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Thursday, January 12, 2012
New City Parks
We always miss it, but not this time.
Minneapolis has a parks district called Three Rivers. Within this district, at its most western boundary, lies a park named Gale Woods Farm. Mr. Gale donated his property to the city with the condition that it remain a working farm. These days you can see the animals being raised, watch the corn grow, and buy some of it in season.
This is a very powerful concept: buy meat and produce at the city park. On every visit I have missed the slaughter and consequently missed the opportunity to try the meat. But not this year. Because of my Iowa exhibit I stayed in town longer and, because of that, I was around long enough to find some roast pork at their store.
I say store, but it is really just a reach-in fridge. I bought a shoulder roast which was delicious, although not quite cut in the way familiar to me. The flavor was simply more powerful and very moist but without the salt solution most pork is bathed in today. I will buy that city parks meat again if I am again around during the slaughter.
Could you imagine something like this in NYC?
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If I do not respond to your comment right away, it is only because I am busy pulling out buckthorn, creeping charlie, and garlic mustard...
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Vanderbilt Baseball — Fifth Week Behind, Week Ahead
It was the best of times and the worst of times for Vanderbilt this week. Riding high after being named the #1 team in the nation by the National Baseball Writers Association, Vandy started off the week going gangbusters while continuing a scoreless innings pitched streak to 32 innings, fueled by three consecutive shutouts on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. They were also on cruise control with an 8-4 lead heading to the 8th inning on Sunday, but a bullpen that entered the day with a 1.77 ERA full-on collapsed in that inning, yielding 5 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. The high experienced from a truly dominant start to the week week, outscoring opponents 31-4 to that point, ended with a very demoralizing loss.
Despite the poor taste left by that failure, Tony Kemp in the post game interview seemed to keep somewhat upbeat about a series win being a series win. That was the case, despite falling to the dreaded To Be Announced bullpen day for Mississippi State. All told, Vanderbilt still enjoyed a fine week, going 3-1 and should stay in the 2nd to 3rd ranked position in all major polls, though they will likely cede their NCBWA top ranking back to Florida, who swept LSU in Baton Rouge.
The Immediate Progression – Pitching Depth
This year's Vanderbilt squad features a depth of quality arms unlike any seen in the Coaches Tim Corbin and Derek Johnson era. While there have been many stellar staffs, including the 2004 squad that earned Johnson the National Pitching Coach of the Year award and the 2007 squad that featured first team All-Americans David Price and Casey Weathers, I'm not sure any can compete with the extraordinary embarrassment of riches the 2011 team features.
Click through to read more.
The depth starts with the outstanding weekend rotation, but hardly ends there. The Friday-Saturday-Sunday rotation seems quite set with 2010 Baseball America Summer Pitcher of the Year Sonny Gray, 2010 Cape League Pitcher of the Year Grayson Garvin and solid senior righty Taylor Hill on Sunday. To date, those three have impressive numbers, with Gray at 5-0 with a 1.34 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 33.2 innings, Garvin at 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 32.1 innings and Hill at 1-0 with a 3.25 ERA and 28 punch outs in 27.2 innings.
Where Vandy really steps ahead is in the 4-6 spot starter roles. True freshman Kevin Ziomek has flashed a pitching arsenal that is second only to Gray in its dominance and is on par with Navery Moore's stable of pitches. Through 3 starts and 3 relief appearances, Ziomek is 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 21 innings. Although he could make a case to challenge for the weekend rotation, he's not quite yet consistent with his location in the strike zone, which has led to a couple of hitting barrages against Texas in the fall and Stanford in the spring. Close behind the Omega Man is right-hander TJ Pecoraro, who has yielded just one run and 6 hits in 2 starts and 2 relief appearances. He is 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 12.2 innings. Rounding out the starting pitchers is Jack Armstrong. Just back from a minor back injury, Big Jack was impressive in his only relief inning to date, striking out the side, while walking 2 and hitting another batter. Few teams in the nation can flash that kind of potential starting depth in a double elimination tournament format.
Bolstering the staff is an equally deep bullpen, led by All-American candidate and closer Navery Moore. Moore had a rough Sunday, yielding his first run of the year en route to his first blown save and loss, but he still features a stellar record of 3-1, with 4 saves, a 0.77 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. His 94 to 95 MPH fastball perfectly complements a power slider and change up. At Moore's side is his right-handed bullpen-mate Mark Lamm. Jovially criticized for "snaking" wins, the big Loretto, TN righty is 4-0 on the year, matching Moore's 0.77 ERA and besting him with 12 strikeouts in the same number of innings. Like Moore, he features a low-to-mid 90s fastball and solid slider, though Lamm gives a different look, coming more from the 3-quarters slot, compared to Moore's over-the-top delivery.
Assisting in the setup corps are Will Clinard, who has no record, 2 saves and a 4.38 ERA that has been inflated by two poor outings (against 7 stellar ones). Clinard has allowed a team high .360 batting average against, but that is a skewed aberration, and he has struck out 15, against just 3 walks in 12.1 innings. From the left side, Corey Williams, like Clinard, has been victimized by two poor outings for an inflated 5.40 ERA, with just a .218 batting average against. He has no record and has punched out 16 batters in 15 innings. Both of Williams poor outings were marked by him struggling the second time through a batting order, after a solid performance in the three prior innings.
The bullpen is backstopped by lefty specialist Keenan Kolinsky, who has yet to allow a run in 1.2 innings over three appearances, behind the strength of the team's best change up; sophomore lefty Sam Selman, who has a 3.86 ERA and 3 strikeouts in just 2.1 innings over 3 relief appearances; and true freshman lefty Steven Rice, who has walked 6 of the 9 batters he's faced, but gotten the other three out in an inning of work over two appearances.
All told, the pitching staff is in spectacular shape, with a 2.45 ERA, a rate of 10.02 strikeouts per 9 innings, and a phenomenal .215 batting average against. In comparison, the 2004 squad featuring Jeremy Sowers, Ryan Mullins, Jensen Lewis and Matt Buschmann, with Ryan Rote as closer, had a 3.35 ERA and 8.12 strikeouts per 9 innings rate. The 2007 squad permitted a 3.55 ERA, .238 batting average against and 9.39 strikeout per 9 innings rate. While the 2011 Commodores' numbers should flatten out a bit and come back to reality during conference play in the SEC, it is not hard to imagine a season with pitching numbers that beat both the 2004 and 2007 squads.
The Week Behind
It's hard to not be happy with a 3-1 week that included a 32 inning scoreless streak for the pitching staff, but I would by lying if I didn't say that it was expectation and not greed that leaves me a bit sour with our Sunday loss. That said, this was a week of high notes and I'm sure Coach Corbin will use Sunday as a teaching experience.
Tuesday: Vanderbilt 9, Purdue 0
In what was, perhaps, Vanderbilt first truly complete game of the year, the Dores dominated a Boilermaker squad that came in at 11-4, just behind Michigan State atop the Big 10 standings. From the start, it was apparent that the only thing that would halt starter Kevin Ziomek and his dominating stuff would be a little locational wildness within the strike zone. The Purdue bats managed just 2 hits and didn't really get the good part of the bat on a ball all night. Ziomek's imperfection of hitting the glove really just hammered home how good his stuff was, and he only walked two batters in his 5 shutout innings. Ziomek was replaced in the 6th by fellow freshman phenom TJ Pecoraro, who twirled 2.2 innings of nearly perfect ball, yielding only a walk and hit by pitch. Sam Selman closed out the 8th inning, facing just one batter and setting up the 2011 debut of Big Jack Armstrong. Last year's Saturday starter, Armstrong had been on the shelf with a back injury. Hobbled or not, he brought very good velocity and missed some bats in striking out the side in the 9th. The rust did show up with two walks and a hit batsman.
At the plate, the Commodores were paced by Anthony Gomez's 4 hit day, two hits from Mike Yastrzemski and Aaron Westlake, and an offensive explosion from Jason Esposito. Esposito went 3 for 5, with 2 runs and 4 RBI. In the first, Esposito singled home Tony Kemp with the first run of the game. Two innings later, Esposito's 1 out double plated Aaron Westlake for the team's 2nd run and scored the team's 3rd two batters later on a Casali double. In the 8th, Esposito launched a laser into left for his first home run of the year, a two run shot putting the exclamation point on Vanderbilt's 9 run victory.
The game marked the Commodores first shutout since Richie Goodenow's 2-hit gem against Louisville last June 6th in the NCAA Regionals. Early on, you noticed two distinct things about Ziomek in his start. The first is that he is a bit like Sonny was as a freshman – his stuff is almost unhittable when he's locating, but he often misses his spots in the strike zone. The second is that he has the ability to bear down and projects to be every bit as good as perhaps any Commodore pitcher outside of David Price. In the game, he picked up the win in his first collegiate decision and lowered his ERA to 2.14, second only to Sonny Gray among the pitchers with at least 13 innings pitched.
Friday: Vanderbilt 10, Mississippi State 0
It's always Sonny at the Hawk on Fridays, even when it's the first night game of the year. The 6 PM central start was the first game where the lights were on the start, but no one needed to flip a switch for the Commodore's All-American right-hander. Although he was confronted with a bit of a tiny strike zone from plate umpire Hank Himmanen, Sonny Gray was dealing. Throwing a season high 112 pitches, Gray went 7.1 innings and permitted just 4 hits, though he did plunk 2 batters and walked another pair. But, as is typical with Gray, the punch outs were the big story, as he utilized a devastating power-curve to rack up 10 Ks and squelch any chance MSU had with their 8 base runners. In the first, however, it was the glove that did it. With a particularly small strike zone, Gray yielded a 1 out single and a walk, but induced powerful Cody Freeman into a routine 4-6-3 double play to get out of real threat. Vanderbilt turned another double play in the third inning. Corey Williams got the last two batters in the 8th inning, while Pecoraro closed out the 9th, allowing a walk and striking out a batter in his first weekend appearance of the year.
On the offensive side, Vandy jumped into work in the second inning and never let up. Leading off the frame, Esposito was hit by a 3-2 pitch, followed by a Yastrzemski single, Casali 2 RBI double, Gregor single, Harrell RBI sacrifice fly and a Reynolds RBI single to stake the Dores to a 4 run lead. They would add another run on an Esposito sacrifice fly in the 3rd and 3 more in the fourth on a Kemp RBI single, Gomez RBI fielder's choice and a wild pitch that scored Kemp. With an 8-0 lead, Vandy cruised through a disheartened Bulldog squad that committed 5 errors on the day and they tagged on insurance runs in the 7th and 8th innings. Gregor and Kemp each had 2 of the 10 Vanderbilt hits, while Casali led the way with 2 RBI and Esposito and Gregor each scored twice.
Vanderbilt was able to put Mississippi State to bed with a second consecutive shutout and was able to get some reserves in for late inning action with Joe Loftus, Bryan Johns, Jack Lupo and Specer Navin pinch hitting, and Sam Lind and Drew Fann substituting in as defensive replacements. With the big win, Gray went to 4-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.34. On the year, he has 46 strikeouts in 33.2 innings and has permitted opponents to bat a measly .140 against him.
Saturday: Vanderbilt 4, Mississippi State 0
As we all learned this week from Rebecca Black, Friday is followed by Saturday and then Sunday comes after. Heeding her advice, Vanderbilt continued to have "Fun Fun Fun Fun" en route to a third consecutive shutout, running the pitching staff's scoreless streak to 31 innings. Grayson Garvin didn't start the day completely sharp. In the first inning, he walked two batters and yielded two stolen bases to the fleet of foot Nick Vickerson. But Garvin made the pitches he needed to, getting big strikeouts with runners on base in each of the first three innings to keep the Bulldogs at bay. After the 3rd, he hopped into cruise mode, yielding only one baserunner in his final four innings. He was replaced by Mark Lamm who appeared to be throwing a bit more from a 3-quarters slot than earlier in the year. After some early wildness in the zone, Lamm sliced through the Mississippi State lineup, giving up just a two-out single in the 8th, before a 1-2-3 9th inning to close the door.
At the plate, Vanderbilt struck in the second inning again. After a leadoff single, Esposito advanced to 2nd on a steal and 3rd on a passed ball. Yastrzemski walked and advanced to 2nd with a stolen base, setting up Casali who fouled off several pitches before lacing a 2 RBI single down the right field line. After a Gregor walk, Coach Tim Corbin Vanderbunted his way out of the inning by sacrificing Connor Harrell in advance of 9 hole and leadoff hitters Reynolds and Kemp. Reynolds struck out and Kemp bounced out. Vanderbilt also had a few miscues on the base paths with Kemp being picked off by the catcher in the 1st, Gomez being caught stealing in the 3rd and Westlake being caught in a rundown with Kemp on 3rd after a single in the 5th inning. Despite the gaffes, Vanderbilt picked up 2 insurance runs in the 7th inning on a Kemp RBI triple and a Gomez sacrifice fly. All told, the Dores pounded out 11 hits to go along with 3 walks.
Gomez' defense in the 6th inning highlighted the game. The lead off batter spanked a one hopper to Gomez' glove side and the shortstop reached out, appearing to snare the ball even as it had zoomed past him. He pirouetted and fired a strike to Westlake at first. But that play was to be outdone by the next. On a slow grounder by Daryl Norris in the hole, Gomez fully laid out to snare it. He spryly hopped to his feet and fired to Westlake, who put together a tremendous, full-split stretch at first to nail the runner. The defense was all-together stout behind Garvin, who moved to 3-1 on the season, while lowering his ERA to 2.78.
Sunday: Vanderbilt 4, Mississippi State 0
Well, Vanderbilt started out the day going gang-busters with an easy 1st inning for Taylor Hill and a quick 4-0 lead heading into the second. Kemp led off the game with a double, followed by an RBI single from Gomez (extending his batting streak to 16 games) and a long home run to center by Westlake. The Dores added a fourth run on a 2-strike single by Harrell. Sadly, the scoreless inning streak ended at 32 as Hill ceded a run the in the 2nd inning after a lead off triple and one out single. Nevertheless, the Commodores stayed atop based on one out Kemp triple, followed by a Gomez RBI single and a Westlake RBI double. Unfortunately, on an Esposito single to the hole, Westlake was picked off of second base by an alert Jonathan Ogden at shortstop. From there, the Vanderbilt offense slowed down, plating single runs on a Reynolds pinch hit single in the 5th and a Drew Fann bases loaded squeeze in the 7th.
