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Keys to 2013: Baltimore Orioles
Fantasy/Roto, Games, History, Hot Stove, Management, Media, MiLB, Players, Prospects, Spring Training, Stats
Starting Pitching Key: Chris Tillman
A lack of command kept Tillman bouncing back and forth between the majors and minors. Acquired in the trade that just keeps on giving that sent Erik Bedard to the Mariners, Tillman will turn 25 in April and after his performance following his July recall, may have taken the next step from prospect to legitimate big league starter. He's not a strikeout pitcher, but with a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, a changeup, a slow curve, a slider and a cutter, Tillman has the variety of pitches to win 15 games and be a top-of-the-rotation arm.
He suffered from elbow inflammation that cost him two weeks in September. The Orioles weak spot in 2012 was their starting rotation and they're not sneaking up on anyone this year. With Tillman and Dylan Bundy on the way, they could mitigate that issue while not having made any big acquisitions in the off-season.
Relief Pitching Key: Brian Matusz
The Orioles are giving Matusz a chance to regain his spot in the starting rotation, but I question whether their hearts are really in it. He's shown flashes of being a useful starter, but after he was moved to the bullpen last season, he was a different pitcher. Perhaps it has to sink in that he's better-served going through a lineup once and can cobble together a more successful career out of the bullpen. Starters—even bad ones—make much more money than good relievers, so for a 26-year-old, that's not an easy thing to reconcile, but that's not the Orioles' problem and if they need Matusz more in the bullpen and he can help them be a better team, that's where he needs to be.
Offensive Key: Manny Machado
Machado won't turn 21 until July, but the potential and comparisons to Alex Rodriguez make him an offensive linchpin for the 2013 Orioles. He only walked 9 times in 202 plate appearances last season, but he doesn't strike out. Once Machado matures and fills out, he'll be a solid 210 pounds and hit the ball out of the park more frequently. The Orioles can pencil in what they'll get from their power bats Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Chris Davis, Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy—but Machado's rapid development will significantly improve their runs scored.
Defensive Key: J.J. Hardy
Hardy won a long overdue Gold Glove for his work at shortstop last season and while he provides pop at the plate, his main contribution is with his glove. Because Hardy's there, Machado will play third base and the Orioles will have what will possibly be the rangiest left side of the infield in baseball. It's a comfort for the pitchers to know that they have someone covering the most ground on the infield at shortstop, allowing them to pitch to contact without worrying about routine grounders getting through.
February 23, 2013 Paul Lebowitz Tagged A-Rod, Adam Jones, Alex Rodriguez, Baltimore Orioles, Brian Matusz, Chris Davis, Chris Tillman, Dylan Bundy, Erik Bedard, J.J. Hardy, J.J. Hardy Gold Glove, Key to 2013, Manny Machado, Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, Orioles, Orioles 2013 keys	Leave a comment
2012 Award Winners—American League Manager of the Year
Award Winners, Books, Cy Young Award, Games, History, Management, Media, Paul Lebowitz's 2012 Baseball Guide, Players, Playoffs, Politics, Prospects, Stats
A few weeks ago, I listed my picks for the Cy Young Award in each league. Along with that, I listed who I picked before the season and who I think will actually wind up winning. You can read it here.
Now let's look at the intense debate for Manager of the Year in the American League.
The two candidates for the award are the Orioles' Buck Showalter and the Athletics' Bob Melvin. You can't go wrong with either. For my purposes, I have to go point-by-point to see if I can find an advantage to tip the argument in the favor of one or the other and come to a conclusion that makes sense.
The Orioles started the season with an $84 million payroll; the Athletics started with a $52 million payroll. Showalter had more proven veteran talent. With Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, J.J. Hardy, and Mark Reynolds, the Orioles' lineup was going to score runs. Their question marks were in the starting rotation and with bullpen depth. Showalter worked his way around not having one starting pitcher throw 200 innings. It was his deft use of the bullpen that carried the Orioles through.
Melvin was working with a patchwork quilt of pitchers comprised of youth (Jarrod Parker, Dan Straily, A.J. Griffin); journeyman veterans (Bartolo Colon); and the injury prone (Brandon McCarthy). The bullpen was also in flux as he bounced back and forth between Ryan Cook and Grant Balfour as his closer. The lineup was similarly makeshift with unknowns (Yoenis Cespedes); youngsters who'd never gotten a chance (Josh Reddick); and other clubs' refuse (Brandon Moss, Brandon Inge).
Neither team had any expectations before the season started. Both clubs were in divisions where they were picked—across the board—to finish in or close to last place. The American League East and American League West had powerhouses with massive payrolls, star power and history behind them. But the Orioles and A's overcame their disadvantages to make the playoffs.
Is there a fair way to break what is essentially a tie in making a pick?
The one method I can think of to determine who should win is by looking at the managers, but switching places and determining whether Showalter or Melvin would have been capable of replicating the success they had with their club and mimicked it with the other club.
Could Showalter have done the job that Melvin did with the Athletics?
Could Melvin have done the job that Showalter did with the Orioles?
Showalter has long been a manager who maximizes the talent he has on the roster with his attention to detail, flexibility, and perceived strategic wizardry, but his teams have sometimes wilted under his thumb and tuned him out. Showalter's unique maneuverings have invited quizzical looks and accurate criticism. One example was the decision not to hold Mark Teixeira on first base in the fifth inning of a scoreless tie in game 5. Teixeira stole second and scored on a Raul Ibanez single. Under no circumstances should Showalter have done that. Teixeira was running well on his injured calf and the risk wasn't worth the reward to let him take the base. It cost them dearly, and because he's Showalter, he gets away with it. It was a mistake.
In every one of his managerial stops, Melvin has been an underappreciated manager to develop youngsters and let them have a chance to play without scaring or pressuring them into errors, physical and mental. His strategies are conventional. He lets his players play. The players like playing for him and play hard for him. Every time his teams have underachieved, it hasn't been Melvin's fault. That's not the case with Showalter as the Diamondbacks and Rangers grew stagnant with him managing their teams. On that basis, Melvin's style would've translated better to the Orioles than Showalter's to the Athletics.
In the end, it comes down to who was faced with the bigger disadvantages to start the season and overcame them; who had more proven talent on his roster; and who held the ship together when the circumstances were bleakest. The Orioles were never under .500 in 2012; the A's were 9 games under and 13 games out of first place in June and came back to win the division.
Based on these factors, the Manager of the Year is Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics.
In the preseason I picked Manny Acta of the Cleveland Indians to win the award.
Before any laughter, it gets worse. The following is 100% true: Prior to making a last-minute change, I had initially written that the Indians were going to be a disappointment after positive preseason hope and hype and that Acta would be fired and replaced by Sandy Alomar, Jr. But I changed my mind and picked the Indians to win the AL Central (mistake number 1), and selected Acta as Manager of the Year (mistake number 2).
I believe that in spite of Melvin's slightly better case as the recipient, Showalter is going to win.
November 4, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged 2012 MLB award winners, A.J. Griffin, Adam Jones, Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Bartolo Colon, Bob Melvin, Brandon Inge, Brandon McCarthy, Brandon Moss, Buck Showalter, Buck Showalter vs Bob Melvin, Cy Young Award, Dan Straily, Grant Balfour, J.J. Hardy, Jarrod Parker, Josh Reddick, Manny Acta, Mark Reynolds, Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, Oakland Athletics, Orioles, Ryan Cook, Who should win the AL Manager of the Year?, Who will win the AL Manager of the Year award?, Yoenis Cespedes	Leave a comment
American League Contenders Remaining Schedules—Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles
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The Rays were expected to be here and the Orioles weren't. Yesterday I looked at the Yankees schedule, now here are their two competitors in the AL East.
Rays vs Orioles, Sept. 11-13 at Tampa; Oct. 1-3 at Baltimore
This is being seen as a benefit for the Yankees because the two teams in hot pursuit are playing one another six times while the Yankees supposedly have the "weakest" schedule of all the contenders. On paper, that may be so, but this Yankees team isn't very good. They're playing Steve Pearce at first base for the next two weeks (and I suspect that the "good" news on Mark Teixeira was a best case scenario; I doubt we'll see Teixeira again as anything other than a pinch hitter this season). They've made a big show of recalling prospect Melky Mesa. Mesa is 25 and batted .230 in 33 games in Triple A. This is your savior. They're anticipating the return of Andy Pettitte with the memories of 15 years ago swimming in their panicky heads. If the Yankees were at full strength, the weakness of schedule would be relevant, but they're not, so it's mitigated to a large degree.
As for the Rays and Orioles, one of the teams is going to win at least 2 of the 3 games this week. If it's the Rays, they'll come into Yankee Stadium this weekend looking to overtake the Yankees; if it's the Orioles, they'll still be right on the Yankees' heels or will have caught them.
The Rays and Orioles have split their 12 games against one another so far. The Rays have a decided pitching advantage and the Orioles are trying to piece their offense together after losing Nick Markakis to a broken thumb. Their starting pitching is short. The Rays are going to pass the Orioles by the time the season is over.
Rays vs Yankees, Sept. 14-16 at Yankee Stadium
The Rays have their pitching set up for this weekend. David Price will pitch against CC Sabathia (whose diminished fastball was the impetus for the dustup between Yankees manager Joe Girardi and Joel Sherman of the NY Post). I would expect Pettitte to pitch Saturday against James Shields, and Alex Cobb will go against Hiroki Kuroda on Sunday.
