in Buddha's language, which is called Pali. Chanting freaks me out. We're chanting affirmations that we will stay for ten days and not kill things or masturbate (technically it's to be TOTALLY celibate, but we're segregated by sex, so I read between the lines).
8:00 PM Now we're meditating. Exciting! We're told to become aware of the breath in our nostrils. The taped instructor says nostrils frequently and pronounces it funny. Nose-trills.
8:01 PM It's really hard to focus on my nose-trills.
8:02 PM My forehead is itchy. Oops, I should be thinking about nose-trills.
8:09 PM How is my back sore already? I wonder if I should have better posture in general. I slouch a lot. It was awesome back when I had an Aeron chair. I should get another one. Maybe I could remove the top part of my chair in the RV and replace it with an Aeron. That would be awesome. Oh right... nose-trills.
9:00 PM Finally we get to sleep. In the last hour I spent about five minutes thinking about my nostrils and fifty five thinking about other things.
4:02 AM Hey, waking up at four a.m. isn't bad at all. I didn't hear my watch go off, but the shaved head manager guy keeps ringing that gong.
4:30 AM Morning meditation. No instructions. No instructors, actually. I wonder if they're sleeping? I guess we're supposed to keep doing what we did last night.
6:02 AM Breakfast time. Breakfast is really good, too. Oatmeal, raisins, prunes, other fruits.
6:21 AM I'm quickly learning that any free time is nap time.
8:00 AM Back for more meditation. Now they're playing the guy chanting on the speakers. Why does chanting annoy me so much? How am I supposed to focus on my breathing with this chanting?
8:05 AM Eyes cracked open. No one else seems to be bothered by the chanting. Now he's stopped chanting and told us again to be aware of the "respiration in your nose-trills". He tells us that we may breath through the left, the right, or sometimes even both nose-trills. The way he says it is very reassuring. If we are uncomfortable we can lie down and rest for five minutes, but no more.
9:01 AM Time to meditate in our dorms now. Stopping and starting makes it seem easier, but I can't stay focused. I've noticed that when my mind wanders, ninety percent of it is about two topics in about equal parts: girls and my new RV refrigerator. I don't actually think about either topic very much in real life.
9:04 AM Man, once I get that fridge I can start cooking again. TEMPEH! I should start cooking tempeh. What a great protein source. I need to look into coconut oil when I get back. Man, that will be delicious.
9:06 AM Respiration. How many breaths can I focus for? One. Two. Three. I think my new fridge is smaller than the other one. I wonder what I should do with the extra space. Maybe I could make a spice rack! Or maybe I could fit a water heater back there if it's shallower. What a smart design. I can't believe it works on an angle. Why am I thinking about my fridge again? Back to breathing...
9:11 AM I should take one of those five minute rests. My back is sore and my two roommates are both taking rests. I think they might have fallen asleep.
9:55 AM Oops. I fell asleep too. Roommates still asleep. Okay, back to respiration.
10:10 AM I just can't stay focused on respiration. I wonder if this is hard for other people. My roommates are still sleeping. I'll take another five minute rest to refocus.
11:00 AM Time for lunch. I'm not sure how much of the last hour I slept sleeping and how much I spent meditating. Does this even count as meditating? When I'm awake, I mean. Sleeping seems so fun in comparison.
11:21 AM Lunch is good again. I like eating in silence. I shouldn't have bet Annie $5 that this would be easy. Or at the very least, I shouldn't have insisted that we bet Americabucks. At this point there's no way I can reasonably claim that it was easy.
5:00 PM I've skipped the whole day because it was basically me struggling to meditate. My back is really sore now,sitting up properly is the hardest part. I can tell other people are having an easier time sitting because no one else has adopted my knees up / elbows on knees / head sideways on forearm posture. Oh yeah, I forgot that they don't serve dinner. Just fruit and tea, which is pretty good. I'll eat two oranges.
6:15 PM This meditation is killing me. I've got to get out of here. Why did I want to sign up for this again? Did I have a reason besides wanting to not talk for ten days? Owen was telling me that I don't need to meditate because I'm already relaxed. Maybe he was right.
7:20 PM Wow, a video discourse. It's filmed in 1991, but the quality is good. The chanting is less annoying now that I see the guy doing it. He's pretty charismatic.
