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Philosophers have long puzzled over the role of humor. The best explanation I've heard so far is that we laugh at something that doesn't make sense or the sense of it changes so rapidly our mind laughs trying to make sense of it. So humor is just our complex way of figuring things out or just putting our hands up puzzled.
Let us remember how humor is an important part of our rational faculty dealing with the absurdity of the world at times. Sometimes the best sense of humor is had by the person who laughs at himself. I leave you with this account of Chrysippus dying from laughter:
One ancient account of the death of Chrysippus, the 3rd-century BC Greek Stoic philosopher, tells that he died of laughter after he saw a donkey eating his figs; he told a slave to give the donkey neat wine with which to wash them down, and then, "…having laughed too much, he died (courtesy Wikipedia)"


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Starring Judson Scott — better known as the dude who stood next to Khan in Star Trek II — this gem from 1982 feels ahead of its time, out of its mind, and disco fabulous.
It's hard to imagine an opening-credits sequence that makes the hero of the show — an alien who got stuck in some ancient Mayan/Incan ruins a thousand years ago, and gets woken up to fight crime, or something — seem less active than The Phoenix's: This dude is lying down, basking in the sun, rocking the lotus, and extending his hand at us. Oh, and showing us his awesome pimp medallion.
And it only ran five episodes. Go figure.

subset: commoncrawl


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About Grandview Medical Center
An esteemed hospital with The Joint Commission accreditation, Grandview Medical Center is one of the best places in Birmingham, AL to have surgical procedures with Dr. Cecil A. Long. Grandview has state-of-the-art medical technologies, such as a robotic-assisted surgical suite where urological and gynecological patients can have minimally invasive surgeries. Patients and their guests will have access to a cafeteria, ample parking, and free Wi-Fi.


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The first incident happened Friday, Oct. 14, around 7:30 p.m.
According to Division Chief Mike Dudlo, of the Burbank Police Department, two suspects followed the victim to his apartment residence in the 6200 block of 79th Street.
The victim was approached by the men inside the building. One of the suspects displayed a handgun and demanded the victim hand over his money. The man refused to cooperate and the robbers ran away after a brief struggle, according to Dudlo.
The victim sustained minor cuts and bruises as a result of the altercation, Dudlo said.
Suspect one is described as a Hispanic male, 24–29 years of age, about 5-feet-7-inches tall, 140–160 pounds, goatee beard, wearing dark colored clothing and armed with a blue steel revolver.
Suspect two is described as a Hispanic male, 20–29 years of age, between 5-feet-10-inches and 6-feet-1-inches tall, 170–180 pounds, wearing dark clothing.
The second incident happened Sunday, Oct. 16, around 7:15 p.m.
According to Dudlo, the victim had parked his car in the alleyway behind his residence when he was approached by a man with a handgun.
The robber demanded money and began to rummage through the man's pockets. The victim began a struggle and ran inside the apartment building. The robber fled the scene eastbound, according to Dudlo.
The victim was not injured during this second incident.
The suspect was described as a black male, about 5-feet-8-inches tall, 150–180 pounds, wearing a light colored hooded sweatshirt and light colored pants.
Police believe the robberies are related.
"We believe both incidents are connected and the victim was specifically targeted in both incidents," Dudlo said. "Investigators are reviewing several video surveillance recordings from the area and have spoken to several residents in the area who have given statements."
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Burbank Police Department at (708) 924-7300. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call (708) 793-3388 and leave a message.


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STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 31 (UPI) -- No. 1-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues posted a straight-set victory Tuesday in the first round of the $145,000 Nordic Light Open tennis tournament in Sweden.
Medina Garrigues was able to get by Sandra Kloesel 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) and advance to the second round of the hard-court tournament.
However, fourth-seeded Kaia Kanepi and No. 9-seeded Maria Elena Camerin were both upset by qualifiers Tuesday. Kanepi dropped a 7-6 (12-10), 3-6, 6-3 match to Youlia Fedossova and Camerin was beaten 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 by Julia Goerges.
No. 6-seeded Elena Vesnina was among the winners Tuesday, defeating local favorite Sofia Arvidsson 6-1, 6-3.
Also Tuesday, Virginia Ruano Pascual topped Chin-Wei Chan 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Anna-Lena Groenefeld swept past Iveta Benesova 6-0, 6-2; and Marta Domachowska beat Petra Kvitova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Additional first-round wins were posted by Dominika Cibulkova, Emma Laine, Stephanie Cohen-Aloro and Caroline Wozniacki.


