Jason Ravanell, 51, plans to move into this van later in the year.
First there were mobile homes. Then there were tiny homes. Now there are mobile tiny homes. Like the innovations that came before, it's all in the name of living cheaply, or – for some residents of the San Francisco-Bay Area – surviving.
These mobile tiny homes blend into the traffic of the Bay Area. They can be Sprinter vans or school buses, para-transit shuttles or 16-footers. There is no standard definition. All one needs is a set of wheels and a desire to eat and sleep atop them.
"I've got internet, TV, a phone, fans, ventilation," said 37-year-old Pauly Ollie of his cargo van setup. "It's just like a tiny home."
Ollie's mobile home is discrete: He drives a cargo van, with a hand-built trailer attachment, that meshes with the patchwork of San Francisco's streets. At night, he parks in dense urban areas, where a foreign van won't raise eyebrows, but he's not about to publicly reveal the prime locations.
This sort of mobile home is hard to distinguish from standard-use vehicles, unless you know what to look for, and to know this, one must typically be a part of the community. It's a group that goes by many names: van dwellers, RV lifers, nomads.
Twenty-eight-year-old Andreas joined the mobile home community three years ago, after living in a standard Bay Area home with a sibling for some time.
"I wanted to get out of there, but I couldn't afford to stay close to San Francisco," said Andreas, who asked to conceal his last name. "So I bought a van."
The high cost of living in the Bay Area means people do things differently here. That applies to #vanlife.
Around 2017, the #vanlife hashtag became a social media movement after stories of bohemian types, who live and travel in highly outfitted vans, began flooding news feeds and capturing the imaginations of affluent, burned-out worker-bee types.
"Huntington had given up his apartment in New York and his job as a designer at Ralph Lauren, and moved into a 1987 Volkswagen Syncro. He spent his days surfing, exploring, and taking pictures of his van parked in picturesque locations along the California coast."
In the Bay Area, #vanlife is grittier – often born from necessity, rather than an overwhelming desire to travel the open road. Its attractions entice folks in every income bracket. There are people like Brandon, a Google engineer who lived in a truck parked on his employer's lot. There are also the previously-homeless, who move off the streets and into motor vehicles.
Large groupings of RVs whose residents fall into this latter category pool on certain streets around the Bay Area, like El Camino Real in Palo Alto and Shoreline Boulevard and Latham Street in Mountain View.
"The whole idea of people living in vehicles ... we've never seen that to the degree we see now. It's a relatively new phenomenon for us and for the community," Tom Myers, executive director of the Community Services Agency of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, told the Mercury News in August. At last count, 89 of 391 CSA clients lived in vehicles, Myers said.
San Francisco Municipal Code does not prohibit people from residing in vehicles, though it puts limits on where and when people can do it. The "use of vehicles for human habitation" is forbidden in San Francisco parks, beaches, alleys and streets between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., the code says, though it's "not often enforced," a San Francisco police officer told the Washington Post.
Many Bay Area cities have a similar attitude toward vehicle dwelling – it's generally frowned upon but rarely acted against. Palo Alto recently enacted a citywide policy that forbids parking un-permitted vehicles in the same place for 72 hours (San Francisco already has a similar law), but that's easily skirted by moving down the block.
Five vans for your #vanlife.
The tune does seem to be changing as the cost of Bay Area living keeps growing and city officials soften to alternative modes of housing. In 2014, a California judge struck down a law banning vehicle habitation in Los Angeles as unconstitutional. A Seattle judge did the same recently. If you live in your car, the ruling said, it's your home, and you don't have to abide by 72-hour parking limits and other vehicle restrictions. The Seattle City Attorney's Office issued a brief statement indicating it could still appeal the decision.
Once the Seattle ruling is finalized, it could impact the way the city handles such vehicles, though city officials wouldn't speculate on how.
Between those extremes are regular folks, who aren't experiencing homelessness nor pulling a six-figure tech salary. They live in vehicles to skirt the expensive cost of housing in the Bay Area – the average rent in San Francisco hovers around $3,400, according to Zumper – and because they can.
Barbara Wahli, 46, considers herself a part-time RV lifer. She purchased an RV last year and quickly found herself enmeshed in a diverse community of part-timers, like her, and full-timers, like Ollie and Andreas. The group is a diverse one; incomes range far-and-wide, as do ages. But they're united by a common desire to skirt the high cost of Bay Area life.
Many of Wahli's friends make "pretty decent money," she said. "They're not doing it because they're broke or homeless, but because they don't understand why they should be paying so much rent."
Jason Ravanelli, 51, falls under such a designation. He's lived in the Bay Area his entire life and currently rents an Alameda studio for $1,500 a month. When his son graduates from high school this year, he's moving out and into a van.
"I have to live and work here because I have no resources to go elsewhere," said Ravanelli, a logistics manager for a truck company in San Francisco. He hopes living in a van, rent-free, changes that.
"Some people like the idea of traveling by van," he said. "Me, I have a goal in mind."
That goal entails saving enough cash to eventually get out of the Bay Area for good. He hopes to purchase a parcel of land on the Olympic Peninsula.
"I'm going to work until I die," he said, "but if I do this, I can work until I die and still have my little spot of land."
Ravenelli said he's been thinking about doing this for a decade, and he's prepared accordingly. He purchased a 2013 refurbished U-115 cargo van for $1,600 down, with monthly payments of $385 that include servicing. Inside is an Ikea futon – free on Craigslist – some stackable Rubbermaid totes (they contain the kitchen and his clothing), a camp stove, a 12-volt cooler, and not much else.
There's an element of anarchy involved in all this. One need not be anchored to a mortgage and a house filled with things when you have a mobile home and the ability to come and go as you please.
The going part can get tedious, though, especially if you park in or around San Francisco. As all city drivers know, parking can be an urban wild west. Ticketing and towing opportunities abound with frequent street sweeping, timed limits on spaces and persnickety neighbors who'll tow you if an inch of your vehicle protrudes into their driveway.
The threat of a "knock on the door" looms constantly for those who live in their vehicles, and it can inspire paranoia. A recent discussion in a Facebook group devoted to local RV lifers quickly became split between those excited to share their stories and those hesitant to do so for fear of police crackdowns. One person claimed an alt-right group keeps a wiki of vans known to house full-time residents.
Van dwellers, said one commenter, don't have political representation, and until there's an #RVLifer in office, the nomads won't feel welcome anywhere. Ollie hopes politicians seize on van life as a means of easing the housing crisis. He suggested a registry of mobile dwellings and designated lots for car campers.
Until political bureaucracy catches up with the latest housing trends, those who live in motor vehicles will have to keep moving. Many people rotate between 10 spots where they know they can park undisturbed, Wahli said. Some stay in one place for the night, and leave early in the morning. It's essential not to draw attention to yourself, and that's easier if you hit the road frequently.
Then again, moving is more feasible for some folks than others – namely those with spiffy vehicles and ample gas budgets. The socioeconomic divide among mobile van dwellers echoes the divisions among traditional home dwellers.
"There's families who live in RVs now that just don't leave," Wahli said, citing Shoreline Avenue, which has a large population of formerly homeless people living in RVs.
"You can't just park somewhere and stay," she continued. "They're ruining it for everyone."
Even in her "upper class" Campbell neighborhood Wahli routinely sees a cohort of mobile homes. They move around every few days, she says, but "they are always there, and that's a problem."
Andreas, who teaches circus arts and gymnastics in San Francisco, finds himself in a "caravan" situation these days. He parks his van beside two other full-time van dwellers – one's an engineer, the other a mechanic – and says the dynamic is similar to that of a "traveling circus caravan."
The trio trade keys in case a vehicle requires moving or a cop comes knocking. They'll cook each other dinner, lend tools and store perishables if someone's generator runs out of juice. The latter occurrence is a common one, and it can be devastating.
According to Andreas, if your battery dies and you don't have a solar power setup, "you're up the creek without a paddle." Installing solar panels is expensive – Andreas estimates it costs upwards of $1,000 for the panels and special batteries – but it pays for itself in the long run by circumventing the cost of constantly eating out. Before going solar, Andreas kept his food in a cooler "probably made for keeping beers chilled at a barbecue."
Food storage, he says, is not only difficult but limited – "You can't go to Costco and buy bulk." One must be purchasing food constantly. Cooking it is another matter. Most van dwellers use a propane burner, Andreas says, and keep a few "versatile, easy-to-clean" pots and pans on hand.
Cleaning the dishes – and yourself – proves another challenge. Water can be found in public spigots or friends' homes, or purchased by the five-gallon jug from a grocery store. Showering is more difficult, but easy to come by with a cheap gym membership, which many van dwellers deem a necessity.
Then there's the toilet situation – often one of the first things those who live in mobiles homes are asked about when they divulge their lifestyle. Some hold their bowels until they find a reliable public restroom, others make a trip to the gym. Andreas takes a page out of the backpacker's guidebook. He uses a tiny, self-contained composting unit that "doesn't smell much at all."
Perfecting your setup is key to thriving, though it can be an expensive endeavor to get your vehicle built out just right.
Andreas recommends a few thousand dollars minimum for startup costs and a couple hundred dollars a month in case of a breakdown or towing. Once you're set up, month to month costs are minimal – "It's not much more than living in an apartment," though minus the cost of rent.
From there, it's just a matter of knowing which spots are welcoming to overnight guests, and which are less hospitable. Every day brings a new address and a fresh view from your bedroom window – and that's part of the charm.
Said Ravanelli, "I'm not homeless, I'm houseless by choice."
"That works on your mind a bit."
Kevin Fagan, a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer, contributed to this report.


