text:
An ongoing series, Ante plot, Auntie Plot, Crime novel, How not to write a novel, Mortis Lock, Novel, Plot, Unfinished
You know how they advise you to show, not tell? Guess what?
So, Summer. Okay, I slept with her. I don't think Scott ever knew. There it is, short story.
It wasn't while they were going out. It was when they had a mid-term break when they were 21. But maybe I'd better explain what happened before all that.
There was a time when I thought I loved her. Not when I slept with her, of course. This was a wee bit before that, when Scott and I were eight.
Summer was the girl I saw on the bus every morning going to her posh school in the city. She was still on the bus, being carried to her posh school, when I had to get off. I doubt she ever once cast a glance at me when I made my way into the hellhole of St James'. Her school may have been exclusive but their uniform was not the height of fashion, even then. She had to wear a hat and a hideous brown uniform, all of the time. They got reported if they got caught without their hats on, she told me later. On that bus she got a lot of heat from the shitweasels who went to school with me. Not quite your shining knight in armour, I remember joining in the slaggings one morning with a group of pudding-faced gits who were in the same class as me.
It was all down to jealousy. You could tell she was special. Blonde, blue-eyed, tall, composed, much fairer than she is now. She dismissed all the abuse without so much as a flicker of those cornstalk eyelashes.
Listen to me. Cornstalk eyelashes. Christ. But that's the kind of thing you say about a girl like Summer.
It turned out her father knew Danno, Scott's father. He'd been a sound engineer back before he made it big in electronics and had even been on the road with the Rivets. So now and again my folks and Scott's folks and Summer's folks would all get together at parties and such and so, despite the bus, we became friends. She remembered me from the bus that morning, too. "You were the snottery kid, Mr silver sleeve," she would tell me, years later.
The best laugh is, Scott didn't like her back then. Or he made a very good show of not liking her. We all merrily ran around together at house parties and social occasions, skinning our knees, breaking ornaments, digestive biscuits crunched into carpets, glasses of Irn Bru at the Bells, skeleton faces peering into doorways at Hallowe'en. But there was something about her then that he didn't like. Maybe the fact that his mother Irene always made such a fuss of the gorgeous little girl, the fact that she was adored wherever she went, that she had such perfect manners. I think maybe that got on Scott's wick, jealousy, an attention thing. I think I asked him about it years later and he told me he didn't know what the fuck I was talking about.
Anyway. She got older. Things changed in a birds and bees sort of way. Those fair eyelashes I told you about? The eyeliner came in, dark, thick. And she grew taller still. Then other bits and pieces became apparent. Things grew complicated. Teenage parties. Serious downtime at school to allow for me daydreaming. The blonde hair got that little bit darker. The first time I saw her with makeup on at a church hall disco. Flaming jealousy when she started knocking around with kids from her posh secondary school, even further out of town.
I'd always had it in my mind that I'd marry her. She was the great matrimonial fallback in my mind, as other girls came and went for me. I was seriously distracted by Evey Hayes in my fourth year, and I thought; if it doesn't work out with our Evey, I could always go for Summer.
I'd give anything to feel that arrogant again.
Scott took an interest, and somehow managed to kiss her at a party after the exams were done. It was at some kid's house. Silly parents, leaving him alone, going on holiday. Someone had told me not to mix cider and beer. So of course I did. Literally. Mulcahy's Mixer, I called it. It was just exuberance, boisterousness, joie de vivre after the end of the intellectual oppression of examination halls, indecipherable notes, stuffy revision rooms. And the girls losing some of the clothes in the warmer weather. Why the fuck do they have exams in May and June? Couldn't they do it in a time when you don't want to go out and have sex with girls all the time?
Anyway. At the party, Scott kissed her. I missed all this, as I was locked outside this kid's house, vomiting. It wasn't the vomiting that did it for me with Summer; someone – I think it had been big Cairney, a monster even then – had punched somebody and amid the screaming and breaking glass we were all disgorged into the street. While I spat and moaned against some roughcast at the side of the house, Cairney was swinging a traffic cone around, marking distance with three or four people who had nothing to do with the original incident. Big drama queen that he is.
A couple of days later, when I heard about what had gone on inside the house with Scott and Summer, I was… Well. In recent times she had seemed more unattainable than usual. Seventeen years old, gorgeous, everything going for her. She was withdrawing in my mind at that point, receding from a friend into an acquaintance. She had gone out with guys who were a lot older, guys who her father knew, guys with degrees and cars and paying jobs. So fair play to Scott. When the chance came, he went in for the kill. And they became an item. And I had to swallow it.
And I always wondered: what if I'd kept the head at that party? What if I hadn't been such an idiot?
Whatever feelings I had, I stowed them away and forgot about them. University next for us all, and a parting of the ways. Scott and Summer both got into Glasgow, I made it into Dundee, and our lives blossomed in different ways. She became my Best Friend's Girl. I had no feelings for her at all, I'm sure of that. Besides, I had my own scene happening up at Dundee. The only person who kept on about Scott and Summer was my mother. Any time I was home, and any time she spoke about seeing the pair of them together, the coda was always: "She went for the wrong one, son."
"Why's that then?"
"They just don't look right together."
This I don't know about. I'm not the tallest kid on the block, so quite how an Amazonian beauty is going to "look right" with her pygmy lover, I don't know. Now Scott – tall, dark, angular – he looked just fine with Summer. I admit that. What my mother was on in those days, I couldn't tell you. But what my mother should have said was: "They don't fit together." Because, as it turned out, myself and Summer fit together just nicely. Snug, in fact.
Okay, enough of the teasing, here's how it went down.
Much to my parents' astonishment, I didn't immediately pursue a teaching career after four years' nonsense up in Dundee and another one doing Postgrad in Glasgow. Don't ask me why. I was twenty-one. Twenty-one-year-olds don't know shit, I can confirm that. So anyway, with Beat dreams and a wandering spirit I worked my balls off… well, kinda, along with a few loans… in pubs and clubs and suddenly I was in Australia, suffering the indignity of people telling me I talked funny while I waited tables and sweated my nights away in a cupboard in a tower block.
I waited for my first month to be over with, for the culture shock to subside, and for it to get better – more like Kerouac, less like Solzhenitsyn. But it didn't. I was thinking of getting back home and looking for employment. And suddenly, Summer was in Australia as well. It was out of nothing, an e-mail exchange in an internet cafe. She was on my "jokes list" of e-mail recipients – the people you rarely communicate with other than forwarding them gags and chronically unfunny JPegs (but not those cheese-dick chain letters about sick little boys and cancer-addled grandmothers wishing upon a star; no, bin them, and bin them again). But one day, her name was in bold in my inbox: Summer (1).
She told me that she was in Australia travelling for a while and that she would be in Melbourne soon, and she'd heard that I was there and was wondering: did I want to meet up? And, PS: she'd split with Scott.