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Matthew Ryan "Matt" Kemp (born September 23, 1984) is an American professional baseball player. An outfielder, Kemp plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2006.
Kemp was drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2003 MLB Draft. After four seasons in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut in 2006.
He did not become a full-time player until 2008, when he took over as the starting center fielder for the Dodgers. In 2011, Kemp led the National League in runs scored (115), total bases (353), OPS+ (171), WAR (7.8), home runs (39), and runs batted in (126). Additionally, he became the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals since Hank Aaron in 1963. He has been named to two All-Star teams and has won two Gold Glove Awards (2009 and 2011) and two Silver Slugger Awards (2009 and 2011).[1]
Kemp attended Midwest City High School in Oklahoma, where he was a standout in basketball and baseball.[2] He was teammates with Shelden Williams on the varsity basketball team that won the state title two years in a row, and the team was ranked third in the nation at one point.[3] Kemp himself was an All-City selection, and averaged 20 points a game.[4]
Kemp, along with Williams and three other teammates, were accused of raping a 19-year-old woman at the time of a high school all-star basketball tournament on January 20, 2002, at the Columbus, Ohio Hyatt hotel.[5] The players were suspended from the team during the investigation. However, the woman did not press charges, and the district attorney opted to not pursue the matter due to a lack of evidence.[6]
Kemp was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2003 MLB Draft, and signed with the team on June 5, 2003, for a $130,000 signing bonus.[7]
Kemp started his professional career for the Gulf Coast Dodgers in 2003 and followed that up with stints with the Columbus Catfish in 2004 and the Vero Beach Dodgers in 2004–05.[8] At Columbus and Vero Beach, Kemp improved his power numbers. After hitting just a single home run in 43 games, Kemp became more of a power hitter. In 2004 with Columbus, he belted 18 home runs to go along with 27 doubles in 122 games, and in 2005, he belted 27 home runs to go along with 21 doubles in 109 games.[8] He was selected to the Florida State League All-Star team in 2005,[9] and set Vero Beach franchise records for home runs (27) and slugging percentage (.569).[10]
Kemp began 2006 with the AA Jacksonville Suns, where he hit .327 with seven homers, 34 runs batted in (RBIs) and 11 steals, prompting a promotion to the major league squad. His promotion was spurred by an effort to provide regular rest for center fielder Kenny Lofton and oft injured right field All-Star J.D. Drew.[11]
Kemp made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 28, 2006, against the Washington Nationals.[1] He got his first career major league hit that same game, a single off of Jon Rauch.[12] He hit his first Major League homer on June 1 in his second Dodger Stadium at-bat off the Philadelphia Phillies' Gavin Floyd.[13] He homered in three straight games from June 1–3 against the Phillies and homered twice on June 11 off Colorado Rockies starter Aaron Cook. He also became the first Dodger and fifth major league player to hit four homers in his first 10 days with the team.[2]
After his fast start, Kemp slumped and hit only .234 with no homers from June 14 through July 13, when he was re-assigned to the AAA Las Vegas 51s.[14] He returned to the team when rosters expanded on September 1.[15] In his second stint in the Majors, Kemp struggled. He batted just .156 with a .182 on-base percentage and a .250 slugging percentage in September and October combined.[16] By seasons end, Kemp showed some power, with seven home runs and speed, with six stolen bases but he struggled with his batting average and getting on base. He batted just .253 and posted an on-base percentage of .289.[1]
Kemp started the 2007 season on the major league roster[17] but lost his place after suffering a shoulder injury while running into the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium.[18] Upon his return from the injury, he was optioned back to Las Vegas.[19] Returning to Triple-A and playing for the Las Vegas 51s, Kemp played well in his short stint. In just 39 games, he had a .329 batting average, .374 on-base percentage, and a .540 slugging percentage. He hit four home runs, drove in 20 runs, and stole nine bases out of 11 attempts.[8] He was recalled to the Dodgers on June 8.[20] He enjoyed an outstanding sophomore campaign with the bat batting .342, clubbing 10 home runs, and driving in 42 runs.[1]
Kemp became the starting right fielder in 2008.[21] He hit his first career grand slam off of Mark Redman on April 26 against the Colorado Rockies. Kemp drove in the first run of the game for the Dodgers, a sacrifice fly in the first inning that scored Juan Pierre.[22] After driving in 11 runs and stealing 6 bases. He was named "National League Player of the Week" for the week of April 28 – May 4.[23]
After a knee injury to Andruw Jones, Kemp became the Dodgers' regular center fielder, moving over from right field.[24] His best month of the season was in July, in which he had a .324 batting average, .402 on-base percentage, .537 slugging percentage to go along with five home runs, 14 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases.[25] That month also sparked Kemp's career high 19-game hitting streak, which it lasted from July 9 through August 1, ending with a hit less performance on August 2. However, Kemp got back on track the next night by having a three-hit game to go along with a home run.[26] He finished the season with a .290 average, 18 homers and 76 RBI. He was also second on the team in stolen bases with 35.[27] In addition, he set a Dodgers record with 153 strikeouts in a season.[1] In his first career postseason game, Kemp went 1 for 4 with a double. However, he batted just .154 in the 2008 National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Chicago Cubs. Both of his hits went for doubles. In the 2008 National League Championship Series (NLCS), against the Philadelphia Phillies, Kemp did better, batting .333 as the Dodgers lost the series to the eventual World Series champions.[1]
Kemp had his first career walk-off hit on June 16 against the Oakland A's.[28] On September 24, he became the first player in Dodger history to hit at least .295, with 25 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 30 steals in one season.[29] He finished the year with .297, 26 home runs, 101 RBI, and 34 steals (third in the NL). His 10 RBIs in extra innings were the most that a player has driven in extra innings since 1991 and he became the first player to reach double-digits in this category since 1982.[2]
Kemp hit his first career post-season home run on October 7 in his first at-bat of the 2009 NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals.[30] After the season, Kemp was selected as a recipient of both the Gold Glove Award[31] and the Silver Slugger Award.[32] He also tied a Dodger record with three grand slams in one season.[33]
Kemp began the 2010 season in excellent fashion, hitting seven home runs in the month of April, including four in four days from April 13–16.[34] On June 1, Kemp hit his first career walk-off home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks off of relief pitcher J. C. Gutierrez, giving the Dodgers the only run of the game. Kemp described his first career walk-off home run as "a great feeling".[35] However, he slumped badly in the second half of the season and finished with a .249 batting average, 28 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 19 steals while playing in all 162 games for the first time in his career. He also broke his own single-season Dodger record for strikeouts, with 170.[36]
Kemp was the subject of some criticism in 2010 from General Manager Ned Colletti, who called him out publicly early in the season for poor baserunning.[37] Kemp had several embarrassing gaffes on the base paths during the season, and was caught stealing 15 times.[38] With runners in scoring position, he hit seven home runs and drove in 61 runs in 160 at bats. However, he struck out 49 times and batted just .225 in that spot. Against right-handed pitching, he batted just .233 with a .299 on-base percentage, to go along with 22 home runs and 69 RBIs, as opposed to a .295 average against left-handed pitchers.[39]
Kemp hit home runs in five straight games to end the season, the first major league player to accomplish that feat and the first Dodger since Shawn Green in the 2001 season to hit homers in five consecutive games.[40]
After his much publicized problems on the base paths the previous season, Kemp arrived at spring training early to work with new Dodger coach Davey Lopes on his base running. Kemp announced his intention to steal 40 bases this season and Lopes hoped they would be high percentage steals.[41] At the end of the season, Kemp had the 40 steals and was only caught 11 times, a significant improvement in percentage from the previous year, and his work with Lopes was credited for much of the improvement.[42]
On April 17, Kemp hit his second career walk-off home run, doing it in the ninth inning off of St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin, on a 2–2 count that gave the Dodgers a 2–1 victory."[43] In a game against the Atlanta Braves five days later, Kemp hit his second walk-off home run of the season, this time in the 12th inning off of Braves pitcher Cristhian Martinez.[44]
After being one of the league leaders in home runs, stolen bases, RBIs, and batting average during the first half of the season, Kemp was voted as a starter for the National League squad in the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Arizona. He also accepted an invitation to participate in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game.[45]
The day before the All-Star Game, Giants' manager and 2011 NL All-Star Manager, Bruce Bochy, announced his decision to bat Kemp third in the line up. Explaining his decision, Bochy said about Kemp, "He's a guy with speed, power, a guy that can beat you with a base hit or a long ball. He's what you call a complete player – tremendous defender, but more so in the 3-hole, he can do so many things for you. He's so dangerous."[46] Kemp, with a single and a walk, became the first Dodger to reach base twice in an All-Star Game since Mike Piazza in 1996.[47]
Kemp hit his 30th home run of the season on August 26, and in the process became the second Dodger player of all time to hit at least 30 homers and steal at least 30 bases in the same season (30–30 club). The only other one was Raúl Mondesí in the 1997 and 1999 seasons.[48] He picked up his 40th stolen base on September 17, becoming the 18th Major Leaguer and first Dodger in history to hit at least 30 homers and steal at least 40 bases. Kemp also scored his 100th run of the season, making him just the 10th L.A. Dodger to score 100 runs and have 100 RBIs in a season, and the first since Jeff Kent in 2005.[49] He hit his 35th home run on September 21, making him the 14th Major Leaguer (and first since Alfonso Soriano in 2006) to hit at least 35 home runs and steal at least 35 bases in a season.[50]
On September 20, the Dodgers announced Kemp was selected by his teammates as the recipient of the 2011 Roy Campanella Award, which is given annually to the Dodger player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Roy Campanella.[51] He also won the NL Player of the Week Award for the week of September 19–25, 2011 after he hit .423 (11 for 26) with nine runs scored and three home runs during that week.[52]
Kemp wound up hitting 39 home runs in 2011 with 126 RBIs, leading the league in both categories, the first Dodger to do so since Dolph Camilli in the 1941 season.[53] He also led the league in runs scored (115), total bases (353), OPS+ (171), and WAR (10.0). He finished second in slugging percentage (.586), OPS (.986), extra base hits (76), and stolen bases (40, tied), and third in batting average (.324) and outfield assists (11).[54] Kemp also extended his games played streak to 364 games, as he played in every game of the season.[55] He was the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals since Hank Aaron in the 1963 season.[56]
After struggling to hit with runners in scoring position the previous year, Kemp bounced back and hit well with runners in scoring position. In 155 at-bats with runners in scoring position, he hit .335 (52-for-155) with 13 home runs and 87 RBIs. And against right-handers, he batted .319 (150-for-470) with 28 home runs and 94 RBIs.[57]
Kemp was selected for a number of post-season awards, including the Baseball America Major League Player of the Year,[58] the Hank Aaron Award for the top hitter in the National League (the first Dodger player to ever win the award)[59] the Gold Glove Award[60] and the Silver Slugger Award.[61] On October 27, he was named to the 2011 Sporting News National League All-Star team.[62]
On November 22, Kemp came in second to Ryan Braun in the voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award.[63] Later, it was revealed that Braun had tested positive for elevated testosterone and baseball attempted to suspend him, but lost on appeal.[64] A survey of baseball writers revealed that if the MVP vote was retaken, with knowledge of Braun's positive test, then Kemp would have won.[65] Braun was eventually suspended as part of the biogenesis scandal.[66] Kemp publicly stated that he believed Braun should be stripped of his MVP Award from that season.[67]
After the season, Kemp signed a franchise record 8-year, $160 million contract extension.[68] After signing his extension, he predicted that he would become the first player in history to have a 50–50 season.[69]
Kemp started the 2012 season by winning the National League Player of the Week award for the opening weekend. He hit two home runs and drove in eight RBIs during the opening series against the San Diego Padres. He was also the first Dodger to record three consecutive multi-hit games to start the season since Adrián Beltré did it in the 2000 season. This was the third time he had won the award, and second consecutive as he had won it the final week of 2011 as well.[70] On April 10, Kemp became the first LA Dodger to have an RBI in the first five games of the season since J. D. Drew in the 2006 season and, counting the end of the previous season, he had nine straight games with an RBI, tying Roy Campanella (1955 season) and Augie Galan (1944 season) for the Dodgers franchise record.[71] Kemp also won the Player of the Week award for the second week of the season, which, combined with winning the award in the last week of 2011, made him the only player to ever win three consecutive awards. He was also only the second player to win the award twice to begin the season, the other being Tony Armas for the 1981 Athletics. Kemp hit 12–22 with 4 HRs and a 1.182 slugging percentage, leading the club to its best 10-game start since 1981.[72]
Kemp hit his 10th home run of the season on April 25, tying Gary Sheffield's club record for homers in April set in the 2000 season.[73] He broke Sheffield's record with a walk-off homer against the Washington Nationals on April 28.[74] Kemp was also named National League player of the month for April.[75]
Kemp was placed on the disabled list on May 14 because of a hamstring injury, ending his streak of 399 consecutive games played, which was the longest in the majors at the time.[76] After his DL stint, he promptly re-injured his hamstring two days later while running the bases, and returned to the DL.[77] Despite missing about 2 months with injuries, Kemp was voted by the fans as a starter for the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. As he was still on the disabled list, Kemp did not play in the game but he did participate in the Home Run Derby for the second straight year, hitting one home run in the Derby. Kemp finally returned to the Dodgers lineup on July 13, after missing about two months with his hamstring injury.[78]
Kemp's injury woes continued as he crashed into the outfield wall at Coors Field in Colorado on August 28, and injured both his knee and his shoulder.[79] He continued to play despite the injuries. He finished the season batting .303 with 23 home runs and 69 RBIs in 106 games. His 9 stolen bases were his fewest since his first season.[1]
After the season, Kemp underwent surgery on his sore shoulder to repair a torn labrum and some minor damage to his rotator cuff. He was told that he wouldn't be able to swing a bat again until January.[80]
Kemp recorded his 1,000th career hit on May 12, 2013, against the Miami Marlins.[81]
However, Kemp struggled out of the gate in 2013, subsequent to his shoulder surgery in the offseason. On May 27, Kemp went 0-for-5 with 4 strikeouts, and was booed heavily by the majority of the Dodgers crowd. Teammate Adrian Gonzalez said that Kemp was "trying too hard for the team and the fans."[82]
On May 29, Kemp injured his right hamstring in a game. He left during the seventh inning, and did not return to the game.[83] Kemp was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 30.[84] He spent time rehabbing at Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers spring training home, and was close to returning when he suffered a setback on June 9.[85] Kemp returned to the Dodgers on June 25, after missing 24 games. In that game, Kemp made a game-ending catch while reaching over his shoulder, robbing the Giants' Marco Scutaro of a hit.[86]
He returned to the disabled list on July 8, after experiencing pain in his surgically repaired shoulder.[87] He returned from the DL again on July 21 against the Washington Nationals, and was 3 for 4 with a home run and a double in the game.
However, he injured his ankle in a play at home plate in the ninth inning of the game. After initially expressing optimism that the injury was not serious, he again was placed on the 15-day DL on July 24.[88][89] Reacting to criticism of his string of injuries, Kemp said: "I'm not made of glass."[90]
Kemp's ankle injury took a lot longer to heal than had been expected, and the team reported that they hoped to get him back in September.[91][92][93] However, when he finally began his minor league rehab assignment at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in late August, he struggled at the plate and his return date was pushed back.[94] He went hitless in five games, with seven strikeouts, and when the minor league season ended on September 2 he was moved to Camelback Ranch to continue his rehab rather than being activated.[95]
A few days later, he experienced tightness in the same hamstring he had hurt earlier in the year, and the Dodgers shut him down indefinitely.[96] He eventually rejoined the Dodgers lineup on September 17, and had four hits (including two doubles) in four at bats.[97] He played regularly in an attempt to get his timing back before the playoffs.
However, he was a late scratch from a game on September 28 because of soreness in his ankle. An MRI the following day revealed major swelling in a weight-bearing bone in his ankle. Kemp was told that if he kept playing his ankle could break and leave him with chronic problems for the rest of his career. He was shut down, and the team announced he would not be available for the playoffs and would have surgery to repair the problem.[98] Kemp suffered an articular talar injury requiring microfracture surgery to his talus bone.[99]
He appeared in only 73 games in 2013, due to his various injuries. He hit .270 with 6 home runs and 33 RBIs, and a .395 slugging percentage.[1][100]
With the Dodgers crowded outfield situation, Kemp was the subject of much trade speculation after the season.[101] His agent, Dave Stewart, publicly stated that he expected Kemp to be traded during the off-season.[102] However, Stewart later remarked that the team had assured him that it would not be making such a trade.[103]
Recovering from various injuries, Kemp sat out most of spring training and only started playing in minor league rehab games after the Dodgers left for their season-opening series in Australia. He began the season on the disabled list, and rejoined the Dodgers for their home opener in April.[104]
Kemp struggled defensively in center field during the first couple of months of the season, a problem that came to a head after a particular bad series for him against the New York Mets in mid-May. Manager Don Mattingly was openly critical of his outfield play following the series.[105] Immediately afterward, the Dodgers made Andre Ethier the starting center fielder, and informed Kemp that he would be moving to left field. However, he was kept out of the lineup for five straight games as he was learning the new position, and was vocally unhappy about it.[106] After playing in left for several weeks, he was moved to right field, a position he had not played regularly since 2009. He was more comfortable in right which led to the Dodgers moving Yasiel Puig to center field.[107] The last week of July, he hit five home runs in six games to win Player of the Week honors for the fifth time in his career.[108] He also won Player of the Month for September, when he hit .322 with nine homers and 25 RBI.[109] For the season, Kemp hit .287 with 25 homers and 89 RBI in 150 games.[1]
Kemp's nickname is "The Bison."[110] During the second major league game of Kemp's career, on May 29, 2006, he stole second base in the fourth inning, after which Atlanta Braves television announcer Don Sutton said he looked "like a big buffalo running around the bases." The observation was appropriate due to Kemp's imposing size – the Dodgers' roster lists him at 6' 4" tall and 225 pounds – and surprisingly fast foot-speed. The word "buffalo" was modified to "bison", by the commenter D4P on Jon Weisman's popular Dodgers blog, Dodger Thoughts,[111] as it is a more proper term for the North American mammal to which the moniker refers. It wasn't until the next day when the starting lineup did not include Kemp that baseball writer Eric Enders, also commenting in Dodger Thoughts added the capitalized article in front of the animal, completing the nickname, writing "So much for looking forward to watching The Bison tonight."[112]
The nickname also refers to Kemp's Oklahoma roots. The bison is the official state animal of Oklahoma.[113]
In 2008, an ex-girlfriend filed a restraining order against Kemp, claiming that she had been abused by him.[114] However, she later dropped the complaint and her representative stated that the restraining order "had nothing to do with domestic violence."[115] Kemp dated pop singer Rihanna for a time beginning November 2009.[116][117]
Kemp is involved in charities for children, even creating a community initiative called Kemp's Kids hosted children from the Los Angeles area during several games at Dodger Stadium. Some of these children were from the Challenger Boys & Girls Club.[118]
New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals
Barry Bonds, New York Yankees, Willie Mays, Dale Murphy, 2013 World Baseball Classic
Barry Bonds, Roberto Clemente, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial
Atlanta, Mobile, Alabama, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers
Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chad Billingsley
San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, Matt Kemp
San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Clayton Kershaw, Colorado Rockies