7:45 PM Now he's talking about how hard day one is. He says everyone wants to quit on day two and day six, and calls quitters weak minded. He also says "ten days" so much that it feels like brainwashing. Mostly he talks about how our backs probably hurt and chuckles about it. That makes me feel better about the whole thing.
8:15 PM No new instructions, unfortunately. I was really hoping we'd get to do something other than think about respiration. At least we only have forty five minutes of meditation tonight. It's funny how that seems like a really short time now.
9:00 PM Time to sleep. I did a bit better on that last meditation.
4:00 AM Bam. I'm awake. Don't even worry about it.
4:30 AM In the meditation hall, feeling pretty good about everything.
5:10 AM Wow. I made it forty minutes without changing positions! One of the reasons I came to this thing was because I wanted to do daily 15-20 minute meditations but couldn't sit still long enough. No problem now.
5:34 AM Damn. How did only twenty four minutes just pass? That felt like forever. I can't wait for breakfast. Maybe I should make oatmeal in my RV when I leave here. It's such a good breakfast food. How can I do that without making a huge mess? Why do I keep thinking about my RV?
10:00 AM I'm seriously getting sick of thinking about respiration. When will we do something new?
1:45 PM I'm barely hanging in here. This is so tedious. I keep shifting positions every couple minutes. I'm now using an extra cushion and a wooden bench thing. Not sure if they help or not. Is it really this hard to sit comfortably? I didn't think so...
7:00 PM The whole day passed in a blur of struggling to meditate and naps. Finally the discourse. I've been looking forward to the charismatic Indian man all day. Maybe he'll give us new instructions. They play recordings of him before a lot of the meditations, and I'm always hoping for new instructions.
7:09 PM "Your mind is full of misery." What? No it's not! My mind is full of happiness. Why would he make such a blanket statement like that?
7:11 PM This discourse is getting worse. He keeps talking about how enlightened he is and how much misery we have. He categorizes our distracting thoughts into four categories, bad and good, future and past. Mine are all good-past and good-future. I like those thoughts and think they motivate me. I don't want to get rid of them.
7:14 PM He outlines the "wholesome life" we can lead once we master the technique in ten days and then practice for some time on our own. It involves doing work that benefits others, eating vegetarian, not using intoxicants, and not being angry. I ALREADY DO ALL THAT. Why am I subjecting myself to this? I want to quit.
7:45 PM New instructions! Now instead of just focusing on the respiration, we should also focus on the sensations in the nose-trills. He lists many sensations we might feel. This sounds fun.
8:20 PM New problem. Now it's too easy. I can focus indefinitely on these sensations without getting distracted. Now it's more boring because the only challenge is remaining comfortable.
9:00 PM Time to sleep. I want to leave. I'll wait until tomorrow to make sure I think it through. I wish I didn't sign something saying I'd stay for ten days.
4:00 AM I'm getting used to this early waking thing. Not bad at all.
4:30 AM Ready to rock. I still want to leave, but I'll give it one more chance.
4:40 AM Already bored of focusing on the sensations. How can I do this for ten hours today? Why is no one here? At least half of the students didn't show up this morning.
4:50 AM Okay, I'm done with nose-trill sensations. I'm going to start doing mental math to kill the time. What's 199 * 18? 3582. Let's calculate it again to make sure.
4:52 AM Am I seriously doing mental math to amuse myself?
4:55 AM Okay, either I'm going to push through for ten days or leave now. No point in doing anything else. What are the pros for staying? I'll have a cool blog article to write. Maybe I will actually learn something useful. What? I have no idea. Free food. I don't like quitting things.
What about leaving? Well, I can get back to real life, don't have to subject myself to this, and can continue meditating for a few minutes every day if I want. I don't think I really want the promised outcome of the course, though.
5:30 AM I've thought about it for half an hour. I'm leaving. Interestingly, wake up times, technology, or communication had nothing to do with the decision. I opened my eyes and noticed that a ton of people have left the hall. That hasn't happened until today.
5:50 AM My bag is packed and I'm walking towards the RV. I looked for a manager to tell them I was leaving, but didn't see anyone. I don't want to cause a scene or demoralize others, so I guess I'll just slip out.
