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If you want to know how to do cold capping right...
First of all, before I say anything else, if you want the most useful blog post about cold capping on chemo in the world, ever, then head on over to A Lil Earthquake's blog post Keeping my hair through chemo. Diane cold capped through 6 cycles of FEC. FEC is the chemo that REALLY has it in for your beautiful hair. Diane kept most of hers - she followed the rules, took amazing care of her scalp, and was rewarded with great results (unlike me who broke all the rules because I was convinced it wouldn't work, and so probably lost most of my hair due to my own tugging!)
This is Diane's hair after 6 cycles of FEC...
Amazing! Now go and read her blog!
As for me, despite losing most of my hair in the end after chemo, I learned some very important things along the way, and I want to share them here....
My personal perspective and experience
A couple of key things to know from the outset are:
- I am someone who would have done literally anything to avoid shaving their head. I am full of admiration for the many young women facing chemo who are brave enough to take control and just shave their heads and be done with it. But it turned out, I am not one of those women.
- I've been completely honest in this post, and I'm writing as someone who found hair loss traumatic, so if you're reading this because you're starting chemo and are anxious about hair loss, be aware this post isn't intended to cheer you up no matter what - it's intended to tell you the truth, no sugar coating! Having said that, I hope that ultimately this might cheer you up - not because I'm going to throw loads of motivational, empowering quotes at you, but because of the info I will share that might actually be useful.
I had 6 cycles of chemo, FEC-T (3 FEC and 3 Tax). I used the cold cap each time. This is a summary of what happened to my hair.
Chemo #1
As the clock struck midnight between days 13 and 14, the hair started dropping out from around my ears. "This is it!" I thought to myself. The cold cap didn't work, and all my hair is all going to come out. I stayed awake til about 3 am, pulling at my hair. The hair by my ears came out very easily, the rest of it did not. Important note: I should not have been pulling at it!
Here's horrendous photo number 1! This is my (greasy) hair that night when it started falling out from by my ears. To me this was disaster.
Over the coming days, I lost more - on the top of my head my parting widened, and at the bottom of my hairline where it meets my neck a fair bit of hair was coming out. Each day, I kept tugging and pulling at it. Important note: I should not have been pulling at it!
Not so horrendous photo number 2. I was so devastated by this at the time I was too embarrassed to show anyone! This was taken at the end of the first cycle of chemo.
I look back at this now and see amazing hair with just a wide parting on the top.
Chemo #2
So to my surprise, the day of my second chemo arrived and apart from the hair by my ears and neckline, and the wide parting, I still had a full head of hair, and went ahead with using the cold cap for a second time.
I lost some more during the second cycle of chemo, but not so much - and with hindsight it was probably all my own fault for constantly tugging at it. The parting on top of my head continued to widen.
While I'd lost a fair bit of hair, I could still tie it back and cover the ever growing bald patch, so I kept on with the cold cap. By the end of chemo #3 this is where I was at...(it's wet hair, that's not grease!)
Chemo #4
This is a photo of me just after my fourth chemo. To me, my hair was noticeably thin, and I had to tie it back to cover the bald bit... but it was passable, just about. More about the bald patch later on in this post and how I disguised it!
This was the top of my head at the point of Chemo #6.
Hair had been growing since I finished FEC.
Then this was the top of my head about 6 weeks after my last chemo.
And this is my hair at 3 months post chemo. I've not yet had a real haircut - I just chopped what was left of the long bits off myself.
My friends keep telling me to go to the hairdresser and get a pixie cut, and I do have enough hair for that now but I'm not going to, for two reasons. 1. I hate it, I hate me with short hair, and I hate the shape of my head and face. And 2. I have loads of greys and I am trying to be good now and not dye my hair til 6 months post chemo.
Oh and just for information, this is a picture of me in my wig last weekend. I have just had one wig the whole time - I got one as close to my normal hair as possible, and once I got used to wearing it, it's been fine.
So anyway, that's a quick summary of what happened to my hair from day 1 of chemo up til now, nearly 4 months on. What follows is a bunch of stuff I learned along the way (including how to cover a bald patch!)
"It's only hair" and other pointless things people say
If you're diagnosed with cancer and told you will need to have chemotherapy such as FEC-T, these are some of the facts of your situation:
- You will need to do whatever it takes to get rid of the cancer.
- You're very likely to temporarily lose your hair as a result of chemotherapy.
- In the grand scheme of things, keeping your hair is not nearly as important as getting rid of the cancer.
- It's only hair!
- It'll grow back!
- You'll rock the skinhead look!
- You can have loads of fun with different wigs and hairstyles!
- How exciting! Now you could go blonde!
- Think of all the time you'll save not having to wash your hair!
The reason I'm bringing this up is just to say that if you're losing your hair because of chemo, and you're upset about it, and you want to punch the next person who tells you it's only hair and it's a small price to pay for getting rid of cancer, you're not alone. It's the normal, natural response!
(To anyone reading this who is not having chemo themselves but knows someone who is and is wondering what the right thing to do or say is.... Unless you're about to shave your own hair and eyebrows and remove all eyelashes in solidarity then avoid all of the above platitudes. Simple statements like "This is awful, I'm bringing a bottle of wine round" are likely to be much more helpful.)
Will you definitely lose your hair?
There are lots of different chemo drugs - some cause hair loss, some don't. My experience is with FEC-T which is a common chemo treatment for young women with breast cancer so that's what I'm writing about in this post.
FEC causes hair loss and there's no avoiding it. If you don't use the cold cap, you will lose your hair. Some people find that a very small amount of their hair remains, but this will be maybe 5%, in patches. Many (most?) women decide to shave their heads and be done with it, and feel a great sense of control and relief having done so.
If you use the cold cap then there is a possibility that you will keep a lot of your hair - but it will still thin out. My oncologist told me that if using the cold cap, you have a 50% chance of keeping 50% of your hair. I know some women who have been more successful than this, and have only had minor, and completely unnoticeable thinning. I also know women who have used the cold cap and their hair has all fallen out anyway after their first chemo. I'm somewhere in between the two extremes. The thing is, if using the cold cap, you have to be prepared to just wait and see what happens - it might work, it might not. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!
When does hair loss happen?
I hadn't really thought about it before starting chemo myself, but unless or until you shave your head, chemo hair loss is a process which takes place over a period of time, not a single event. You don't wake up one morning to find you are suddenly bald.
If you have FEC chemo, and do not use the cold cap, you can almost guarantee to have lost the majority of your hair by the time of your second dose. It happens to people at different times, but it's quite common for the significant shedding to kick in at around day 13-14 after your first blast. This is the point at which many women shave their heads - partly because they are sick of eating their own hair, and partly because your scalp gets very sore - shaving the hair off gives relief to that.
If you have FEC chemo and do use the cold cap, this hair loss still might happen. I know someone who used the cold cap, and during the third week after the initial chemo blast, her hair started coming out in chunks. She was devastated at first - like me she was desperate to keep her hair. But the decision was taken out of her hands, she shaved her head, and the hair loss anxiety was instantly gone. I'm mentioning this because the reality for most people is that the anxiety of losing hair before it happens is far, far worse than dealing with a bald head once you've got one.
My own experience was different. As mentioned above, I didn't have any hair loss until day 13-14 after my initial dose of FEC. I was about to go to bed that night, tucked my hair behind my ear - and a little chunk came out. Argh! This was it! I was sure of it. The moment I had been dreading. I instantly started pulling, and on both sides, the hair in front of/right next to my ears was coming out easily. I would take some between my fingers, and it would just come out. I spent the next couple of hours obsessively pulling my hair - I pulled out loads from next to my ears but the rest of the hair on my head was staying firmly put. I started to have some hope - maybe the cold cap had worked but it had just missed the bits by my ears. Maybe the rest of my hair would be ok! I was given further hope still by the realisation that the hair-by-my-ears hair loss was accompanied by an instantaneous full Brazilian. The hair that was firmly in place on my head was in the clear, wasn't it? Was it? Wasn't it?
Over the next few days, my hair played mind games with me. One day I started losing hair at the top of my head - my parting was widening. Then nothing happened for a day or so. Then the hair by my neck started to give up and fall out. I was constantly stressed, and constantly being told off by my friends for tugging at my hair. But it never got so bad that I shaved my head. I could still cover over any thin patches by tying my hair back. So when I went for my second chemo, I used the cold cap again. 13-14 days after that blast, I was expecting another mass shedding of hair - but it never came. It turns out this is normal, and a really important point:
When cold capping on FEC, the worst hair loss will be 2-3 weeks after your first dose. After that, you will likely have a continued, gradual thinning of hair. But the worst hair loss happens during the third week after your initial chemo. So if you are cold capping on FEC, and lose a lot of hair during this week, but not enough to feel you are ready to shave your head - then I'd say stick it out if you can! I am so glad I did.
When does hair start growing back?
A lot of women, especially those cold capping, find their hair starts growing back when they move off FEC and on to Tax. That's what happened with mine.
What is using the cold cap really like?
I personally tend to refer to it as The Head Freezer rather than Cold Cap. Head Freezer is a more accurate description of the experience! Here is another horrendous photo - this time it's me wearing the cold cap. This was on my last chemo!
There is a rubber hat that covers the whole of your hair, and is attached to a big machine by a pink tube that you can see on the left hand side of the photo. This rubber hat is pumped with cold, icy water, -4 degrees in temperature. Then the black cap thing is pulled over it, and strapped tight under your chin, giving you hamster face. It has to be tight though to work. If the rubber cold cap isn't tight to your scalp, it won't do its job. (The white bits are just some gauze that are there to protect the skin at the edge of my hairline from the cold cap.)
You wear it for different amounts of time, depending on the chemo you are having. On the dose of FEC I had, I had to wear it for 30 minutes before they started administering the drugs, during the administration of drugs (about 45 minutes), and for two hours afterwards. Tax, thankfully, is less! 30 minutes before, about an hour while the drugs are going in, and 45 minutes afterwards.
It's freezing cold. The first ten minutes or so are the worst. Each time, I didn't expect to get through those first ten minutes. But that initial pain does ease off. In fact, the first time, I found it easy after that and was asking them if I could have it colder! The second and third times were much harder, and by the end I was feeling sick with pain, and desperate to get the thing off my head. Both times I think I gave up about ten minutes before the end. Fourth time onwards I took the advice of other YBCN (Younger Breast Cancer Network UK) members and dosed up on ibuprofen and paracetemol before putting the freezer on. I think the combination of that, and the shorter amount of time I needed to keep it on really helped. It was ok.
Anyway, using the cold cap isn't a pleasant experience. But because of the amount of my hair it saved, I kept going with it, and I'm glad I did. It's been worth a few hours of misery every few weeks (hours where, lets face it, I'm miserable as hell anyway because I'm in a chemo suite at the hospital).
Practicalities of using the cold cap, and looking after your hair
Some practical things to be aware of if you're going to be cold capping...
You will need to take these things to the hospital with you: conditioner, a hairbrush/comb, a small spray bottle which can be filled with water and used to spray your hair to wet it. Choose a conditioner that isn't your favourite. Trust me - after a few sessions that conditioner will be firmly associated with chemo and the cold cap and you'll never want to smell it again. (The smell of my old conditioner now makes me feel sick.)
Before putting the cold cap on, the nurse will spray your hair with water to wet it, then put conditioner all over it. This is because the cold cap is rubber - when it comes to taking it off at the end, it comes off much more easily if you've got conditioner on your hair. (You don't want to freeze your head for hours only to have the rubber cold cap rip your hair out anyway!)
When cold capping throughout chemo you have to be extremely, extremely kind to your scalp. This means:
- Only washing your hair once a week at most, in luke warm water.
- No hairdryer, no straighteners.
- No products other than a very, very gentle shampoo.
This horrified me! My hair was used to being washed, dried, and straightened every day! I was gutted - what's the point of keeping hair if it's greasy and you can't do anything with it?! Anyway, the first few washes were about 4-5 days apart rather than a week, but after then I did as I was told. And my hair quickly got used to not being washed. It would be ok for about 5 days before it started to look even the tiniest bit rank.
Looking after your scalp is really important. It's about giving your follicles every chance to recover from any chemo damage. It doesn't appear to be all or nothing, either the follicle is blasted by chemo or it isn't. There might be follicles that have had a hammering from chemo, but with care, can recover. So be as kind and gentle to your scalp as you can.
General advice is to use a gentle, unperfumed shampoo. But so many women in YBCN swear by the Lush shampoo bar called New which is supposed to encourage new hair growth. It's pink, and smells of cinnamon. It only costs a few quid and will last months and months and months. I used it for my once-weekly hair wash and I'm still using it now. Hair is growing!
Covering up bald patches - the magic that is Toppik
As you now know, I had a humungous bald patch on top of my head. I took photos of it at various stages to share with other YBCN members and compare notes. I was never, ever intending to share any of those photos on this blog initially but now I don't care. I want to show how even the most enormous bald patch can be dealt with! If it helps anyone else who is facing chemo hair loss, then I figured it's worth my own embarrassment.
They aren't actually great photos - they were just taken quickly for a discussion in the YBCN group, but you should still get the idea.
Here is the monstrosity that was the top of my head at some point during the 4th chemo cycle.
Fucking chemo! Fucking, bollocking, bastard cancer and bastard fucking chemo! Fuck!
But anyway! Turns out it wasn't the end of the world. I found out about a product called Toppik. I guess it was originally developed for men who are starting to bald and can't cope with it! But it works a treat for us chemo girls too!
Toppik is "hair building fibres". Translation: powder in a pot that you sprinkle on your head to hide a bald patch. I have it in dark brown. This is what the pot looks like and you can order online.
Take the lid off and you will see that there is a top designed for sprinkling, kind of like herbs.
And the powder itself looks like this:
Doesn't look particularly impressive! But when you sprinkle it on your bald patch, this is what happens (allow for me not making an effort to take a "good" photo or actually brush my hair and make it look neat):
And once my hair was tied back, this is how the top of my head looked:
So, you see? Even a bald patch the size of Wales can be hidden quite effectively! So the cold cap doesn't need to be 100% successful to be worthwhile (in my opinion).
One final thing...
One final thing - if you are going to have chemo and are stressed about hair loss and have any questions that haven't been answered here, you are very welcome to contact me either via this blog, or via Twitter @mulheron81. I know how stressful it is! And if you are under 45 years old with a breast cancer diagnosis and living in the UK, then I recommend you join the YBCN group on Facebook. The support is amazing - it'll get you through this! You can find the public page here. Send them a message and you'll get instructions about how to be added to and find the secret, private support group.


