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Red Sox Report: Sox Highlight ASG Voting, Young Goes on DL
June 22, 2016 June 26, 2016 Andrew Roberts Uncategorized
Welcome to the start of my weekly Red Sox column. This week was an interesting week. We started the week with losses in which we struggled with RISP. Something was off with our lineup, whether it was injuries or just a bad night. Speaking of injuries, we've also seen Travis Shaw (who's back) and Chris Young go down. We also will look at Brock Holt and Ryan Hanigan's rehab. Lastly, the ASG Voting ends in 7 days, and there's a lot of good news for the Red Sox. Let's dig in to this week's top stories and I'll tell you what I think.
Brock Holt and Ryan Hanigan Working Their Way Back
Both Brock Holt and Ryan Hanigan have began rehab assignments. Holt was cleared on Monday for rehab and has been in the Triple-A-Pawtucket lineup. Holt is 5 for 15 in Pawtucket so far, and was held back due to being ejected on Thursday night for arguing balls and strikes. He was originally expected back at the end of this past week but may need a few more rehab games now. Hanigan has went 2-9 in 3 games at DH. He will not be ready to play catcher until later this week. Holt and Hanigan have been missed, especially with Chris Young and Blake Swihart also nowhere near rehab for their injuries.
Young to DL, Bryce Brentz Up
Chris Young was placed on the 15 day disabled list following Thursday's game with a pulled hamstring. Bryce Brentz was called up from Pawtucket. Until now, Brentz did not have much MLB experience, just a few games at the end of the 2014 season, but this time, Brentz has performed a little better, including 2 nice saves in the outfield before getting creamed by the Rangers offense last night. Personally though, I don't think Bryce Brentz should've been the one called up. Brentz has been in our system for a few years now, and besides during injuries or in September, he has not been called upon. This is because he hasn't been able to prove that he tops other players. Sure, we don't have many other options right now. Rusney Castillo escaped the waiver wire after going unclaimed, but his inconsistency clearly isn't worth the money and he was optioned outright to Pawtucket. What about Andrew Benintendi? I know, they don't want to rush him but why not give him a try? He is a highly anticipated prospect who as actually made progress, especially more than Bryce Brentz. I may be wrong if Brentz keeps this up, but as of right, I would give top prospect Benintendi a chance.
Big Decision Awaits at Catcher
With Ryan Hanigan inching towards his return, the Red Sox have a big decision. A month ago, this discussion would be off the table. Is Sandy Leon going to stay in the majors. Leon has hit over .500 after hitting under .200 for the rest of his career. Leon suddenly is a catcher that you want pinch-hitting every other day he doesn't start. The Red Sox can either keep Hanigan down (not likely), send Leon down and give up on him, or keep 3 catchers on the roster and send a reliever or bench player down. I think keeping 3 catchers is the right way to go. They need the bench depth, and they can option an unnecessary 8th reliever down. Leon has put up stellar numbers at the plate, and it would be helpful to have him pinch hit for Vazquez and Hanigan, who would switch off starting.
Four Red Sox Bats Could Make ASG Starting Lineup
The Red Sox lineup has been hot all year. Whether it's Big Papi showing flashes of greatness, the Killer B's working their 5-tool abilities on opposing pitchers or an unexpected player having a strong night, there's always someone active in this overpowered lineup. Right now, Jackie Bradley Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and David Ortiz look to be in line to earn an All Star Game start. Each player has an average above .290, Ortiz leads the league in RBI, Bogaerts has one of the top averages in the league, and Ortiz, JBJ and Betts have a combined 47 dingers, each of them with at least 13. Bradley and Bogaerts are the top 2 players in hitting streaks this season, and Betts and Papi also had hitting streaks 8 games or greater at one point or another. The Red Sox could be in for a big All Star Game, and it's well deserved. There are 5 days left to vote, so Red Sox fans still have a chance to maintain this or make it better.
Kelly To Return As Reliever and other Rotation News
When Joe Kelly returns from his groin injury, it may be as a reliever. Kelly was sent down to Pawtucket after a terrible start, and injured his groin in his first start there! Kelly's recovery is going slowly, but he could be in line to return to the major league level. He hasn't done anything yet to prove he's worth another start, but the Red Sox are lacking bullpen depth, and Kelly could be the guy to help, as he has proven to be decent in short periods of time. Meanwhile, the 5th spot has been occupied by Clay Buchholz. Roenis Elias did terrible in the one chance he got, so Buchholz had his chance to prove himself once again. Buchholz was shaky last week, but will get another chance today. The Red Sox could look for an elite pitcher after a June Swoon. They have shown interest in Julio Teheran, but do they have the prospects to give? They may be willing to let go of a top prospect, as even David Price, Steven Wright and E-Rod have had rough times.
That's all for my column this week. Do you ant more Red Sox analysis? Check out my game recaps, and coming soon, I will have a Red Sox Trade Deadline Preview.
American Ninja Warrior: OKC Qualifier Tough For Many
Welcome to the start of my weekly American Ninja Warrior column. I know, I know, I started late, but this is something new I'm trying, and I just want to experiment with it and try something new. Well, let's get started with some of last night's best runs.
Obstacles:
Floating Steps
Ring Swing
Log Runner
Tire Swing
Bar Hop
Warped Wall
New Faces Thrive
Nate Burkhalter came in with a ton of enthusiasm and it paid off! He was the first person to get past the Bar Hop and finish the course, and finished the course in under 3 minutes! This guy was waiting in the walk-on line for 2 years, and he got it done. The rookie even had the audience chanting, "Go, Nate" after a stellar performance on the Tire Swing, a puzzling obstacle that ended the night for many. I'm looking forward to seeing him take on the city finals.
Kyle Mendoza, known as the Fedex Ninja, not only is one of Fedex's fastest delivery guys, but finished the course with a Top 5 time. He also has parkour videos that have thousands of views. Despite getting stuck at the Ring Swing and Bar Hop's dismounts, Mendoza flew through the course like Tarzan, and did 3 flips at different points in the course to top off his performance.
Artis Thompson III had an inspiring story. He lost his leg in a motorcycle accident, and his brother died in one! But he proved that adversity does not mean that you are weak. The crowd went crazy for this guy as he dominated the course, until he became the Tire Swing's next victim.
Brian Beckstrand is known for his 40 obstacle course in his backyard, and all that backyard training paid off. His whole family is obsessed with the show, and training is a family affair. A father of five kids, Beckstrand managed to finish the course. Guess all that backyard training with his family did pay off.
Allison Toepperwein may have finished last on the course, but she showed many that Parkinson's Disease can be overcome. She had plenty of fans, and inspired many with the disease.
Veteran Returns
Sam Sann had a good run going, but was a victim of the Tire Swing. Unfortunately, the 49 year old veteran, one of the oldest people to make it up the Warped Wall did not make it to the city finals.
Jon Stewart, another older ninja, looked sharp as ever after losing 2015 to an injury on the other hand. The 54-year old finished in 13th place of 15 finishers. This is amazing considering Stewart was the oldest on the course last night. I'm a big fan of him.
Thomas Stillings flew through a complicated course and in less than 2 minutes! He made it to Stage 2 last year, but right now he looks like a candidate to be the third person ever to become an American Ninja Warrior. He had funny looking genie pants that were like good luck to him, and it worked.
Daniel Gil was ready to conquer the course as a vet for the first time, and he ended up looking like one. The 23 year old was just seconds away from the top time of the night, and had an amazing, efficient and quick run through the course. He was in good hands, Sam Sann was his training partner, and he's done amazing things as well.
Brent Steffensen looked like he did in 2012, when he made it to Stage 3. He flew through the course's first four obstacles, then came Bar Hop. He lost it on the Bar Hop, but still managed to make the finals in 22nd place. I think this could be Brent Steffensen's year to bounce back to dominance. He hasn't done anything near what he did in Season 4 recently, and it's time. But meanwhile…
Surprising Fails
Kacy Catanzaro was ready to return to her 2014 form, but a recent break-up with fellow training partner Brent Steffensen has held her back. Catanzaro got stuck on the Log Runner, and she will not be at the Oklahoma City Finals.
Lance Pekus was coming off a record-breaking season. The Cowboy Ninja had a lot of anticipation coming into the course. However, on the log runner, he got stuck on the last one, and ended up missing the dismount and falling in the water. Pekus will not be in the city finals and hopes to bounce back next year.
Run Of The Night
I'm sorry, but this has to go to Daniel Gil. The second year ninja was just seconds away from the top run of the night, and was so nimble that he looked like he had just became the first American Ninja Warrior and won the prize. This guy is on to something, and if he keeps it up, he could be the next Isaac Caldiero, Brian Arnold or Brent Steffensen. Could Gil follow Isaac Calidero and Geoff Britten's 2015 footsteps?
Next week, we will see ninja legends Joe Moravsky, Geoff Britten, Jamie Rahn and Michelle Warnky in the Philly qualifier? Who will thrive and who will fail, next week, on American Ninja Warrior?
Explosive Lineup Leads Red Sox to Rout Twins
June 12, 2016 June 12, 2016 Andrew Roberts Game Recaps, MLB, Red Sox, Uncategorized	Big Papi, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Brandon Kintzler, Buddy Boshers, Byron Buxton, Chris Young, Clay Buchholz, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, E-Rod, Eduardo Nunez, Eduardo Rodriguez, Hanley, Hanley Ramirez, Jackie Bradley Jr., JBJ, Kurt Suzuki, Kyle Gibson, Max Kepler, Minnesota, Minnesota Twins, MLB, Mookie Betts, Red Sox, Sandy Leon, Sox, Travis Shaw, Twins, Xander Bogaerts
Yes, the lineup helped, but in a way, the Twins beat themselves up. Throughout the game, especially in the late innings, the Red Sox scored some cheap runs because the Twins were doing what they do best, absolutely blowing the game for themselves. The Red Sox started the game by scoring 4 first inning runs. Mookie Betts reached on an infield single, and was driven all the way home by a Xander Bogaerts double. That was the first of four hits Bogaerts had on the game. Hanley Ramirez walked, and JBJ knocked both Bogaerts and Hanley in by smashing a home run to right. The Killer B's struck again!