4:39 PM, Samovar Tea Lounge, San Francisco
So that's that. I came back and got a perfect parking spot right next to Alamo Square park. I'm at my favorite place in SF (so far), Samovar tea lounge, being productive.
Vipassana wasn't for me, but don't take my aborted attempt as an indication of what the course is about or what it will do for you. The staff of the meditation center are all volunteers who clearly have benefitted from it and are genuinely interested in helping others.
I learn poorly in classroom environments, and get restless easily. It's hard to articulate this without sounding arrogant, but I think I'm probably too close to the end goal of the class to be properly invested. A starving guy will do anything for a sandwich. A guy who has three fourths of a sandwich won't do much for the sandwich.
This is also an incomplete view of the class. Maybe day three brings huge breakthroughs to those who stick through. Maybe I would have eliminated my positive self talk, gotten a quieter mind, and wished I had done it years before. I'm definitely interested in hearing from past Vipassana students.
My one tinge of hesitation in saying I'm glad I bailed is that I think that something is gained whenever you do something difficult. But ultimately, there are a lot of hard things to do, and the increased character alone isn't enough justification.
And last, here's what I got out of the class that I'm thankful for:
I also have a lot of respect for anyone who goes through with the whole course. Even if I had been overly motivated (win $1 million for sticking with it!), it still would have been a very difficult process.
Just finished my first 10 day Vipassana retreat 2 weeks ago. It was by far the single most profound experience of my life. I focused and worked hard, and it was extremely challenging. Day 3, Day 6, and Day 7 were absolute hell for me. I had gotten dropped off and did not have a vehicle or I might have left. Being so long inside of your own mind is a challenging experience, not to be taken lightly.
I think being able to stick through it has less to do with your experience with meditation and more to do with your internal fortitude. Meditating for 8-10 hours a day is so far beyond what even a regular meditator does that it is a whole new level of experience. It reminds when I talk to people about skydiving and they say, "Oh I can't do that. I'm scared of heights." My response is that it has nothing to do with heights. When you are flying in a plane 10,000 feet above the ground and someone opens the door and tells you to get out, it has NOTHING to do with a fear of heights! Its about a fear of DEATH! There is something carnal that screams out from deep within your psyche, NOOO!!!
10 hours a day deeply inside your own mind for 10 days is EXCRUCIATING!!! Making excuses of why one chooses to push through or not push through serves no purpose. It is hard. We had two out of 30 or so male students bail, and I don't blame them.
I experienced bouts of EXTREME pain, tiredness, boredom, restlessness, lust, craving, animosity, love, peace, joy, and an assortment of other emotions without talking to anyone or having any interaction with the outside world. In complete isolation your mind still lives a very interactive life all within itself. I came to terms with the idea that my mind is completely INSANE. It was by far the most intense mental work I have ever done in my life. I have focused on my personal growth for my entire adult life with books, audio, and different types of retreats, and I have never experienced such a deep journey into my own psyche and subconscious.
Let me say also, that the whole retreat has a very strong feel of Indian culture. The chanting also freaked me out initially. I actually wasn't comfortable with it until I learned some of what he was saying. He teaches you some of what he chants in the later days. Also, the first night the assistant teachers were wearing all white and sitting in elevated chairs that had flowing white sheets covering them on an all white marble elevated stage. My guru/spiritual crap meter was pinging out. But as I judged the teaching and the technique from what was actually presented and not from my cultural bias, then I felt much better about it. There is no test of faith. There is nothing to believe in as with standard religious gatherings. There is no god or God or spirituality or guru in the teachings. There is a little more about reincarnation than I would prefer but he puts a disclaimer out there that there is no need to believe in that either.
As the Buddha taught, so did Goenka (the main teacher). He said test it. Don't take someone's word for it. Try it, test it out, and decide for yourself. And my inner scientist really appreciates that. Yes, there is a certain, VERY specific way they want you to try it out. They are extremely defined in what to do and what not to do in order to work the technique properly, but the self-analyzing, self-deciding factor in its usefulness is left completely up to you. There is no preacher telling you what to believe. No priest walking the road for you. No one is wooing you here. Its all work, and its all you. You must work out your own salvation on this one, and he's very clear about that.