Meanwhile, MSU chipped away at the lead, scoring 2 unearned runs in the 5th inning on a 2-out home run by Jarrod Parks after a Gomez error at shortstop. The home run would end Hill's day just shy of an official game. After cruising for 2.1 innings, Corey Williams and the Vanderbilt bullpen faltered in the 8th. Williams gave up a lead off single and a 4-pitch walk. Will Clinard came in and, after a pop out to Esposito, he gave up back-to-back singles loading the bases and closing the Vanderbilt lead to 8-5. Navery Moore entered with his nearly flawless line to date; sadly, that lack of scratch would not continue. Moore walked in another run, surrendered a 2 RBI single to tie the game and, after a fly out, yielded the lead on another single. With a 9-8 deficit, Vanderbilt was not able to equalize in the 8th or 9th inning.
A big part of the game was two failed Vanderbunts by Harrell, who failed to move two runners over in the 7th inning with no out and then popped up a Vanderbunt to the catcher with no out and a man on in the 9th. On the other side, Harrell successfully sacrificed in the 5th, leading to a run, and Fann executed a nice squeeze with 2 strikes in the 7th. All in all, though, the bullpen collapse and the decision to let Corey Williams try to work through the Bulldog lineup a second time played the key role in the loss. Moore took the hit on the ledger, with his first blown save and loss, moving his record to 3-1 and inching his ERA up to 0.77.
The Mississippi State win was the Bulldogs first in Nashville since 2002.
Apologies, Corrections and Indignation
My apologies this week go out to anyone who believes I'm a Corbin hater for disagreeing with his bunting philosophy or for stating that I thought this was the second example of a strategic mistake in leaving Williams out there to go through a batting order a second time.
Let's start with the pitching decision. Williams' ERA is now 5.40 and can almost be entirely attributed to two innings. These were the 4th inning against Western Kentucky (1 out recorded, 4 singles, walk, 5 earned runs) and the 8th inning last night (0 outs recorded, single, walk, 2 earned runs). What do they have in common? They were Williams' fourth inning of service in each game and his second time through the opponent's batting order. If you remove those two innings, Williams has a 1.50 ERA and we wouldn't have been biting our fingernails against the Hilltoppers and just maybe could have averted a terrible loss against Mississippi State. Some pitchers are meant to go through an order more than once. We call them starters and, occasionally relievers when you don't have a fully rested pen behind them. In my opinion, Clinard, Ziomek or Moore should have started the 8th inning and it was a tactical error, notwithstanding the fact that Williams had an impressive 7th inning (just as he had an impressive 3rd inning against WKU).
Then there's the bunting bit. Admittedly, I've been much more pleased with who has been doing the bunting the last two weeks and how aggressive they've been. But from an ideological standpoint, I think it really hurts our offensive output. According to Chris Lee at VandySports.com, Vanderbilt is averaging 1.24 sacrifices per game this year, up from 0.56 sacrifices per game last year. The number of bunts toward the end of last season was believed to be drawn from our ridiculously abnormal number of grounded into double plays (a whopping 77 in 66 games). Through this year, we've bounced into only 14 in 21 games and have a Sabremetrics offensive efficiency of just 90.9% of expected runs (as against a perfect 100% rating last year). It's difficult to say if the offensive efficiency is drawn entirely from over-bunting, rather than BBCOR bats, but our lack of big innings is certainly damaged by giving outs away. Further, while I believe we've had 7 sacrifice bunters reach base via error or hit, we've had, by my count, at least 6 failed sacrifices which cost us an out without advancing runner. That is, quite simply, too high. [Total hat tip to Chris Lee for all the Sabremetrics; if you're not a subscriber at VandySports.com, you should be.]
Now I'll get back to the point. I'm sorry for those people who feel my criticism of strategy or pitching decisions is an attack on Coach Corbin. It's not. What my criticism does is validate my opinion that Tim Corbin is one of the 2 or 3 best coaches in America (along with Mike Fox at UNC and, perhaps, Ray Tanner at South Carolina, though I'm not as set on the second spot). It validates it because my support of Coach Corbin is not dogmatic; it is rational and reasoned. What he has done at Vanderbilt in under a decade is something that has not been accomplished by any other major sport coach in a top flight conference. With the help of the administration and his assistants (particularly Derek Johnson) he has built a truly elite national power, such that Omaha is an inevitability, rather than a dream. But he has not done that without missteps or by walking on water. He is human and he acknowledges his mistakes as a coach.
For example, when it was clear that Coach Corbin was not the world's greatest third base coach, he turned over responsibilities to Erik Bakich and, now, Josh Holliday. He's adjusted strategy based on inputs in the past and the program continues to become more and more efficient. The sign of a truly great leader is not his infallibility, it's his ability to learn from his mistakes and teach his pupils to do the same. So I apologize to readers and to the message board participants who don't understand that.
As for my correction of the week, it goes to Georgia. I gave them a bit of a short stick last week, calling them the bottom of the pile in the SEC. Since Jonathan Taylor was hospitalized with a terrible neck injury on March 6, Georgia is 6-3 with wins over Alabama, UCLA's Gerritt Cole, Southern Cal and South Carolina. This past weekend, it took a Scott Wingo 2 out hit in the 9th to save this past weekend's series for the Gamecocks and prevent a Georgia series win. They've really rallied and have proven that they will be a tough out for the rest of the year, even if I still expect them to finish either at the bottom of the East or in 5th ahead of Tennessee.
My indignation this week is leveled toward the PA system at the Hawk. Although I watch my games via All-Access, generally, you can hear what they pipe out. Generally speaking, it's normal ballpark fare; however, we also have a history of some less than classy things. The worst example was the question contest asking how many SEC coaches (including Corbin) turned down LSU before they hired Paul Mainieri in 2006. This was during a inning break in Mainieri's first trip to Nashville in 2007. That was the low point, but we've also played embarrassing music and soundbites during opponent pitching changes that showed an immaturity in the behavior of the PA crew.
This past weekend, I believe they actually shifted toward illegal behavior twice on Saturday. The first instance was going over the PA microphone and urging the crowd to wave strikeout towels and cheer just before Garvin threw a third strike past a batter. The second was playing a Homer Simpson "Boring" soundbite after a Mississippi State pitcher threw over to first base three straight times. To my knowledge, both instances violated the SEC noise rules that prohibit the playing of artificial audio except between at bats or other stoppages in game play (other stoppages would include, by my book, pitching changes or long foul balls). So, I ask with indignation that the VU marketing staff get it back under control up there and a) learn the rules about when audio is appropriate and b) show some common sense in the selection of the media soundbites and quizzes.
Weekly Honors
For more Vandy Weekly honors, check out AnchorOfGold's weekly Commodore awards.
Best Offensive Player:
This was a bit of a tougher week to call on the batter of the week. While Vanderbilt's performance was outstanding, with 16 hits against Purdue and 34 hits against Mississippi State, the load was pretty balanced. This came down to a determination as to who among Kemp, Gomez, Westlake, Esposito, Yastrzemski and Casali had the best numbers. That the each of the first six batters in the lineup are up for weekly honors reflects the depth of this team's offense. Ultimately, it came down between Kemp (8-16, 5 runs, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 2B, 2 3B), Gomez (9-17, 4 R, 4 RBI, CS) and Westlake (8-17, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 3 2B, 3B, HR). While it would be hard to argue against any of the three, you have to give power a nod an honor Westlake for his consistently outstanding power stick.
Jarrod Parks rightfully earns the opposing offensive player of the week. In a week in which little offense was registered against the Dores, at least before Sunday, Parks was consistently solid. He managed to work 2 walks out of Gray on Friday, had 2 of the Bulldogs 3 hits on Saturday, and went 3-5 on Sunday, including a long 2 run home run off of Hill. He is one member of the Mississippi state squad who will not be hanging his head, despite the series loss to the Dores.
Sonny Gray of the Week:
As I threatened last week, I'm renaming the Pitcher of the Week Award the "Sonny Gray of the Week." Gray was sterling again, but this week's award goes to Grayson Garvin for a performance that was, really, just as good as Gray's. Garvin labored a little early in the game, but his final four innings were simply dominating, setting up the opportunity to go for the series sweep with only Lamm unavailable out of the pen. For the year, Garvin is now 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA, .200 batting average against and has a sterling 32:6 strikeout to walk ratio.
In a week with few positives for the opposition, Mississippi State freshman reliever Hunter Renfroe was an eye opener. In a perfect 8th inning, Renfroe featured some serious, serious heat, hitting 96 on the gun more than once. He wasn't yet pinpoint in his control (throwing 15 pitches to his three batters), but he has some kind of future in the SEC with an arm like that.
Scoreboard Watching
Here's the weekend roundup, with ranking provided by the NCBWA (for no other reason than them ranking us #1).
Southeastern Conference Weekend Play
#2 Florida at #7 Louisiana State (Florida sweeps)
Friday: Florida 5, LSU 4
Saturday: Florida 1, LSU 0
Sunday: Florida 7, LSU 3
Georgia at #6 South Carolina (South Carolina 2-1)
Friday: Georgia 4, USC 2
Saturday: USC 2, Georgia 1
Sunday: USC 8, Georgia 3
Alabama at Mississippi (Alabama 2-1)
Friday: Ole Miss 4, Alabama 0
Saturday: Alabama 7, Ole Miss 5
Sunday: Alabama 6, Ole Miss 4
#11 Arkansas at #26 Auburn (Auburn 2-1)
Friday: Arkansas 6, Auburn 5
Saturday: Auburn 9, Arkansas 5
Sunday: Auburn 8, Arkansas 7
Tennessee at Kentucky (Kentucky 2-1)
Friday: Kentucky 5, Tennessee 3
Saturday: Tennessee 12, Kentucky 8
Sunday: Kentucky 7, Tennessee 3
Other Top 10 Teams
#3 Oklahoma went just 1-4 on the week, facing #8 Arizona State (0-2) and #12 Texas A&M (1-2).
#4 Florida State went 1-3 on the week against #1 Florida (0-1) and #5 Virginia (1-2).
#5 Virginia went 3-1 on the week, facing James Madison (1-0) and #4 Florida State (2-1)
#8 Arizona State went 4-1 on the week against #3 Oklahoma (2-0) and Oral Roberts (2-1).
#9 Texas Christian went 2-2 on the week, facing UT Arlington (0-1) and UNLV (2-1).
#10 Texas went 4-0 on the week against Texas State (1-0) and Kansas State (3-0).
All in all, there should be plenty of movement in the top 10 this week. I predict Florida will regain consensus #1 standing, with Vanderbilt holding onto the #2 spot just ahead of Virginia. Arizona State should move into the #4 spot with South Carolina (3-2 for the week), LSU (1-3 for the week) and Texas in a tussle for the #5 ranking.
The Week Ahead
Vanderbilt closes out an 18 game home stand on Tuesday against Tennessee Tech before heading out on the road for an SEC series in Fayetteville. Although the weekend rotation should remain consistent with Gray, Garvin and Hill toeing the rubber against Arkansas, it will be interesting to see who among Ziomek, Pecoraro and Armstrong gets the mid-week start. My guess would be Ziomek would get a second straight start, with Pecoraro and Armstrong slated to relieve.
Tennessee Tech is 7-12 on the season, with a small-sample Warren Nolan RPI of 196. They come in off a 1-4 week featuring a midweek loss to East Tennessee State and a home series loss to Purdue. They have a negative scoring margin of 5.5 runs scored per game to 6.9 allowed.
At the plate, they are led by stellar first baseman Zach Stephens of Soddy-Daisy, TN. Stephens is hitting .398 with 5 home runs and an astounding 27 of his team's 101 RBI. Chad Oberacker provides a second power bat with a .271 average, 4 home runs and 16 RBI. As a team, the Golden Eagles are batting .285.
On the hill, things fall apart a bit with just three pitchers with ERAs below 5.50. They are reliever and spot starter Garrett Baugh (2-1, 2.16 ERA), weekend starter Matt Shepherd (2-3, 2.62) and spot starter Oberacker (0-1, 3.12). Oberacher and Shephard started over the weekend and Baugh threw on both Friday and Sunday, so expect to see either Jake McWhirter (0-1, 8.40) or Nick Price (0-1, 8.44) get the start against the Dores. As a team, the Tech ERA is 5.60, with a high 96 walks allowed in 180 innings. Teams hit .267 against the Golden Eagles and have hit 14 home runs in 20 games.
For the weekend, Vanderbilt heads to the unfriendly confines of Baum Stadium at George Cole Field. Vanderbilt actually has a 4-game winning streak in Fayetteville, including Saturday and Sunday wins in 2007 and Friday and Saturday wins (before a Sunday rain out) in 2009. This year's Razorback squad enters the week at 15-4 and 11-1, coming off of a week in which they defeated Kansas and lost a series (1-2) at #26 Auburn. Last week, they were ranked 11th by the NCBWA, and should be ranked in the teens this week. They average 7.5 runs per game offensively, while yielding just 4.1 runs to opponents and carry a small-sample Warren Nolan RPI of 50, entering the week. They will play two midweek games against Memphis before the Commodores' visit.
Offensively, they are led by first baseman Dominic Ficociell (.426, 10 2B, 23 RBI), right fielder Kyle Robinson (.388, 4 HR, 25 RBI) and third baseman Matt Reynolds (.379, 2 HR, 12 RBI). As a team, they bat .300 and have a stout .441 slugging percentage. That said, they don't take that many walks, with just a 74:128 walk to strikeout ratio.
The pitching staff is, as is typical of Arkansas teams, good. They have a 3.80 team ERA with some strikeout arms (163 in 170.2 innings). They are led by newly appointed Friday starter DJ Baxendale (4-0, 2 s, 1.88 ERA), but falter a bit this past weekend on Saturday with Brandon Moore (2-1, 5.04) and Sunday with Cade Lynch (2-0, 2.70), neither of whom were able to get deep into the game. Another potential weekend candidate is Ryne Stanek (1-0, 4.98), with Geoffrey Davenpor (3-1, 4.95) now out for the season due to pitching elbow injury revealed last week. I don't expect too much of a shakeup the weekend rotation with two midweek games on slate for the Razorbacks. The bullpen is anchored by Barrett Astin (2-0, 2.51), Nolan Sanburn (1-1, 2.53), Trent Daniel (0-0, 2.70) and Randall Fant (0-1, 3.09), giving Coach Dave Van Horn three very reliable relief arms.
It should be a really good weekend and the first opportunity since Stanford's visit for Vanderbilt to truly test out their top flight ranking in the polls.
Reading List
Baseball America – Top 25 Tracker Page (updates when posted by BA)
VandySports.com – Baseball Page (multiple stories and previews)
Vandy BlogoSphere – Anchor of Gold and VandySportsLine
College Baseball Daily – Vanderbilt Tag (including Drew Fann's weekly blog)
Let me know what you think, as I always appreciate feedback (even if just to note a typo). You can comment below, share this article on Twitter or Facebook. And remember to follow me on Twitter (my personal or this website's feeds).