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on 20/5/2009
the below Commemorative Cancellations
of 2009.
European Maritime Day - 19-20 May
The European Maritime Day will be celebrated on 20 May each year. It is an occasion to highlight the crucial role played by the Oceans and Seas and will contribute to a better visibility of the maritime sectors and more recognition of the importance they play in everyday life.
This year's events included a stakeholder conference in Brussels 19-20 May, which focused on the regional approach to the implementation of Maritime Policy, and dialogue with stakeholders.
The European Maritime Day was officially launched on 20 May in Strasbourg where the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering, Council President Janez Janša, and Commission President José Manuel Barroso signed a Joint Tripartite Declaration establishing a "European Maritime Day".http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/maritime-day-2008_en.html


text:
Ben 10 is on the football field with Cannonball alien. He is going to destroy his enemies by rolling and hitting them as fast as he can. To complete the game levels successfully, what you need to do is, to hit the targets and destroy all of them. Make sure there is no target left on the field.
Game controls:
Use "MOUSE" and "LEFT-CLICK" to aim and shoot.
Good luck!


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Twin Lakes Chiropractic Clinic now offers Massage Therapy Services by our *Licensed Massage Therapist, Christopher Kelley*
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a major artist makes a move that goes against the music industry's trend-from label deals to management changes to album release methods (a la Beyoncé last year)-people tend to sit up and take notice. When that move involves two of the biggest topics in the music industry-Taylor Swift and music streaming-you can bet that everyone is talking about it.
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was born in Dumbarton, Scotland. It was what was called a breech birth... which often means butt first... which was probably exceedingly difficult for my mother and may have been indicative of a bad attitude on my part. I was there, but I don't remember.
My parents had what was called a mixed marriage, which made life difficult. And there was little work in Scotland in those years. We moved to Canada on a boat, the QE2, when I was very young and after some years in Hamilton, the family moved to Baltimore, where I had my primary and secondary education. I loved art class and was asked to leave the school choir. I played
acoustic guitar
in a band with some friends; I think Ricky Brewster was the singer. At a high school battle of the bands, a rival band pulled the plug on us. We lost the contest.
Now I've made a record that just has my name on it but is also the result of the contributions of many other people. I suspect that like me it is asking what are we like, what do we want, and what are we looking for.-David Byrne
Every ticket purchased online for David Byrne includes a CD of the new album American Utopia, released on 3/9/18.
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Michele Lundeen
, dubbed the "QUEEN OF STEAM" for her stirring vocals and electrifying stage presence, does indeed command attention. Often described as "Janis Joplin meets Bonnie Raitt" (or think Lydia Pense, Bonnie Bramlett, Bette Midler, Etta James, Aretha Franklin!), Michele is a powerful, soulful vocalist with an incomparable style all her own.She and her band effortlessly blend classic roadhouse rhythm & blues, jump swing, Memphis groove, sultry jazz and funky soul into a satisfying musical stew. An established, popular and respected veteran of the club, concert and festival circuit in both Northern Nevada and Southern California, Michele has shared stages with dozens of nationally known blues and roots artists from John Lee Hooker to Elvin Bishop and Savoy Brown to Queen Ida while gaining a reputation as a talented headliner in her own right.
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Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
are an English electronic music band formed in Wirral, Merseyside in 1978. Spawned by earlier group The Id, the outfit is composed of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals,
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are one of Australia's greatest musical success stories and exports. The foursome which features brothers Andrew and Michael Tierney together with high school friends Toby Allen and Phil Burton have sold more than 2.5 million albums, earned 27 platinum awards, 17 top 40 hits and five top 10 hits worldwide. They have performed sell out shows around the globe since they signed with Sony Music Australia over two decades ago, a partnership that continues today. Since arriving in Las Vegas in 2009 to commence an unprecedented residency for an Australian act, the pop-vocal group has garnered international critical acclaim.
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Rush documentary scores with Tribeca audiences
Is Rush making a comeback? Fans of the Canadian progressive rockers will argue the band never really went away. But a larger audience is tapping into the writers of "Spirit of the Radio" and "Limelight" thanks to a new documentary, "Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage," which took home the 2010 Heineken Audience Award at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, according to Reuters.
Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn's Canadian feature received the $25,000 award at the TFF wrap party.
"The best documentary films are just great stories with characters who jump off the screen, and that is certainly the case with 'Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage,'" said TFF executive director Nancy Schafer.
The film details the band's 42-year history, and features interviews with noted Rush fanatics like Gene Simmons, Billy Corgan and Jack Black.
"Receiving the Heineken Audience Award at Tribeca means a lot to us as Rush has always been a band of the people," said directors McFadyen and Dunn. "It was great to see Rush fans and non-fans enjoy the movie together."


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Brutal Fest takes place twice a year (originally it was done only in February, but because it has been so successful, it was done again in August this year) and is the most important international metal music festival in Cuba. It consists in a 10-day tour of Cuba with both Cuban and 6-7 international bands. Organized by the French Brutal Beatdown Record Label in association with the Agencia Cubana de Rock (Cuban Rock Agency) and the Instituto Cubano de la Música (Cuban Institute of Music), this year's festival included Cuban bands Combat Noise, Dead Point, Estigma DC, Mephisto, Switch, Metastasys and Tendencia, plus Mortuary, Cowards and S-Core from France, Splattered Mermaids from Sweden, Severe from Belgium, and Dezaztre Natural from Chile.
The festival traveled to six other cities (Santa Clara, Holguín, Camagüey, Pinar del Río, Bayamo and Sancti Spíritus) besides Havana, which was very much appreciated by fans everywhere.
Since 2012, Tattoo's Party runs parallel to Brutal Fest and is held at Maxim Rock in Havana, headquarters of the Cuban Rock Agency and Brutal Fest. This tattoo convention and contest is organized by Brutal Beatdown Recs, Toy Store Producciones and the Cuban Rock Agency and has been gaining in popularity ever since.
The event was organized by the French Brutal Beatdown Record Label with the collaboration of the Cuban Rock Agency and the Cuban Institute of Music. It was also sponsored by the Institute Français, the French Embassy in Cuba, Havana Club Internacional, Cuba Autrement and Los Portales.
Back in May 2008, an unprecedented event in the history of rock in Cuba took place: the Salon Rosado de La Tropical was taken over by a dozen national metal bands to promote the launching of the compilation "Not Salsa, Just Brutal Music," by the French label Brutal Beatdown Records. The concert turned into a veritable fiesta and was forever dubbed "Brutal Fest." This first spring event was followed by two other Brutal Fests in autumn and winter.
Phone: (+53) 5 270 8437
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Web site: www.brutalbeatdown.com


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If you're a writer, the d-word plagues you daily.
Is your writing good enough? Is your writing ever going to be good enough?
Writing confidently is more than just feeling good about the thoughts that exit your brain and form neatly arranged words in a document.
To remove doubt, old-fashioned TLC has to be an integral part of your artistic lifestyle.
Here are 12 editing solutions that help you care for yourself and your writing.
Hug Your Ideas
1. Express yourself creatively.
If complete sentences stifle your ideas, use bullet points, charts, or pictures for your first draft. Nurture your ideas rather than worry about making them sound good for someone else.
2. Keep writing.
Fully develop your ideas before you edit. Don't delete anything until it's time to revise your content.
3. Warm up with a tangent.
Expand on a tangent that you're passionate about but you know you won't use in your final draft. Writing can become effortless when you focus on something that's on your mind, as if you're talking to a friend. Afterward, you'll more naturally communicate your actual topic.
4. Break it down.
Pay attention to one underdeveloped area of your content. That's your only writing task for that day. Forget about everything else.
Hug Your Writing
5. Forget you.
Proofread slowly to confirm that your concepts are easy to comprehend. Does your message make sense to someone else?
6. Highlight all punctuation.
Those pretty symbols help guide your reader. Are commas, dashes, and semicolons used correctly? Did you write "it's" instead of "its"?
7. Change the font.
When you are ready to edit, review your text in a different font (and perhaps even a different size) to get a fresh perspective.
8. Print it out.
Inconsistencies, abrupt transitions, and repetitive text are just a few types of writing weaknesses that become obvious when proofreading a printed document.
Hug Yourself
9. Eat.
When was the last time you had something nutritious to eat or a drink of water? Give your body fuel and your writing worries won't seem as daunting.
10. Rest.
Stay healthy to make your job easier. The perfect phrases will inevitably appear. You can't force or rush the process.
11. Watch.
Your eyes are probably tired of looking at words, but who doesn't love mindless TV or YouTube clips? View something enjoyable and inspirational before you fix a messy section of your text.
12. Move.
If you're fed up with your writing, stop. Let go of the clenched fists and furrowed brow. Find peace elsewhere. You can walk down the street, head to the gym, or simply stand in the shower. Sometimes the best thing that you can do for your writing is leave it alone.
Stefanie Flaxman created Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services with your editing needs in mind. Follow @RevisionFairy and take a free copy of Your Ultimate Online Proofreading Guide for Better Writing.


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Suzuki DR650SE
Adventure bikes continue to be popular these days. And while the larger-displacement twins have garnered most of the attention, you shouldn't overlook the attributes of a lower-priced single-cylinder thumper like the DR650SE. This long-running dual-sport model can take on trails and fire roads, while also providing sure-footed stability on the street and highway. Its spacious riding position, comfortable saddle, and fuel-efficient counterbalanced engine effectively extend its range of use. And if you find the DR to be a bit tall, it can be lowered 1.6 inches with dealer-supplied suspension modifications.
Price: $6499
Engine type: sohc single
Displacement: 644cc
Carburetion: 40mm Mikuni
Transmission speeds: 5
Final drive: chain
Front brake: disc
Rear brake: disc
Wheelbase: 58.7 in.
Seat height: 34.8 in.
Fuel capacity: 3.4 gal.
Claimed curb weight: 366 lb.


