Watching this makes me feel confident that I can manage the dance routines I'm charged with in Putnam County Spelling Bee!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
I Spy A Couple Of Pi(e)s
I'm genetically conditioned to share this, I have no choice in the matter.
(Thanks Jonelle!)
(Thanks Jonelle!)
Taking Inventory: The Week In Thanks
Life's been good for a long stretch now, and I've been happy most of the time.
Still, I had this moment walking out of the office earlier this week when I felt unusually uplifted. It's hard to put a finger on quite what brought it on, but it's worth some reflection.
At the moment I have no major physical issues: the back and knees are behaving; my weight's where I like it to be; no cold/flu; the hardest part of capping a couple teeth is behind me.
Dena and I are having great times: took in a date night at the movies; about a half dozen daily kisses, hugs, and snuggles; some silly playful note-writing to each other; plenty of talk about our future.
Work has been satisfactory: keeping up with e-mail; a solid performance review; a dependable team; management that mostly leaves me alone; plenty of mentoring opportunities; tutoring has ramped up to levels that would allow me to retire from State Farm any day.
Family's in good shape: Jack and his girlfriend enjoying life on the beach; Mom's diabetes in remission, and sleeping well; Dad-in-law met his birth mother.
Vacation's on the way: a week in North Carolina in June; a week in California in October.
Theater's cruising along: opening night is less than two weeks away and rehearsals have been going well; the cast and staff have been fun company; several of us had lunch together last week.
Condo association is seeing more units starting to sell as the economy's been strengthening.
The church band did a great job last Sunday, and our harmonies were especially good.
Behind it all, there might just be an increasingly good filter developing in my mind against self-destructive behaviors. I dream more and fret less. Try to listen more and talk less. And maybe nothing is more important than the ability to let the bad little things go - and in reality almost every bad thing is little. Mistakes and burdens come and go, and the blessings are constantly there.
A promising week of 70+ temperatures ahead is a big help too!
Still, I had this moment walking out of the office earlier this week when I felt unusually uplifted. It's hard to put a finger on quite what brought it on, but it's worth some reflection.
At the moment I have no major physical issues: the back and knees are behaving; my weight's where I like it to be; no cold/flu; the hardest part of capping a couple teeth is behind me.
Dena and I are having great times: took in a date night at the movies; about a half dozen daily kisses, hugs, and snuggles; some silly playful note-writing to each other; plenty of talk about our future.
Work has been satisfactory: keeping up with e-mail; a solid performance review; a dependable team; management that mostly leaves me alone; plenty of mentoring opportunities; tutoring has ramped up to levels that would allow me to retire from State Farm any day.
Family's in good shape: Jack and his girlfriend enjoying life on the beach; Mom's diabetes in remission, and sleeping well; Dad-in-law met his birth mother.
Vacation's on the way: a week in North Carolina in June; a week in California in October.
Theater's cruising along: opening night is less than two weeks away and rehearsals have been going well; the cast and staff have been fun company; several of us had lunch together last week.
Condo association is seeing more units starting to sell as the economy's been strengthening.
The church band did a great job last Sunday, and our harmonies were especially good.
Behind it all, there might just be an increasingly good filter developing in my mind against self-destructive behaviors. I dream more and fret less. Try to listen more and talk less. And maybe nothing is more important than the ability to let the bad little things go - and in reality almost every bad thing is little. Mistakes and burdens come and go, and the blessings are constantly there.
A promising week of 70+ temperatures ahead is a big help too!
Spelling Bee: Speller Bios
Here are some possible descriptions for audience volunteer spellers in the Putnam County Spelling Bee:
Mr./Ms. So-and-so...
... recently stopped sleeping with his teddy bear Pinky.
... 's science fair project involved cats and tweezers.
... 's ringtone is the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard.
... enjoys finding new ways to slap people.
... farts when she yawns.
... learned the hard way that puppies don't bounce.
... resigned as class treasurer when he was caught loansharking.
... is a volunteer reader for the deaf.
... had a pet mouse until he got a pet snake.
... holds the school record for number of days absent due to fleas.
... is translating the Bible into Klingon.
... has cumulophobia, the fear of being crushed by clouds.
... has bozophobia, the fear of being hunted by clowns.
... 's hero is Spongebob Squarepants.
... 's entry at this year's 4-H fair caused organizers to discontinue the sheep-shearing category.
... 's stuttering problem was recently cured by electroshock therapy.
... was voted by classmates as Most Likely To Fall Down Stairs.
... gave up bathing for Lent.
... ate her twin brother in the womb.
... spends his summers making bricks.
... was just fired from volunteering at the blood bank.
... was banned from the zoo for hugging the monkeys.
... 's favorite food is weasel.
... passed her bicycle safety exam on her 4th try.
... drinks her medicine with a straw.
When Mr./Ms. So-and-so grows up...
... he wants to graduate high school, like his father.
... he wants to serve in the U.S. military as a mime.
Mr./Ms. So-and-so...
... recently stopped sleeping with his teddy bear Pinky.
... 's science fair project involved cats and tweezers.
... 's ringtone is the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard.
... enjoys finding new ways to slap people.
... farts when she yawns.
... learned the hard way that puppies don't bounce.
... resigned as class treasurer when he was caught loansharking.
... is a volunteer reader for the deaf.
... had a pet mouse until he got a pet snake.
... holds the school record for number of days absent due to fleas.
... is translating the Bible into Klingon.
... has cumulophobia, the fear of being crushed by clouds.
... has bozophobia, the fear of being hunted by clowns.
... 's hero is Spongebob Squarepants.
... 's entry at this year's 4-H fair caused organizers to discontinue the sheep-shearing category.
... 's stuttering problem was recently cured by electroshock therapy.
... was voted by classmates as Most Likely To Fall Down Stairs.
... gave up bathing for Lent.
... ate her twin brother in the womb.
... spends his summers making bricks.
... was just fired from volunteering at the blood bank.
... was banned from the zoo for hugging the monkeys.
... 's favorite food is weasel.
... passed her bicycle safety exam on her 4th try.
... drinks her medicine with a straw.
When Mr./Ms. So-and-so grows up...
... he wants to graduate high school, like his father.
... he wants to serve in the U.S. military as a mime.
4 Ways The American Worker Is Back
America’s workers are shaking off the effects of the
Great Recession and beginning to swagger again. While the official
unemployment rate remains high, Americans are feeling better about job
prospects as the housing recovery, booming car sales and record exports
build economic confidence. Here’s why:
1. Layoffs are dwindling and jobs are becoming easier to find. The number of people filing for unemployment benefits last week fell to the second-lowest level since 2008. The Labor Department reports that 14 Americans voluntarily left a job for another opportunity for every 10 who were laid off or fired – a level of labor-market strength that has returned to 2007 levels. The volume of advertised job openings is up 80% since the depths of the recession in 2009. As a result of this improved demand for workers, more than half of those answering a long-running survey said they believe it would be somewhat or very easy for them to find a new job if necessary.
2. In 2013, American workers will make more than 15 million new cars for the second straight year, returning auto production to its highest level since 2006. Ford Motor Co. last week reported record profits in North America, where the company’s leading Fusion and Escape models each enjoyed sales growth of 25% from a year earlier. Pent-up demand for cars, with more Americans working and able to afford new wheels, meant that Ford’s average selling price last quarter rose $1,000 to $32,784.
3. American workers are making more of what the rest of the world wants to buy. While the outsourcing of jobs overseas still gets headlines for politicians, the fact is that U.S. exports of goods and services last year reached a new high of almost $2.2 trillion last year, up 39% from 2009. The number of American jobs supported by exports of everything from wheat to machinery to software rose to 9.8 million last year, according to the Commerce Department, up 15% since 2009.
4. Before long, American labor will nearly eliminate China’s manufacturing-cost advantage by growing ever more productive and exploiting domestic energy and transportation resources. In a report titled “Made in America, Again,” researchers at the Boston Consulting Group determined that, by 2015, it will be just as economical to manufacture many goods destined for American consumers in the U.S. as producing them in China and shipping them here. This is both due to steady wage gains by Chinese labor and the fact that U.S. workers are so much more productive per hour of work. While total domestic manufacturing employment will never return to mid-20th century heights, expect to hear a lot more about “insourcing” of industrial jobs thanks to America’s burgeoning low-cost natural gas supplies and sophisticated transportation logistics.
1. Layoffs are dwindling and jobs are becoming easier to find. The number of people filing for unemployment benefits last week fell to the second-lowest level since 2008. The Labor Department reports that 14 Americans voluntarily left a job for another opportunity for every 10 who were laid off or fired – a level of labor-market strength that has returned to 2007 levels. The volume of advertised job openings is up 80% since the depths of the recession in 2009. As a result of this improved demand for workers, more than half of those answering a long-running survey said they believe it would be somewhat or very easy for them to find a new job if necessary.
2. In 2013, American workers will make more than 15 million new cars for the second straight year, returning auto production to its highest level since 2006. Ford Motor Co. last week reported record profits in North America, where the company’s leading Fusion and Escape models each enjoyed sales growth of 25% from a year earlier. Pent-up demand for cars, with more Americans working and able to afford new wheels, meant that Ford’s average selling price last quarter rose $1,000 to $32,784.
3. American workers are making more of what the rest of the world wants to buy. While the outsourcing of jobs overseas still gets headlines for politicians, the fact is that U.S. exports of goods and services last year reached a new high of almost $2.2 trillion last year, up 39% from 2009. The number of American jobs supported by exports of everything from wheat to machinery to software rose to 9.8 million last year, according to the Commerce Department, up 15% since 2009.