What did I get out of it so far? Many things, but the most significant so far is a very profound understanding of happiness.
Happiness does not come from having the things you want (girls, frigs in the RV, sex, drugs, rock n roll, good food, close family ties, obedient children, love, responsible living, fast cars, big houses, full bank accounts, etc). Happiness does not come from not having the things you don't want either (pain, disease, death, hunger, heartache, bankruptcy, lack, loss, crappy cars, bad food). True happiness, lasting happiness is independent of ALL external circumstances and situations. It is an internal development. It is an internal expression. It is born and raised inside of your own heart and/or mind and nowhere else. Its developing a perspective that no matter where I'm at (whether its in a meditation retreat center or at Samovar Tea Lounge), no matter what I'm experiencing (whether its a perfect parking spot at Alamo Square or doubt and uncertainty at North Fork), I can have happiness and peace. I can be balanced and equanimous with myself, with my life, with my family, and with my universe.
it's only been a month since I finished Vipassana, and I have to say there are huge benefits : for one, it's been a month since my husband and I have had fights. This is THE biggest benefit for me, since these days when I feel the urge to fight, I meditate. And then the sensation dissipates.
I did the course in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. There, for some weird reason, I was really grossed out by the insects in the bathroom, and I thought about it day and night, fighting against the urge to crush them with my suitcase or something. I've never had this strong a reaction before! By the end of the course, whenever I saw these creatures, and my heart still thumped, I kept chanting, "May you not harm me, may I not harm you." This probably seems like a silly thing to say to a cockroach, but it helps you appreciate the practice better.
I can't say I have been faithful in doing the one hour of meditation in the morning and evening each. But, when I find I am going through some internal struggle, even if I am standing in a mall, I take a minute to acknowledge the sensation or to watch my breathing. Or sometimes, because by the time one finishes the course, all one hears is "anicha," I keep repeating that word in my head. The word means, impermanence. And when I couldn't at times feel like I could do the 10 days, that it was too much for me, I thought of this word, that these 10 days too shall pass. For me, the 2nd day was the hardest, as was the 10th! The 10th because, you're so close to the finish, and yet the experience is not over. Because on that day, they let you break your silence and yet, the people you really want to speak to are not around. That day really tested my ability to remain equanimous.
I think one of the important lessons I learnt at the end of the 10 days is that life is impermanent. Whenever something feels like it's too much to handle, that simple truth puts life into perspective.
Well, it looks as I am not the only one I know that left the course half
way...I went there, everything was fine, I mean, difficult in the sense
that the long meditation hours were demanding, but I was really ready
for it and happy to do it. Waking up at 4:00, was not problem, in fact,
it really surprised me how easy it was...
The problems started by the end of 3er day, begining of 4th. A serious lower back pain, which would not easy with rest, started to develop. At first I just ignored it and kept doing the practices and join the groups sessions. But the pain came to a point when I could not even sleep! This really worried me, the night of the 3rd day I did not sleep at all! Next day, I discussed the issue with the master and other teachers. They were helpful and understanding and even called a western doctor who also practice Vipassana.
She did a urine test and my sugar levels where high. She therefore recommended for me to discontinue the course and seek further medical investigations...
Was all this a barrier within me to fully inmmerse myself in the technique? Am I runing from my own dark side? The pain was virtually gone by the time I came back home back I also stopped siting which it may explain why the pain is gone.
I am very sad somewhere inside me cause I did not achieve the goal and complete the course, I had good experiences such as an occasion when I did STOP the mind for a full 2 seconds! It was great cause I knew everything stopped, but once I realize it, I was thinking again and the magic of such moment was gone. I aslo experienced may flash backs from my life, things that I have long forgotten came back from nowhere. It was, as the video tapes of the master said, like opening a wound and allowing all the pus to come out.
I would like anyone here to give me their honest opinion on what happened to me.
Many thanks for been here! Namaste!
No wonder you didn't reap the benefits of Vipassana, the first 3.5 days are just concentration exercises to prepare you for the actual meditation.
One of the main benefits of the actual meditation is that you learn to just observe things that are happening rather than react to them - become equinamous.