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"You don't have to reinvent the wheel, Michelle"
As some of you may know, my reporting beat at Medill right now is medical research. One of my recent struggles has been fulfilling my class' requirements for taking pictures, which is tough to do when dealing with large Chicago hospitals. Perseverance can get you to speak to the chief of surgery, but it's very hard to get in the door to take a photo. As I commented to one of my professors that I meant to do a diagram to make up for this, but instead had merely found a picture of an x-ray that showed the device I was writing about, the professor told me, "You don't have to reinvent the wheel, Michelle."
Good point. It doesn't make me want to do less with diagrams, but if another piece of media can do a better job than original content could, why push it? I thought this reflects nicely on the fact that while user-generated content can bring interesting perspectives to the news, that doesn't mean there aren't some things still best left to journalists operating in the traditional way.
Twitter can be great for getting the pulse of what people think about the issue, but that's in the Twitterverse (I need a better word than that). Journalists don't have to reinvent stopping people on the street asking for their thoughts.
It's a calming, but scary, thought. Take it too far, and there will be no reinvention of journalism, and obviously the status quo is not without fault.
But for someone who errs on the side of a hyperactive overzealous obsession for journalism (it's a good thing, really!), maybe once in a while it's time to relax and use what is already out there.
Oh, and my solution to the picture issue – find medical research at smaller labs. It's working out well so far, but I'll keep you posted.


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President Obama has nominated the director of a Washington investment firm to lead the Federal Communications Commission as its chairman, and has appointed a sitting FCC commissioner to lead the agency as acting chair until a permanent chair assumes the post.
On May 1, Obama nominated Tom Wheeler, the managing director of Core Capital Partners and the head of the FCC panel that advises on technology issues, to lead the FCC as its chairman. If confirmed, Wheeler will replace current Chairman Julius Genachowski, who assumed the post in 2009 and who, in March, announced he was leaving.
In addition, Obama designated Mignon Clyburn, who has been serving as a commissioner since Aug. 3, 2009, to be the acting chairwoman of the FCC—the first woman to head the commission—when Genachowski leaves in mid-May.
Wheeler "has been at the forefront of some of the very dramatic changes that we've seen in the way we communicate and how we live our lives," Obama said.
"He was one of the leaders of a company that helped create thousands of good, high-tech jobs," Obama said. "He's in charge of the group that advises the FCC on the latest technology issues. He's helped give American consumers more choices and better products."
As technology continues to shape the way that we do business and communicate and transform the world, Wheeler will help the FCC fulfill the very important mission of "giving businesses and workers the tools they need to compete in the 21st century economy," the president said. Wheeler will also ensure "we're staying at the cutting edge of an industry that again and again we've revolutionized here in America."
Genachowski praised Obama for nominating Wheeler and appointing Clyburn. "These are excellent selections, and I commend the president," he said.
Wheeler has been chairman of the FCC's Technological Advisory Council since 2010, and "under his leadership the TAC has made strong contributions to the FCC's work, including on unleashing spectrum for mobile, removing barriers to private investment, and strengthening our cyber security," Genachowski said.
"The FCC's role has never been more essential, and with Tom's deep policy expertise and his first-hand experience as a technology investor, he is a superb choice to advance the FCC's mission of promoting innovation, investment, competition, and consumer protection," Genachowski said.
In addition, Genachowski said Clyburn "is a strong, experienced and thoughtful leader" who has worked to modernize universal service and promote competition. Clyburn has been "a champion for closing America's digital divide," and she will "distinguish herself as the first woman to lead the FCC. I congratulate my friend and colleague on this honor."
Obama Names Nominee to Head FCC, Appoints Acting Chair
Nominee Tom Wheeler heads an investment firm and the FCC panel that advises on technology issues
President Obama has nominated the director of a Washington investment firm to lead the Federal Communications Commission as its chairman, and has appointed a sitting FCC commissioner to lead the agency as acting chair until a permanent chair assumes the post.


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Tag Archives: storytelling
Art on a Mission
I'm late to the game on this post, but I'm excited to share about an opportunity I had in August! I was so honored to have my Floral Gathering story shared in the bulletin and online with Saddleback Church as … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged A Floral Gathering, Altea, Art, Artists, Berlin, church, community, creativity, Europe, Ex Creatis, floral, Florally Yours, flowers, gathering, global, Isaiah 62:3, Missions, PEACE, peaceplan, Saddleback Berlin, Saddleback Church, story, storytelling, summer, workshop Leave a comment
Stories are important. Even as a child, it was stories that cultivated the person I am today. They caused me to believe in hope, adventure, beauty, and impossible things made possible. They helped me to understand hurt, pain, disappointment, and … Continue reading


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Blood donors receive BOGO T-shirt for free pie
Blood donors are used to receiving a T-shirt when they donate, but now the T-shirt will serve another purpose. Blood donors will become a walking coupon when they dine-in at any Bill Miller restaurant wearing the BOGO T-shirt.
The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, a subsidiary of BioBridge Global, has partnered with Bill Miller to thank blood donors again, as all presenting donors in February and March will receive a T-shirt that entitles them to a free slice of pie with the purchase of a combo meal.
The recent icy weather in January, as well as a drop in donations because of the flu, have affected the community blood supply dramatically. STBTC hopes the continued partnership will further encourage volunteers to donate blood, especially now, when blood donors are vitally needed to ensure a stable blood supply for patients and hospitals in San Antonio and neighboring communities.
"This continued partnership is a wonderful way to express our thanks to our volunteer donors," said Elizabeth Waltman, COO of the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center. "We need approximately 400 units of blood a day to ensure our community has an adequate blood supply. Unfortunately, in the month of January we collected 20 percent less than what is needed for a reliable, community blood supply.
"Between weather-related challenges and flu season, we faced a lot of hurdles," she added. "I feel confident the community will rally behind us and continue supporting community hospitals with their blood donations."
Not a T-shirt fan? Not a problem. Blood donors will receive a coupon for the same thank-you gift if they elect not to take a T-shirt.
Those interested in scheduling a donation may visit SouthTexasBlood.org to find a mobile drive convenient to them. They also can visit one of seven donor rooms in San Antonio, New Braunfels or call 210-731-5590 for more information.
Donors must present identification. Anyone who is 16 years old and weighs at least 120 pounds (with parental consent form), or 17 years old and above and weighs at least 110 pounds and is in good general health may donate blood. All donors receive refreshments, a wellness check and are encouraged to eat well before and after donation. Learn more about blood donation at www.SouthTexasBlood.org.


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In today's competitive, fast-paced Navy environment, tending to your own basic needs can sometimes take a backseat to getting the job done and getting ahead. Reactions to stress can take various forms, and when left unchecked or unacknowledged, they can take a toll on emotional and physical health. This is something that one Sailor attached to aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) learned firsthand. Senior Chief Terrish Bilbrey, Operations Department Leading Chief Petty Officer, recently shared how one self-care practice helped her make positive changes in her life and pay it forward.
"I came into the Navy with this really badass attitude" Bilbrey said in a related John C. Stennis (CVN 74) blog post. She served 10 straight years of sea duty, during which time her career flourished. She was selected for Sailor of the Quarter twice in one year, as well as Pacific Fleet Sailor of the Year. She advanced to chief on her first try. Yet difficulties in Bilbrey's personal life, in combination with a childhood that led her to seek achievements to validate her self-worth, began weighing on her. Without an outlet, the stress and her need to succeed began to lead her to make destructive decisions.
After some lows, Bilbrey described what led to a turning point in her life: yoga. Though she already led an active lifestyle, she turned to this self-care practice to help her regroup, decompress, and self-reflect. "I started to realize that I would have these sensations of forgiveness and I would start to let go of some feelings and anger and all of those things that I held inside," she shared. Bilbrey learned to view challenges as inspiration, asking herself what she can learn from them rather than allowing the presence of challenges to negatively influence her.
Eventually, Senior Chief Bilbrey went on to pursue her yoga teaching certificate while stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to share with her shipmates all of the positive impacts that the practice continues to have on her life. She currently teaches yoga classes to her Stennis shipmates with a goal of helping them understand that they are perfect the way they are. "I don't want anyone else to feel that they are not worthy because that is the way I felt for 30 years of my life," Bilbrey says. Yoga has brought Bilbrey a new sense of clarity and purpose for her own life. Beyond her current teaching, she hopes to build upon what she's started by helping others realize their potential through mindfulness and lifestyle changes.
Good self-care can be challenging to adopt or maintain, often due to demands on time, energy or putting others needs before your own. As this New Year begins, find an accessible personal practice that you can work into your routine to help you recharge both physically and emotionally. Whether it be yoga, running, journaling, or connecting with spirituality, your commitment to yourself not only benefits you—it enables you to be there for others, stay present during challenges and stay mission-ready. Bilbrey chose yoga, and now she believes that "we have the ability to design our life, the ability to take whatever it is you dream of… and make anything happen in your life."