I hadn't seen a great deal of them in the intervening years. Not together anyway. Myself and Scott, sure, we were out whenever the chance came up. Best mates. And Scott had, in truth, been a naughty boy at uni. He played rugby and had misbehaved several times on away trips with his university team. He told me about this and trusted me with that information. Believe me, I was in no position to judge the guy, but all the same this had shocked me. I knew Summer was still beautiful. How could you want to do that to Summer? I wondered.
He called me up about it at my flat. He was pretty low. He was sure that there was someone else involved, some reason why she'd left him. The truth was, they'd outgrown each other. They were heading in opposite directions, new jobs, different cities with their jobs – he was an architect, she was a graphic designer – and maybe they had grown apart.
When he called me, it was a shock. At first I thought he knew about my meeting, but he didn't. I felt like a kid caught with his hand in the biscuit barrel.
I never did tell him she was coming to see me. I'm not sure he ever knew.
It was all cool and composed of course. She was just a laid-back flighty hippy gal seeing the world on her own, and I was a cool guy sampling the delights of the new world with lemon juice in my hair making me look like "the gayest little surfer on the beach", or so she told me. It was cool. Cool was a word often repeated in our e-mails. Cool. That's cool. Cool, no worries. See you there, peace. Sweet. Cool. When I met her in bleached blasted sunshine at a café I could hardly believe what I was embarking on. And I swear to you, although I'd be lying if I'd said it never occurred to me what might happen, I had no designs on seducing her.
Something happened. That's what they say, isn't it? "It just happened." "It was one of those things." "These things happen." "We never meant for it to happen." The weather was fine and we had some drinks and there was a lot of laughter, and only very very rarely did she mention Scott, and… and then… and then again…
Back in that cupboard, limbs entwined, with a breeze rattling my blinds through a crack in the window and chilling the sweat on our bodies, we agreed never to tell him.
It was the best I'd ever had, the best circumstances, the best beginning, middle and end, and then a few more. There was something so organic about it, nothing forced, nothing contrived. It was like I'd been with her before, been with her all my life. When we were in the dark, that cupboard could have been a palace, a football pitch, down a mine shaft, the bottom of the ocean, deep space. Nothing else mattered.
I knew it was a one-off deal. There was something final about it. It added to the experience maybe, who knows? We held each other for a few hours and then she was gone. I was in shock; it was like making love for the first time. On the outside, nothing's different about you. But inside, nothing is the same.
I'd like to tell you that I moped around for the rest of that summer in Melbourne, tortured my work colleagues with poetry, listened to some Nick Cave and thrown myself to the sharks. But there were other things on the go as, at last – perhaps Summer had broken the levee – things did get interesting Down Under. It was by no means the last Australian shag. Nor was it the last with some other guy's girl. There was a fist-fight with a surfer who came into the restaurant to kick things off. I punched the guy and then prayed for the rest of the staff to hold him off while I made good my escape, which they did. Then there was the hippy girl from Toulouse with beads rattling along the hem of her jeans who wanted to be a marine biologist… there were concerts, there were beers, there was the sea, there was the smell of sunblock on a girl's back, which always makes me think of having sex… Summer was part of the way of things for me then, and maybe symbolised it the best. A brief, intense burst of pleasure and high living, a young man behaving badly, but doing it well.
And, they got back together. I'm not sure when it happened. Scott e-mailed me six months later, when I was back home and starting teacher training, saying we should all head out for a meal.
Another slight, sickening moment there. Did he know? Did he want to pull the same moves as the restaurant-crashing surfer? He never did say. We went out for dinner, very civilised, and Summer was with him and they held hands and sat close and got all giggly. And that was that. They were on the road to engagement, sharing a house, spending their lives together. And I had to forget all about Summer again.
All went well for the pair of them. Their career graphs started spiking. The cars got bigger and more expensive. A ring appeared. A date was tentatively set. Scott had asked me if I would be his best man; the final slap in the face. I grinned and said, yes, of course I'll do that for you.
And then, just recently, a couple of kids found Scott in a car off the roadside, several days after he went missing, his wrists opened from the heel of the hand to the elbow with a carpet knife, apparently bubbling with maggots.
Put down that mac n' cheese and read part one, if you like.


text:
Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120RS RGB CPU Liquid Cooler
- Low-profile dual chamber
- Stylish radiator
- Multi feature pump
- Double tubing
- Air Balance fans
MasterLiquid ML120RS RGB
Dual Chamber
Low-Profile Dual Chamber
The PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) and glass fiber construction resists a broad range of chemicals and is unaffected by moisture or immersion in water. Our pump is light and impervious to oxidation and corrosion.
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Removable pump cover allows for custom personalization through 3D printing
Aluminium Pump Casing
The sleek and stylish aluminium pump casing dissipates heat inside the pump
Provides uniform colour in reflected and transmitted light
Tri-Phase Motor with Silent Driver
Minimizing operating current while keeping a low dBA
PPS + Glassfiber Housing & Nozzle
Temperature and liquid resistance to increase life expectancy of the pump
O-Ring made of High Quality EPDM Rubber
Eliminates and prevents liquid emission
12 Addressable RGB LEDS
Fully addressable RGB that is certified to sync with RGB motherboard or controller by MasterPlus+
High Performance Impeller
Exclusive in-house design for enhanced liquid pressure
Thermal Detection Sensor
CPU Temperature monitored by sensor and displayed through colour lighting effects
Microchannel Cold Plate
Precision machined microchannels maximize the water contact surface area, to quickly dissipate heat. The base is finished with clean and clear appearance.
Stylish Radiator
Custom design low resistance radiator allows higher flow rate, heat exchange efficiency and provides unmatched cooling performance
Double Tubing
FEP Tubing makes it durable yet flexible. Sleeved tubing on the exterior to give it a premium look.
Air Balance Fans
Aside from having perfect balance of airlfow and airpressure to exhaust air through the fins and out of the case, the dual fans uses an silent driver IC that smoothens fan operation to reduce fan clicks and vibrations
CPU Socket Compatability:
- Intel® LGA 2066 / 2011-v3 / 2011 / 1151 / 1150 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 775 socket
- AMD® AM4 / AM3+ / AM3 / AM2+ / AM2 / FM2+ / FM2 / FM1 socket
- Material: Aluminium
- Dimensions: 157 x 119.6 x 27 mm
- Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
- Quantity: 2 PCS
- Speed: 650 ~ 2000 RPM (PWM) +- 10%
- Air Flow: 66.7 CFM (Max)
- Air Pressure: 2.34 mmH2O (Max)
- MTTF: 160,000 hours
- Noise Level: 6 ~ 30 dBA
- Connector: 4-Pin (PWM)
- Rated Voltage: 12 VDC
- Dimensions: 83.6 x 71.8 x 52.7 mm
- MTTF: 70,000 hours
- Noise Level: <15 dBA
- Connector: 3-Pin
- Rate Voltage: 12 VDC
|Is Discontinued
|Cooler Master

subset: commoncrawl


text:
House Of Hell
by: Tin Man Games • 877
All Android applications categories
All Android games categories
by: Tin Man Games • 877
Published: 2013-11-29, by Peter Warrior.