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Lunch with a Stranger in Beijing
It's not every day you'd find me eating lunch in the house of a
stranger in Beijing.
But this wasn't an everyday kind of day.
In early September, I had the opportunity to travel to China on tour with a men's chorus – the Toronto Northern Lights. It was a great trip, packed with all the tourist stuff one apparently should do in Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of the Heaven, Lama Temple, and the Summer Palace.
A few concerts, as well as Tourist-centred, "exit through the gift shop" attractions like the Jade Factory, Tea House, Pearl Shop, and Silk Warehouse rounded out the schedule. Have you ever seen hundreds of silk cocoons be stretched into quilts? I hadn't either. But I have now, and I even tried it myself! (It didn't go so well...)
Walking on The Great Wall was another highlight, especially as the chorus sang The Circle of Life. Looking up the mountain at the thousands of people journeying up the two thousand year old steps sure put some things (like life itself) into perspective.
Traditional Chinese food seems to be shared communally with the help of a Lazy Susan. I think the food people eat, and the way they eat it, says a lot about their culture.
The best meal we had came in the dining room of Mr. Wong. The tour company had brilliantly decided to find local hosts in the Hutong district of Beijing to serve home-cooked meals right in their homes. So, about twenty of us paraded into a small, plainly decorated living room and sat around two big tables.
The dishes started coming out - vegetables with less sauce, but packed with more delicious flavour than the restaurant food. We couldn't get enough of it! No Lazy Susan this time – we had to resort to the the old fashioned "pass the beans" technique. And "pass the beans" we did! Our table of 10 gobbled down 13 dishes, plus rice, of course.
Most fun of all, Mr. Wong, our host who had been sweating away all morning in the closet-like kitchen, came in to say hello. Through our translator, we were able to ask a bunch of questions. I'm curious, I guess, so I seemed to have more to ask than the rest of the group.
Mr. Wong, I learned, worked as a chef for his career (which explained the delicious food). He was retired now, but offered his home as a destination for groups like ours during the tourist season. He explained how he had gone to chef school for five years of training, and he came from a lineage of chefs. His grandfather had actually been a chef for the Emperor, and the vegetable balls we had eaten were the Emperor's favourite! I puffed out my chest, feeling a little more regal.
It sounded like a pretty noble profession! I wondered if chefs in North America (or anywhere) are appreciated as much as they should be. And what about kitchen staff? And serving staff? And farmers? Everybody who helps... Food is pretty important, after all. Everybody eats. (Trivia note: One guide told us the four small stars on China's flag represent different important groups: soldiers, workers, students, and, thankfully - farmers!) Of cours, Mr. Wong didn't work without help; his wife did most of the chopping and prep work. And chopping for 40 (20 in the next room at also) is no easy job.
It turns out that in China, KFC is the most popular restaurant, followed by McDonalds. It's changing the way Chinese people eat, in fact, and apparently, the way Chinese people die – (check out this great 3 minute TED Talk for a summary of how the "Western Diet" is affecting the health of the world.)
I wondered if Mr. Wong had ever eaten at KFC or McDonalds. I wondered if family dinners were important in China. I wondered if taking the family to KFC counted as a family dinner. I wondered if McDonalds had ever considered doing away with "happy meals", adding family meals of shared dishes, and installing Lazy Susans. I wondered if Mr. Wong would call McDonalds meals "happy" at all. Maybe I wonder too much...
Looking at the smiling faces of the exhausted couple, I thought about their past years of work, the thousands of traditional dishes they must have prepared, the garlic and chilies hanging in their courtyard, their tiny kitchen, and the ridiculous quantity of delicious food that had emerged from it that morning. I felt exceptionally fortunate to have had the experience!
I had come to the Wong's house for lunch, but I feel like I got a taste of much more than their food that afternoon. Choosing to ask questions had been a good decision.
What will you ask this month?
September 27, 2012
"Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture."
Mark Kurlansky,
'Choice Cuts' (2002)
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This Man's Foot Infection Shows Why You Need Shower Shoes at the Gym
At first, Mark*, 33, thought the hard, slightly itchy spot on the ball of his left foot was just a callus. His feet weren't used to the rigorous training he'd undertaken for his first half marathon. "The longest thing I had done prior to that was a 5K. I had no idea what to expect," Mark tells SELF. The spot sprouted around November 2015, and with the race approaching in January, Mark wasn't taking any chances. "I wanted to see [the half marathon] through because this was a personal goal of mine, so I erred on the side of caution and had it checked out," he says.
That visit to the doctor's office spiraled into a painful, exasperating saga that's ongoing to this day. The first doctor Mark saw also chalked the spot up to the long runs Mark was doing in preparation for the race. But eventually, Mark noticed a black dot in his "callus," and some googling revealed that he had a plantar wart. And after thinking about it, he realized the likely source was something most people have done at one point or another: going barefoot in the shower at the gym. In an effort to raise awareness, Mark anonymously sent his story to his local radio station, Houston's 94.5 The Buzz, to warn others about the dangers of forgoing shower shoes after a workout.
As anyone who's used a gym shower knows, plenty of nastiness lurks in those stalls.
It goes far beyond soggy balls of hair, as foul as they are. When you go barefoot at gym showers or similar public facilities, you're risking contact with bacteria, fungi, and viruses that can lead to various health conditions you're better off avoiding.
One is athlete's foot, which causes burning, itching, redness, and skin irritation between the toes (this signals acute athlete's foot) or dryness along the soles of the feet (this points at chronic athlete's foot), Quinton Yeldell, D.P.M., cofounder of the foot-care line Southern Hospitality, tells SELF. You could also wind up with nail fungus, which typically manifests with dry, thickened, discolored nails. "Both infections are often caused by the same fungus, tinea pedis, so it is very common for someone who has athlete's foot to also acquire nail fungus," Yeldell says.
Plantar warts, on the other hand, are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus just so happens to thrive in damp, warm environments like gym showers, meaning you can contract it if you're sans shower shoes and there's any point of entry on your feet, like a cut or crack.
"I'm normally very cautious about bringing shower shoes with me," Mark says, but on a handful of occasions, he'd accidentally left them at home. "Some of the noises you hear in the men's shower—people are blowing their noses in there and God only knows what."
But since he worked out on his lunch break, he had a dilemma on his hands: "I had to choose to go back to work smelling really, really bad, or just suck it up and deal with showering." He chose the latter, as his doctor later confirmed, this was likely how he wound up with a plantar wart.
Mark tried various treatments, but his situation only got worse.
Still hopeful that he could participate in his half marathon, Mark tried at-home treatments, like putting duct tape and vinegar on the wart. They brought no relief, and the wart progressed from just itching to causing a "sharp, jarring pain" whenever Mark put pressure on the ball of his foot. He realized he'd have to miss the race and progressed to more intense treatments under medical supervision, like using cantharidin, a blister-inducing medicine made with extract from beetles, and salicylic acid–based medicines.
Plantar warts tend to go away on their own, and if they don't, treatment with a doctor's guidance often works. "The condition is usually reduced to the area of the body that was infected and does not become systemic," Yeldell says. But even with treatment, Mark's one wart multiplied into five. Frustrated, he switched doctors around August 2016 and tried even more aggressive treatment, using the cantharidin at a higher concentration. "It didn't hurt right away, but within about 30 minutes, the pain would start, and in about two hours, I'd almost be in tears. It was horrible," Mark says. He'd go in for the treatment every Friday after work because for at least a day after, he was hardly able to get his foot into a shoe, much less put pressure on it.
Eventually, the ordeal got so exhausting that Mark was ready to give up.
"I got to the point where I was like, 'Cut off my foot, I'm done dealing with it,'" he says.
Instead, earlier this year, the doctors decided to do surgery. "Doctors initially thought the surgery would be really quick. All indications were that the plantar warts, after going through so many rounds of treatment, were fairly superficial," Mark says. But they were deeper than the doctors realized, so excising them resulted in the gaping wounds you can see in the graphic photos below.
Mark's doctors weren't sure why his plantar warts refused to respond to treatment. Although these warts can turn into hard-to-treat infections, like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), his doctor knew that wasn't it. "The only thing that ever came up was the doctor asking if I had an autoimmune disease," Mark says. "That was the only explanation they could think of for why my body didn't respond."
Mark is now healing and has made some promising progress.
After the surgery, he went through six weeks of an innovative skin grafting process using a $2,500 piece of dehydrated North Atlantic cod from Iceland. (He got the fish for free from Kerecis, the company behind this technology.)
"Kerecis Omega3 is intact fish skin that is rich in naturally occurring omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. When grafted onto damaged human tissue such as a burn wound or diabetic wound the material recruits the body's own cells and is ultimately converted into living tissue," the company's website says.
This past Friday, Mark ran for the first time in a very long time. "I could only do it for a mile—it's amazing how quickly you get out of shape," he says. This weekend, he's also going to swim for the first time since this all started, and he's finally able to shower normally (he used to have a cast for his entire left leg because his foot couldn't get wet).
Although Mark is hopeful this nightmare is almost over, his doctor said they won't know until this summer—around six months after his surgery—whether he's in the clear.
There are a few things you can do to protect yourself from infection in public showers and locker rooms.
Yeldell recommends covering any open wounds on your feet when using a public facility, along with washing your feet daily no matter what. "Simple hygiene can work wonders to fight off the chances of infection," he says. He also suggests washing your socks after each workout: "The warmth and moisture from your feet absorbed by your socks can allow bacteria to fester."
Beyond that, he advises against sharing items like towels, razors, shoes, and socks—although MRSA is often transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact, it can also happen via shared items.
Lastly, of course, always sport shower shoes when you're using public showers, walking around locker rooms, or lounging at public pools. "It only takes one encounter to contract an infection," Yeldell says.
It's a lesson that, unfortunately, Mark learned the hard way. "I've become much more cautious," he says. "I started going back to the gym over lunch, so I still have to shower there. But I always, always, always make sure that I have shower shoes."
Below are some photos that portray Mark's painful experience. The images are extremely graphic.
Name has been changed.
- 17 Shower Shoes You'll Actually Want to Wear Outside the Locker Room
- How Likely Am I to Catch Athlete's Foot, Really?
- How to Treat (and Prevent) Ingrown Toenails
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D70s Digital SLR Camera w/ 18-70mm and 55-200mm ED AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lenses
An instant classic, Nikon's D70 was Digital SLR camera of the year in 2004. The Nikon D70s has all the award-winning features that made its predecessor so popular - 6.1 effective megapixels for clear, sharp resolution; top shutter speed of 1/8000 second and 1/500 second flash sync; near-instant power-up of 0.2 seconds for incredible responsiveness - and more.
The D70s features an advanced AF system; its exceptional subject acquisition, focustracking and focus precision functions ensure that your action shots will be even crisper and sharper. Built-in i-TTL Speedlight automatically pops up when lighting is inadequate and provides fill flash when necessary. Extra wide peripheral illumination supports lenses up to 18mm, for beautiful wide angle shots. The large 2.0-inch LCD monitor is easy to view and use, with plain-language menus and help dialogs presented clearly. For better results when shooting close-ups and long exposures, use the convenient Remote Cord (MC-DC1). Add to all of this the incredible performance of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery, powering up to 2500 shots per charge, and you have a superb digital SLR camera, always ready for action.
6.1 Effective Megapixel Nikon DX Format CCDOptimized to deliver a wide dynamic range that produces great pictures with high resolution and sharp details, the DX Format CCD sensor's 6.1 effective megapixels yield 3,008 x 2,000-pixel images that are suitable for making large prints, or for creative cropping to bring out detail. Near-Instant Power-Up in 0.2 SecondsTurn the D70s on and with a power-up time of a mere 0.2 seconds, it's ready to shoot. Pictures are processed and recorded extremely quickly. Preview images appear on the LCD monitor almost instantly. 7 Digital Vari-ProgramsDigital Vari-Program selections automatically optimizes white balance, sharpening, tone (contrast), color, saturation and hue settings to best match the selected scene, making creative photography as simple as rotating the mode dial. Choose from Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Landscape, or Night Portrait for automated performance that makes the Nikon D70s the right choice, whether you are still learning how to make great pictures or an experienced photographer simply in a hurry to capture precious moments. Increased Battery Performance - with new EN-EL3a rechargeable batteryThe new EN-EL3a rechargeable lithium-ion battery increases energy capacity to shoot more images while maintaining the same form factor as the EN-EL3 battery. The new Quick Charger MH-18a is smaller than the charger it replaces, and is capable of charging both the EN-EL3a and EN-EL3 batteries. When the need arises, the Nikon D70s can also be powered using CR2 batteries. (Requires the optional CR2 battery holder, MS-D70) New Large 2.0 inch TFT LCD MonitorPlayback options on the new 2.0-inch LCD monitor include single frame, 4 or 9-image thumbnail display, zoom with scroll (up to 4.7x), automatic slide show, histogram indication and highlight point display. 3 fps Continuous Shooting - for up to 144 consecutive shotsHigh-speed continuous shooting means never falling behind the pace of the action or missing the moment. The Nikon D70s can shoot a rapid 3 frames per second for a continuous burst of 144 pictures thanks to optimized systems throughout the camera3D Color Matrix MeteringThe 1,005-pixel RGB Exposure/Color Matrix Metering Sensor evaluates brightness, color, contrast, selected focus area, and subject-to-camera distance information, references the results against an onboard database of 30,000 scenes from actual photography, then uses high-speed processing to deliver consistently dependable automatic exposures. Refined 5-Area AF System - with NEW All-Area SearchNikons advanced 5-area Multi-CAM900 autofocus system continues to feature a cross-type sensor in the center, broad frame coverage, as well as the same class-leading low light detection and convenient AF-assist illuminator that aid shooting in dark situations. New for the Nikon D70s are refinements to deliver greater precision with fast, more consistent subject acquisition and improved focus tracking when using Closest Subject Priority Dynamic AF or Dynamic AF mode with predictive focus tracking and Lock-on (TM). iTTL and Nikon's Creative Lighting SystemMakes taking pictures with flash as easy as turning the flash on! Easy multiple flash lighting is possible using the new Nikon Creative Lighting System including the SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights. Wider Coverage from Built-In Speedlight to 18mmThe built-in Speedlight automatically pops up and fires when natural lighting is inadequate, or to add Balanced Fill-Flash when there is strong backlighting. A new, optimized design for the Nikon D70s increases flash coverage to support lenses as wide as 18mm. Fast - 1/8000 sec. Maximum Shutter Speed & 1/500 Sec. Flash SyncShutter speeds from 30 to 1/8,000 sec. and flash-synchronized shutter speeds of up to 1/500 sec. provide a photo experience with greater breadth and creative flexibility to catch more of those important picture moments. Enhanced Menu Display, Now Easier to ReadA new menu design combining a carefully selected color scheme, the right amount of contrast, and larger fonts makes the user-friendly keywords of the menu displays easier to view and quicker to recognize. Nikkor lensesThe D70s employs the Nikon F lensmount for seamless compatibility with the comprehensive lineup of high - quality AF and AF- S Nikkor lenses long favored by professionals around the world for their superb color, high contrast and razor-sharp images, as well as for outstanding autofocus. The increasing family of DX Nikkor lenses designed for use with Nikon digital SLR cameras make the options even richer, delivering a wider variety of picture angles, higher performance, and outstanding center-to-edge -to-corner image quality. PictureProject Software INCLUDEDPictureProject is refined with an intuitive new user interface that makes image management, editing and sharing easier and more fun. Simply connect the camera to a computer to automatically import pictures. Quickly e-mail or Auto Enhance images, run slideshows, burn CD/DVDs, and access other commonly used functions via practical buttons. Use drag-and-drop to organize pictures into separate collections, and quickly locate any file by name, keyword, or date. NikonCapture Software (Optional)Nikon Capture 4 offers a unique image-editing environment and is the only program that provides complete functionality to edit NEF (Nikon Electronic Format) files, enabling photographers to optimize output for every possible need.
Type of Camera: Single-lens reflex digital camera Effective Pixels: 6.1 million Image Sensor: RGB CCD, 23.7 x 15.6mm; total pixels: 6.24 million Image Size: 3,008 x 2,000 [L]; 2,240 x 1,488 [M]; 1,504 x 1,000 [S] Autofocus: TTL phase detection by Nikon Multi-CAM900 autofocus module with AF-assist illuminator (approx. 0.5m to 3.0m) Detection range: EV -1 to +19 (ISO 100 equivalent, at normal temperature: 68 degrees F/20 degrees C) Focus Lock: Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button LCD Monitor: 2.0-in., 130,000-dot, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment Media: CompactFlash(TM) (CF) Card (Type I and II ) and Microdrive (TM) File Format: Exif 2.21, Compliant DCF 2.0 and DPOF Shooting Modes -- Still: 1) Single frame shooting mode; 2) Continous shooting mode: approx. 3 frames per second; 3) Self-timer mode; 4) Delayed remote mode : 2 sec. delay; 5) Quick-response remote mode Focus Area: Can be selected from 5 focus areas Picture Angle: Equivalent in 35mm [135] format is approx. 1.5 times lens focal length Lens Servo: 1) Autofocus (AF): single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous servo AF (AF-C); predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status; 2) Manual focus (M) Remote Control: Via Remote Cord MC-DC1 (optional) or Wireless Remote Control ML-L3 (optional) Storage: RAW approx. 44, FINE approx. 73, NORMAL approx. 144, BASIC approx. 279, RAW & BASIC approx. 39 (Number of frames per 256MB CF card, image size L) Viewfinder: Focus indications, AE/FV lock indicator, Shutter speed, Aperture value, Exposure/Exposure compensation indicator, Exposure mode, Flash output level compensation, Exposure compensation,Number of remaining exposures, Flash-ready indicator Exposure Mode: Digital Vari-Program (Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close up, Sports, Night landscape, Night portrait), Programmed Auto [P] with flexible program; Shutter Priority Auto [S]; Aperture Priority Auto [A]; Manual [M] Exposure Metering: 1) EV 0 to 20 (3D Color Matrix or center-weighted metering); 2) EV 2 to 20 (spot metering) (ISO 100 equivalent, f/1.4 lens, 68 degrees F/20 degrees C) Storage System: Compressed NEF (RAW): 12-bit compression, JPEG: JPEG baseline-compliant Sensitivity: 200 to 1600 (ISO equivalent) in steps of 1/3 EV White Balance: Auto (TTL white balance with 1,005-pixel RGB sensor), six manual modes with fine-tuning, preset white balance, white balance bracketing possible Built-in Speedlight: Auto flash with auto pop-up [P], [S], [A], [M]: manual pop-up with button release Guide number (ISO 200/ISO 100, m): approx. 15/11 (manual full 17/12) Accessory Shoe: Standard ISO hot-shoe contact with safety lock provided Auto Exposure Bracketing: Two or three frames A +/- 2 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 steps AF Area Mode: 1) Single Area AF, 2) Dynamic Area AF, 3) Closest Subject Priority Dynamic Area AF Auto Exposure Lock: Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button Depth of Field Preview Button: When CPU lens is attached, lens aperture can be stopped down and previewed by pressing the preview button Exposure Compensation: A+/-5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV Eyepoint: 18mm (-1.0m -1) Flash Sync Modes: 1) Front-curtain Sync (normal sync), 2) Red-eye Reduction, 3) Red-eye Reduction with Slow Sync, 4) Slow Sync, 5) Rear-curtain Sync Self-Timer: Electronically controlled timer with 2 to 20 seconds duration Playback Menu: 1 frame: Thumbnail (4 or 9 segments); Magnifying playback; Slide show; Histogram indication; Highlight point display; Auto image rotation Delete Function: Card format, All frames delete, Selected frames delete Power Requirements: One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3a or EN-EL3, Three CR2 Lithium batteries (with optional MS-D70 CR2 battery holder), AC Adapter EH-5 (optional) Dimension (W x H x D): Approx. 5.5 x 4.4 x 3.1 in. (140 x 111 x 78mm) Weight (without batteries): Approx. 1lb 5 oz (600g) Supplied Accessories: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3a, Quick Charger MH-18a, Video Cable, USB Cable UC-E4, Strap, Body cap, Eyepiece Cap DK-5, Rubber Eyecup DK-20, LCD monitor cover BM-5, PictureProject CD-ROM.Video Output: Can be selected from NTSC and PAL Interface: USB: Mass storage and PTP selectable Text Input: Up to 36 characters of alphanumeric text input available with LCD monitor and multi-selector; stored in Exif header Focusing Screen: Type-B BriteView Clear Matte screen Mark V with superimposed focus brackets and on-demand grid lines Viewfinder Frame Coverage: Approx. 95% Viewfinder Magnification: Approx. 0.75x with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0m-1 Exposure Metering System: TTL full-aperture exposure metering system(1) 3D Color Matrix Metering with 1,005-pixel RGB sensor; (2) Center-weighted: Weight of 75% (8mm dia. circle) given to 6, 8, 10, or 12mm dia. circle in center of frame, or weighting based on average of entire frame; (3) Spot: Meters 2.3mm dia. circle Shutter: Combined mechanical and CCD electronic shutter, 30 sec to 1/8000 sec. in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV, bulb Sync Contact: X-contact only; flash synchronization at up to 1/500 sec. Flash Control: 1) TTL: TTL flash control by 1,005-pixel RGB sensor Built-in Speedlight: i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash or standard i-TTL flash (spot metering or mode dial set to [M]) SB-800 or 600: i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash or standard i-TTL flash (spot metering); 2) Auto aperture: Available with SB-800 with CPU lens3) Non-TTL Auto: Available with Speedlights such as SB-800, 80DX, 28DX,28, 27, and 22s4) Distance-priority manual available with SB-800 Flash Compensation: -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV Tripod Socket: 1/4 in. (ISO 1222)
Focal Length: 18-70mm Maximum aperture: f/3.5 Lens construction: 15 elements in 13 groups (three ED glass lens elements, one aspherical lens element) Picture angle: 76 degrees- 22 degrees 50 minutes Minimum focus range: 0.38m (15 in.) Max. reproduction ratio: 1:6.2 (.16) Filter Size: 67mm Dimensions (Diameter x Length): 073 x 75.5mm (2.9 x 3.0 in.) Weight: Approx. 390g (14.8 oz.) Case: CL-0915 Soft Case Included accessories: HB-32 Hood, CL-0915 Case, 67mm lens cap, rear cap
Focal Length: 55-200mm (35mm equivalent 82.5-300mm)
Maximum Aperture: f/4-5.6
Minimum Aperture: f/22-32
Weight: Approx. 255g (9 oz.)
Dimensions: Approx. 68mm x 79mm long (2.7 in. x 3.1 in.)
Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 1:3.5
Picture Angle on Nikon DX Format Sensor: 28 degrees, 50 minutes (@55mm) to 8 degrees (@200mm)
AF G-Type: AF Nikkor G-Type lenses feature more compact lens designs and include D-Type technology that provides the camera with precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes
Lens Construction: 13 elements in 9 groups (with 2 ED glass elements)
DX Type: DX Nikkor is designed exclusively for use with Nikon Digital SLR models
Minimum Focus Distance: 0.95m (3.1 ft.)
Filter/Attachment Size: 52mm
Included Accessories: LC-52 Snap-on Front Lens Cap, LF-1 Rear Lens Cap, HB-34 Lens Hood, CL-0815 Soft Lens Case
Optional Accessories: 52mm Screw-In Filters
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It is an anxious era in American parenting, and at the root of that anxiety is an idea called the cognitive hypothesis. The cognitive hypothesis is a rarely-spoken-aloud belief that what a child needs to succeed in life depends almost totally on cognitive skill. Cognitive skill, as opposed to life skill, is the kind of skill that allegedly gets measured on IQ tests. It is a widely held parental belief that the best way to practice cognitive skills is to practice them as soon and as often as possible.
While the cognitive hypothesis is undeniably soothing to many parents, a large and disparate group of economists, teachers, psychologists, and neuroscientists have started to produce evidence that the cognitive hypothesis is of less importance to children in life than a second set of skills, a set that includes persistence, self-control, conscienciousness, grit, and self-confidence. Psychologists call this second set of skills personality traits, educators call them life skills, but most of the world calls them character.
The person at the center of this new way of thinking is James Heckman, an economist at the University of Chicago and Nobel Prize winner in 2000 for economics. He has been, in recent years, running an invitation-only conference of psychologists and economists with one idea as its focus: which skills and traits lead to success, how do they develop in children, and what kind of interventions might be developed to help children learn these skills and traits more easily?
So how can parents help their children develop life skills like motivation, perserverance, and self-confidence? The traditional route taken with cognitive skills- start earlier and work harder- doesn't apply to life skills. Instead, it appears that the most important thing that parents can do to help their children develop noncognitive skills, or character, is to do nothing. We parents have to learn to let our children fail, to face some problems without being helped up.
This current generation of children, more than any other, is being helped through the educational system without having to face real adversity on their own, and that is what builds character. We are doing our children a disservice if we offer them all the help that we can, all the time. This goes against our parental grain, but letting our children struggle some will actually help them develop the life skills they will need in the future.
The child who is 'left behind' most is the one who leaves school without transition readiness.
Dr. James Stanfield, Ed.D.