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Skin pigmentation is a common thing people face as they live and age. Pigmentation can take on many different forms, but some forms of pigmentation are abnormal and considered unsightly. There are many different ways to treat pigmentation (see Shakura options), but this requires identifying what kind of pigmentation has occurred. The earlier pigmentation can be identified, the earlier some kind of treatment can begin, and this will usually provide better results in the long-term. The following are some of the signs of pigmentation that might indicate a need for treatment.
❈❈❈ Basic Signs
The first sign is, obviously, dark splotches or patches of skin that do not match the rest of the skin tone. This can come in multiple forms. The simplest will appear brown or red. This can occur in a small area, or over your entire body at a time. This needs to be carefully distinguished from simple tanning caused by sun exposure. What to look out for is a consistent discoloration of skin that deviates from your normal tone and persists even well-after sun exposure has ceased.
❋❋❋ Environmental Indicators
Somewhat less obviously is intense freckling or skin sensitivity. Some individuals are prone to greater freckling in the sun, often after suffering a sunburn. This indicates that pigmentation occurs in very high levels. It does not necessarily imply a disorder, but individuals concerned about their skin pigment may wish to contact a medical professional at this stage to look into treatment. While it does not necessarily constitute anything unusual on its own, it could imply a tendency for other pigmentation issues.
✿✿✿ Other Indicators
Pigmentation disorders can also be indicated by a paler patch of skin. A lack of pigmentation, also called depigmentation, is generally referred to as vitiligo. This is a sure sign that a pigmentation abnormality is occurring. Much like other pigmentation disorders, this can be indicated by patches of paler skin, or by the entire body growing more pale over time. This also warrants contacting a medical professional to investigate if it concerns you.
These are just the basic signs of pigmentation. This is not medical advice, and they do not constitute conclusive evidence of some kind of medical disorder. However, from a cosmetic standpoint, these are signs that you may wish to investigate your skin tone further for possible pigmentation disorders. Treatment is possible, and catching pigmentation issues early will give you more options to deal with them and restore your natural skin tone.