You say you are relaxed and happy, which is great, but your life sounds pretty good at the moment. The true test of how much meditation can help you is the extent to which you react to the negative things in your life. If you lose a lot of money do you dwell on the fact or do you accept it and move on quickly? It is easy to be equinomous when things are going well.
I hope you try it again sometime, as there are a lot of benefits to be had from completing the course.
For the people that say this is brainwashing or a cult: the people who operate it are a charity, they don't charge and you can easily go there and stay for free. They are run off donations from people who have done the course and derived benefit.
I was concerned about the vulnerability of the position I was in at times (not preparing my own meals etc.) but there was never any hint of conversion or trying to get money out of me. They just want people to give the technique a fair trial. I did donate in the end because I found it enormously beneficial and wanted to pay for someone else to have the same experience.
I meditated over 60 days straight.
First 30 days for 30 minutes. Then second month, I extended my meditation session to one hour.
I hardly noticed any improvement in my life except that I was able to achieve my physical goals (gaining weight). Quite unrelated to meditating.
Vipassana isn't for the weak of will. I'd recommend doing a 10 day program for anyone, if for nothing else, to develop the capacity of exercising your will to achieving a goal.
I did a 10 day Vipassana in NH about 18 months ago. My practice since then has been less than up to par, but I definitely experienced a lot of positive change from the course. The most salient benefits:
-More control over pain in the body. I'm not as quick to bail out on runs because anything telling me to stop is just a negative perception of the feelings in my body. It's a conscious decision to label pain as "bad," and a decision I need not make.
-Looking at things in context and being satisfied with and dealing with things I have no control of.
-Less time wasted online/TV/reading news etc.
-Able to step back and really perceive emotions.
I'd love to answer any questions people have regarding the practice/retreat. Took me a while to give it a shot.
bradvansky at gmail dot com
Take care all,
@ Brian
Dude, you seem to be dismissing meditation as hippy BS because of unproven spiritual benefits while ignoring the proven psychological and physiological benefits. Some of which are mentioned in the wiki link you provided.
Meditation makes you calmer and happier. Its a fact.
You don't need to be a genius to derive the practical benefits of meditation while avoiding any cultish or religious aspects.
@ Tynan. Well done. You've done three days more at a retreat than I have. I would suggest that you start with 5 minutes of meditation and work your way up from there as you find your ability to concentrate improving. 5 minutes of concentrated effort is far more beneficial than 20 minutes of wasted time. Good luck!
Hey Tynan,
Interesting article...my very westernized and biased view on mediation is that it's largely a waste of time. Relaxing and taking mental breaks has quite a bit of value in productivity, but enlightenment, higher consciousness, awareness, etc...is mostly hippy BS and isn't born out in any studies than have been done on it.
I don't blame you for walking out. Reading it reminded me a bit of when I tried the Landmark Forum. Gave it my best effort for 3 days, but ultimately didn't get much out of it and left convinced it was a cult luring people into a false sense of getting something out it that they couldn't articulate. I also felt like I was "ahead" of most of the people there, and asked for a full refund at the end of it (which they gave me, to their credit). Walking away from people who make huge unfounded promises of benefits and then don't deliver is not weak minded, it's remaining objective and rational.
I'd be suspicious of anyone who says "you have to FULLY commit and give yourself to this up front before you can get the benefit of it" because it's an excuse they use later to keep the believers hooked..."they weren't strong enough, but YOU are". Has been a tool of religion for ages.
Anyway, thanks for writing it up...always interesting to see your experiments!
The technique of vipassana is a science of the mind where one learns to face oneself. It is non-sectarian and non-religious. It benefits those who wish to do the work. This particular organization has spread around the world growing to about 230 centres within 45 years. It is all run by volunteers and on donations from old students who have benefited from the courses offered. It is not an easy task to face oneself. New students usually face doubts and bring mental habit patterns with them, such as suspicions etc.. After all, there is much to be suspicious of in the world. One will often not drink from the well that would give life because of past experiences elsewhere.
I think that some might be surprised to hear how much I sleep and how important it is to me. I average right around eight hours per day (tracked for a few months), and prioritize sleep very strongly, even over most work.
Once ten pm comes around, I have four options for things I'm allowed to do: I can play violin, read a book, work, or sleep. Computer is off at midnight every day, at which point I usually read for an hour or two, and then go to sleep.