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SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that this holiday season, thousands of third-party sellers will have the opportunity to participate in the holiday deals promotion program. Third-party sellers on Amazon will be invited to offer holiday deals that will be featured on the Amazon holiday deal pages, including the popular Today's Deals page. The holiday deals from sellers will be appearing on high customer traffic merchandising pages which highlight limited time discounts on hot holiday items exclusively from sellers.
"It will now be easier than ever for our millions of customers to find popular and unique holiday products from our sellers," said Peter Faricy, VP for Amazon Marketplace. "We know that customers expect to find the lowest prices on Amazon and love browsing the holiday deal pages for great bargains. We are excited that for the first time ever our sellers will be able to showcase their unique and high quality items on the holiday promotion shopping pages."
"Our Gold Box Deal promotion earlier this year was an outstanding success. We listed a popular camera at an unbeatable price that was showcased on the premier placement of Amazon Today's Deal page for several hours. As a result, we received an enormous increase in sales during the promotion, especially for an item priced over $200. The Gold Box Deal promotion helped us sell approximately 30 percent of the cameras we had in stock in only a few hours. Considering our large inventory, the amount of orders we fulfilled greatly exceeded our expectations," said Michael Silberstein, operations manager for Focus Camera, an electronics retailer based in New York City. "The Gold Box Deal attracted so many customers that we can't wait for our next chance to participate during the holidays. Amazon is undoubtedly our most important sales channel during the holiday season. If our items are listed on Amazon and the price is right, sales are guaranteed."
Sellers invited to take part in the holiday deals promotion program will have the opportunity to feature their deals for popular holiday gifting products on Amazon's holiday shopping pages, such as Gold Box Today's Deal page, Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal pages, and category holiday pages. The most popular holiday categories, including electronics and toys, will have numerous deals each day from various sellers throughout the holiday selling season.
Sellers looking to reach more customers and extend their holiday selling season can also greatly benefit from Amazon's innovative fulfillment service – Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). With FBA, sellers of all sizes can choose to have Amazon ship their products directly to customers and offer Amazon Prime benefits, FREE Shipping, simple exporting to customers around the world, easy returns for orders placed on Amazon.com and great customer service.
During the 2012 holiday season, the more than 2 million third-party sellers worldwide on Amazon experienced record holiday growth. Unit growth solely from sellers in the U.S. increased more than 40 percent year-over-year. Amazon is helping sellers succeed by providing innovative self-service platforms and a vibrant marketplace on which sellers can offer their products to millions of Amazon customers.
"We experienced a tremendous increase in sales for the products we've offered as Best Deal or Gold Box Deals. Not only do our sales increase for that item but the deal brings attention and increased popularity to the product that lasts well beyond the promotional deal," said Stu Eisenman, president for E-Revolution Ventures, Inc., a retailer based in Delaware. "As a smaller retailer we were never able to offer our customers the same shipping savings as larger competitors. By participating in Amazon's FBA program, we can take advantage of the economies of scale. Through the FBA program we're able to leverage Amazon's reputation for customer service into increased sales. We can focus on analyzing which items are hot sellers during the holiday season and take steps to ensure ample quantities are available."
Businesses interested in selling on Amazon or learning more about the Amazon Services offering can visit us at http://www.amazonservices.com.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the world's best-selling and most advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, features improved fonts and faster page turns. The new Kindle Fire HDX features a stunning exclusive 7" or 8.9" HDX display, a quad-core 2.2 GHz processor, 2x more memory, and 11 hours of battery life, as well as exclusive new features of Fire OS 3.0 including X-Ray for Music, Second Screen, Prime Instant Video downloads, and the revolutionary new Mayday button. The all-new Kindle Fire HD includes an HD display, high-performance processor and dual speakers at a breakthrough price.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, www.amazon.es, www.amazon.com.br, www.amazon.in, and www.amazon.com.mx. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.