Gamebook adventures were a popular series of well, you know, books, back in the eighties and nineties, that combined choice-your-adventure mechanics with dice and a character sheet (a simplified version of those "true" role playing games use). It was just a matter of time that someone bring them back from oblivion and updates them. This review applies to all the GA and related series, as there are no relevant differences regarding interface of playability between them.
What you can find, as it's the case, are some enhancements regarding the original book. House of Hell, mobile version, includes a cheat mode (booo!) and two artwork modes: classic or crispy.
We won't discuss here the quality of the content, as they are all awesome under thirty years ago standards, but the update is at the same time something great and a missed chance. Great because there are a bunch of lovely little details such as the die rolling on the table and little animations to give the game some pace and intensity. A missed chance because there could have been a lot of new customization options we would have liked to really create our own character, and the sections are so word by word the same as then that if you played them as a child you might well still remember which options are better. There have been a few gameplay tweaks, though, but nothing able to break the already existing (un)balance.
Anyway, this more than acceptable update on those books we loved so much has to be welcomed and praised because of its professionalism and user-oriented thinking.
Tags: le manoir de lenfer 2.99€ , house of hell
by Peter , Appszoom
Nov 29, 2013
Fighting Fantasy, the world famous interactive gamebook series is back! Steve Jackson and Tin Man Games present House of Hell!!
"Taking refuge in the infamous House of Hell has to be the worst mistake of your life! The dangers of the torrential storm outside are nothing compared to the blood-curdling adventures that await you inside. Who knows how many hapless wanderers like yourself have perished within its gruesome walls? Be warned! Tonight is going to be a night to remember..."
"This is a faithful port to an electronic format, and it is also packed with features. Old fans will love the nostalgia, and those who have never played this sort of thing before are in for a treat." - STARBURST - 9/10
"If you have any appreciation for choose-your-own adventure games, you'll love this app." - PADGADGET - 4.5/5
"All the other hallmarks of the Tin Man treatment are also to be found in House of Hell, including an atmospheric soundtrack, good use of multimedia and smooth and easy usability." - GAMEZEBO - 4/5
"The extras, like the achievements, art gallery, background material, and the retro look, are features that the developer didn't have to do, but went that extra mile." - BOARD GAME GEEK - 4/5
"House of Hell is very engaging; it manages to produce a compelling story that transcends the realm of young adult fantasy game books. It's also a trip down memory lane for gamers who grew up reading the Fighting Fantasy paperback series. Here's to Tin Man Games for a job well done." - PIXEL PERFECT GAMING - 5/5
House of Hell is a digital Fighting Fantasy gamebook, an interactive adventure in which YOU are the hero! You can only win through by choosing the correct path, finding equipment, avoiding traps and surviving combat.
Exclusive new features in the app:
• Make the gamebook as easy or hard as you like and even turn on a special cheat mode to read it old-school!
• Atmospheric new visuals which can be turned off to make the gamebook look like it came off the printing press in the 80s!
• Tim Sell's classic illustrations colorised for the app
• Fantastic new cover artwork to unlock!
• Works great on tablets and phones!
House of Hell has been brought to Android using Tin Man Games' critically acclaimed Gamebook Adventures Engine featuring:
• An automated Adventure Sheet to keep track of stats and inventory.
• Realistic physics based dice rolling. Shake your device!
• Artwork gallery. Find an illustration in the gamebook and be able to access it full-screen forever.
• Bookmarking system which saves your position in the gamebook, much like putting your fingers between the pages to remember your previous page when reading the paperback!
• Specially composed soundtrack and sound effects.
Tin Man Games have signed a licensing deal to release the Fighting Fantasy series on Android, so expect to see more of your favourite adventure role-playing gamebooks appearing soon!
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I have been packing a whole lot recently in preparation for the biggest move ever.
I will be moving out from my current place of residence soon to another place, it is really sad seeing how I have been living my 18 years and almost 5 months here.
Anyway, as I m packing my things collected over the years into boxes, I find things that have been on my tabletop (in view) for the longest time. 'I got that friendship bracelet from val', 'that (tattered) box was from rachel', 'oh! I remembered ailin gave me that' and 'claire painted that rock for me'…
I realized that almost everything I actually kept (despite much of their poor conditions) were from other people! It is amazing that I can remember and place the exact situations in which I received these gifts of love from.
Some of the things I uncovered:
A painted ceramic mushroom- a rejected 'pot' from meisiew's coursework and reshaped into a mushroom by mr lim kok boon.
A tiny wooden piece- from my first successful attempt at sawing from guides' axemanship
A bookmark- from my primary two teacher mr lim chee min
Two painted rocks to look like mice- one by me and the other by val
And so the list goes on…
I sound like Indiana Jones! And even though these tiny items are nowhere as old and of importance to anyone as the items dug out by archeologists…they are every bit a treasure to me and they tell stories of my past just as artifacts would tell of history.
i find myself drained at the end of each day of packing, maybe it is all the recalling of memories that seem to flow back to me so easily…


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Sales Have Ended
Sales Have Ended
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Class size is limited and enrollment ends on Sunday, January 7, 2019. If classes are full, please call the office to see if the class size can be increased.
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The Fly Fishing Show
(814) 443-3638


text:
As the population ages and people live longer, the number of elderly Americans who fall and suffer serious injuries, or death, is soaring. As a result, retirement communities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes where millions of senior citizens reside across the nation are trying to balance the safety of their residents and their desires to live as they choose.
The Dangers of Falls
The danger surrounding elderly falls is very real. In 2012, the number of seniors ages 65 and older who died as a result of a fall reached over 24,000 people. That is almost double the number from ten years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
In addition, more than 2.4 million seniors were treated at emergency rooms for fall-related injuries in 2012, an increase of over fifty percent over the last decade. In total, from 2002 to 2012, more than 200,000 elderly people in the United States have died from falls, and they are the leading cause of injury-related death for people ages 65 and over.
Precautions Being Taken
People who study and manage retirement facilities and nursing homes are now bringing in the experts to help make their communities safer for their residents. In an attempt to anticipate hazardous conditions, senior facilities are hiring architects and interior designers to help.
Some places are installing floor lighting that turns on when a resident gets out of bed and illuminates a path to the bathroom. Others are installing energy absorbing floors to make the impact of a fall softer on its residents.
Even simple precautions in nursing home facilities are helping. One facility installed a white stripe at the top and the bottom of all of their staircases to help the residents with blurry vision see where they are going. In addition, staff members at senior communities are also training on how to best approach the idea of using a cane or walker to residents who seem to be growing more unsteady on their feet.
Elderly Resistance to Fall Safety
Another way that elderly communities are trying to prevent the number of injuries related to falls is by offering a "fall education" class. Institutions offer sessions on avoiding falls and improving balance and fitness, but some residents will not go near them until after they have fallen.