subset: commoncrawl


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Keeping your facilities clean is a priority in order to satisfy both your standards as well as those of your guests. Patrons and employees come to your organization expecting a safe environment within which to work and enjoy all that the organization has to offer. One of the most common injuries that happen to staff as well as customers is slipping while walking in public, well-trafficked areas such as the hallways of the facility. Laminate, linoleum, and tile flooring are types of floors that are commonly used in facilities such as yours. It is a challenge to find a balance between keeping a floor smooth without creating a slippery surface upon which accidents are likely. Proper selection of the type of floors in your facility as well as appropriate maintenance of that floor can greatly reduce the incidence of slips around the building.
While the appearance of a facility is important, safety of the customers and employees takes precedence. It is important to choose a type of floor for your facility that is smooth but not slippery. When selecting flooring, ensure that your choice has a static coefficient of friction greater than 0.5. This is the measure with which the amount of friction on a surface can be determined. The more friction there is between the floor and shoe, the less likelihood that slipping will occur.
If your facility already has appropriate flooring, there are precautions you may take while maintaining the floors to reduce the likelihood of slipping.
Slipping on floors is an easily avoidable accident that can be prevented in many ways. These include proper footwear, clean up of damp areas during inclement weather, and more. Unfortunately, even when most precautions are taken slips still occur. Your organization can likely reduce the incidence of these inopportune accidents by checking that you have an appropriate type of floor and subsequently maintaining it properly.