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Fast Facts for Sunday, March 26, 2006 (Based on Fast Affiliate Ratings)
With Half its Lineup in Repeat, ABC Wins Sunday by Solid Margins in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, Beating All-Original Competition on NBC and Fox
ABC Wins is 5th Straight Sunday in Total Viewers and its 9th Straight in Adults 18-49
ABC�s Replay �Extreme Makeover: Home Edition� Beats All-Original Competition, Moving ABC Up into the No. 1 Position Among Adults 18-49 at 8pm
Jumping from its Lead-in to Overshadow its Competition at 9pm, ABC�s �Desperate Housewives� is Sunday�s No. 1 TV Show in Viewers and Young Adults
ABC�s Rebroadcast �Grey�s Anatomy� Dominates the 10 O�clock Hour, Generating ABC�s Strongest Repeat Numbers for a Scripted Series Telecast in 6 Years
Sunday Primetime (7:00-11:00 p.m.)
Although half of its line-up was in repeat (�Home Edition� and �Grey�s Anatomy�), ABC won Sunday night for the fifth straight week in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. It was the Net�s ninth consecutive Sunday to hold the No. 1 position in the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic. ABC defeated second-place CBS on the night by 1.2 million viewers (14.7 million vs. 13.5 million) and by 53% in Adults 18-49 (5.8/14 vs. 3.8/10).
�	ABC aired the Top 3 TV programs on Sunday among Adults 18-49, with �Desperate Housewives� and repeats of �Grey�s Anatomy� and �Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.�
�America�s Funniest Home Videos� (7:00-8:00 p.m.)
Airing against CBS� NCAA Basketball overrun leading into the start of �60 Minutes,� ABC�s �America�s Funniest Home Videos� was the top entertainment program among Adults 18-49 during the 7 o�clock hour (2.7/8).
�Extreme Makeover: Home Edition� (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
A repeat of �Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,� against all-original competition, moved ABC up into first place during the 8 o�clock hour among Adults 18-49 (4.9/12). The replay �Home Edition� also took top honors in its time period in each of the women demos (W18-34 � 5.2/14, W18-49 � 5.9/14 & W25-54 � 6.4/14) and Kids 2-11 (3.3/11). In fact the broad skewing ABC unscripted program was the night�s No. 1 TV broadcast among Kids 2-11.
�Desperate Housewives� (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Jumping from its repeat �Home Edition� lead-in by more than 8 million viewers and by 80% in Adults 18-49, ABC�s �Desperate Housewives� soared to the top of its time period. ABC�s �Desperate Housewives� beat its nearest competition (CBS) during the 9 o�clock hour by 9.1 million viewers (21.3 million vs. 12.2 million) and by 151% in Adults 18-49 (8.8/19 vs. 3.5/8).
�	�Desperate Housewives� stood as the No. 1 TV program on Sunday in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
�Grey�s Anatomy� (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
A repeat telecast of �Grey�s Anatomy� beat its closest competitor during the 10 o�clock hour by 4.5 million viewers (15.0 million vs. 10.5 million � NBC�s �Crossing Jordan�) and outperformed the combined deliveries of CBS and NBC by 14% in Adults 18-49 (6.7/17 vs. 5.9/14).
�	�Grey�s Anatomy� generated the strongest repeat numbers for any ABC scripted series telecast in 6 years among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 � since 4/23/00 and 3/21/00, respectively. It was TV�s highest-rated scripted repeat telecast among Adults 18-49 in nearly 4 months (since CBS� �C.S.I.� on 12/1/05) and the third-highest rebroadcast of the season, behind only two �C.S.I.� replays (on 10/27/05 and 12/1/05).
Source: Nielsen Media Research (Fast Affiliate Ratings, Live+SD) 3/26/06.
[march 2006]
· 60 MINUTES (CBS)
· AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (ABC)
· CROSSING JORDAN (NBC)
· CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (CBS)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (HGTV)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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"There are only two kinds of artists: the plagiarists and the revolutionaries." -Paul Gauguin
The creative process consists of our adopting four main roles, each of which embodies a different type of thinking.
First off, you as a creative thinker need the raw materials from which ideas are made: facts, concepts, experiences, knowledge, feelings and whatever else you can find. You can look for these in the same old places. However, you're much more likely to find something original if you venture off the beaten path. So, you become an explorer and look for the materials you'll use to build your idea.
The ideas you gather will be like so many pieces of colored glass at the end of a kaleidoscope. They may form a pattern, but if you want something new and different, you'll have to give them a twist or two. That's when you shift roles and let the artist in you come out. You experiment with a variety of approaches. You follow your intuition. You rearrange things, look at them backwards, and turn them upside down. You ask what-if questions, look for hidden analogies. You may even break the rules or create your own. After all of this you come up with a new idea.
Now you ask yourself, "Is this idea any good? Is it worth pursuing? Will it give me the return I want? Do I have the resources to make this happen?" To help you make your decision, you adopt the mindset of a judge. During your evaluation, you critically weigh the evidence. You look for drawbacks in the idea, and wonder if the timing is right. You run risk analyses, question your assumptions, and listen to your gut. Ultimately you make a decision.
Finally it's time to implement your idea. You realize, however, that the world isn't set up to accommodate every new idea that comes along. As a matter of fact, there's a lot of competition out there. If you want your idea to succeed, you'll have to take the offensive. So, you become a warrior and take your idea into battle. As a warrior, you're part general and part foot-soldier. You develop your strategy, and commit yourself to reaching your objective. You also have the discipline to slog it out in the trenches. You may have to overcome excuses, idea killers, temporary setbacks, and other obstacles. But you have the courage to do what's necessary to make your idea a reality.
-When you're searching for new information, be an Explorer.
-When you're turning your resources into new ideas, be an Artist.
-When you're evaluating the merits of an idea, be a Judge.
-When you're carrying your idea into action, be a Warrior.
Viewed together, these four roles are your creative team for generating and implementing new ideas. Of course, the pattern for most of the things you create won't always be this linear progression of explorer-to-artist-to-judge-to-warrior. Usually there's a fair amount of shifting back and forth between the roles. Given a concept to develop or a problem to solve, some people start as the artist and jump back and forth to the explorer and the judge until they reach their objective. Others do it just the reverse. In general, however, you'll be using your explorer more in the early stages of the creative process, your artist and judge more in the middle, and your warrior toward the end.
A Kick In The Seat Of The Pants –
Using Your Explorer, Artist, Judge & Warrior To Be More Creative –Roger von Oech
"I saw a subliminal advertising executive, but only for a second." -Steven Wright
The deep and enduring wisdom of knock-knock jokes.
Consider these one-liners from stand-up comedian Steven Wright: "If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose? ... When you open a new bag of cotton balls, are you supposed to throw the top one away? ... When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does he wonder why you're just sitting there staring at carpeting?"
Freud said that laughter is the release of tension, which may be why jumping from one point of view to another and introducing a sudden new interpretation adds a nice tension and release to the architecture of an ad. That very tension involves the viewer more than a simple expository statement of the same facts.
Creative theorist Arthur Koestler noted that a person, on hearing a joke, is "compelled to repeat to some extent the process of inventing the joke, to re-create it in his imagination." Authors McAlhone and Stuart add, "An idea that happens in the mind stays in the mind ... it leaves a stronger trace. People can remember that flash moment, the click, and re-create the pleasure just by thinking about it."
We're not the first people to notice this stuff. A third-century writer named Lactantius said, "Anything pleasant easily persuades, and while it gives pleasure fixes itself in the heart."
A good example of how to create this "smile in the mind" is Chiat\Day's classic Nynex television campaign. One of the first commercials opens on an easy chair set in a flat white background. Suddenly it's illuminated by the bright circle of a nightclub spotlight and "stripping music" begins to play. The chair begins to "undress." The doilies fly off, then the arm padding, finally the cushion covers. There's a fast cut to the Nynex Yellow Pages as the camera whips in for a close-up of one of its many business categories: "Furniture Stripping." The book slams shut and a voice-over says: "The Nynex Yellow Pages. If it's out there, it's in here."
Jokes make us laugh by introducing the unexpected. An ad can work the same way.
Don't set out to be funny. Set out to be interesting. Funny is a subset of interesting. Funny isn't a language. Funny is an accent. And funny may not even be the right accent.
I find it interesting that the Clio Awards had a category called "Best Use of Humor." And, curiously, no "Best Use of Seriousness." Funny, serious, heartfelt - none of it matters if you aren't interesting first. Howard Gossage, a famous ad person from the '50s, said, "People read what interests them; and sometimes it's an ad."
Hey, Whipple Squeeze This – A guide to creating Great Ads
–Luke Sullivan
Jump Elephant Jump
"God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style. He just keeps on trying other things." -Pablo Picasso
Sparks of creativity often flow from new knowledge. Frequently it's information about things that are completely new to you. Sometimes, it's new facts about familiar things. And sometimes it's information about things that you didn't know you didn't know. This last category, usually filled with items that are silly and fanciful, can provide a platform for your imagination to jump from.
So here I present the: "Things you didn't know you didn't know" section.
(or the alternately titled: "Trivia to win bar bets" section).
Do Elephants Jump?
Most elephant experts think it is physiologically impossible for a mature elephant to jump, although baby elephants have been known to do so, if provoked. Not only do mature elephants weigh too much to support landing on all fours, but their legs are designed for strength rather than leaping ability. Mark Grunwald, who has worked with elephants for more than a decade at the Philadelphia Zoo, notes that elephants' bone structure makes it difficult for them to bend their legs sufficiently to derive enough force to propel the big lugs up.
Yet there are a few sightings of elephants jumping in the wild. Animals that are fast runners or possess great leaping ability have usually evolved these skills as a way of evading attackers. Elephants don't have any natural predators, according to the San Diego Wild Animal Park's manager of animals, Alan Rooscroft: "Only men kill elephants. The only other thing that could kill an elephant is a fourteen ton tiger."
Most of the experts agree with zoologist Richard Landesman of the University of Vermont, that there is little reason for an elephant to jump in its natural habitat. Indeed, Mike Zulak, an elephant curator at the San Diego Zoo, observes that pachyderms are rather awkward walkers, and can lose their balance easily, so they tend to be conservative in their movements. Why bother jumping when you can walk through or around just about everything in your natural habitat?
Why leap when you can trudge?
Do Elephants Jump? An imponderable book – David Feldman
Trudging across the swamps.
Mana Pools National Park, Tanazania, Africa
©Lorne Resnick