In addition, many residents do not or refuse to recognize their own gradual deterioration, which in turn leaves them vulnerable despite efforts to protect them. Seniors often resist the transition to a cane or walker, as it can feel stigmatizing.
When someone does fall, oftentimes residents in nursing homes stay quiet about it. However, staff members at these facilities encourage residents to report their falls because it indicates a risk for a subsequent fall. Yet residents have a fear that they'll be whisked away and put somewhere else, and so they refuse to admit when they have fallen. As a result, some residents of these facilities have become vigilantes, and instead of reporting the fall to staff will look out for the other residents themselves.


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Tagged: Those Pesky Rays
We're In!
Yanks are Officially in the Playoffs!!!
The Yankees were playing so badly that I thought they were on the verge of a catastrophic collapse. It was sickening…embarrassing…the team was dead. I remember them being 2 wins away – so close I could almost taste it – and yet I felt those 2 wins might have well been 200, because I didn't think there was any way they could win the way they were playing. But that's all over now. With just 3 games left to play, the Yankees are tied for first with those pesky Rays in the AL East. Homefield advantage would be nice, but I don't really care about it as much as I did a few days ago. I'm just THRILLED that the Yankees are in the postseason! I think that if they win the ALDS, then they are going all the way. But I'm getting ahead of myself: I want to talk about how we clinched!
September 26, 2010. Yankees vs. Red Sox. A game I surely thought the Yankees would lose, especially because they were losing 1-0 in the 7th inning, having shown zero signs of life with the bat. But all that changed with 1 swing of the bat by The Drama King himself, Mr. Alex Rodriguez. His 2-run homer in the 7th gave the Yankees a new life, and their first lead of the night. They were ahead 2-1.
Just like last year, Alex is arguably the most important player for the Yanks.
I thought that would be enough for them to win…but Mariano Rivera was icky – VERY icky – in the 9th, allowing 2 runs and letting the Yankee lead slip away. 3-2 Red Sox. But in the bottom of the 9th, Robbie Cano singled sharply with the bases loaded, tying the game. For the first time in ages, the Yankees were showing fight. They weren't done yet.
In the 10th, Curtis Granderson led off with a single and Brett Gardner laid down the perfect bunt for a single. For some reason, which still seems mindless to me, the Red Sox intentionally walked Derek Jeter, to LOAD THE BASES WITH NO ONE OUT. Why on earth would anyone do that? ESPECIALLY when the other team can get a walkoff? I don't know.
Patience proved to be a virtue for my Yanks and Juan Miranda. His patience at the plate and great at-bat resulted in a walk – a WALKOFF WALK, and the Yankees won 4-3. Sadly, I didn't see any pies fly. But that's okay…I was just glad to see them win!
Thank you, Juan!!!
The Heroes for this Victory which brought the Yankees magic number down to 1 were Phil Hughes, for his starting effort, A-Rod, for that super-clutch homer, and Juan Miranda for the walkoff.
The clincher came on September 28 against the Blue Jays, and the Yankees couldn't have had a better guy on the mound for a game of this importance. CC Sabathia was fabulous, throwing over 8 innings of 1-run ball.
CC was his usual C"Cy" self, but what impressed me most about this win was the offense: the Yankees built every one of their runs. A-Rod, Teixeira, and Cano had sac flies. A-Rod also had a bases loaded walk. Greg Golson had an RBI groundout. There were no home runs. Everything was built, and that's good. In the postseason, the Yankees are going to have to be able to score like that if they want to win. And they do want to win. So they'll have to.
The Yankees won this game 6-1, and had a little fun with the bubbly. Watching my boys run around pouring ice cold champagne on each other's heads is enough to make me smile any day.
The Captain gets a taste.
My Cutie-Curtis Granderson gets his first ever taste of postseason parties.
A bunch of my goofy boys ♥
I can't decide how I think the Yankees will do in the postseason this year. Do I think they are as good as last year? I don't know. There were a few bad stretches last year, and I guess I didn't notice as much because the struggles weren't right before the season's end. This year's struggles arrived at a more nerve-racking time.
Even so, I don't think anyone, even myself, has the right to or should predict the Yankees postseason success. The postseason is a whole different animal. I enjoy it. But it also makes me a wreck – even when they win. I can't take the pressure.
With that said, I'm going to enjoy these final three games of the regular season in 2010.
New Life
Yanks Headed in Right Direction
It's been awhile since I've posted, and it's been awhile since the Yankees really looked good. The past few series have been hard to watch. After that 8-game winning streak, the Yankees just fell apart: They lost 2 of 3 to the Orioles, and would have been swept if it wasn't for Nick Swisher's walkoff heroics. They were swept by the Rangers. They lost 2 of 3 to those pesky Rays, and they had opportunities to win each of those games. And the first game against the Orioles in this series looked like it was going to continue this losing trend. Magically, the Yankees turned the tides. And just like that, it seems the Yankees have a new life.
The Yankee jumped to a 1-0 lead in game 1 thanks to an Alex Rodriguez solo homer, but that was all the offense for awhile. Despite being in line for the loss, A.J Burnett pitched well, and I was satisfied with his performance. I felt bad that he wasn't going to win it.
Bottom of the 9th, Yanks down 3-1. Jorge Posada took his turn at bat, and 11 pitches later he was on first with a leadoff single. I was thinking "Oh…here they go again…getting my hopes up for a comeback that will never happen…"
Jo-Po ♥
Or so I thought.
Little did I know, that brilliant at-bat by Jorge would set the tone for the rest of the inning.
Curtis Granderson singled with 1 out. With 2 outs, The Drama King Alex Rodriguez stepped up to the plate. I wanted to watch, but I just couldn't – I couldn't watch A-Rod make the final out, because my Dad would never let me hear the end of it. (I thought so negatively because honestly, the Yankees were awful for so long. Even though I had the slightest feeling that A-Rod would do something big, I didn't want to express it…I didn't want to jinx him.)
With 2 strikes, A-Rod decided to wash away my worries. His 3-run homer revived both the Yankees, and myself. Finally, things were looking brighter.
Alex drove in all 4 Yankee runs in game 1.
Mariano nailed down the save, and the Yankees won 4-3.
I wondered: Could the Yankees string a few wins together? For game 2, the Yanks had the perfect guy on the hill: my sweet Hefty-Lefty, CC Sabathia ♥
The game 2 victory was a perfect team win. The offense was back, and it exploded for the first time in a LONG time. Jorge Posada set the tone once again with his clutch 2-run single in the first inning. Cano had a 2-run homer, Granderson had a 3-run homer, everyone contributed.
CC Sabathia wasn't CC-spectacular, but he was still good. Yankee fans get spoiled with CC. Even so, CC's 7 innings of 3-run baseball was good enough to earn himself that 20th win.