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Despite the heat wave, Westfield is blooming and getting ready for the America in Bloom judges, Bruce Riggs and Marlboro Packard who will be coming to town on Sunday, July 10, 2010. They will be here until Wednesday morning and will be viewing 80% of the community in the following categories: floral displays, tidiness, landscaped areaas, urban forestry, heritage, community involvement, turf and groundcovers, and environmental effort.
In 2009, the first year Westfield competed, we received special mention and 4/5 bloom rating for our floral displays (a significant achievement for never having floral displays before). Westfield is also honored to be the only town in the state of New Jersey to compete. It is a friendly competition among 28 towns in the US, and Westfield is competing against Michigan City, IN and Murray City, UT in our population category.
Good luck Westfield! Thanks to all who have participated in Westfield in Bloom!
Westfield in Bloom Co-Leaders: Dave Williams and Sherry Cronin
Photo credit: Jamie Lemberg, Downtown Westfield Corporation


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The fact that One Piece is still so supremely popular, despite not even revealing the secret behind its own title, is nothing short of a miracle. In fact, it just keeps adding story lines instead of concluding them! And so, it is time to celebrate the release of over 900 chapters of this series (seriously, that is impressive) by tossing my own straw hat in and giving some guesses as to what I think the mysterious treasure known only as "One Piece" could be!
|I swear to God, if it turns out to be that damn hat...
The Journey
An obvious one, and hopefully the least likely, but I can't ignore the cliched and painful resolution that the it isn't about the destination, but rather the journey. That it doesn't matter if you become the Pirate King, because you already have great friends and memories that will last a lifetime. And if you never find out what the One Piece is, then that's fine because it was never that important in the grand scheme of things!
|"We don't need gold, so long as we have each other" - Cheesy Ass Finale
The possibility of this being the final answer is maybe 10%, but that's still terrifying.
One of Several
What if this manga is actually a jigsaw puzzle?
I know this one sounds horrendous, but we all know that this franchise is planning to go on for as long as inhumanly possible. And yet, fans have been waiting over 900 chapters to find out what this treasure actually is! Eventually, we're going to need to be told what it actually is... so what if its just one of many?
|It would definitely make for a good game, at the very least.
A Devil Fruit
Since the beginning of the franchise, Devil Fruits have been there. In every arc, we find a new DF user who has some insane and ridiculous power, from turning into smoke and creating candle wax, to becoming an awful giraffe man with sword fighting skills. Devil Fruits range from the awesome to the absurd, so I wouldn't be surprised if the One Piece was just the ultimate version of that. A Devil Fruit that gives the user the power to be a God or see into the future like the pathetic Yhwach from Bleach.
|Are they all in water? Eww. Soggy fruit!
One Piece is crazy. Do not tell me there are rules to it. Gol D. Roger was an old man in an anime, which means there is an 80% chance that he was a pervert and a troll. Now you look me in the eyes and say it wasn't possible that he decided to mess with the entire world and just placed a dull "one piece swimsuit" as the final treasure.
You can't, can you?
|"One Piece Swimsuit". Get it? GET IT?!
What are your theories on the One Piece? Any other articles you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments below!
Born under the stars of the Dark Gods, Shiggins owns the power of the Great Eye and is utterly magnificent in his omniscience. If you dare to discover more about someone as great as him, then go ahead. And to all my friends and family members, YOU are wrong and I should be disappointed! Not the other way round!,. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/


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Worship Through the Week:/
This week's sermon is on Hebrews 9:24-28. We invite you to read and pray over these words as we get ready to worship God together on Sunday:
"Christ didn't enter the holy place (which is a copy of the true holy place) made by human hands, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears in God's presence for us. He didn't enter to offer himself over and over again, like the high priest enters the earthly holy place every year with blood that isn't his. If that were so, then Jesus would have to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. Instead, he has now appeared once at the end of the ages to get rid of sin by sacrificing himself. People are destined to die once and then face judgment. In the same way, Christ was also offered once to take on himself the sins of many people. He will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."
Hebrews 9:24-28 CEB


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How To Use Colour To Communicate
Colour plays an important part in our lives from an early age. 'What's your favourite colour?' is a question we ask from childhood, and we continue to language our speech with references to colours; we see red, go green with envy, have black moods and get the blues and feel off colour.
Every day we make choices about colours: which tie to wear, what colour to paint the kitchen, red roses or pink carnations for Mother's Day, red and green for Christmas.
Colour has a psychological impact on the person who is viewing the colour. Colours you wear can communicate non-verbal messages of various kinds. Whether in the corporate world or casual dressing, these colour codes are a great recommendation:
When clients wear colours and colour combinations that flatter gives them the edge, their facial features are enhanced, they maximise their wardrobe dollars, intensify their level of confidence, and they start to attract success in their lives.
Colour is a great way to build rapport with your clients. It can create a great first impression. Wearing the correct colours in your make up or your shirt and tie will make you look younger. Colour is only important from the waist up. Wearing the right colours will enhance your best features. Wearing the wrong colours can show any skin imperfections, dark circles under the eyes, making you look and feel tired, can make you look pale or jaundice (yellow).
Colour can also be fun and when wearing a particular colour you love can give you an instant lift and make you feel amazing. As much as I love black, I also love adding a splash of colour as it re-energises me, especially when I am up early to go to the gym. Wearing bright colours gives me a lift to enjoy my workout.
You can also use colour in your wardrobe as communication. For example, the colour blue represents communication, so if you need to express something, or speak at a conference, by wearing blue can give you the confidence to get your message across. Is this why we see many Politicians wearing blue?
So sit back and have a bit of fun with the power of colour.
Red commands power and energy.
It represents hot, dangerous, angry, passionate, sentimental, exciting, vibrant and aggressive.
It is the most physically appealing colour and is perceived and a power colour. If you are a shy person, incorporate red into your wardrobe to be viewed as assertive. A bold red tie on a man can be too blatant, wear a tie with flecks or stripes of red in it to add power.
People who wear red tend to be outgoing, assertive, vigorous, moody and impulsive. They sympathise with others and can be easily swayed. They can be an optimist, but do not hesitate to voice their opinions.
Yellow represents youthfulness.
It represents bright, sunny, cheerful, warm, prosperous, cowardly and deceitful.
It is most appropriate for casual clothing. Yellow is a bright colour that attracts attention to itself, and when it reflects onto the face, it can give the skin a sallow, jaundiced, unhealthy tinge. It is not a great colour to wear on television.
People who wear yellow tend to be imaginative, have a lot of nervous energy, are thoughtful and can have an interest in saving the world. They can also be aloof and more given to theory than the action. They can be shy and secretly crave admiration and respect, but they make loyal friends and confidants.
Green radiates harmony and calmness and demonstrates credibility.
It represents calm, cool, fresh, friendly, pleasant, balanced, restful, lucky, envious and immature.
People who wear green tend to be a good citizen who is aware of social customs and etiquette. They are candid and moral, make excellent teachers and can be extremely family oriented.
Blue expresses serenity, peace and is great for communication.
It represents peaceful, calm, restful, highly esteemed, serene, tranquil, truthful and formal.
Navy blue is an excellent colour to use as a base in your wardrobe. It works well with red, white and pastel colours. Navy gives the feeling of proper authority when worn in business.
People who wear blue tend to be introspective, conservative and are likely to retreat to somewhere calm during stressful situations. They can be loyal friends who wish to lead a simple, quiet life and keep a tight lid on their passions. They can be intolerant of stupidity in others and of those who think they are smarter than themselves.
Purple expresses power and creativity.
People who wear purple tend to be smart and have a quick wit. They are often keen observers, vain, creative, can be quick to anger and can recognise greatness in others.
It represents royalty, dignified, powerful, wealthy, dominance, dramatic, mysterious, wise and passionate.
Purple works well for a woman's top or a man's tie.
Pink is a feminine colour and represents peace.
People who wear pink can be known as feminine, have a fun, energetic and childlike manner. They are often very caring, especially towards children and like to receive massive amounts of love.
When you want to spread out our love, wear pink.
Orange conveys a confident and outgoing nature.
People who wear orange tend to be good-natured, sociable and can be easily swayed by others opinions, like people who wear red. They tend to be good workers, have strong loyalties and are kind hearted.
Brown creates a comfortable and practical feeling.
People who wear brown tend to be individuals who perform their duties conscientiously. They can be shrewd and tight when it comes to money. They are steady and dependable and rarely impulsive.
White creates an air of innocence
It represents innocent, youthful, faithful, pure and peaceful.
Wear white for shirts and tops in winter and blazers, jeans, pants and skirts in summer. White can make you appear larger, especially in front of the camera.
White works well with black and navy.
Black denotes creativity and can be a fashion statement or be too harsh when expressing you.
It represents mysterious, tragic, dangerous, sad, dignified, silent, old, sophisticated, robust and wise. It can be a "downer" colour due to its association to funerals but can be an excellent choice for formal attire.
Black is a power colour, so use it carefully. It can appear harsh against most skin tones; however, it is still the best daytime colour for women who frequently appear in public.
Black can be a slimming colour.
People who wear black tend to be intelligent, worldly, conventional, proper and polite. They appear high up in the workforce and dignified. They can be prone to depression if not confident.
When you know which colours suit your skin tone, you will find it easier for makeup coordination, accessorising and how to create a fabulous wardrobe.
Learn your own personal colours and how to wear them in "Your Ultimate Style" eBook.
Thank you for reading and sharing.
We can only grow and keep providing you with articles if you help us to form the community. By sharing our articles with others, you are enabling us to keep writing.
We thank you for your support.


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Hey everyone,
If you haven't signed up for a team yet, please do so. There are three remaining people that need to sign up for a team. Please choose either connect or now.
We will be sending you an email with your team to discuss scheduling. The same email will be what you will be sending all tweets to. Please send at least one tweet a day, if possible.