The other night I was tired at ten, but I was really excited about my work so I tried to push through and keep at it. I was stuck trying to fix something, but I managed to try five or ten solutions out before getting in bed. At the time, it felt like a good choice.
I woke up the next morning, took one look at the code, and spotted the solution instantly. Within five minutes it was fixed. Once is a fluke, but I've noticed this pattern over and over again with work when I'm tired-- it feels like I'm working, but often I'm just spinning my wheels.
The week has gone by and I have not met my goals. I spent only about 4 hours last week studying and working on exercises. Well short of my goal. Part of my problem is that my goal of building the app that I want seems further away now than when I started. This has led to a perfect excuse to stop studying. While I wish that I could report that I have been successful and that I have scaled all hurdles and met my goal, I didnt.
Everyone knows the cliche by now -- you control your own life. Every decision in the moment is your choice. Some decisions we make are conscious, others are on auto-drive. Many of my daily decisions fall into the latter category. This is one of my greatest weaknesses - most days I move through like a zombie. I follow a pattern that is destructive to my personal and professional goals:
Every day I have about 5 hours of free time after I arrive from work. It should be relatively simple to use that time to study and focus on my goals. While the schedule above doesn't reflect it, I do use that time sometime for other things as well, including, exercise and calling my family. Still, these activities rarely take up more than an hour, and definitely do not occur on a daily basis.
In some sense it is sad that this is only my fourth posting on this blog and two of them have been more negative than positive. Still this blog is not really about me learning to code. It is about my personal effort to overcome my natural tendency towards procrastination and my lack of self-discipline. This is a problem that I have been dealing with for a very long time in my life and while I have achieved some level of success, clearly if I procrastinated less, I would likely be more successful professionally, personally and financially.


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(Mark D. Smith / USA TODAY Sports)
This season I will highlight a notable player, based on the games played each night, who's owned in less than 40% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball leagues.
The Sneaky Fantasy Basketball Pickups for Sunday, December 8 is Reggie Jackson. He's owned in 23% of Yahoo! Leagues and 22.8% of ESPN Leagues. Yes, he is the first player to be the Pickup a second time. As a wise man once said, "Fool me once, shame on…shame on you…you fool me, I can't get fooled again." Despite getting burned by picking Jackson earlier in the season, I'm letting him fool me twice into believing he can co-exist with Russell Westbrook and become that James Harden/Kevin Martin-type off the bench. Except this time he's proving it.
Here's a look at his line last night against Indiana:
The problem with Jackson earlier in the year, despite my prediction, was that he could not find consistent minutes or production after Westbrook returned from injury despite clearly being the Thunder's best bench player. However, as I said two days ago, Jackson now has been getting it done with Westbrook in the line-up. He's averaging 14.9 pts, 3.6 reb, 2.7 ast, 0.6 stl, 1.1 3pm, 1.4 TO, 52.5% FG and 100% FT in 27 mpg over his last seven, all with Westbrook also in the line-up.
Those numbers don't seem like much, but what stands out to a keen eye is that he doesn't hurt your team anywhere. Though Yahoo!'s player ratings are admittedly flawed, here's a partial list of point guards that rank below Jackson (#70) over that two-week stretch: Jameer Nelson (72), Jose Calderon (73), Mike Conley (76), Jamal Crawford (84), Trey Burke (86), Ricky Rubio (100), Ty Lawson (108), Nate Robinson, (110), Tony Parker (124), Eric Bledsoe (130), Kirk Hinrich (132), Jeff Teague (142), Raymond Felton (154), Brandon Knight (169), Steve Blake (207).
Of course, Jackson won't get you points like Parker, assists like Blake, or steals like Rubio, and Eric Bledsoe is still recovering from injury. It's ridiculous to think he's actually worth more than each of those players. How does he rank above all of them then? Because in the past two weeks, a lot of them have been killing their teams with field goal percentages in the .300's to low .400's (and high turnover rates for those in 9-cat leagues). Also, though Jackson's 0.6 stl and 1.1 3pm aren't spectacular, others are even worse (i.e. Tony Parker's 0.4 stl and 0.4 3pm).