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HomePosts tagged 'Benny'
Moreland's Pinch-hit Dinger leads Red Sox past Mariners
March 30, 2019 March 30, 2019 22robertsa Game Recaps, MLB, Red Sox	Andrew Benintendi, Benny, Bogey, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Brian Johnson, Colten Brewer, Dee Gordon, Domingo Santana, Eduardo Nunez, J.D. Martinez, Jackie Bradley, Jackie Bradley Jr., JBJ, M's, Mallex Smith, Mariners, Matt Barnes, Mitch Moreland, MLB, Mookie Betts, Nathan Eovaldi, Omar Narvaez, Red Sox, Ryon Healy, Seattle, Seattle Mariners, Sox, T-Mobile Park, Tim Beckham, X-Man, Xander Bogaerts
It was the top of the 9th inning, and Mitch Moreland had come in to pinch-hit for the Red Sox with runners on first and second. After taking 2 balls, Moreland nailed a 95 MPH fastball up the middle into right field for a line drive go-ahead homer! The Red Sox had taken a 7-6 lead over Seattle! Matt Barnes finished the job with a 12-pitch, 2-strikeout bottom of the 9th and the Red Sox had won the game.
The Sox came back to defeat the Mariners last night despite trailing 6-1 after four innings. Even after an impressive run with the Red Sox last season, Nathan Eovaldi struggled mightily in this game, giving up all six runs, three of which were scored on solo homers. As a team, the Red Sox have given up 7 home runs in just 2 games. This could become a lingering issue that comes back to haunt them. Or it could just be a result of pitching against a powerful Mariners lineup.
Eovaldi gave up solo shots to both Mallex Smith and Domingo Santana in the 1st inning. Smith and Santana are new additions to a young outfield, and neither has a history of hitting lots of dingers, but both of them knocked one out of T-Mobile Park last night. He went on to give up another one in the 2nd inning, this time to C Omar Narvaez, who's never even been that big a contributor at the plate. If this didn't wear out Eovaldi enough, the 3rd and 4th innings were even worse.
In the 3rd, Eovaldi did give up a single and walk a batter making it men on first and second. Luckily, no runs scored here. But in the 4th, the Mariners put up three runs, two of which came on sacrifice flies. SS Tim Beckham began the inning with a double into right field, and Narvaez hit a line single to make it first and third with no outs. 3B Ryon Healy drove in the first run with a long double into deep center, and sacrifice flies by 2B Dee Gordon and Smith made it 6-1 Seattle just like that.
The Red Sox didn't do much of anything in these first four innings, but their first run was scored by a huge Xander Bogaerts home run into deep left field in the 2nd inning. In the 5th, the Sox had runners on first and third after an error and a Sam Travis single. CF Jackie Bradley Jr. was up. He may have grounded into a double play, but a run still scored. J.D. Martinez added a third run with his 6th inning solo shot into dead center.
Eovaldi was replaced in the bottom of the 6th by Colten Brewer. Brewer may have walked some batters, but he didn't give up any more runs.
Christian Vazquez added a solo shot of his own in the top of the 8th, making it a 2 run game. After the homer, LF Andrew Benintendi and Bogaerts walked and RF Mookie Betts hit a ground single, loading the bases with 1 out. But 2B Eduardo Nunez grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Though the Red Sox failed to take the lead in the 8th, Brian Johnson came in and struck out the side. After that, Moreland hit his homer, Barnes finished the job, and the Red Sox had won 7-6.
Tonight's 9PM game, the third of four against Seattle may answer some of our questions that have arised during the first two games. Is the rotation a concern? Is Matt Barnes our everyday closer? Watch tonight to find out.
Price, Dingers, Lead Red Sox To 4th World Series of Century
October 31, 2018 November 5, 2018 22robertsa Game Recaps, MLB, Red Sox, Uncategorized	Alex Cora, Andrew Benintendi, Benny, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Chris Sale, Chris Taylor, Clayton Kershaw, David Freese, David Price, Dodgers, Hanley Ramirez, J.D. Martinez, Joe Kelly, John Farrell, LA, LA Dodgers, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, Mookie Betts, Red Sox, Sox, Steve Pearce, Tony Massarotti
At the start of 2017, when the Red Sox signed Chris Sale, Red Sox reporter Tony Massarotti had said that the Red Sox had a three-year window to win the World Series. If they didn't win it in three years, it was a disappointment. The Red Sox choked in the playoffs in 2017, similar to 2016. Their choke was followed by a long expected firing of World Series-winning manager John Farrell.
The Red Sox hired Alex Cora, a former Red Sox player as their new manager and signed OF J.D. Martinez that off-season. Cora and Martinez were two of our biggest factors this year. Fast forward 8 months, and Cora, Martinez, and the rest of the team is celebrating a 4th World Series victory of the century thanks to Cora's smart, proactive managing, the dominance of a streaky, explosive lineup, and David Price's long-awaited playoff successes.
This season is one to remember. The Sox finished with their best record in the 162-game era, dominated the playoffs and won the World Series. Game 5 was extra special, as Price performed better on the mound than he ever had in a playoff start. Meanwhile, the Red Sox lineup backed him up with an explosive 4 homer day. The Sox hit some of these home runs against Clayton Kershaw, who is regarded by many as the best active pitcher in the MLB.
To start the game, Andrew Benintendi, who has dominated against Kershaw, singled in his first at bat. Steve Pearce, Boston's unlikely hero this year, followed up with a 2-run homer. This wouldn't be the last the Dodgers see of Pearce, who was brought on board after the release of Hanley Ramirez. Pearce outperformed Ramirez by far.
Dodgers infielder David Freese struck back with a leadoff solo shot of his own in the bottom of the 1st, making it 2-1 Red Sox. Freese went on to have a 2-hit day and was the biggest threat to Boston's victory. But after giving up the homer, Price settled down, throwing just 89 pitches in a total of 7.0+ IP. That's the best we've seen his pitch count at in any start this season, regular season or playoffs. Believe it or not, Price was out-pitching Kershaw. That was a somewhat normal occurrence before 2016, but was a complete shocker to Dodger fans in this game. Not only was Price out-pitching Kershaw, but he actually looked like a $31 million/year pitcher.
Kershaw also settled down, but his pitch count was not as solid. The Red Sox lineup quieted down until about the 6th inning. To this point, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez had been in World Series slumps. But both hit a solo home run in Game 5, Betts in the 6th, and Martinez in the 7th. Just like that, the lineup had awoken, and it was 4-1 Red Sox. Pearce added to it with an 8th inning solo shot making it 5-1. Now it was up to the Sox bullpen to secure the victory after 7 strong innings by Price.
Joe Kelly dominated in the 8th inning as he had been throughout the playoffs, striking out three consecutive batters after David Price walked Chris Taylor and left the game.
In the 9th, the Red Sox opted to bring in their ace, Chris Sale, in hopes he would finish the game off strong. Sale proved himself, striking out the side and winning Boston the World Series.
The Red Sox paraded through the city on duck boats this past Wednesday and will look to defend their title in 2019.
Baseball Bits #9: Why Mookie Betts Should Still Lead Off
June 20, 2018 22robertsa Baseball Bits, MLB, Red Sox, Uncategorized	Andrew Benintendi, Baseball Bits, Benny, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Brock Holt, Christian Vazquez, Dustin Pedroia, Eduardo Nunez, Hanley Ramirez, J.D. Martinez, Jackie Bradley Jr., JBJ, Mitch Moreland, MLB, MLB Trade Deadline, Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers, Red Sox, Sandy Leon, Sox, X-Man, Xander Bogaerts
Although he has missed significant time due to injuries, Mookie Betts has had a phenomenal season. As of June 18th, he is batting .340/.419/.699 with 18 HR, 38 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. As his stats show, he is a speedy, consistent leadoff hitter who hits home runs. With stats like his, many have argued that he belongs in the middle of the line-up as he has nearly made the 30-30 club in each of the last two years.
Despite their speed, most 30-30 hitters of the past did not lead off. Instead, they have been middle of the line-up threats. Alex Cora has said time and time again that Betts is his leadoff hitter and I think there is evidence to support the Sox rookie manager's decision and it goes beyond the Sox best start in years.
Betts has hit 3 leadoff homers just this year (13 in his career). He also bats in consecutive innings or twice in an inning very often. And the more at-bats he gets, the more chances to help the Sox potent offense get going whether it is the start of the game or in later innings. Read below for some more compelling stats that support the decision to keep Betts leading off.
The Research (Note: Data as of June 18th)
Baseball Bits #9_ Mookie Betts Back-2-Back Innings – 2018 At-Bats in Back-To-Back InningsSame Inning (1)
The "Baseball Bits"
In the 54 games Betts has played this season, he has batted in consecutive innings (including one time he batted twice in one inning) 36 times over 29 games
The Red Sox are 22-7 in these games (.759 winning percentage)
To compare, the Sox current overall record is 49-24 (.671)
When Betts plays and does not do it, the Red Sox are 15-10 (.600)
The Sox are 4-3 when Betts does it twice in one game (.571)
They are 1-0 when Betts bats twice in an inning (1.000)
The Sox are 3-1 (.750) when Betts comes up to bat in three innings in a row
12 of these 36 (33%) of Betts' consecutive inning at-bats have started in the 1st inning
Betts is batting .468/.533/.887 with a 1.420 OPS for all of the consecutive inning/same inning at bats
He has hit 8 HR and drove in 18 runs in these at bats
44% of his home runs this season and 47% of his RBIs this season have been when he has batted in consecutive innings or twice in an inning
As much as the Red Sox would benefit from having Betts batting before J.D. Martinez, creating a 1-2 punch, I think the data shows it's been plenty beneficial to keep Betts in the leadoff spot. Even with the bases empty at the start of the game or after our weak end of the lineup struggles, Betts manages to come through. He has hit 13 career leadoff home runs and would not bat in consecutive innings this often if he wasn't leading off. 33% of his consecutive inning at-bats have started in the 1st inning.
The only major downside of keeping him in the leadoff spot is that with the 7th, 8th, and 9th batters struggling, he has fewer RBI opportunities. If the Sox find a way to get another bat or the bottom of the order heats up, that will change. Another option is if Dustin Pedroia can return to his old self, it will help make 1 through 9 stronger like the Yankees potent offense. Either way, it's hard to argue with the success the Sox line-up has had with Mookie at the top.
The Sox have plenty of speed in their line-up and super utility man Brock Holt 9th could bat 9th to give them a second lead-off. Holt has been doing well this season, while the more frequent bottom of the order consisting of Jackie Bradley Jr. (another good 9 option when hitting better), Sandy Leon, and Christian Vazquez have struggled to the point where none of them are batting .250 or higher. Trying Holt or Pedroia in the nine-hole could potentially get Betts some runners in scoring position when he comes up, which should make him perform even better. Betts is batting .353 with runners in scoring position this year, but only 34 of his 209 at-bats (16.3%) have been with runners in scoring position. That just shows how desperately Betts needs some end of the lineup support and how Betts' home runs have helped his RBI total of 38. The Red Sox have a top-heavy lineup.
They have not shown signs that they are already missing Hanley Ramirez but will they need to add another hitter in order to contend in the playoffs? If the Sox 7-8-9 hitters keep struggling as we get closer to the July 31st trading deadline, it will be something the Sox will have to consider. I hope they heat up but if not, expect to see a post from me on potential additions either by trade or internal or both.
Red Sox Report: Red Sox On A Roll Despite Many Injuries
April 16, 2018 May 6, 2018 22robertsa MLB, Red Sox, Red Sox Report, Uncategorized	A's, Anaheim, Andrew Benintendi, Angels, Athletics, B's, Benny, Big Papi, Bobby Poyner, Boston, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, Brad Marchand, Bruins, Celtics, Celts, Chris Sale, David Ortiz, David Pastrnak, David Price, Drew Pomeranz, E-Rod, Eduardo Rodriguez, Halos, Hanley Ramirez, J.D. Martinez, Joe Kelly, Khris Davis, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Angels, Matt Chapman, Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Oakland, Oakland A's, Oakland Athletics, Patrice Bergeron, Rafael Devers, Red Sox, Rick Porcello, Shohei Ohtani, Sonny Gray, Sox, Steven Wright, Tyler Austin, Tyler Thornburg, X-Man, Xander Bogaerts
(040818 Boston, MA) Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is helped off the field after he injured his foot during the 7th inning of the game at Fenway Park in Boston on Sunday,April 8, 2018. Staff Photo by Nancy Lane
Can Boston teams sustain any more injuries? First, the Celtics lost Gordon Hayward on Opening Night and later lost Kyrie Irving for the season. Then the Bruins began sustaining a lot of injuries, and although they are still a strong playoff contender, it seems like another player goes down every time somebody returns. And now as the Red Sox are off to a hot start, they are far from full strength.
Even though Eduardo Rodriguez has returned and Drew Pomeranz will be back soon, the Red Sox have continued to lose players to injuries. This past week, Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez, Bobby Poyner, Mookie Betts, and David Price have all missed or left games due to injuries. Hanley surprisingly only missed a game after taking a fastball on his hand/wrist area. He hit a mammoth line drive HR in his first game back keeping his hot start going.
The Rivalry is Back: Red Sox Win In Heated First Series vs. Yankees
The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is back and better than ever. This year, with the Sox and Yankees likely to compete for the AL East title, expect exciting games between these two teams. It did not take long for the intensity to get going in the first series. There were two bench-clearing incidents in the second game. I expect the tension to carry over into the next Red Sox-Yankees series and likely all of the remaining sixteen games.
Despite numerous injuries sustained by both teams, this was not a series you would want to miss. After a hot 8-1 start, the Red Sox were confident and ready to prove that their strong start was not a fluke. After the Sox blew out the Yankees 14-1 in game 1, the Yankees came into game 2 with a little more fight. They won the game and Yankees DH Tyler Austin spiked SS Brock Holt when he slid into second. Tensions flared and benches cleared.
Another bench-clearing brawl occurred when Joe Kelly retaliated by hitting Tyler Austin later in the game and Austin charged the mound. This one got both Kelly and Austin ejected and both of them have since been suspended. Both players appealed to stay in the series and on the active roster until the hearing. You will not want to miss a Red Sox-Yankees game this year as they are clearly the best 2 teams in the AL East.
By the time this game was over, starters Tanaka and Price were long gone as neither lasted too long. Price had the worst outing of his career lasting only 1 inning. He left after giving up 4 runs and was pulled before starting the 2nd due to a tingling sensation in his fingers. It was a cold night and sports radio talk has speculated Price's issues were related to the cold, his elbow, or maybe even anxiety. Regardless, the Sox need Price healthy so whatever it was, the team and fans hope it was an isolated issue and he returns to pitching as well as he did to finish last season and start this one.
On A Roll: Lineup and Rotation Have Shown Flashes of Excellence
The Red Sox may be missing a lot of players due to injuries but the lineup has been hot of late after a slow start and their rotation has looked like one the best in the MLB all season (except Price's bad outing). Hanley Ramirez is on fire despite suffering a wrist contusion this week and J.D. Martinez has heated up after taking a week or so to adjust to his new team. He now has 3 HR and 13 RBI on the season, including a grand slam in Boston's comeback attempt in Game 2 against the Yankees.
The Red Sox have now hit 3 grand slams this season while they had none in 2017. Mookie Betts has also been on fire all season, batting .353, and Bogaerts was just as hot before his ankle injury on Sunday that got him placed on the 10-day DL. Andrew Benintendi started hitting well at home and is 10 for his last 26.
The rotation has shown flashes of dominance too, and Red Sox starters have pitched quality starts in 3 of the last 6 games. Rick Porcello even had a no-hitter through six on Thursday. The defense has helped the pitching playing nearly flawless all year with only 3 errors on the season. Jackie Bradley Jr. had an amazing catch this past Saturday that has SportsCenter Top 10 of the year potential.
Red Hot Hanley: Ramirez Riding 10-Game Hitting Streak, Is He Back To His Pre-2015 Form?
The Red Sox were expecting another power hitter to support Big Papi when they signed Hanley Ramirez back in the 2014-15 off-season. But a shoulder injury in 2015 limited Ramirez and he fell short of expectations in 2015 and 2016. Hanley looked better in 2017 but without Big Papi, he only hit .242 with 23 HR and 62 RBI. This season Hanley has been off to a great start. He is riding a 10-game hitting streak and he has hit 3 home runs and leads the AL in RBI. He is also hitting .362/.415/.617. You could argue that he has returned to the pre-2015 form that led the Sox to sign him to a very big contract.
After going down with a wrist contusion on Thursday, some speculated that he would not keep this up when he returned. But he was ready to go for Saturday's game he quieted the doubters and hit a home run in his first at-bat. If he keeps this up, he will remain an everyday starter on the Sox, something that was not a given to begin the season. Do you think Hanley Ramirez is back to his pre-2015 form, or will he cool down?
Injury Update: Who's Out, What To Expect
The Red Sox sustained lots of injuries this week. Xander Bogaerts was placed on the DL April 8th after hurting his ankle when chasing a ball into the Rays dugout. On Wednesday, David Price left the game but it looks like he won't miss a start. Bobby Poyner went down with a hamstring injury in the same game as Price and was placed on the DL.
Mookie Betts left Saturday's game after suffering a foot contusion by colliding with Orioles catcher Chance Sisco while sliding into home. He is now day to day, but he was out of the lineup Sunday.
The good news is that Drew Pomeranz will be returning this Thursday or Friday after a strong rehab start in Portland, giving up just 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings. Relievers Steven Wright and Tyler Thornburg are also making progress in their rehab.
I do expect the Red Sox to stay hot but these injuries could eventually hold the team back, especially with a tough road trip including visits to Anaheim and Oakland coming up. The A's are led by power hitting out of veteran Khris Davis and breakout star Matt Chapman. The Angels are led by two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani and star hitter Mike Trout. They have a stacked lineup that has helped them get off to a hot start as they lead AL West. The Sox will face Ohtani in Game 1 of the series because their game on Sunday was postponed. Will the Red Sox be able to stay hot against these two teams despite injuries?
Sox Prepare To Face Ohtani In Game 1 Of West Coast Road Trip
The Red Sox will head out west after their Marathon Monday game against Baltimore was rained out and the first game is against young Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani. He has dominated at the plate and on the mound, and he is the probable starter on Tuesday. Ohtani has become known as the HR-hitting ace. He has hit 3 HR and is batting .367/.424/.767 in 8 games at the plate. As a starting pitcher, he is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 2 games on the mound.
Stay tuned for more Red Sox posts coming soon.
Big Night For Boston: Sox, Bruins Win On Big Stage
April 14, 2018 April 15, 2018 22robertsa Bruins, Game Recaps, MLB, NHL, Red Sox, Uncategorized	Aaron Judge, Andrew Benintendi, Atlantic Division, B's, Baltimore, Baltimore Orioles, Benny, Boston, Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox, Brock Holt, Bruins, David Backes, E-Rod, Eduardo Nunez, Eduardo Rodriguez, Gary Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, Jackie Bradley Jr., JBJ, Leafs, Los Angeles Angels, Maple Leafs, Marcus Walden, Mitch Moreland, Mookie Betts, Nazem Kadri, New York, New York Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox, Rick Nash, Rick Porcello, Riley Nash, Sandy Leon, Sonny Gray, Sox, Stanley Cup Playoffs, TD Garden, Tommy Wingels, Toronto, Toronto Maple Leafs, world series, Yankees, Yanks, Zach Hyman
Boston sports fans needed 2 TVs on Thursday night as the Red Sox battled the Yankees in the series rubber match and the Bruins kicked off their 2018 playoff hockey against a tough Toronto squad. Most fans likely flipped back and forth and if they were lucky didn't miss a run or goal and both teams dominated. The Sox have now won three in a row after more dominance today and the Bruins are on tonight so no flipping is needed.
The Red Sox topped the Yankees 6-3, winning their first series of 2018 against New York. The Sox looked very good throughout the series. Although both teams are suffering numerous injuries, I think this is a good sign that the Red Sox may be ready to contend for a World Series title. Some people believed the opposite before this series, as the Red Sox had faced only rebuilding teams before their series against the Yanks. If they can do well against the 12-3 Los Angeles Angels and start next week's west coast road trip off right, that will continue to solidify the Red Sox position as a true contender to win the AL East again and maybe go further.
While the Bruins limped into the playoffs losing 4 of their last 5 to miss a chance to lock down the #1 seed, they returned to midseason form Thursday and dominated in Game 1. They blew out Toronto 5-1. The Bruins refused to let injuries hold them back, and the depth of their roster helped them. If the Bruins can bring the same intensity for the rest of the series, the Maple Leafs may struggle to win a game, let alone the series. The top line of Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak played extremely well and their play really shined on the power play as the Bruins were 3 for 6, scoring one PP goal in each period.
Please read on for a few more details on the big night for the Sox and B's.
Porcello Dominant, Red Sox Cruise to Victory
The Red Sox came out aggressive fearing a rain-shortened game and put up 6 runs over the first 3 innings on their way to victory over the Yankees, 6-3. Rick Porcello was dominant on the mound and had a no-hitter through six and finished with seven scoreless innings, giving up just two hits. Porcello stayed warm waiting out a rain delay after five innings but Rick came back into the game showing no ill effects from the delay. His no-hitter came to an end in the 7th inning when Yankees star hitter Aaron Judge doubled to break it up.
The Red Sox grabbed hold of a lead early in the game. Hanley Ramirez, who has been on fire of late, left the game in the 1st after being hit in the hand by Sonny Gray but that did not stop the Red Sox. Eduardo Nunez led off in the next inning with a base hit. The cold was giving him knee discomfort as he raced down the first base line but he decided to keep on playing. JBJ walked to make it 1st and 2nd, and Sandy Leon drove in the run with a single. Brock Holt got on base with another walk to load the bases, and all three runners advanced one base when Mookie Betts hit a deep sac fly, making it 2-0 Red Sox with men on 2nd and 3rd. Andrew Benintendi then grounded to second base with the infield in. The Yankees chose to throw home but the throw bounced in by Sanchez and allowed Leon to score. Holt advanced to 3rd and Benny had time to advance to 2nd. Mitch Moreland, in off the bench for Hanley, drove in the fourth run with a single despite limited playing time this year.
The Sox scored again the 3rd. Eduardo Nunez doubled to right, and JBJ hit a ground rule double to knock him in. Sandy Leon struck out on a pitch in the dirt that got away. Another bad defensive choice by the Yankees allowed Leon to reach as Gary Sanchez fired to 3rd but JBJ slid in safely. Mookie Betts knocked him in with a ground ball to the right side, 6-0 Boston. Betts ended up going 0 for 4 but he had 2 RBI on the night.
The Yankees did not score until the top of the 9th when reliever Marcus Walden gave up a bases-clearing double to Gary Sanchez with the bases loaded. Craig Kimbrel came in to finish the job, and the Red Sox won 6-3.
Injury Update: Hanley Ramirez did suffer a wrist contusion but avoided a more serious injury. He was out of the lineup Friday against Baltimore but returned today with a Home Run.
What's Next: The Red Sox have taken the first 2 games against the Orioles in a 4-game Fenway series as Eduardo Rodriguez dominated again against his former team as he has struck out more batters against the Orioles than any other opponent in his career. The Sox won easily 7-3. Velazquez gave up just 2 runs in 5 strong innings as the Sox cruised to a 10-3 victory and weather permitting hope Sale can keep the strong pitching streak for Sox starters going.
Bruins Dominate vs. Leafs, Led By Power Play success
The Bruins dominated in Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They topped a strong Toronto Maple Leafs squad, 5-1, with David Backes scoring one goal and being robbed of a second. Rick Nash also made an impact returning after a long absence. The Bruins dominated in their power plays, scoring a power-play goal in every period. One PP goal was during a 5-minute major power play due to a gruesome hit Nazem Kadri put on Tommy Wingels, knocking him out of the game. Kadri is suspended for the next 3 games of the series, and if the Bruins continue to dominate, he may not play another game this season.
Zach Hyman scored the only goal for Toronto when the Leafs tied it up in the 1st period. After that, the Leafs fell out of it due to 4 unanswered Bruins goals.
Injury Update: Wingels is out for Game 2 after being hit by Kadri. Riley Nash is doubtful with an ear laceration. Donato is playing for Wingels.
What's Next: The Bruins take on the Leafs at the TD Garden again tonight. It is being aired on prime time on NBC. The Bruins have jumped out to a 5-2 lead early in the 2nd period, going 2 for 2 on the power play and scoring another 4 unanswered goals to begin the game.
Stay tuned for more Red Sox and Bruins coverage soon, including my latest Red Sox Report.
Benintendi Hits 2 Dingers as Red Sox Cream Yankees
August 13, 2017 22robertsa Game Recaps, MLB, Red Sox	Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge, Andrew Benintendi, Benny, Bogey, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Brandon Workman, Chase Headley, Christian Vazquez, Didi Gregorius, Drew Pomeranz, Eduardo Nunez, Gary Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, Jackie Bradley Jr., Jacoby Ellsbury, JBJ, Luis Severino, Mitch Moreland, MLB, Mookie Betts, New York, New York Yankees, Rafael Devers, Red Sox, Robby Scott, Sox, Xander Bogaerts, Yankees, Yanks
With every win there's a different Hero for this team. Yesterday, it was Andrew Benintendi. He was up at the plate in the 5th with 2nd and 3rd. He had already hit a 3-run shot in the 3rd inning. Then he nailed another one to right, and just like the last one, it was gone! Benny had hit two 3-run jacks on the day.
Early in the game, it was looking like a pitcher's duel, as Luis Severino put up a 6-pitch 1-2-3 inning. Pomeranz was ready to match that, he had pitched well all year. But he let up a leadoff single to Brett Gardner. He shut down Hicks and Judge, which was promising, but with Gardner still on first, Gary Sanchez hit a home run around the right field pole. It was a relatively easy HR to hit, but the Yankees had taken a 2-0 lead. That probably would've been a routine fly ball at Fenway, but this is Yankee Stadium.
Both pitchers settled down in the 2nd inning, but the Red Sox offense was ready to rumble in the 3rd. Severino started the inning well, as Devers lined out to left. But after giving up 2 consecutive walks, Eduardo Nunez was brought up to the plate with 1st and 2nd. He reached on an error to load the bases for Betts. Would Betts hit a grand slam and put an end to the Yankee lead? He didn't hit a grand slam, but he did hit it past the shortstop for an RBI single. Both JBJ and Vazquez scored, and it was a 2-2 tie game.
Benintendi was up with men on 1st and 2nd. He nailed the ball to right center, and it made it out of the park! The Sox now took a 5-2 lead. That's what you can call payback for the Yankees' 5 run inning on Friday night. Were they done? I didn't think so after Hanley and Moreland singled back-to-back. But Bogaerts lined out to left, and Hanley Ramirez was called out at 2nd. It was a double play to end the inning, and another out on the bases for this team. However, the Sox had secured a 3-run lead going into the bottom of the 3rd.
Pomeranz had another solid inning, that was followed by a better inning by Severino, who struck out the side. But the Yankees tried to strike back in the bottom of the 4th. Gregorius got his 2nd hit of the day, and Frazier walked to make it first and second, and a Chase Headley hit loaded the bases. Ellsbury, who had struggled all year, was up, but the bases were loaded with nobody out. Although Ellsbury grounded out, a run came in to score. It was now 5-3 Red Sox. The lead had been cut short. However, Pomeranz was lucky enough to shut down the next 2 batters and get out of the inning giving up just 1 run.
The Red Sox didn't want to let the Yanks come back on them, again. So in the 5th, they went all out. Nunez led off with a base hit, and he was sent to third by a Mookie Betts doubled. Then, with two runners in scoring position, Benintendi came up to the plate. He hit another one high into right field, and it was gone! Andrew Benintendi had just hit his 2nd 3-run shot on the day! The Red Sox had an 8-3 lead, and once again, they weren't done after the dinger. Moreland doubled to get on base, and Bogey reached on an error. Severino was officially done. With runners on the corners and just one out, Devers was up. His double to center knocked in both Bogaerts and Moreland! It was now a 10-3 Red Sox lead.
It began to quiet down after that. Pomeranz went 6.2 innings after a relatively strong 5th and 6th. Brandon Workman got the final out in the 7th, shutting down Aaron Judge. In the 8th, the Red Sox got three consecutive hits, but no runs scored. Devers had singled, but he got out at 2nd. Another out on the bases! Although Vazquez and JBJ each had a single, the Red Sox couldn't knock them in with 1 down as Benny didn't get an at bat before the inning ended.
In the bottom of the 9th, the Yankees still had something left in the tank though. Chase Headley led off with a homer to center. Ellsbury hit another homer to right to make it back to back jacks. It was 10-5 Yankees. Would the Yankees be able to come back after all this?
No. Robby Scott got 3 quick outs to end the game. The Sox had won 10-5, tying the series. Tonight, they will play the final game in this epic series. Chris Sale, the AL leader in ERA, wins and strikeouts, will take the mound for Boston as Jordan Montgomery starts for the Yankees. Sale has been great against the Yanks and he's shut down Judge. Will Sale give the Sox this series, or will the Yankees win it at home? Find out tonight on Sunday Night Baseball.