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API's and IPA's (APIIPA) is back! After a great inaugural event in January, we're excited to return to Covo and host Sacramento based Big Stump Brewery and Cisco Systems.
This special APIIPA will feature;
• Delicious hand crafted beer from Big Stump
• A preview of the DEVNET Create conference
• Hands on with Cisco's award winning Spark Board.
• Lightning talks
Big Stump is an amazing brewery out of Sacramento, famous for its CA State Fair winning double IPA. Big Stump produces a variety of amazing beers and we're lucky enough to have co-founder and brewmaster, Alex Larrabee joining us. We'll be featuring the famous award winning double IPA as well as a little surprise that is just about to be released!
For the first time ever, Cisco's developer network or "DEVNET" is hosting its own conference! DEVNET Create is the IoT conference where applications meet infrastructure. Come join the brightest IoT, cloud, and enterprise developers as we bring clarity to the blurred lines between infrastructure and applications.
Our developer network is unique in the fact that Cisco works with so many different areas and aspects of technology. We don't just work on helping you program an IoT device... We help you provision it, secure it, host it and optimize it! Our developers know how all of the parts fit together and they want to share that expertise with you! They've run into the problems and created solutions using the unmatched knowledge and resources available to Cisco. Come by APIIPA to get a sneak preview of Create, and hear from some of the same speakers that will be appearing at the event (announcements to follow).
Cisco has also just installed one of its brand new 4K Spark Boards at Covo and we're excited for you to come check it out! The Spark Board was built with team collaboration in mind and is our all-in-one device for secure video conferencing, white boarding, video and audio calls, and presentations! Cisco is honored to have just received the Red Dot design Award for "extraordinary innovative design."
Christie Abel from the Cisco team will be there to tell you all about the Cisco Spark board and how you can use it to improve collaboration on your team!
Lightning Talks
Michael Todd from Epoch will be speaking about securing Spark Bots.
Covo member, Springer Nature will be talking about their own API and how they use it to provide quality content.
We look forward to seeing everyone and want you to get home safely. Please arrange for a sober ride home or plan on taking a Rideshare service, Muni or BART.


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THE GALLERY SHOP: Artist Submission 2018/2019
THE GALLERY SHOP: Artist Submission 2018/2019
DEADLINE: Saturday, June 30, 2018
NOTIFICATION: Friday, July 6, 2018
We are excited to announce THE SHOP at The Delaware Contemporary will be getting a make-over! We are looking for a fresh new selection of products as we continue to promote contemporary craft and design and support local and regional artists. Submit your work to be considered for our eclectic assortment of contemporary art and boutique-chic, handmade products. Whether your medium is sculpture, oil painting, watercolors, macramé, soaps, candles, jewelry, toys, or home accessories, ALL forms of art are encouraged!
Starting August 1st, THE SHOP will display a new selection of curated products on a rotating schedule. The first shop season will be August 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019.
Submission Requirements:
Submit the following information as a single document (.DOC, .PDF) to firstname.lastname@example.com with the email subject line "Shop2019":
Short Bio: Brief summary of your artist resume
Product description
Optional: Artist digital links (instagram, etsy, artist website, facebook, etc.)
Must attach 5 - 10 images to showcase variety of artwork to the submission email.
Pay submission fee and include the order receipt number in the body of the submission email. Fee waived for FRIENDS of The Delaware Contemporary - mention your FRIENDS membership in your submission email.
Thank you for submitting your work!


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Hello my blogger friends
The card for today is a Christmas Teabag card
I have a few new crafters in class so I decided to show a few techniques so we have the iris folding to come but last week it was teabags
And as its already almost a ¼ through the year I decided it was time to start with christmas.
The card was from www.craftsuprint.com and was designed by Dawn Hill.
On the sheet it shows the square card with the teabag tiles but I decided it was to be an A5 so this is what I did!!!
So materials for this card I used ….
Heat mat to work on and protect your surface – I always use it...
1 sheet A4 blue card
The printed main design sheet
small panel of silver card
piece of ribbon and pearl ribbon slider
Martha Stewart snowflake border punch
Red stickles
Sticky pads
Eazi Score Board & tool
Tonic 8" guillotine
Shaping tool from www.dimensionstamps.com
Foam shaping mat – stamping mat or even a mouse mat
To make the card …
The blue card was scored and folded in half.
After cutting out the main square from the sheet I used very thin double sided tape to cover all the edges, removed the backing and covered with glamour dust, shook off the excess then did the same on the pre printed shape where the teabag medallion was to go.
The main panel was then stuck to the card front using double sided tape.
I folded the teabag tiles to create the medallion, sticking each piece as I went along, once the last piece was in I added the brad, sprayed the medallion with Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle then glued the medallion in place on the design sheet.
Using the oddment of silver mirri card I used the snowflake border punch on both edges and kept all the snowflakes it punched out.
The ribbo9n was slotted through the ribbon slider then the ribbon was stuck to the silver card – I laid it down the silver card and then tucked the ends behind the card and glued them – that way the slider can be moved up and down the ribbon until you are happy with it!
This panel was then stuck onto the right hand side of the card using thick foam tape.
The snowflakes from the punched border were randomly stuck on the card using PVA
When that was all finished I used the red stickles to add a blog of sparkly colour inside the snowflake cut outs on the border and the berries on the holly.
And that's the Christmas card finished!
The ribbon I used for this project is beautiful – I have it in a collection of colours now – its from a store called BOYES if anyone has one near them – its in the clearance ribbon box at 25p for around 3metres!!
If you are the 20,000th viewer on my blog you can expect some in your winning prize!!!
Having looked at the counter on the blog we only need around 240 more views!
Thanks for dropping by
This is another card for the "use or sell" box once the project has been done in class...watch out for the other version too


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Welcome to our Burning Man Survival Guide. We hope our tips help it make The Best Burn EVER!
Rent Your Camping Kit - "BURNTIP" Discount Code
Reduce the hassle of buying all your gear and having to throw it away. Experiencegear.com has perfect camp kits with tents, sleeping bags, lights and more. Just rent a kit per day and ship it back after you clean off the playa dust. They can ship your kit directly to your hotel.
Pocket Ashtray Pouch- Fireproof PVC
These small pocket ashtrays have lasted me for many Burns. They are small and easy to pack, and extinguish any fires.Buy on Amazon
Luci Inflatable Solar Light
This unique Solar lantern is completely powered by the sun, no additional batteries needed. Set it in Direct sunlight for 7 hours and LUCI color Essence lasts up to 8 hours on a single charge. Collapsible and compact, weighs just 4.4 ounces.
Buy on Amazon
LED Light Cups
If you have a cup with LED Lights, the flashing lights draw attention faster to your cup to get a quicker refill. If you happen to drop them as you are walking or riding from bar to bar, they are also easy to spot.
Buy Online
Stainless Steel Mug with Carabiner Handle
A cup with a handle is handy to be able to fasten to your belt or backpack. Usually a leather strap or carabiner can connect your cup to your bag. A Keychain Ring and some Gaffer tape can also do the trick. This stainless steel mug is insulated and comes with a handy clip on carabiner for a handle. Just clip it on your belt, bag or ear.
Gear Aluminum Carabiner D Shape Buckle Pack
Sometimes a ziptie just won't do it.
The number of uses for a Carabiner at Burning Man are endless. From putting up shade structures, to attaching water bottles to your bike, it's better to have a bunch of them in your pack.
Buy On Amazon
6 pcs Aluminum D-ring Locking Carabiner Light but Strong
Pack Vibrant Colors D Shape Improved Durable Spring-loaded Gate Aluminum Carabiners Clips
Ratchet Straps
Ratchet straps are sturdy and effective ways of making sure things don't fall off your car getting there and back, but also making sure your camp doesn't blow away in the wind once you are there.
Zip Ties
Make sure to get some industrial strength ZipTies. The winds are strong, and everything is beaten down on the playa. These are a good set that will help you out in so many ways. Some people have even made their shade structures from them. Avoid the clear / white zipties as they are hard to find doing MOOP patrol. Get the colored or black ones as they are easier to spot.
Solar Shower
One of the more popular shower choices is using a solar shower. Add water, hang it in the sun, and you have a warm shower. Make sure to collect your grey shower water! Children's pools are a popular easy choice to collect your grey water.
This is the RISEPRO Solar Shower Bag, which holds 5 gallons/20L of water. And it also has a thermometer gauge to check how warm the water is.
Bungee Cords
Bungee Cords are one of those Essential Gear you don't always think of. These will save you in so many situations, not only the ones you can think of, but more importantly, the ones you can't. Make sure to get different lengths as one size doesn't always fit all.
750lb Neon (Safety) Orange Paracord
Useful in so many ways, this military grade paracord is a handy resource on the playa.
"PEACE OF MIND. THERE'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE IT." Go ahead, string up a hammock, rig your sails, secure your tent or make an emergency tourniquet. The extra 200 pounds of strength beats regular 550 cord and is there to protect you when you really need it! Our 100% Nylon (11 Triple Strands) TOUGH-GRID cord is NEVER Spliced.
Spray Bottles
Spray Bottles are so handy to have. They help with reducing the amount of water you use when cleaning, which reduces your grey water. Just spray as you clean, works great.
If you are getting hot, a spray in the face or mister really helps to keep cool. It's nice if you add a little essential oil fragrance, like lavender or rose.
Ball Bungee
An upgrade from your regular zipties and ropes, these bungee balls are great for connecting tarps to shade structure frames and the like.
TOUGH-GRID 750lb Neon Paracord
For tying down your shade structure, shelter or anything else, you will need some good rope. This paracord is excellent for it's strength, durability and varity of color and length combos. Essetial gear for any campsite.
Sand Stakes
These stakes were designed for holding tents in snow and sand. I've used them in the mountains on snow and many times at the burn. Place the rope through one of the middle wholes and drive it down through the ground. Add some water after to really make it solid.
Fiberglass Hammer
One of those essential tools for your campsite. If you didn't bring one, maybe you can find one you can borrow. If you are at a camp with a bunch of people chances are they will have some tools like this to help you setup and breakdown your campsite.
Tent Stake Mallet
One of those essential tools for your campsite. If you didn't bring one, maybe you can find one you can borrow. You need something to hit those stakes in, unless you wanna ruin your shoe. If you are at a camp with a bunch of people chances are they will have some tools like this to help you setup and breakdown your campsite.
21ft 50 LED Waterproof Solar Outdoor String Lights
Make sure you or other burners don't trip over your guide wires and tent lines. Use these solar powered outdoor LED lights along your tent lines. Not only does it make it safer, easier to find your tent at night, but it also gives a great vibe.
Solar LED Lantern Powered String Lights
Make sure you or other burners don't trip over your guide wires and tent lines. Use these solar powered outdoor LED lights along your tent lines. Not only does it make it safer, easier to find your tent at night, but it also gives a great vibe. These LEDs sport a fun lantern, but there are lots of varieties you can use to give your tent that extra flair.
Solar Powered Tent Lamp
Light up your tent at night with this Solar Powered Led Lamp. just hang it on a hook inside, and you have light!
2 Year Warranty,If the Light Can Not Work OK,We Will Offer You One New Free In 48 Hours After We Get Your Confirmed information.
LED Lamp and Tent Fan
This is a simple option to keep your tent cool, so you can sleep off some of the hangover from the night before. Otherwise, you will melt in your tent. There are also a bunch of DIY coolers that you can build, but this is a simple solution. One downside is make sure to bring enough batteries to keep it running.