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Dodgers Hot Stove Primer… Where They Stand Now
The off season is both wonderful and horrendous at the same time. For a geek like me, it's wonderful to play armchair GM and wonder what moves will be made to improve the Dodgers roster from the previous season. The downside of course is we count the days to opening day, which at this time are well over 100.
I thought I would put together a long form take on the Hot Stove since twitter is never enough to get points across. Besides the character limitations, you inevitably have mass confusion over what seem like obvious points as you (I) type them. So, for fun and something to do, here are some opinions and thoughts on the current state of Dodger affairs. Agree, disagree, comment, dismiss – totally up to you. And on with the show…
I talk to close friends about the Dodgers, people I have discussed baseball with all too many times over all too many years. I used the term geek earlier, and it is just that. If you're reading this, you're probably a geek too. Maybe a younger geek – a sort of geek in the making – or an older geek. Geeks are cool now, as you know. As a kid, geekiness got you punched, shoved, or mocked. Now? Geekiness is a cool trait and not only reserved for the eyeglass wearing or ugly crowd. I sort of liked it better when being a geek meant something and wasn't appropriated by the beautiful people, but that's another story. I digress…
So in my deep and prolonged conversations about baseball and the Dodgers with my peer group, I generally sense a consensus in opinions. The interesting thing about twitter, and the world at large, is that any opinion not completely mainstream and reported by baseball writers, is immediately dismissed or met with hostility. How dare you say that?! How dare you have a thought that isn't identical to everyone else's?! Never mind that in my years of following baseball and the Dodgers all too closely, my strange ramblings are usually more close to the truth than not, how dare I spew my opinions as if I were on Fox News?!
This will blow the minds of those who are younger or just casual fans who are married to loyalty and perhaps want to sleep with specific players… but the Dodgers current collection of well-paid superstars is an imperfect lot. In fact, in many cases, it would be better for the Dodgers' long-term health if some of these superstars were traded and a more cohesive group of well-rounded players brought in. I will break this down, with reasons for my thinking, but I know some have been set off already. My advice? Put down the mouse, take a break; wash your hair, eat some spaghetti, and reconvene when you're less emotional. If you think you're not over emotional now, be forewarned I will discuss how I'd consider trading many of your favorite Dodgers, if I were GM, including Clayton Kershaw.
Quick – get the smelling salts; we've lost some of the readers.
There is a plus side and negative side to all of this; this being the Dodgers current roster in particular. In a nutshell, the plus side is the Dodgers have a lot of talent on the team, young and old, inexpensive and expensive. The team came within a Don Mattingly and malicious bean ball of playing in the World Series. Some of the walking wounded from this season could very well be healthier in 2014; therefore the outlook may be very bright.
On the negative side the team is a collection of expensive parts, and although payroll is over $200 million, there are many question marks. The question marks come mostly in the form of injuries and uncertainty as while this past spring all the talk was of 8 Dodgers starting pitchers and what could the team do with all of these arms, only to see Stephen Fife, Matt Magill and others rushed into the picture when the 8 became just a few, there are similar issues with the "depth" in the outfield. We saw a preview of that in 2013 as Matt Kemp has gone from a monster power/speed threat to a thin, anemic constantly injured pretty boy whose comings and goings from the DL and line-up were more a distraction to the team than help.
To assume Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, as well as Carl Crawford for that matter, are locks to be healthy in 2014 is foolish and overly optimistic. Matt Kemp is an enigma that I can't speak too openly about without fear of lawsuits, but suffice it to say he's not himself anymore. Whatever has happened to his body – aging rapidly the past 2 years while Big Papi in Boston, much older, seems better than he did 10 years ago – the facts are the facts. Kemp has issues with his several times operated on shoulder, his string cheese like hamstrings and his ankle, which underwent another surgery recently. Kemp is rehabbing in Arizona (he's been rehabbing for most of 2 seasons now) and last I heard was out of a power scooter and in a walking boot. The ankle is a mess, and don't forget the shoulder, which also was operated on again. The very best case scenario for Kemp is that he begins the season on the DL and gets healthy to contribute in 2014; something he didn't do in 2013. But if you believe he'll be the Matt Kemp he was in 2011, you're fooling yourself. His days of being a dual threat (homeruns and steals) and All Star caliber CF are gone. Kemp, if he remains a Dodger at all, should be in one of the corner outfield slots to save his body wear and tear. Left field would be good, DH would be ideal. Kemp in Seattle or Texas would make sense all around. What?! Trade the hottie with the beautiful eyes and well sculpted facial hair? I told you you'd be unhappy reading this.
To keep this orderly, let me break down the various positions and attack the issues that way. This is quite complex, so bear with me. I'm sure Stan Kasten and his team is having much the same discussion as I'm outlining here. If they're not, they're not very bright. Here we go…
First Base –
The Dodgers, in my humble opinion, lost for a variety of reasons in 2013. You've heard many of my thoughts, but to recap, here are just a few… blatant disregard by Kasten to the bullpen. Teams win or lose ball games due to the pen and the Dodgers was woeful until Kasten finally got the message, moved Brandon League out of the closer's spot, moved in Kenley Jansen, jettisoned some guys, called up others, added Brian Wilson, etc., etc. People point to Yasiel Puig's arrival as the Dodgers spark, and he was in part, but the bullpen being addressed is at the top of the list of reasons the team's fortunes changed in June. Other reasons the Dodgers lost in 2013 include Don Mattingly's simplistic ways of managing and shitty lineups. Obviously Kasten had input into the post-season line-ups, because except for Game 2 vs. the Cardinals when Mattingly fielded several subs and conceded the game before it was even played, the line-up was much nearer to what it should have been all season long. So many games were lost due to fielding teams of aging one-dimensional subs, batting Puig at the top of the order so his power was wasted, and continuing to plug Kemp and Ethier into the middle of the line-up even though it was obvious they shouldn't be there as neither was hitting. I'd also add the team's non-existent sense of urgency early on, which also is tied to Mattingly. Sorry, but losing game after game in April and May is as important as losing games in August and September. ANY baseball season generally comes down to a handful of games meaning a difference between a playoff spot, home field advantage, and an early winter vacation. The Dodgers' free-falling in 2012 and 2013 cost them the seasons. You need urgency every day. While that sounds impossible to sustain for a 6 month MLB season, there needs to be at least a fundamental understanding that all the games matter. The critiques I just noted of Kasten and Mattingly alone cost the Dodgers home field in the playoffs, which as it turns out, did matter.
All this said, I will look first at Adrian Gonzalez and first base. I think A-Gone had a very solid season, as most of you know, and is a fine first baseman that the Dodgers can look at as an anchor. He is no longer the 40+ homer guy he was, but he's sort of like a turbo version of Eric Karros. Rather than .260, he hits .300 and is consistent with homeruns and RBI. He plays a good first base, is well liked, is passionate and doesn't create drama. He goes about his business in a very professional manner and can carry the team on his back at times. He can play first base for my team any day. First base is not an area of concern for the Dodgers. A-Gone is what the Dodgers need more of – fundamentally sound baseball players.
Second Base –
Second was the position of Mark Ellis, who could come back, but likely has been "upgraded" with Alexander Guerrero, the Cuban import who talked about signing, or did sign, several times before he and his agent Scott Boras actually did. Anyone in bed with Boras immediately gets the hairs on the back of my neck rising. To me it intimates a concern for money more than winning baseball games or getting a uniform dirty. I get that players need to get the most they can because after all, the owners and league are making a fortune, but to most fans, and geeks, trying to extract every single penny, often at the expense of things like integrity and good god – loyalty – are a bit stomach turning.
That said, Guerrero, if his YouTube clips are any indication, may be a steal. I'm certainly happy the Dodgers are back in the international signing business. In years past, under insightful GM Dan Evans in particular, the Dodgers used the international marketplace as a boost to the system. When you sign players internationally you don't give up draft picks or talent you'd otherwise need to trade, you just pay money. The Dodgers, as it turns out, have plenty of that these days. So fortifying a thin-ish farm system with international, major league ready players is highly intelligent. Guerrero, from what you read, is going to be a good one. Ultimately, I trust Evans' hire Logan White. If Logan White says a player is worth signing, he's worth signing. End of discussion.
No one knows what Guerrero brings to the table, or ultimately if his long-term home is shortstop or even third base. Assuming he's the Dodgers everyday second baseman though – and that's what Ned Colletti said yesterday on MLB Network Radio – likely the Dodgers have a plus talent at second and didn't overpay for Jay Z's poor man's Michael Jordan, Robinson Cano.
It will be good to learn more about Guerrero to see what we have. I know very much what we had in Ellis, an A-Gone like pro's pro who fielded his position well, hit in the clutch, and was smart. Ellis – both he and AJ actually – are like having additional coaches on the field. On a team of prima donnas and superstars, I always took solace in knowing our Ellis boys were playing the game the right way every day.
My hope is that Guerrero fields well, hits the 20 homers he's thought to be able to jack, and we're in good shape here as well. But in honesty, no one knows what we have and won't probably until March. In the meantime, pay close attention to the Dominican winter stats.
Shortstop –
Hanley Ramirez is the most dynamic player on the Dodgers. Puig is insane and plays like Raul Mondesi, but Hanley's the scary bat in the line-up that pitchers do not want to face. When Hanley was playing, the Dodgers were very good. When Hanley wasn't, the Dodgers lost. That became especially evident in the post-season, when Joe Kelly "accidentally" cracked Hanley's rib in his first at bat of the NLCS and the Dodgers were done.
Hanley is up there with Manny in his first year and Sheffield and Piazza in terms of Dodgers offensive explosiveness. Hanley can single-handedly change games because he's that good. That said, he's one of the biggest problems on the roster due to his shaky defense, brittle health and insistence he's a major league shortstop.