By Sunday night, the Rays could be in first place in the AL East with the Yankees tied with the Orioles and Angels for the second Wild Card spot and behind the Athletics.
Rays vs Red Sox, Sept. 17-20 in Tampa; Sept. 25-26 at Boston
I'm not accusing the Red Sox of laying down for the Rays and Orioles and playing hard against the Yankees, but the players who remain from the Yankees-Red Sox wars from so long ago know that if they're able to significantly damage the Yankees' playoff hopes—and everyone had better understand that if the Yankees don't win the division, they're not making the playoffs—they're going to do everything possible to make it happen. The compromised Red Sox are an awful team, but they haven't forgotten that the Yankees didn't play their regulars in their final series with the Rays in 2011 and that contributed to the Red Sox being bounced from the post-season and sent them into this downward spiral.
Put it this way: the Red Sox would prefer to see anyone other than the Yankees in the playoffs this season and their play will reflect it. The front office would prefer it as well.
Rays vs Blue Jays, Sept. 21-23 in Tampa
The Blue Jays are playing hard down the stretch and the two clubs split a four-game series in Toronto a week-and-a-half ago.
The Blue Jays record is bad, but they can hit the ball out of the park and have two talented starters in Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero, plus Carlos Villanueva who should've been in the starting rotation from the beginning of the season. This isn't a gimme series.
Rays vs White Sox, Sept. 27-30 at Chicago
Either the White Sox or the Tigers are going to win the AL Central and neither team—barring a catastrophe on the East or West Coasts—is making it to the Wild Card play-in game. The Tigers have shown zero consistency in 2012, but they have a weak schedule through the end of the season. It may not matter though. If they don't run off a winning streak, the AL Central race could be over by the time the Rays come to Chicago to play the White Sox. Then the Yankees are going to be really desperate. No one in baseball wants to help them and they're increasingly incapable of helping themselves.
The two series against the Rays are discussed above.
Orioles vs Athletics, Sept. 14-16 at Oakland
The A's are continuing their run toward the playoffs. It's at least as surprising as that of the Orioles, if not more. They have a deeper starting rotation, a good bullpen, and can score with the Orioles. The A's are now ahead of the Yankees, Orioles, and Rays. They're currently playing the Angels, who've launched themselves back into contention as well.
There's an opportunity for the Orioles to make up ground on the Yankees and/or Rays and the Athletics this weekend.
Orioles vs Mariners, Sept. 17-19 at Seattle
The Mariners can't hit, but they have a lot of starting pitching and would like to finish the season at .500. That said, I would expect the Orioles to go into Seattle and take at least two games.
Orioles vs Red Sox, Sept. 21-23 at Boston; Sept. 28-30 in Baltimore
The Red Sox don't like the Orioles, but they hate the Yankees. We might see a lot of young players getting a "look" vs the Orioles that won't get a "look" vs the Yankees.
All's fair.
Orioles vs Blue Jays, Sept. 24 (doubleheader)-26 in Baltimore
That's four games. The Orioles are 9-5 against the Blue Jays this season and the Blue Jays also wouldn't mind whacking the Yankees out of the playoffs. They might choose to "look" at some youngsters just like the Red Sox.
The team in the driver's seat here is the Rays. If they have a record of say, 16-6, they're going to win the AL East. For the Orioles, they'll have to win 13 games and I don't know if they're going to. 11-11 is more likely and if that's the case, that would mean that they didn't help the Yankees against the Rays or the A's.
Either way, the schedule that's being portrayed as the Yankees' lifeline, is anything but.
September 11, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Alex Cobb, Andy Pettitte, Baltimore Orioles, Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Brandon Morrow, Carlos Villanueva, CC Sabathia, Chicago White Sox, David Price, Detroit Tigers, Hiroki Kuroda, James Shields, Joe Girardi, Joel Sherman, mariners, Mark Teixeira, Melky Mesa, New York Yankees, Nick Markakis, Orioles remaining schedule, Orioles vs Rays analysis, Rays remaining schedule, Rays. Orioles, Red Sox, Ricky Romero, seattle mariners, Steve Pearce, Tampa Bay Rays, Tigers, What record do the Orioles have to have to make the playoffs?, What record do the Rays have to have to make the playoffs?, White Sox, Yankees remaining schedule	Leave a comment
American League East Predicted Standings
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American League East Predicted Standings:
1. New York Yankees 94 68 —
2. Toronto Blue Jays 87 75 7
3. Tampa Bay Rays 85 77 9
4. Boston Red Sox 81 81 13
5. Baltimore Orioles 65 97 29
The Yankees benefited greatly from the lack of decisively bold movements and drastic improvements of their rivals. While they're repeating prior mistakes with paranoia and pitcher-babying, they have the offense, abundance of starting pitching and deep bullpen to again rise to the top of the division.
The bench is something that will have to be addressed as the season moves along because Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones aren't suitable backups regardless of the Yankees' propaganda machine unequivocally stating that they are.
Expect Alex Rodriguez to have a comeback season and hope that the overwhelming pressure they're putting on Michael Pineda doesn't haunt them.
The Blue Jays needed a name arm or a name bat to be a preseason favorite and didn't get either.
That doesn't necessarily mean that they can't contend; it means that they're going to have to get big seasons from young players Brett Lawrie, Yunel Escobar and Henderson Alvarez. Sergio Santos must prove he can close for a full season and throw strikes; Brandon Morrow has to develop into a trustworthy top-tier starter without restrictions.
I picked Jose Bautista as the AL MVP.
Again forced to scrounge around the bargain bins, they reunited with Carlos Pena to increase their power at first base. The Rays have been good and lucky in finding bullpen arms who fit into their system and rejuvenate stalled careers—running a club that way is rife with risks that eventually it's not going to work.
B.J. Upton will play like a maniac all season as he heads for free agency.
With their young starting pitching, they could make it to the World Series or falter and be out of contention to put such stars as Upton, James Shields and David Price in play for a trade at mid-season.
I've got them somewhere in the middle.
It's chaos.
Who's running things?
Is there any cohesion between John Henry, Larry Lucchino, Ben Cherington and Bobby Valentine?
At least when Theo Epstein was there—like it or not—you knew there was one person mostly in charge; now with Theo gone and Lucchino grasping for power; Henry providing self-protectionist alibis; Cherington marginalized; and Bobby V being…Bobby V, there are going to be voices, whispers, Machiavellian power plays and rampant dysfunction the likes which have not been seen in Boston since 2001.
Are they making the types of moves that laid the foundation of their annual championship contending teams from 2003-2010 or are they desperately trying to patch holes and find "name" people to replace the "name" people who are gone?
I like Valentine, but his polarizing personality can go both ways. The Red Sox starting rotation is short and they have black spots in their lineup at shortstop, right field and possibly catcher.
It's a time bomb with Valentine and Josh Beckett.
I don't hear much about Buck Showalter's status as a miracle worker after the team came apart last season.
Following a hot start, they reverted to being the Orioles of the past 15 years.
Dan Duquette has received unfair criticism and there's a lack of context in the good work he did as the Expos' and Red Sox' GM, but a lack of talent is a lack of talent; an impossible division is an impossible division; and until they develop their young arms and stick to a strategy for the long term, there's not much that will change in Baltimore.
Duquette must be allowed to take the marketable players—notably Nick Markakis and Adam Jones—and see what types of offers he can get for them to replenish the system with multiple players. They're not going to do the Orioles any good as Orioles.
Far more in depth analysis is in my book, Paul Lebowitz's 2012 Baseball Guide, now available.
Click here for a full sample of team predictions/projections. My book can be purchased on Kindle, Smashwords, BN and Lulu with other outlets on the way.
March 14, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged 2012 AL East predicted standings, 2012 Blue Jays, 2012 Orioles, 2012 Yankees predictions, A-Rod, A-Rod 2012, Adam Jones, AL East, AL East predictions, AL MVP 2012, Alex Rodriguez, American League East, Andruw Jones, BJ Upton, BJ Upton trade, Blue Jays, Bobby Valentine, Boston Red Sox, Brandon Morrow, Brett Lawrie, Buck Showalter, Carlos Pena, Dan Duquette, David Price, Eric Chavez, Henderson Alvarez, James Shields, John Henry, Jose Bautista, Josh Beckett, Larry Luchino, Michael Pineda, New York Yankees, Nick Markakis, Orioles, Paul Lebowitz 2012 Baseball Guide, Paul Lebowitz baseball 2012, Paul Lebowitz book, Red Sox, Red Sox predictions 2012, Sergio Santos, Tampa Bay Rays, Theo Epstein, Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees, Yunel Escobar	2 Comments
Hot Stove Losers, 2011-2012
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On Friday I listed the winners of the off-season. Now let's look at the losers.
It's not the maneuvers they made that are specifically bad.
Confusing? Yes, trading Marco Scutaro to free up some money and then spending some of that money to sign Cody Ross while leaving shortstop in the questionable hands of Nick Punto, Mike Aviles and/or rookie Jose Iglesias was one of a long line of bizarre decisions, but none could be called "bad".
My focus is on the perceived and practical appearance of disarray that's taken hold in Boston since the departure of Theo Epstein.
Say what you want about Epstein and the moves he made, but you knew he was in charge.
Now, with Ben Cherington elevated to GM and Larry Lucchino clearly diving into the breach and interfering in team matters (Bobby Valentine would not be the Red Sox manager without Lucchino championing him), there's a troubling lack of cohesion.