E-Rod started the game smoothly, but things got ugly starting in the 3rd inning. With Byron Buxton on first, Eduardo Nunez hit a single off the right field wall. Nunez started for second, but Betts made an amazing throw to Bogaerts to get him out! Basically, the Killer B's did it once again, and this time they saved Eduardo Rodriguez from an inning he would regret. However, the next inning E-Rod lost control again. He gave up a walk followed by a single, and after that he really screwed up.
Kurt Suzuki hit a three run bomb off of him! It looked like a batting practice pitch! It was right down the middle and easy to smash. The next inning, E-Rod gave up another run! Two singles made it first and third, and Trevor Plouffe drove in the run on a sac fly. He gave up yet another single after that! That was the end of it for him!
The Red Sox struck back in the 6th though, and in a strange way. It was the Twins fault. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit, and with Big Papi up, the Twins were on heavy shift. Ortiz hit a ground ball to second, and they tried for a double play, but couldn't get Bogaerts. Bogaerts kept running to third, and there was nobody there to cover! They had no way to get Bogaerts out! He scored on a fly ball by Hanley Ramirez. That knocked out the Twins starter, too! It was shaping up to be a tight slug fest, but things changed.
The 6th inning was a little rough, but the Sox bullpen kept control the next couple innings. The Red Sox kept their 5-4 lead! Then came the 8th inning. With Dustin Pedroia on second due to an outfield error, Xander Bogaerts hit in a two run homer. That was just the start of it. Some of their runs came because of good hitting, others by bad fielding. The Red Sox got 1st and 2nd, Big Papi got a base hit and Chris Young walked. Then came another costly error. Travis Shaw grounded it to Buddy Boshers, the pitcher. He made a terrible throw to Max Kepler, who's typically an outfielder. It went into foul territory, and a run was in. Two more runners were in scoring position, and they were knocked in by Sandy Leon's single. The Red Sox ended the inning with a 6 run lead.
That wasn't even the end. The rally continued an inning later. After Dustin Pedroia missed another chance to extend his hitting streak, the new pitcher gave up two straight base hits. Hanley Ramirez advanced the runners on his ground ball, and Jackie Bradley Jr. was hit by the pitch to load up the bases. Another mistake by the Twins! Chris Young drove in 2 runs on a single, and it was still 1st and 2nd! The bases were loaded once again on Travis Shaw's walk, and the Twins made a 4th mistake! A wild pitch advanced all runners one base, scoring the 13th run!
Then the craziest thing yet happened! The Twins bullpen was so worn out, that Twins young closer Brandon Kintzler came in, and he gave up another 2 run single! They left the inning with a 15-4 lead! What a blowout! Clay Buchholz came in for the bottom of the inning. He gave up two walks, but who cares? The Red Sox had an 11 run lead! In the end, Buchholz didn't even give up a run!
The Red Sox have really messed with the worst team in the league this weekend, and it's worked! Pedroia may have lost his hitting streak, but the Sox lead the series 2-0! Can they do it again? Watch the series finale of Red Sox @ Twins today at 2:00.
Stat Wrap
Sandy Leon had his first four hit game with the Red Sox
Xander Bogaerts now has two straight 4-hit games, can he start a four hit game streak?
Dustin Pedroia may have gone 0-6, but he reached on an error and scored a run
The Red Sox have four players in the league's top 15 for RBIs. Mookie Betts is just shy of Top 5 and David Ortiz leads the league still
Until today, the Red Sox have had a player that led the league in hitting streaks since the start of May
MLB Monthly Power Rankings: May
June 10, 2016 June 10, 2016 Andrew Roberts MLB, Uncategorized	Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cubs, Giants, Mets, MLB, Nationals, New York Mets, Power Rankings, Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals
Welcome to my first MLB monthly ranks of the year. I didn't do these in April because it was too early in the season, but it's better to start late than never. My power rankings combine trends, records and predictions to rank all 30 teams. Hope you enjoy!
Note: These power rankings are up to date as of May 31, 2016.
Chicago Cubs (35-14)
I knew the off season would pay off. This team has been on fire all season long! The additions of Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist have made a big impact on an already strong team. This team broke out last year and just keeps getting better. Their lineup has become very powerful. Young driving forces like Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell are joined by powerful veterans like Anthony Rizzo. But it's not just the lineup. The Cubbies pitching staff leads the league in ERA, wins, WHIP and average allowed. I don't see any reason why this team shouldn't be #1. They have the best record, they have the stats, they're just having an amazing season.
I'm very impressed by my Red Sox this month. JBJ and Xander Bogaerts now have the two longest hitting streaks all season. During those hitting streaks, the Red Sox offense took the league lead in batting average, runs, hits, slugging percentage and OPS. Xander Bogaerts is batting a whopping .354, Big Papi is hitting .337 with 14 dingers and Jackie Bradley Jr. now has a .331 average. JBJ barely hit over .200 last year! In total, nearly half the Red Sox lineup is batting over .300. Big Papi leads the league in RBI and is tied for 5th in home runs. This lineup really took off in May, the Sox just need to make sure their rotation can save them when TE lineup has a rough day.
New York Mets (29-21)
This is another red hot team of May. The young rotation have the Mets at a combined 3.19 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. the lineup has been impressive as well. Yoenis Cespedes has led the Mets to being tied for the league lead in homers. Even with Lucas Duda and Daniel Murphy (permanently) gone from the lineup, it has still thrived. The Mets are in a tight race in the division with the Nationals, but no matter what, they look to be headed for the playoffs as this young team is consistently competitive.
Washington Nationals (31-21)
The Nats have finally lived up to their expectations this year. An early tart definitely helps. The rotation is doing very well. They lead the league in strikeouts and are in the top 3 for WHIP, BAA and ERA. Three Nats starters have an under 3.00 ERA. Daniel Murphy also picked up right where he left off last October and now leads the league in batting average. Bryce Harper also is in the competition for league leader in home runs, with 13 dingers so far. They will have competition in the division with the Mets chasing them down every corner, but so far they have proven that they can keep up.
San Francisco Giants (32-21)
This is another hot team of late! This team is led by a trio of amazing starters. The Giants revamped the rotation in the off season, and it worked all right! At 6-2, Madison Bumgarner is still leading the rotation well, but they now have extra depth with quality starters Johnny Cueto (8-1) and Jeff Samardzija (7-3). All three of them have ERAs between 2.10 and 2.90, two of them under 2.50. The lineup has also thrived, and not just Buster Posey. Hunter Pence has had a strong year so far, batting .304, and Brandon Belt has also had some good stretches. If this team can keep things up, they could have their fourth even year World Series in a row.
After all these years in the shadows, the Mariners have finally proven to be a playoff competitor. King Felix and a young, revamped rotation with intriguing guys like Taijuan Walker have finally taken the leap. The Mariners have a combined 3.36 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with a .232 BAA. Robinson Cano has also been a deciding factor, and leads the league in homers (tied with 3 others) at 15. He is behind only David Ortiz in RBI. Cano is even batting .293/.345/.585, and average is not his specialty. Nelson Cruz has also stayed strong and relevant. The Mariners are finally in the competition this year as I predicted. They have a young, balanced roster that can do great things.
Baltimore Orioles (28-21)
This team had such a strong start, and even though they have tapered off a bit in May, you still can't count them out. In the Orioles unexpected strong start, Mark Trumbo and Manny Machado got started on amazing seasons, and they have thrived in May as well. Surprise playmaker Joey Rickard has built off an amazing spring training. Even with Trumbo and Rickard hot, Machado still leads the team in hitting, batting .311/.387/.611. Machado has 13 dingers and Trumbo has 15, tied for the league lead. Their rotation has been the issue in May. Key starter Yovani Gallardo, added this off-season is hurt, making the rotation once again unstable. Chris Tillman has bounced back well, but they have struggled otherwise. However, in the end they have stayed competitive throughout the season and I believe they will continue to do that.
Injuries and all, this team has still been able to keep things up. Shin-Soo Choo and Josh Hamilton are still out, but young outfielders Nomar Mazara and Joey Gallo have taken their places, and Mazara is hitting .309! Yu Darvish just returned, and he looks good as ever. Wins have been tough in Texas but as a team, they have been able to stay strong, keep up with the AL West and thrive. Usually, the Rangers have either a cold start or collapse late. Right now, it looks like neither will happen as long as they continue getting healthier.
Chicago White Sox (28-25)
The White Sox have definitely been on a downtrend, but after such a good start, you can't underestimate them. The rotation is still strong, young Jose Quintana is in her prime and Chris Sale is still pitching at Cy Young level. Todd Frazier is tied for league lead in homers at 15. However, the rest of the lineup has began to slump this month. They had a really good run in April, but now, their strength is starting to taper off. Sure, Adam Eaton has kept a decent average, but nobody has hit well in this month particularly. Still, you can't count strong April teams out, even teams like the White Sox and Reds.
The Indians started slow, but have really kept up with the division this month. Young hitters Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez have heated up. Veterans like Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana and even Mike Napoli have had strong months. Each of them have a low average, but a good amount of dingers and RBIs, resulting in a decent slugging percentage. Their rotation has also had a good month, even without Carlos Carrasco. Danny Salazar has been pitching well consistently and Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin have also contributed. In the end, the Indians could be playoff-worthy if they keep up this level of play.
Pittsburgh Pirates (29-22)
This team has been surging forward lately after a rough start. The lineup has been on fire. Josh Harrison, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco are all hitting .310 or higher. Polanco has 36 RBI, Andrew McCutchen has 9 dingers and Marte has a whopping 17 stolen bases! Despite rotation struggles, this team has functioned due to a powerful lineup consisting of Josh Harrison and a great outfield in Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco.