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Oscars: How The International Film Landscape Is Shaping Up In A Difficult Year
'Mudbound' Director Dee Rees & Cast Speak On The Film's Contemporary Relevance – The Contenders
By Amanda N'Duka
Amanda N'Duka
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"It exposes race as an economic construct and exposes the fact that we're all interconnected not just to each other but to our history," said Mudbound director Dee Rees, speaking on the contemporary message of the period film at Deadline's The Contenders. "There is no 'then' or 'will be,' there's only now. Everything is now. We can't dismiss our history and say we are a product of our times. We are the times and we decide what kind of nation we are going to be."
Rees was joined onstage by some of the film's stars including Mary J. Blige, Carey Mulligan, and Garrett Hedlund. Moderated by Deadline's Joe Utichi, the cast was asked about what drew them to the project. Hedlund, who was raised on a farm, found familiarity with the piece. "The story deals a lot with the family trials of trying to have a successful farm and the pain and the hardships that come with that. I had a lot to play on." Per Blige, is was the story "being so relative to where we are today" as well as the portrayal of a free black man after WWII, which made "it was very important to get involved."
Added Mulligan: "It was a fascinating period of history that I've never really thought about. War has historically been a catalyst for social change. This idea of black men going to fight and die for their country and then coming back to a society that hasn't changed at all and was equally disdainful and unaccepting was so bizarre to really think about…so that was really interesting."
Latour/Deadline/REX/Shutterstock
In addition to Mudbound, Netflix brought along actress Elizabeth Marvel, to speak on its original film, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), written and directed by Noah Baumbach. It revolves around three adult siblings, played by Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller and Marvel, contending with the long shadow their strong-willed artist father (portrayed by Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman) has cast over their lives. "The amazing thing about the script is that it's 170 pages of dialogue and that is exactly what we shot," Marvel said. "Nothing was cut." Marvel shared. The word-heavy project required a month of rehearsal for the cast in order to organically "get to know each other in creating this family dynamic."
Marvel, who plays the soft-spoken, timid Jean Meyerowitz, said she wasn't able to find her character right away. "It took a while… Normally I'm asked to play women who are very commanding, said Marvel, who played President Elizabeth Keane on season six of Showtime's Homeland. "Jean is a completely different kind of animal. It awesome as an actor when you're asked to do something you don't know how to do."
Dee Rees
The Meyerowitz Stories