What you have is a team of well-paid stars whose behavior was enabled by a disciplinary lackadaisical former manager, good guy Terry Francona; a transition from a clubhouse dominated by Jason Varitek to…who?; a front office with multiple voices and philosophies trying to gain sway; and a polarizing manager who won't want to blow what is probably his final chance to manage in the majors and working on a 2-year contract.
They haven't addressed issues in the starting rotation other than hope that Daniel Bard can make the transition from reliever to starter and sign a bunch of low-cost veterans on minor league deals to see if they can cobble together a back-end of the rotation. But what happened with the Yankees and Freddy Garcia/Bartolo Colon in 2011 doesn't happen too often, so the Red Sox shouldn't expect to get similar renaissance-level/amazing rise performances from Aaron Cook, Vicente Padilla, John Maine and Clayton Mortensen.
There are more questions than answers with this team and the solution to what ails them starts at the top.
And at the top, it's chaos.
Regardless of the ridicule his hiring received, Dan Duquette is a highly competent baseball man who never got the credit he deserved for helping put together the Expos of the 1990s or the Red Sox of recent vintage.
But the Orioles are devoid of talent, especially on the mound, and it doesn't matter how qualified the manager (Buck Showalter) and GM are, you can't win if you don't have talent.
What the Orioles have to do is make the difficult decision to take their most marketable assets—Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Jim Johnson and even Matt Wieters—and let the rest of baseball know that they're open for business and willing to listen to any and all offers.
Whether owner Peter Angelos or Showalter will be on board with that is up in the air.
So Billy Beane gets another rebuild?
How many is this now? Five?
The Athletics use a lack of funds and a difficult division—along with their GM's increasingly ridiculous and fictional reputation as a "genius"—to justify trading away all of their young talent for the future.
That future is far away in the distance and contingent on a new ballpark that they hope, pray, plead, beg will one day come their way.
Here's a question: why do the Rays, facing the same logistical issues as the Athletics, try and win by making intelligent, cost-effective moves with their players and somehow succeed while a supposed "genius" is continually given a pass because of a resume that is bottom-line fabricated from start-to-finish?
Yet we'll again hear how Beane got the "right" players in dumping Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey.
Right players for what?
If the answer is losing close to 100 games, then he's definitely succeeded.
Oh, they kept Coco Crisp and signed Bartolo Colon.
Beane deserves an Oscar more than Brad Pitt for maintaining the veneer of knowing something others don't.
It's a ruse and you're a fool if you continue to fall for it.
They understandably lost Prince Fielder because they couldn't and wouldn't approach the $214 million he received from the Tigers.
Signing Aramis Ramirez was a good decision and they kept their bullpen and starting rotation together, but their hot stove season was pockmarked with the failed(?) drug test of NL MVP Ryan Braun and possible 50 game suspension for using PEDs.
With the pitching and remaining offense in a mediocre division, they'd be able to hang around contention even without Fielder, but missing Braun for 50 games could bury them.
You can't lose three Hall of Fame caliber people and consider the off-season a success. Albert Pujols, Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan are all gone. Lance Berkman and Carlos Beltran will offset the loss of Pujols…somewhat, but he's still Pujols and fundamentally irreplaceable.
Mike Matheny has never managed before and it was the rebuilding aptitude of Dave Duncan that salvaged something out of the broken down and finished pitchers he continually fixed like an abandoned but still workable car.
LaRussa is the best manager of this generation.
A seamless transition? No way.
February 6, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Aaron Cook, Adam Jones, Albert Pujols, Andrew Bailey, Aramis Ramirez, Baltimore Orioles, Bartolo Colon, Ben Cherington, Billy Beane, Bobby Valentine, Brewers, Buck Showalter, Cardinals, Carlos Beltran, Clayton Mortensen, Coco Crisp, Cody Ross, Dan Duquette, Daniel Bard, Dave Duncan, Freddy Garcia, GENIUS!!!, Hot Stove Losers 2011-2012, Jason Varitek, Jeremy Guthrie, Jim Johnson, John Maine, Jose Iglesias, Lance Berkman, Larry Lucchino, Marco Scutaro, Matt Wieters, Mike Aviles, Mike Matheny, Milwaukee Brewers, Moneyball, Nick Markakis, Nick Punto, Oakland Athletics, Orioles, Peter Angelos, Prince Fielder, Red Sox, Ryan Braun, St. Louis Cardinals, Terry Francona, Theo Epstein, Tony LaRussa, Trevor Cahill, Vicente Padilla	Leave a comment
Showalter-Duquette Philosophies Mesh Neatly For The Orioles
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The histories of Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette (provided the negotiations for Duquette to take over as Orioles GM don't fall apart) bode well for the club to improve to respectability and contention within the next three years.
Showalter's and Duquette's preferences in building an organization center around having a big-time starter at the top of the rotation to gobble innings and be the anchor; having a lineup led by one basher and other, less-recognizable boppers; and a versatile array of background players who know their roles rather than the one star who has too much say-so in team matters; both like having relatively inexpensive and replaceable to fill in around stars.
With the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Rangers, Showalter had that one starter he could count on to front the rotation and provide quality every fifth day. Jimmy Key wasn't a prototypical ace when the Yankees signed him, but that's what he was for his tenure under Showalter; he had Randy Johnson with the Diamondbacks; and rode Kenny Rogers with the Rangers.
Duquette had Pedro Martinez with the Expos and Red Sox—and acquired him twice in masterful trades for which he surrendered very little. He loaded his lineup with Mo Vaughn and Nomar Garciaparra to function as the centerpieces while acquiring underappreciated and patient mashers like Jose Canseco and using John Valentin and Tim Naehring whose on base skills weren't widely known or paid for.
Duquette liked power/on base men before it became trendy.
Showalter favored having the egoless grinders filling his lineup and made it a point to get rid of Alex Rodriguez because he was too much of a diva and ate up a vast chunk of the payroll which could've been allocated for multiple pieces. Duquette had the nerve to let both Roger Clemens and Vaughn leave as free agents and was right in both cases.
The philosophies parallel and provide a window into what they'll do moving forward.
The Orioles don't have that veteran arm at the top of the rotation and that's the first order of business. Nick Markakis could be a chip to get that arm. I don't get the impression that the Giants are going to trade Matt Cain and the idea that they'll trade Tim Lincecum is ridiculous, but that's the type of arm the Orioles are going to pursue.
Would the Phillies listen on Cole Hamels? Why not ask?
Gio Gonzalez from the Athletics might be on the block. Mat Latos was born in nearby Virginia (for what that's worth since he went to high school in Florida), would the Padres be desperate enough for a power bat that they'd consider dealing him?
Duquette and Showalter are going to get a big time starting pitcher from somewhere.
As for a power bat, there are several available. Prince Fielder might hit 60 home runs playing for the Orioles; they could bring in the always underrated Josh Willingham to replace Markakis if they trade him; and sign Edwin Jackson for another 200-inning arm.
Showalter and Duquette find closers rather than pay for them, so a younger pitcher or trying to get a Grant Balfour along with Gonzalez would be an inexpensive, hard-throwing option who's never gotten a legitimate chance to be a semi-full time closer.
Because of the known strategies of both Showalter and Duquette, they're going to work well together, be gutsy and aggressive and make the Orioles exponentially better by 2013 as long as there's no interference from ownership.
Showalter was a desperation hire and was given large influence in club construction; Duquette appears to be an "oh, him" selection after others refused the job or backed out of interviews.
But it's a good combination that's going to work.
November 6, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez, Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Buck Showalter, Cole Hamels, Dan Duquette, Edwin Jackson, Giants, Gio Gonzalez, Grant Balfour, Jimmy Key, John Valentin, Jose Canseco, Josh Willingham, Kenny Rogers, Mat Latos, Matt Cain, Mo Vaughn, Nick Markakis, Nomar Garciaparra, Orioles, Padres, Pedro Martinez, Phillies, Prince Fielder, Randy Johnson, Red Sox, Roger Clemens, Tim Lincecum, Tim Naehring	Leave a comment
Showalter For Manager/GM?
All Star Game, Books, Draft, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, Hall Of Fame, Hot Stove, Management, Media, MiLB, MLB Trade Deadline, MLB Waiver Trades, Players, Playoffs, Prospects, Spring Training, Trade Rumors
It has been whispered that the Orioles should do something decidedly old-school and name manager Buck Showalter GM as well.
There hasn't been a manager/GM since Bobby Cox went back on the field to replace Russ Nixon as Braves manager in 1990 and that didn't last long as John Schuerholz was hired as GM after that season and Cox stayed on the field for…well, forever.
Jack McKeon was the GM/manager for the Padres in the late-1980s; Whitey Herzog did it for the Cardinals in the early 1980s.
It's all but impossible to do both jobs correctly in today's game of GM-rock stardom. There's really no way Showalter could do it and maintain his sanity and/or health.
That said, there's a way to go about it if the Orioles want to give Showalter final say in the direction of the franchise.
Herzog joined the Cardinals as manager in 1980; late in the season they fired GM John Clairborne and named Herzog GM as well. Completely out of contention, Herzog handed the managerial reins to Red Schoendienst for the rest of 1980. Herzog didn't do both jobs simultaneously. That's a good thing given Herzog's penchant for saying whatever popped into his head without concern as to how it was framed or perceived (think J.P. Ricciardi to the tenth power); it would be a PR disaster in today's game.
But he was able to find players and he'd do the same thing today.