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When: September 2017
Where: Royal Victoria Dock, Tower Bridge
To raise awareness for Remember A Charity's In Your Will Week, a stunt specifically targeting the baby boomer generation took place on the River Thames in early September.
To launch the campaign, former pirate radio and BBC Radio 1 DJ Emperor Rosko sailed down the river on a recreation of offshore radio station Radio Caroline's Ross Revenge boat, waving a Last Pirate FM flag.
Livett's worked with Frank PR to help find the vessel for the stunt, which ended up being Light Vessel 93 based in Royal Victoria Dock. We worked with the PR agency, ship owner and the Royal Docks Management Agency to coordinate the vessel leaving its mooring and out onto the Thames.
We provided two tugs to carry this out: navtug Felix and Thames Vixen. The first movement had to take place after London City Airport shut due to the height of the light vessel and the need to travel so close to the airport's runway.
On the day of the event, we towed the vessel up into Central London and swung her just in front of Tower Bridge to allow photographers and camera crew to get the shots they required.
Here, Livett's workboat Alfie acted as both a camera boat and means to transfer film crew on and off Light Vessel 93.
The @Lightship93 is now stationed off @TLCLdn after arriving with an escort from FELIX & THAMES VIXEN with assist from ALFIE@TheRadCaroline pic.twitter.com/WJl21e1P2D
— Mazimo : MX-5 Monkey (@2000MX5) September 7, 2017
Vessels of this nature are notoriously tricky to tow. However, with the capabilities of the navtug and Thames Vixen along with the expertise of the Livett's crew, the job was carried out seamlessly to the client's requirements.
Light Vessel 93 had an extended stay on our mooring until the time came to return to her berth in Royal Victoria Dock.
After a brief stay beside @TLCLdn the @trinityhouse_uk lightship has departed… #rememberacharity@ChrisLivett pic.twitter.com/oXDkGpLsYQ
— Mazimo : MX-5 Monkey (@2000MX5) September 7, 2017
Video of the event:
Light Vessel 93 info:
Built: 1938
Length: 134ft (40.84m)
Beam: 25ft (7.62m)
Depth: 15ft (4.57m)
For more information about the services Livett's offered here, please visit our dedicated pages:
Contact us today if you have any questions or enquiries that we may be able to help you with.
Thanks to Andrew Christy for his great photography. Check out his Flickr for more!