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Amazing Maisie is Little Miss June
Derry girl features in calendar by 'Wouldn't Change a Thing'
Maisie Colhoun and her big brothers, Thomas (17) and Christopher (16) who feature in a new calendar by "Wouldn't Change a Thin." Photo: Jay Doherty.
Marianne Craig
11:12:00 21 Nov 2019
An inspirational Derry girl has been chosen to feature in a calendar aimed at challenging perceptions of people born with an extra chromosome.
It was launched by the charity "Wouldn't Change a Thing" which aims to create a world where negative perceptions of Down Syndrome are a thing of the past.
Maisie Colhoun was photographed with her big brothers Thomas (17) and Christopher (16) to show the close bond they share.
"It's every teenager's worst nightmare to have to go and get their photograph taken but it just shows the brilliant family relationship they have," said their mum, Dawn.
"The two of them just love her and she loves them.
"They are just amazing with her and so caring.
"She loves the craic with them and they are so good together, so it's great for me and their dad Ally.
Local photographer, Jay Doherty, took the family to a woodland in Muff where he shot a selection of pictures.
"Maisie really, really enjoyed herself," said Dawn.
"She just loves being the centre of attention.
"Jay is an absolute gentleman and he is so good at what he does.
"The pictures are so beautiful."
Dawn and Ollie got involved with the charity because they believed in its message.
"We are trying to get away from the negative perceptions of Down Syndrome," Dawn explained.
"Treat people with Down Syndrome like everyone else and they will thrive like everyone else."
Earlier this year, Maisie was chosen to feature in a book for new and expectant parents of children with Down Syndrome, which was also created by "Wouldn't Change a Thing." It was designed to support parents and maternity units across Britain, and by featuring the positive experiences of families like the Colhouns it seeks to dispel the fear that can consume parents after getting a Down Syndrome diagnosis.
Maisie was born with two holes in her heart and underwent a major operation to repair them at just 18 weeks old. She is now about to turn seven and well on her way to overcoming some of the challenges life has thrown at her.
"Maisie goes to school at Ardnashee and she just loves it," said Dawn.
"Everyone in the school knows her and her teachers, Christine Eaton, Christine McCallion and Fiona McGrory, are just the best.
"Miss Maisie is a wee character and she can light up a room."
The "Wouldn't Change a Thing" calendar is available now from the charity's website priced at £9.99.