Showalter can do it in a similar fashion if he steps off the field because he's more tight-lipped and manipulative of the media than Herzog was. Herzog was a gruff, intimidating type; Showalter is more nuanced and calculating.
Herzog built the Cardinals for the spacious dimensions of Busch Stadium with improved speed by getting Lonnie Smith, and installing Tommy Herr at 2nd base; he shored up the defense and attitude by trading Garry Templeton for Ozzie Smith; traded for a defensive minded catcher, Darrell Porter; brought in pitchers who threw strikes like Joaquin Andujar; and got the game's best closer in Bruce Sutter.
By 1982, the Cardinals were World Series champions and won two more pennants under Herzog in the next five years.
Could Showalter do that as GM?
The Orioles can hit, but their top-to-bottom pitching is so awful that they're going to have to consider trading some of their young bats Nick Markakis or Adam Jones to find some arms. Those arms would have to strike people out or coax ground balls to mitigate the bandbox of Camden Yards; he needs to improve the bullpen and the infield defense.
Trading talented bats like Jones, Markakis and Matt Wieters are not easy decisions to make.
If someone is going to make that call, it has to be the man who's entrusted with the future of the organization and is completely responsible for what happens, good or bad.
Showalter would have to stop managing for a time to do the GM job properly; he'd have to be given an autonomy that owner Peter Angelos might balk at providing, but if the Orioles are going to have Showalter give his approval to whom is hired as the new GM, it's probably easier to let Showalter do it while the Orioles are rebuilding and then have him go back on the field when he has the players he wants.
That's the only way it could work.
September 12, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles, Bobby Cox, Bruce Sutter, Buck Showalter, Buck Showalter Manager/GM, Buck Showalter Orioles GM, Camden Yards, Cardinals, Garry Templeton, J.P. Ricciardi, Jack McKeon, Joaquin Andujar, John Clairborne, Lonnie Smith, Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, Orioles, Ozzie Smith, Peter Angelos, Red Schoendienst, Russ Nixon, St. Louis Cardinals	Leave a comment
Showalter's Yankees Comments Are Ridiculous
Draft, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, Hall Of Fame, Management, Media, MLB Trade Deadline, Players, Playoffs, Prospects, Trade Rumors
Buck Showalter's image was that of a strategic wizard; a baseball hard-liner; an organization-builder and Mr. Fix-It who doesn't tolerate small transgressions like a player wearing his socks at a different specification than Showalter deems appropriate. Nor does he allow large errors—mental and physical—like failing to hit the cut-off man, missing a sign or not running hard to first base.
It was the focus on "small stuff" like the socks that eventually grated on his veterans' nerves and left his clubs tight and weary of the nitpicking. The Yankees, Diamondbacks and Rangers were all better because of his presence…and they were all better after he left.
With the Orioles, there was a "miracle-worker" aspect to the way the team went on a 34-23 run over the final two months of the 2010 season when he was hired to replace Dave Trembley; it was only exacerbated when they won 6 of their first 7 games to start the 2011 season.
Some actually expected this Orioles team to contend in the American League East with the Yankees and Red Sox still powerhouses and the Rays and Blue Jays having greater strengths of their own.
It didn't take long for the Orioles to fall into a familiar fit of losing. Now they stand in their familiar terrain of last place, 25 games under .500 amid questions as to whom is going to run the club from the front office with the likelihood that Andy MacPhail will not return.
There is promise in Baltimore because of Showalter and the young players they've accumulated and acquired. Despite terrible records, Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman have good arms; their offense is productive with Adam Jones, J.J. Hardy, Mark Reynolds, Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters; and Showalter can strategically manipulate his team to a few more wins than they'd have under a lesser manager.
Whether he was reeling from the suicide of Mike Flanagan or was, in part, frustrated by the way the season came apart after the accolades and promise, Showalter's comments about the Yankees being disrespectful to Flanagan for preferring to play a doubleheader in advance of Hurricane Irene on Friday rather than schedule the make-up for early September is ridiculous to the point of embarrassing.
The entire quote follows:
"First of all, I felt that some of the stuff was a little disrespectful to Flanny quite frankly. That didn't sit with me very well. I can tell you that. We didn't say much — I think we had an April rainout there — and they just told us when we were playing. We were Ok with that. Like I told you the other day, you tell us when we're playing, we'll play. The whole scheme of life, the things that really consume you. We understand that sometimes our opinions on things are not relevant. They come to me when there is two options and talk about it from a baseball standpoint. Every club does that. But some of it kind of has a feeling of [hypocrisy]. I don't know. I don't dwell on it. Their opinion on what the Baltimore Orioles should do for their fans and for their organization isn't really that relevant to me personally. I can tell you that. We'll do what's best for our fans and for our organization and we expect it back that they're going to do the same on their side."
Orioles director of communications Greg Bader added the following (clipped from The Sporting News):
"Are we really still talking about this? We've just seen a hurricane come through this region which has caused millions to be without power, tens of millions of dollars in property damage and even several deaths," Bader told ESPNNewYork.com in an email Sunday night. "We've got people out there literally trying to put their lives back together and yet there are some still worrying about a rescheduled game time?"
How the Yankees preferring to keep one of their two scheduled days off for September turned into a show of "disrespect" for Flanagan and a lack of concern for people whose lives were impact by the hurricane is a mystery to me.
That Showalter and Bader would bring other issues into the debate as if the Yankees were sitting around and diabolically scheming to sabotage the Flanagan tribute and simultaneously downplaying the severity of the hurricane indicates a tone-deafness bordering on the stupid.
The Orioles need follow their own rules of propriety and put things in perspective. They should let it go before saying something else idiotic and looking more petty than they do now.
August 29, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Adam Jones, Brian Matusz, Buck Showalter, Chris Tillman, J.J. Hardy, Jake Arrieta, Mark Reynolds, Matt Wieters, Mike Flanagan, New York Yankees, Nick Markakis, Yankees, Yankes-Orioles reschedule controversy	Leave a comment
Hating Frenchy—The Jeff Francoeur Experience
All Star Game, Draft, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, Hot Stove, Management, Media, MiLB, MLB Trade Deadline, Players, Playoffs, Prospects, Trade Rumors
The Royals signed outfielder Jeff Francoeur to a 2-year contract extension worth $13 million. This eliminates a $4 million mutual option he had with the club for 2012; he'd signed a 1-year guaranteed deal for $2.5 million this past winter.
The responses to the Francouer extension were clear the moment it was announced—and that was before the dollar amount was disclosed.
HATE!!!!
It returned to the loathing he engendered from his days with the Braves and Mets; the way he never "got it" that he was supposed to learn to play a different way from what he'd been his whole life and was enabled by the Braves to do; that he rejected a contract extension with the Braves because he wanted more money; that he complained about being platooned by the Mets; that he turned down offers from better clubs like the Phillies to sign with Royals, where he'd have more of a chance to play.
The hatred of Francoeur is visceral, intense, irrational and absurd.
Before getting into what he was and railing against him due to past transgressions, how about looking at the year he's having with the Royals?
Francoeur's well on his way to having nearly 70 extra base hits and close to 30 stolen bases; his batting average is a respectable .277 and his on base percentage is acceptable (for him) at .329. Along with his defense and arm in right field, is this not good enough?
If it was anyone other than Francoeur, it would be; but because it's him, anything he says and does becomes fodder to rehash what's happened in his career.
Is 2-years and $13 million out of line for that production?
Francoeur isn't going to suddenly learn patience and become a hitter who can get on base at a 35% clip. If you know that going in, why complain about it when he fulfills the expectations of what he is.
Considering the Royals future is so bright with offensive players Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler and Alex Gordon in the lineup, is it so awful to have Francoeur as a background player at the bottom of the lineup?
Would the Royals have been able to find someone who would put up markedly better numbers at that price in this winter's free agent class?
The available outfielders via free agency who are viable alternatives are the following: Josh Willingham; David DeJesus; Michael Cuddyer; J.D. Drew; Lance Berkman; and Kosuke Fukudome. You can see the entire list here.
Via trade, presumably Ichiro Suzuki, B.J. Upton and Andre Ethier will be on the block. Going for the deep strike, they could look at the likes of Jay Bruce, Nick Markakis or Logan Morrison to see if their respective clubs are looking to do something drastic.
But examine all those players.
Are any of the free agents going to be worth the money that they'd cost in comparison to Frenchy? Getting the players I mentioned in trades either won't be a major upgrade or are going to be ridiculously expensive in terms of what the Royals would have to give up to get them.
So why shouldn't the Royals keep Frenchy?
As for the other criticisms, attacking him for turning down the Braves contract offer and costing himself a lot of money was his decision; he felt he could've gotten more than their offer; he invested in himself and lost.
He was a limited player with the Braves and Mets and appears to have found a home in Kansas City. It's not affecting either of his former clubs with whom he spent substantial time; nor is it bothering the Rangers.
The Royals take him for what he is; he's played well this year; and he's signed what's an affordable contract. If anyone has an issue with that, the problem is with them and not Jeff Francoeur.
Get over it.
August 18, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Alex Gordon, Andre Ethier, B.J. Upton, Billy Butler, Braves, David DeJesus, Eric Hosmer, Ichiro Suzuki, J.D. Drew, Jay Bruce, Josh Willingham, Kansas City Royals, Kosuke Fukudome, Lance Berkman, Logan Morrison, Mets, Michael Cuddyer, Mike Moustakas, Nick Markakis, Rangers, Royals	3 Comments
You All Do Realize It's Hunter Pence, Right?