The Dodgers must soon decide what the plan is with Hanley. Will they give him a big deal and let him play short for the foreseeable future? Will they give him a big deal and ask him to move to third base, with Corey Seager, or someone else, playing shortstop? Will they trade him – perhaps to an AL team where he can become baseball's best DH and stay healthy doing so? This is the first position I'm addressing where we more or less know we have a flawed player in the line-up.
Hanley is beloved due to his hitting and "I See You" monkey business that seems funnier the more beers you drink. Taking emotion out of the equation, and not dismissing the great things Hanley has done for the Dodgers since coming over from Florida in one of Ned's best moves as GM, Hanley seems to me a player that is not well suited for a long-term NL career.
I think if you look at teams that win you see characteristics not overly in abundance on the Dodgers roster. Things I look for and see usually when tuning in to post-season games is heart, grit, fundamentals, consistency, health and high baseball IQ. Now Hanley, I'm the first to admit, is perfectly acceptable playing shortstop for the Dodgers because his offensive output is so off the charts. But even if you're willing to swap offense for defense, you have to be concerned with what playing shortstop appears to be doing to Hanley. Outside of a very mediocre fielder at a crucial position on a team supposedly built around pitching (and therefore an emphasis should be made for defense), you have a guy who gets hurt and therefore can't help at all if he's not out there the majority of the games the team plays.
Can Hanley stay healthy? Sure, probably. Can he hit enough to off-set his defensive shortcomings? I think so. But is a discussion at least worthwhile when thinking of what to do with Hanley as his big payday looms, Seager's arrival near, and perhaps other options such as moving Hanley to third or dealing him and playing someone else at short? I think it's an interesting question and one Kasten and team have to be thinking about. Do you move your best hitter in order to get fundamentally better in the infield? Do you move an explosive bat that perhaps should be playing in the other league rather than on your team? Can you move someone the LA fans love as much as they do Hanley? Quite a pickle.
Third Base –
Going into 2013 I stated many times I had a feeling that Juan Uribe would bounce back, perhaps due to Mark McGwire making him a pet project. I also felt that while my hunch was he'd wake up out of a 2-year coma, he was also the person best suited to play third for the Dodgers. As bad as Uribe was his first 2 seasons in blue, he never bitched. He was professional and fielded well. Was he worth the $20 million plus he was being paid? No. But his salary was more an issue when the team had no money than it was once Guggenheim came in. In truth, if Uribe was as bad last year as he was his previous 2 seasons, they could have ate the contract and let him go. No skin off their checkbook. But as it turned out, Uribe was motivated, refocused and perhaps buoyed by thoughts of a new multi-year deal in his free-agent walk year.
Whatever the case, it took Mattingly way too long to realize Uribe should be playing third over Luis Cruz, he of the large fan following and less than mediocre MLB career. After what seemed like an eternity, Uribe finally wrestled starts away from Cruz and Kasten/Mattingly's other aging utility men (the lookalike group that included Jerry Hairston, Jr., Nick Punto, Skip Schumaker and last Michael Young). I wonder how many more games the Dodgers might have won if Uribe were playing over free-falling Cruz, for example, early in the season? Or if Uribe, once he was allowed to play, was able to bat closer to the middle of the order instead of the purgatory of the bottom of the line-up? Mattingly makes Forest Gump look like a Rhodes Scholar.
Well, 2013 is done and now the Dodgers have no third baseman again. Uribe wants another 3-year deal, which is insane but could happen in another town. Fans make fun of Uribe but the fact of the matter is he's one of the best fielders at the position league wide, and plays a position that is not deep. Will the Dodgers get Uribe to re-sign for 2 years, rather than 3? That would afford them flexibility when Seager comes up, either to play third, or short, with Hanley moving over to third. Uribe could then be a valuable utility man who is more than capable of filling in at all 4 infield positions. Not a bad idea, in my opinion.
Or does Uribe leave, on his own or Kasten deciding to go some other direction? Right now I'm not sure what the solution will be, but it's certainly a position shrouded in mystery – as third base almost always is for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Maybe Seager becomes the guy who takes the position and harkens back to if not Ron Cey, the days of Adrian Beltre? All I know is I'd love to see this mystery solved in my lifetime.
Catcher –
I was amazed when twitter users were bashing AJ Ellis after the Cardinals ran over the Dodgers. Most angry fans pointed to his passed ball and said he wasn't a good defensive catcher, and couldn't hit either. I admit the feel-good story of 2012 wasn't exactly the same in 2013, but for the most part he and Tim Federowicz shut down opponents' running games and very capably handled the pitching staff. To me, a fan of Steve Yeager, this is what catchers are paid to do. Any hitting they do is a bonus.
AJ is going to be a good manager someday – the Brad Ausmus or Mike Matheny of his generation – and I am always happy to see his name in the line-up. AJ is one of the brightest players on the field, and FedX as backup ensures no fall off with the leather or game calling. And both have the ability to hit the ball – certainly enough for me. I am completely fine with these two as the Dodgers backstop tandem and until Matt Wieter is dealt or becomes a free-agent, I don't see any reason to discuss changes behind the dish. And no, I don't think wasting money on Brian McCann would be smart. The team has enough offensive performers, and as noted, AJ hits, and often in the clutch. He did well in the post-season and while his critics point to the passed ball, I blame Kershaw as much as AJ. i.e. this position is a non-issue, like first base. Let's move on.
Outfield –
As alluded to in the beginning, the Dodgers outfield is fraught with question marks. I don't see "We have 4 outfielders for 3 spots!" being a concern. As I said, it would really surprise me if Kemp came to Camelback in February and was ready to play – and could play, and stay healthy, so the Dodgers could count on him. I just don't see it and will be the first to cheer if he can become the Kemp of 2011, or at least a mostly healthy, somewhat diminished guy who can be counted on and help lead the team. As folks know, I get on him, but hey, be honest, I'm right! 🙂
Kemp is a very talented player who didn't have a lot of baseball experience initially and therefore wasn't an especially bright player. His athleticism has always been intriguing and makes up for mental errors, especially on the base paths. His preoccupation with looking good and dating Rihanna always bothered me. I much prefer uglier players who get their uniform dirty to guys who go to awards shows in limos and wear $1500 sunglasses and gold shoes. Kemp has to win my loyalty and he can do that simply by focusing on baseball and being healthy. He seems prematurely aged. His body is as brittle as a Faberge Egg. He needs to be on the field, ready to play, able to contribute, and not hold the Dodgers and fans hostage so an outfield spot is always being held open for him when he's incapable of contributing. If he's not dealt this winter, 2014 is a huge year for Matt Kemp – one way or another.
Andre Ethier had a curious 2013. Like Kemp, offense dipped. Unlike Kemp, Ethier was the workhorse in the outfield rotation. He stayed healthy until September and while his power and RBI totals dropped, his consistent effort to make it into the line-up are praise worthy. On top of that, while no Willie Mays in the field, Ethier stepping up to man center during Kemp's absence was huge. That said, I do not want Andre Ethier in CF for the Dodgers. He's slow afoot and doesn't always take good routes, so he's not a plus player in that position. Manning one of the corners? Sure. He's capable, I imagine, of rebounding from a mostly so-so offensive campaign. He's shown in the past that he can hit 18 or so homers and drive in 80. I do think that if he's with the Dodgers when they head to Arizona in the spring, he should be platooned, at least against tough lefties. I'd much prefer Scott Van Slyke facing such pitchers than Ethier.
Will Ethier be here? I would guess someone, perhaps two someones, will be moved. Ethier has a more digestible contract for a team like say the Mets, than Kemp. Also, Ethier, with ankle/leg injury probably healed (Kemp, Hanley, Ethier – all injury concerns, notice a pattern?) is worth more than Kemp due to health and the added versatility playing CF has delivered to his resume. I can see the Dodgers eating some of his contract and moving Ethier, but for whom? Also, what if Kemp is indeed unable to make the bell? Do you feel comfortable with Crawford, Puig and…?
Carl Crawford was like pre PED scandal Bonds while playing in Tampa Bay. Going to Boston was always a poor idea, and then injuries made sure to derail any happiness in Beantown. The Dodgers took a major risk in accepting Crawford's massive contract, but it was something they appear to have taken on mostly to get A-Gone into the picture, and buy years for the then-sagging farm with a stockpile of proven stars. Crawford had moments last year, but rushing back from Tommy John surgery and having a weak throwing arm, in addition to other ailments and Mattingly's lack of understanding where to bat the former superstar, made for a sort of meh season. He did show signs of life in the post-season however so there's reason to be optimistic.
That said, will the Dodgers believe the Crawford who hit in October and can likely be a more middle of the order presence than a lead-off man can be counted on in 2014? Or, will they move him, as well or instead of Ethier, to get out from under a question mark and go in another direction? Personally, I would move Kemp or Ethier before Crawford, even though I know Crawford is often injured and threw like Brett Butler or Juan Pierre last season. Why? Because Crawford showed in October that he's capable of being a potent offensive weapon and because I think he's only going to get healthier, another year removed from his elbow surgery. Will he steal bases and hit for power like he did? I'd guess not. But if he can be somewhere between the guy he was and the guy we saw in 2013, he'd be a nice piece of the pie. I honestly have no idea whether Kasten will keep Crawford, or any of the outfielders really, but I'm on CC's side. I just hope Mattingly listens to Kevin Kennedy more, as the Skipper has a better understanding of how to utilize him. Hint – bat him anywhere from third to sixth.
The explosive and well marketed Cuban spitfire called Yasiel Puig is the most exciting player in LA not named after Japanese beef. Puigmania caught on during spring training and became a national outrage from June on. He's the prototypical guy you love when he's on your team, and hate when he's not. Safe and stodgy white baseball writers had it in for the flashy and unconventional Puig from day one. Puig's youthful enthusiasm and cockiness upset baseball's delicate status quo. In the post-season the Cardinals "classy" fans (all white mid-Western Tea Party types) vilified Puig. How dare he stop to admire a homerun that turned out not to be a homerun? Ultimately, who does that potentially hurt but the Dodgers? The Cardinals dummy fans should have applauded Puig for that? After all, if not for his crazy foot speed, Puig might have only made it to second base, or even have been thrown out. Regardless, Puig can electrify and frustrate at any given moment. Is he my kind of player? No. I prefer more humble players, or at least smarter ones. Puig doesn't strike me as a deep thinker. But is there room for a wild youngster who can take control of a game at any time – whether he's on offense or defense? You bet. Are the Dodgers better with Puig in the line-up any given day? I'm not sure.