Los Angeles Dodgers (28-25)
The Dodgers aren't as sharp as usual, but they're still doing alright. The rotation is successful as ever. Clayton Kershaw, tied with Jake Arrieta, leads the league in ERA. He also leads in strikeouts, WHIP and innings pitched alone. He is in a 4-way tie for most complete games. Kenta Maeda as also been serviceable. Between many ups and downs, Maeda has exactly a 3.00 ERA. However, the bullpen has struggled, and besides Adrian Gonzalez and Corey Seager (neither has a .300 BA or 10 homers), they aren't hitting.
The Royals aren't in great shape. Mike Moustakas is out for the season, Alex Gordon is hurt (again!) and the lineup has had a lot of general road blocks. However, young risers Cheslor Cuthbert, Whit Merrifield, Paulo Orlando and Jarrod Dyson have stepped up, and the Royals still have Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar, Salvador Perez and Lorenzo Cain. In fact, Hosmer has a .328 AVG, chasing the league best. He also has 10 dingers and 35 RBIs. Lorenzo Cain has stayed hot from the postseason as well, similarly to Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals. However, pitching has once again been a major problem. The Royals have again struggled to find an ace with Johnny Cueto gone. Yes, Yordano Ventura and Edinson Volquez have still shown the qualities, but are too inconsistent. Right now, them along with Ian Kennedy and the rest of the rotation have seriously slumped, and we haven't seen anything from Volquez or Ventura. Ventura even has a whopping 5.17 ERA! The Royals are lucky the bullpen has stayed strong and found a new dependable closer.
Sure, the Astros have been pretty sloppy this season, but they are a good team. I'm sure they can come back, and they've already shown signs of surging forward. Jose Altuve has been on fire, batting .329 and stealing 15 bases while scoring 42 runs. George Springer also has 13 dingers, 34 RBI and a .290 average. Even Colby Rasmus has had some hot stretches, with 8 homers and 31 RBI. The lineup is still in shape, but the rotation has been a mess! The lowest ERA in the rotation belongs to Doug Fister at 3.86, and nobody has more than 5 wins. Despite 64 strikeouts, Dallas Keuchel has been terrible following a Cy Young award, the second straight Cy Young surprise to do so. If this rotation doesn't step it up, this team won't be able to surge any further. But if they pull it together, the 'Stros could make a comeback.
Toronto Blue Jays (27-26)
At the start of the season, it was looking to be like last year. Minimal pitching, strong hitting. But analysts were wrong. The rotation has been solid, while the lineup has been good, but inconsistent. The best guys like Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion are still playing decent baseball, and Michael Saunders is warming up, but nobody is at their normal level of play. The rotation on the other hand, has been surprisingly strong. Marco Estrada (2.43 ERA) and Aaron Sanchez (2.99 ERA) have been spot-on, with ERAs under 3.00, and even with top guys Marcus Stroman and R.A. Dickey struggling, once borderline starter J.A. Happ has put up a whopping 3.06 ERA. The Blue Jays could start to catch up with the top of the AL East, but they need their best lineup weapons back on track.
This team may be struggling, but they do have some impactful players. Victor Martinez is on fire, batting .347/.390/.551. Nick Castellanos, Ian Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera also have above .300 batting averages and J.D. Martinez and Miggy have 12 dingers apiece. Plus, Jordan Zimmermann still has a 2.58 ERA after starting the year with an impressive stretch where he had a 0.00 ERA. However, the rest of the rotation has also been in decline, for them more serious than J-Zimm. Justin Verlander may have 77 strikeouts, but besides him and Zimmermann, the rotation has really fallen asleep this month. Even the lineup saw more of its production in April. Are this team's best players only going to get less productive as the months go by?
St. Louis Cardinals (27-25)
For so many seasons, the Cardinals were in playoff contention. What happened this year? Well, for starters, the rotation is a man down with Lance Lynn out for the season while recovering from off season Tommy John surgery. Jaime Garcia wasn't even expected to be at regular starter level. But really, even though Garcia has a 3.48 ERA, the rest of the rotation was worse! The rotation is worsening significantly! The lineup is also led by surprising players. Only Aledmys Diaz and Stephen Piscotty have averages over .300! The reason that the Cards are struggling is that the only players are still performing are the unexpectedly good players, and they've only been slightly above replacement level! They're missing production from their best stars, and that's making a huge impact, causing St. Louis to go from playoff contender to .500 team.
Miami Marlins (26-25)
The Marlins may have improved overall, but now they're stuck in mediocrity. Who has impacted the improvement? For one thing, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna have hit as well as if not better than fellow outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton still has 12 home runs, but Yelich is batting .328 with 5 dingers and Ozuna is batting .314 with 11 dingers. Stanton has an average of just .202! Even if the rest of the rotation has struggled, Jose Fernandez is right on his game! Fernandez is 9-2 with a 2.29 ERA, 110 K, 74.2 IP and a 1.06 WHIP. Those are some under the radar numbers. However, nobody else in the rotation has an ERA below 3.50 or even 5 wins! The rest of the rotation is doing even poorly than last year. That never helps in a resurgence.
Colorado Rockies (23-27)
How is this team performing? The rotation clearly isn't doing anything to help. Most likely, it's a boost from the lineup. After an unbelievable April, Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado are still on their game. Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon have upped their averages as additional help. Even DJ LeMahieu and Mark Reynolds have boosted their power. All of that plus 18 dingers from Arenado and 15 from Story. What will even happen to Jose Reyes when he returns? Story pretty much locked up the job for the season. Arenado is tied for the best in the league in homers. Arenado has 47 RBI and 42 runs to add to it. Tyler Chatwood even has an under 3.00 ERA right now, even with the rest of the pitching staff doing foolishly bad.
They may be nearing the Yankees and Jays, but recovery from their slump will be tougher for them than the Blue Jays and Yankees. With 14 homers and a .281 average, Evan Longoria is the only major power source in this lineup. Like the rest of the division, even the once all-powerful league leading rotation is struggling! Nobody has an ERA lower than 3.33, and only Drew Smyly has 70+ Ks. So, between injuries, slumping players, an underperforming rotation and holes in the lineup, the Rays are stuck in a pretty ugly position.
Philadelphia Phillies (26-25)
I don't know how the Phillies have kept up with the MLB this well, but what matters is they have. This team is above .500 for the first time in 3-4 years! Aaron Nola is suddenly a rotation leader. He has a 2.65 ERA, 85 strikeouts and an 0.99 WHIP! Some other pitchers have been on top of things as well. Vincent Velasquez has been a quality starter even though he just transferred to the starter position, and Jeanmar Gomez has 18 saves as the new closer. Even some hitters have performed, at least serviceably. Odubel Herrera is hitting .317/.426/.436, and Maikel Franco has 10 dingers and 31 RBI.
Milwaukee Brewers (23-28)
The Brewers definitely look better this season. For one thing, unexpected lineup sources have made the leap this season. Jonathan Villar is hitting .307 with a league leading 21 stolen bases and 31 runs. Chris Carter has bounced back with 14 dingers and 34 RBI. Some lineup vets have also stayed on track. Ryan Braun is hitting .337/.406/.552 with 9 homers and a .959 OPS. Jonathan Lucroy is hitting just above .300. However, the rotation is business as usual. Only Jimmy Nelson has an ERA even below 4.00! Nobody has 70 strikeouts, a 1.10 WHIP or more than 5 wins either. This lineup may be turning it around, but the rotation's bad reputation is holding this team back.
San Diego Padres (20-30)
Better roster, not going to cut it. Better stats, not going to cut it. What will at this point? Some better overall team effort. Matt Kemp may have his 14 homers and 41 RBI, Jon Jay and Wil Myers may be able to hit for average, but as a team, the Padres aren't functioning. Although the best Padres players are thriving, the rest of the team has failed to produce. Piling up on prospects after trading James Shields and James Loney may help for the future, but for now, the Padres need to find a different solution. Everyone on the roster needs to find a way to contribute.
Arizona Diamondbacks (23-30)
It seems as if the Diamondbacks have bounced back. Their stats are up, their young players are contributing as expected, and things look to be going as planned for the most part. Then I saw their record and had no idea how they let that happen. You might be wondering too after all that. Well, I have answers. Jean Segura may have been hot in May, but right now, it seems to be a quick moving fad, as he has seriously declined late in the month. Robbie Ray may have 72 K and Zack Greinke may be 7-3 with 71 K, but otherwise, the rotation has severely struggled. Again, it seems as if they're fine, but really, they're not producing consistently enough. Also, A.J. Pollock is hurt, and besides well known veteran Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb, the lineup has only been mediocre. In fact, everyone on the team has an average between .200 and .300. Now that really shows that when it comes to mediocrity, this lineup is at rock bottom.
New York Yankees (25-26)
This team's record is decent, but they aren't in the best shape. Carlos Beltran may have 14 home runs and 36 RBI, but nobody has a .300+ average and nobody else has more than 8 homers or 24 RBI. This team hasn't hit for power or average. The rotation? They've been alright, but inconsistent. Some pitchers are by far more dependable than others. Masahiro Tanaka and Nathan Eovaldi have stayed strong, but TE remainder of the rotation has not been good news. This team has been decent has a team, but needs some players to make the leap or return to the star form they once held, or this team is going to fall apart.
Cincinnati Reds (17-34)
Not bad considering the Reds finished last year with most of their stars on the DL and as the 2nd worst team by record. However, almost none of their new and improved performance took place in May. One reason for that is injuries striking back. The Reds lost Homer Bailey long term, and Raisel Iglesias got hurt. The rotation is desperate for depth, there's not many people left to replace who's injured. Nobody has an ERA under 3.00. Nobody even had 60 strikeouts or 5 wins! The lineup is gaining form at least. Jay Bruce has 40 RBI and 35 runs and is hitting .279 with 13 dingers, Zack Cozart is hitting .301 with 8 dingers and Eugenio Suarez (13) and Joey Votto (11) each have piled up a good number of home runs. Adam Duvall is chasing the top of the league in homers with 17 of them and 38 RBI. Joey Votto also has 34 RBI and Eugenio Suarez has 33. Billy Hamilton even has 15 stolen bases. So the lineup may be taking shape, but in order for this team to get back on track, the rotation needs to get healthy and get in shape!