All Star Game, Draft, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, Management, Media, MLB Trade Deadline, Players, Trade Rumors
The packages I'm seeing bounced around as being offered for Hunter Pence are mind-boggling.
The Phillies are ready to give up two and maybe three prospects for him including Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton and/or Domonic Brown?
The Braves are supposedly in on Pence as well but aren't going overboard with the prospects as the Phillies are.
As I've said repeatedly I don't put much stock in rumors—they could be smokescreens or outright fabrications—but use your own mind. Check this link on MLBTradeRumors regarding Pence and what do you see? You see about 10 different versions of the same story all changed within a very short timeframe. I don't blame MLBTradeRumors—they're a clearinghouse for this stuff putting it all in one place; I blame the sources and purveyors of this nonsense, all of whom are in cahoots to scream "fire" in a crowded theater.
But one thing is being missed in all of this.
It's Hunter Pence.
He's a pretty good player. That's it. He's consistent in his power and overall game; he can run; he's good defensively with deceptively strong and accurate arm considering the fact that he throws like there's something wrong with him physically (he's awkward) or mentally (his eyes are deer-in-the-headlights wide).
He doesn't strike out an absurd amount and doesn't walk. Pence is arbitration eligible after this year and a free agent after 2013. He's a useful piece and a good guy.
He's not worth the Phillies offer.
If the Phillies hold off until after the season, the packages that are being discussed could yield a superstar player who may be too costly for his current team or is disgruntled and wants out. Of course that type of player will be more financially expensive than Pence, who they'll have under team control for the next 2 1/2 years, but it's a lot to give up for a supporting player. That's what Pence is.
If I were surrendering that package, I'd approach the Marlins about Hanley Ramirez, Logan Morrison or Mike Stanton before going after Pence; go to the Rays and ask about Evan Longoria—who knows what they'll say? How about the Orioles and Nick Markakis? The Dodgers about Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp?
Any of these players would be preferable to Pence and might be obtainable with the package of Singleton, Cosart and Brown.
Much like the decision Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. made in December of 2009 to trade Cliff Lee for Roy Halladay and "replenish" the Phillies system, it wasn't well-thought-out, nor was it smart.
You'll notice that none of the young players the Phillies got in that trade—Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and J.C. Ramirez—are being discussed in these Pence scenarios.
The Phillies need to step back and think before pulling the trigger on a good bat when what they're giving up could get them a great bat if they wait.
They're making a mistake. Again.
July 29, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Andre Ethier, Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Cliff Lee, Dodgers, Domonic Brown, Evan Longoria, Hanley Ramirez, Houston Astros, Hunter Pence, Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Logan Morrison, Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Kemp, Mike Stanton, MLB Trade Deadline, MLB Trade Rumors, MLB Trade Talk, Nick Markakis, Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, Rays, Roy Halladay, Ruben Amaro Jr., Tampa Bay Rays	Leave a comment

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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No, I was not a divine prize given to reward my parents for good behavior.
Here's a concept: Let's operate businesses ethically
Can 'Four Americas' become more united starting this Fourth of July?
This Independence Day weekend provides us another opportunity to do two things: Celebrate what's good (a lot) about the U.S. and its history and, at least as important, learn or remember what went wrong in American history. The goal would be to know how to make changes that would avoid previous errors and get the future as right as humanly possible.
I thought my former Kansas City Star colleague Dave Helling got it right in this recent column.
Here's what Dave suggests: "You can teach American history in all its abundant messiness. Embrace the brilliance and the errors of the founders and the other great figures of our nation.
"They were patriots. They were hypocrites. They were intelligent. They were prejudiced. They were human beings, flawed and miraculous at the same time."
What Dave suggests is what the world's major religions teach: Seek out what is true because the truth is liberating and leads to a more authentic and reliable future.
One way to do that this weekend might be to spend some time reading this intriguing article in the current issue of The Atlantic.
In it, journalist George Packer gives readers the core of his new book, Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal.
Packer argues that we Americans have divided ourselves into four different Americas based on four different visions of who we are and who we should be: Free America, Smart America, Real America and Just America. My guess is that many of you, like me, will find that you don't fit neatly into any of these categories, though there are aspects of each that reflect some of your beliefs and mine.
If that's the case, then there's this lesson to learn: When we imagine that someone is one-dimensional, we miss a great deal. And one-dimensional thinking inevitably produces a distorted, unfair picture.
Religion, at its best, teaches followers to be comfortable with mystery, paradox, ambiguity and uncertainty. Which means it also teaches followers to avoid false certitude -- an idea I tried to unpack in my book called The Value of Doubt.
Once we say we have nothing more to learn or experience in this or that field, we foreclose growth and change. In Christian theological terms, we shut out the Holy Spirit -- and where that spirit would take us and what that spirit would teach us.
As Packer writes in his Atlantic piece: "National narratives, like personal ones, are prone to sentimentality, grievance, pride, shame, self-blindness. There is never just one — they compete and constantly change. The most durable narratives are not the ones that stand up best to fact-checking. They're the ones that address our deepest needs and desires. Americans know by now that democracy depends on a baseline of shared reality — when facts become fungible, we're lost. But just as no one can live a happy and productive life in nonstop self-criticism, nations require more than facts — they need stories that convey a moral identity. The long gaze in the mirror has to end in self-respect or it will swallow us up."
It's that moral identity that we form by understanding our history in great depth, by paying attention to the moment (especially to whose voice is missing or is being shut out) and by imaging a future in which every human being -- every one -- is considered to be of inestimable value. That latter idea is what political scientist Glenn Tinder, in his book The Political Meaning of Christianity, calls "the spiritual center of Western politics."
It's what I hope we can find again. It's what I hope we can recommit to as a nation -- not as four Americas that can't talk to each other but as one in which people respect differences but remain civil and committed to a beautiful future.
Happy Fourth.
(The image at the top here accompanied Packer's article in The Atlantic.)
ANOTHER OUTRAGE BY CHINA
Imagine this: China, pursuing a genocide against its Uyghur Muslim population, is working with Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. to build a Hampton by Hilton hotel on the site of a demolished Uyghur mosque in the city of Hotan, this RNS story reports. Talk about cancel culture. Talk about despicable business and political ethics. I think that unless this outrage is reversed, no Hilton hotel will ever house me as a guest.
P.S.: Here's a link to a piece I just wrote for The Miami Herald that I hope will help families of people who died in the Surfside, Fla., condo collapse.


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The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office confirmed the rabbi arrested was Yisrael A. Knopfler.
On May 6, Knopfler joined a federal lawsuit brought by the Rev. Kevin Robinson of St. Anthony of Padua Church in North Caldwell, in Essex County, that takes aim at Murphy's social distancing requirements, arguing the his orders violate First and Fourteenth amendment protections under the U.S. Constitution.
Murphy's March 21 directive banned all gatherings of individuals with limited exceptions, none including religious services. The complaint argues that churches could easily accommodate the kind of social distancing called for by Murphy in permitting certain commercial businesses to remain open.
Knopfler and the Catholic priest claim that the governor's restrictions under Executive Order 107 violate religious freedoms and equal protection under the Constitution.
"Governor Murphy's Executive Order 107 has drastically interfered in the practice of my Jewish faith," Knopfler said in his court filing.
The rabbi, who has a congregation of 50 people, claimed he has felt intimidated by township police who park outside his synagogue "clearly surveilling us to look for violations of Order 107."
Knopfler claimed that "because of this police interference, his congregation has changed the times of its Saturday prayer services, "as it appeared that the police had learned the regular times for our services from their surveillance."
This is a breaking news story. Stay with APP.com for updates.
Keith Schubert is the morning breaking news reporter. He can be contacted via text, call or signal at (732) 239-8731 or emailed at kschubert@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @keithsch94.


There are so many things that can cause depression, but what gets rid of it? Daniel Budzinski wrote an article on danielbudzinski.com that talks about the amount of people who suffer from depression as well as natural ways to help get rid of it. Daniel's first suggestion is to hit the gym. He further explains that exercise releases "feel good" brain chemicals which help fight depression. His next suggestion is to create a routine because in his words, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
Click here to read the full article by Daniel Budzinski at danielbudzinski.com.


BRAINTREE, Mass. - A spike in sick calls involving the flu had an ambulance company looking for a quick cure. Brewster Ambulance teamed up with a company with a unique tool that they say helped them clean their equipment within minutes.
Brewster Ambulance usually responds to sick calls, but recently their staff had a spike of their own.
"Cases of the flu, general chest congestion which was impacting our workforce," said Chris DiBona, BAS.


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Posts Tagged: early-stage seed funding
MaRS Innovation awarded $15 million to further commercialize world-leading Canadian innovations
Networks of Centres of Excellence recognizes strength of partnership between MI and its 16 member institutions TORONTO, February 5, 2013 — How do you make sure the brilliant ideas emerging from Toronto's academic research community get the best possible chance to succeed? MaRS Innovation (MI), created in 2008, bridges the chasm between these early-stage technologies and successful start-up companies and licensable technologies. By offering early-stage funding in tandem with hands-on management, mentorship and IP strategy protection, MI acts as a commercialization agent for ...