Married women living vicariously through Kristina.
View from the central square.
Ice cream bar. I almost went back for seconds. Almost.
"Methane alarm. Evacuate building. Call 911."
Taking advantage of the architecture.
Art highlights included: 50 for 50: Gifts on the Occasion of LACMA's Anniversary, Ed Moses: Drawings from the 1960s and 70s, Noah Purifoy: Junk Dada, and Chris Burden's Metropolis II. Some of the stuff was very random, some we enjoyed like a crowd of 3 year olds laughing and making inappropriate remarks, others were strange (such is modern art...), and some was pretty damned cool.
BBQ was passable, drink selection was quite generous, and the ice cream bar was a sure-fire way to a sugar crash. Special thanks to Kristina for the invite!


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Tribeca 2017: Alon Benari on the VR Thriller, Broken Night
Broken Night
Alessandro Nivolla, Alon Benari, Broken Night, Eko Studios, emily mortimer, Tribeca Film Festival 2017, Virtual Reality
Currently running at the Tribeca Film Festival's Virtual Arcade, Broken Night is a psychological thriller featuring a quarrelling couple (Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola), an intruder and a handgun. Distilling these elements into 11 taut minutes, the piece throws viewers not just into the action but into the unsteady point-of-view of the short's protagonist, the wife played by Mortimer, who is trying to reconstruct the events of one violent evening for an investigating police detective. Using a VR headset and browser-based player, Broken Night allows viewers to slip in and out of the wife's POV, making for her character the various choices she herself can't remember whether she made or not. As Alon Benari, who, along with Tal Zubalsky and Alex Vlack of the digital studio Eko, created Broken Night, explains below, the piece is an experiment in interactivity, one that seeks to infuse more dramatic structure, psychological motivation and directorial intent into the sort of piece that often becomes a "choose your own adventure" free for all. Warning: the below interview contains spoilers.
Filmmaker: So, I watched the piece just once, but I'm assuming that while I made different choices in the middle of the piece, by the end, I was watching the same ending as everyone else. Is that the case?
Alon Benari: Yes. There are multiple ways to experience it, and based on your choices you can construct her memories in different ways. But the last scene, which reveals what really happened, everybody sees. I think that's part of our agenda, to shift how you think about interactivity. The go-to state of mind for many filmmakers when they think interactive is "choose your own adventure." You can go to the moon, or Paris, but besides being very difficult on production, the bigger challenge you have [with that approach] is that it becomes gimmicky very fast because every choice needs to be crazy and different. We know how have difficult it is to tell one good story, so try telling 16 or 32 good stories with different endings that will be emotionally impactful. What you want to do, and this is something we took from the world of narrative videogames, is to use interactivity to create a higher level of immersion, involvement and emotional attachment to the characters. Interactivity isn't about surprises — it's another tool for the filmmaker to get the viewer to feel empathetic to the character, or to feel complicit in what's going on, or to feel engaged in the story. What we tried to do here is plant you in her mind. There are first-person scenes happening in her mind, and you're trying to construct her memories. And she herself is not sure about her memories. Interactivity is not so much about the construction of the story — it's about getting the emotional impact of the story.
Filmmaker: You're also playing with gender when it comes to point of view. The choices all involve you following either the man or the woman at different points.
Benari: It's interesting, I actually never thought about it in that direction, but you're right. Can I spoil the story here?
Filmmaker: Go for it.
Benari: The detective tells her, "Look, your husband was shot. What happened?" And she's not sure. She's like, "Okay, I remember we came in, but then it was a blur." And then she starts telling the story. "I think he took the gun…. No, I stayed with the gun." And then the detective is like, "That doesn't add up." "Okay, so maybe I did have the gun. And then he got shot, but it couldn't have been me." You go through this process with her; you are trying to piece together the story.
Filmmaker: I watched it once, and, as we discussed above, the different branches do take you outside of her POV.
Benari: But it's still the story she is telling. What we wanted to do [with the branching] is get you deeper and deeper into the story. The first choice is low-stakes — two versions of the same dialogue. In one, he's more aggressive, and in one he's more apologetic. It's more to set you up to understand the mechanic, how the choices work and your ability to affect the story. And then the second choice happens once they understand there is an intruder in the house. That's the first significant twist: Will he take the gun, or will she take the gun? So this [choice] helps establish her as an unreliable narrator. I want you to feel fully engaged with her, and then at some point realize that she's actually unreliable and that you're not sure who to trust. And then we get to the climax of the evening, when he gets shot, and there are four different ways he gets shot, and they are all wrong. Regardless of what you choose, the detective always says, "This detail doesn't make sense." And in the very end, there are nine different ways he was shot.
Filmmaker: How did you develop the emotional narrative, which hinges on the psychology of Emily's character?
Benari: We spent some time with a therapist constructing how the story would work in her mind assuming she's not a sociopath — which was our [first] assumption. The idea is that something in this stressful event triggered a traumatic event from earlier in her life, and this becomes a case of disassociation. Something that was shut out pops out, she does this violent act, and then it is shut out again. She actually does not recall what happened that evening.
Filmmaker: I assumed she was dissembling from the beginning. Maybe that's just due to the set up of her being interrogated by a police investigator. It's such a classic set up from so many crime shows.
Benari: What's interesting is that as a filmmaker you have a lot of intemtions, and then the viewers come in and [have different ideas]. A lot of people think she's lying, a lot of people think there was no intruder, and a lot of people think nothing at all happened. We had our intention, but in the end, who cares what our intention was? It is what is is.
Filmmaker: Tell me about Eko, your company, and how Broken Night fits into your larger work.
Benari: This is an anomaly in our work. Our company builds a media platform for the creation of interactive and non-linear stories. Almost all of our work is in regular video, not in VR. We started in Israel with a very small team and were making music videos. Our CEO is a very well known musician in Israel, and our head of product here was the guitar player in his band. We all stumbled into making interactive music videos. Once we started the company, got funded and moved to the U.S. we shifted into the advertising space. Over the last year our major focus has been on original content — long-form, interactive entertainment. Kind of a hybrid between film/TV and videogames, bringing interaction and immersion into live action with good stories and good characters. We are working now with multiple production partners, and our big projects are a new version of Wargames as an interactive series, and a new version of Twilight Zone with CBS. And we are launching five new projects with Sony and multiple projects with Warner Music Group.
Because the VR space is making a lot of progress, and we do like to think of ourselves as standing at the forefront of storytelling and technology, we felt that we needed to move into this space as well, and we developed our player. Part of the methodology we have here at Eko is we don't want just the engineers and the product team to define the product. We try to have a creative project that is the defining demo for a new product, so we put together this new project as the basis to develop an HTML player that allows for real-time assembly of video. So, while you are watching the video, in a completely seamless manner it is shifting [between different branches].
Filmmaker: And the player is browser-based?
Benari: Correct. Our mainstream player is not VR, it plays within social media and on any web-supported device. What we did in VR is port that player to the VR space. There is something in VR that lends itself to our platform. In our regular videos you need to have some kind of interface — buttons, controllers swipers. With VR and through the headset, just by looking you can make a choice, You don't even need to have an interface on screen. That was our challenge: Can we do this without having any kind of timer, time to choose, or buttons [telling you to] look this way or look that way.
If You Build It, Will They Come? On the Treefort Film Fest By Brandon Harris on Mar 28, 2014
Five Questions for Sebastien's Deborah Twiss By Scott Macaulay on Jan 9, 2013
Romain Thomassin on Dailymotion's Motionmaker Fund By Nick Dawson on Jan 10, 2013
Corrective Lens By Ray Pride on Jul 23, 2015