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Simple Photoshop Scripting User Interface / Photopea
Hi, I need to create a very simple online photoshop user interface, leaving the name of the layers with the name that I choosed and not a casual name ( the layers of images and text must have a predefined name, so when adding the image, if the layer name will change, then we need that the system will rename it in to the predefined layer name. for the text layers instead it is more simple, because for sure they will be already up in the psd file, so the name of the layer will never change and the users will be never able to change the name of layers, both for images and texts:
0) CHOOSE DESIGN : choose from a jpeg preview with .psd file to edit:
1) CHOOSE IMAGE 1 and CHOOSE IMAGE 2 : Choose 2 images in 2 steps:
A) Choose image 1 and positionate it (with resize option too)
B) Choose image 2 and positionate it (with resize option too)
2) edit the text (in the psd files there will be maximum 5 texts layers to edit)
I don't know yet which adobe licence is needed for it, so for now I suggest to work on pompea that is using the same javascript of photoshop:
[login to view URL]
freelancer 6 คน กำลังเสนอราคาเฉลี่ยที่ $202 สำหรับงานนี้
Hi I can fulfill your project requirement in short time with quality and budget. I have gone through your project requirement to build website & design which match my expertise. I am proficient in designing and deve เพิ่มเติม
I am very interested in the project and you would like to apply to it. I'm a web developer with 7 years experience in Java, J2EE, Spring, Hibernate,PHP, MYSQL, CSS3, HTML5 and deep knowledge Wordpress, WP pluggin, เพิ่มเติม
I am a new professional photo editor. I can edit you photo . I am a new photo editor so I can discount everyone.
Photo Editing Relevant Skills and Experience Photoshop work, photo editing,


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"Tandyr" interior
"Tandyr"'s interior design greatly resembles and continues the customary furnishing of a Yourta, which reflects the philosophy of the Steppe accumulated in centuries. It was essential to the life of Kazakh people and had a great impact on their everyday ways. Household items presented here : horse harness, felt matts – "tekemet" and "tuskiiz", chests, wooden and metal tableware, other objects of wood, bone, and metal – are all embroidered according to the complicated system of symbols. Headwear, clothes, bags, and horse-rugs were covered with fancy needlework. Wood was used to craft bowls and spoons for qymyz (fermented horse milk), and carved in a sophisticated manner. Beds and chests were often decorated with antlers of arkhar (wild sheep) and tau-teke (mountain goat). Lashes, belts, harness and torsyqs (flasks for water and qymyz) were made of leather. All the mentioned elements are widely presented in "Tandyr", the recreated caravanserai, identical to those which existed all over the Steppe for centuries.
Ethnic jewellery collection
The art of jewellery holds a special place in traditional Kazakh culture. It gives us a complete and vivid picture of the nation's ideals, aesthetic tastes, its magnitude, and the variety of artistic values. Kazakh jewellers – zergers – as a rule worked alone, and passed the knowledge on to their heir. This had always granted a special elite value to their art: it was impossible for the wide league of craftsmen to acquire. Zergers produced a vast range of items: women's jewellery and clothes' decorations, toiletry, table ware, different d?cor elements for yourtas, furniture, hardware, musical instruments, weapons, and horse ware.
Jewellery did not just carry out the purpose of beauty to the nomad. It also served as magical protection. Thus the shine and colour of silver was associated with the Moon and its light. Precious and ornamental stones were given a deep meaningful purpose – they were enchanted each with powerful forces. Carneol (sard) was one of the most popular stones as it was believed to bring joy and prosperity to its owner.
Carpet collection
There are different types of Kazakh carpets. Each one has a specific weaving technique, as well as ornament and colour peculiarity. Felt has been widely used in the Steppe to produce carpets which were hung on walls and put on the floor, called tekemet, syrmaq, tuskiiz.
The process of manufacturing a tekemet is rather complicated. A base of white felt cloth is prepared and a template with patterns, previously coloured, and cut out of damp felt fabric is put on top of it. This way the tissue has to be rolled tightly and dynamically packed with elbows for a continuous period of time. After, tekemet is being stretched and steamed, and the cycle is repeated. Gradual steaming and packing makes the pattern slowly penetrate and colour the basic layer.
Household items collection
The fact that the nomads never considered themselves separate from nature, was clearly reflected in the attributes of their everyday life. A distinctive way of furnishing a yourta was to keep all the objects visible to the eye. Nevertheless items carried out functions of both utility and home decor. For this reason they are covered with ethnic ornaments. Kazakh ornamentation's main styles are zoomorphic (animal images), geometric, and floral. Symbolic images of everyday objects, celestial bodies, and surrounding natural phenomenon are also widely used. "Tandyr"s interior is a real life demonstration of all these features.
Details of horse harness and trappings deserve a closer look, as horses were an important part of Kazakh culture. An ancient saying tells: "Life's beauty is about a neat saddle of your horse and your fine clothes". Proper decoration of one's horse was part of the special attributes of high value, same as jewellery and expensive dress.


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My name is Pushan Jain and I am 18 years old. I graduated from Vasant Valley School, New Delhi in 2018 and will be completing my undergraduate education from NYU Stern School of Business by 2022. I represent Delhi in 10m Air Rifle shooting and have taken part in several National competitions and have also competed at the International level.
I worked with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation and made Project Para-Pulse, a project that aims at creating a National Junior Shooting Para-Team in India. I presented this project to the Sports Ministry, Sports Authority and the Paralympic Committee of India.


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Identification of SOAEL and LOAEL in Support of the NPSE - NO0236
The Noise Policy Statement for England (NPSE) sets out the long term vision of Government noise policy for the effective management and control of noise from environmental, neighbour and neighbourhood sources within the context of sustainable development. The aims of the policy are to: avoid significant adverse impacts on health and quality of life; mitigate and minimise adverse impacts on health and quality of life; and where possible, contribute to the improvement of health and quality of life.
The objective of this project is to establish, where possible, threshold levels for the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level (LOAEL) and the Significant Observed Adverse Effect Level (SOAEL) for a range of noise source/effects based on strong scientific evidence.
There are 5 project phases:
1. Literature Review, including Email survey of international contacts:
To provide the scientific evidence that underpins the development of appropriate threshold levels for the LOAELs and SOAELs. The project team have already access to much of the existing material but an email survey to relevant international experts in the field will capture any emerging evidence.
2. Synthesis of relevant research, standards and other guidance:
To identify the optimum exposure-response relationships for the various effects based on the evidence from phase 1 and the development of criteria to define what constitutes a significant adverse impact.
3. Identification of LOAELs and SOAELs:
To identify LOAELs and SOAELs for ten situations to include noise from environmental (road, rail, air), neighbour (noise inside/outside homes) and neighbourhood (industrial, amplified music) sources and their effects on health and well being (annoyance, sleep disturbance, cognitive learning and cardiovascular etc)
4. Case study demonstration:
To provide a case study based on real data to demonstrate the application of the methodology.
5. Reports and presentations:
To provide Interim Report on progress, a Final Report together with presentations, no more than two, to Stakeholders.
The results from this research will support Defra"s responsibility for managing noise in England by demonstrating a consistent framework for assessing the impact of noise on health and well being that is applicable for use in planning, land-use development and the protection of the environment.
Project Documents
FRP - Final Report :
NANR316 Evidence and Usage of LOAEL, SOAEL etc
FRP - Final Report :
NANR316 Possible Options for Identification of SOAEL and LOAEL - December 2015
Time-Scale and Cost
Contractor / Funded Organisations
AECOM (Glasgow Office)
Fields of Study
© Crown copyright
Access to information
Terms & conditions
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs


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A fourth "Toy Story" film has seemingly been in the works for some time, though appeared to hit a speed bump when originally hired scribes Rashida Jones and Will McCormack departed the project a while back and the film was delayed from its originally planned Summer 2018 release.
Late last year it was revealed Jones and McCormack's decision ultimately had to do with Pixar head John Lasseter who is currently on leave following several misconduct claims brought against him. Now one of the other talents involved, actress Annie Potts, has revealed that the delay went beyond merely a change of writers.
Speaking with The Radio Times, she revealed the entire project was overhauled because the studio has the creative freedom to start from scratch if something is not working:
"[Toy Story 4] was supposed to come out this year and then they threw out three-quarters of it and rewrote. Usually, it takes, from start to finish, two years. But because they threw most of it in the bin and started over [my time on the project has] been extended a little bit. I've done a lot of work on it… I have a big part! I'm thrilled!
They're funny those Pixar people. They just take their time. It's very painstaking work. If they don't like whole sections then they just chuck it and start over again. They have that great creative liberty to do that."
Stephany Folsom is penning and Josh Cooley is helming "Toy Story 4" which is finally slated to arrive on June 21st 2019.