February 6, 2013	in Awards, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Funding or Fundraising-Announcements, Government Partners, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Industry Partners, Licenseable Technologies, MaRS Discovery District, MaRS Innovation Staff, Member Institutions, Mount Sinai Hospital, News, Partnerships, Portfolio, Ryerson University, St. Michael's Hospital, Start-Up Companies, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute (TBRRI), University Health Network, University of Toronto, Women's College Hospital, York University
UTEST program: Giving U of T students a new way to become their own bosses
"There is a path somewhere between extended study and becoming an office worker," wrote The Varsity's Angela Brock, in "Be Your Own Boss: Student entrepreneurs combine creativity and business to forge new career paths" (February 3, 2012). "As it turns out, there are plenty of opportunities for those looking to flex their entrepreneurial muscles without straying too far from the bosom of U of T." Brock's article describes UTEST, the joint U of T-MaRS Innovation program that helps students, faculty and recent ...
February 6, 2013	in MaRS Innovation Staff, Media Coverage, Member Institutions, News, Portfolio, Start-Up Companies, University of Toronto, UTEST Program, Whirlscape
University of Toronto Early-Stage Technology Program (UTEST) opens applications for second start-up company cohort
Students, faculty and recent alumni with software ideas must apply by Feb. 22 Got a killer software-based idea? Are you passionate about turning that idea into a start-up company? If you're a current student, faculty member or recent graduate of the University of Toronto, consider applying to the University of Toronto Early-Stage Technology (UTEST) program. Applications are now closed. Stay tuned for the third UTEST application call. Created as a pilot in 2012 to help the U of T community bring their software-based ideas to ...
January 30, 2013	in CoursePeer, Crowdmark, Funding or Fundraising-Announcements, Granata Decision Systems, MaRS Innovation Staff, Member Institutions, News, Partnerships, Portfolio, Shotlst, Start-Up Companies, Thotra, University of Toronto, UTEST Program, Whirlscape
OCE invests $250,000 in ScarX Therapeutics' revolutionary anti-scarring medication
TORONTO, ON (Jan. 24, 2013) - ScarX Therapeutics, a start-up company commercializing a groundbreaking treatment to dramatically reduce post-operation scarring, is receiving a $250,000 investment from Ontario Centres of Excellence. This story was covered in Yonge Street Media on January 30, 2013. ScarX, a topical medication, emerged from Dr. Benjamin Alman's research. Alman, head of orthopedic surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children, is developing his invention in conjunction with MaRS Innovation. Each year, doctors worldwide perform 240 million surgeries. Currently, no clinically-proven prescription ...
January 24, 2013	in Funding or Fundraising-Announcements, Government Partners, Media Coverage, Member Institutions, News, Partnerships, Portfolio, ScarX Therapeutics, Start-Up Companies, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Shotlst: "Track changes" for the physical world
Shotlst is one of six inaugural UTEST companies; next UTEST application round to begin shortly What if you could turn on Microsoft Word's "track changes" tool and apply it at will to the world around you? Sound like science fiction? Meet Matt Ratto, a professor in the University of T's Faculty of Information, and Mike Borg, a recent graduate of the faculty. They've formed Shotlst, a new software company being incubated by the University of Toronto Early Stage Technology (UTEST) program. The central metaphor of ...
January 16, 2013	in Member Institutions, Portfolio, Shotlst, Start-Up Companies, University of Toronto, UTEST Program
VitalHub's Chart Makes Apple's Top 80 List of Doctor Apps
VitalHub Chart has been named to Apple's list of top 80 apps for doctors, nurses, patients and healthcare professionals in the "EMR and patient monitoring" category. Here's a description of the app, which is made by Toronto-based VitalHub Corp., from the Apple list curators: "VitalHub Chart puts patient data at your fingertips. You can access the information you need any time, anywhere there is WiFi or cellular service. No more waiting for a free desktop, hunting for a workstation on wheels, or carrying printouts ...
November 27, 2012	in Media Coverage, Member Institutions, Mount Sinai Hospital, News, Start-Up Companies, VitalHub Corp.
U of T, MaRS Innovation Collaborate to Launch Incubator for Student Software Companies
TORONTO, ON – A new program that provides nascent software companies with start-up funds, work space, mentoring and business strategy support, was launched today by the University of Toronto and commercialization partner MaRS Innovation, with support from the MaRS Discovery District. TechVibes has a profile page for UTEST and covered CoursePeer as part of their students start-ups series. The new program, called University of Toronto Early Stage Technology (UTEST), is part of a growing ecosystem of incubators and commercialization support services at U ...
October 1, 2012	in CoursePeer, Crowdmark, Funding or Fundraising-Announcements, Granata Decision Systems, MaRS Discovery District, MaRS Innovation Staff, Member Institutions, News, Partnerships, Portfolio, Shotlst, Start-Up Companies, Thotra, University of Toronto, UTEST Program, Whirlscape
ApneaDX Inc: A Medical Device to Accurately Diagnose Sleep Apnea at Home
MaRS Innovation and the University Health Network's Toronto Rehabilitation Institute have collaborated to bring a new technology to market that accurately diagnoses sleep apnea at the patient's home. Sleep apnea is a medical disorder that is gaining increasing recognition as a major health issue. It is estimated that six to eight per cent of the world's population suffer from the disease, but 85 per cent are undiagnosed. Undiagnosed sleep apnea is estimated to cause $3.4 billion in additional medical costs in the US. ...
April 27, 2012	in BresoTec Inc., Member Institutions, News, Portfolio, Start-Up Companies, University Health Network, Video
Encycle investigators receive CQDM investment
CQDM invests $1.5 million in two collaborative projects within the Québec/Ontario Life Sciences Corridor Toronto, December 6, 2011 — The Québec Consortium for Drug Discovery (CQDM) is pleased to announce $1.5 million in funding for two joint Québec/Ontario research projects in biomedical research. The news was released today at the conference, Connecting Life Sciences Across the Ontario-Québec Corridor, which was held in Toronto. (more…)
December 6, 2011	in Encycle Therapeutics, Funding or Fundraising-Announcements, Government Partners, Member Institutions, News, Partnerships, Portfolio, Start-Up Companies, University of Toronto
Video: Canadian International Council interviews Rafi Hofstein about commercializing Canadian technology
Dr. Raphael Hofstein, president and CEO of MaRS Innovation, spoke to the Canadian International Council about the importance of protecting intellectual property as an important component in commercializing Canadian technologies. Here's an excerpt: Government could be extremely helpful if they created special funds dedicated to covering the costs of patent protection. (more…)
October 11, 2011	in MaRS Innovation Staff, News, Video


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Leading Women's Watch Brand Bedat & CO Geneve Announces Affiliation With Leading Luxury Brand Ralph & Russo
Dec 2, 2016 | Lifestyle
[PRESSWIRE] London, United Kingdom – 2 December, 2016 — From December 2016 Bedat & CO Geneve, the world's leading craftsmen of fine timepieces for women, will be available for viewing by appointment, inside Ralph & Russo's Maison located in prestigious Mayfair, London.
Bedat & CO Geneve, the world's leading craftsmen of fine timepieces for women, will be available for viewing by appointment, inside Ralph & Russo's Maison located in prestigious Mayfair, London.
Bedat & CO Geneve's Elena Wynn said: "We are delighted to be able to work with Ralph & Russo, a truly unique luxury brand that shares our core values. Femininity is at the core of both of our brands; we share a vision of creative and timeless design married with the highest quality craftsmanship and production."
Ralph & Russo Creative Director Tamara Ralph added: "I love that Bedat & CO Geneve celebrates women and their achievements and aims to create timepieces that honour the spirit and power of femininity.
"I learned about Bedat after meeting brand ambassador Carly Paoli who is an incredibly talented classical singer, and I am proud to say that she has worn many of our dresses."
Carly Paoli said: "I love the sense of drama and theatricality that Ralph & Russo's dresses give me when I'm on stage. My role as a singer is to give my audience a complete performance experience and wearing Ralph & Russo alongside my Bedat & CO. Extravaganza timepiece allows me to do that. As a British performer I am delighted to be supporting another leading UK brand on the global stage and celebrating their achievement.
Bedat & CO Geneve
The luxury Swiss watch brand was founded by Madame Simone Bedat after 50 years working at the pinnacle of the Swiss watch industry. The ground-breaking move broke the mould in the male- dominated Swiss watch industry and brought to life Madame Bedat's long-held vision to create the world's first watch brand designed exclusively for women.
Bedat & CO Geneve is renowned for intricacy in craftsmanship and purity of style. Through the reflections of Art Deco traditions and design, Bedat & CO timepieces capture ageless refinement and quality throughout all of the collections.
The A.O.S.C. quality certificate ensures that all Bedat & CO timepieces are designed, manufactured and assembled in Switzerland to achieve outstanding refinement to the finish of each individual timepiece and it forms an integral part of the guarantee, allowing the origin and authenticity of each timepiece to be established. All Bedat & CO timepieces come with 5 years warranty.
Ralph & Russo is a privately held British company owned and controlled by its founders Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo. The high fashion house specialises in couture, ready-to-wear clothing, luxury goods and fashion accessories. Since its inception only 9 years ago, the company now has 10 linked boutiques worldwide, employs more than 400 people and is the only British brand in nearly 100 years to be deemed eligible to present its couture collections on the official Paris Haute Couture Week schedule.
Ralph & Russo pursue excellence and the very best in design and craftsmanship. Striving to set new standards of quality by fusing tradition and modern luxury. They create products that remain true to the values of the brand, that confirm our absolute commitment to providing the highest levels of quality that allow us to set the tone as an innovator in the world of luxury.