Atlanta Braves (15-35)
This team may have an ugly record, but they aren't as cold as some other teams, giving them a higher rank. However, besides some good run totals, it seems as if the Braves lineup has fallen asleep. The highest average is Freddie Freeman's measly .248. In the rotation, nobody even has 3 wins and only Julio Teheran (2.92) has an under 3.00 ERA. This team is still one of, if not the worst team in the league normally. But believe it or not, there are teams that were cooler, have a worse record or put even less effort in this month.
Okay, Khris Davis may have 14 dingers, but this team has sucked in May. They started off alright in April, but have seriously flopped since. Injuries are one problem. Eric Sogard, Liam Hendriks, Sonny Gray, Jed Lowrie, Josh Reddick and Josh Phegley were hurt for a large portion of the month. Chris Bassitt is out for the season in an already weak rotation and Rich Hill is the only pitcher with more than 3 wins and has a 2.25 ERA. Currently, the A's are down to just a 4 man rotation that looks like this:
Sonny Gray
Kendall Graveman
Sean Manaea
Jesse Hahn
Even with Sonny Gray back, Rich Hill now could be hurt. Down goes the most valuable A's pitcher too! The A's are down to the last straw. If things don't change fast, they're done for.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (23-28)
Yes, I was expecting the Angels to go far downhill, but this is getting absolutely pathetic. Mike Trout is still doing pretty well, hitting .309 with 13 homers and 43 RBI. Yunel Escobar and Kole Calhoun have contributed too. But I can't bare watching the rotation! Jered Weaver is a complete bust, and so is Hector Santiago. With C.J. Wilson, Garrett Richards (out for Tommy John surgery) and Andrew Heaney hurt, the Angels are left with just Matt Shoemaker, Nick Tropeano (even he's hurt now!) and Jhoulys Chacin behind them. When they were at rock bottom, David Huff tried to step in. That hasn't worked either. So the lineup is still in mediocrity but the rotation doesn't have anything left to work with as of right now.
Minnesota Twins (15-35)
Alright, this team's pitching staff still has most of its members healthy, but it's still pathetic. Nobody has even an ERA under 4.50 or 3 wins! With Kyle Gibson only coming back in time to start June. In May they were left with Ervin Santana, Tyler Duffey and Ricky Nolasco to create a 4-man rotation with one prospect. The Twins had to rush their prospects up to MLB level to maintain a sustainable rotation. The lineup is the only sign of slim hope for the Twins. Eduardo Nunez is batting .332 with 30 RBI, and if Eduardo Escobar were healthy, he wouldn't even be a starter most likely! Miguel Sano and Byung-Ho Park may have low averages, however, they have 11 dingers apiece, and Sano has 27 RBI. Joe Mauer is hitting .281 with 7 dingers as well. Those are respectable numbers, but compared to the rest of the MLB, come on! Compared to MLB leaders, the Twins lineup is also a big disappointment. If the lineup doesn't take it up a notch or the rotation doesn't recover, the Twins aren't going anywhere. They'll be 30th best for the rest of the season, no higher, no lower.
That wraps up May's rankings. Be on the lookout for June rankings later this month.


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Sometimes manufactures make mistakes when they introduce a new product. Sometimes these mistakes can lead to serious injury or even death. It is important that you follow recall news and check recall information before you buy any new item for your home or family.
By avoiding the products to begin with, you can avoid the need for a personal injury attorney, or worse a wrongful death attorney. If you do find that you have a recalled product in your home, follow these steps below to remove it.
Stop Using the Product. Any personal injury lawyer will tell you that the minute an item causes injury, you should stop using it. Even if the product seems safe, you should immediately cease using it after you hear about its recall.
Recalls are carried out either voluntarily or involuntarily through the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Recall information can be found online and the CPSC will be able to tell you what exactly is defective and/or dangerous on the product.
Ceasing use can be hard for some items, like the family car, but not doing so could lead to a car accident and an attorney appointment.
Contact the Manufacturer. When a recall is announced, manufacturers will usually set up a special call center to answer customer questions and concerns.
After you hear about a recall and stop using the product, call the manufacturer to see what they are doing to remedy the situation.
Sometimes you will be able to send the product back for a replacement or refund. Other times the manufacturer will send out repair kits or send you to a repair center.
Follow the advice carefully or you may still end up injured by the defective product and in need of a personal injury attorney.
If you have already been injured by a defective product, contact a lawyer. Padilla Law Group, LLP, specialize in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. If you are in need of a car accident lawyer or any other personal injury attorney, contact us today for a full review of your case.


Your creative journey starts here.
If you've always fancied trying your hand at making hats and fascinators, but have never known where to start, then this is the place for you!
Whether you're wanting to make a headpiece for a special occasion, learn to become a budding milliner or just love crafting, we're here to guide you on your creative journey.


A wedding day is the big day. After months of planning and a great deal of money spent, two families are brought together as a couple becomes husband and wife. With such significant moments happening all at once, it is very easy to miss the particularly precious moments and people that make a wedding special. Everyone remembers to take a photo of the wedding cake, but not everyone remembers to take a photo of the father of the bride when he first sees his daughter in her gown or the flower girl as she watches the bride get dressed. These are the tender moments that should not be forgotten, but can easily be overlooked. Since we like to help brides here at Inspiring Pretty, we are going to sharing the must-have photos for brides and examples to give you some creative inspiration to preserve the sentiment of your wedding.
Today, we are discussing one of my favorite moments of every wedding: the grooms first look at his bride. Usually this occurs as she walks down the aisle to meet him at the altar. For the couples that do not observe tradition, this may happen prior to the ceremony. Either way, getting the groom's his raw emotion caught on camera will definitley make for an everlasting memory.
Be on the lookout for more wedding photo musts just like the grooms first look. They are coming soon!


The 2010 Chevy Volt has been a landmark project not only for its daring powertrain and breakneck development cycle, but also for GMs general openness with the media during the process. Along the way we've been invited in to see the development first hand, even spending a whole day with the Chevy Volt. But despite the buddy-buddy, easy-publicity PR maneuvering, up until the wee hours of this morning, we still didn't know what it looked like. Now that we've seen it in all but minute detail, it's time to compare the concept against the reality.
Given that the original concept body had terrible aerodynamics, a radical change to the front end was not unexpected. In truth, the front corner of the Volt has been getting the Lutz-style sneak preview for months now; so too the smooth, swept-back corners and flush-mounted headlights. It appears the intake detail at the base of the windshield is retained and the lower grille grows to the main intake, with the side intakes flanking.
It's hard to tell from the grainy video footage, but it appears the tail end of the Volt gets a lot of the same look as the original. The thin, horizontal tail lights remain, and the glass may remain or it might be a black insert, but the rear styling elements of the concept are retained. The gray plastic lower bumper seems to have been removed (darn) in favor of body-colored style, and more than likely the exhaust tips are more traditional that the big center exit on the concept.
The dominating, all-glass roof of the concept is carried over but we cannot yet speak to function as seen in the side view images (Pointed out by the keen eye of majred) and given a coat of dark tint. We can also see that the roof goes all black, abandoning the body color stripe running from the C-pillar up the roof line and across the windshield. Also apparent is that they've maintained the strong character lines at the base of the rear which joins the C-pillar, fender, and rear deck planes.
This might be the view with the most significant changes. Gone are the dramatic fender flares and almost inconceivable side glass, replaced with far more tasteful and production-friendly shapes. Despite the changes there, the car maintains what we assume to be a plug-in port just ahead of the base of the A-pillar (on the drivers side — we're betting there's a "Volt" logo on the passenger side). This view also more effectively illustrates the removal of the wraparound band of color we talked about earlier.
To be perfectly honest here, we can only talk about half of the side view since the angle on the video helps us zero. As we mentioned in the earlier post from the first leaked images, the side glass gets a fairly nice, if not conservative, treatment, abandoning the ridiculous, un-roll-downable side glass. The plug-in port and rear view mirror are visually joined and will probably act as a signature design element, pointing out the car's plug-in-ability.
Well, so far the interior looks nothing like the concept version, and we're not sure how we feel about that. Though a larger percentage of Jalops worship at the altar of Mac, I'm torn over this obviously Apple-inspired center stack. If it's got haptic feedback hiding beneath those touch sensitive buttons, we'll herald it as the greatest ergonomic design in decades, if not, we expect it to be slick, but ultimately confusing on a daily use level.


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Issue 2 | June 2013
From Brad
Welcome to Issue 2 of The Edge of Service, a conversation on the organizations, people and technologies redefining service delivery. You are receiving this new newsletter as a friend or colleague, or because we've connected or interacted on service topics. If you choose, you can unsubscribe by clicking unsubscribe.
I recently delivered an address for an executive-level planning conference at a California-based health provider. A team within the organization had been working hard on a new suite of mobile-based health management tools—very cool apps. But they were developed and launched with little involvement from other parts of the service operation, e.g., the customer contact center (different divisions, separate teams). The results were predictable: unforeseen service misses and gaps.
As many have learned first-hand, mobile apps, self-service capabilities, and services through social channels impact virtually all other types of customer interactions, including traffic patterns, handling times, the nature and demands of existing contacts (e.g., agents become de facto tech support for Web and mobile services) and customer expectations. To reach their potential, the efforts must be inclusive and they must be managed across the broader organization.
I'm currently working on some particularly interesting and diverse projects—service restructures for companies in Philadelphia and San Francisco, some fascinating research and related tools around instilling ROI assumptions and calculations in service settings, and others. In each case, organization and culture is THE critical enabler.
Little did I know how much inspiration would come from a 100-year-old ship. I hope the few minutes it takes to read this issue will be fun and informative.
Brad Cleveland
P.S., Thank you to so many for the enthusiastic feedback on the first issue. I'm encouraged and grateful!
What The Adventuress Teaches About Organization
I recently was drawn out of a hat to be one of just a few parents to accompany my ten-year-old daughter's fifth-grade class on a week-long sailing trip—a school tradition dating back many years. The adventure takes place on a suitably named schooner, The Adventuress, based near Seattle.