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Thought I'd get back into the swing with a bit of a rant 🙂
(Obligatory, PC preface: I know, I know…at least I have healthcare. But, that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement.)
I have been under the weather for a few weeks, nothing serious but just enough to interfere with everyday life. Unfortunately, this also means I've made three visits to the doctor's office since February. This is indeed a dismal turn of events as I, like most people, do not enjoy going to the doctor. It's certainly not my idea of a good time.
My disdain for medical appointments in general began several years ago. In my opinion, it seems our medical professionals have become increasingly uninterested in listening to their patients' symptoms even after subjecting those patients to a seemingly endless wait in a cold exam room after which they receive, if they're lucky, 5-10 minutes to share their current medical concerns.
My disdain increased when I made the mistake of providing an honest answer to that seemingly innocuous question, "Do you, or have you ever, experience(d) symptoms of depression/anxiety?" It seems the moment I answered "yes," I was systematically pigeonholed into a category of patient whose every symptom is now attributed to these mental maladies. I understand that depression, anxiety, and stress can have seriously detrimental affects on the body, but not all my ailments should be treated as such. However, this seems to be a continuing trend.
My latest medical visit was related to a new wave of headaches I began experiencing over the last several weeks. They differed from previous headaches I've experienced so, I thought, best to get things checked out. After explaining to the nurse practitioner that I was not anxious or depressed, I went on to describe the headaches. The appointment ended with a prescription for muscle relaxers and the conclusion that these were tension headaches. I was told there was no need to perform a CT scan as it would probably be a waste of money at this time. I accepted the diagnosis as she is the professional, but I left the appointment wondering if it may have gone differently had I been someone else, someone who had never admitted to experiencing depression and anxiety in the first place. Just to be clear, I did not walk into my appointment thinking, "Oh my gosh! It's a tumor!" I simply wanted someone to take my concerns seriously. I did think that might involve some sort of test to confirm everything was copacetic in the old noggin, but I was wrong. I left the appointment feeling completely dismissed.
It is an interesting juxtaposition that in the process of raising awareness and becoming more accepting of mental illness, we have created another problem – that dangerous tendency for medical professionals to develop tunnel vision when treating patients who suffer from depression, anxiety, stress, etc. If they understood how difficult it is for many of us to tick "yes" to that particular question, knowing we stand a good chance of being "marked" from that point forward, maybe they would be a bit more understanding and less inclined to blame our medical concerns on the mental health issues with which we struggle.
I would also appreciate some credit for knowing my own body – for knowing when it is behaving normally and when it is not. I have lived in this body for a long time. I know the difference between fatigue caused by a depressive episode and fatigue derived from something other than depression. I know the difference between the churning, nervous stomach caused by anxiety and stomach issues that are perhaps the result of another medical problem. I don't understand why physicians don't get that.
When I recognize my body is reacting to external factors such as stress or anxiety, I do not visit the doctor. It's a waste of my time and theirs. I know these symptoms will typically disappear once I work through whatever issue may be causing them, and I will find more relief from my counselor rather than the general practitioner. This means that when I do show up at the GP's because I'm not feeling well, it really is BECAUSE I'M NOT FEELING WELL! (Apologies for being shouty.)
I'm sure not all physicians are guilty of pigeonholing their patients, but because of my experiences, I am seriously considering checking "no" whenever I complete my next patient information form. No one should reach that point, but that's where I am. We are cautioned over and over to be honest and open with our doctors; however, if being honest means you will then not be taken seriously, I'm not sure it's worth the risk.
I have since developed the habit of starting most of my appointments with, "I am not depressed or anxious," but it still doesn't seem to register. And, in my opinion, I shouldn't have to start an appointment by describing how I am NOT feeling in order to get someone to pay attention to how I AM feeling.
Question(s) of the day: Have you ever felt as though your doctor hasn't taken you seriously? Have you found a successful way of dealing with such issues?