BEDAT & Co GENEVE 'The Leading Luxury Timepiece Brand Founded By A Woman For Women'
To learn more about BEDAT & CO GENEVE, please visit: www.bedat.com
To learn more about RALPH & RUSSO, please visit: www.ralphandrusso.com
Bedat & CO – Marketing Director
Contact: Charmaine Low
Ralph & Russo – Global Communications Director
Contact: Georgia Castleman
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Are you ready for a baby? Are you expecting a baby or know someone that is? If so then this is the perfect article for you.
I recently reviewed Generation Earn. I mentioned how many of the sections in the book were sort of useless to me in my current life situation. There was a chunk of the book dedicated to baby and wedding talk. That part wasn't of any use to me. However, that's the great thing about writing about personal finance. You can really write about anything that you want. Since I know couples that have recently had a baby and chances are that many young professionals will go through this eventually, I figured I could actually read the part about babies and we could talk about getting ready for a baby today.
Hopefully you were expecting your new baby, if not then it's still all good. You still have 9 months to prepare.
Find out the cost of adding another person to your current health insurance.
The pregnancy stage is the best time to find out how much it's going to cost you to put another person under your current health plan. You need to get this over with so that you don't have to deal with it later on in life.
Save up for baby expenses.
Some experts on this topic advise you to save up a few months worth of baby expenses, others urge you to get used to living life with baby-related expenses while still going through the pregnancy. Either way you should try your best to put money aside for your new found baby expenses (toys, diapers, clothes, etc.).
Take care of major purchases.
A friend of mine was considering buying a new car for the longest time. Finally when he found out that his wife was pregnant he decided to take the plunge and buy that new car. He felt that he needed something more reliable for the new born. Many older friends have told me that it's a great idea to take care of your major expenses in life (home, new car, home improvements, and education) before you bring a child into the world.
Figure out the maternity rules at your workplace.
Once you've started to plan for your baby financially and generally, you can then move forward to worry about figuring out how you'll pay for your new baby and baby related expenses.
You might know other couples that just had a baby, or you could even ask relatives. Chances are that you won't be the only couple in your circle of friends to have a baby. This is why you should always help out others. Hopefully another couple that you know will be willing to loan basic baby supplies to you guys.
Take advantage of free/cheap baby stuff.
You can sign up at freecycle.org to find used baby items from other parents. You should also look for as many freebies as you can. I know that when my youngest brother turned 6 that my parents couldn't wait to get rid of all of the baby stuff. Luckily for another couple in our family, they were able to pick up all of this baby stuff for free. These are major savings for a young couple in their 20s.
Wait until after birth to buy toys.
You never know what kind of toys your baby is going to want to play with. You also never know what kind of freebies/gifts you'll receive for your newborn baby. It's recommended that you save the money but hold off on any actual purchases for baby toys until after birth.
Some parents are simply too busy with their careers to take any extended time off. Unless you have a relative that is retired and willing to help you out or you work from home, chances are that you're going to have to pay for daycare. Daycare is not cheap by any means. Young couples are often advised to consider living on $500-900 less a month. The reason for this is that this is how much you might end up forking over for daycare costs. Could you survive financially without this money in your pocket?
Have any of you had a baby lately? Were you ready for it financially?
· Get started by preparing a budget. This will help you to spend according to your means and make sure that you don't come back from your vacation with a scary debt. A budget also will also help you to use your money in an organized manner. You will have a fair about the different expenses involved.
· A great way to save your money is by traveling to some beautiful yet lesser known location. Try to stay away from the most popular areas of the country. You can ask your friends and relatives about uncommon places they have been to. If you manage to find such a destination then it is highly possible that you will get yourself some terrific deal. Many families save hundreds of dollars every summer just by avoiding places that do not thrive on tourism.
· Research on the Internet to compare rates and find out whether the cruise company or the hotel is offering any special packages or discounts. If there is any hotel chain or airlines company which you usually stick to then make sure that you are a member of their points club. The points you earn will get you discounts..
· Look for coupons on the Internet, inside free tourism booklets etc. These coupons allow you to visit theme parks or other similar tourist attractions at a much cheaper rate, sometimes for free. Therefore, these coupons are a great way to save money during vacations.
· Try out local food during your trip. They are often simple yet delicious. More importantly, local cuisine can be friendly to your wallet. Local cafeteria, Street foods or restaurants in inexpensive neighborhoods can be a great proposition in terms of money as well as food.
· Consider vacation rentals rather than hotels especially if you have a decent sized family or if you are planning to travel with a large group of friends. These rentals are far more cheaper than hotel rooms. You can usually find a place to stay for $400 to $700 per week, if you share the house with another family. Moreover, you will get a kitchen which means you can prepare breakfast (lunch and dinner too, if you want to) and save tons of money by avoiding eating out everyday.
· If you have small children then consider schlepping along your own car seat rather than renting one from a car rental company. This might be inconvenient but will save you $5 to $15 per day. If you are heading towards a theme park then better bring your own stroller. Dragging along your Maclaren will save you $10 to $30 a day.
Summer vacations are meant to rejuvenate our tired souls. Don't let financial worries ruin it. Just keep in mind the above things and you will be able to enjoy a great summer vacation while staying within your budget.
David Brown is a content writer with Oak view law group. He writes on a variety of finance related topics with a strong focus on frugal living.
Looking for a Great Christmas Gift for Your Child?
I don't know why, but I am in the mood for Christmas this week 😉 After finding a way to save money before Christmas, I am suggesting some great financial gifts for your child. I've noticed that my children have been spoiled by gifts from their grandparents and awesome godmother and godfather. My basement is already full of toys and each Christmas and birthday, I spend hours cleaning up their playroom to make way for the incoming crowd of toys. So, I thought about how amazing it would be if they might receive a few financial gifts instead. So if you have to spend money for a gift this year, you may want to offer something useful instead of buying the 5th Transformer (I've looked everywhere and couldn't find the latest Michaela 😉 ).
Investing in an RESP is probably the greatest gift you could give to a young child. Even if you invest a small amount of money, this will grow to become a substantial amount and other people might want to contribute too.
This is a toy, but your child wants to imitate events he sees at the store. When they are older (4 and 5 years old), you can also give them fake coins to play with as well. This will be their first contact with "capitalism".
Have you ever seen a share certificate? They look pretty awesome! You can select a company that your child is familiar with (Disney for example) and order a real share certificate. They are becoming rarer by the day, but you can still order them through a broker. Your child will have a nice share certificate and ithe value of it might go up throughout the year. You can then sit with him and show him where to see his share value on the internet.
At the age of 5, I will offer my son a financial contract. I will give him an allowance every two weeks (like a pay check) and he will have to save a part of his money in order to "invest" it. I hope that he will learn to save and invest on a regular basis over the years with this method.
I really like personal finance books and my favourites for someone who will start their financial adventure are definitely the Wealthy Barber and Rich Dad Poor Dad. Both books explain financial aspects in a clear and easy to understand manner. On top of that, both books tell a story so you don't feel like you are at school and learning numbers in a boring way!
You can open a mutual fund account with his previous investment and start investing for him. He will receive his statement quarterly and will be able to follow the market gradually. If he is lucky, he will lose his first $100 at the age of 16 and understand how the stock market really works (it goes up and it goes down 😉 ).
There are tons of personal finance and personal growth conferences out there. Attending one with your child will not only be a great parent-child activity but will also give him great tools for his adult and financial life!
Just give them your car keys and they will be fine 😉 hahahaha!
That's it! The Christmas countdown has already started. In fact, I noticed it had started on November 1st… only minutes after Halloween ended, stores were putting their Christmas decorations out. While I think it's a bit crazy, but perhaps it can help us prepare a Christmas budget ahead of time. As a result, the January credit card bill should be less painful when it arrives ;-).
I have tried to think about how I can save money for my Christmas gifts and how much it would actually take. Since I have 2 children, I have quite a bit to gather ;-).
I have decided that I would cut coffee at work until Christmas. I still enjoy one at home before I leave but I had this little vice of having another one while I start my laptop at work and take a peak at the stock market opening. I have traded the nice, warm Caramelo Coffee from Second Cup for a clear, refreshing glass of water. This will not only save me $2.25 per day (which means about $40.50 until Christmas) but it will also help me stay in shape. Can't really say that cream and sugar is a good thing for my belly…. Even though it tastes so good! So with $40, I will able to buy at least 1 gift!
We spend a lot of money in restaurants. In fact, it is not rare that we order in on Friday's and then go out to eat with our children on Saturday, helps reinforce table manners ;-). Therefore, we easily spend $75 to eat out on a weekly basis. Since there are about 6 weeks until Christmas, I will try to cut 3 weeks of restaurants out. However, just saying that we will cut on restaurants is not enough. We need something worthwhile to replace these special occasions in order to suffer less. Instead of trying to cut modify our choice of restaurants, I have thought of changing our habits and simply not going to restaurants at all.
Instead of going to restaurants on Saturdays, we have decided to invite people over for dinner. We will see more of our friends and still have a great evening. The great part is that we will also get invited by them eventually. Therefore, it will cost less than a bill for 4 people (William is not eating as much as I do!) at the restaurant. In order to make sure we don't over spend on food, we ask our guests to bring the wine and we take care of the rest.
Instead of spending $75 per month, I plan on spending around $35 more on groceries and save about $40 a week. This way, we won't feel like we are missing something, we simply change our habits. Who knows, we might like it enough to keep doing it after Christmas!