Congrats on this milestone, C "Cy." You are the best ♥
The heroes for the 4-3 victory in game 1 are A.J. Burnett, for a solid start, and A-Rod for all that offense. For game 2's 11-3 win, the heroes are Cano and Granderson, for their homers, and CC Sabathia for yet another quailty outing, and for winning #20. And Jorge is a hero for both, because he set the tone for both wins.
All of a sudden, things are looking brighter for my Yankees. They are back in first place. Burnett pitched well. CC pitched well. Jeter is hitting again. Gardner and Swisher are back in the lineup. And best of all, Andy Pettitte is returning today. If Andy can be good, then I think the Yankees have a great shot at going all the way. CC, Andy, and Nova seem like enough to win it. And if BURNETT can stay sharp…..wouldn't that be something…
These 2 wins very well may be the start of something good for my boys.
A Week of Winning!
But I guess it could be worse. I am not taking science or math this year because my math teacher scarred me for life last year. And this year, I actually like all my teachers. I've had them all before. Some of them are very fun to talk baseball with. And, oh yeah: IT'S SENIOR YEAR. I should enjoy this.
Even though I haven't blogged recently, I have watched all the games. My boys are making me so proud. So far, the heroes for this winning streak are Curtis Granderson and Marcus Thames for their hot-hitting, and the bullpen, which has done an absolutely fantastic job.
Yesterday's 7-5 win over the Blue Jays was the typical win of this winning streak.
Pitching Analysis: After beasting in the bullpen, Javier Vazquez was inserted back into the starting rotation. I had a feeling he would be….suckish. Javy tends to give up the longball. The Blue Jays tend to hit the longball. The wind was making it easier to hit the longball. Add all that up, and it wasn't going to be a pretty day for Javy.
Weather-wise, it was a beautiful day…but not for Javy.
Javy did give up the longball. Homers by Overbay and McDonald gave the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead. Vazquez didn't even get through 5 innings, and he allowed 5 runs.
The bullpen again had a lot of outs to get, and they did another amazing job. The combo of Dustin Moseley, Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain, Kerry Wood, and Mariano Rivera shut the door on the Blue Jay batters's faces. They allowed 0 runs on 3 hits, and struckout 5. THEY ARE BEASTS!!!
Offensive Analysis: Despite being down 3-0, the Yankee bats weren't ready to give up. They had that rally in them. And the rally all started thanks to my sweet Francisco Cervelli ♥ In the 3rd with 1 out, Cervelli hit a ball in the left-center gap. And he hustled. And because he hustled, Francisco Cervelli had himself a double. That ball never made it to the wall. Many guys would have just settled for a single. But not my Cervelli. And that's why I love him.
Then Brett Gardner walked (the 9th straight game he did that!), and Derek Jeter ripped a double, scoring Cervelli. Inching closer, it was now a 3-1 game.
After Mark Teixeira walked to load the bases, a struggling Robinson Cano stepped up to the plate. He hit a ball back up the middle, and it found grass! 2 runs scored on Robbie's game-tying single.
The Yankees went ahead in the 4th. Cervelli doubled with a man on and 1 out, then Gardner drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI groundout. A wild pitch let another score, making it 5-3.
And finally, in the 7th, the Yankees had their share of the longball. With 2 outs, Cano singled, bringing up
Hank Aaron Marcus Thames. He had a few good swings earlier in the game, but didn't have a hit to show for it. Until this:
I love my Marcus Thames!!!!!
That made it 7-5 Yankees. And that's the final 🙂
Another win, another series win, and another game gained on those Pesky Rays. The heroes for this victory, the 8th in a row, are the bullpen, for cleanly eating up all those innings. And Marcus Thames, for turning into the Home Run King. Hank Aaron who? Hahaa…The other hero is my Francisco Cervelli, because he started the rally. And just cuz I love him ♥
Oh, Francisco….too cute for words.
The Somebody Needs a Hug goes to Javier Vazquez. Javy, your confidence has taken a rollercoaster ride throughout the entire season. I don't want you to lose it after 1 icky start. You were great out of the bullpen, and that was no fluke. Believe in yourself!
Yankees, the season is winding down. And you are still leading the AL East! Congrats on everything you have done so far. Please just keep it up. Go as far as you can this season, because I need to keep seeing you.
I love you! GO YANKEES!!!
The Best Yet!
Yanks Win Series Opener
Last night's 11-5 win over the A's was a HUGE win for the Yankees this season. Why? It brought them to a new high-water mark of 31 games over .500 for the year! They are 81-50, still tied for first with those Pesky Rays. The Yankees hovered at around 30 games over .500 for so long – and finally, they broke through! The Yankees played a great game last night, and I see signs of an even brighter future for 2010. No more .500 baseball this month!
Pitching Analysis: Dustin Moseley toed the rubber for the Yanks, coming off two very good starts in a row. At first I was optimistic, thinking, "Well maybe he could string three good ones together!" But after seeing him allow three runs in the first inning alone, my hopes were seemingly gone. I thought there was no way the Yankees or Moseley would win after those three runs – especially because the Yankee bats were going up against one of the toughest pitchers in the league, Mr. Trevor Cahil.
Moseley's outing wasn't too long, and he wasn't horribly awful either. In 4.1 innings, Dustin allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, and 4 walks (that's bad). But Moseley gave the team a chance to win the game. And thanks to a certain someone who shut the door on the A's batters's faces, the Yankees did win.
Aw, Javy ♥
I felt bad when Javy Vazquez was demoted to the bullpen. I knew his confidence was shot, and I thought his demotion was the last straw. But no. Javy, unlike me, didn't melt. He embraced his new role. And last night, Javy really made me proud. Oh, he was brilliant. The best I've seen him in a long time. Javy shut down the opposition, and for his efforts, picked up the win. In 4.2 innings, Javy allowed 1 little run on just 2 hits, stirking out 6 along the way. Javy was the only reliever the Yankees used last night. His command was back, and he survived with that 89 mph fastball. I hope he can keep this confidence, because if he does, he'll keep getting these results. Oh, Javy…maybe you can go back into the rotation now?
Defensive Analysis: Jeter hasn't been doing much (anything) with the bat lately, but that hasn't affected him in the field at all. He proved this in the 5th inning last night, with his patendted Jetarian jump-and-throw to nail Kouzmanoff at 1st. Good job, Derek. Oh, and Jorge and Moseley's strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play was nice, too.
Offensive Analysis: The Bronx Bombers showed up last night, and the offense exploded multiple times. The Yankees pounded out 11 runs on 13 hits. So many guys had great nights at the plate, especially those in the middle of the order. Tex, Cano, Swish, and Thames were almost impossible to get out. Three Yankees went deep last night.
Tex was first.
And Robbie went back-to-back with him.
Thames's 3-run blast gave the Yanks an 11-4 lead.
Last night's game had so many positives, and it had the desired result. The heroes for the victory are the homer boys Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, and Marcus Thames, as well as Javy Vazquez for pitching over 4 stellar innings of relief. I think the Yankees should keep playing Marcus Thames – even when Berkman comes back. Don't mess with success, right? And Javy…I hope and pray that he keeps this up. We need another guy to trust.