4. Before long, American labor will nearly eliminate China’s manufacturing-cost advantage by growing ever more productive and exploiting domestic energy and transportation resources. In a report titled “Made in America, Again,” researchers at the Boston Consulting Group determined that, by 2015, it will be just as economical to manufacture many goods destined for American consumers in the U.S. as producing them in China and shipping them here. This is both due to steady wage gains by Chinese labor and the fact that U.S. workers are so much more productive per hour of work. While total domestic manufacturing employment will never return to mid-20th century heights, expect to hear a lot more about “insourcing” of industrial jobs thanks to America’s burgeoning low-cost natural gas supplies and sophisticated transportation logistics.
9 Debatable Tips For Living Longer
By Anne Roderique-Jones of Yahoo! Shine:
Extend Your Life
"Stop drinking coffee and alcohol." "Take an aspirin daily." How many times have you heard that advice for adding years to your life? Turns out, lots of long-held wisdom just isn't true. Read on to see which suggestions you should ignore and what actually ups longevity. Photo by Getty Images.
1. Lay off the java.
You've probably read that multiple cups of coffee a day can be bad for you (jitter city), but research published in the New England Journal of Medicine may prove the opposite. Male and female participants who had two or three cups a day and didn't smoke were 10% and 13% less likely, respectively, to have died during the 14-year-long study than those who never or rarely drank coffee. Men and women who drank a single daily cup were 6% and 5% less likely, respectively, to pass away. According to the researchers, more cups mean a lower risk of stroke, diabetes and heart and respiratory disease. But watch the cream and sugar-extra fat and calories could negate any longevity benefits.
2. Get eight hours of sleep every night.
While research suggests snoozing fewer than six or more than nine hours a night raises your mortality risk, "everyone has different sleep needs," says Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. So if you wake naturally after only, say, six-and-a-half hours a night, forcing yourself to reach eight hours won't lengthen your life. To learn how much sleep you need, try awakening without an alarm for a week, if you can swing it. If you feel good and have enough energy most of the day, you've found your ideal amount of rest.
3. Lower your body mass index (BMI).
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, weighing a little more can lengthen your life span. Adults with a BMI that qualified them as overweight but not obese (that's between 25 and 29.9) were 6% less likely than all others in their age groups to die. While BMI isn't always an accurate measurement of a person's health risks, registered dietitian Jen Brewer, author of Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight, says if the extra weight comes from muscle mass, you're more likely to have lower cholesterol levels and a better ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol). It may also lower your risk for life-threatening heart disease, stroke and diabetes. And that's good for staying alive.
4. Don't worry, be happy.
Actually, being a glass-half-empty kind of person may keep you kicking longer. In a study published in Psychology and Aging, 65- to 96-year-olds who thought life would get worse outlived those who anticipated better days ahead. "Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," says lead author Frieder R. Lang, PhD, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to take health and safety precautions."
5. Take a daily aspirin.
Popping that pill can help you live longer by preventing heart attacks, strokes and even cancer-right? "If you're a healthy, 45-year-old female, it may not make a difference," says Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City. In fact, taking a daily aspirin can lead to bleeding, allergies and upset stomach. Ask your doctor if you can skip the pill, suggests Dr. Goldberg.
6. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Once believed to be the amount everyone needs for proper hydration, a longevity essential, a 2002 study from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH, debunked the 8X8 rule. As Dr. Goldberg explains, "there's no magic number of glasses," emphasizing it's more about getting fluids, not necessarily from straight-up H20. Herbal tea and juices are hydration helpers (though soda isn't), but fruits and vegetables (like celery and leafy greens) are an even healthier way to get your liquids.
7. Milk does the body good.
You're taught that drinking it by the glassful keeps bones healthy and prevents fatal injuries. Yet a 12-year-long Harvard study found that women who drink milk three times a day break more bones than women who drink less than one glass of milk per week. While lowfat dairy may agree with you, calcium is what's key for strong bones. You can get it from leafy greens, beans, vitamin D (sunshine!) and even lifting weights.
8. Cut out booze.
A daily glass of wine not only can help your heart but also add years to your life. University of Texas at Austin researchers found that moderate drinking, such as a small glass of wine (about four ounces) a day, reduces mortality among older and middle-aged adults. Dr. Goldberg says it's because heart disease is the leading killer of women, and wine is chockfull of antioxidants, which prevent serious sickness. So fill 'er up-without overflowing that glass.
9. Take a multivitamin.
Even though half of all adults pop one, the 2011 Iowa Women's Health Study found that women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone. Only calcium supplements are linked to a lower death risk, with 37% of users dying compared to 43% of nonusers in the study. Researchers' conclusion: Get the vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables, not capsules.
Extend Your Life
"Stop drinking coffee and alcohol." "Take an aspirin daily." How many times have you heard that advice for adding years to your life? Turns out, lots of long-held wisdom just isn't true. Read on to see which suggestions you should ignore and what actually ups longevity. Photo by Getty Images.
1. Lay off the java.
You've probably read that multiple cups of coffee a day can be bad for you (jitter city), but research published in the New England Journal of Medicine may prove the opposite. Male and female participants who had two or three cups a day and didn't smoke were 10% and 13% less likely, respectively, to have died during the 14-year-long study than those who never or rarely drank coffee. Men and women who drank a single daily cup were 6% and 5% less likely, respectively, to pass away. According to the researchers, more cups mean a lower risk of stroke, diabetes and heart and respiratory disease. But watch the cream and sugar-extra fat and calories could negate any longevity benefits.
2. Get eight hours of sleep every night.
While research suggests snoozing fewer than six or more than nine hours a night raises your mortality risk, "everyone has different sleep needs," says Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. So if you wake naturally after only, say, six-and-a-half hours a night, forcing yourself to reach eight hours won't lengthen your life. To learn how much sleep you need, try awakening without an alarm for a week, if you can swing it. If you feel good and have enough energy most of the day, you've found your ideal amount of rest.
3. Lower your body mass index (BMI).
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, weighing a little more can lengthen your life span. Adults with a BMI that qualified them as overweight but not obese (that's between 25 and 29.9) were 6% less likely than all others in their age groups to die. While BMI isn't always an accurate measurement of a person's health risks, registered dietitian Jen Brewer, author of Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight, says if the extra weight comes from muscle mass, you're more likely to have lower cholesterol levels and a better ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol). It may also lower your risk for life-threatening heart disease, stroke and diabetes. And that's good for staying alive.
4. Don't worry, be happy.
Actually, being a glass-half-empty kind of person may keep you kicking longer. In a study published in Psychology and Aging, 65- to 96-year-olds who thought life would get worse outlived those who anticipated better days ahead. "Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," says lead author Frieder R. Lang, PhD, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to take health and safety precautions."
5. Take a daily aspirin.
Popping that pill can help you live longer by preventing heart attacks, strokes and even cancer-right? "If you're a healthy, 45-year-old female, it may not make a difference," says Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City. In fact, taking a daily aspirin can lead to bleeding, allergies and upset stomach. Ask your doctor if you can skip the pill, suggests Dr. Goldberg.
6. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Once believed to be the amount everyone needs for proper hydration, a longevity essential, a 2002 study from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH, debunked the 8X8 rule. As Dr. Goldberg explains, "there's no magic number of glasses," emphasizing it's more about getting fluids, not necessarily from straight-up H20. Herbal tea and juices are hydration helpers (though soda isn't), but fruits and vegetables (like celery and leafy greens) are an even healthier way to get your liquids.
7. Milk does the body good.
You're taught that drinking it by the glassful keeps bones healthy and prevents fatal injuries. Yet a 12-year-long Harvard study found that women who drink milk three times a day break more bones than women who drink less than one glass of milk per week. While lowfat dairy may agree with you, calcium is what's key for strong bones. You can get it from leafy greens, beans, vitamin D (sunshine!) and even lifting weights.
8. Cut out booze.
A daily glass of wine not only can help your heart but also add years to your life. University of Texas at Austin researchers found that moderate drinking, such as a small glass of wine (about four ounces) a day, reduces mortality among older and middle-aged adults. Dr. Goldberg says it's because heart disease is the leading killer of women, and wine is chockfull of antioxidants, which prevent serious sickness. So fill 'er up-without overflowing that glass.
9. Take a multivitamin.
Even though half of all adults pop one, the 2011 Iowa Women's Health Study found that women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone. Only calcium supplements are linked to a lower death risk, with 37% of users dying compared to 43% of nonusers in the study. Researchers' conclusion: Get the vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables, not capsules.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Domo "Caption This!" Game
Mom, Dena and I just played a game called Domo "Caption This!"
You receive a picture, a choice of three words (pick one to use in the caption), and the requirement to come up with a caption. Best-voted caption gets a point. Most points wins. Simple!
#1: Domo holding blue snake. Words: bar, plumbing, argh!
J: Argh! I said I wanted a blueberry SHAKE! (Alternate: Hey I found what was jammed in the plumbing!)
D: In preparation of his upcoming plumbing exam, Domo mistakenly thinks "snaking the drain" requires an actual snake. (Argh! Moses never told me what to do with my staff when it turns into a snake.)
M: Argh! This blue plumbing thing won't work.
Winner: Mom
#2: Domo raising arm while looking down at red snake looking up at him. A bear with pink umbrella stands out of focus in background. Words: balls, hate, trash
J: I hate when these things bite my man parts! (Hey bear! Keep your white trash pets off my lawn!)
D: And then the snake said, "Domo, you don't have the balls to punch me!" (To impress little yellow bear, Domo starts talking trash to the snake.)
M: I hate yellow bears with pink umbrellas.
Winner: Dena
#3: Domo off-balance on one leg, with big box for television set covering his eyes. Japanese art decorates the nearby walls. Words: slinky, whopper, love.