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30 November 2017, London. RHI Magnesita N.V. (LSE: RHIM), a global leading supplier of refractory products, systems and services, today announces the completion of its merger control divestments for a […]Read More
Vienna, 30 November 2017 – RHI Magnesita is pleased to inform about the announcement of the company's inclusion in the FTSE 250 index. The inclusion marks an important milestone for […]Read More
RHI Magnesita acquires 100% of the shares of Agellis Group AB, Lund (Sweden) Strategic extension of RHI Magnesita's product range with advanced innovative measurement technology Transaction supports strategic focus on […]Read More
13 November 2017, London – RHI Magnesita N.V. (LSE: RHIM), a global leading supplier of refractory products, systems and services, today announces a trading update as a combined group for the nine […]Read More
Chairman of the Board of Directors Cordt and CEO Borgas have opened the market at the London Stock Exchange on Monday Closing as a start of new corporate culture, new […]Read More
27 October 2017, London – Further to the announcements made by RHI AG ("RHI") and Magnesita Refratarios S.A. ("Magnesita") on 17 October 2017, RHI Magnesita N.V. ("RHI Magnesita" or the […]Read More
Prospectus for the listing of the shares of RHI Magnesita on the London Stock Exchange approved by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) Last trading day on the […]Read More


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Woman Posts Brave Pic After Haters Accuse Her of Faking 189-Pound Weight Loss
Critics on social media claimed Simone Anderson's dramatic, 11-month body transformation wasn't real.
Her before-and-after pictures are seriously inspirational. Eleven months ago, Auckland, New Zealand–based hairdresser and makeup artist Simone Anderson weighed 373 pounds and decided to get serious about her health. She cut out processed foods, had gastric sleeve stomach surgery, and began walking for an hour every day. She also began documenting her journey on her Instagram account and Facebook page, posting pics of grueling 5 a.m. workout sessions and healthy meals.
But last week, after Anderson shared a snap celebrating reaching her goal weight of 184 pounds, people began leaving her cruel comments on social media saying that she had faked her physical transformation. "People just couldn't believe it was the same person," Anderson said. "They tried to rip me to shreds."
That's when she decided to share a before-and-after shot that reveals one of the challenges people who lose lots of weight often have to deal with: loose skin.
"Every single comment that called me out for being fake and a liar really bothered me far more than it should," Anderson wrote in the Instagram pic's caption. "I think it's because it took hours of crying and debating whether to share my story online and for others to see; posting the first picture online along with my weight for the world to see was the hardest thing I have ever done."
Commenters who weigh about the same as Anderson complained that they don't have the same shapely figure and called her a "trickster." Some people didn't believe the "after" photo was of Anderson because the phone she was taking selfies with was different from the one she used at the start of her journey. Others complained that her hair and skin color had changed, or that the background of her home wasn't the same. But, Anderson explained, she merely got a new phone and moved to a different home, and as a hairstylist and makeup artist, she changes her look frequently.
The number of obese people around the world doubled between 1980 and 2014, according to the World Health Organization's Global Status Report. More than 600 million adults are obese, and another 2 billion are overweight, so it's commendable that Anderson bucked the trend and worked so hard to get healthy.
But more than two-thirds of people who drop such a significant amount of weight are left with loose, stretched skin. Anderson lifts weights, but no amount of pumping iron can cause skin that's been significantly expanded by excess pounds to snap back completely, which can negatively affect confidence and contribute to people regaining weight.
The loose skin also sometimes leads to incidents of body shaming. Last year, after blogger Brooke Birmingham dropped 172 pounds, Shape magazine reached out, interested in featuring her as a Success Story. But according to Birmingham, after she sent the editor who contacted her a bikini picture that revealed loose skin similar to Anderson's, the magazine asked her for an image in which her body was covered up.
After she posted the photo showing her loose skin, some of Anderson's 56,000 Facebook fans and 16,000 Instagram followers asked her if they could help out with the cost of skin-removal surgery. Anderson set up a crowdfunding page, and people have donated more than $2,300 toward the estimated $20,000 expense.
Anderson told she has dealt with the mean comments about her weight loss and body by "reminding myself I had done it and done it for me and no one else." She's also setting a new fitness goal for herself: running a marathon.


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Let's all just face it, water isn't fun. It never was, and anyone that told you otherwise was lying. That's not saying that drinking water isn't important, and a necessary life function, but its just not a fun thing to do. Luckily, there's an answer—Soda Stream's Aqua Fizz.
Seltzer is fun, bubbly, and the healthiest alternative possible to soda while still having the carbonated bubbling. This machine is simple, easy to use, and sized perfectly. For all those living in cities like New York or Los Angeles, where counter space and kitchen sizes come at a heavy premium, buying a new countertop appliance can mean facing an irksome reality, turning most things down because they just can't fit no matter how practical they are. (Looking at you, mixers and food processors.) The Soda Stream though stands at just over 17 inches high, well within the height of most cabinets, and only 6 inches wide.
The product comes with a CO2 can, where the bubbles are coming from, two glass carafes, and caps for both bottles.
The machine is also ridiculously easy to use. The space for the bottle opens with a latch for easy access to lock things in, and the boring water turns into brilliant seltzer with a simple touch of a button.
Whether you like seltzer really bubbly like Polar or less carbonated like Perrier is up to you, and the longer the hold on the button, the bubblier the bottle will be.
This is a perfect product for any home. Between the stainless steel finish, black liner, and compact design, it's the perfect fit for any seltzer-lover to have their fix on demand.


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Solutions for integrating services into corporate fleets
Corporate business car fleets needs different type of solutions for internal corporate usage as gps tracking, business-related devices, payment terminals etc. Fleets can move to electric cars, and this will help spread understanding about how the cars feel to drive, maintenance, and their reliability.
We are specialised on solutions adapting self-driving possibility or gps related functions into your vehicles. Compatible vehicles include small cars, vans, pick-ups, 5-tons, and also heavy-duty vehicles.
The installation makes possible
- Self-driving solutions (farming, industrial areas etc.)
- Connection for the vehicle sunroof charging equipment
- Satellite tracking
- Navigation apps & messaging
- Other sensors & controls
Further Integration
Need additional functionality or integration? We can add third party apps, brackets and hardware add-ons.


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Beth Akister's journey to be unbroken by cancer
For Beth Akister, breast cancer wasn't a death sentence, but an opportunity for a change of lifestyle and personal growth.
She was diagnosed in April 2017 with stage three breast cancer, when two tumours were discovered in her right breast. She had a mastectomy and a breast reconstruction five weeks later, and a "kiss my boob goodbye party" beforehand to farewell her breast.
Later, a third tumour was found and that the cancer had spread to Akister's chest wall and through her lymph nodes, requiring chemotherapy and radiation.
And so began weekly sessions of chemotherapy for six months, followed by six weeks of radiotherapy, which finished in March this year.
During the long months of treatment the then 46-year-old who now lives in the Blue Mountains but was residing in Melbourne at the time, discovered a passion for creating art from animal bones and metal, which seemed to help her through the cancer journey.
"I've always made stuff and I've always been attracted to sculpture," Akister explains.
A welding short course six months before the cancer diagnosis gave Akister the ability to manipulate metal and she made the most of these newfound skills, setting up her own business BattyFishPye Metal.
"I loved rusty metal and I'm a pretty keen gardener," she says.
"The bone obsession came out of owning death. I'm mortal."
While she stared down her mortality, it wasn't without fear.
"I was in too much shock to be scared at the start. But it was scary and it was scary for my parents," Akister recalls.
"When I was diagnosed it didn't seem like the massive C word. You own it and get on with it," she says.
"You can't choose what happens to you, but you can choose how you respond to it."
When Akister heard from a friend about the body art/documentary project Unbroken, late last year, she was immediately interested.
"I felt unbroken by cancer. It gave me a lot of strength," she explains.
"We can all go through full-on things and come out of it possibly stronger than we went in and imperfection isn't a terrible thing. My humour got me through. It is what it is."
Unbroken celebrates Australians who have found greater strength within themselves following personal hardship or challenge, addressing issues such as trauma, sexuality, disability, mental illness, body image, asylum seeking and sexual assault.
Through body painting and photography a diverse ensemble of individuals celebrate their truth, resilience and purpose, in art and in life.
Inspired by the Japanese art form Kintsugi, which is the art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with gold, silver or platinum, the participants were painted from head to toe, while sharing their story.
"The painting was very powerful. You were getting naked in front of people and being painted everywhere. It was cathartic and great to own the unbroken side of it and come out stronger, if not a little cracked," Akister says.
One of the producers of Unbroken, Braiden Asciak, says it was an enlightening and empowering experience for the participants.
"They all deal with trauma in various ways. Beth has owned her trauma and sees it in a very positive light," he says.
"With 10 diverse subjects, each with a different story to tell, we hope to to inspire people with the knowledge that there is always hope. That imperfection and impermanence can make us stronger.
"It's Australia's first body painting that collides with stories of trauma."
The production crew are in the process of developing a pilot in the hope the documentary will be picked up for broadcast.
The portraits will also be part of an exhibition at the Midsumma Festival in Melbourne in January.
Additionally, up to 90 minutes of documentary video content across the 10 stories will be installed to complement the portrait photography.
The producers have started another fundraising campaign to cover some of the costs of the exhibition. For more information visit the website: https://australianculturalfund.org.au/projects/unbroken-an-exhibition/.
Before the cancer diagnosis, Akister had been made redundant from a sustainability project manager/researcher role at a Melbourne university.
It had been 10 years in a high-stress environment, which Akister believes could have contributed to getting cancer in the first place.
She had decided a quieter life without stress was in order, and it wasn't too long before she would create a completely different world for herself.
Midway through the chemotherapy and "bald as a badger" Akister met Ben Stubenrauch at a party and they hit it off immediately.
He could see beyond the bald head, and still made her feel feminine, Akister recalls. When her hair started to grow back, but not quickly enough, it was Ben's dreds Akister attached to her fledgling hair growth to make her feel more feminine.
Ben had grown up in the Blue Mountains and worked as an outdoor guide here for 20 years. They moved to Faulconbridge in March, to acreage where they live off the grid.
It's very basic living with a longdrop toilet, no electricity – just solar panels and a generator for back-up, rainwater tanks, and a wood heater to keep them toasty warm in their small, makeshift home.
Free-roaming chooks do as they please, unbothered by rescue dog Jango who is never far from Akister's side. She has a vegie garden, and her bone and metal art work and various odds and ends give the place an artistic quirkiness, yet comforting homeliness.
Visitors are welcome, and they have their own space in a separate, large, stand-alone tent.
"My dream for here is to make it a sculpture park and Airbnb," Akister says.
"This was part of my realisation from cancer. You've got one life and it's up to you how you spend it."