The Somebody Needs a Hug goes to Derek Jeter. The poor guy was 0-4 once again last night, and his average has dipped to an un-Jeter like .268. He's still trying so hard, maybe too hard. Jeet, we love you no matter what. But still, you need to fix yourself, because we need you. The Yankees need their Captain 🙂
Back to Business
Sweet Relief!
-Peaceful sigh- THAT'S more like it. I knew the Yankees wouldn't lose again yesterday, because the most they've lost in a row this year was 3 games. And yesterday's 5-1 win was more than just a win: it was history. I don't care what all those haters think about A-Rod. Unlike Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire, A-Rod admitted it. So you have to respect that.
I've been thinking about this whole steroid thing. I mean, SO many players were on juice. Does that mean Alex was right to do them? Absolutely not. Does that excuse his behavior? No way. Who knows how many players were really on steroids? It's a sad era in baseball, but it happened. And nobody can possibly know of EVERY player who did steroids, so that's why they are just including everyone in the record books. If the steroid era players are going to be included in te record books, then I want A-Rod to break that record. I don't care what anybody else thinks. He's my A-Rod, my Yankee, and I love him.
Let's take a look at that milestone home run:
Congratulations, Alex. I love you so much and I'm glad you are on my Yankees.
Oh, and just for the record, Cano was SO safe at first!!!
That was no cheapie, Alex. Dead center. And look how relieved he was. The whole team, the whole city of New York was probably relieved. Because after that ball landed, it was back to business for Alex and the Yanks. Time to just focus on winning. And that's what they did.
Pitching Analysis: Phil Hughes looked pretty darn good out there yesterday. He had that Philthy stuff and made that face that I just can't help but love. He struggled recently, but those troubles look like a thing of the past. In his struggles, opposing hitters kept fouling off pitches from Hughes – pitches that when he's on, they swing and miss at. Yesterday, Hughes had that swing-and-miss stuff. I think this is a good sign for Hughes.
The bullpen was really good yesterday. Logan, Robertson, Chamberlain, and Rivera all pitched well. In fact, Joba impressed me. I think it was his 4th scoreless appearance in a row, which is great for the Joba of 2010. I hope he can keep this up, too. If we can actually depend on Joba, that changes the entire bullpen. If Joba is on, I think the Yanks have the best 'pen in the Bigs.
Come on Joba! Keep it up!
Offensive Analysis: The offense looked alive and well yesterday. And so many streaks were broken:
-The streak of 1st inning 2-run home run losses is over.
-Robbie Cano and Jorge Posada's 0-for streaks are a thing of the past.
And, oh yeah! Alex Rodriguez's 46 homerless at-bats streak came to an end in the 1st inning with that little 2-run homer he hit.
Aside from A-Rod, 2 Yankees who had fabulous days at the dish yesterday were Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira. How about Tex lately? He had 3 RBI yesterday. He seriously thinks he can get the stats on the back of his baseball card in to Tex-Territory. And if he keeps playing like this, he can.
And how about that Derek Jeter? 4-4 yesterday. Seemed like he spent the whole game on base. The coolest hit was his bunt single. When A-Rod was up in the first inning, the commentators suggested that he should bunt. LOL. Instead he went deep. But in his turn, Derek Jeter noticed the infield was back, so he laid down the quintessential perfect bunt.
What a ballplayer ♥
I say this a lot, but I think I mean it this time: yesterday's win was the most comforting win of the season. For many reasons: the losing streak is over, the offense didn't die, the pitching was amazing, A-Rod can focus again because his milestone is a thing of the past, and most of all…….THE RAYS LOST! That's right! My Yanks are tied for 1st again in the AL East. They just wanted to be nice and give the Rays a little taste of victory…tantalizing them with the feeling of 1st place before snatching it away from them! Lol…Anyway, the heroes for this win are A-Rod, and everyone else. This was a team effort.
Off day, and then a series against the Red Sox…Let's knock them out of this race once and for all, boys.
A Death Sentence?
Bye Bye, 1st Place 😦
I had a bad feeling about last night's game before it started. But when Mark Teixeira hit his MONSTER 2-run home run in the first, I was beginning to think otherwise.
My mistake.
I should have known better, considering the funk the offense has been in lately. You would think that getting on the board right away is a good thing. But the last few times the Yankees scored in the first inning, they LOST! Miserably. And last night was no different. I think 1st inning home runs are a death sentence for the Yanks.
Once the Blue Jays went ahead in the 4th, I became too disgusted to watch. I knew where this game was going: The Blue Jays would keep scoring, and their runs would be unanswered by the Yankees.
My Dad, whose TV remote-takeovers usually drive me up a wall, failed to disrupt me. He flipped the channel down to TCM to watch The Magnificent Seven, which is the typical thing that would make me go insane and scream at him to put the game back: It's an old movie, and a western nonetheless, that I have no interest in whatsoever. And there are no handsome young men in it. For me, it's boring.
But no. Last night was different. And I think my Dad was surprised that I didn't put up a fight about changing it back to the game. Instead, I sat there in despair, just thinking about what was wrong with my Yankees. And I was thinking about how those pesky Rays were probably winning. Again, I was right.
Every once in awhile, when my Dad thought something funny happened in the movie, he would laugh, and then look over at me to see if I laughed too. He didn't know I wasn't watching, but how would he? I looked like I was watching. I was sitting there staring at the screen while a bunch of cowboys did their thing. But my mind was in another place. I was too upset to even be angry. I was more sad than mad this time. I didn't even throw my shoe like I usually do when the Yankees play badly. No. I just sat there, wondering how this could happen to my sweet Yankees.
I didn't want to make my Dad feel bad, so when he laughed I smiled, even though I didn't know what was funny.
The Yankees need to start playing better, because this is getting unhealthy for me. I was actually IN the room while my Dad watched a western. Something is seriously wrong with me, and I don't like it. And these nightmarish thoughts of the Rays, the RAYS, in first place, above my Yankees…I don't even know what to say. That ugly uppity Upton (lol! an alliteration!) and those guys above my Yankees…yucky.
I can't help it, but I'm panicking. Should I be panicking? I mean, it's their first 3-game losing streak since June 16-18. 3 games is the longest losing streak they have had all year. That's not that bad, right? They are bound to break out of is sooner or later (preferably sooner).
Who am I kidding? Of COURSE they will get hot again. They have to. The team is too good to stay stinky for long. They have to win. They have a Championship to defend. It's a long season…and although we all like to think our teams are invincible, they are not. Slumps and stinky streaks happen – sometimes so badly that you don't even recognize your team anymore. But when it's all said and done, I think I know where my Yankees will be…
Why Joe, WHY?
Yanks Lose Finale, but Still in 1st Place
Now I love Joe Girardi, but sometimes I just don't get him. And yesterday, I was beginning to think that maybe my cousin Raymond was right about Joe. He once said, "Joe Girardi is a Cro-Magnon Moron." Well, that's a little harsh. But seriously, I was quite confuzzled by some of the Skip's decisions yesterday. I think he was partly the reason why they lost 3-0.