The Adventuress is a 133-foot-long narrow-hulled ship that boasts 5,478 square feet of sails. The ship was built in Maine in 1913 (yep, this is her 100th year!) and she has been part of whaling, two World Wars (serving as Coast Guard reconnaissance), and numerous research missions. You can imagine the stories that have accumulated. (One dark, stormy night in the 1960s, the ship and her passengers just about perished. A massive tree trunk carried by a 15-foot wave ripped into the bow and lodged like an arrow, tearing a larger hole with every up and down pitch. Facing sure destruction, the young passengers—a Girl Scout troupe studying forestry in the region—formed a human chain to the bow and used a chainsaw to successfully remove the tree.) Each evening, our captain, along with others among our colorful crew of 13, recounted these and other tales. I'm told they are mostly true—though I suspect they marinate some over time.
No surprise, safety basics were among the first things we learned. Step in the wrong place—say in a coiled rope attached to an active sail or in the path of a boom—and you might take a sudden and painful trip in a direction you don't want to go. As our knowledge increased, so did our confidence. We sailed, studied sea life, climbed the masts, learned and did a thousand tasks along the way. We began to notice, respect and, in the end, contribute to organizational strengths honed over many years. Among them:
Mission. Our captain and crew were crystal-clear on where we were going and how to make the most of the journey along the way. When service organizations have that kind of clarity and focus—think USAA, FedEx or Zappos—they accomplish amazing results.
Competence. There are a jillion variables on a ship like this, and as well as roles can be defined, it's essential for everyone to have an understanding of how their actions impact everything else. When did so many of today's organizations conclude that design, production, marketing, or service can happen in relative isolation? When did we become deluded into thinking today's environment is more complex, sophisticated or fast-moving? When did that become an out for so often avoiding the kind of robust training and collaboration great results demand?
Communication. Setting sails or changing course on a tall ship rivals the most complex processes in today's multichannel service operation. I always thought sea shanties (songs with interesting rhymes) were for entertainment to pass the time ("Cape Cod girls they have no combs, heave away, haul away! They comb their hair with codfish bones, and we're bound for South Australia!") The real purpose? To keep dozens of people and tasks in perfect sync. Brilliant! All before instant messaging.
Passion. It's one of the most overused words in the business world, but wow, was it evident in our crew—and eventually, in the rest of us. Fun, adventure, accomplishment, the pure joy of being part of something worthwhile. These things are contagious (as are debilitating traits in the wrong kind of setting). This amazing group of kids—they captured my heart with their humor, talent, and perspective—became part of a self-perpetuating culture of support, accomplishment, and camaraderie. It was really awesome to see.
There's something we've lost in many of today's organizations and institutions. But it can be regained. I'm surprised by and grateful to a 100-year-old ship and her crew for reminding me.
Issue 1, The Edge of Service: Is Russia a Service Bellwether?
Article: Traits of the Best Leaders
Podcast: Will Social Communities and Mobile Apps Replace Contact Centers?
Numbers/Notes
The numbers here are courtesy of ICMI, who gave me an early peak at research on customer engagement that will be published in July:
25% of companies feel their customers are extremely engaged with their brand.
93% of customers would be MORE satisfied with customer service if they were offered their channel choice.
Mobile is considered a necessary channel by 72% of customers, and 90% find the features of social customer service somewhat or extremely useful.
According to ICMI Content Director and report author Sarah Stealey Reed, the research shows that "if planned out and implemented correctly, the emerging channels can improve the efficiency of support operations, greatly increase customer satisfaction, and generate a renewed sense of customer engagement and loyalty to the brand."
Source: ICMI 2013 report, Extreme Engagement in the Multichannel Contact Center.
To-Do's
This month, think about your organization. Plan a brown bag lunch, over video if need be, that includes a small but representative cross-functional group of leaders and employees to discuss these questions:
Mission: Does yours align decisions and priorities? Is it interesting and compelling enough to win the best efforts of your employees?
Competence: Are there ongoing skills deficiencies or gaps in collaboration? Where are they? What would it take to resolve them? What would the investment and return in time and other resources be?
Communication: Too much? Too little? The right technologies and channels?
Passion: How would you characterize your culture in terms of support, accomplishment, and camaraderie? What three actions by leadership would most improve your culture?
Congratulations to two special people:
W Mitchell, next to whom I was privileged to sit (thanks to mutual friend George Walther) when he won a National Speaker Association (NSA) Hall of Fame award. He's the cover story in the April 2013 issue of Speaker, the NSA's official magazine. Mitchell suffered two devastating accidents, and he inspires so many with his message that unexpected change can become an exciting new starting point. Thanks for all you do, Mitchell.
Gerry Barber, a longtime friend and industry colleague who won this year's ICMI Lifetime Achievement Award. Gerry is director of the call center at Deloitte Services, and he's been instrumental in advancing the art and profession of customer interaction for many years. Well-deserved and congrats, Gerry!
I will be keynote speaker for APCCAL Expo in Korea (Seoul, November 6 – 9). Organized this year by Professor KJ Cheong, the event will bring together leaders from throughout the region (Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, mainland China, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia). APCCAL rotates among participating countries and is the largest gathering of contact center leaders in Asia. Those interested in sponsoring and participating can contact Jane Seo at [email protected].
Brad has devoted his career to maximizing the value of customer-facing services. As a speaker, consultant, entrepreneur, executive, and president/CEO, he has seen change from many perspectives and has a deep understanding of the critical importance of customer service delivery to an organization's success. He has worked across 45 states and in 60 countries, and has been privileged to assist in the evolution of service delivery for clients such as American Express, Apple, Coca-Cola, USAA, and others, as well as for governments across the globe. Brad serves as a senior advisor to the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), and is an in-demand speaker and consultant.
To inquire about consulting or speaking, connect through any of the channels below.
Please feel free to forward and share this newsletter!
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© 2013 Brad Cleveland All Rights Reserved

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Park Inn by Radisson, York City Centre, North St, York YO1 6JD.
The York Jobs Fair is centrally located at the Park Inn by Radisson, York City Centre, North St, York YO1 6JD.
Overlooking the River Ouse, the Park Inn by Radisson in York City Centre provides a convenient and central location for the York Jobs Fair. The hotel is walking distance away from the train station, shopping and business districts. The York Jobs Fair takes place in the Henley Regatta Suite.


Simultaneously to the 13th Summit of Noble Peace Laureates, Polish Ministry of Science and Education has invited four Noble Prize winners representing the following four fields of science: medicine/physiology, physics, chemistry and economy. This event shall perfectly fit with the idea of the 13th Summit as it shall create a perfect opportunity for additional debate and scientific reflection.
Our city shall have the honour of playing host to Brian Kobilka (Nobel in chemistry, 2012), Dale Mortensen (prize in economy in 2010), Carol W. Greider (prize in physiology/medicine, 2009) and Theodor W. Hansch (Nobel in physics, 2005). The agenda will include a discussion between the laureates and young Polish scientists about their road to success, the significance of scientific discoveries in the modern world, and challenges faced by the today's scientific milieu.


We at CelebMasta created this game called "Pillow Talk." It all started from Gregg and I basically discussing our day or any issues we had with each other at the end of our day once we got in bed at night. Obviously this party is for adults only with adult topics and content that builds unity, starts conversation and debates between couples, friends, and even strangers! All the guests that were invited knew in advance what the dress code was and what my intentions were — to build unity within the group.
Thanks to those of you who support me week after week and know that I keep it real and thanks to those of you that can see through the BS. For those of you that CAN'T see through the BS, try Visine, it gets the red out #shade.
P.S. Did I hear someone say I was "gay bashing" because I called Brandon a queen? Really? Bravo has a show called Fashion Queens with two very out gay men in women?s clothing, makeup, jewelry, and high heels! Are they "gay bashing"? Try something else, boo, because that won't work! Girl, bye.


Sometimes I feel like a less murderous version of Jekyll and Hyde. That's one of the reasons why it's so hard to get my sleep cycle under control.
I feel the most alive late at night. Before I go to bed I have all these ambitious plans for what I'm going to get done the next day. My mind is racing with ideas for my blog. It's all I can do to keep myself from starting a post at 3 a.m. But I can't, because I'll run the risk of staying up all night and reversing my sleep cycle. A big no-no when you struggle with depression. So I take drugs to force myself to fall asleep, even though I like this version of myself the best.
By morning that cheery, motivated version of me is replaced by this sullen person who prefers sleep over life itself. No amount of yelling, begging, or bribing can get her out of bed before she wants to. And even after she gets up, she's still in a bad mood for several hours. Why would anyone want to go to sleep at night if that's who you have to face the next day?
In Jungian psychology, Jekyll and Hyde is an example of the persona/shadow archetype. Jung argued that, although most people would prefer to identify with their persona, it is important to acknowledge our shadow in order to be whole. Dr. Jekyll is so horrified by his dark side that he commits suicide in order to destroy it–which is the exact opposite of being whole.
This blog is probably the first time that I've publicly acknowledged my shadow. And I have to say, it is the thing that people thank me for the most. Because it gives them permission to acknowledge their own darkness. It assures them that they are not the only ones who feel and think the way they do. So Jung has a point. Who would have thought that acknowledging one's darkness would be the thing that makes people feel the most connected to one another?
So maybe I shouldn't be so hard on that sullen person I will see when I wake up tomorrow afternoon. She's given me a lot of material for blog posts.
Posted in Mental Health, Psychology and tagged archetypes, blogging, Carl Jung, Depression, Jekyll and Hyde, meds, sleep, the shadow. Bookmark the permalink.
I talked to my therapist last week. She gave me permission to stop feeling guilty about my sleep cycle. Told me that I have no reason to get up early, so I don't need to worry about it. That when I have to wake up, I will do so.
It helped some. Today I woke up early for a tennis clinic. But then I took a nap afterwards, which was well-deserved but still somewhat guilt-laden. But I'm writing a blog post now, to prove to my inner critic that I am not completely worthless.