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A little girl born weighing just 1lb and 15oz is sharing her first birthday with the hospital staff who helped save her life.
When Evie Hodgson came into the world 11 weeks early, the neo-natal unit at the University Hospital of North Tees battled around the clock to keep her alive.
But their dedication was highly rewarded and after seven weeks of constant special care, the little battler was finally well enough to go home with her parents in Ingleby Barwick.
So they were absolutely delighted when Evie came in for a birthday visit - along with her new eight-week old baby sister, Millie.
A spokesperson for North Tees said: "We are delighted that Evie is doing so well and staff on the neo-natal unit were happy to be joining in her first birthday celebrations."
Evie's mum Caroline said they have been overwhelmed by her recovery over the past year.
"She's doing really well and has grown a lot," said Caroline, 27.
"She's just over a stone now so she's still smaller than most babies her age and she'll always probably be quite petite but she's healthy and happy.
"She still goes back to the hospital for check-ups, just so they can monitor her size, but there are no problems - she's still perfect!"
Evie was born by Caesarean at just 29 weeks after Caroline developed pre-eclampsia. She was able to breathe by herself but was aided with oxygen for four days.
She had a duct in her heart which normally closes when babies take their first breath. But Evie's didn't shut properly until after six weeks.
She then started feeding from a bottle and her parents were finally able to take her home.
Caroline's second pregnancy ran smoothly and eight weeks ago she gave birth to Millie who weighed a healthy 6lb 4oz.
Caroline was among those outraged by proposals by Professor Sir Ara Darzi to remove consultant-led maternity and children's services removed from North Tees hospital.
The decision now rests with the Health Secretary but if she accepts the plan, mothers and children needing specialist services would have to go to Hartlepool.
"Millie didn't need the neo-natal unit but we are forever grateful for what they did for Evie," said Caroline.


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Research Repository
The likelihood of healthy individuals tripping while walking
James, Lisa, Begg, Rezaul and Best, Russell (1999) The likelihood of healthy individuals tripping while walking. In: Abstracts. Victoria University, Melbourne, Vic., pp. 14-15.Full text for this resource is not available from the Research Repository.
|Item Type:
|Book Section
|Additional Information:
Faculty of Human Development seventh annual Research Conference 28 October 1999
|FOR Classification > 1106 Human Movement and Sports Science
Faculty/School/Research Centre/Department > Centre for Ageing, Rehabilitation, Exercise & Sport Science (CARES)
|Depositing User:
|Date Deposited:
|12 Jun 2013 01:55
|Last Modified:
|12 Jun 2013 01:55
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I'm going to Alaska this weekend! Tomorrow morning (way too early), as of when this posts, actually. It's my first time taking a whole vacation completely alone. I'm thrilled. I'm terrified. The only sure thing is that it's going to be an adventure, and I couldn't be more excited. I saved up for this trip the whole time that I was writing the first draft of the novel (working title: Mendenhall) and soon I'll actually be able to look at the glacier (that won't be there anymore by the time the events of my story take place) that I got the working title from. Not in a picture but in real life! I'll be taking a ton of pictures, which I'll be sure to post somewhere so that this time next week you can see what happened on my crazy Alaskan adventure.
Because of the upcoming trip and this Monday starting my fourth week without exercise because I had open wounds on my face from a mole removal (nothing to worry about, I promise) and couldn't swim, the start of this weeks was a little rocky and anxiety ridden. However, I still got a fair amount of writing done, and I finally caved and spent half an hour on an exercise bike on Tuesday just to get some of those endorphins, which helped a ton. And tonight, finally, finally, I'm going for a swim. Hurray for healing!
Things are going well in my 'short' project, Sea Witch. I got bogged down in some dialogue and the introduction of a very important character this week (yes, that character), but pushed through to add 4,254 words to it for a total wordcount of 16,586 for the project so far. I think I'm almost at the halfway point, so my goal of keeping this 'not a novel' seems doable. I'm beginning to wonder if I should stick to my goal of starting revisions on Mendenhall on November 1 even if I haven't finished Sea Witch by then. It would be a shame, I think, to leave Sea Witch hanging when it would only take a couple of extra weeks to finish a first draft.
In any case, here are the books I reviewed this week:
A Colony in a Nation by Chris Hayes
If you're a white American, you need to read this book. It's short. It's easy to read. It presents the facts about the differences in policing between white and black communities, and the ways that these differences affect everyone, white and black, in America very clearly. We need to see what's going on in our own country; our own back yards, even, and this book is a quick, efficient way to get the basics down. Read it. You have no excuse.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Never Let Me Go is a strange sort of book, and I'm not sure how much to write about it, because this is one of those few books that I feel like are enhanced by knowing very little about the premise, and sort of piecing it together as you go along. I can remember specific points of view where some small detail slipped into place and the whole world in the book crystallized around me, and seeing the puzzle pieces fall into alignment like that was part of the joy of reading this book. All I'll say, then is this: Never Let Me Go is a deeply atmospheric and troubling book, set at least in part in a english boarding school, and that it is highly science fictional in that it is asking some very big questions about our use of science and morality, even though at the outset it may not feel like it's that kind of book.
Whether you've been spoiled or not, this book is well-written, the characters are drawn with detail and care, and the atmosphere, as I said before, is subtle and troubling and perfectly rendered. It wasn't one of my favorite books ever, but I know a carefully crafted and precisely written book when I see one, and this is it. If you like that strange liminal space of science fiction that's pretending to not be science fiction, or if you like a precisely crafted atmosphere of unease, this book is for you.
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
Hurray for Hidden Figures! This book is exactly what I needed to read in a time when I was just starting to go down the road of "Wait, the history that I learned in high school isn't the whole story? Women and people of color were less likely to be written about? They did things? What?" It's the untold story of the African American women that served as NASA's calculators, and I am just so excited that this had come to light, and that I get to know about things like this, now.
That being said, the book is incredibly well-researched, and leans more on the research than storytelling or character work, which is obviously a valid choice for a nonfiction book, but makes for slightly less enjoyable reading, at least on my part. I imagine that the movie would fill in the storytelling and character work that I crave, so I better go watch that ASAP. For all that the book it a little dry, I enjoyed it, and I think that anyone willing to give this a shot will be glad that they waded through a little bit of research to get the knowledge that this book holds.
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
The Calculating Stars is the first book in an alternate history science fiction duology about what would have happened if a meteor hit Washington D.C. in 1952, devastating the eastern seaboard and causing climate change that necessitates humanity getting off of Earth and starting colonies on other planets ASAP. It's told from the POV of a Jewish calculator at NASA who also suffers from anxiety (anxiety-havers represent!).
I read this book almost immediately after reading Hidden Figures, and the pairing could not have been more perfect. Elma is such a wonderful main character, and Kowal does an amazing job of showing how a character that was marginalized in several different ways still manages to become one of the most important people in NASA's space program. It also deals with her privilege in relation to people more marginalized than herself, which I greatly enjoyed. Honestly, I enjoyed this whole book immensely, and would happily recommend it to anyone, whether you've read Hidden Figures or not. This would also be a great recommendation if, like me, you recently saw First Man, and wished we had seen, I don't know, any women working at NASA in the movie.


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Office Accessories that bring order to the Home Office
Right in your home office is an important issue, that every freelancer can appreciate. That's why we want to help you like, as optimally as possible to organize your work space. Standing collectors are a useful Office accessory that you can use to do this. Put your journals, magazines and documentation style in scene and make more room for other things on your desktop.
Standing collector can build even himself. Plywood is a suitable material, you can use the goal. From a sheet of plywood, a few standing collectors are feasible. And it's not only original but also reasonably priced our DIY project. You will find instructions with images including the same…
Build standing collector wooden yourself
Required materials and tools:
♦ a plywood Board ca. 0, 4 cm thick (a sheet of plywood with the dimensions 105 x 100 cm is enough for 6 standing collector)
♦ a wood Board such as in the mass 2,3 cm x 10 cm x 150 cm (enough for 6 standing collector)
♦ Wood glue
♦ Tape
♦ Wood paint, wood paint
♦ Saw
♦ Ruler and pen
The wooden plate and a wooden board cut to the correct dimensions or cut at the hardware store
If you a sheet of plywood with the dimensions 105 x 100 cm (or any mass) bought then should be cut into pieces or cut at the hardware store. You need 3 pieces width 10 cm and 100 cm in length and 3 pieces 25 cm wide and 100 cm long. You should then halve them, so that the length of all pieces is 50 cm.
Measure and cut the plywood (cut)
Now, you have 6 pieces each 10 cm wide and 50 cm long and 6 pieces 25 cm wide and 50 cm long. From this, you can build 6 standing collector.
The pieces, which are 25 cm wide, cut like on the bottom of the image shown above (let).
The wood plate at an angle into 2 halves cut
The pieces that are 10 cm wide, you should also be in 2 halves (cut); but it is precisely this time, not at an angle. One half should 17 cm long enough and the others – 33 cm.
For the bottom of the standing collectors use the wooden board that you have purchased. This is 150 cm long, cut it into 6 pieces, each 25 cm long.
Now you have all the necessary elements
You need these parts for a DIY floor collector made of wood
If you have cut all the parts, then you should already assemble them or stick together in our case. Use wood glue to the target. Start with the lower part of the floor.
Assemble all parts
The piece that is 17 cm in length, comes forward and the back of the standing collector is the long piece (33 cm long).
With the tape over it, provide more strength. This is of course only until all parts firmly stick together
An alternative to the tape
Assemble all parts and dry the wood glue over night. Now you have a firmly bonded standing collector made of plywood, you can paint and decorate according to your mood colour.
DIY floor collector made of plywood
Standing collectors are great Office Accessories
Next step – coating and painting (only on request)
Add felt feet
So, you have built a few practical standing collector himself. Put it on the shelf or on the desk and arrange all your documents, paperwork, and magazines.
We hope that you enjoyed this DIY project. Stay here! We make further for you…
Useful Office Accessories for more order in the Home Office
Arrange your magazine
DIY floor collector


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By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness
April 16, 2018
- Hidden dangers of BPA-free plastic
- Are you drinking plastic particles?
- Start protecting yourself now
Today products sold in plastic bottles and other plastics are all racing to claim they are free of bisphenol-A, or BPA-free.
Are You Suffering From...
- Love handles and a pot belly
- Romance that isn't what it used to
- Forgetfulness and inattention
- Low (or no) strength and endurance
- A sex drive that's shifted into neutral...or worse
If so...you may have Mature Male Burnout. Click here to discover more about this unique condition and what you can do about it.
This is because BPA is a known hormone-disrupter. It contributes to estrogen dominance in men, breast cancer in women, reproductive disorders in both sexes and a whole host of other problems that are only now being explored in depth.
But did you know that even BPA-free plastics contribute to estrogen activity? Continue reading