I know he didn't want to admit it, but come on: yesterday's game was one of the most important games for the Yankees so far this year. So why then, must you alter the lineup? Why must A-Rod have a day off in the finale of the Rays series? Joe's defense?
"Well, he played 13 games in a row and I felt that Al needed a rest. Better to rest him on the road than in front of the home crowd that wants to see him try at #600."
Um, really? How about you stop thinking about the stupid milestone and focus on making the TEAM WIN! The team needed Alex, fatigued or not, to play yesterday. Thanks for sitting him, Joe. I love Ramiro Pena with all my heart, but he really is no A-Rod. A tired A-Rod is better than Ramiro Pena any day.
Here is another brilliant strategic move by Girardi yesterday: sitting Brett Gardner.
WHY? Brett is a lefty, and James Shields is a righty. So it's wasn't because of the matchup. And please don't tell me he's "tired." Gardner is a young man. And he didn't play "13 games in a row" like A-Rod, because he had a porkchop stuck in his stomach and got acid reflux and missed games because of that. SO WHY THE HECK WASN'T HE IN THE LINEUP????? Gardner has been one of the most consistent hitters on the team. I don't understand why he wasn't playing in a game of that importance.
Then there is the Teixeira/Berkman decision.
Now I don't want to take a shot at Lance, because I know he's new and must have been incredibly nervous. And okay, he botched 2 plays and cost 2 runs, but he made a nice diving play in the 4th to save 2 runs. But really. Joe, why would you even take that chance? Why would you let Berkman play 1st and DH Tex in a game as important as yesterday's? I know Berkman is a 1st baseman, but nobody is as good as Mark Teixeira. If Tex is DH-ing, then for sure you are downgrading at 1st base. And lemme guess: Tex was DH-ing because he needed a rest.
He couldn't rest another day? WHY MUST ALL OF THESE GUYS REST ON THE SAME DAY WHERE THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT GAME?????????
I don't get it. I don't get it! I just don't get it.
The Yankees lost 3-0. CC Sabathia labored, but he wasn't that bad. He allowed just 3 runs, and took the loss. Now people are all "Oh James Shields was AMAZING yesterday." Well okay he was good. But I'm sure that if the Yankees had their regular lineup, Shields wouldn't have been too amazing.
The Yankees don't play the pesky Rays again until September. And they play them 7 times that month. Hopefully, Joe Girardi will rest these guys BEFORE those games. Hopefully he'll send the best guys out onto the field those days.
Hopefully, he won't do anything worthy of him being called a Cro-Magnon moron ever again.
What the Bombers are All About
Yanks Even Series in Tampa Bay
Last night's game 2 win insured that the Yankees will leave Tampa Bay in first place where they belong. Ahh…that's so comforting. I didn't see game 1 of this series, and I'm glad I didn't. I would have gotten too angry that they lost 3-2 and got just 1 hit after the first inning. But I don't have to think about that, because game 2 had the desired results: Yankees win. It was another close game, but this time the Bombers came out on top 5-4.
Pitching Analysis: I'm so happy the trade deadline is over and Javier Vazquez is still on the team. I was afraid he would be dealt for someone like Jayson Werth. Thank GOD that didn't happen. Javy has had the lowest ERA of all Yankee starters since May 12. I hoped this trend of success would continue last night. Javy battled, but he was good. He gave up a few leads, but managed to limit the damage and keep the Rays from a big inning. Vazquez threw 6.1 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits.
The bullpen was absolutely FABULOUS last night. The combo of David Robertson and Boone Logan is proving to be very effective. It almost reminds me of the Philthies Coke and Hughes last year. These guys are the new bridge to Mariano – sorry Joba. And Chan Ho, I'm sorry you were DFA'd. I hope someone picks you up, just not the Yankees 🙂
Robertson and Logan did their jobs and got the ball to Mariano, who of course picked up his 22nd save of the season.
Offensive Analysis: The Yankees played catch-up all of last night. Curtis Granderson's sac fly in the 2nd tied the game at 1. In the 6th, the Yanks were down 3-1. Derek Jeter led off with a double, and Mark Teixeira hit an absolute BOMB for a 2-ruin homer to tie the game at 3.
The Yanks fell behind once again, and once again the home run gave them new life. Nick Swisher crushed a hanging curveball for a solo home run in the 7th, tieing the game at 4. The Yankees kept on fighting back. I didn't think it was possible for them to lose, but it seemed odd for them to win, because they never had the lead.
Swish, running with his head down after his home run…just like a good little Yankee 😉
In the 9th with the score tied, the Rays brought out their big All-Star closer, Rafael Soriano. Robinson Cano, who already had two doubles, stepped up to the plate with 1 out. He is SUCH a beast. Is there anyone this guy can't hit? He proved to me once again last night that he is a magical player. Robbie's home run off Soriano gave the Yankees their first lead of the night, 5-4. That was all they needed.
Thank you, Robbie ♥
What really annoyed me was in 6th inning when Matt Joyce hit a homer to give the Rays a 4-3 lead. He was SO obnoxous. He did the "drop" with his bat, and just stared at it before finally performing his home-run trot. He was really showing off, and it was uncalled for. He should have just put his head down and ran, because that homer meant nothing: they LOST. I mean, who does he think he is? He has 5 homers this year. And he's really tearing it up with a .230 batting average. Wow, he's good. He and the Rays are ridiculous. They think who they are. But who are they? They need to show some class out there on the field. They really are the opposite of the Yankees. The Bombers had 3 home runs last night, and you didn't see them showing off – even though Tex, Swish, and Cano are legit good players. No. They don't do that because it isn't right. The Yankees just drop the bat, put their heads down, and run. When they get back to the dugout, THEN they celebrate.
That's what the Yankees are all about: class. They are the best team, and they don't act obnoxious about it. Those pesky Rays aren't the best, so why do they act like that? The need to stop being so cocky, because they haven't proven anything yet. They didn't win anything.
The heroes for last night's Drama Club win are the new and IMPROVED bridge to Mariano, Mr. David Robertson and Mr. Boone Logan. You two are adorable, and you really make me proud. The other heroes are the 3 homer-boys from last night, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, and Robinson Cano. I'd like to thank you guys for your performance and behavior on the field. You make me proud in both respects.
I'd just like to welcome Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns, and Kerry Wood to the Yankees. Guys, you will love it here. The Yankees know how to win. Sorry that you have to shave your beards and cut your hair, but I don't think that's a big price to pay. You guys are Yankees!
Hello, Mr. Big Puma. You will love the Bronx Zoo 🙂
A Fun Night to be a Yankee Fan
Offense Explodes in Stress-Free Yankees Win
After a stressful 3-2 win in game 1 and a miserable 4-1 loss in game 2, I was ready for an easy game 3 against the Indians. My wish was granted, as the Yankees beat the Indians 8-0 last night in a relatively stress-free ballgame.
Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett was sharp once again last night. He made it look as easy as pie, minus the pie. He's saving that for the home games. He was so good, that I can't remember when he got into any jams. Did he? Nothing major. A.J. went 6.1 innings and didn't allow a run. He struckout 7, and lowered his ERA to a respectable 4.52. He looked cranky and mean, but the good kind of cranky and mean. Not the "I'm so mad that I suck so I'm going to punch a door and injure my hand" kind of mean. He had more of the "Here comes the pitch, here it is, hit it!" type of mean last night, which means that he was feeling good. And it showed on the mound last night as he earned himself his 9th win of the year.
That face means A.J. is on top of his game.
Even the bullpen did well last night. This game had very little stress involved. And even though the Yankees had a huge lead, I couldn't help but to be nervous when Joba Chamberlain came in to finish the 7th. But he actually did alright despite his balk. And Sergio Mitre, who will not be starting tonight, closed out the last 2 innings, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk, and striking out 3 along the way.
Defensive Analysis: Solid defense and a few great plays was the defensive recipe for success last night. On MLB Network's "Quick Pitch," they even showed some of the Yankee great plays from last night. Why am I mentioning this? Because it seems like that channel avoids the Yankees. On the Premier Plays segment, they featured 2 Yankees plays in a row. One was by A.J. Burnett, and the other was a beautiful sliding catch by Nick Swisher.
Is there anything this guy can't do?
Offensive Analysis: 8 runs, 13 hits, no home runs by Alex, but whatever. He wasn't too thrilled that he didn't get the big fly. In fact, he was quite disgusted.
LOLOLOLOLOL!!! A-Rod's cranky face is hilarious!
But A-Rod did enough last night to keep fans loving him. He went 2-5 with an RBI. In the 6th, he sent me into uncontrollable laughter. He led off the inning with a double, and on the slide into 2nd, there was a little malfunction on the diamond:
LOL! His face is priceless!
Oh, A-Rod…you are something else ♥
There was so much offense last night and so many Yankees contributed.
-Swish had an RBI single.
-Tex had a 2-run single and a double.
-A-Rod had that funny double and an RBI single.
-Cano had a double and a home run.
-Posada had a single.
-Granderson had a single and an RBI triple.
-Gardner had an RBI single and an RBI double.
-Cervelli had a single. The moment in this game that was the most stressful was when Cervelli was hit by a pitch in the elbow. Oh, how he screamed. Oh how I screamed! Poor Cervelli…he doesn't wear an elbow guard, so that must have hurt his sweet little elbow so much. He actually screamed before it hit him. Actually, I think it hurt me more than it hurt him. He was his smiley old self again right away 🙂
Cervelli-welli-jelli-belli and Brettiboo Gardner. Can these two possibly get any cuter?
The only one who wasn't invited to the hit party last night was the Captain. Poor Derek….Jeet was 0-5 last night and I'm sure he wasn't too happy about that.
Uh-oh…that looks like an A.J. Burnett cranky-face….and NOT the good kind!
Relax, Derek. Don't do anything silly. No need to be cranky.
Last night and it's 8-0 Yankee win was a fun night to be a Yankee fan for sure. Dominant pitching, solid defense, explosive offense, and a few laughs – what could be better?
After tonight's game, the Yankees head to Tampa for a crucial 3-game set with those pesky Rays. I hope those are fun games, too!


text:
There are many people worldwide who seem addicted to Facebook. Therefore, it is possible to reach large audiences through Facebook. It this appeals to you, keep reading the piece below.
Consider surfing Facebook as your company instead of yourself. When you're on your page, you have the opportunity to check out Facebook as the page itself. Do this and like pages which you think have a similar fan base, and then comment on those pages as well to get your name out to an expanded audience.
Do not wait too long in between posts, or you can risk your audience being swayed by another business owner. People these days have a need for loads of information. if they get that then they have to wait to receive anymore, they will become bored and impatient. Try post at least once every day or two.
When you want more people to Like your page, offer them something they can't get unless they click that Like button. One easy way to do this is by running a contest which only those who Like your page can enter. You could also offer a free ebook in return for a Like.
Use Facebook to share links to your site. You should try writing weekly articles or launching a video blog so you can create more content on a regular basis. Your audience will subscribe to your updates on Facebook if you create quality content. Make sure you mention your Facebook campaign in your articles or videos.
Make regular posts on your Facebook page. Setting up a page, putting in multiple posts on the first day, and then ignoring the page for the next several months will do nothing to improve your business. Set up a schedule for posting that meets your business's purpose for the Facebook page, and stick to it.
Use photos in every Facebook update that you do. People love looking at photos on Facebook. The more visual a post is, the better chance it has of actually becoming a bit viral. So don't let any opportunity to get visual pass you by, even if your trying to get a post out quickly. Take the time to make it visually great.
Keep your posts relevant. If you make kitchen appliances, everything you post about should have something to do with the kitchen. If you post too much about irrelevant things, the theme of your page will get lost and your bottom line could be affected as a result. It is important to stay on topic.
Create a group for your business. A page for your business allows your customers easy access to asking you questions. Additionally, others may answer posted question if you are unavailable. You can let your group know about special discounts, as well as other information that is useful to them. This is a good way to become acquainted with your customers.
In conclusion, all sorts of people use Facebook. You might be surprised how well Facebook marketing works to promote your product or service. Take the tips here to heart, and move forward with your plans.


text:
Since the world exists parents are raising their children according to certain family values transmitted from their own parents…the well-known process from generation to generation. These values are having a legacy status and because they are very resistant to change the present values are always compared to them.
Parents raise a child following an "old pattern" being extremely difficult for them to preview and to accept the future's values because of the major influence of the family values. By not being open they aren't doing any favor to their child. The child will not be prepared to face and to adjust to the future.
It's good to teach your children the family values especially today when values are less and less appreciated. Still the wonder persists…where does some of these values stop and become prejudices…?! The line between them is very subtle and it's easy to go beyond it. So it's necessary to draw a clear line so you as a parent or you as a child not to keep on living in a vicious circle.
The child who quietly accepts an education full of prejudices will easily passes to his kids the same family pattern, sentencing them to live in the past. When a child tries to make their parents understand the present values, their parents often consider this kind of attitude as disrespect and as an attempt to discredit them.
In fact each part, parent or child, is trying to defend their own values. Either parents or children become confused and disoriented if these beliefs, seen as a guide in life, disappear. It's natural to feel a certain fear facing up the unknown (in parent's case) and a need to find the values which define your own personality (in children's case). But…it's not normal to let some of the family's values become prejudices.
So…parents think twice if your family's values could be your own child's values before you "force" him to accept them! And…children help your parents understand your values in a diplomatic way! Adjust your values to life's changes and eliminate the prejudices! Prejudices only keep you from being yourself and from finding out who you are and what you can do in life. – Psychologist, Nicoleta Cramaruc


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