J: I love being in Japan, but the hats suck. (Hey emperor, I call this dance the whopper; Ah, so, kamisan, this hat so slinky).
D: I love playing Japanese Pictionary! And I'd love it more if I didn't have this box on my head.
M: Sniff, sniff. Domo lost his slinky.
Winner: Joe
#4: Domo with green scarf wrapped around his mouth. Words: ah ha, dire, rear.
J: Ah ha! When I cover my mouth, then bugs stop flying in.
D: Domo had an "ah ha" moment when he realized his muffler was muffling his screams. (This scarf is doing wonders for my face, but my rear feels liek a block of ice!)
M: Yuck! Someone's been wearing this on their rear.
Winner: Mom
#5: Domo standing in snow with scarf wrapped around his face. In near view, out of focus, a blue snake protrudes from the snow straight up, with head reared back and mouth open. Words: stupid, stick, sneak.
J: Your screams are music to my ears, worthless stick. (I could watch you suffer all day, wretched stick; Bet I could sneak a stick down his throat.)
D: You know snake, you'd have better luck on the sneak attack if you didn't scream your head off.
M: That stupid stick is trying to sneak up on me.
Winner: Dena
#6: Domo on couch, with bowl of rice in one hand, chopsticks held aloft in the other, and rice grains scattered all about his face. Words: karate, dump, nail.
J: If you keep making fun of my eating disorder I'll dump this rice right down your cornhole. (My karate training has perfected my ability to aim; Quit laughing at me or I'll nail you to the wall with these chopsticks.)
D: After a hard day of karate, I always recharge with a tasty bowl of rice! Yum!
M: Domo's not eating in this dump again.
Winner: Joe
#7: Domo sits on floor with hands on floor at sides, and one leg raised in the air. Bunny sits on mat just behind him with arms crossed. Words: weight, fear, blind.
J: I hear your screams of fear but I am not putting the snakes back in the cage.
D: Fear the bunny, saith Domo.
M: I've gained so much weight that I can't get my foot in my mouth.
Winner: Mom
#8: Domo sits with a baseball-gloved hand raised, and a soccer ball balanced on his head. Words: shoulder, explosive, master.
J: I love to play but have yet to master the rules. (Throw me the ball or I'll detonate this explosive soccer grenade.)
D: Domo offends spectators in TWO sports with his explosive outbursts.
M: Hey dummy, I said put the ball on my shoulder.
Winner: Mom
#9: Domo stands in background, out-of-focus. Yellow bear in foreground is blowing petals off of a flower. Words: hole, crunch, chocolate.
J: Oh just yank the damn things off already, I'm under a time crunch here! (Hey little bear, I'll bet you taste like chocolate; Will you please quit blowing those flowers and get me out of this hole?)
D: Hey! Why don't you come over here and sample THIS chocolate?
M: Domo, it seems I've stepped on a chocolate bunny.
Winner: Joe
You receive a picture, a choice of three words (pick one to use in the caption), and the requirement to come up with a caption. Best-voted caption gets a point. Most points wins. Simple!
#1: Domo holding blue snake. Words: bar, plumbing, argh!
J: Argh! I said I wanted a blueberry SHAKE! (Alternate: Hey I found what was jammed in the plumbing!)
D: In preparation of his upcoming plumbing exam, Domo mistakenly thinks "snaking the drain" requires an actual snake. (Argh! Moses never told me what to do with my staff when it turns into a snake.)
M: Argh! This blue plumbing thing won't work.
Winner: Mom
#2: Domo raising arm while looking down at red snake looking up at him. A bear with pink umbrella stands out of focus in background. Words: balls, hate, trash
J: I hate when these things bite my man parts! (Hey bear! Keep your white trash pets off my lawn!)
D: And then the snake said, "Domo, you don't have the balls to punch me!" (To impress little yellow bear, Domo starts talking trash to the snake.)
M: I hate yellow bears with pink umbrellas.
Winner: Dena
#3: Domo off-balance on one leg, with big box for television set covering his eyes. Japanese art decorates the nearby walls. Words: slinky, whopper, love.
J: I love being in Japan, but the hats suck. (Hey emperor, I call this dance the whopper; Ah, so, kamisan, this hat so slinky).
D: I love playing Japanese Pictionary! And I'd love it more if I didn't have this box on my head.
M: Sniff, sniff. Domo lost his slinky.
Winner: Joe
#4: Domo with green scarf wrapped around his mouth. Words: ah ha, dire, rear.
J: Ah ha! When I cover my mouth, then bugs stop flying in.
D: Domo had an "ah ha" moment when he realized his muffler was muffling his screams. (This scarf is doing wonders for my face, but my rear feels liek a block of ice!)
M: Yuck! Someone's been wearing this on their rear.
Winner: Mom
#5: Domo standing in snow with scarf wrapped around his face. In near view, out of focus, a blue snake protrudes from the snow straight up, with head reared back and mouth open. Words: stupid, stick, sneak.
J: Your screams are music to my ears, worthless stick. (I could watch you suffer all day, wretched stick; Bet I could sneak a stick down his throat.)
D: You know snake, you'd have better luck on the sneak attack if you didn't scream your head off.
M: That stupid stick is trying to sneak up on me.
Winner: Dena
#6: Domo on couch, with bowl of rice in one hand, chopsticks held aloft in the other, and rice grains scattered all about his face. Words: karate, dump, nail.
J: If you keep making fun of my eating disorder I'll dump this rice right down your cornhole. (My karate training has perfected my ability to aim; Quit laughing at me or I'll nail you to the wall with these chopsticks.)
D: After a hard day of karate, I always recharge with a tasty bowl of rice! Yum!
M: Domo's not eating in this dump again.
Winner: Joe
#7: Domo sits on floor with hands on floor at sides, and one leg raised in the air. Bunny sits on mat just behind him with arms crossed. Words: weight, fear, blind.
J: I hear your screams of fear but I am not putting the snakes back in the cage.
D: Fear the bunny, saith Domo.
M: I've gained so much weight that I can't get my foot in my mouth.
Winner: Mom
#8: Domo sits with a baseball-gloved hand raised, and a soccer ball balanced on his head. Words: shoulder, explosive, master.
J: I love to play but have yet to master the rules. (Throw me the ball or I'll detonate this explosive soccer grenade.)
D: Domo offends spectators in TWO sports with his explosive outbursts.
M: Hey dummy, I said put the ball on my shoulder.
Winner: Mom
#9: Domo stands in background, out-of-focus. Yellow bear in foreground is blowing petals off of a flower. Words: hole, crunch, chocolate.
J: Oh just yank the damn things off already, I'm under a time crunch here! (Hey little bear, I'll bet you taste like chocolate; Will you please quit blowing those flowers and get me out of this hole?)
D: Hey! Why don't you come over here and sample THIS chocolate?
M: Domo, it seems I've stepped on a chocolate bunny.
Winner: Joe
Friday, April 26, 2013
Make Your Days Count
Thanks to Dave for the reference:
“Count your days and make your days count.”
- Andy Stanley
- Andy Stanley
Karen
Dub’s job is to train the best in the world to be even better. As a
master trainer, she trains Olympic athletes to compete on the world’s
greatest athletic stage. Her goal is to see top athletes maximize their
gifts and opportunities so that they will experience the thrill of
victory and not the agony of defeat. She wants every Olympic competitor
to make his or her performance count.
Have an unrelenting sense of urgency. One of the athletes she trained is a pent-athlete named Suzanne Stettinius who made Team USA for the 2012 Olympics. Within days of making the team, she was relocated to the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the OTC, every aspect of the athlete’s life is mapped out. They control the food they eat, the sleep they get, the training they do and even the thoughts they think. As Suzanne first entered the world-class weight room, she saw a quote hanging above the door, “Enter these doors with an unrelenting sense of urgency.” The best athletes in the world seem to understand that the window for this opportunity is closing and everyone in the building is focused on helping the competitors maximize their gift.
Count your days and make your days count. We are told in Psalm 90:12 to “number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Life is a vapor. Even though some days feel very long, almost like they will never end, the reality is that the years are short. Time does fly. We have long day but short years. Our window of opportunity to make a difference in this world for others is closing. So what will we do to make our days count?
Have an unrelenting sense of urgency. One of the athletes she trained is a pent-athlete named Suzanne Stettinius who made Team USA for the 2012 Olympics. Within days of making the team, she was relocated to the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the OTC, every aspect of the athlete’s life is mapped out. They control the food they eat, the sleep they get, the training they do and even the thoughts they think. As Suzanne first entered the world-class weight room, she saw a quote hanging above the door, “Enter these doors with an unrelenting sense of urgency.” The best athletes in the world seem to understand that the window for this opportunity is closing and everyone in the building is focused on helping the competitors maximize their gift.
Count your days and make your days count. We are told in Psalm 90:12 to “number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Life is a vapor. Even though some days feel very long, almost like they will never end, the reality is that the years are short. Time does fly. We have long day but short years. Our window of opportunity to make a difference in this world for others is closing. So what will we do to make our days count?
“So
be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are
wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” – Ephesians 5:15
Big opportunities require big responsibility.
In Luke 12:48, we are reminded that from those who are given much, much
is required. When we are blessed with a lot, we must be even more
responsible with what we do with it. We are not blessed just for us, but
for others. There are people that are counting on us. Will you see
opportunities and seize the day?
Maximize your gift, no matter what size of the gift. The idea of maximizing your gift is not jus for elite athletes; it’s for all of us. As a lacrosse coach for 13-year-old boys, this principle applies just as much! We are creating an environment and expectation that they have God-given potential to be maximized, both on and off the field. The size of the gift, potential or opportunity doesn’t matter. Often times, we make our days count the most by doing the little things behind the scenes. It’s in the small acts of kindness and words of encouragement. It’s in the everyday generosity when we give to those who have need.