Life is full of unnecessary daily expenses. How many times do we see something that we like and just buy it on the spot? This will probably be my biggest challenge; not spending on extra food, extra wine, clothes or electronic gadgets until Christmas. For the first 2 frugal ideas, I am able to change my lifestyle in order to help us out. But for this one, I will simply sacrifice my lifestyle in order to fit into my Christmas budget!
So in the next 45 days, I should be able to save $465 for Christmas gifts. This is $10 per day. It shouldn't be that bad, don't you agree? If you have other Christmas saving ideas, I'm looking forward to read about them!
Relationships can be like video games; they work on different levels.
Level 1: you look at the girl and she looks back at you.
Bonus points: you smile and she smiles back!
Level 2: you ask her out, she says yes.
Bonus points: you get a kiss after a nice evening (the bonus points decrease according to the number of dates before the first kiss).
Level 3: you go out on a regular basis and you are officially boyfriend/girlfriend.
Bonus points: your girlfriend gets along with your friends.
Level 4: you decide to move in together.
YOU ARE NOT MARRIED ERROR: CANNOT READ DISK: your game may bug and even reset depending on your religion and/or parents (or in-laws of course).
In order to avoid the fatal error and remain in the game, you need to make a move. You can either stay at level 3, get experience points by fighting monsters (arguments), finding stronger shields (special moments that bring you closer together), find hidden caves with treasure (you know what I mean 😉 ) and wait until you make sure you are serious about this game.
Once you are ready, there is a final step, the ultimate level: getting married (or so you think, there are special upgrade packages (being a parent, buying a house, etc.) once you complete it 😉 ).
Once both agree and you are willing to get married, the very first step is to make a list, a budget for your wedding. Spending money on a wedding is probably one of the easiest things on earth!
If I can give you only one tip for your wedding, there are a few different lists that need to be looked at before you start a wedding budget.
Your main resources will obviously be your own budget 😉 You can also choose to receive help from parents and in-laws (and any accompanying requests for long lost relatives and friends to attend). But besides those, I would not count other gifts in your wedding budget. Those should come as a surprise and good news if you receive more money than expected ;-).
I had actually experienced my wedding without owing a penny (I actually didn't make money either!). So I thought that since my best friend is getting married next year, I would look back to share my tips to save and budget wedding expenses in a frugal manner.
Disclaimer: with all due to respect to relationships, they are not to be considered games and any reference to such was purely an exaggeration on my part to make a point!
ooops! I forgot to mention my carnivals from last week!


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What are you doing for St. George's Day?
An English Rose in Georgia
Did you know that Monday, April 23 — or 23 April as we say in England — is St. George's Day?
My guess is probably not, and you are not alone. Of the four national saints of the British Isles — including St. Patrick in Ireland, St. Andrew in Scotland and St. David in Wales — St. George is the most neglected of them all.
St. George, who was a Roman soldier in the first century, is famous for slaying a dragon, and his life and death used to be a big deal. In fact, from the 15th-18th centuries, the feast day was so exuberantly celebrated in England, it was on a par with Christmas.
However, many people today in the land of my birth ignore the day; we don't even have a national public holiday in our patron saint's honor. To add further insult to poor old St George, April 23 also is "Shakespeare" Day.
Some towns and villages do commemorate St George's Day by hanging the English flag — the red cross of St George on a white background — serving English afternoon tea and arranging the enactment of peculiarly English traditions such as "morris dancing" and "Punch-and-Judy" puppet shows.
To explain morris dancing: It is a traditional English folk dance performed to music, predominantly by men who wear, wave and bang together a range of items including bells, handkerchiefs, sticks and swords. They look like circus clowns with assorted junk hanging off their brightly colored clothes, dancing and jumping around poles in a bizarre but highly synchronized fashion. It is what an American might call "nerdy in the extreme."
Punch-and-Judy shows were a stalwart of my childhood, especially when we went to a seaside town, as we often did to see my grandparents. Punch and Judy date from Victorian times and were targeted at children. A puppeteer inside a brightly colored portable booth plays a series of anarchic scenes usually between Punch and his wife Judy – although appearances are made by other traditional characters including the police constable, the crocodile, the baby and the doctor. The Punch puppet is a hunchback with a jutting chin and a jester's hat who speaks in a squawking voice and always says "That's the way to do it." I guess you have to be English to understand the appeal.
Anyway, as most of my English friends and family just go to work or about their usual Monday morning routine next week, I think it is sad that few of them will give more than a passing thought to St George's Day in spite of some recent political attempts to once again raise its profile.
It makes me even more appreciative of the wonderful patriotism and celebrations around July 4 in the United States. The British do not have an equivalent national holiday that celebrates being British or who we are. Maybe this is because the complex and feudal history of the United Kingdom means that the country evolved as a group of four nations — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — that spent a great deal of time fighting each other. By comparison, there is a feeling of real unity and patriotism in the United States. Maybe this was born out of the fight to overthrow the British and form a new country with its own ideals.
Whatever the reason, I believe it is a great shame that the British don't unite behind a cohesive national day and learn a lesson from our American cousins.
Francis grew up in London and moved to Richmond Hill in 2009 with her American husband, Carl, and English dogs — soon to be joined by an American West Highland terrier. Contact her at lesley@francis.com or www.lesleyfrancispr.com.


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Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lipcare SPF 20 is a moisture-rich formula to soothe and improve the condition of dry, chapped lips. It also contains SPF 20 for long-lasting protection no matter what the weather. Simply apply often for immediate relief and protection.


As a busy mother of three, wife and pet owner, woman entrepreneur Ria Greiff knows what it's like to be constantly on the go. The last thing she needs is an inbox exploding with emails to slow down her pace. Realizing this was an issue for many women and people in general, the Psychology professor and her software developer husband teamed to create the mobile app MailTamer.
Ria shared more details on her innovating app and some of the things she learned about business and herself along the way in our Q&A 4Her interview. Read on for the full interview!
There are 900 million iPhone users in the world. What we have found with most of the individuals we talk to and most of them [being] busy women is that they have an inbox that is out of control. Women we have talked to have thousands upon thousands of rogue emails in each of their inboxes. We created an app for those on the constant go in six languages to help tame their inbox.
MailTamer provides a quick and easy way to manage your inbox. This app organizes emails in sender-based view, contact view and the traditional date view, and coming soon, recipient view, to begin to trim the fat of the outbox. With a single swipe and tap, all email from a particular sender can be deleted, copied or moved to an existing or new folder. MailTamer can even select all messages from multiple senders at once to perform these actions. You can even drill-down to see detail on a sender's messages even in their original HTML format. From there you can perform actions on all or some of those messages as well as easily create folders to organize your messages. It takes just minutes to take an inbox from wild proportions down to a tamed, and easily manageable state. We have seen inboxes go from upwards of 10,000 to a couple of hundred within 30 minutes!
I never knew that it would consume so much of my time. You truly have to be willing to sideline all other projects until you see one come to fruition. Multi-tasking in this sense is not an option. The other thing that as an industry overall, I was shocked at how male dominated it is. Very very few women are in the upper echelons of the Tech Industry and I don't think they get as much attention or respect.
Take the long-term view. Many people become discouraged and lose steam and focus because they don't see results. If you have done your research, and you know you have a good product, you have to knock on every door, call up every connection you have, pursue the wildest sounding ideas and go for it until you achieve your results. Quitting simply isn't an option.
I think the lack of resources specifically for women and the support system.
As a mom, I get to still do the business of raising my children and I work around those commitments. Also, you can be a part of the creative process and in a sense, your business is your other baby and you take pride in watching that grow based on your nurturing of the product. I also feel good about being able to be in control of what I am giving to the world.
Absolutely! I took on this challenge without an inkling of what was involved. I never once gave up. Every closed door was just a reason to try harder. And as those doors opened, a deep sense of pride and accomplishment develops. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone and doing well creates a tremendous amount of positive self-worth.
Our website http://mailtamerapp.com. From there you can link up to our blog and to the App Store to check out more about our product. We also have a Facebook page of course. What is most exciting to us at the moment is our Fundable.com fundraising campaign. Fundable is a Crowdfunding site for startups which is a great way for businesses to generate funding to help them grow. We chose Fundable because we thought this would be a nice way to let our fans contribute to the continued success and improvement of MailTamer.
Here's a little bit about how Fundable works: Basically, it's very similar to Kickstarter, but happens to be more focused on small businesses. Like Kickstarter, funding only happens if our funding goals are met.
Currently we're running a number of pledge levels which will help the MailTamer team as well as offering our backers some value-added bonuses as well.
Take a look at our funding campaign and pledge.
audience of thousands of women in business – what would it be?
Remember the flight attendant on the plane who warns you that oxygen masks will come down if there is an emergency? They specifically tell you to put your mask on first before you put the mask on your child/others. The reason for this is that you cannot take care of others if you are choking, getting ready to pass out and weak. You must learn to take care of yourself if you are going to take care of your business, your relationship, your family. If you don't then you won't be doing the best job that you can and eventually something will give. This involves eating right, working out regularly and having me time. So elementary yet so important and oftentimes overlooked. That is why we created MailTamer. As a Psychology Professor and the clinical director of a consulting Firm, I knew that the Zen of a Zero Inbox was more of a time saver but a way to unclutter the mind and make way for more important things. I hope you find your zen too.
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Q&A 4Her – Deborah J. Carducci, President of Carducci Design Group, Inc.