Those quotes about letting go kind of annoy me. If guilt were something I could just let go of, I would have done so long ago. It's like telling someone who is anorexic to just eat. Put food in your mouth. Chew. Swallow. What's so hard about that? I envy those people who find it so easy to be free of their demons.
Therapists often ask clients what it is that they fear will happen if they let go. I guess I fear that without guilt, I really will become a terrible person. Someone who doesn't care if she hurts other people. Someone who is not living her life with integrity. Maybe I'll go too far in the other direction. I've done it before.
In Shame and Guilt, Tangeny and Dearing argue that guilt is a healthy emotion. It let's you know that you have done something wrong and motivates you to make amends, correct it. When you feel shame, however, you don't just feel like you've done something wrong; you feel like there is something fundamentally wrong with you. You are broken beyond repair. Shame leads people to lash out and project their faults onto others. Or to lie and hide, avoid life altogether.
I guess I am somewhere in-between, because I worry that there is something wrong with me, but I am motivated–determined, even–to become a better person.
My latest strategy for coping with guilt about the past is to tell myself that I don't have to continue entertaining this memory. I can take it out of the rotation. Throw that record out. Or in more modern terms, remove it from the playlist. I have enough things to feel guilty about in the present without revisiting every mistake I've ever made in the past.
For whatever reason, it works. In part because I think it's funny, imagining myself tossing all these record albums behind me. It doesn't get rid of all of the guilt, but it creates some space in my head for more guilt-free thoughts. That's something.
Posted in Mental Health, Psychology and tagged blogging, eating disorders, guilt, inner critic, memory, self-worth, sleep, Tennis, therapy. Bookmark the permalink.
I had an epiphany a few weeks ago. I realized that I don't have to like someone to have empathy for them.
That helps to explain why, when I worked in daycare, the toddlers who cried all day every day for weeks on end were attached to me. Because I picked them up and held them, which you weren't supposed to do. I didn't particularly like them at that point, because I didn't really get to know them until they stopped crying, but I couldn't stand it that they were in pain.
According to The Art of Empathy, empathy is not limited to human beings. You can have empathy for art, nature, music, books, and animals. This helps to explain another aspect of my behavior that I have always found puzzling. I am not a big animal lover, but I feel bad for animals when I think they're unhappy.
When I went to Busch Gardens in Florida, which has awesome habitats for animals because of its Africa theme, I did psychological assessments of all the animals. Most of them were happy. The otters swam right up to us to greet us. This hippo put on a show for us. The gazelles were happy because they didn't have to worry about predators attacking them. This hyena seemed downright neurotic, pacing back and forth right in front of the window. The gorillas seemed pensive and potentially depressed.
So maybe I'm not so crazy after all. Maybe that's just that one of the downsides of being a super-empath–it's hard to turn off that instinct to help others. If I meet a guy and he has one of those 4 impediments in a potential mate, I think, that's the guy for me! And the more impediments, the better. Even if don't like him that much. Even if he lies, which I detest.
From now on, my #1 criterion when I decide to date again is that I have to like the guy. Which would probably be an obvious pick for most people, but I can be a slow learner sometimes.
Posted in Psychology, Relationships and tagged animals, crazy, empathy, lying. Bookmark the permalink.
Sometimes I don't know. Sometimes I, too, am puzzled as to why people do the things they do.
I've been trying to make sense of why, despite my commitment to honesty, I remained in relationships with people who consistently lied to me. And I didn't even like them very much. I have this tendency to try to make relationships work at all costs, even when I don't like the person. Even when they do things that are inconsistent with my values, like lying. It's maddening.
One of my exes told me up front that he was a liar. Still, my first instinct was to believe him. It's too much work not to trust people, I think. But sometimes it was more costly to make myself believe that he was being honest. It's hard not to beat myself up for trusting a self-proclaimed liar. Why would anyone do such a crazy thing?
My best guess is that I stayed with these guys because I wanted to believe in the version of themselves that they were selling. It's who they wanted to be, and who I wanted them to be. I wanted to help them get there, even. You can do it! I have faith in you!
Plus, I knew they were lying because they were ashamed of who they really were. I was trying to do the whole unconditional positive regard thing that therapists do. Because that is the most healing gift that we can give to others. It works well in therapy, but not so much in romantic relationships. I realize now that there is a limit to how much you can allow someone to hurt you in order to prove to them that they are lovable.
I understand what it's like to fear that people won't love you or respect you if they knew what you're really like. That is the purpose of this blog, after all. To challenge myself to show the world what I'm really like. And while I haven't outright lied about who I am, I haven't always shared the things that I'm ashamed of. Not even to my family–the people who do love me unconditionally.
So I guess we can all challenge ourselves to be more honest. Some people have further to go than others, but as long as we're making the effort, that's what counts, isn't it? Anyway, it makes me feel better about myself to frame my tolerance of dishonesty in this way, so that's what I'm going with.
But I'm still going to be more selective about who I choose to be with from now on.
Posted in Mental Health, Psychology, Relationships, Self-Acceptance and tagged blogging, family, honesty, therapy. Bookmark the permalink.
So I've decided that I love winning more than I hate losing.
After 11 losses spanning 2 seasons on my 7.0 mixed teams, I finally won last night. A hard-fought win that came down to the wire–my favorite kind. And my team won, too. Winning isn't everything, but it sure helped my mood. And these days, I'll take anything I can get to feel happy about.
I actually had 2 teams playing at the same time last night, because I play every league since I get depressed when I don't have anything to do, as you know. We lost all 5 courts on that team, but that did not dampen my mood. Because like I said in the post on motivation, at the end of the day, I still had dinner with my friends afterwards. And there were a lot of them last night, spanning 3 different teams, including the opposing team.
Posted in Mental Health, Sports and tagged blogging, Depression, friends, God, gratitude, motivation, Tennis. Bookmark the permalink.
Today was one of those tough, lonely days. Even when the day starts out slowly, I usually have tennis in the afternoon, which helps me to feel productive. But no tennis tonight because of the rain. So it was hard to will myself to wake up after a long nap when there was nothing to look forward to but errands.
I did finally manage to bribe myself to get up with kettle corn. (I ate all of it, so I'll have to think of something else for tomorrow.) And I talked myself into walking to the mailbox to get some steps. I ran into some of my neighbors, who chastised me in a friendly way for not being social. Which made me feel like a terrible person, of course.
I mentioned in a previous blog that I don't socialize with my neighbors as much as they would like me to. In addition to not being retired, playing tennis almost every day, and not having much in common with senior citizens, the truth is, I've never been very neighborly. I think it's because I hate small talk. I avoid it at all costs.
To make matters worse, when I am home alone I am usually sleeping because it's so unbearable to be awake when I have nothing to look forward to. I thought about telling my neighbors that. How I'm often too depressed to overcome my aversion to making small talk to be neighborly. That leaving the house to check my mail was a big step for me. But that seemed like TMI.
I know they genuinely want to get to know me and want me to feel welcomed, but I wanted to cry after talking to them. I felt like this was just one more thing I should be doing that I was failing at. Right up there with regulating my sleep cycle, adhering to my GERD diet, and getting 10,000 steps. I hate it that my inner critic turns everything into an opportunity to fail.
So I'm blogging about this incident to diminish my inner critic's power to make me feel bad about myself. I'm doing the best I can do. There will always be more that I could be doing. I can only focus on my goals for today. I made it to my dentist appointment. I freaking walked to Kroger, which is a huge accomplishment (but sadly, only got me about 3,000 steps). And I am writing this blog post.
And I talked to my neighbors when I got my mail. Which wasn't even on my list. So there!
Posted in Mental Health, Relationships and tagged Depression, GERD, inner critic, productivity, sleep, solitude, Tennis. Bookmark the permalink.


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Walter Boï
portraits and places
Bathed by the light of Sardinia since his birth, Walter Boï is very early passionate of paintings, photography and cinema.
Of a teaching mother in history of art and a father architect, he knows the importance which hold the artistic forms in history.
Literary person, polyglot, he graduates of the Istituto Europeo di Design after one year spent at the University in political studies in Cagliari.
Once his diploma obtained, Walter leaves Italy and specializes in fashion photography by multiplying experiences in France, the United States and by travelling the world.
These numerous experiences with professionals of the fashion industry give Walter the possibility of pursuing his photography career by working for renowned magazines such as l'Uomo Vogue, Double, Vogue Italia, Stiletto, WWD (Japan), Numero (Japan), Marie Claire, Elle and Vogue Brasil. He also realizes numerous portraits of musicians, designers, actors, directors and fashion icons such as Naomi Campbell, Angela Missoni, Vincent Gallo, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Vincent Cassel, Kezia Jones to name a few.
Walter also collaborates with artists and galleries of contemporary art, under diverse artistic forms such as art videos and live performances.
Renewing constantly his practice, Walter produces still and moving images for luxury brands such as Giorgio Armani, Blumarine, Sessun, Hogan, in diverse formats to be displayed in the new medias.


A mental image lingers from television coverage of the last game at Yankee Stadium. I see Don Larson — who pitched a perfect game at the stadium during the 1956 World Series — scooping dirt from the pitchers mound, with New York pitching legend Whitey Ford helping to gather the ground.
A mental image lingers from television coverage of the last game at Yankee Stadium.
I see Don Larson — who pitched a perfect game at the stadium during the 1956 World Series — scooping dirt from the pitchers mound, with New York pitching legend Whitey Ford helping to gather the ground.
The Yankee teammates are aged this many decades after their careers ended, but they were as focused as young fans while obtaining the souvenir.
This is why I love sports.
I see Yogi Berra, too, standing behind home plate before the game's historic final contest, the position in Yankee Stadium from which he caught the pitches thrown by both Ford and Larson in the 1950s and 1960s.
Many of the memories spawned by sports go beyond box scores. They transcend wins and losses. The televised images I recall of that final night at Yankee Stadium turn players into fans of the game, engrossed in traditions, enveloped by their own memories.
When I think about that last game, I can see Jorge Posada, the injured Yankee catcher who would not even play that night, touring the monument park placed beyond the stadium's home run fence. He is taking pictures of the memorials to past Yankee greats, before the plaques and stones are moved to the new stadium.