Make your days. Remember that life is short and approach each day and every opportunity with an unrelenting sense of urgency to make a difference. Whether you have a lot or a little, do a lot with it! Maximize your gift and make your days count!
Take Action:
Maximize your gift, no matter what size of the gift. The idea of maximizing your gift is not jus for elite athletes; it’s for all of us. As a lacrosse coach for 13-year-old boys, this principle applies just as much! We are creating an environment and expectation that they have God-given potential to be maximized, both on and off the field. The size of the gift, potential or opportunity doesn’t matter. Often times, we make our days count the most by doing the little things behind the scenes. It’s in the small acts of kindness and words of encouragement. It’s in the everyday generosity when we give to those who have need.
Make your days. Remember that life is short and approach each day and every opportunity with an unrelenting sense of urgency to make a difference. Whether you have a lot or a little, do a lot with it! Maximize your gift and make your days count!
Take Action:
1. How are you living? Are you living with a sense of urgency to make a difference or are you going through the motions?
2. When have you felt like the days would never end, but the years were flying by?
3. What are the most important gifts or opportunities you have been given? Are you maximizing them?
4. What one thing will you do to make your day count?
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Hidden Blog Reaches 100,000 Page Views
It's always an honor to watch the Blogger page-view tracker cross another milestone.
As of a few minutes ago Hidden Blog has been viewed over 100,000 times by people other than me.
Hopefully these last 70 months of 50+ posts have lit up a few smiles along the way.
How this private journal has grown into a resource for hundreds is known only to God.
Have a great day and many more!
As of a few minutes ago Hidden Blog has been viewed over 100,000 times by people other than me.
Hopefully these last 70 months of 50+ posts have lit up a few smiles along the way.
How this private journal has grown into a resource for hundreds is known only to God.
Have a great day and many more!
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Publicity Photo
Coming soon (May 10-26, to be exact) to a Community Players Theatre near you.
http://www.communityplayers.org/
Featuring Brian Artman as William Barfee, Kallie Bundy as Olive Ostrovsky, Aimee Kerber as Rona Lisa Peretti, and me as Douglas Panch.
http://www.communityplayers.org/
Featuring Brian Artman as William Barfee, Kallie Bundy as Olive Ostrovsky, Aimee Kerber as Rona Lisa Peretti, and me as Douglas Panch.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Photo Of Boston Cop's Act Of Kindness Goes Viral
During Friday's intense manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Watertown,
Mass., when the city of Boston was on lockdown, a Brookline police
officer delivered milk to a family with a baby.
And like many random acts of kindness seen in the wake the marathon bombings, the photo—posted to Facebook by the family—went viral, thanks in part to a tweet from the Boston Police Department:
During the lockdown, the boy's grandmother, who was visiting from Colorado, left the house to ask the officer if he could grab some milk for the young couple.
“It just meant the world that he literally went out and got two gallons of milk," McKenzie Wells, the boy's mother, told Today.com. “We wanted to pay him, but he wouldn’t take money from us. He was just so generous."
The photo has been shared more than 100,000 times.
And like many random acts of kindness seen in the wake the marathon bombings, the photo—posted to Facebook by the family—went viral, thanks in part to a tweet from the Boston Police Department:
BPD Officer delivers milk to a family with young children in Watertown during the lockdown.Kevin Wells, the father, took the photo of the officer, John Bradley, as he arrived carrying two gallons of milk for Holden, Wells' 17-month-old son.
During the lockdown, the boy's grandmother, who was visiting from Colorado, left the house to ask the officer if he could grab some milk for the young couple.
“It just meant the world that he literally went out and got two gallons of milk," McKenzie Wells, the boy's mother, told Today.com. “We wanted to pay him, but he wouldn’t take money from us. He was just so generous."
The photo has been shared more than 100,000 times.
Coach Tom Thibodeau The Bulls' MVP
NEW YORK – Outside the visiting locker room, Tom Thibodeau limped to a
stop, leaned against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment. He could
see everything unfolding again on Monday night – waves and waves of
resistance, brilliant tactical execution and an enormous investment of
belief and bravado out of these Chicago Bulls.
Hours after the humiliation of a Game 1 obliteration, Thibodeau gathered these Bulls on Sunday morning for one of his blistering sermons from the pulpit. He challenged the Bulls with the fiercest of ferocity, and the crooked smile washing over his face late Monday night reflected the resounding response of his locker room.
As circumstances go, the Bulls' 90-82 victory over the Nets was one of Thibs' masterpieces, a Mona Lisa born of a crushing Game 1 loss, a beaten and broken-down roster getting buried in an avalanche of criticism and overnight obits. Some were so sure that Thibodeau had pushed these Bulls too hard, too far and they had nothing left for the playoffs.
For now, the MVP of these Bulls remains the rumpled, defensive visionary on the bench.
"Most guys, from Patrick Ewing to Yao [Ming] to [Kevin] Garnett, they want to be coached," Thibodeau told Yahoo! Sports. "They want to be pushed. In all my years in this, one thing has never changed: You win with serious, tough-minded players. That never changes.
"That's the challenge now. Things are changing in the game. …Things are different. When you're putting a team together, I think of what [Bill] Belichick said: 'You're not collecting talent, you're building a team.' "
As it turns out, Thibodeau is the rarest commodity in the NBA: an indisputable difference-maker on the bench. This is a players' league, but Thibodeau is easily the most underpaid commodity in the NBA. At $4 million per year, the big-market Bulls never need to go deep into luxury tax, because Thibodeau will find a way to win with almost whatever they give him. That's a blessing and a curse for him, because someday Thibodeau and Derrick Rose will demand more out of owner Jerry Reinsdorf. For now, Rose needs to get on the floor again before they can ever chase a championship.
For Thibodeau, this was always the plan, always the reason he chose here.
Three years ago, he turned down the Nets and New Orleans Hornets to wait on the chance to interview for the Bulls job. He had gone into his 50s without a head coaching offer – years and years, rejection upon rejection – but he gambled everything that he could to get a chance to coach Chicago's superstar, Rose.
With a torn ACL and a full year of rehabilitation, Rose still isn't playing for these Bulls. He practices hard. He works up a lather shooting before the game. Yet, Chicago is resigned to the reality that Rose will not play this season. The Nets have a far superior roster and payroll, but there was Deron Williams gobbled up within that trapping, swarming Bulls defense.
The Bulls constructed a shell around the basket and forced the Nets to shoot over them. It was a disaster for Brooklyn. On one leg, with plantar fasciitis, Joakim Noah was the personification of these unselfish, unyielding Bulls. Seventeen of 19 Nets' shots missed in the third quarter. Williams missed eight of nine for the game. These Bulls, they come and take everything away.
"People always talk about going on offensive runs," Thibodeau said. "But you can go on defensive
runs, too."
The Bulls started a defensive run three years ago here, and it doesn't matter that they've lost Rose for the year, doesn't matter this roster is so flawed and frugally thrown together. Nevertheless, the Bulls beat the Nets for Nazr Mohammad late in free agency, signed him for the 13th and final roster spot, and Mohammad saved them in Game 2.
All along, that was the story of Thibodeau's coaching career. He reached the Eastern Conference finals with the NBA MVP two years ago. Now, Thibodeau's threatening to reach the conference semifinals with Rose never playing a minute in the season.
The Miami Heat want no part of the pain that the Bulls will inflict on them in the next round, no part of how hard they'll hit them, how hard they'll challenge them. The Heat will win the series, but they know what's coming out of Chicago, and it isn't pleasant.
This was true for the Bulls, too, on Sunday morning, when Thibodeau stood on his bully pulpit and challenged them to the core. They had abandoned every principle that he had ever instilled within them on Saturday night, and people wondered whether maybe they were too beat-up, too limited, to withstand these Nets.
Looking back, it turned out to be pure mythology. Looking back, Thibodeau had the Nets where he wanted them. This was a genius, virtuoso performance out of the Bulls, and Thibodeau stood in the hallway and shrugged his shoulders late Monday. "Hey," he said. "Guys want to be coached. I don't think that ever changes. They want you to give them a plan, and give them a chance to have success."
Hours after the humiliation of a Game 1 obliteration, Thibodeau gathered these Bulls on Sunday morning for one of his blistering sermons from the pulpit. He challenged the Bulls with the fiercest of ferocity, and the crooked smile washing over his face late Monday night reflected the resounding response of his locker room.
As circumstances go, the Bulls' 90-82 victory over the Nets was one of Thibs' masterpieces, a Mona Lisa born of a crushing Game 1 loss, a beaten and broken-down roster getting buried in an avalanche of criticism and overnight obits. Some were so sure that Thibodeau had pushed these Bulls too hard, too far and they had nothing left for the playoffs.
For now, the MVP of these Bulls remains the rumpled, defensive visionary on the bench.
"Most guys, from Patrick Ewing to Yao [Ming] to [Kevin] Garnett, they want to be coached," Thibodeau told Yahoo! Sports. "They want to be pushed. In all my years in this, one thing has never changed: You win with serious, tough-minded players. That never changes.
"That's the challenge now. Things are changing in the game. …Things are different. When you're putting a team together, I think of what [Bill] Belichick said: 'You're not collecting talent, you're building a team.' "
As it turns out, Thibodeau is the rarest commodity in the NBA: an indisputable difference-maker on the bench. This is a players' league, but Thibodeau is easily the most underpaid commodity in the NBA. At $4 million per year, the big-market Bulls never need to go deep into luxury tax, because Thibodeau will find a way to win with almost whatever they give him. That's a blessing and a curse for him, because someday Thibodeau and Derrick Rose will demand more out of owner Jerry Reinsdorf. For now, Rose needs to get on the floor again before they can ever chase a championship.