I think of the 4 outfielders, logic states that Puig is the most guaranteed to be out there come April. He's young, he's healthy (well, for now – eventually he's going to get himself hurt the way he plays) and he's capable of solid numbers, if not batting lead-off. Dumb Mattingly. Would it completely surprise me if at some point Puig was moved? For Stanton or something else? No. Would it shock me if Puig fizzled out prematurely like Raul Mondesi did? Not at all. Could he learn to control himself a bit, learn from mistakes, and become one of the top offensive players in baseball? Yes!
No one knows what the Dodgers have for sure in Puig, but since (like Guerrero) this international signing was below market value of signing say a more known MLB free-agent, he's a risk very much worth taking. As long as the Dodgers do not have to count on Puig to lead statistically or as a leader, and surround him with proven offensive players, Puig is fine. He's exciting, fun, energetic, and everything paying fans want to see. The Dodgers will probably hang onto Puig, because he's done nothing to make them need to move him. But I think if the Kasten could turn Puig into a smarter, more consistent player with as much potential offensive production, I think he would consider it.
In essence, anything can happen with the Dodgers outfield – from Crawford, Ethier and Puig playing again, to top prospect Joc Pederson getting a shot, to a trade or two and an outside outfielder being brought in. This is the most fascinating drama to watch this off-season.
Bench –
As I groaned about – the Dodgers bench sucked in 2013. Kasten went with too many identical parts, probably to placate Mattingly who likes "proven guys". His proven guys were as uninspiring as one might think, with occasional moments from FedX, Punto and Schumaker – the latter two guys already signed in other cities. It annoyed the shit out of me that Mattingly thought so little of Van Slyke, who lost weight over the off-season and came in very focused to resurrect his career. He hit for power when many couldn't and while he made the post-season roster (thanks to Kasten, I imagine), Mattingly never used him. He preferred to go with his aging pop gun middle infielders when a ball needed to be driven to the outfield, and in Game 2 vs. the Cardinals when both Hanley and Ethier were out and the team was left with a severe power void. Van Slyke's contribution was his standoff in Game 6's pre-game that many, especially the Dodgers, thought hilarious. To me it was losing the game before a pitch was thrown as it showed the Dodgers were more interested in shenanigans in this elimination game than kicking the Cardinals asses.
Obviously there will be a major facelift to the bench for 2014. I have no idea what that may entail, nor does anyone. All I would say is they need to do a better job of doing the obvious – getting as many variables into a small number of roster spots as possible. This includes power, speed, defense, etc. The 2013 team was a cloned collection of guys that did none of that. The only thing the group of senior citizen middle infielders could do was play multiple positions. I see the value in that, but realistically you can have 1 or 2 of those types of guys, not 4-5. Cruz, Hairston, Schumaker, Punto, Young… uggh.
Rotation –
Last season's "8 starters" thing was a joke. Fans actually believed that line and were surprised when Chad Billingsley and his tattered elbow hit the DL for Tommy John surgery and Ted Lilly's shoulder couldn't respond. The same folks are now counting on Billingsley to return and contribute in his walk season and suddenly heartless Josh Beckett to bounce back. Newsflash – it isn't happening. IF… a big if… either helps at all in 2014, that's a nice story, but Kasten isn't about to hold spots for either guy. The Dodgers will fortify the rotation and not leave question marks for feel-good rebound stories. If either guy gets healthy, it will be a nice problem and offer depth for mid-season trades, or perhaps some bullpen help. Neither guy will be penciled in as one of the Dodgers five starting pitchers when opening day comes.
While there's talk of who the Dodgers add – David Price, Masahiro Tanaka, etc. – the number one concern for the Dodgers' rotation should be what happens with Clayton Kershaw. News leaked that the Dodgers apparently offered their ace a "lifetime contract" – 15 years, reportedly – at around $300 million. Kershaw apparently got spooked, either by the years, the money, uncertainty where he might want to be as he gets older, lack of freedom should he sign such a deal, the chance that $300 million becomes chump change down the road as he's tied up for so long, or some combination of such things. It's hard to criticize him – that sort of deal is unheard of for a pitcher. To me, anything over 5 years is lunacy when it comes to signing pitchers, but hey, it's not my money.
One thing Kershaw needs to understand is that the Dodgers obviously want him around – and for a long time. He has to decide if he wants to be around. If it's the terms of the contract that worries him, change them. The Dodgers it would seem are ready to pretty much fill out any terms the kid wants. He'd also be foolish to leave LA, especially after the bleak McCourt years. Where is he going to go that has more money than the Dodgers? And as I tweeted out the other day – anywhere he could go also has contracts to discuss and sign. If the kid doesn't have a stomach for such years and dollar amounts, sign for fewer years, and less dollars.
If I were the GM of the Dodgers, I'd offer Kershaw a very generous 5 year deal at $30 million per season. That's a big risk for the Dodgers, as Kershaw has a lot of mileage on that 25 year old left arm, but fair given his Cy Young awards (and near misses) the last 3 seasons. LA fans love Kershaw and playing for the Dodgers, with the wherewithal to pay more than anyone, would seem to be a perfect place for him to be. The team has risen from bankruptcy and the ashes, is full of stars, appears positioned to be a frontrunner for years to come and has kids in the pipeline as well. Why would he want to be anywhere else?
I would keep the pressure on Kershaw, let him know the sincere interest in building around him for however long his next contract is, but business is business. If Kershaw hums and haws and wants to test the free-agent market, for whatever idiotic reason, then there's no room for sentimentality. The Dodgers need to sign him THIS WINTER and if that's impossible, and he doesn't want to be a Dodger, and wants to explore his options, Kasten must look to trade him. There are reasons – investing too much in a pitcher, some question of being able to win big games (like Game 6 vs. the Cardinals), etc. – that could make not signing Kershaw a good thing ultimately for the Dodgers. Especially if they got a haul of prospects they were able to add to the farm and therefore provide Kasten the ammo needed to acquire a pitcher like Price, Max Scherzer, etc., etc.
Now before you scream bloody murder, remember, don't shoot the messenger. My first choice is to sign Kershaw. But IF he's unable to name his terms, say he wants to be a Dodger, and ultimately sign a contract, hasta la vista, baby. NO player should be bigger than the team. If Kershaw feels ambivalent to playing for the Dodgers, he's made the decision himself. I believe and hope he'll come around and sign a contract with LA, but if he doesn't want to be here, the team has to be prepared to do whatever it takes to make the team a winner in the near future and down the road.
Bullpen –
I've stated my feelings on a strong bullpen. The Dodgers finally got it right in June and that was a huge part of why they went on that record winning streak. Not giving up games obviously equates to wins. The pre-June Dodgers bullpen giving up something like 17 games was beyond unacceptable. I blame Kasten for overvaluing the mediocre parts he assembled and for he and Mattingly sitting idly by as the fire burned. Imagine, if you can, some of those 17 games not being blown? That would have made the difference between home field advantage and playing on the road in October.
I think the biggest priority concerning the bullpen is to re-sign Brian Wilson. In addition to the great job he did once donning the blue, he also adds the rings and experience – not to mention swagger – the Dodgers need. I would offer him closer money to stay, and let him know he's in the closer mix, or will close on occasion when Kenley is used several days in a row. I would even consider flipping he and Kenley. This last option is usually met with panic and disdain from Dodgers fans, but recall, Kenley wasn't even the closer last year until June. Where was it written Kenley HAS to close? Wilson has done the job admirably in the World Series before and it's certainly worth at least talking about if it means the difference of him staying or leaving.
Should Wilson go for one reason or another, the Dodgers will need to find at minimum a very good setup man, as fish faced Bellisario (Hellisario) is not that person. I like JP Howell but Wilson's arrival cemented those late innings for the Dodgers and in effect shortened games. It's basic baseball math – the more great back-end of the bullpen guys you have, the shorter your starters HAVE to pitch. If you remove weak links in the pen, as you move into the 7th, 8th and 9th innings, you win ball games. The Dodgers did that in mid/late June on and didn't do that April into early June. That was the difference in losing and ultimately winning. You have to have a strong bullpen, so Kasten better not mess it up again. Huge area of focus this off-season, in my opinion.
And that is that. I have blathered a good kick off the Hot Stove ramble here, I think. It's too early to name all the names of who the Dodgers could go after. I think it's important to do what I've tried to do here and take stock of what we have and be realistic about both the pros and the cons. I love the Dodgers, but my love goes deeper than any one player on the roster. I have followed generations of Dodgers, guys who were great, guys who were crap. I have seen the lowest moments in Dodgers history, and have witnessed greatness.
The Dodgers need to somehow tweak and massage this group into a more cohesive unit, capable of smart play, making less mistakes, buckling down, being focused, executing plays, hitting in the clutch, etc. The more smart players you have, the more games you will win. The more showboating and sexy stars you have, without those other attributes, the more you will come up short. That's what I believe. I'd always opt for less tools but more smarts and physical ability to execute, than flash. Save flash for the Kardashians and Miley. Less twerking, more hitting with runners in scoring position, more turning double plays.
There is not one player on the current Dodgers roster I wouldn't trade if it meant making the team better in the long run. Honestly, the most untradeable player I can think of in the entire system is Corey Seager. I guess I would move him too if you could get something of equivalent value, but right now he's the one name that stands out.
2013 was a transitional year but the Dodgers teased us into thinking the 25th anniversary of that 1988 miracle might be extra special. As it was, it was just special. Let's hope Kasten is the genius he'd have us believe and 2014 is one all Dodgers fans can celebrate.