I see Reggie Jackson, as well, sitting among the fans, in seats behind right field, the part of the outfield he patrolled when he played for the Yankees in the 1970s.
And I see and hear the outfield fans themselves, chanting names of players on the field, not stopping until each athlete named turns to acknowledge the shouts with a wave of a hand or glove. Such is the ritual of Yankee Stadium.
Traditions. They're why I love sports. The games themselves are exciting, but contests that have no special significance still are important — to athlete and onlooker alike — because of more than their scores. Traditions make them memorable.
Sunday night, a television sportscaster noted that Bob Sheppard, the stadium announcer since 1951, was not the voice of Yankee Stadium that night — had not been this season because of illness and the infirmities of age. He hoped to return next season, the announcer said.
But Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter has held tightly to the stadium tradition. The television announcer noted before Jeter came up to bat that the player had asked Sheppard to record his introduction. It was played Sunday night, and it will be replayed when Sheppard is unable to say the words in person.
"Now batting, No. 2, Derek Jeter, No. 2," said Sheppard's voice.
"Bob Sheppard is as much a part of the Yankee organization as the players," Jeter later explained. "As long as I play in New York, Bob Sheppard will announce my name."


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USPTO Now Requires Email Addresses
By Alina Cartan
Last week, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a new examination guide entitled "Mandatory Electronic Filing and Specimen Requirements". As of February 15, 2020, all applicants must provide and maintain a valid email address, even if they have appointed US counsel to act as agent before the USPTO. Furthermore, the USPTO will now only communicate by email. But beware: email addresses provided to the USPTO will now be part of the public record, and will likely be viewable on the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) platform. Concerns have already been raised about the potential misuse of trademark owners' email addresses, particularly in light of the growing number of scam letters being sent to unsuspecting trademark owners.
If required to provide an email address to the USPTO, we are recommending to clients to create a generic account for this specific purpose, i.e. uspto@[enterdomain].com to reduce the risk of spam email.
For more information on protection your marks outside of Canada, please contact us.
BREXIT and Trademarks
Photo by Rocco Dipoppa on Unsplash
On January 31st, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the European Union. The good news for owners of EU trademarks and designs is that no changes will be made to trademark and design protection in the UK. Specifically, until December 31st, 2020, UK trademarks will continue to be protected by European Union trademark ('EUTM') registrations, and trademark applications filed in the European Union will continue to include the United Kingdom.
Once the transition period ends on or after January 1st, 2021, registered EUTMs will automatically convert to UK registrations and will continue to be protected in the United Kingdom as if they have been filed and prosecuted under UK law. However, trademarks applications which are pending in the European Union will not be granted automatic protection in the United Kingdom. Although EUTM priority filing dates will be maintained, these trademark applications will need to be converted to UK applications within nine months of the end of the transition period.
More information regarding trademark protection and BREXIT can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-trademark-protection-and-comparable-uk-trademarks#stay-up-to-date
For more information on registering and protecting your trademark internationally, contact us.
Government Proposes Further Changes to Trademarks Act in Bill C-4
By Ashley Moniz
Photo by Lewis Parsons on Unsplash
On January 29, 2020, the Government of Canada conducted its first reading of Bill C-4. The Bill, if passed, will bring the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) into force in Canada, replacing NAFTA. Bill C-4 includes proposed amendments to the Trademarks Act with respect to the import and export of trademark-infringing goods in Canada.
Currently, any person who is not entitled to use a registered trademark, that imports or exports goods with a confusing mark for sale or distribution infringes on the registered owner's exclusive use of that mark. Bill C-4 would create a statutory presumption that the importer/exporter has infringed on the owner's exclusive use unless they prove otherwise.
Bill C-4 further classifies goods in Canadian customs transit as Canadian imports. The Trademarks Act currently exempts goods under these circumstances which bear identical or indistinguishable marks from a registered trademark.
Finally, Bill C-4 extends the powers of customs officials and allows them to share the name and address of any person believed to be involved in the movement of goods with infringing marks.
For more information on protecting your mark from infringement, please contact us.
Lucasfilm Files For "THE CHILD" Trademark One Month After The Mandalorian Premiere
Written by Alina Cartan.
Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash
Since December 11th, 2019, Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC has filed over twenty-eight new US trademark applications, including applications for THE MANDALORIAN THE CHILD, and THE CHILD covering toys, food, jewelry, images, mobile apps, printed matter, bags, clothing, bakeware and, believe it or not, cosmetics.
"The Child", otherwise known as "Baby Yoda", has captivated millions following his appearance on the new Star Wars series "The Mandalorian".
Lucasfilm filed these trademark applications after the series premiere. According to Disney CEO, Bob Iger, this was necessary to prevent any possible leaks of the adorable character. However, the late applications opened the door to a multitude of unauthorized sales using THE CHILD mark, which may have cost Disney over $3 million in lost revenue.
Registering a trademark takes time but offers you significant legal protection and benefits. For more information on registering your trademark, contact us.
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O'Reilly Begs Trump, Rush: "Fox Jilted at the Altar"
On January 28, 2016 January 28, 2016 By kingsjesterIn Politics
Under the category "Actions Have Consequences"…
Thehill.com reports that
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday night lashed out at Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly in his first appearance on the network since he announced he'd boycott the next GOP debate.
He also refused to reconsider his decision to sit out the network's Thursday night debate – the last before the Iowa caucuses in five days – and said he'd move forward with his own competing event to raise money for wounded veterans.
Speaking on "The O'Reilly Factor," Trump continued his long-running feud with Kelly, who he has been criticizing ever since she challenged him on his past derogatory remarks about women at the first GOP debate in August.
"I have zero respect for Megyn Kelly," Trump said. "I don't think she's good at what she does and I think she's highly overrated. And frankly, she's a moderator; I thought her question last time was ridiculous."
Kelly is also set to moderate Thursday night's debate on Fox News.
Trump is instead holding a rally in Des Moines at the same time as the Republican debate that he says will raise money for wounded veterans.
In the contentious interview with O'Reilly, Trump rebuffed the anchor's attempts to convince him that he's making a grave error by skipping the debate.
"I believe personally that you want to improve the country," O'Reilly said. "By doing this, you miss the opportunity to convince others … that is true.
"You have in this debate format the upper hand — you have sixty seconds off the top to tell the moderator, 'You're a pinhead, you're off the mark and here's what I want to say'. By walking away from it, you lose the opportunity to persuade people you are a strong leader."
But O'Reilly's pitch fell flat with Trump. The GOP front-runner dug in his heels, insisting he intended to retaliate against the network by depriving them of ratings.
"Fox was going to make a fortune off this debate," Trump said. "Now they're going to make much less."
O'Reilly said he was merely trying to convince Trump that his approach "is wrong because it's better for people to see you in the debate format."
He gave the example from 2012, when former Speaker Newt Gingrich was asked an embarrassing question by a CNN debate moderator at a South Carolina debate about allegations he had an open marriage.
Gingrich shut the moderator down and went on to win South Carolina, O'Reilly noted.
"That's the kind of guy you are," O'Reilly said. "You stick it to them and let them have it."
Responded Trump: "Newt is a friend of mine and I thought it was an unfair question. But equally unfair was the question Megyn Kelly asked me."
O'Reilly then sought to appeal to Trump's capacity to forgive, reminding the billionaire businessman that he's a Christian, even if he doesn't attend church all that often, and that the Bible says to "turn the other cheek."
Trump shot back, saying he's a regular church-goer, and that the Bible also says "an eye for an eye."
"You could look at it that way too," Trump said.
O'Reilly accused Trump of being "petty," and said he was allowing things that are out of his control to have outsized influence over his decision-making process.
"I don't like being taken advantage of," Trump said. "In this case I was being taken advantage of by Fox. I don't like that. Now when I'm representing the country, if I win, I'm not going to let our country be taken advantage of. … It's a personality trait but I don't think it's a bad personality trait."
O'Reilly ended the interview asking Trump to just at least consider showing up Thursday night. Trump said the two had agreed beforehand that O'Reilly not ask that question.
"I told you up front don't ask me that question because it's an embarrassing question for you and I don't want to embarrass you," he said.
Bill-O asked the question because his employers are desperate.
Fox News Host Greta Van Susteren posted a Viewer Poll in which she asked if folks would watch tonight's Republican Primary Debate, if Donald J. Trump followed through with his promise not to show up.
As of the morning of the debate, 86.91% of those who responded will not be watching a "Trump-less" Debate.
Rush Limbaugh, as I reported yesterday, has been on point during this whole kerfuffle.
Once again, he made a couple of spot-on observations on yesterday's radio program:
Observation #1 –
Folks, I want to let you in on another observation of mine — and that's all it is, is an observation. I have found, when talking to people, including media people in the East Coast, New York — well, all the way up and down the East Coast, but New York — Washington, Boston, down here in south Florida and so forth, virtually everybody thinks of Fox News as a conservative network. But you go out… As I've traveled around and go places… Like for the holidays, I see people in Missouri. For Christmas, I see people all over the place. When I golf, I see people all over the country.
And I'm here to tell you: Fox News is not considered the conservative network that it used to be. I'm not trying to stir anything up here. I'm saying that when you hear the media, who are all leftists, talk about Fox News, it may as well be the John Birch Society as far as they're concerned. That's why they hate it. It may as well be the Birchers. It may as well be whatever evil right-wing organization. That's what they think it is. But you go out to the heartland of this country, and it's not so much. "I mean, what would a conservative network be doing giving time to Michael Moore?
"Why would New York Times and Washington Post reporters be on the air to give opinions on a conservative network?" This is what people are saying out there that I hear. Now, the identity is still pretty obviously heavily tilted to news and analysis that you don't get anywhere else, and that remains true. I'm just telling you people's perceptions as they share them with me. I'll tell you what I think, 'cause I find it amazing. It's just more evidence of the media being out of touch and not really knowing what people say.