For Thibodeau, this was always the plan, always the reason he chose here.
Three years ago, he turned down the Nets and New Orleans Hornets to wait on the chance to interview for the Bulls job. He had gone into his 50s without a head coaching offer – years and years, rejection upon rejection – but he gambled everything that he could to get a chance to coach Chicago's superstar, Rose.
With a torn ACL and a full year of rehabilitation, Rose still isn't playing for these Bulls. He practices hard. He works up a lather shooting before the game. Yet, Chicago is resigned to the reality that Rose will not play this season. The Nets have a far superior roster and payroll, but there was Deron Williams gobbled up within that trapping, swarming Bulls defense.
The Bulls constructed a shell around the basket and forced the Nets to shoot over them. It was a disaster for Brooklyn. On one leg, with plantar fasciitis, Joakim Noah was the personification of these unselfish, unyielding Bulls. Seventeen of 19 Nets' shots missed in the third quarter. Williams missed eight of nine for the game. These Bulls, they come and take everything away.
"People always talk about going on offensive runs," Thibodeau said. "But you can go on defensive
runs, too."
The Bulls started a defensive run three years ago here, and it doesn't matter that they've lost Rose for the year, doesn't matter this roster is so flawed and frugally thrown together. Nevertheless, the Bulls beat the Nets for Nazr Mohammad late in free agency, signed him for the 13th and final roster spot, and Mohammad saved them in Game 2.
Thibodeau
couldn't stop talking about him in the hallway, about how Mohammed kept
practicing hard, kept preparing, even when the minutes weren't coming
this season. "And the guys who take shortcuts, who aren't ready, they
fail when their opportunity comes," Thibodeau said.
All along, that was the story of Thibodeau's coaching career. He reached the Eastern Conference finals with the NBA MVP two years ago. Now, Thibodeau's threatening to reach the conference semifinals with Rose never playing a minute in the season.
The Miami Heat want no part of the pain that the Bulls will inflict on them in the next round, no part of how hard they'll hit them, how hard they'll challenge them. The Heat will win the series, but they know what's coming out of Chicago, and it isn't pleasant.
This was true for the Bulls, too, on Sunday morning, when Thibodeau stood on his bully pulpit and challenged them to the core. They had abandoned every principle that he had ever instilled within them on Saturday night, and people wondered whether maybe they were too beat-up, too limited, to withstand these Nets.
Looking back, it turned out to be pure mythology. Looking back, Thibodeau had the Nets where he wanted them. This was a genius, virtuoso performance out of the Bulls, and Thibodeau stood in the hallway and shrugged his shoulders late Monday. "Hey," he said. "Guys want to be coached. I don't think that ever changes. They want you to give them a plan, and give them a chance to have success."
In the ultimate players' league, Tom Thibodeau, the rumpled, sleepless
55-year-old who wondered if he'd ever get this shot, was on his way back
to Chicago 1-1, back from the brink again.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Religion Versus Faith
Found this nugget in an article recently:
An "agnostic" is someone who doesn't believe that God exists, but isn't certain that God doesn't exist either.
And also:
"I wasn't born Catholic. I inherited my religion from my parents. It's too easy, even as an adult, to mistake who you are for who others expect you to be. [My friend] challenged me to think - rationally - about my place in the universe. More importantly, he taught me that a man must be brave enough to think for himself."
It got me to thinking that I'm not agnostic. I believe in God, because I believe that creation around us is real (versus some sensory delusion that exists in our minds), and also I have no logical answer for how creation - or the very essence of time - began. At some point there was nothing, and then something came to be. If we could go back far enough in time, then we could witness it and know for sure. Meanwhile, I credit this to God.
Oh, sure, there may be many gods, or no god. But I choose to believe in one God. And I really like this creation around us. It's mostly pain-free, pleasing to the eye, social, inspirational and fun. So I believe in a loving God.
This belief of mine, in the absence of proof, is what I'd call my faith (and is laid out more elegantly in the right navigational bar here on Hidden Blog). And I suppose any faith could be classified as a religion, even if it belongs only to me. But I distinguish the two because, so far, I have yet to find a mainstream religion that embraces the faith that I do. I suppose it's mostly because of my reluctance to embrace the stories of prophets and miracles as unquestionable historical fact, as well as the idea that any particular future path is known with much of any certainty (except by God). This probably points out with some truth that my "faith" is narrow, limited to the high-likelihood unknowns such as the sun rising tomorrow, and the basic goodness of people. My belief is tied mostly to what I see in action or reason with my mind, rather than to what I see on a page or hear from others.
It may be shallow or selfish, my identifying God with the here and now rather than the hereafter, and with life's enjoyment rather than suffering. My support of almost any person's beliefs or biology, as God made them. What I can say is that my personal peace and happiness with God and others has steadily increased since I discontinued membership in religious organizations, and became devoted instead to surrounding myself with people who embody the best virtues this world has to offer so far as I see it - patience, kindness, love, gentleness, humility and so on. However long it lasts, I'll be forever grateful to God for this period of tranquility.
An "agnostic" is someone who doesn't believe that God exists, but isn't certain that God doesn't exist either.
And also:
"I wasn't born Catholic. I inherited my religion from my parents. It's too easy, even as an adult, to mistake who you are for who others expect you to be. [My friend] challenged me to think - rationally - about my place in the universe. More importantly, he taught me that a man must be brave enough to think for himself."
It got me to thinking that I'm not agnostic. I believe in God, because I believe that creation around us is real (versus some sensory delusion that exists in our minds), and also I have no logical answer for how creation - or the very essence of time - began. At some point there was nothing, and then something came to be. If we could go back far enough in time, then we could witness it and know for sure. Meanwhile, I credit this to God.
Oh, sure, there may be many gods, or no god. But I choose to believe in one God. And I really like this creation around us. It's mostly pain-free, pleasing to the eye, social, inspirational and fun. So I believe in a loving God.
This belief of mine, in the absence of proof, is what I'd call my faith (and is laid out more elegantly in the right navigational bar here on Hidden Blog). And I suppose any faith could be classified as a religion, even if it belongs only to me. But I distinguish the two because, so far, I have yet to find a mainstream religion that embraces the faith that I do. I suppose it's mostly because of my reluctance to embrace the stories of prophets and miracles as unquestionable historical fact, as well as the idea that any particular future path is known with much of any certainty (except by God). This probably points out with some truth that my "faith" is narrow, limited to the high-likelihood unknowns such as the sun rising tomorrow, and the basic goodness of people. My belief is tied mostly to what I see in action or reason with my mind, rather than to what I see on a page or hear from others.
It may be shallow or selfish, my identifying God with the here and now rather than the hereafter, and with life's enjoyment rather than suffering. My support of almost any person's beliefs or biology, as God made them. What I can say is that my personal peace and happiness with God and others has steadily increased since I discontinued membership in religious organizations, and became devoted instead to surrounding myself with people who embody the best virtues this world has to offer so far as I see it - patience, kindness, love, gentleness, humility and so on. However long it lasts, I'll be forever grateful to God for this period of tranquility.
Turning Over A New (Be)lief
"My mind-set coming in was, I'm gonna have to be highly organized and firm in my beliefs. Because when you've got a building that's used to being a certain way for so long - I knew change wouldn't be easy. I had to have a plan and a way to implement my plan." - Reggie McKenzie, general manager of the Oakland Raiders, losers of 11 games in an NFL-record seven straight seasons
Whether it's a billion-dollar corporation or our own lives... a set of beliefs and a plan can go a long way to rebuilding a successful future from an unfortunate state!
Whether it's a billion-dollar corporation or our own lives... a set of beliefs and a plan can go a long way to rebuilding a successful future from an unfortunate state!
Drillings, Fillings, And Reasons To Smile: The Week In Thanks
It's been a couple of weeks since the last thankfulness post, and I do feel it. The chance to sit down and semi-actively reflect on the blessings of days past helps push the energy reset button for the upcoming week.
For starters, I'm two teeth lighter these days. Sitting in a dentist's chair for three hours gave me several reasons to be glad:
That dental insurance is giving me this chance to overcome the ill-fated decisions of my youth when one visit as a child discovered nine cavities.
That my dentist of 19 years and his hygienist are very interesting to talk to (or more accurately, listen to); history buffs, easy-going, kind, good story-tellers.
That anesthetic works so well. It's no fun to watch hypodermic needles repeatedly plunged into one's mouth (and then again, mid-operation), but it sure beats the painful sensation of drills vibrating wildly against exposed root nerves. I am a huge fan of science!
We had a baby shower dinner with the basketball coaches last night. It was a reminder of how supportive, considerate and funny of a group this is. I was especially glad that Dena had a fantastic time, her first real chance to interact with the coaches wives in a casual setting.
It was fun to audition to sing the national anthem for the local semi-pro baseball team. I like my chances, and have to point out that although I rarely read the Pantagraph, the article announcing it caught my eye during the two minutes I was glancing through it, for the first time in months. So it was one of those seemingly-divinely-fated experiences. The type which may not in and of itself amount to much, but somehow may introduce me to other people or experiences.
Work had some moments of external crises and tense e-mail conversations, but in the end the storm raged harmlessly by. It made me grateful for the many times I've been through these situations, and the ability to learn to keep calm with faith that things will work out for the best.
I got the chance to provide a job shadow for a friend of a friend, a talented woman aspiring to build an actuarial career. Opportunities like this nurture the teacher in me and prove to be the highlights of my work day. Earlier I received some unexpected praise from management about the satisfaction of the employees that I help supervise. Those small moments of feeling excellent in this job help keep it tolerable, not to mention the consistently outstanding work that continues to roll in from the members of my team. My unit is filled with remarkably humble people, the kind that are easy to support.