Army War College invited applications for Lower Division Clerk and Other Posts. The eligible candidates can apply to the post through the prescribed format within 45 days from the date of publication of advertisement i.e., on or before 22 November 2016.
Army War College invited applications for the post of Lower Division Clerk and Other Posts. The eligible candidates can apply to the post through the prescribed format within 45 days from the date of publication of advertisement i.e., on or before 22 November 2016.
Cook- Matriculation or equivalent; and Must have knowledge of Indian Cooking and proficiency in trade.
Gestetner Operator Grade-II- Must have knowledge of Indian Cooking and proficiency in trade.
Eligible candidates can apply to the post through the prescribed format and send the applications along with other necessary documents to the The Presiding Officer,Civilian Direct Recruitment (Scrutiny of Applications) Board,Faculty of Studies,Army War College, Mhow (Madhya Pradesh) – 453441 Last date of receipt of application is within 45 days from the date of publication of advertisement.


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Palm Coast Wednesday, Jul. 18, 2018 1 year ago
School district prepares to comply with new scholarship program that gives bullied kids money to attend private schools
School Board member Colleen Conklin questioned the program's transparency.
by: Jonathan Simmons News Editor
Flagler Schools is preparing to comply with a new state law that lets children who are bullied or have been the victim of certain crimes while in the public school system transfer to another school, another school district, or — with Hope Scholarship money — to a private school.
The program would be funded by drivers' optional contributions when they buy cars. In exchange for the contribution, the driver would get credits on taxes they'd otherwise have to pay on the vehicle.
"I will just say for the record that I think that this is shameful," board member Colleen Conklin said during a July 17 School Board workshop. "A complete and total scam for taxpayer dollars to be used and shuffled to private institutions ... unaccountable dollars, with no transparency."
She said the money ought to be spent on something like mental health support.
School Board attorney Kristy Gavin noted that the money comes from voluntary contributions, but Conklin said she wondered how the option would be presented to vehicle purchasers — whether it would be clear that it would be moving children out of the public system and into the private school system.
"I wonder what the language actually is. I wonder if it says, 'to support anti-bullying programs,'" she said.
"I'm pretty sure it's just going to say, 'Hope Scholarship,'" because that sounds very wonderful," board member Trevor Tucker said with a chuckle.
An incident would have to be officially reported to a school's principal for the transfer to take place, and the scholarship would be based on available funds. The principal or a designee must notify the victim's parents bout the Hope Scholarship program and also provide the alleged offender's parent with a copy of the report within 24 hours.
"Eligible incidents" — the situations that would allow a child to transfer — for the Hope Scholarship program include battery; harassment; hazing; bullying; kidnapping; physical attack; robbery; sexual offenses, harassment, assault or battery; threat or intimidation or fighting at a school.
"The only good thing that comes out of it, truly, is that it makes everybody very sensitive to the issue, and that we ensure that we handle these issues the way that they need to be handled, and appropriately and quickly," Conklin said. "I think we do that, but I think this will only enhance and improve that area."
City considers keeping the millage rate flat, a slight tax increase
'He can see into the future': Palm Coast firefighter awarded 2018 Fire Service Medal


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Temples & Pilgrimage January/February/March, 2015
Borobudur Buddhist Temple
January 1, 2015735 Leave a comment
The largest Buddhist temple in the world and Indonesia's top tourist attraction, built near the Prambanan and at about the same time
DANTE ORTIZ
Looking up at the monument from its base; (inset) one of the meditating Buddhas encased in a latticed stone stupa on the monument's top level, that of enlightenment
TOWNOFUSA.COM
Aerial view; Buddha in a partially disassembled stupa
BOROBUDUR IS AN IMPOSING STRUCTURE MEASURING 403.5 FEET on a side with the central stupa reaching 115 feet. Completed in 825 ce under the Hindu kings of the region, it is a monument to the prevailing religious harmony of the time. For Buddhists it is a place of worship. Pilgrims take a path around the temple and then up the temple's three main levels, which correspond in Buddhist cosmology to the world of desire (Kamadhatu), the world of forms (Rupadhatu) and the world of formlessness (Arupadhatu). The top levels feature 72 Buddha statues, each meditating inside a stone latticework stupa.
The pilgrims' route is lined with thousands of narrative and decorative relief panels depicting the principles of Buddhist religion and life, along with scenes of contemporary Javanese life. An 8th-century ship shown on one panel (at right) inspired a replica, which successfully sailed from Indonesia to Africa in 2004. Other panels portray the life of Buddha, the Jataka tales and the story of the Indian youth Sudhana in his search for wisdom—an account popular in China.
It is estimated the construction took 75 years, during the time Prambanan and other Hindu and Buddhist temples were built in the same area. A total of 72,000 cubic yards of stone were quarried nearby, carved and fitted together on site without mortar. The complex was built following the rules of Vastu Shastra, using the technology of the Indian stone-carving tradition.
The temple was abandoned at about the same time as Prambanan, when a series of volcanic eruptions buried the area in ash. In 1814, partly crumbling, it was "discovered"—as the British liked to say—and unearthed when the local people told Java's British governor of its existence. Later Dutch administrations set out to preserve and restore the massive edifice. In a complete overhaul by the Indonesian government and UNESCO between 1975 and 1982, over a million stones were removed, cleaned and the structure reassembled as we see it today—a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
PHOTOS LEFT AND RIGHT: WIKIMEDIA.COM
An 8th-century ocean-going Javanese ship with outriggers; Temple design
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Lotus Temple of Light – Consummation of a Spiritual Life


Wairoa is a friendly place to buy supplies before you venture into the wilds of Te Urewera. You'll love the wooden lighthouse.
The closest town to the beautiful Te Urewera, Wairoa is a great place to base outdoors adventures from. If you're planning to hike, hunt or fish in the park, it's the best place to buy the food and supplies you'll need. The town is spread along the banks of the broad Wairoa River and the riverside walk includes many interesting sites. For an insight into the district's Māori and European history, visit the local museum.
Wairoa offers comfortable accommodation and a choice of eating places. It's a good place to find a guide for hunting and fishing expeditions. East of the town is Whakaki Lagoon, a natural wetland where you can watch wading and sea birds.


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Tavares may refer to:

Places

Brazil
Tavares, Paraíba
Tavares, Rio Grande do Sul
Rodovia Raposo Tavares, the longest highway in São Paulo
Tavares Bastos (favela), a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tavares River

Jamaica
Tavares Gardens, Kingston, Jamaica

Portugal
Chãs de Tavares, Mangualde
Travanca de Tavares, Mangualde
Várzea de Tavares, Mangualde

United States
Tavares, Florida
Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad

Other
Tavares (group), an American soul music group
Tavares (restaurant), one of the oldest restaurants in the world, in Lisbon, Portugal
Tavares (surname)
Tavares, a variety of limequat tree
Tavares, a type of soil

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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List of some worst serial killers
This is the story of those individuals who have gone down in history as individuals whose dark side has overtaken not only their personalities but also society as a whole. This account of the worst serial killers in history, from all corners of the globe and across the centuries, demonstrates how evil transcends all geographical and temporal boundaries. Gilles de Rais is the first on our list of the deadliest serial killers in history. The story of history's worst serial killers is now being told in a new world: the United States of America.
By guidebooktolife on Tue, 09/07/2021 - 10:43
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Q: Pardot Forms onSuccess Handler? Do Pardot Forms provide an onSuccess handler? I am trying to write custom JavaScript that submits the form data to an external API only if the form is valid.
The only success I have had is adding custom JS to the Form Layout Template, but this requires me to write my own validation which seems redundant.
Thanks in advance!

A: To our knowledge there isn't anything like you are looking for. The various validations we've implemented have all followed the same approach as you, where we add custom JS to the Form (or Form Layout Template) and handle it there.