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Provident Returns to Sea
One of Trinity Sailing most popular vessels has returned to sea after an extensive project to improve her deck.
Provident — built in 1924 — left port today for the first time since September, last year. Her crew, scores of volunteers, and a team of shipwrights have been working tirelessly to get her ready for the new sailing season after having her entire aft deck removed and replaced.
The work was part-funded by The Preservation of Industrial and Scientific Material (PRISM) Fund, through the Arts Council, along with support from other generous individuals and organisations.
Provident is currently on her first trip, a west country cruise, and will be arriving in Falmouth, this Friday, ahead of her first sail training week, beginning on Saturday.
Ben Wheatley, Trinity Sailing's Operations Director, said: "It great to see guests back on board and she's looking fantastic. I want to thank all of our crew, volunteers and all the shipwrights for their amazing hard work."
The vessel forms part of UK National Historic Fleet, a status which ranks her alongside the likes of HMS Victory and the Cutty Sark.
After the Second World War, Provident arrived in Salcombe, in 1951, as the founding vessel of the Island Cruising Club where she remained until 1999 when she started working from Brixham as part of the newly-formed Trinity Sailing Foundation. Provident was built in 1924, in the same yard on the River Dart as Leader. She was a replacement for an earlier vessel of the same name, sunk during the First World War by a German U-boat. She fished out of Brixham for 10 years before being sold to a wealthy American and converted to a private yacht.
If you would like to join Provident for a cruise this year, you can call Trinity Sailing on 01803 88 33 55 or email [email protected]. Her full voyage programme is available online at www.trinitysailing.org


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Sir Cecil was the MP for North Belfast for 18 years, from 1983 until 2001, when he lost his seat to the DUP's Nigel Dodds.
He was awarded a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours in June 2002.
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said Sir Cecil was "widely respected within the unionist family and will be sorely missed by all who knew him".
"Sir Cecil was a dedicated public servant who represented the people of North Belfast both as a councillor at Belfast City Council and for 18 years as MP for the area.
"His friendly and gentlemanly manner endeared him to both political friend and foe alike," Sir Reg said.
North Belfast UUP assembly member Fred Cobain said he had lunch with Sir Cecil last Thursday and the news of his death had come as a "dreadful shock".
"He was a tremendous individual and had a great rapport with ordinary working class people in the constituency," Mr Cobain said.
"This really has taken the wind out of those who knew him."
Mr Dodds, who won the North Belfast seat from Sir Cecil, said the "sudden and unexpected death has come as a terrible shock".
"Cecil Walker represented North Belfast through some of the darkest days of the troubles when the constituency bore the brunt of much of the violence.
"Through it all he always displayed great courtesy and acted with dignity in respect of political friend and opponent alike," Mr Dodds said.
SDLP North Belfast assembly member Alban Maginness expressed sympathy for Sir Cecil's family.
"Whilst we did not always agree politically I always found him gentlemanly and well intentioned.
"He certainly had a very firm commitment to peace and harmony in our community," Mr Maginness said.
Most Popular Now | 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now.";


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Welcome to our live video feed page! Your event / broadcast program is below or will be airing shortly. If a live stream video is not playing, our last aired live stream video production should show by default.. just in case you tuned in too late.
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Let DTX Media cover your Dallas / Fort Worth event, message, broadcast or any other live video! We can film and switch between multiple angles while live streaming / broadcasting to youtube, Facebook, Daily Motion and various other sites. We will even keep a full resolution uncompress copy of your event up to 4K / UHD or 1080P HD. DTX Media is based in Dallas but we serve all of the DFW metroplex, major Texas cites such as Houston, Austin, San Antonio and even into Oklahoma City!
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With green screen video we shoot on a chroma key background. Yes, we can do this LIVE! The green background can be replaced with any other scene. While a natural environment is always preferred, green screen gives a nice alternative and versatile option. Above is a picture of Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl champion quarterback Troy Aikman alongside videographers Michael and Jonny of DTX Media. See more samples, including photography on our green screen services page.
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DTX Media now offers 4K video in Dallas Texas. UHD captures video at about four times the resolution of HD. Not only does this video service future proof videos, but allows for cropping and other film techniques such as stabiliztion without loosing resolution when output in 1080p. We are currently shooting 4k on request for a marginal mark-up. Please ask us if you want it!
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Interviews are necessary for nearly any video production. DTX Media offers a simple mobile studio set-up with softbox diffused LED lights, two cameras, a lavaliere microphone and or boom mic and of course the oh-so-wonderful teleprompter when working with scripts. We recommend using a our professional crew of two videographers for interviews. Learn more about our interview video service in Dallas, TX.


text: Basically I have a girlfriend and she's 14 as well as me. She is bi, and has a very homophobic family, and not very nice either and she feels she is not able to go to them for anything such as mental help, a lot of people bully her at school and I try my best to stop that. Around 3 months into our relationship (at the time of posting this, it is half a year we've been going out) she told me that she was very depressed and later on told me that she self-harmed. I talked to her about it and tried my best to support her and it was working for a while, but then it stopped working as well. She told me she had suicidal thoughts and I didn't know what to do, but I carried on my best to support her and let her know she is loved. Just after 4 and a half months in, she told me that she actually attempted suicide and I felt a pit in my stomach. I wanted to get her to find help, but I thought that might come off as me not caring and trying to push her problems onto someone else, so I didn't, I just tried my best on my own. She previously told her friends about her depression, but they joked about it and I guess she just taught herself not to talk about it to people. Around 2 weeks later, she told me she attempted it again, and I anonymously contacted our school to try and get her some help about it without her knowing about it, the school gave her counselling, but that didn't help at all, if not, it made it worse because she said the counsellor made her feel like crap . I tried to spend as much time as possible to be with her to let her know that I cared, and that seemed to work, up until around a week ago. She was VERY depressed, way more than usual and I nothing I tried to do helped at all. 2 nights ago, I sent her links to depression forums and numbers to hotlines, she tried them out and said she really didn't like them and I really didn't know what to do. I tried talking to her about it today and I saw she opened the message and blanked me. I was wondering to myself if I had done anything wrong so I asked her around half an hour later with no replies from her. She opened the message and then blanked me again, so I was really worried if I had done anything, but I really didn't want to add to the problem if I had done anything. Half an hour later, she sends a message saying: "Don't bother messaging me, I'm airing messages" So I couldn't do anything. Half an hour later I get a text from her saying I didn't do anything and I asked if there was anything I can do to help her and she hasn't opened the message because she either went to sleep or something else I really don't want to think about. I really need some guidance on what to do and what to say to her so I can help her through it. Please help. I'm begging you.


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John Brockman Crane
I spend much of my time speaking, teaching, and writing trying to help people navigate the intersection of faith and life (particularly as it relates to our culture). For I believe that the Christian worldview provides the best framework for addressing the deepest problems of the human condition. But at the end of the day, I'm just a husband and father who cares deeply about my family and my country, and I want to leverage whatever assets I have to improve the future of both.
- Member for
- 6 years 32 weeks


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Austin Dillon kicked off the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series campaign in grand fashion by winning the Daytona 500. A dramatic finish led to the biggest win in Dillon's career and his second Cup Series victory.
But things were more of a struggle for Dillon in the months after he celebrated winning "The Great American Race."
Although he was qualified for the playoffs with the Daytona victory, marking his third straight appearance in the postseason, things did not go well for a majority of the regular season. He had nine finishes outside the top-15 over a 13-race span beginning in April.
2018 Statistics
|Top 5s
|Top 10s
|Laps Led
|Avg. Start
|Avg. Finish
|Driver Rating
However, Dillon's frustration began to wane during the second half of the year and as the playoffs came closer. While he was eliminated from the championship picture in the opening round of the playoffs, Dillon posted a 15.0 average finish over the final 10 races of the schedule.
"I think we finished really strong," Dillon said. "Our last 10 races we had two races that I had a flat tire at one and I knocked the wall down at the Roval. You take those two out and we were going to finish in the top 10. We had two 11th-place finishes that were intermittent throughout there. We had a good ending to our year.
"The middle of the season we just got lost and didn't have the speed that we needed with our Camaro and we kept working to get it positive and I thought we did a good job recovering."
The finish to the season has given Dillon reason to believe things will be even better in 2019. He'll be reunited with veteran crew chief Danny Stockman, who steps in to replace Justin Alexander calling the shots for the RCR No. 3 team.
"We had so much success together in the Trucks and Xfinity Series and having that familiar voice back on the radio for me is going to be huge," Dillon said. "I know what kind of passion he has for the sport and the amount of effort he's going to put in next year…he's going to set the bar high for everyone at RCR. And that's the culture we have to have to become another champion in the Cup Series and that's our ultimate goal, to win championships."
Dillon will also have a new teammate next season in Daniel Hemric, who moves up from RCR's Xfinity Series program to take the seat in the No. 31 Cup ride vacated by Ryan Newman's departure to Roush Fenway Racing.
"Daniel and I grew up racing together and he's a young guy," Dillon said. "I think we can change the culture in our shop. I think we can work with each other well."
Finally, Dillon points to the radically different 2019 rules package that will dramatically reduce horsepower in concert with aerodynamic modifications in hopes to create tighter competition. Dillon believes he and his team will benefit from the change.
"With the new package change, too, it gives us a great starting point to kind of be at a baseline even with everybody, a level playing field, I guess you could say," he said.
"I feel like we can win a championship together, we can be in the top four."
Previous Season Reviews