This week set a record for most tutoring hours - thirteen in all, which has me well on the way toward the goal of 150 hours for the year. God continues to deliver students to me, as well as the mathematical and teaching ability to help them considerably. It may be the strongest vocational calling I've ever felt.
The Spelling Bee play is moving along far ahead of the director's expectations. They'd be the last to credit themselves, but the staff has done a wonderful job of balancing direction and encouragement to explore things creatively as actors. Not to mention their choice of cast members. I may have to do separate posts just to point out how much of an impression they each make on me. No divas here, just talented, friendly, funny, hard-working, creative people who find something new to add color to the show with each passing day.
I'm glad that sis-in-law Dona is back in the blogosphere after a sabbatical.
I'm glad that Sean and Jennifer Stevens had a healthy baby boy, and for the resulting chance to step in and fill their spot in the church band until they're ready to return.
Dena is excited about a possible change of work schedule, and also to have a new connection to a web site that ought to boost her professional network. She picked up a new client in the process. We have also been enjoying Netflix reruns of Saturday Night Live episode by episode, and still have about twenty years to catch up on! It's like being kids in a candy store. Or for those of us with increasingly artificial teeth, kids in a fruit stand.
The week ahead looks breezy and spring-like. Hopefully it's a breeze for you too.
For starters, I'm two teeth lighter these days. Sitting in a dentist's chair for three hours gave me several reasons to be glad:
That dental insurance is giving me this chance to overcome the ill-fated decisions of my youth when one visit as a child discovered nine cavities.
That my dentist of 19 years and his hygienist are very interesting to talk to (or more accurately, listen to); history buffs, easy-going, kind, good story-tellers.
That anesthetic works so well. It's no fun to watch hypodermic needles repeatedly plunged into one's mouth (and then again, mid-operation), but it sure beats the painful sensation of drills vibrating wildly against exposed root nerves. I am a huge fan of science!
We had a baby shower dinner with the basketball coaches last night. It was a reminder of how supportive, considerate and funny of a group this is. I was especially glad that Dena had a fantastic time, her first real chance to interact with the coaches wives in a casual setting.
It was fun to audition to sing the national anthem for the local semi-pro baseball team. I like my chances, and have to point out that although I rarely read the Pantagraph, the article announcing it caught my eye during the two minutes I was glancing through it, for the first time in months. So it was one of those seemingly-divinely-fated experiences. The type which may not in and of itself amount to much, but somehow may introduce me to other people or experiences.
Work had some moments of external crises and tense e-mail conversations, but in the end the storm raged harmlessly by. It made me grateful for the many times I've been through these situations, and the ability to learn to keep calm with faith that things will work out for the best.
I got the chance to provide a job shadow for a friend of a friend, a talented woman aspiring to build an actuarial career. Opportunities like this nurture the teacher in me and prove to be the highlights of my work day. Earlier I received some unexpected praise from management about the satisfaction of the employees that I help supervise. Those small moments of feeling excellent in this job help keep it tolerable, not to mention the consistently outstanding work that continues to roll in from the members of my team. My unit is filled with remarkably humble people, the kind that are easy to support.
This week set a record for most tutoring hours - thirteen in all, which has me well on the way toward the goal of 150 hours for the year. God continues to deliver students to me, as well as the mathematical and teaching ability to help them considerably. It may be the strongest vocational calling I've ever felt.
The Spelling Bee play is moving along far ahead of the director's expectations. They'd be the last to credit themselves, but the staff has done a wonderful job of balancing direction and encouragement to explore things creatively as actors. Not to mention their choice of cast members. I may have to do separate posts just to point out how much of an impression they each make on me. No divas here, just talented, friendly, funny, hard-working, creative people who find something new to add color to the show with each passing day.
I'm glad that sis-in-law Dona is back in the blogosphere after a sabbatical.
I'm glad that Sean and Jennifer Stevens had a healthy baby boy, and for the resulting chance to step in and fill their spot in the church band until they're ready to return.
Dena is excited about a possible change of work schedule, and also to have a new connection to a web site that ought to boost her professional network. She picked up a new client in the process. We have also been enjoying Netflix reruns of Saturday Night Live episode by episode, and still have about twenty years to catch up on! It's like being kids in a candy store. Or for those of us with increasingly artificial teeth, kids in a fruit stand.
The week ahead looks breezy and spring-like. Hopefully it's a breeze for you too.
Pantagraph Gives McDonald Chance To Highlight Epiphany Catholic Church, Community Players Theatre
NORMAL - From inside the Corn Crib’s team store, Mary Kaye Bennett’s voice carried a familiar tune.
The Bloomington resident effortlessly belted out the national anthem as part of an audition to perform during the upcoming Normal CornBelters season.
Dozens auditioned Saturday. Those who missed it can still enter by submitting a video or audio recording this week to the Corn Crib office in Normal. In audio or video performances, “The Star-Spangled Banner” must be sung in 1 minute and 45 seconds because of game-day time constraints.
Jeff Holtke, end-game entertainment coordinator, said the team will have 52 home games in Normal and his goal is to book a local talent for each one. He plans to make decisions on performers within a few weeks, he said. The CornBelters’ first home game is May 21 against the Windy City Thunderbolts.
“In the past they’ve used video recordings and I’m trying to get away from that,” said Holtke, taking a break from the audition Saturday. “This is a chance for getting a performance by someone in the community.”
For Bennett, singing has been part of her life since childhood when she performed at church functions and as part of a duet with her sister. But lately, she hasn’t been able to take part in her hobby, she said. The CornBelters’ tryout was her attempt at getting back to a passion, she said.
“Music has always been a release, a natural extension of what we’re feeling,” Bennett, said after her tryout session. “It’s a comfort.”
Addie Ramirez, 13, of Saybrook also was among those who tried out. If she gets a chance to perform at the start of a game, it would be the biggest crowd, she said.
Her mother, Dawn Ramirez, watched as she performed and offered encouragement.
“Good for you for trying,” said Ramirez to her daughter.
Joe McDonald of Normal said he currently performs as part of a band at Epiphany Catholic Church in Normal and he is part of a play that kicks off next month at Community Players Theatre. Saturday was the first time he tried out to sing the national anthem as a solo performance, he said.
“I always enjoy the chance to entertain people,” McDonald said. “It’s a great honor.”
The Bloomington resident effortlessly belted out the national anthem as part of an audition to perform during the upcoming Normal CornBelters season.
Dozens auditioned Saturday. Those who missed it can still enter by submitting a video or audio recording this week to the Corn Crib office in Normal. In audio or video performances, “The Star-Spangled Banner” must be sung in 1 minute and 45 seconds because of game-day time constraints.
Jeff Holtke, end-game entertainment coordinator, said the team will have 52 home games in Normal and his goal is to book a local talent for each one. He plans to make decisions on performers within a few weeks, he said. The CornBelters’ first home game is May 21 against the Windy City Thunderbolts.
“In the past they’ve used video recordings and I’m trying to get away from that,” said Holtke, taking a break from the audition Saturday. “This is a chance for getting a performance by someone in the community.”
For Bennett, singing has been part of her life since childhood when she performed at church functions and as part of a duet with her sister. But lately, she hasn’t been able to take part in her hobby, she said. The CornBelters’ tryout was her attempt at getting back to a passion, she said.
“Music has always been a release, a natural extension of what we’re feeling,” Bennett, said after her tryout session. “It’s a comfort.”
Addie Ramirez, 13, of Saybrook also was among those who tried out. If she gets a chance to perform at the start of a game, it would be the biggest crowd, she said.
Her mother, Dawn Ramirez, watched as she performed and offered encouragement.
“Good for you for trying,” said Ramirez to her daughter.
Joe McDonald of Normal said he currently performs as part of a band at Epiphany Catholic Church in Normal and he is part of a play that kicks off next month at Community Players Theatre. Saturday was the first time he tried out to sing the national anthem as a solo performance, he said.
“I always enjoy the chance to entertain people,” McDonald said. “It’s a great honor.”
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Bus Stop Dancing Queen
A great day to come across this (thanks Jonelle) while waiting for a dentist appointment early on a gray Wednesday morning!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Tutoring Quote Of The Day
Aw! This came in through the Wyzant tutoring site, but I also added it to my personal business site:
bntutor.com
"Joe is VERY SMART! He knows exactly what I'm doing in class without having to look at the book most of the time. Also, he can explain it better than my professor. Not only does he know his stuff, but he is very welcoming to any last minute changes in my schedule, or meeting at later times if necessary. He is VERY VERY accommodating to my schedule. Joe will go to whatever location you desire. I couldn't have picked a better person to work with! He makes you feel so comfortable, I even talk to him about personal life. It seems like he's a part of my family in a way. I could have not asked for a better person to work with! I will definitely be recommending Joe to ALL of my friends struggling in Math!"
bntutor.com
"Joe is VERY SMART! He knows exactly what I'm doing in class without having to look at the book most of the time. Also, he can explain it better than my professor. Not only does he know his stuff, but he is very welcoming to any last minute changes in my schedule, or meeting at later times if necessary. He is VERY VERY accommodating to my schedule. Joe will go to whatever location you desire. I couldn't have picked a better person to work with! He makes you feel so comfortable, I even talk to him about personal life. It seems like he's a part of my family in a way. I could have not asked for a better person to work with! I will definitely be recommending Joe to ALL of my friends struggling in Math!"
Qualities That Make Women Unhappy - And How To Fix Them
Men's Health surveys and other research ranked the top three qualities in men that create the most unhappiness in women:
1. Temper
2. Poor listening skills
3. Bad memory
The three most uplifting qualities?