A: Pardot has a form handler feature that you may be able to leverage for your needs. I used this for an org with a Web2Lead form on their website. They wanted everything to hit Pardot first and then also be sent to Sales Cloud. We were able to get this set up fairly quickly and easily. There's also some material on Trailhead module you might find helpful; the link is below. It's been a bit since I set it up, but what I remember is this:

*

*In Pardot, set up the form handler as necessary. You can opt to forward the original success message on to another destination. Once complete, Pardot will give you the URL for the next step.

*On the html form, you'll change the onSuccess or Submit action parameter to submit to the URL provided in the previous step.

Trailhead: Use Pardot Forms and Form Handlers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Visitation Time: at CHURCH from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Funeral Notes: Family and friends asked to begin gathering at Church at 9:30 a.m. for the start of the Memorial visitation.
Beloved husband of the late Dorothy, nee Orlik; Devoted father of Therese "Terri" (Rick) Casek, Michael (Joan) Rymsza and Gregory Rymsza; Dear grandfather of Jennifer (Nick) Durham, Nicholas (Jessica) Rymsza, Julie (Dean) Coronato, Michelle (Pat) Moore and Kristyn Rymsza; Fond great grandfather of Andrew Rymsza, Olivia Coronato, Carlo Coronato, Grace Rymsza, Matthew Durham, Owen Moore, Ryan Rymsza and Nathan Moore.
My sincere condolences to Steve's family on his passing. I first met Steve when I moved here to Saddlebrook Farms, and we were the original members of starting the men's golf league here over 22 years ago. Steve was a true gentleman and great golf partner. He will be truly missed by all of us. I was unable to make his service today, due to the bad driving conditions, but wished to express my sympathies to the family.


Need to do some welding? We've got everything you need for metalwork, from electrodes and torches to face masks and tips. You can also pick up things like metal clamps, so that you can hold your work steady while you're welding it together. All that's left is to light the torch and get going!
Need a lift? Jacks are used for lifting cars, so that you can do things like remove the wheels or work underneath them. Trolley jacks are great for in the workshop - they're more stable and have wheels so you can easily slide them under the car!
Axle stands support your car when it's been lifted to make it safe to work underneath. They're a must-have for any home mechanic to make sure that you're safe! Take a look at our range of axle stands to get started and make sure you're taking the right precautions while you work.
Keep the power running with our range of powerful generators. These generators are perfect for getting your gadgets, lights, music and other electronic items up and running. Whether you're on a boat, in a caravan, or in a field in the middle of nowhere, these will ensure you never have to rough it.
Inverters are great if you work away, or you're on a road trip. They convert your cigarette lighter plug into a standard power socket, and the DC power from your battery into AC, so you can run things like laptops, televisions and games consoles from your car's power supply!


text:
Spending Less, Lingering Less: The 'Shopper Shutdown' That's Crippling Aussie Retail
Rapid Evolution: Three Ways The Pandemic Will Revolutionize Retail
Apr 26, 2020, 01:31pm EDT
Under Starters Orders, Retailers Are Chomping At The Bit But Need Guidance On How Lockdown Will Be Lifted
Why Primark's Plan To 'Come Back With A Bang' Is Fundamentally Flawed
Why A Boohoo Bad Taste Face Mask Has Sir Philip Green With Envy
Is Uninspiring Retail Really Worth Saving?
Why Retailers Need To Make Us Feel Safe If We're To Return To The High Street
When The Going Gets Tough, We Can Rely On Retail
When An Essential Is Not Just An Essential, It's A Necessity. Welcome To The Mad Mad World Of 2020 Britain
Jun 10, 2019, 10:06am EDT |
How Patagonia, REI And Eileen Fisher Are Using Secondhand Sales To Get More New Customers
Pamela N. Danziger
I study the world's most powerful consumers -- The American Affluent
"We've moved past the point where companies can survive based on transactions. They've got to have ... [+] relationships with customers," says Andy Ruben, CEO of Yerdle, that supports Patagonia Worn Wear resale program.
The market for secondhand fashion is growing by leaps and bounds. Apparel resale revenues are expected to more than double from $24 billion to $51 billion in the next five years. The RealReal, Poshmark and ThredUp, which did the research, are poised to grab the bulk of that new business.
These three companies have built thriving businesses off the backs of the brand names they carry. Those brands did the heavy lifting in the primary market for first-time sales, and the fashion resellers are profiting secondhand from that investment.
New York Times' fashion director Vanessa Friedman asks a question that every brand should: "Given the growth of resale, you have to wonder why every brand doesn't do [this], instead of letting another retailer profit from their brand name."
The answer is simple. Supporting the infrastructure to take back secondhand goods, refurbish them, then sell them on is a whole other business that their existing model doesn't and can't easily support.
The bean counters in the corner offices of these brands must see the potential return on investment required to get a resale operation going as mere chump change. The real money, they believe, is to be made in new, not used sales.
Holiday 2020: A Mixed Bag For Retailers
And in this, they'd be dead wrong. They are still operating under the outmoded 20th-century sales-per-square-foot or click metric, rather than what means the most in the 21st century: the lifetime value of a customer (LTV).
Fellow Forbes.com contributor H.O. Maycotte says LTV is the only metric that matters. "As a measure of the amount of profit you can expect to generate from a customer over the entire time they do business with you, LTV tells you a lot. It lets you know who's in it for the long haul, and who's not; who's going to invest time, energy and money in your products and services for years to come, and who might just be fairweather," he writes.
By ignoring the potential of secondhand sales, brands are giving away not just potential sales, but more importantly, customers that could be the future of their first-hand business over the "long haul." They come in through the back door, but eventually they will enter through the front door.
Andy Ruben sees the potential for brands to claim their customers anywhere along their path to purchase and formed a company called Yerdle to make it easy for brands to support secondhand resale and build lasting relationships early.
Brands tapping the full lifetime value of a customer
Patagonia, REI, Eileen Fisher, and most recently Taylor Stitch have signed on to let Yerdle do the heavy-lifting on the logistical backend to receive, process and price returned goods, including a white label e-commerce platform, which is then linked to the companies' own websites, or in the case of Eileen Fisher, more Eileen Fisher Renew items are finding space in the company's own stores.
"For the last 50 years, brands have been thinking about producing and selling new items. It's based on marketing and economies of scale, but online changed all of that," Ruben told me. "We've moved past the point where companies can survive based on transactions. They've got to have relationships with customers."
As Walmart's first sustainability officer, as well as leader of the retailer's e-commerce strategy, private brand and omnichannel initiatives before founding Yerdle, Ruben first hit on the idea for his company from a sustainable, circular fashion view.
"Fashion companies produce 100 billion garments every year for 7 billion humans," he says. And much of that excess—10.5 million pounds of textiles—ends up in land fills, according to the EPA.
"It is crazy to me that somebody is buying a new Patagonia jacket, when down the block, the exact jacket they are thinking of buying is sitting in someone's closet unworn," Ruben continues.
But for Patagonia, REI and Eileen Fisher, it's far more than just a sustainability play. It is proof positive that these brands stand behind the quality of their goods. It builds brand trust over the long haul.
"The way to do it right is having a platform that looks more like a certified pre-owned Lexus and less like a used-car lot," he shares. So Patagonia offers Patagonia Worn Wear on its website, which it claims is "Better than New," because used goods come with a patina and a story of a life well lived.
Patagonia Worn Wear is 100% on trend for this company famous for its "Don't Buy This Jacket" advertising campaign.
"Patagonia gets additional revenue at a good margin. They get new customers. They get amazing brand loyalty. They have built a lot of momentum around what is a brilliant brand already," Ruben says, adding that Worn Wear has attracted over 100,000 Instagram followers. "They have elevated the brand in this space."
Launched in 2017, Worn Wear sold more Patagonia products in its first year than on eBay. And better for Patagonia, it, not eBay, owns the customer relationship.
Eileen Fisher Renew has taken back over 1 million items to date. The program became so popular online that now the brand is putting Renew shop-in-shops in some of its boutiques.
"It is a great way to find unique one-of-a-kind and discontinued pieces," Ruben says. And for goods that aren't up to resale standards, Eileen Fisher repurposes material to make new designs.
Eileen Fisher is getting the accolades by leading the fashion industry in the circular fashion movement. "It's part of our commitment to circular design. Every time you choose to bring your clothes back or shop Renew, you're helping upend the conventional cycle of consumerism and creating a future without waste," the website states.
For REI selling Used Gear is in keeping with its co-op thinking. It first started with Yerdle selling returned merchandise, but now is experimenting with trading in used items to sell them along.
"REI saw lots of demand and figured it was part of its responsibility for someone not using an item, like a sleeping bag, to pass it along to someone who would," Ruben shares.
Ruben explains that Patagonia, Eileen Fisher and REI all use the same basic model for trade-ins. Typically an existing customer brings back items to the store where they are presented with a gift card to apply toward another purchase. "It's great for loyalty," he affirms.
Then the items are shipped to Yerdle's warehouse for processing and getting listed on the white-label website. "It's great for new customers who love the brands' values but couldn't afford it the first time, or for existing customers looking for something they missed the first time," he shares.
Elevating rather than undercutting the value of the brand
Ruben sees the Yerdle resale platform as not just a way to claim the full lifetime value of the customer relationship, but also as a way to elevate and enhance the brand in the eyes of the consumer.
Looking back at the ways premium and luxury brands have tried to attract new customers through the factory-outlet model, he says this ultimately degraded the value of the brand.
Coach and Ralph Lauren learned this lesson the hard way. "The problem with outlets is when brands produce products specifically for them. It's a false trade-off," he says. "They are putting out inferior product under their brand name."
"Rather, using our authenticated resale model, they can celebrate the heritage and quality of the items they produce. Because they are so good, these items can we used a second, third, fourth time. And, of course, when you are done wearing it, you can bring it back, get credit and pass it along to the next person to enjoy," Ruben says.
"I don't see why every great brand isn't doing this," he concludes, and I couldn't agree more.
MORE FROM FORBESLuxury Brands Can't Ignore Fashion Reseller The RealReal AnymoreBy Pamela N. Danziger