text:
Various: 'Digital Rapture'
Here you will find reviews of all the stories and articles contained in the 2012 collection 'Digital Rapture'.
Spoilers throughout.
Various, (2012), 'Digital Rapture', eds Kelly, J.P. & Kessel, J
Jump to Review:
'The Last Question' Isaac Asimov, (1956)
'The Flesh' J.D. Bernal, (1929)
The Last Question: Isaac Asimov
Two scientists get drunk after Asimov's infamous 'multivac' computer solves the problem of humanities energy consumption by harnessing sunlight in an unspecified way, and ask the computer the question 'is there any way to stop the total effect of entropy on the universe?'. Unsurprisingly, it cannot answer.
The story then goes on to detail every time that this question is asked by the descendants of humanity to the descendants of multivac, until the after the heat death of the universe. Interesting for both the portrayals of post humanity, and the way in which the universe is created anew by the computer. Of it's time, but very modern despite the whole vacuum tube malarkey.
The Flesh: J.D. Bernal
An excerpt from a longer. early futurology book, this essay starts from the premise that what would come to be described as man's cyborgization started with the moment of tool use. The author predicates that the next logical step in this process is not natural evolution itself, but the implantation of tools into the human body. He then follows this up with a possible future in which human brains are kept suspended, after about 120 years of good, physical life, in a tank with mechanical sensory and motor 'organs' controlled directly by physical connections between the organs and nerve endings in the brain. Sometime is spent on these mechanical crab people, before, interestingly, he theorises the dawn of directly wiring conciousnesses together to create a form of hive mind. Paired with remote sensory organs that can plumb the depths of stars and change their internal makeup, Bernal comes close to describing a god-like post human state that has echoes in Asimov's previous tale.


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