1. Sense of humor
2. Intelligence
3. Smile
So the next time you're spouting off, replace this:
"I can't find a damn thing in this kitchen!"
with something like
"It's a sherpa's paradise in here!"
1. Temper
2. Poor listening skills
3. Bad memory
The three most uplifting qualities?
1. Sense of humor
2. Intelligence
3. Smile
So the next time you're spouting off, replace this:
"I can't find a damn thing in this kitchen!"
with something like
"It's a sherpa's paradise in here!"
Anti-Bad-Mood Tips
From Men's Health.
When you're stressed: Force a smile. Even fake smiles have a physiologically positive impact on the body which, for example in a study, allowed subjects to withstand plunging their hands into ice cold water with less anxiety and lower heart rates. The corners of your mouth have great influence on the rest of your body!
When you're bummed: Take a short 5 minute walk. Where I work, that's one lap around the atrium.
When you're angry: Listen to mellow or classical music. People who listened to aggressive music generally became more angry, studies showed.
When you're stressed: Force a smile. Even fake smiles have a physiologically positive impact on the body which, for example in a study, allowed subjects to withstand plunging their hands into ice cold water with less anxiety and lower heart rates. The corners of your mouth have great influence on the rest of your body!
When you're bummed: Take a short 5 minute walk. Where I work, that's one lap around the atrium.
When you're angry: Listen to mellow or classical music. People who listened to aggressive music generally became more angry, studies showed.
Nobody Cares. Celebrate!
A Cornell study had participants wear dorky T-shirts and guess how many people noticed. They overestimated - by double the actual number. Point is, people are about half as interested in you as you think they are.
As a teenager I worried about facial acne on a regular basis. Nowadays I'm around teenagers and can say that I rarely notice it, even though it's there. I'm more drawn to the way they carry themselves, what they say, how they treat others. It may help that I no longer have facial acne.
As an adult I suppose I've worried too much about how others think of me. In 25 years I'll probably look back and note that what really matters is the way I think of myself, and the way I think of others. Why not get a head start?
As a teenager I worried about facial acne on a regular basis. Nowadays I'm around teenagers and can say that I rarely notice it, even though it's there. I'm more drawn to the way they carry themselves, what they say, how they treat others. It may help that I no longer have facial acne.
As an adult I suppose I've worried too much about how others think of me. In 25 years I'll probably look back and note that what really matters is the way I think of myself, and the way I think of others. Why not get a head start?
Seize-The-Opportunity Blueprint
They say that success comes from laying the groundwork, preparing thoroughly, and then let it all go and own the moment.
This weekend I found myself leading a few hundred Catholics in worship music on an emergency basis. There were a few places where I found myself a little shaky, subbing as I was. Then it came to mind that I'd sung these songs a hundred times in the shower, perfectly every time. So I closed my eyes, pretended that I was in the shower, and the words flowed easily.
Preparing for the Spelling Bee play is comparable. Repetition a hundred times before opening night will put it on autopilot and allow me to be more spontaneous when entertaining the patrons.
Fun times ahead...
This weekend I found myself leading a few hundred Catholics in worship music on an emergency basis. There were a few places where I found myself a little shaky, subbing as I was. Then it came to mind that I'd sung these songs a hundred times in the shower, perfectly every time. So I closed my eyes, pretended that I was in the shower, and the words flowed easily.
Preparing for the Spelling Bee play is comparable. Repetition a hundred times before opening night will put it on autopilot and allow me to be more spontaneous when entertaining the patrons.
Fun times ahead...
Smarter Sipping
On average, people gain 3 pounds every 4 years. And what you drink has an impact on this rate:
Water: -0.3 pounds
Coffee: -0.3
Diet drinks: -0.2
Tea: -0.1
Milk: 0.1
Fruit juices: 0.5
Sugary drinks: 0.8
Water: -0.3 pounds
Coffee: -0.3
Diet drinks: -0.2
Tea: -0.1
Milk: 0.1
Fruit juices: 0.5
Sugary drinks: 0.8
Reducing Eye Strain: The 20-20-20 Rule
Experts say: To reduce eye strain, glance up from your laptop, desktop or device once every 20 minutes and look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This relaxes your accommodation, the process by which your eye muscles adjust to maintain focus.
And I say: While you're at it, why not picture something exciting in your future? This relaxes your asphyxiation, the process by which your job slowly suffocates you.
And I say: While you're at it, why not picture something exciting in your future? This relaxes your asphyxiation, the process by which your job slowly suffocates you.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Movie Review: 42
Dena and I caught the based-on-a-true-story movie about Jackie Robinson, the first black player in major league baseball.
Like many sports-themed movies, it's not primarily about baseball. At least not the game of baseball; the all-white culture of baseball and the segregation of America toward "colored" people was a fierce barrier to break. Leading the charge was Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey (played by Harrison Ford), who sheltered him figuratively and literally. The story of hardened personalities being turned (and in the background, the Dodgers making it to the World Series), and children being inspired by the man who turned a blind eye to drawersful of death threats, is a classic one.
If you like orchestra music you'd be hard-pressed to find one with more volume. Yes, it was a little campy in places, but if the point is to walk out of the theater feeling a fresh and happy perspective on life and the victory of the human spirit, you'll have found the right place.
Like many sports-themed movies, it's not primarily about baseball. At least not the game of baseball; the all-white culture of baseball and the segregation of America toward "colored" people was a fierce barrier to break. Leading the charge was Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey (played by Harrison Ford), who sheltered him figuratively and literally. The story of hardened personalities being turned (and in the background, the Dodgers making it to the World Series), and children being inspired by the man who turned a blind eye to drawersful of death threats, is a classic one.
If you like orchestra music you'd be hard-pressed to find one with more volume. Yes, it was a little campy in places, but if the point is to walk out of the theater feeling a fresh and happy perspective on life and the victory of the human spirit, you'll have found the right place.
Becoming The Person You Were Meant To Be
"Be ready to give up at any moment what you are for what you might become." - Royal Holmes
I look back at my most dismal memories, and see how they grew out of a desire to impress others. I suppose there's nothing quite like continual self-examination and adjustment to evolve into a person who brings joy to all around him. It's more like an accumulation of moments than a single one, but each is singularly important. Each day and conversation brings new opportunity.
I look back at my most dismal memories, and see how they grew out of a desire to impress others. I suppose there's nothing quite like continual self-examination and adjustment to evolve into a person who brings joy to all around him. It's more like an accumulation of moments than a single one, but each is singularly important. Each day and conversation brings new opportunity.
Gift Of The Past
I read that one gift of the past is that it gives us the chance to reject it.
"People say 'You can't stop cold turkey, you can't do this, you can't do that.' You get sick of it enough, you can." - Royal Holmes, reformed murderer, now a youth ambassador
I do believe that people can change their lives dramatically for the better if they shake off the mistakes of the past, and in some cases, to determine never to repeat them.
Trial and error has been a great life teacher. I look forward to making more, and coming out better for them.
"People say 'You can't stop cold turkey, you can't do this, you can't do that.' You get sick of it enough, you can." - Royal Holmes, reformed murderer, now a youth ambassador
I do believe that people can change their lives dramatically for the better if they shake off the mistakes of the past, and in some cases, to determine never to repeat them.
Trial and error has been a great life teacher. I look forward to making more, and coming out better for them.
Late Night Snacking To Better Health
New research suggests that snacking before bed (one of the events I look forward to every day) can lead to bigger muscles and faster metabolism:
1. Consuming milk 30 minutes before bedtime, and after an evening workout, led to increased protein synthesis in men according to a Netherlands study.
2. Men who consumed a 150 calorie snack of protein or carbohydrates before bed had a higher resting metabolic rate in the morning than those who ate nothing, according to Florida State University researchers.
3. Another lab concluded that having a snack before bed resulted in higher satiety the between meals the next day.
4. Wayne University found that people who at cereal before bed lost more weight than those who ate other foods - an extra 1.5 pounds over a 4 week period.
1. Consuming milk 30 minutes before bedtime, and after an evening workout, led to increased protein synthesis in men according to a Netherlands study.
2. Men who consumed a 150 calorie snack of protein or carbohydrates before bed had a higher resting metabolic rate in the morning than those who ate nothing, according to Florida State University researchers.
3. Another lab concluded that having a snack before bed resulted in higher satiety the between meals the next day.
4. Wayne University found that people who at cereal before bed lost more weight than those who ate other foods - an extra 1.5 pounds over a 4 week period.
What Event(s) Changed Your Life?
It's a question that was suggested as a conversation starter at a party. Pretty deep, in my opinion.
Here are memorable ones for me:
1. My parents gave me the choice to spend the summer after my high school freshman year either working, or playing basketball. I chose basketball, got much better, played it for another 25 years, and coach it. I also learned how much improvement could happen through disciplined work.
2. I was exhausted and ready for bed around 2 a.m. one weekday morning of my freshman year of college. I'd just finished a major project for an economics class, or so I thought... then I realized that I'd made a key mistake that would require a lot of re-work. Sleep or work? I chose to work, got an A in that class, and the momentum carried for four years, and then into a 20-year career.
3. A co-worker made a remark that stirred some ego inside of me. I was tempted to spout off something that would make me feel important, but only momentarily. I fought the urge immediately, and then suppressed it for the rest of the work day. Learning to be quiet is a major development need for me.
Resisting weakness, pursuing strength physically and mentally has led to a wonderful life.
Here are memorable ones for me:
1. My parents gave me the choice to spend the summer after my high school freshman year either working, or playing basketball. I chose basketball, got much better, played it for another 25 years, and coach it. I also learned how much improvement could happen through disciplined work.
2. I was exhausted and ready for bed around 2 a.m. one weekday morning of my freshman year of college. I'd just finished a major project for an economics class, or so I thought... then I realized that I'd made a key mistake that would require a lot of re-work. Sleep or work? I chose to work, got an A in that class, and the momentum carried for four years, and then into a 20-year career.
3. A co-worker made a remark that stirred some ego inside of me. I was tempted to spout off something that would make me feel important, but only momentarily. I fought the urge immediately, and then suppressed it for the rest of the work day. Learning to be quiet is a major development need for me.
Resisting weakness, pursuing strength physically and mentally has led to a wonderful life.
Having The Guts To Wait It Out
They say that it's best to wait an hour between a meal and a workout. That allows the body to digest food efficiently, and the exercise strengthens the system without diverting blood flow to the muscles while digestion is still in full gear.
5 Things That Happy Couples Do
Surveys showed that couples were very happy that did these five things:
1. Laugh with their partners.
2. Kiss their partners outside of the bedroom.
3. Go out on a date.
4. Kiss passionately.
5. Take a romantic vacation.
1. Laugh with their partners.
2. Kiss their partners outside of the bedroom.
3. Go out on a date.
4. Kiss passionately.
5. Take a romantic vacation.
Rubbing Her The Right Way
A survey of couples revealed that 74% of the happiest ones either gave or received back rubs.
What are we waiting for?
What are we waiting for?
Peeking At The Beautiful Side
"Life is what you make of it - why not make it beautiful?"
I've got a dental appointment on Wednesday that will involve needles going into my upper and lower gums, drills boring into my bone, and my jaws being wrenched open for hours.
That image started to seep into my mind on Saturday night, and with it some discomfort.
Then I realized that what was really happening is to replace some old damaged teeth with modern, sturdy, better ones.
And things were back to their sunny usual.
I've got a dental appointment on Wednesday that will involve needles going into my upper and lower gums, drills boring into my bone, and my jaws being wrenched open for hours.
That image started to seep into my mind on Saturday night, and with it some discomfort.
Then I realized that what was really happening is to replace some old damaged teeth with modern, sturdy, better ones.
And things were back to their sunny usual.
Seeing The Best
"I always prefer to believe the best of everybody; it saves so much trouble." - Rudyard Kipling
Steady Gaze
"Embrace the strange shaking. It's not the rope. It's you." - Mylene Dressler
They say that when crossing a tightrope one should think of it as a slack rope. When it bends, simply bend the knees in response. Don't look down, look forward, trust the flexibility. Things will be better if you can relax under pressure.
They say that when crossing a tightrope one should think of it as a slack rope. When it bends, simply bend the knees in response. Don't look down, look forward, trust the flexibility. Things will be better if you can relax under pressure.
PositiveAtmosphere.com
A Facebook friend alerted me to this site. I signed up!
http://positiveatmosphere.com/profile/JoeMcDonald?v=871983347&refresh=1
http://positiveatmosphere.com/profile/JoeMcDonald?v=871983347&refresh=1
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Zicam Ad
I'm an unpaid spokesperson for Zicam cold remedy spray.
I'm a busy man. Co-worker, actor, husband, teacher, coach, blogger, musician. I don't have time for a throat tickle to get me down.
Just 4 little spritzes into the 4 walls of the mouth every 4 hours while symptoms persist. Why let a runny nose run your life when you need to be on the run?
Zicam. It keeps your game on and your jammies off.
I'm a busy man. Co-worker, actor, husband, teacher, coach, blogger, musician. I don't have time for a throat tickle to get me down.
Just 4 little spritzes into the 4 walls of the mouth every 4 hours while symptoms persist. Why let a runny nose run your life when you need to be on the run?
Zicam. It keeps your game on and your jammies off.
15 Years Of Marriage Go By In A Blur
The camera settings weren't awesome, but the company sure was.
We belatedly celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary by returning to the restaurant that catered our wedding, Mona's in Toluca. As far as you can tell, we haven't aged a bit!
We belatedly celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary by returning to the restaurant that catered our wedding, Mona's in Toluca. As far as you can tell, we haven't aged a bit!
Magic Number
It was time to dust off the camera.
Every day when we descend to our living room there's this reminder of the date that it all started 15 years ago:
Every day when we descend to our living room there's this reminder of the date that it all started 15 years ago:
Little Bro Birthday
He turned 38 yesterday! And went out for a nice, juicy steak with the commissioner of our fantasy baseball league. Who's also his roomie and girlfriend. Ain't California living the bomb.
Happy birthday Jack!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Chicago Cubs Could Surprise This Year
By Jon Terbush (note: I waited until after April Fool's Day to post this!):
Last season, the Chicago Cubs lost 101 games, the first time in almost 50 years that the franchise surpassed the century mark in losses. This year, though, should be a much different story.
According to Baseball Prospectus' pre-season projections, the Cubs will win 78 games this year, a 17-win improvement over last year's total. Those projections obviously carry a significant amount of guesswork and have a high margin of error, but they're grounded in hard evidence. Furthermore, while playoff baseball at Wrigley still seems farfetched at this point, a number of low-risk offseason moves and the continued development of talented young players have the Cubs poised for a significant turnaround.
For one thing, the Cubs' pitching rotation is, at least on paper, surprisingly good this year. The team finished with the third-worst ERA in the National League last year, but has since brought in a number of dependable replacements to address that glaring problem.
Over the winter, the Cubs signed Scott Feldman, Carlos Villanueva, and former All-Star Edwin Jackson. Though those players are not among the game's best, they're all reliably decent — and even, at times, fairly good. That's especially the case with Jackson, who pitched a no-hitter two years ago for Arizona.
Those new hires join a rotation that already included the intimidating duo of Matt Garza and Jeff Samardzija. According to one projection from the stat experts at Fangraphs, the Cubs new-look rotation could be one of the ten best in the league this year, a revelation that was even a "big surprise" to the site's Dave Cameron.
Here's Cameron digging into that projection:
The Cubs' lineup is far less encouraging, though it's not without promise. The offense boasts a dynamic young tandem of 23-year-olds in first baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro, who made his first All-Star Game appearance last year.
Rizzo is widely expected to become an All-Star-caliber player himself. Despite playing the first half of last year in the minors, he hit 15 home runs after being called up to the pros. Expectations are even higher now, and he's being hailed as the cornerstone of the franchise's rebuilding project.
Of course, the team could flop miserably. The Cubs scored the third-fewest runs in baseball last year, so even a big improvement there may not be enough to get the team out of the cellar.
Further, they're are deep in a rebuilding phase under new team president Theo Epstein. If the Cubs find themselves far from contention come mid-season, they could part out their better pieces for more talented prospects. Last year, they shipped staff ace Ryan Dempster to Texas at the trade deadline. Garza, if he returns to form, could go the same way this year, leaving a hole in what was supposed to be their biggest strength.
The Cubs almost certainly won't go from worst to first this year. However, they've quietly put together a team that is "headed in the right direction, with a vastly improved farm system and a promising young core in place," according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Chen.
And wouldn't you know it, on Monday the Cubs opened their season with a win.
Last season, the Chicago Cubs lost 101 games, the first time in almost 50 years that the franchise surpassed the century mark in losses. This year, though, should be a much different story.
According to Baseball Prospectus' pre-season projections, the Cubs will win 78 games this year, a 17-win improvement over last year's total. Those projections obviously carry a significant amount of guesswork and have a high margin of error, but they're grounded in hard evidence. Furthermore, while playoff baseball at Wrigley still seems farfetched at this point, a number of low-risk offseason moves and the continued development of talented young players have the Cubs poised for a significant turnaround.
For one thing, the Cubs' pitching rotation is, at least on paper, surprisingly good this year. The team finished with the third-worst ERA in the National League last year, but has since brought in a number of dependable replacements to address that glaring problem.
Over the winter, the Cubs signed Scott Feldman, Carlos Villanueva, and former All-Star Edwin Jackson. Though those players are not among the game's best, they're all reliably decent — and even, at times, fairly good. That's especially the case with Jackson, who pitched a no-hitter two years ago for Arizona.
Those new hires join a rotation that already included the intimidating duo of Matt Garza and Jeff Samardzija. According to one projection from the stat experts at Fangraphs, the Cubs new-look rotation could be one of the ten best in the league this year, a revelation that was even a "big surprise" to the site's Dave Cameron.
Here's Cameron digging into that projection:
Samardzija/Jackson/Garza give
the team three guys who can miss bats at the front of the rotation, at
least when Garza eventually gets healthy anyway, and the front office
did a nice job assembling a collection of underrated guys to fill out
the last few spots in the rotation over the winter. [Fangraphs]
The Cubs' lineup is far less encouraging, though it's not without promise. The offense boasts a dynamic young tandem of 23-year-olds in first baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro, who made his first All-Star Game appearance last year.
Rizzo is widely expected to become an All-Star-caliber player himself. Despite playing the first half of last year in the minors, he hit 15 home runs after being called up to the pros. Expectations are even higher now, and he's being hailed as the cornerstone of the franchise's rebuilding project.
Of course, the team could flop miserably. The Cubs scored the third-fewest runs in baseball last year, so even a big improvement there may not be enough to get the team out of the cellar.
Further, they're are deep in a rebuilding phase under new team president Theo Epstein. If the Cubs find themselves far from contention come mid-season, they could part out their better pieces for more talented prospects. Last year, they shipped staff ace Ryan Dempster to Texas at the trade deadline. Garza, if he returns to form, could go the same way this year, leaving a hole in what was supposed to be their biggest strength.
The Cubs almost certainly won't go from worst to first this year. However, they've quietly put together a team that is "headed in the right direction, with a vastly improved farm system and a promising young core in place," according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Chen.
And wouldn't you know it, on Monday the Cubs opened their season with a win.
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