Since we're talking about Iowa, I don't think they really know what's important to the people of Iowa. Because they look at everything through their own prism of being in the Northeast and part of the liberal power structure that determines every social, political structure in that part of the country — and, as such, there's a divide. And it's not just among elected officials. I speak constantly about the disconnect that exists now between elected officials and the people, Republican and Democrat.
The distances, the disconnect between the people who vote for them and the people that serve in office is bigger than I've ever seen it. And it's no more obvious than the issue of immigration. But it's also obvious on the issue of say, Obamacare, or spending. And when you start talking about Fox News, people in the media say, "Oh, it's just embarrassing. Right wing! My God, ugh." But it's not thought of that way in many parts of the country.
You've heard the phrase "the game." Every business has aspects of it that are considered the game, and that's the routine. And the game is characterized by everybody knowing the rules of the game. People involved in it play by the rules. Some venture outside now and then, but the rules pretty much of the game are adhered to because it's a matter of respect for the game in which everybody is in.
And in this business one of the games is that when the media calls, you answer, and when the media wants you, you go, and when the media is going to host a debate and it's part of a Republican presidential campaign, you go. You just do it, no matter what the media's done to you in the past, no matter what you think of it, whether you want to go or not, you go. That's the game.
Trump is so far outside this game, he's so far outside the rules, he's never been a player in this game. He's always been an outsider. I heard people on Fox last night talking about this. "Who does he think he is? He can't control the media." I got news for you: He is controlling the media, and it's his objective. He is controlling the media. He controls the media when he's not on it. He controls the media when he is on it. He controls the media when he's asleep. Nobody else has been able to do anything like this short of the Kennedys, and they're pikers compared to the way Trump is doing this.
Now, it's very simple, if you read The Art of the Deal or if you know Donald Trump at all, it's very simple: He had an unpleasant experience in the first debate, and in his mind, the question that he was asked was rigged. Don't forget, before that first debate, remember all of the news stories that were floating around saying that that debate, somebody at Fox had been given orders by the Republican establishment to take Trump out. Remember that? There were any number of so-called sources for this. Some said it was the donors demanding it. Some said that it was Fox News executives demanding it. Some said it was the RNC demanding it.
Well, Trump's not immune. He hears it. And even if he hadn't heard it he would have to know that they want to take him out; he's outside the game; he's breaking all the rules. He's exposing so much as fraud that has gone on inside the American political process for so long they can't allow somebody like this to win and succeed. It's quite natural they would want to take him out as well. It's Bengals-Steelers time here, folks. It's quite natural they'd want to take him out. Well, he heard it.
Here comes Megyn Kelly's first question. He didn't hear anybody else get a question like that. He never sees Hillary Clinton get a question like that. He never hears Bill Clinton or another Democrat get a question like that. So he answers it and says screw this. I'm not putting myself in that position again. Why should I? I don't have to.
But the rules of the game say when there's a debate, you show up. Screw the rules, he's saying. Why should I willingly give them another shot at me in a circumstance they control, why should I do it? What's the sense in it for me? I'm leading; I'm running the pack here; why in the world should I put myself in that circumstance? I've already seen what's gonna happen.
I don't think it's any more complicated than that. I mean, there could be some personal things going on here that I don't know about. But just from the standpoint of knowing Trump, reading his book, and seeing how he operates elsewhere, in his mind, screw the rules, screw what's expected, screw "This is just the way you do it." I'm not gonna put myself in a position go where I'm gonna be treated unfairly. I don't have to. I'm Donald Trump. Anybody can do this. Ted Cruz could choose to do it if he wants to. They just don't. Cruz and the rest of the pack are playing the rules of the game. Trump is saying I don't have to do it. I don't want to do it. I don't have any respect for these people. What the hell.
In addition to that, Donald Trump knows that by not showing up, he's owning the entire event. Some guy not even present will end up owning the entire event, and the proof of that is Fox News last night. I have to tell you, folks, this is where this gets tough for me. I was stunned watching Fox News last night. Fox News was acting like they had been jilted at the altar. If it had been me — and this is easy to say — if it had been me and Donald Trump makes a big to-do about not showing up for the debate, report the story and move on. Talk about Ted Cruz. Go talk about the other candidates. Go talk about Hillary and the FBI. There's a lot of news out there. But don't devote the rest of the night to how a candidate's not showing up because of you. I mean, the network, not just Megyn Kelly.
Look, I understand the warfare that has been established here. If you look at some of the things that Trump's campaign spokesman, Corey Lewandowski has said, if you read between the lines, it looks like what really has ticked 'em off over at Trump central is the mocking of Trump in the official PR statements that Fox has released, making fun, they're gonna call Putin, they're gonna call in the ayatollah, and the ayatollah and Putin, whatever. That might have been the nail in the coffin as opposed to any lack of desire to face Megyn Kelly. But folks, one other thing about this. If I heard it once last night, I've heard it a thousand times since, that Trump is afraid of Megyn Kelly or afraid of Fox News. That is not what this is. There isn't any fear. What is there is here — in my opinion — is a desire to control this and a purposeful decision to not put himself in a circumstance where other people want to make him look bad.
In his mind, that's a dumb thing to do. You don't put yourself in a circumstance where a whole bunch of other people are gonna be able to make you look bad while you're there. If they do it when you're not around, that's another thing, you can counterprogram it, you can do whatever, but you don't have to put yourself in a circumstance where you have to personally deal with it as a sign of disrespect or somebody else trying to notch their belt. It really isn't any more complicated than that.
It was a sound business decision. He was protecting his "brand". The "Business of Today's Politics" decrees that you jump when the Elite of your Political Party and their minions in the Media tell you to. That is the game to which Rush was referring.
The problem that the Republican Elite and the Media are having with Trump is the simple fact that he is a Businessman. He is not a Professional Politician. Trump knew that he was walking into a trap. So, he made the decision not to. It was a sound Business Decision. He was protecting his "brand", while at the same time, once again owning the News Cycle.
Additionally, through appearing on behalf of the Iowa Veterans, he is solidifying his Populist Image.
Another Republican Presidential Hopeful, back in the 1980s, decided to skip the last Primary Debate before the Iowa Caucus. He lost Iowa, but he won the Presidency in a landslide.
He did alright.
Ratings-wise, Fox News, if Trump goes through with his plans, will be hoisted on their own petard.
My degree is in Radio, Television, and Film. And, let me tell you, boys and girls, in television, even now, almost 36 years after I graduated college, high viewership ratings remain the Cash Cow of the Television Industry.
Their business depends on it.
In this situation, those who run Fox News decided to send their Cash Cow to the slaughterhouse and then hold a barbeque.
As a result of their actions, I predict that they will experience a bad case of gas tonight.
Bill O'ReillyDonald J. TrumpFox NewsGreta Van Susteren PollIowa CaucusIowa VeteransMeghan KellyRepublican EliteRonald ReaganRush LimbaughviewershipWar on Women
Trump, Fox News, the Democrat Elite, and "The Art of the Deal"
Thursday Night in Iowa: A Republican "Royal Rumble" Without the Front-Runner There (Physically, Anyway)
One thought on "O'Reilly Begs Trump, Rush: "Fox Jilted at the Altar""
Such a breath of fresh air when a candidate decides not to play by the rules.


text:
Co-op Group extends free child funeral service to 16 and 17 year olds
Co-op Funeralcare has launched a new free child funeral policy, providing additional funding support for thousands of bereaved parents of children up to the age of 18. Every...
By Miles Hadfield
Co-op Funeralcare is extending its policy on children's funerals
Co-op Funeralcare has launched a new free child funeral policy, providing additional funding support for thousands of bereaved parents of children up to the age of 18.
Every year more 5,000 families lose a child – and because this loss is often sudden or unexpected, paying for funeral director services and third party costs can leave many bereaved parents in a difficult position financially.
Over the last 30 years, Funeralcare has helped around 25,000 families who have lost a child under the age of 16 by not making any charge for its funeral director services, an approach also adopted by other funeral providers across the UK.
Now the co-op has now further drawn upon its experience in supporting bereaved parents with a new policy on free child funerals. This will:
extend free children's funeral services to 16 and 17 year olds
increase the options available to families as part of its free child funerals service
commit to online transparency on its free child funerals policy, providing families who are concerned about cost with peace of mind.
The Group estimates that the extension of its child funerals policy up to age 18 will support thousands of bereaved families by waiving its own funeral service costs, particularly if other funeral providers follow suit and also extend their policy to cover 16 and 17 year olds.
In addition to the charge for funeral director services, approximately a third of the average cost of a funeral is made up by third party charges, such as burial or cremation charges. These vary regionally but on average across the UK amount to £1,055.
In some locations such as the Wirral, Harrogate and Cheshire West and Chester Local Authorities are also waiving burial and cremation fees up to the age of 18. Combined with Funeralcare's policy, bereaved families in these locations will now receive much greater support with funeral costs.
Co-op Funeralcare's chief executive Richard Lancaster said: "Dealing with the death of a child is a devastating experience for any parent and having to comprehend this as well as sorting out the funeral and associated costs makes this experience even more traumatic.
"We're focused on assisting the bereaved more broadly and this extends to providing families with practical as well as emotional support following the unthinkable experience of losing a child.
"We hope that others will now improve and extend their own policies on child funeral costs, meaning that funding support across the UK goes much further to assist bereaved parents."
The announcement has been welcomed by the UK's leading charity supporting children and young people with cancer, CLIC Sargent. The charity has been calling on the government to set up a national Children's Funeral Fund to cover the cost of burial and cremation fees charged by many councils.
Chief executive Kate Lee said: "The death of a child is something that parents are completely emotionally and in many cases, financially, unprepared for. We know that a child's cancer diagnosis can place a huge financial burden on families, with parents spending an additional £600 per month on expenses such as travel, hospital parking and energy bills.
"For the families we support that go through the devastating experience of losing a child, the funeral expenses they face simply add to this burden. Co-op's enhanced support for bereaved parents is a very positive move and we hope that other funeral providers will follow its example."
Co-op Funeralcare
CO-OPERATIVE Group
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Miles Hadfield
Miles is the Co-op News digital editor.
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