Here's my caveat to Jackson that serves as a cap to his ceiling. He is not the perfect player for the Thunder. He is so clearly the fourth most-talented player on that team (after Kevin Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka) that they have to play him with the starters at the end of games, but he can't match up with the same players that James Harden or Kevin Martin did on the Thunder (though apparently Harden doesn't anymore).
I keep going back to the Bledsoe analogy, but it's apt. Last year, Bledsoe made sure the Clippers had the same defensive intensity in the 15 min that Chris Paul was off the court that they had when Paul played, but Bledsoe could never flourish there because his strengths were too redundant and Paul was better than him in all other areas that mattered. I am getting the same vibe with Jackson and Westbrook. Jackson won't put up the numbers that Harden did when he was on the Thunder, but if they're going to give him close to the same minutes, he could be worth a spot on your roster.
Other Notable Players: I really wanted the lede for today's column to be about the Raptors-Kings trade (i.e. the Rudy Gay trade), but frankly, the players who stand to benefit most are way over 40% owned and thus off our radar (In order: DeMar DeRozan until he gets traded, Isaiah Thomas, Jonas Valanciunas/Amir Johnson. Ben McLemore's value falls). If you're feeling bold, pick up Terrence Ross, the Raptors' eighth pick in last year's draft. They want to know what they have in him, although he will still have to compete with John Salmons and last night's starter Landry Fields for minutes. On the Kings' side, I'm not sure anyone other than Thomas benefits, and I'm even wary of that if Thomas starts and has to reduce his usage playing more alongside DeMarcus Cousins. Gay is going to soak up the minutes at the three, which means the Derrick Williams as starting SF experiment is over. He'll split time with Jason Thompson at PF, so neither Salmons nor Patrick Patterson's departures benefit their fringe players…Tim Hardaway Jr. had an inauspicious first start in place of the injured Kenyon Martin, as his Knicks (who are 5-14 despite deep playoff aspirations at the beginning of the season) got demolished by the Celtics (who are 10-12 despite the fact that they were supposed to be tanking). He was actually worse than his final playing time of 24:39 indicates, as he got pulled very early after two quick turnovers and mainly sat while the game was still within the remote fantasy of contention. Still, he's been very productive lately, and this promotion just indicates how much the Knicks expect out of him…Kobe Bryant's return rocked the Lakers' rotation, but not in one aspect. The Lakers' entered the night leading the league in bench scoring at 46.8 ppg. They will hold on to that title, as their bench scored 71 points tonight to the starters' 23. Put on a hold on Lakers' players at this point until they adjust to Kobe and he himself adjusts to playing again, but keep in mind that guys like Steve Blake, Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill are all dealing with injuries and are all likely dying for the team to get healthier so they can take time to recuperate. Towards the end of December, when Jordan Farmar is nearing a return, I would grab him as soon as possible…With news that Quincy Pondexter is done for the season, more minutes will be opening up for Mike Miller, Jerryd Bayless, and Nick Calathes. Who will really benefit from it is still uncertain at this point. Check back tomorrow when we review the Grizzlies' game against the Magic tonight…Speaking of that game, remember when I said Jon Leuer has had great games whenever either Zach Randolph or Ed Davis sits? Davis is sitting. Get Leuer into your line-up if you have him.
Top Five Sneaky Pickups (owned in under 40% of Yahoo! Leagues):
1. Kosta Koufos (36%)
2. Glen Davis (37%)
4. Jeffery Taylor (4%)
3. Kirk Hinrich (36%)
5. Tony Wroten (15%)
Taj Gibson graduates up to 42% owned, so we bid him adieu. Kirk Hinrich has to drop just because of his train-wreck FG% lately. For the last spot, I'm going with the player who will burn bright and then out by the end of this week (Wroten) over the player who will burn dimly but probably stay lit for the entire season (Jackson). MCW has rejoined the team, but he won't play tonight and may miss the next two games. Jackson will have more value over the course of the season, but Wroten can put up the type of stats that can win this week for you by himself in head-to-head leagues. Finally, it is an absolute sham that Koufos is still under 40% owned. This man is averaging 11.0 pts, 12.3 reb, 1.3 ast, 1.2 stl and 2.0 blk in the last two weeks! Even with Marc Gasol on the way back, he's more valuable than Gibson!