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For Fans Of: Peace Be Still, Glocca Morra, You Blew It!
Genres: Emo, Post-Hardcore, Punk
Spotify: Facebook
Bad Liar is an Emo band from Cali. This is their debut EP, and an impressive one at that. It will be available on vinyl this summer on Conditions Records. A lot of people seem to be really excited about this band, myself included, so I'm pretty excited to get my hands on it once it comes out. I can't seem to find any info on whether or not they are touring, but I'm hoping they'll stop by our neck of the woods at some point! Here's a link to their Twitter if you wanna keep up on news from them.
Streampad: Bad Liar - Lines


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Love in the Time of Cholera is about the most boring film I've ever seen. What a waste of talent (Javier Bardem) and scenery (Columbia). I'm not going to waste any more of my life thinking or writing about it, except to say that if you want to see a film much more worthy of the title Love in the Time of Cholera then see The Painted Veil which I, by coincidence, saw the next night on DVD. Over and out.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Painted Veil, Messy Cholera
Posted by Mark McCormick 2 comments
Labels: Love in the Time of Cholera, Painted Veil
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Sister Act
Margot at The Wedding is a complicated film. It does some things exceptionally well, but I'm not sure if, at the end, the film is greater than the sum of its parts. One thing you can't argue , though, is that Nicole Kidman chews up this role and spits it out again. She plays Margot a narcissistic, bi-polar (or boderline personality disordered) writer, the sister to Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh, also superb) who is about to marry Malcolm (Jack Black who plays a lovable loser with humor and awkward dignity). The movie is not so thick on plot; it's just about the very ancient conflicts of two sisters, and what happens when Margot tries to manipulate Pauline into believing that her fiance Malcolm isn't worthy.
Joel Baumbach staked a certain claim in The Squid and the Whale--precocious, mature kids with fucked up parents. Baumach's brand of family dysfunction is emotional incest: adults who are far too dependent on their sons. You find yourself cringing as the parents reveal their messy inner lives to their vulnerable offspring, who are, after all, seeking approval themselves, because that's what kids do.
I loved Margot for its fine detail: Margot wears a nightguard to bed, to keep from grinding, for example; when have you ever seen that in a movie? The dialog is fine, and there's a lot of it. It's a talky movie. There are many lines that will stay with you. For example, when Margot is having a meltdown and her ex husband puts his sweater on her shoulder, she starts crying harder and says "I didn't realize I was cold until you gave me your sweater. . . "
I believe a good movie makes us see ourselves in a different way. But if you say, about Margot, "that's my sister" or "that's my mom" or "that's me" (as I did when she started crying at the gift of slippers saying "when you give me things I don't need I feel as though you don't know me") then you will either really love this movie, or hate it, because mirrors can be cruel teachers.
Posted by Mark McCormick 0 comments
Labels: Jack Black, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joel Baumbach, Margot at the Wedding, Nicole Kidman
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Before the Director Knows It's 2007
My friend Jane and I saw Before the Devil Knows You're Dead tonight. We both agreed that it was masterful in its way, but definitely had some quirks worth mentioning.
This is Sidney Lumet's new film. He's very accomplished, the director of Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Network, and a bunch of other great films, plus a host of not so notable films. And it should be noted that he's quite old. Watching this movie, you sense that. Old directors tend to do weird things, like have people make calls on pay phones, or throw their cell phones around in disgust ("this damn new technology! these buttons are so small!"), and have their characters pick up airline tickets from a travel agency (when was the last time you did anything other than use the Internet or maybe, just maybe called an airline. . .).
Anyway, he's old, but he's clearly confident. The structure is interesting: it keeps jumping around in time, mostly goes backwards, but not always. In every new sequence we learn more, though, about why these two brothers would hold up their own parents' jewelry store. It's a movie that is fueled by (a highly original) plot, and by some pretty terriffic acting. I actually don't like Philip Seymour Hoffman that much, because his characters are always so damn miserable (except for Magnolia, miserable but compassionate), but let's face it: the guy can act; he can do a slow seethe or a total meltdown with equal passion and subtlety.
And I was telling Jane that for me the movie almost broke a VeryMarkMcCormick cardinal rule: for a movie (or book) to be successful and gripping, you almost always need a sympathetic protagonist. At least a sympathetic main character. All the characters in this movie are hard to like, but there are arguably three protagonists, and in the end, you kinda have to like the Ethan Hawke character, not because he's so hot and there's a great shot of his ass, but because he is truly caught between the epic hatred of his father and his brother.
I read recently (and I cant' find this now--if you read it too, please let me know) that American movies are currently sort of suffering from an excess formalism, which means that even the best independent movies are perfecting the art of cinema, bringing together exquisite cinematography, editing, directing, acting, music, etc, to create these perfect little gems. The article cited the Coen brothers as being the pinnacle of this fomalism. In other words, try as hard as you want, but you can't dislike a Coen bros. movie, because they're so well crafted. This movie is a bit like that. It's hard to find fault in it, but will you be moved, will you care much, at the end? I don't think so, but it's worth seeing nonetheless. Still, will someone please tell Lumet that people don't smoke in their offices anymore, not even in New York.
Posted by Mark McCormick 1 comments
Labels: Before the Devil Knows, Coen Brothers, Ethan Hawke, Lumet, Marisa Tomei, movies, Philp Seymour Hoffman
Monday, November 12, 2007
Tell Me You Love Me: Alright Already I DO
I've been watching the finale of Tell Me You Love Me. I'm crying like a baby, and realizing that I needed to circle back and say that my original misgivings about this show--that there was too much artificial sex, that the emotions and the therapy seemed forced--have been ameliorated.
The arc of this show was somewhat brilliant. In the beginning we saw a lot of nudity, a lot of sex. But by the end the rawness was not the flesh, it was the intimacy. While it might be that the three couples' (four if you count May Foster's) storylines did seem to be resolved too conveniently, the show delivered much needed emotional resolution.
I was routing for Katie and Dave, and knew that they would end up having explosive sex, but what I didn't predict was that they would have to grow far apart in order to come back together again, and when they did it would be powerfully, but tentatively, a scene of mutual masturbation that is entirely unique as far as I know.
And I love how Palek left Carolyn to be true to himself and his fear of being a father and screwing up like his Dad did. Plus I loathed Carolyn and liked Palek, and I didn't want them together, but when she miscarried and he comforted her only, finally, by admitting his own need, well it was honest and delicate.
May Foster says something really profound: "Sometimes therapists can shine the light on the dark moments. Our hope is that the light is not so glaring that you want to go back to the dark. . . " The show was brilliant at showing the particular alchemy of the therapist: how their own suffering illuminates others'.
Posted by Mark McCormick 2 comments
Labels: HBO, television, Tell Me You Love Me
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Mark In Real Life: A few more movies
Movies should heighten reality in some way. Obviously movies aren't "real life" and they are best when they either present a different world altogether, or a reflection of this life that is "realistic" but with important twists: of plot, of character, of setting.
In the "altogether different" category, I offer Across the Universe. In the "realistic" category, I offer (funny, I hadn't considered the title): Dan in Real Life. Across the Universe is good. Dan sucks.
Who should see Across the Universe? The range is wide, from Julie Taymor fans to Beatle's fans. I love how the movie musical is getting re-invented and re-popularized. From Chicago to Dreamgirls and now Across the Universe, the movies are singing again in a way--this is important--that kids will love. It's natural that kids who love music videos would adapt to the movie musical if it was done right: with high production values, quick editing, pop stars. Julie Taymor, though, goes a step further and adds a heightened aesthetic and some edgy emotion.
I don't know why, but when a song that that is somehow in our collective consciousness, our cultural DNA, get's re-imagined in a shockingly original way, you just want to cry. Weep I did during the scene where I Wanna Hold Your Hand was presented as a lament by a lesbian cheerleader. As she's singing, voice full of longing, she's walking blithely through a group of in-flight football players. It's magic. It works.
But Dan in Real Life. Oh my god, seldom have I wanted a cocktail more or wanted to run screaming out the theater. It's an entirely predictable story about a guy who falls for his brother's girlfriend. If his damn family hadn't been so postcard perfect I might have fallen for this. I will say that the twenty something hetero couple next to me seemed to be lapping it up like kittens. Bully for them. That's who this movie is for, but if you fall in that category, but sure and check your brain at the door, or maybe smoke a joint before the movie.
Posted by Mark McCormick 0 comments
Labels: across the universe, dan in real life, movies


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2 reviews for Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Braids – 14oz
Our son and daughter-in-law were at Callie's Pretzel Factory recently, and brought back for us a package of Garlic Parmesan Butter Braid Pretzels. I love pretzels, and these are probably the best that I have ever eaten! I just gotta get more!
I have never considered myself to be a pretzel kind of girl but these changed my life!! Would highly recommend them especially if you like garlic! Will absolutely be ordering more! !


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Are you a user of Apple's Logic Pro or Logic Express software for writing, recording, editing, or mixing music? If so, hie thee to Software Update for the latest version -- 9.1.5.
As seen in the screenshot above, the update helps stability of the app and addresses issues with instrument and effect plug-ins that use LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillations) synced to the beat of a song.
Apple also fixed a problem where the Toggle Zoom key command didn't return to the previous zoom level, and improved compatibility with Apogee's Duet 2 USB audio interface.
The updates can also be downloaded directly from the following links: