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Archive for the 'aramis ramirez' tag
Nats Rotation Cycle #18: good/bad/soso
Is Marquis hurting his trade value? Photo Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
The 18th Rotation cycle will be interesting; a day-night doubleheader, then two straight day games for a team that plays most of its games at night, may prove challenging for the Nats, especially considering that the Cubs are completely used to playing day games. This review will include 6 games, since we'll need an extra pitcher by virtue of the saturday double-header.
Livan Hernandez pitched a typically crafty game in the 7/2 day-game (box/gamer), allowing 2 runs on 6 hits in 7 complete innings with a couple of walks and 6 strikeouts. He left with a ND.
John Lannan pitched pretty well in the 7/2 night-cap (box/gamer), going 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. He walked no-one but only struck out one batter. He sat at 80 pitches upon his removal in a Loss situation.
Ross Detwiler's first MLB start since last September went pretty well on 7/5 (box/gamer). 5 1/3, 4 hits, 2 runs (both on a 2-run homer in his final inning), 0 walks and 1 strikeout (he also hit a batter). He was only at 78 pitchers mid-way through the 6th when Johnson went to his bullpen immediately after the 2-run homer. The 3-2 lead held on for the win however. For me a very good appearance for Detwiler (in contrast to Maya's 4 starts up here).
Jason Marquis was shelled for 7 runs (6 earned) on 8 hits while only retiring four batters on 7/3 (box/gamer) and game more reminiscent of his performances in the beginning of last year pre-surgery. After a fantastic May and early June, Marquis has now gotten more or less pounded in 3 of his last 5 starts and his trade value has to be plummeting by the week.
Mediocre/Inconclusive
Jordan Zimmermann certainly wasn't helped by some "questionable" defense, including a routine fly ball that fell to earth and scored two runs instead of ending an inning, in 7/4's scorching win over Chicago (box/gamer). The play in question is yet another piece of evidence why ERAs are misleading; instead of getting a quality start, Zimmerman's line on the day goes 6ip, 8hits, 4runs, 1 walk and 5 Ks. If that line reads 6ip, 7hits, 2 runs, 1 walk and 5Ks it looks a lot better right?
Tom Gorzelanny fell victim (again) to the long ball against the cubs on 7/6 (box/gamer), giving up 4 runs in 6 innings on two bombs given up to Carlos Pena and Aramis Ramirez. Both were no-doubters on bad mistakes over the plate. Luckily the cardiac kids pulled out a victory later on in the game. Gorzelanny has now given up FOURTEEN homers in 77 innings over 13 starts. One every 5.5 innings, or just about one per start. The league average (per b-r.com anyway) is 18 per 180 innings or one every 10 innings.
Starter Trends
Relievers of Note and other News
Chien-Ming Wang threw his 2nd rehab start on 7/2, this time in high-A for Potomac. As Adam Kilgore reports, he pitched 4 scoreless inning, allowing 1 hit and 2 walks. He reportedly hit 91mph, which is great news. I pulled the Pitch f/x data from Wang's 2007 season prior to his injury to try to get a feel for what he was capable of back then. Here's the data from June 6th, 2007, one of Wang's best games that season. Average fastball of 94, peaks of 97, with great separation between his fastball and his change-up. I didn't realize he threw that hard (if you believe the Pitch f/x data; it is spotty that early in the system's history). If the goal is to get his speed back to 94-97, he's got a long way to go.
After seemingly turning the page on his struggles this season, Sean Burnett has failed in his last two outings, including blowing 7/2's game with a poor 8th inning. The team is in desperate need of lefty relievers through-out the system, so its doubtful that Burnett's job is in immediate jeopardy. However the acquisition of JC Romero last week plus the possible conversion of former MLB starter Matt Chico to a reliever (he's currently rehabbing in the GCL and has been alternating between starting and relief appearances) seem to indicate the team is exploring its loogy options.
Tyler Clippard is the Nationals lone 2011 all-star (Pending Michael Morse's runoff vote), a validation of his dominance over the past couple years in a non-closer role. Some may have an issue with Clippard's selection, but in a league that mandates at least one representative from each team he's as good as picking Morse, Storen or Espinosa in my book.
Not that he's a National, but Kerry Wood certainly looked out of sorts on 7/4. 1ip, 3 walks, 3 Ks, a hit batsman, a wild pitch and a blown save. Ironically, most of this was done without anyone warming up in the bullpen, and only after Wood walked in the tying run in the 8th did the cubs manager scramble to get someone up. Awful managing on the day, frankly. The first batter Woods airmailed 4 pitches to should have been enough evidence.
The day after his good spot start, Johnson announced that Detwiler would be staying on the MLB roster and replaces Collin Balester for the time being. This is in line with Johnson's previously stated desire to have a 6th starter/long man in the bullpen. But the usage of Detwiler remains to be seen. Per Zuckerman's article, Johnson will try to use Detwiler only every 4th-5th day (as a starter would do) and perhaps use him in a single inning situation during his "throw" days in between starts.
Craig Heist of WTOP tweeted (h/t to Craig Calcaterra here) that the Yankees are interested in Sean Burnett. This gives me an "a-ha" moment, since I was at the 7/4 game and ran into a Yankees scout who was trying to be incognito. At the time, I couldn't figure out who on either team the Yankees may have been looking at; the starters that day were Zimmermann (untouchable) and Coleman (replaceable). Our biggest trade chips are Marquis and a bunch of under-performing vets. The Cubs are filled with overpaid, under-performing guys on large contracts. The Nats have almost nothing in the way of lefty relievers in the organization right now; we'd be hard pressed to move Burnett despite his struggles this year. Would we be selling low on Burnett based on his struggles in 2011?
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_07_02_pitmlb_wasmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=was&partnerId=rss_was
Posted in Majors Pitching,Nats Rotation Reviews
Tagged with adam kilgore, aramis ramirez, carlos pena, chien-ming wang, collin balester, craig calcaterra, craig heist, davey johnson, jason marquis, jc romero, john lannan, jordan zimmermann, kerry wood, livan hernandez, matt chico, michael morse, ross detwiler, sean burnett, tom gorzelanny, tyler clippard
My 2011 Fantasy Team
Note; stop reading now if you're one of those people who hate to hear about fantasy teams or analysis of leagues. I understand your point; its kinda like hearing someone go on and on about how their ugly baby just did the cutest thing last week.
I'm in a modified 5×5 yahoo league with 9 other fantasy baseball nuts (of all the fantasy sports, baseball tends to have the biggest nerds I think. Well, perhaps fantasy golf or fantasy nascar). We've modified the typical 5×5 categories to add in a 6th category on both sides. We put in OPS on the hitter side and Losses on the pitcher side. We made this change a few years back when one of the players won by churning and burning starting pitchers over and over to stock-pile wins and Ks.
Before going into my draft results and analysis, a few notes on my strategy for picking baseball teams:
I like pitching and I like to analyze pitching, so I focus on pitchers. I like to have the bare minimum of hitters and load up on pitchers. This strategy can be questioned; the clear winner last year had a bare minimum of pitchers but tons of hitter depth and was tough to beat.
I try to focus on NL starters with good K rates. I try to avoid AL pitchers if I can, and I especially try to avoid AL east pitchers because of the gauntlet of great hitting teams they face.
I try to get 5 closers. This can be tough, especially in a 10-person league with only (theoretically) 30 closers to go around. However, I try not to overpay for closers. Two years ago I experimented with a Zero closer system and it did not fare as well as I thought it would.
Do not overpay for a Catcher. I've been burned so many times on catchers going down with injuries (in the past three years I've dealt with Varitek, Russell Martin and Victor Martinez injuries or inadequacies, going to the waiver wire each time).
Here's my team's draft results. I was picking 2nd in a 10-man league with a typical snake-style draft order.
1. Hanley Ramirez. Pujols goes first; I could have gone with Tulowitzki here but I opted to go with a guy who has been a bit more consistent (and less injury prone) at the #2 spot.
2. Matt Holliday. By the time I pick again, all the top tier 1B and 3B were gone. I figured this would happen and had targeted a couple of lower-end 1B and 3B players that I figured I could get later on (see rounds 10 and 14). I wanted Hamilton here but he went earlier than I thought he would. I would have loved for Adrian Gonzalez to slip but he did not.
3. Tim Lincecum. I was either-or for Felix Hernandez or Lincecum here. In the end I went for Lincecum because of the NL angle and because of how bad Seattle is. Hernandez went immediately after Lincecum.
4. Richie Weeks. Coming back at the end of the 4th, I needed to focus one at least one of the "skill" positions that can be tough to fill. I wanted Uggla but missed him by a few picks. Weeks is a good all around player; 29 homers with 11 SBs in 2010. I'll take that out of the 2nd base position. Someone took a flier on Chase Utley not knowing just how bad his injury is … it pays to be prepared and up-to-date on injury news. Weeks himself is an injury risk and was listed as a possible fantasy bust for 2011. We'll keep our fingers crossed.
5. Jason Heyward: I can't remember if Posey was sitting there available at this point or not, but I like having an up-and-coming power hitter here.
6. Alex Rios: I filled my 3rd OF position with a bit of a sleeper in Rios. He was #27 fantasy producer in 2010, hitting 21 homers and getting 34 sbs. My first 5 out-field players all can be described as guys who can hit for power and get SBs.
7. Cole Hamels: I missed out on Cliff Lee but am a bit wary of him this year anyway. He wasn't THAT great in the regular season last year. Meanwhile Hamels had a sneaky solid season with 211 ks in 208 innings. He took a lot of losses though; lets hope that his move to the #4 starter puts him in line to get many more wins.
8. Mat Latos. #32 ranked 2010 fantasy performer in the end of the 8th round. I'll take that. Lots of Ks, great ERA and whip and pitching in the massive Petco. Love this pick.
9. Neftali Feliz: I announced prior to this pick that I didn't care if he was starting or closing, that I wanted him. He apparently will be the closer, which i'm kinda bummed about since I think he'd be a great starter … but at the same time he's probably the 3rd or 4th best closer out there. I wanted Marmol and his ridiculous K rates but he went very early. I also wanted Heath Bell right around here but missed him by one pick, with Acheson getting him just before I was to pick him.
10. Paul Konerko. In the 10th round I sitll didn't have a first baseman or a third baseman, two positions that are very power-hitter friendly. As mentioned above, once I missed out on the top guys in the 1st-2nd rounds, I made a calculated gamble targeting two guys I figured would be either overlooked or be later round guys. Konerko was the first: he was the #12 fantasy hitter last year, blasting 39 homers with 111 rbis. It was a contract year, which is a bit scary, but he also inherits Adam Dunn as protection for 2011. I'm hoping he continues to hit at this level despite him being 35 this year. With him and Dunn switching off between 1B and DH perhaps the rest will do him good.
11. Jonathan Sanchez. Oddly Yahoo has him ranked 173rd, despite being the 70th best producer last year. I don't get it; 13-9, 205 ks in 193 innings, good era and whip. This may have been a reach by ranking points but I like him.
12. Matt Weiters. At this point there was a slight run on Catchers and I felt I needed to make a move. I was looking at either Weiters or Geovany Soto. Honestly before the draft I would have loved to have taken a shot at Carlos Santana but he went very early. I debated between Soto and Weiters and went with the promising rookie. Vito, drafting right behond me, was thinking the same thing and immediately snapped up Soto.
13. JJ Putz. At this point in the draft, I nearly had all my positional players and generally go SP-RP all the way out. I wanted to get my hands on at least one of the upper-end closers available and went with Putz. Putz took a setup job in Chicago last year and pitched well enough to earn another closer job. Arizona isn't going to get him a ton of closer opportunities but after their debacle last year trying Qualls, Rauch and the kitchen sink in the role, Putz may do well. Remember, Matt Capps got a ton of saves for a last place team last year too.
14. Pedro Alvarez. My last positional player. Most of the good 3rd basement went in the first two rounds. I didn't want to mess with guys like Bautista (flash in the pan?), Michael Young (he's a utility player in a bad professional situation) or Aramis Ramirez (two bad years in a row). I was targeting Alvarez or Mark Reynolds. Reynolds hit less than .200 last year after a monster 2009 and is moving to a fantastic hitters park for him, so that was tempting. But he's also moving to the toughest division with a lot of upper-end pitching and he may push 250 Ks this year. Meanwhile, Alvarez is a cool rookie with a lot of upside and he could be fun to follow.
15. Francisco Cordero: my 3rd closer; from here out my goal is to get the best closers available til I get to 5, then get whatever starting pitchers look enticing. Cordero got 40 saves last year; works for me.
16. Leo Nunez; 20 picks later I get Nunez, who I have ranked right next to Cordero. More Ks, better whip but fewer saves for Florida.
17. Brandon Lyon: Not a ton of saves last year but he wasn't the closer til August. then in 6 weeks he got 15 saves. I'm hoping this is a steal of a pick and he racks up 35-40 saves this year.
18. Madison Bumgarner; Amazing, i've got Bumgarner ranked the exact same as Sanchez, who I got 7 rounds earlier. I like Bumgarner and think he can be as effective as he was in the playoffs. Honestly I wanted Hellickson around here but Droopy got him. Bumgarner fits my profile better; NL starter with good numbers. Not the best K/9 guy but he's also a youngster and can get better.
19. Carlos Zambrano; This pick was partly a joke; there is a massive Cubs fan in our league (Erwin) who absolutely would have picked this guy. But this was also strategic; Zambrano got an incredibly quick hook out of the rotation last year, missed a month but still finished the season 11-6 with 8.1K/9. He was very effective down the stretch. I'm hoping he picks right back up where he was before.
20. David Aardsma: Strategy pick; I know he's going to start the season on the DL, so I will move him to my DL slot and pick up another guy. As it turned out I did not pick up a utility player, so I'll get the best hitter available before the season starts.
21. Anibel Sanchez: in the last round, i looked at my starting pitcher depth charts for the NL and selected what I thought was the best targeted starter available. I was considering the likes of Fausto Carmona, Travis Wood, Dallas Braden or Jorge De La Rosa. In the end Sanchez had a solid season last year for Florida and could do well.
Here's the team by position:
C: Matt Weiters
1B: Paul Konerko
2B: Rickie Weeks
3B: Pedro Alvarez
SS: Hanley Ramirez
OF: Matt Holliday, Jason Heyward, Alex Rios
SP: Lincecum, Hamels, Latos, Sanchez, Bumgarner, Zambrano, Sanchez
Closers: Felix, Putz, Cordero, Nunez, Lyon and Aardsma
Based on last year's averages/week, my hitters are probably going to be
a bit below average for Runs scored (30.8 versus 27.6)
a bit above averages for Homers (7.92 versus 7.0)
right around average for RBIs (29.1 versus 28.1)
right around average for SBs (4.8 versus 4.2)
above average for BA (.202 versus .273)
above average for OPS (.838 vs .790)
Based on last year's averages/week, my pitchers are probably going to be
Above average for Wins (5.00 vs 3.65)
Below average for Losses (4 vs 2.9)
Above average for Saves (4.56 vs 3.88)
Well Above average for Ks (69.4 vs 48.2)
Above average for ERA (3.20 vs 3.553)
Right around average for WHIP (1.24 vs 1.25)
I see 6 categories where i'm above average, 3 where i'm about average, two a bit below average and one where i'm well below average. That could average out to a lot of 7-5 or 8-4 weeks. Far enough.
Draft Analysis Conclusions: it is fair to say i'm weaker on the hitting side. That tends to happen when drafting very early and missing out on the 1B and 3B rush. I much more like drafting 4-5-6th spots so you can get top-tier guys in both positions. I will have to be diligent on the waiver wire looking for hitters. There are a couple of non-drafted guys that I like who may fit in at 1B if Konerko falters badly.
I'm also depending a lot on 2-3 non-sexy names (Weeks, Rios, Konerko) and several high profile rookies (Weiters, Heyward, Alvarez, Bumgarner). This could really backfire if these guys don't produce. I'm most worried about Alvarez, who put up decent numbers in half a season last year but it may be a stretch to assume he's already a 30-homer guy. I'm also worried about Weeks' health and ability to stay on the field. He may end up sitting in my DL spot for a while. I may focus on finding a speedster/leadoff/high SB/high Runs guy for my utility player.
I really like my slew of starters. All of them have good K/9, era and whip values. Lots of losses though; i'm hoping for a bounceback season for Lincecum and better w/l records from the likes of Hamels and Sanchez.
I've got a lot of closer depth, including the Aardsma pickup. There's a few other possible closers to be had as well; Lidge is down with an injury, Washington's situation is certainly fluid, Tampa's closer really hasn't been identified, Atlanta may flip flop Venters and Kimbrell, and nobody at all knows who is going to close in Toronto. So there's more waiver wire work to be done.
1. Hanley Ramirez
2. Matt Holliday
3. Tim Lincecum
4. Richie Weeks
5. Jason Heyward
6. Alex Rios
7. Cole Hamels
8. Matt Latos
9. Neftali Feliz
10. Paul Konerko
11. Jonathan Sanchez
12. Matt Weiters
13. JJ Putz
14. Pedro Alvarez
15. Francisco Cordero
16. Leo Nunez
17. Brandon Lyon
18. Madison Bumgarner
19. Carlos Zambrano
20. David Aardsma
21. Anibal Sanchez
Posted in Fantasy
Tagged with adrian gonzalez, albert pujols, alex rios, anibal sanchez, aramis ramirez, brandon lyon, buster posey, carlos marmol, carlos santana, carlos zambrano, chad qualls, chase utley, cliff lee, cole hamels, dan uggla, david aardsma, felix hernandez, francisco cordero, geovany soto, hanley ramirez, heath bell, jason amos, jason heyward, jason kellenbenz, jeremy hellickson, jj putz, jon rauch, jonathan sanchez, jose bautista, josh hamilton, leo nunez, madison bungarner, mark reynolds, mat latos, matt capps, matt holliday, matt weiters, michael young, neftali feliz, paul konerko, pedro alvarez, richie weeks, tim lincecum, todd boss, troy tulowitzki, vito dragone


Not Quite a Marriage; But Close!
Here we'll be walking through some tips for developing successful mentoring relationships. I hope we'll be able to remove some of the roadblocks to mentor success. Additionally, I hope those of you who will soon need mentors will learn some tricks for developing successful mentoring relationships with owners and associates who aren't naturally gifted with mentoring skills.
I own a small animal hospital and have enjoyed working with several talented newer graduates. I have also been matching mentors with mentees for several years, through the VIN Foundation's Vets4Vets® Mentor Match program. I've learned a great deal from working with my team members.
I'm not sure who authored this quote, but it's an excellent description of my hospital ownership- employer- mentor learning curve! I hope this discussion will help you avoid some of my more interesting experiences!
You may be asking yourself "How am I qualified to mentor anyone, and what does being a mentor mean, anyway?!
Anyone in a position to help a colleague work through a case or get comfortable in a new position is dabbling in the dark arts of mentoring.
I don't have enough experience to be a mentor.
I don't have enough time to be a mentor.
I don't know how far to go with mentoring; how much depth do I give?
I need a mentor and worry that I won't get the support I need.
These pages — one for mentors and one for mentees will address those concerns. Let's walk through those concerns, one at a time. When you're done reading the suggestions for mentoring or being mentored, consider visiting the other page to get a glimpse into the concerns of your partner.
You have the right to actively and openly engage and interact with your mentor on a regular basis.
You have the responsibility to do so at least monthly. These meetings may be in person, via telephone, or by internet.
You are responsible for developing your medical and surgical skills as well as caseload.
You have the right to ask for help while building autonomy.
You are responsible for maintaining a professional and supportive relationship within the practice – both with your support team as well as your hospital's ownership team.
You are responsible for approaching your mentoring experience as an educational opportunity which will aid in your learning and developing as a veterinary practitioner.
You have the right to pursue continual education with the goal of enhancing your medical and surgical skills as well as building your hospital's client base.
You are responsible for advising and guiding your new associate. This will include teaching, coaching, and simply listening.
You have the responsibility to meet with your associate at least monthly. These meetings may be in person, via telephone, or by internet.
You have the right to set protocols and rules in your hospital in order that patient care may be provided in a safe, appropriate, and cost-effective fashion.
You have the right and responsibility to provide candid, honest and supportive appraisal of medical and surgical diagnostic and treatment plans, while supporting your associate's developing skill sets.
You have the right to learn as well as develop new techniques and treatment protocols with your associate. You and your associate are encouraged to grow and learn together, creating a partnership that is stronger than either of you were individually.


The wine upon which one blesses "Boreh Peri Ha'Gefen" during the Seder and all year round must halachically consist of at least a majority of actual grape juice (some are more stringent and require more than this amount). Wine that has a large amount of water or sugar mixed in it does not retain the blessing of "Boreh Peri Ha'Gefen", rather, its blessing is "Shehakol Nihya Bidvaro" just as it is simple that soft drinks which contain approximately ten percent grape juice require the "Shehakol" blessing. One should therefore purchase only wine or grape juice which is known to retain the "Boreh Peri Ha'Gefen" blessing even according to the opinion of Maran Ha'Shulchan Aruch.
If it is difficult for one to drink wine at the Seder, one may drink grape juice and one satisfactorily fulfills one's obligation of drinking the Four Cups in this way. If one acts stringently and uses specifically wine or wine mixed with some grape juice, one is especially praiseworthy.
The amount of wine one must drink during the Seder is one "Revi'it" per cup, which is approximately 81 cc (or approximately 2.8 fluid ounces) per cup to be drunk without interruption, which means that one must drink all 81 cc in one shot (meaning without interruption) for every cup drunk. However, if one drinks only a majority of a Revi'it which is approximately 45 cc (or approximately 1.5 fluid ounces), one has fulfilled one's obligation and need not drink that cup again.


This report was prepared under contract by the Urban Institute to provide information and analyses to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as it reviews its policies on PTA supervision. The report does not represent CMS opinion or policy. Files include an Executive Report, Report, Tables and Figures.


Magnesium L-Threonate review /What is Magnesium L-Threonate ?
We get magnesium from food , traditionally, foods highest in magnesium content are green vegetables, whole grain cereals, nuts ,beans, and seafood. At present, there are many kinds of magnesium supplements on the market , such as Magnesium glycinate, Magnesium taurine, Magnesium chloride, Magnesium carbonate, and Magnesium citrate.
MgT is a magnesium salt of L-threonic acid , it is a novel kind of magnesium supplement . As its strong ability of penetrating the mitochondrial membrane, people can maximize the absorption of magnesium from MgT, therefore, MgT should be the best magnesium supplement on the market .
How Does Magnesium L-Threonate (MgT)Work?
MgT boosts magnesium levels in the brain, which helps neurons maintain a state of healthy sustained activity, neither over-stimulated nor under-stimulated. scientists believe, by maintaining this healthy homeostasis, the brain can more easily respond to mental demands and perform cognitive tasks with less stress and fatigue.
The recommended dose of MgT is 2000mg per day. This can be taken with or without meals. Also , this supplement is significantly more bioavailable when dissolved in milk.


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Industry NewsNewsProperty
LendInvest earnings soar as it looks to disrupt 'slow moving' banks
Suzie Neuwirth
ONLINE property lender LendInvest has reported an 82 per cent jump in core earnings, as it looks to disrupt the UK mortgage market.
LendInvest, which used to be a peer-to-peer lender before it shut its platform to retail investors, posted core earnings of £4m for the year ended 31 March 2019, up from £2.2m the previous year.
The firm, which is considering a stock market flotation, said that platform assets rose by 69 per cent to £788.3m over the same period, while revenue rose by 36 per cent to £72.7m.
Christian Faes, co-founder and chief executive of LendInvest, said that the results showed that fast growth fintech businesses can invest in technology while also making a profit.
"The UK mortgage market is dominated by banks which are slow moving, suffocated by ever-changing regulation, legacy processes, and technology from the 80s," he added.
"This £300bn market represents a significant opportunity and it is LendInvest's mission to disrupt it.
"These results show that we are well on our way to building a business that is going to be a substantial player in the UK mortgage market in the years ahead."
LendInvest has offered a buy-to-let product since 2017 and is set to unveil its first homeowner loan product this year.
Read more: How does LendInvest's buy-to-let offering stack up to P2P rivals?
It has secured more than £500m in new funding from a mix of investors and institutions, including a £200m funding line from HSBC to support the launch of its homeowner loan product.
The firm also offers listed retail bonds through its subsidiary LendInvest Secured Income.
Christian Faes LendInvest
Did the Lendy scandal impact the FCA review?
Welendus unveils rebrand as Fund Ourselves

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Pedestrians cyclists and cars all coalesce in new york city. Use the street map to locate top attractions parks and historical sights in new york. For the first time in half a century visitors to the worlds largest cultural institution the metropolitan museum of art will have to pay a mandatory admission fee of 25 if they do not live.


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Albanian moves on the name issue
By Costas Iordanidis
April 8, 2005 08.04.2005 • 08:00
Albanian mobilization on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) name issue – a dispute that has plagued Greece's relations with the small Balkan nation for 14 years – is an important development, as long as as the Slav-Macedonian administration claims that a composite name would spur reaction from the ethnic Albanian population and jeopardize the country's stability. So while negotiations for a settlement were taking place under UN mediator Matthew Nimitz, former guerrilla commander and head of the Democratic Party for Kosovo Hashim Thaci and ORA head Veton Surroi both said they favored a compromise agreement between Athens and Skopje. The fact that two Kosovo officials tried to consolidate their status by stepping into an affair involving their ethnic kin in a third country prompted a reaction by the Albanian ambassador to Athens who said that the Albanian government and Prime Minister Fatos Nano «will welcome any commonly accepted solution.» Notably, Kosovo Serbs expressed the same view. Unlike FYROM's ethnic Albanians who keep mum on the issue, Slav-Macedonians insist on keeping the «Republic of Macedonia» as the constitutional name while giving, as it were, Greece the right to use any name it chooses. The move by Kosovo's leaders was due to a number of factors, the most significant being that the United Nations is expected to make a decision on the final status of the disputed province while Greece, which currently holds a seat on the Security Council, has a say over developments, yet no veto rights. Also, it is clear that recent remarks by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that «there is no better friend than Greece when it comes to dealing with challenges in the Balkans» were not taken lightly in the UN-administrated province.
Greek prisons need reforming
Diplomatic encirclement
Invisible changes


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Opinion|A Terrorism Threat at Nuclear Plants
A Terrorism Threat at Nuclear Plants
A nuclear power plant in Tihange, Belgium.CreditCreditJulien Warnand/European Pressphoto Agency
Re "Could There Be a Terrorist Fukushima?" (Op-Ed, April 5):
In calling for greater vigilance in protecting nuclear power plants from terrorist attack, Graham Allison and William H. Tobey don't reach the necessary conclusion: It's time to bring our precarious romance with the "peaceful atom" to an end.
They point to the need for rigorous personnel security checks, armed guards and simulated attacks at nuclear facilities. It's hard to fathom why these measures are not universally required today. Yet sabotage and security breaches in Belgium barely hint at the gaping holes in plant safety that plague nuclear power in a politically unstable world.
Though President Obama was a leader in highlighting the vulnerability of nuclear materials at the recent Nuclear Security Summit, his administration is subsidizing a new wave of nuclear construction here at home, and the Commerce Department's Civil Nuclear Trade Initiative is pressing to expand American nuclear exports.
With a global market estimated at $500 billion to $740 billion over the next decade, both government and industry are eager to get a piece of the action.
Can we really afford to play both sides of this dangerous game?
PHILIP WARBURG
Newton, Mass.
The writer, an environmental lawyer, is the author of "Harness the Sun" and "Harvest the Wind."
Graham Allison and William H. Tobey miss a vital opportunity to defuse the very threat they warn about. They don't report what experts in the health effects of ionizing radiation know, that fear of a radiological incident like a dirty bomb or a "terrorist Fukushima" would do far more damage than the radiation itself.
The proof of that comes from Fukushima, and Chernobyl, and even from the much higher dose exposures suffered by atomic bomb survivors.
The World Health Organization found that the psychological effects of Chernobyl — anxiety, chronic stress leading to heart disease, alcoholism, clinical depression and suicide, among other things — did much more health damage than the radioactive materials that were released.
Similar findings are coming out of Fukushima. The extremely high-dose exposures to survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki increased lifetime cancer death rates by less than 1 percent.
Experts like Mr. Allison and Mr. Tobey rightly focus on preventing these attacks. They could do more to protect us by also helping the public put the surprisingly minimal hazard of ionizing radiation in perspective.
DAVID ROPEIK
Concord, Mass.
The writer, an instructor in Harvard Extension School's Environmental Management Program, is the author of "How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don't Always Match the Facts."
Graham Allison and William H. Tobey ignore the fact that America's nuclear energy facilities are among the most secure and well-protected facilities in the industrial infrastructure.
The United States nuclear industry's multilayered security measures — including armed security forces at every power plant site — pose a significant deterrent and robust protection against potential physical and cyberattacks.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the nuclear energy industry invested billions of dollars to make nuclear energy facilities even more secure. Recent events in Brussels underscore the reality that terrorists will strike where they believe that they can have success.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other security experts consider American nuclear plants to be "hardened" facilities that are difficult to penetrate. Nonetheless, we must be vigilant in our protection of all nuclear materials.
At the Nuclear Industry Summit in Washington, a side event to the Nuclear Security Summit, leaders from the international nuclear industry renewed their commitment to secure nuclear materials and spread the use of best practices.
Nuclear technologies provide immense benefits to global society. The security and protection of nuclear materials are fundamental to the best management of these technologies.
ANTHONY R. PIETRANGELO
Chief Nuclear Officer
Nuclear Energy Institute
Graham Allison and William H. Tobey argue that the United States should use its leverage to encourage better security at reactor sites. But the authority to secure plants remains with the host country.
Revelations about Belgium's practices demonstrate how sloppy matters can get; it is time for mandatory international standards not only to address the terrorist threat but also to reduce the risk of accident as well, because the consequences of reactor releases can affect many countries.
The Fukushima accident demonstrated extraordinary shoddiness in Japan's reactor operations, for example, in failing to place emergency electrical generators at elevation to keep plant operations going in the event of flooding.
The solution should be international licensing of all reactors, incorporating standards that will assure safety and security wherever reactors operate. If a plant fails the licensing standard, operations should be suspended until the authorities remedy defects. The International Atomic Energy Agency should be granted the responsibility.
BENNETT RAMBERG
The writer served in the State Department's Bureau of Politico-Miltary Affairs in the George H. W. Bush administration and is the author of "Nuclear Power Plants as Weapons for the Enemy."
In light of efforts to minimize nuclear risks, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should halt its dangerous plans to consolidate high-level nuclear reactor waste. More than 10,000 shipments of uranium and plutonium could be transported on railways and highways in a process that would last for more than 20 years, increasing accident and terrorism risks.
Can you imagine what would happen if terrorists hijacked a radioactive waste shipment in a large city? Millions of lives could be threatened. Radiation exposures can lead to human genetic damage, cancers or even death. Radiation releases could contaminate land and water.
Under current plans, radioactive waste from around the country would be dumped on largely Hispanic communities in the West Texas-New Mexico border region, where the voices of opponents go unheard and people lack the resources to fight back.
The least risky option is to store spent fuel rods securely in dry casks at or near the site of generation, and not to transport them.
KAREN HADDEN
Austin, Tex.
The writer is executive director of Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED Coalition) and a member of No Nuclear Waste Aqui, a group that opposes radioactive waste storage or disposal in the Texas/New Mexico region.
Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 18 of the New York edition with the headline: A Terrorism Threat at Nuclear Plants. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe


Travelers' tastes have a lot of evolved throughout the last decades. If 0.5 a century agone, occurring vacation meant lying on a beach or reposeful by the pool. there area unit these days differing kinds of vacations. because the modern globetrotters tend to explore the planet additional totally, native authorities responded promptly, suggesting them pre-established itineraries they will drive on. This way, tourists succeed to form the foremost of every week or simply a handful of days spent during a bound space. Here area unit the foremost spectacular routes you'll be able to soak up order to find Europe's nature. however additionally its historical and cultural heritage.
Built in the 50s, throughout Germany's reconstruction when the collapse of the third Reich, the Romantic Road became over time a legendary road. Winding through the attractive scenery of the German rural area, dotted by medieval villages and Baroque castles, it's associate item on several travelers' bucket list.
They take this chance to go to the Würzburg Residence and therefore the defense Marienberg, to style a number of the most effective wines at the native pageant, to find the charm of medieval Bavaria in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and to admire the wonderful natural settings of Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, royal house or Schwerin Castles.
This spectacular route whose name takes when the very best peak of the Austrian Alps – Grossglockner (3798m) – passes through tunnels, twists among flowering meadows, inexperienced prairies, wood mountainsides and vacant cliffs, before it sinuously climbs up to the clouds and to the everlastingly frozen world. beginning in Oberes Nasfeld and ending in Franz-Josefs-Hohe (from wherever you'll be able to get a bird's eye view of the Pasterze ice mass, this road, whose historical traces go thousands of years back, takes you by various landmarks like the Fucher chapel, associate observatory dedicated to the best Austrian trained worker (Daniel Swarovski) and Nature's deposit (free entrance), that displays a formidable assortment of splendid minerals, species of plants, birds and animals that sleep in this natural reserve that meets all the necessities of recent ecology.
The 3 scenic routes begin in Nice and mounting to the heavenly European country and to the baroque Menton. they are going on a similar itinerary, at totally different altitude levels. The Low Corniche (La Basse Corniche) is that the good alternative for people who wish to find quaint fishing villages like Villefranche-sur-Mer or an enthralling medieval "eagles' nest like Eze. the center Corniche (La Moyenne Corniche), however, displays the foremost picturesque broad views over the resorts that dot the French Riviera's lineation. though tougher to identify, the higher Corniche (la Haute Corniche) is price discovering for its historical worth still as for its nice views over European country. If you wish a additional comprehensive perspective on the French Southern half, begin your journey in Lyons and visit many charming cities like bird genus linear unit Provence, Marseille and Avignon on the thanks to the geographic area.
One of the few manmade constructions that succeeded to stress natural beauty instead of destroy the surroundings, the Atlantic Road could be a a part of the self-propelled vehicle sixty four national road that connects the Norwegian cities Eide and Averøy. in-built 1989 and fee since 1999, this route could be a common traveller attraction, particularly throughout windy climate, once individuals come back here to distinctive show provided by sturdy waves sweeping the road. the very best of the eight bridges spanning this 8km long route – Storseisundet features a dramatic and majestic air: the road makes a shocking curve that offer an inventive look to the complete construction. Connecting many tiny islands, the Atlantic Road could be a good way to admire the Norwegian fjords and therefore the spectacular scenery of mountains starting of the ocean.
Indeed, this spectacular drive takes you thru four national parks (Vanoise, Ecrins, Queyras and Mercantour) and sixteen mountain passes, the very best of that (Iseran) being placed at associate altitude of 2764 m. Following the winding road from the shores of Geneva Lake to the sea, you'll discover mountainous landscapes, impressive valleys, authentic cultural options and delicious native dishes.
A mountainous road connecting 2 Norwegian cities (Åndalsnes and Valldalen) whose construction lasted eight years, the Troll's Route was inaugurated in 1936. Ever since, it's been a preferred traveller destination with individuals of all ages and of all nations. Thousands of vehicles feel daily the catecholamine level raising in their veins due to the serpentines this slim road has. The road's curves its steep inclination aren't the sole factors of risk. The winding route is encircled by spectacular mountains with royal names: Dronningen (Queen), Kongen (King) and Bispen (Bishop). It passes over impressive waterfalls like Stigfossen, whose waters rush down from a height of 320 m.
A project that illustrates the ability of the communist regime, Transfagarasan could be a road that crosses the very best Romanian mountains – the Fagaras – linking 2 distinct regions of the country. engineered on a military purpose, it's these days a traveller route popular the locals still like foreigners United Nations agency try and discover the mysteries of Dracula's country. Indeed, Transfagarasan is that the means that leads towards Poienari defense – the most residence of the Transylvanian ruler that gave birth to such a lot of myths and legends. Besides lamia stories readers, Transfagarasan is additionally crossed by all people who wish to envision some snow within the torrid days of August, by bungee cord jumping enthusiasts, by skiers and mountain youth subculture still as by people who appreciate the savage Carpathian landscapes.
A popular traveller circuit, the two hundred kilometre long Ring of Kerry leads its guests on a desirable trip round the Iveragh land. Drawing a circle between steep mountain slopes, unavowed through impressive valleys, crossing uncounted rivers and lakes, passing by sandy beaches and rock-ribbed coastlines, Ring of Kerry permits you to find rather more than the breathtalking great thing about the Emerald Isle. Sneem could be a pretty village with colourful homes, ideal for a stopover.The six recently restored thatch-roofed homes of bathroom Village represent a novel traveller attraction. the complete route is dotted with historical (the Ogham Stones, next to Beaufort; Ross Castle) and non secular (the Stone Circles, close to Killarney; O' Connell Memorial Church, in Caherciveen) landmarks still like outstanding natural beauties (the Blue Pool Nature Reserve, Torc water, Skellig archangel, the Lakes of Killarney, the Rossbeigh beach).
A picturesque drive that goes on the shore, winding among tiny fishing villages and historical cities, Amalfi Coast was enclosed within the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage list in 1997. This region of Southern Italia is that the good vacation destination for all people who dreams of paying it slow during a corner of paradise, wherever the mountain merges with the ocean, wherever the climate is gentle, wherever silence is that the solely supply of stress, wherever the design has been preserved for hundreds of years, wherever fishermen and millionaires get pleasure from a typical privilege – the merely good landscape.This scenic route connects thirteen cities placed thus near each other that they can not be treated one by one. However, all of them bring their share of charm to form Amalfi Coast one among the foremost common vacation destinations in Italy: Amalfi – the most harbor of the previous maritime republic; Vietri sul Mare – famed for its ceramics craftsmanship; Conca dei Giambattista Marini, with its Emerald Cave; Cetara – a fish lovers' paradise; Praiano – a former royal residence; Maiori, with its medieval castle; the musical city of Ravello; Minori, with its Roman ruins; the charmingly medieval Atrani; Scala and its encompassing tropical forests; Furore, famed for its little fjord; Positano and its piazzettas; the luxurious Tramonti.
Winding among the Sierra First State port Mountains and crossing the Sierra First State Grazalema Natural Park, the White Villages Route could be a common traveller destination. perked on a high drop dominating the stream Guadalete, Arcos First State la Frontera is one among the foremost stunning villages in geographical area, Spain.
Its center declared a Monument of Historical and inventive Importance displays a usually geographic region design. Strolling through maze of painted streets, you'll discover places of inconceivable beauty, whereas a visit to the Moorish castle can offer you with associate insight on the Arab heritage of the complete space. This Spanish region is price payment here many days exploring the various Roman ruins still because the attention-grabbing national parks.


I've been here for over a year, but I just felt like turning over a new leaf, and being a better member.
Hi, I'm Bizzmoff Jr! I like drawing, Minecraft, and Basketball. If I offend anyone, I don't mean to. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk!
I wish I could, but because of my name being different from on the MS, I can't. Sorry.
You like basketball? We're going to get along very well!
I played it for a season, and I played flag football for a season. I failed miserably at it. The football, not basketball.
I love basket ball. I like to watch Nba and play in leauges.


text:
President Obama's Executive Action on Immigration
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 11:59 AM - Donna Puglisi - ABC News, Legislation, Politics & Policy, GA - Immigration -
On Nov. 20, President Obama addressed the nation to announce sweeping reforms to our current immigration system. Failing to heed the calls of Republicans in the House and Senate, the president once again circumvented the legislative process with executive action. His unilateral and temporary expansion of certain programs jeopardizes a long-term fix to our immigration system that is workable for our economy and national security.
Some of the proposed changes will occur immediately through issued guidance while others will have to go through the federal regulatory process. ABC will continue to monitor the proposed actions and work with parties in both houses of Congress to advocate for legislative solutions that work for business owners, American workers and job seekers.
On Nov. 20, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum which discusses new policies on deferred action. Below is a brief overview:
Expands the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program
DACA will be expanded to apply to undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. before January 1, 2010 (changed from June 15, 2007), and were under the age of 16.
Under current law, DACA excludes individuals who were older than 31 years of age as of June 15, 2012. The age cap no longer applies.
Such individuals must meet certain education and public safety criteria to be eligible for temporary relief from deportation.
Temporary relief from deportation and work authorization will be effective for three years instead of two.
Effective 90 days after the president's Nov. 20 announcement.
DACA was first announced by President Obama on June 15, 2012, and applies to certain individuals who came to the U.S. as children and meet certain guidelines.
Establishes a New Deferred Action Program for Parents of U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents
- An undocumented immigrant may request temporary relief from deportation and work authorization for three years if such individual meets the following requirements:
has a child who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident as of Nov. 20;
has continuously resided in the United States for at least five years (since before Jan. 1, 2010);
is physically present in the United States on Nov. 20, and when applying for deferred action with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS);
is not a removal priority (refer to Nov. 20 Policies for the Apprehension, Detention and Removal of Undocumented Immigrants Memorandum); and
presents no other factors that would make the approval of deferred action inappropriate.
- Individuals eligible for deferred action and work authorization must file applications and submit biometrics for USCIS to conduct background checks. The work authorization and biometric fee is $465.
- Effective 180 days after the president's Nov. 20 announcement.
immigration reform, Immigration, executive action
« Surveys Issued for PLA Projects in Illinois and Nevada
Business Groups Express Serious Concerns Over EPA's Proposed Power Plant Rule »
The Construction Industry Needs to Hire an Additional 440,000 Workers in 2019
August Construction Unemployment Rates Down in 49 States Year Over Year
Summer 2013 Regulatory Alert
March Construction Unemployment Rates Down Year-over-year in 37 States
ABC's Construction Backlog Indicator Remains Elevated in First Quarter of 2018


I will not consider relocating for a job. There are no exceptions to this rule. This may change in the future (think years, if not decades) so I don't mind you poking me, provided you don't mind me answering "Thanks, but not right now, thanks. I don't mind if you keep me on your list and check sporadically". That means if you want to extend me an offer, you must be able to hire or contract people in Uruguay. If you're not sure, please find out before reaching out.
I will not consider working from an office. The occasional (think every other year) on site is ok. If no travel is required, monthly office visits are ok too.
These days it seems fashionable among some to openly mock recruiters' emails. That is not my style though. Unless a request is deemed too spammy (e.g., reaching out to me about a position that does not involve any of my skills, making it clear you did not even read my profile), I will always take the time to respond. There's no SLA on the response time though!
Also, I like to help people. If I am not interested in an opportunity, but I think someone I know is and would recommend them, I'll ask if you'd want me to make the connection. I don't share contact details without both parties agreeing.


et America be America again.
The patriotic idea embodied in the poem "Let America Be America Again" is still relevant today, almost a century after the poem was written. The American dream looks great, but reality is often not so beautiful. Can the American dream of a world of equal opportunities again become the foundation for America? The author is convinced that this is possible.
Historical context is very important for this poem. This poem was written in 1935, and this is the period of the Great Depression. The economic crisis for many Americans has become an extremely difficult test. But Langston Hughes was sure – this is also an opportunity to revive the American dream in its original form, to make this dream come true.
The black author is constantly confronted with the inability to earn on his literary work. But these difficulties only strengthen the desire to achieve this goal. Finding your literary language, which would be accessible to listeners, made this poem very original. Here you can feel the influence of Walt Whitman, Paul Dunbar, as well as the rhythmic drawing of jazz compositions.
A central artistic technique used by the author is interesting. This method is identification. It allows you to literally feel yourself – as part of America – and black, and white, and red, and comes from any country in the Old World, a child young and full of strength, old and frail. And it is to feel the desire for freedom by every person – and a strong deficit of this very freedom.
Restoring the dream, the embodiment of this very dream of an ideal America as a land of freedom is the author's main passion, and he suggests that everyone who has the same point of view on the question should join in the realization of this dream as himself did.
The author constantly emphasizes the fact that the ideal America – the country of freedom, independence and equal opportunities – was never there. Even a constant appeal to the image of "old America", in fact, only emphasizes the claim that this dream has not been embodied. The pioneers and all subsequent generations dreamed about it, but it still did not come true.
Fake patriotism (or romantic dreams of the ideal) alternates with a kind of inner voice. Strings, underlined by brackets, seem to reinforce the duality that the author experienced.
The theme, quite sharply elevated in the poem, is competition. Indeed, equality of opportunity implies free competition. However, the author emphasizes that he encounters unnatural competition. And in this caricature image the right of the strong fixes people in different links of the hierarchical chain. It requires much more serious efforts than simply free competition to free from these links, if even possible.
Are egoism and greed really the same manifestations of the free man that the first settlers dreamed of? Is the reality really a dream, for which immigrants from many other countries are traveling to America today? The author rigidly ridicules this naivety, calling it only his own dream, a dream that has nothing to do with reality.
This phrase sounds like a mantra, a spell. And, repeating these words, the author seems to lose hope every time – and finds it again. America here is not a real country, but an ideal world. A world where everyone is free, and freedom belongs to everyone. A world where property is the prerogative of the majority, not the minority.
But the hope for change is too little strength. To transform the developed imperfect world into the ideal one needs will. And the author is convinced – this will has already begun to accumulate in order to transform the world. A dream will manifest itself in its time.
The complex structure of the poem, composed of quatrains, octets, quintets, more or less complex forms, resembles a fiery speech, which turns into private reflection, then into an appeal. Surprisingly, it is this complex form that creates a unique sense of sincerity of the author. And it is this sincerity that bribes the reader, forcing him to support the idea – to transform an ordinary country into a truly ideal world.


text:
from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _  # noqa

import horizon

from openstack_dashboard.dashboards.settings import dashboard

class LicenseDisplayPanel(horizon.Panel):
    name = _("Authorization Manage")
    slug = 'licensedisplay'
    permissions = ('openstack.services.compute',)

dashboard.Settings.register(LicenseDisplayPanel)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home › Sport › Rugby
Patchell hoping to be fit for Wales' World Cup opener
The fly-half recently suffered his third concussion in the space of a year.
Rhys Patchell hopes to play against Georgia (Adam Davy/PA)
By Andrew Baldock, PA Rugby Union Correspondent, Nagoya
Rhys Patchell could feature in Wales' selection mix for their World Cup opener against Georgia.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/patchell-hoping-to-be-fit-for-wales-world-cup-opener-38515700.html
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/5d2e4/38515695.ece/AUTOCROP/h342/bpanews_7ed7e316-7c55-47a1-9bc4-9ee02323679f_1
Rugby round up Newsletter
Game previews, plus expert insights and exclusive commentary from the Belfast Telegraph sports team.
The Scarlets fly-half went off after suffering concussion during Wales' 19-10 loss to Ireland earlier this month.
He was hurt following an attempted tackle on Ireland back-row forward CJ Stander.
Rhys Patchell suffered concussion in the 19-10 defeat to Ireland (Adam Davy/PA)
It was the third time in the past 12 months he had suffered such an injury and it came less than a week after Wales head coach Warren Gatland had named his 31-man squad for Japan.
"These things take the time they take," Patchell said. "I've learnt that over the years.
"There is no point worrying about it. You've got to be philosophical about these things and be quite relaxed.
"The more worked up you get, the chances are the more your symptoms will persist."
Rhys Patchell hopes to be fit to face Georgia (Mike Egerton/PA)
Patchell has gone though the required return-to-play concussion protocols, working closely with Wales' medical team.
"There are a lot of tests," he added.
"You have to remember words and be able to do a series of balance and cognitive tests and they will ask you what the 10 words were at the end of the test.
"Right from the start you have to try and remember what they are. There is a cognitive sports test.
I am looking forward to being fit for selection for Georgia Rhys Patchell
"There are also the symptoms. You can't return to do much until you are symptom-free.
"The medics ask how you are feeling and there is a gradual return to play in terms of the amount you can do in training. It is a thorough process.
"I am looking forward to being fit for selection for Georgia."
Wales head coach Warren Gatland does not name his team for Monday's game in Toyota until the weekend, with Patchell potentially poised for a bench role and Dan Biggar starting at number 10.
Dan Biggar is likely to start for Wales (Mike Egerton/PA)
And the squad are preparing for a first training session involving attack coach Stephen Jones, who was set to link up with Gatland and company in Toyota.
Jones headed to Japan after Wales assistant coach Rob Howley was sent home from the World Cup earlier this week for an alleged breach of betting regulations.
Howley, 48, has returned to Wales to assist with an investigation in relation to a potential breach of World Rugby regulation six, specifically betting on rugby union.
"The situation is not ideal, but he (Howley) put some excellent building blocks in place, and the real big parts of the game this weekend were put in place early doors," Patchell said.
Rob Howley has returned to Wales following an alleged breach of betting rules (Paul Harding/PA)
"Whatever has happened has happened and everything is looking forward. There is no use looking back. Unfortunately, that has happened, and let's crack on with the rugby.
"Steve is an awesome coach and has a lot of enthusiasm for the game and has a real deep understanding of the game.
"I think the boys will enjoy what he has to bring. I am sure you will see a bit of Stephen's influence in terms of the odd thing for the Georgia game, possibly."
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent England are to hold crisis talks to resolve any internal anger and resentment felt towards Saracens players because of the salary cap scandal.
Ulster's Stuart McCloskey called up for Ireland's Six Nations squad
Adam McKendry Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey has been called up to Ireland's Six Nations squad ahead of their warm weather training camp in Portugal.
Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards 2019: Jonathan Rea retains Sports Star of the Year title and...
By Adam McKendry World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea was once again the big winner at the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards as he was awarded the Sports Star of the Year Award for the third time in a row.
Eddie Jones' squad explained as England plot Six Nations glory
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent Eddie Jones named his first England squad since the 2019 World Cup as he plots glory in the forthcoming Guinness Six Nations.


TEDxTriangleNC was held March 6th. As mentioned previously, I was one of the organizers. I want to look back at what worked and what didn't.
At the event I checked attendees and speakers in. Due to this I missed most of the first talks, so I can't speak to how the day kicked off. From what I did see, the talks and performances were high quality. Some talks held my interest better than others because of the topic, but all of them were engaging.
The talks were scheduled by theme, so each block of talks had similar topics. This made sense from a presentation standpoint, but in hindsight I'm not sure it was the best layout for the day. The talks about relationships – generally high energy and high emotion talks – were grouped together. It was a lot to take in, one right after the other. These same talks also took place in the morning, giving the morning more energy than the afternoon. If we had spaced these talks out it would have spread the emotional load out over the day and giving the afternoon an energy boost that might have helped propel people through the day.
TED has an image of being sanitary and safe. I often find it hard to disagree with TED talks I watch, but that maybe due to selection bias – I only watch TED talks I find agreeable. If TED is to be about spreading ideas, then it can't just spread ideas that people will agree with: it also has to spread ideas that challenge people. TEDxTriangeNC did that. Joel Wiggins talk has received some comment. Joel's talk was on missing fathers and how families would benefit from having the father in the home. Is Joel's idea platonic? Yes. He didn't include mention of alternate family structures in his talk. I've seen comment that some people disagreed with this. Good. We should challenge each other's ideas; it is how we all grow.
Another talk that challenged was Dr. Mitch Krucoff's. He spoke on the power of prayer in healing, using specific examples from India. Are his ideas and examples at odds with a scientific mind? Perhaps, perhaps not. Even if you don't agree, it's good to hear the viewpoint.
David Beaver's talk as the finale was perfect. Speaking on space, he pulled everyone out from the close and personal to a broad view highlighting humanity and the earth we inhabit. It was a great cap on the event that gave perspective to all the other talks.
In between groups of talks – groups that generally ran from an hour to an hour and a half – there were twenty minute conversation breaks. Twenty minutes felt right. As the organizers, we debated how long the breaks should be. At TED, they're forty-five minutes. During our initial planning, we had them at ten, but then lengthened them to the final twenty. Twenty allowed people to go by the restroom if needed and to grab a drink, while also connected with those around them. Nobody was rushed, but the break didn't drag out so long that people wondered when the talks would start again. We got this one right.
We got coffee wrong. While coffee was available for the start of the day, that was the only time we had coffee provided. We completely missed that coffee and caffeine would be needed to get people through the midafternoon lull. The RTP staff bailed us out and brewed some coffee using their break room equipment. Thanks goes to them for that.
We got the venue right. The RTP Headquarters is a cool building that worked out really well for the event. Not so small as to be tight, but not so large that you could get lost in it. Granted, we didn't have full capacity, but the venue still worked well. One lesson learned for next time is overbook by some amount, because people will drop out, especially for a free event. Some attendees expressed to me that they thought a larger building might be needed in the future, but I'm on the fence about this. If the event were to grow too large, would we lose the intimate conversations? The speakers were able to intermingle with the attendees and speak to everyone: if the event is larger, does it just become a line of people waiting to talk to the speakers at breaks, instead of small groups riffing on the ideas presented?
It was awesome that most of the speakers were able to stick around at least part of the day, if not the entire day, to speak to the attendees. That enables clarifying questions and the challenging of ideas. To often speakers are treated like idols not to be touched. The truth is they're no different from everyone else and they can learn as much from the attendees as the attendees can learn from them. Thank you to all our speakers: you did an amazing job and sparked amazing conversations and were amazingly accessible.
Every great event, even if it has a script, eventually has a mistake and improvisation is required. Zach Ward, our MC, reminded us of this and showed how improv skills can save the day. Zach did a great job stitching the day together and making the transitions flow. He and his troupe also provided comic relief from the serious talks of the speakers. Laughter is humanity and thanks Zach for providing it to us.
Thanks also goes out to Sherlock: his improv near the end of the day, in spontaneously standing to thank Zach, was much appreciated and showed everyone what rewards we can reap from reaching out to others.
Thank you to our sponsors for making the day possible, to our speakers for sharing their ideas, and to the attendees for being willing to give it a chance and experience something new. The day wasn't perfect, but it went amazingly well. I hope everyone got as much out of it as I did.
Don't let the ideas from the day die: continue the conversations and convert the ideas into action. Ideas are no good unless action is taken upon them.


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This recipe for Portuguese coconut tarts (queijadas de coco) is very simple to follow, and these taste amazing.
Beat the sugar with the eggs, then add the flour, coconut and the cream and beat some more.
Bake the tarts in paper cups for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
These heavenly Portuguese lemon fried donuts (rosquinhas fritas de limão) are very easy to make and taste incredible, these are best enjoyed while fresh.
This delicious Portuguese orange cookies with cinnamon recipe (Receita de bolachinhas de laranja) is very easy to make and these cookies have great presentation.


The role of the Finance Department is to manage all aspects of the District's finances. This includes: budget development, cash management, investments, tax levying, contract management, purchasing, payroll, accounts payable, financial reporting, financial projections and financial compliance with state and federal laws.
The Department also oversees and manages the District's human resources, insurance and risk management, food services and transportation services.
The Finance Department is led by Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations/CSBO Maureen Jones.
Jones' entire career has been spent working on school district finances in Illinois. She joined CCSD 89 in July of 2010. She previously served as Business Manager in Westmont Community Unit School District 201 for six years and held various accounting positions in other school districts.
Jones received her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois and became a Certified Public Accountant shortly thereafter. She began her career in public education in a school treasury office. Jones received her Masters Degree in Education from Northern Illinois University and became a Certified School Business Official in 2001.
As Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations, Jones has led the district in the implementation of the National School Lunch Program, online registration, credit card acceptance for fee payment, and a new administrative software conversion.
Jones led the District's Community Finance Committee in 2012. She also continues to lead the district's Crisis Management Team. Jones is also a member of the Enrollment Committee and Strategic Planning committees.
Maureen and her husband, Tom, live in Lisle with their two young sons, T.J. and Colin.


text:
The Thinking Practitioner Episode 01: The Back Story, Part 1
By Whitney Lowe on December 20, 2019 in Uncategorized
Til Luchau: Hello, Til Luchau here, very excited to be with my colleague, Whitney Lowe, in our first episode of The Thinking Practitioner podcast. Hey, Whitney, how are you doing?
Whitney Lowe: I'm doing very well, how are you doing today?
Til Luchau: Excellent. Like I said, I'm excited. We're going to take some time and actually get to know each other, we decided. You and I have been professional colleagues for many years, but we're going to dive in, as I understand it, to ask each other some questions and get to know some of our backgrounds and what we might be bringing to this venture we're trying out.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah, and I am certainly looking forward to this. As you've said, we've been doing all kinds of work together in the field for numerous years, and had a few interesting discussions. This podcast kind of came about by us having some of these discussions and saying, "Hey, we should really be sharing these things with other people." I know for me, one of the things that was particularly interesting was getting a sense of a lot of the things that we had in common in our backgrounds, as well. And I'm looking forward to diving into this a little bit today to hear more about where you came from, how you got into this, and where our paths are crossing again.
Til Luchau: Yeah, I agree. What do you think? Shall we jump right in? Can I ask you some questions?
Whitney Lowe: Well sure, yeah.
Til Luchau: All right. Well, tell me something about what you were doing before you started doing this work. What's your background, what were your interests? How did this start for you, and what were you doing?
Whitney Lowe: These are always fascinating stories with everybody, how people got into this field, because it is so diverse. I was actually in graduate school studying psychology back in the mid 80s, and was planning to be a counseling psychologist, and was quite interested in the whole mind body health arena. At that time my ex-wife was just getting ready to start massage school, and she got going in massage school, and was coming home every day telling me all the fascinating things that they were learning about client-therapist relationships and health and integrating things, and wonderful experiences that people were having. And I was still in the early stages of my graduate school program learning about rats running in mazes, and I thought, "There's something really odd about this, because she's doing what I really want to be doing, and they're doing this in massage school."
Whitney Lowe: And I had always been really interested in the whole mind body connection, and that kept going on for a while, and I was getting really burned out in my graduate school program, and finally at some point I said, "You know what, I want to stop, or at least take a break from this program, and maybe go learn about the body a little bit." And decided I was going to go to massage school. Also, because it looked like a great, easy way to have a job that could be very flexible with a schedule around what I was doing in school. And I thought I was just going to take a short break from my graduate school program to go to massage school, become a massage therapist just to help pay the bills, but it turned into a 30 plus year break from that.
Til Luchau: That's fascinating, I knew the brief outlines, I didn't know the details.
Whitney Lowe: And how did you get into this? What was your initial starting point?
Til Luchau: That's why I'm grinning, because I got a couple different stories I tell when people ask how I got into this. But really the one that's probably truest to my heart is, I was studying to be a psychotherapist a Gestalt therapist at the Esalen Institute, and we were strongly encouraged to go learn a body discipline, too, because it's a body centered approach, Gestalt therapy. And there I as at the Esalen Institute, which is one of the places that launched a lot of the massage and body work interest in the U.S. back in the 60s and 70s, and so there was a lot to choose from. And that's what I did. I started learning some stuff, and I enjoyed it so much that it became a parallel track for me.
Til Luchau: So yeah, we share that starting with psychology and then being interested in the body and branching out to that. Yeah, I actually worked as a psychotherapist for about fifteen years as I continued to practice body work.
Whitney Lowe: See I didn't know that either, that's fascinating, too, that we were having those similar tracks earlier on. So what was your initial, not massage necessarily, because I know you were doing a lot of stuff in other, what was your initial manual training like?
Til Luchau: My first manual therapy training was a craniosacral approach, and I didn't realize at the time how sophisticated it was, and it seemed really obscure. It was a little hard for me to get my head around at first, but once we got into it made a lot of sense. It was subtle movements in the body with our touch, and encouraging their amplification or resolution. And it turned out that this teacher, Ryan Koperud, who I was studying with, was in the lineage that included Ida Rolf and Frit Smith, and some other founders of work, like Ida Rolf's work, Fritz Smith's work, Zero Balancing, as well as the cranial approach. That was my first body work training, I had no idea how, in some ways, how sophisticated and advanced it was.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah. That's always interesting, too, as we look back at those time periods. Because during those times, so much of the way a lot of this teaching was transmitted was through that lineage process. There was really a lineage model of education, there weren't that many schools, there weren't that many training programs, and so it was really important who learned from whom, and where did that stuff come from, and who did so and so study with, and that person study with, so and so. That whole lineage model was really pervasive, and it still is to some degree, a big undertone in the educational realm of where we are, but it's changed quite a bit now with the huge proliferation of training programs, schools, and other ways that people get into doing this kind of thing.
Til Luchau: Yeah, well it was in the curriculum back then, it was stories. And I didn't know who these people were, Ida Rolf or stories, and I'd hear these things and, "Okay, great, that's why we're doing that."
Whitney Lowe: Yeah.
Til Luchau: You're right, it was an oral tradition indoctrinated into a lineage. And I tend to leave that out of my training now, but it's fun to think back about that.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah. And so as you began doing that, was there a point at which you felt like you were moving in the direction of more orientation towards manual therapy, or how did that phase out away from doing the psychotherapeutic work?
Til Luchau: Well, no, it was very much a dual passion for me. And you mentioned making the choice for body therapy because it could pay the bills, I think that's what you said, that's what it was for me, too. I was going back to school to continue my training as a psychotherapist, but I was having body work clients at the moment who were helping me make ends meet, so that chapter was very much alive for me. And it was something I loved, but my continued psychotherapy work and studies were very much about the body mind direction.
Til Luchau: What happened was, I started traveling so much to teach that it didn't make sense to have a psychotherapy practice. And it got to be the place in my own career where I said, "I got to get good at one of these, I got to really focus on one of them." And my chips fell with the body direction, and still, I'm really glad to have because I'm still loving it.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah. That's fascinating, that last thing you said about your chips falling in that direction, because there was a point, I remember this day very specifically actually, I was at a place early on in my career of trying to get a sense of what I was supposed to be doing with all this stuff, because I was still debating, was I going to go back to graduate school and go back and finish my master's degree and start doing counseling stuff, and I felt somewhat ambiguous about it because I was still quite drawn to what was happening in massage. And I said, "Okay, I'm going to sit down in meditation and just be very quiet, and silent, and listen, and see what is the message that I get about what I'm supposed to be doing." And it was really striking for me. I got this voice in my head saying over and over again to me, "Learn about the body. Learn about the body." And I realized, okay, I guess that's my path. That's what I'm supposed to be doing. And that was a significant turning point of sending me in the direction of studying in the massage and body work field, as opposed to going back to doing the stuff in counseling.
Til Luchau: There you go. Now that's important, just listening to that inner sense.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah. And I think it was something that was aligning me more with who I am and the kinds of stuff that I'm really interested in, because it was really shortly after that that I began to get very interested in more of the medical and healthcare applications of massage, which really was a lot more about science and research, and studying a lot of stuff about biomechanics and physiology, and all that kind of stuff, which took me way away from the whole psychotherapeutic perspective that I had had originally. But I will certainly say this over and over again, I'm so glad that's the way I got into this, because it became the foundation for understanding the client-therapist relationship and how incredibly powerful that part of what we do really is. And it's colored my work, it's colored every bit of my work since that time, as well.
Til Luchau: That's fascinating, because I do think of you as a science-based guy. The technical aspects, focus on orthopedic approaches, that's just how I know your work, so it's great to hear that you started in the relationship, the interactive dimension.
Whitney Lowe: And I don't talk about that a great deal, but some people are actually surprised to hear that. I did a lot of study in energy work and transpersonal psychology, and all this really out there stuff, early on. And that has really helped me become a more holistic practitioner, to see things from a variety of different perspectives, as well, even though I recognize what I really am oriented to is more of a clinical and orthopedic perspective right now. It's still colored very much by those pieces of it, because I see people, not conditions or clients. I really like to see people as whole.
Til Luchau: Well that's why I like talking to you, because I share that, too. It turns out that the people part of it is probably what makes all the technical stuff work anyway. Turns out that that background of interaction, understanding how people experience stuff, is what provides the context for a lot of this orthopedic, clinical, technical stuff we do. And I love that stuff, too, being a total geek in that department. But that provides the background or the matrix for all of this stuff to be effective.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah. So tell me, what are some other key events, or teachers, or ideas and turning points along your career path that either took you off on a diversion in some way, or set the path for where you are now. Are there significant things that might have brought you there?
Til Luchau: Well, just chronologically, I worked for several years at the Esalen Institute, I worked in the preschool there, I worked on the massage crew there, I worked on the teaching staff there. And when I got to the place that I wanted to take it further, I said, "I want to go to the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and learn Rolfing, structural integration." And got a leave of absence from my preschool teacher's job, and my massage crew job there, and went and studied as a Rolfer. And that was deeply influential, I'll put it that way.
Til Luchau: First of all, because it's a whole paradigm shift. They were essentially asking me to put aside what I knew at that point. I had been a practicing body worker for several years at that point, put it aside and learn that new approach. And that was a good exercise, good discipline for me. So certainly, my time at the Rolf Institute, where I later got a job, Tom Meyers hired me a few years later to be his assistant in a program he was teaching there. I ended up as the director of that part of the program for about ten years, ended up working for that program about 20 years. So being in that field of Rolfing, structural integration, and the work the Rolf Institute was pretty formative. Pretty key, in terms of a lot of my influences and thinking.
Whitney Lowe: That's really interesting. It's probably a great moment to break to our half-time sponsor, Books of Discovery. Here's the author of Trail Guide To The Body, Andrew Beil himself:
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Til Luchau: Yes, big thanks to everyone at Books of Discovery. Before the break, I got to talk about some of my early training and teaching. How about you, Whitney? You have some Boulder in your history too, don't you?
Whitney Lowe: Yeah. An interesting thing about that, too, this is part of a whole different story, but I had grown up, professionally, if we can call it that, I did my initial training down in Atlanta. I was in Georgia. And had intended to move out to Boulder because I had perceived that area being such an incredible talent vortex, and there was so much happening in the body work community at that time, this was the late 80s, early 90s for me. And I was originally planning to go out, I wanted to be enmeshed in that, I wanted to be a part of that whole thing. We might have crossed paths at that time had I stayed in Boulder, but there's a whole other long story about why I ended up not staying in Boulder and ended up going to Oregon instead.
Til Luchau: How did you end up going to Oregon? What happened?
Whitney Lowe: It's kind of crazy. My former wife and I had left Atlanta with the idea of moving out west, going to Boulder to the body work mecca, was basically the story. And we had no money, very few possessions, everything we owned was packed into this pickup truck that we drove out there with, and this little trailer behind us. And we got out there-
Til Luchau: And by the way, I lived in a teepee the first time when I was here in Boulder.
Whitney Lowe: Oh, did you? We had packed up everything we had, and we had a cat with us. And we could not find an affordable place to live in Boulder. As you know it's very expensive there, and we wanted to be in the heart of it. And were sitting around a hotel room after being there for several days, after again having driven all the way across the country.
Til Luchau: Oh yeah.
Whitney Lowe: Just not being able to find a place to live, and like, "What are we going to do?" And I had been on this backpacking trip about ten years ago, or ten years before that, this was back in the early 80s, and had fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest. And she said to me, "Well you've always wanted to go back to Oregon, why don't we just go to Oregon?" And I was saying, "You can't just go all the way across the country with no idea where you're going and where you're heading." And she said, "Why not?" And I couldn't come up with a good reason why not to do that, so it wasn't working in Boulder, so we just thirty minutes later got in the car and drove to Oregon. We had no idea where we were even going to end up, where we were going or anything like that. You can, obviously, you can.
Whitney Lowe: So we ended up in this tiny little town on the coast of Oregon, and again, just to make a long story short, I didn't look into the Oregon massage licensure law before I left, because I wasn't planning to move there, and didn't realize once I got there and had signed a lease on a place to live that I wasn't going to be able to work for over seven months because I had to wait until the next licensure test came around.
Til Luchau: Ah-ha.
Whitney Lowe: And so now I was really screwed because we had gotten this place over on the coast of Oregon, this beautiful, absolutely stunningly beautiful place, tiny little house over on the Oregon coast where there's no economy of significant for a person who doesn't have a job, and I was going to build a massage practice in a nearby town, and it just was not going to happen because I couldn't get a license till the next licensing period came around seven months later. And that actually turned into what started my education business, because at that point I was saying, I had been teaching in massage schools for many years, and had always wished that we had more significant educational materials, and I had never had time to start producing them and writing them. And I said, "Okay, I've been given several months now to do this before I can get a license, I think we're just going to live off our credit cards for seven months and I'm going to start writing and producing educational materials."
Whitney Lowe: And that's how that whole end of the business got started for me.
Til Luchau: Fascinating. So if you couldn't practice, you could teach.
Til Luchau: So catch me up a little bit, what had you done up to that point? You had been to massage school…
Whitney Lowe: So I had been to massage school, and from the late 80s on I was teaching in massage school and also working. And this was a big part of my interest in educational materials, because I recognized after I left Atlanta how incredibly fortunate I was. You don't often see that when you're in the middle of something, but I was in the middle of an incredible, what I call a talent vortex, at the Atlanta School of Massage. There were just some unbelievably talented individuals there at that time, and that always spurs new ideas getting enmeshed, and percolated, and brought up. I lived just down the road from Emory University Medical School, and this was in the pre-internet days where if you wanted a medical journal article, there was no going online to get it. You had to go to the library to get stuff.
Whitney Lowe: And so I would go spend all my spare time that I had, which was actually quite a lot of time back then, because I didn't have a lot of work, I was spending a lot of time in the Emory University Medical Library just reading stuff. Because I love learning and reading and studying, and all this kind of stuff, and to me it was just a gold mine. I started digging into this stuff, I said, "Oh my God, if the massage world knew all this stuff was here that's so pertinent to what we're doing, this could be hugely beneficial for us in doing things." So I was at the same time doing a lot of independent study and research on this stuff.
Whitney Lowe: I had also, ironically, during that time gone back to graduate school again, this time to start another master's degree in sports medicine and biomechanics. And so that was part of the whole study process as well. And then I was teaching in massage school. So those were the things that had driven me in the direction of looking at education and the world of orthopedics. I ended up getting a job with the Emory University Orthopedic Clinic, which is another incredibly lucky thing. This was a state of the art orthopedic clinic that was affiliated with the medical school, and they were kind of innovative at this time, and decided they wanted to bring massage therapy in there. And were using massage for treating all kinds of post-surgical cases and accidents and injuries, and all kinds of stuff. We didn't know what we were doing, the whole staff, we were kind of doing a lot of experimentation, like, "Will massage work for this?" "I don't know, let's try it." "Well, it didn't work there, will it work here?"
Whitney Lowe: In the meantime, every minute that I wasn't working on a patient there I was following the doctors around and the PTs around and bugging the hell out of them, "Why are you doing this? Why are you doing that? Tell me what you're doing there? What are you doing here?" So I was learning a whole lot about all these different clinical and orthopedic approaches. So that's what really set a lot of the groundwork for a lot of the stuff that I thought needed to be brought into the massage profession.
Til Luchau: That makes a lot of sense. You had a view out into the orthopedic world, into the medical with your massage background, and your hunger for learning, and you could build some bridges under that.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah, and so for many years after that, this has been an incredibly lucky opportunity and experience that I've had, I want to share that with as many people as possible, so that turned into a lot of the work on the education side of everything, to try to get some of this stuff out to as many people as possible.
Til Luchau: That's great. That connects some dots in my mind.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah. Right. So tell me about your path during this time, too. Now you're starting to do a lot more practice and teaching, you were teaching
Til Luchau: At the Rolf Institute, yeah, this is in the late 80s through the 90s. Teaching at the Rolf Institute. And my focus there really was training people from the beginning into the skills they needed as a practitioner. The touch skills, some of the anatomy, but especially the therapeutic relationship. That became my focus, probably because of my psychology background and because of my personal interest, that's really where I focused. And Rolfers and body workers in general didn't have the best reputation at that point for really nurturing that relationship along, or for being sensitive to each other. And the culture was changing, there was a lot more awareness of abuse and trauma coming out, and so the time was right, the situation was right, for me to really start thinking deep about how hands on body workers could be more effective in the body-mind realm, and found a forum there at the Rolf Institute to do that.
Til Luchau: Because Ida Rolf herself was always interested in the ways that the body informed our feelings states, and our attitudes, and our impressions. She focused on the physical, there are some famous quotes from her saying, "Of course psychology exists, but the body is what I can get my hands on." So she was super practical, and that's what was her focus. But at the same time, beginning Rolfers needed to understand how to have a fruitful conversation with their clients, some of the ethical considerations, boundaries, and also how to facilitate whatever personal transformation their clients were going through, from within their scope of practice and what they're doing as Rolfers.
Til Luchau: So that became a great laboratory for me to work with those questions, and the parallel practice as a psychotherapist helped me make those distinctions, too, between when is it psychotherapy and when is it body work? And what tools from each realm can help across that divide?
Whitney Lowe: So were there times when you were doing them both together? Let's say like working in the treatment room with somebody, doing work that was psycho therapeutically oriented, and doing the manual therapy at the same time?
Til Luchau: I would try everything. Esalen was the experimental, everything was tried at. And it came from that experimental milieu or attitude, it was like, "Sure, let's try it, yeah, this is cool, we'll do that, too." But at some point, not only would it sometimes, me as a practitioner not be clear what map I was following, it could also be confusing for the clients. And so it got a lot simpler, perhaps, as is this body work or is this psychotherapy? Because I had two kinds of practices.
Til Luchau: And that cleaned it up a lot, and that actually helped me think through the scope of practice questions, too, and teaching others.
Whitney Lowe: So let me ask another question here, because this is something that I think comes up a lot in our field, and I'm speaking predominantly about massage therapy as a field. We work in such a close, intimate way with the individuals that we are treating, that things happen in the treatment room that many people are unprepared for. A client may have a sudden emotional reaction to some aspect of touch and begin crying, or something comes up that is has a strong psychological element to it, and many practitioners are really pretty unprepared for that kind of thing. So what do you think is really a good strategy, or any helpful suggestions that you'd give to massage therapists in terms of, what do you do in those kinds of situations?
Til Luchau: Our first how-to question!
Whitney Lowe: Yes. like it's a big doozy.
Til Luchau: Right, in a sentence or two. I think it's, if I had to do this one, and to answer, maybe we can do a whole episode on it, who knows, maybe it's a whole series. But the quick answer is, we don't have to do anything. Other than essentially keep someone company and reassure them, it's not about trying to get them to cry, it's not about trying to stop them from crying. It's about helping them just feel what they feel until it runs its course.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah. Yeah.
Til Luchau: Go head.
Whitney Lowe: That's that whole part about just being with people. I think that is really what's needed from us. We don't have to get in and feel like we have to do something. And I do have some concerns about some of the practitioners' approaches or teachers that I see out there that do seem to be out there that there's a process to go through to push people in those kinds of directions, and that always looks a bit troubling to me.
Til Luchau: Well, the release terminology invites that thinking. I do myofascial techniques, people think I do myofascial release, and they think that has to do with other kinds of release, and I think things do relax and let go. But I'm not trying to push for any sort of expression or "release," making room for it is part of the process for some people. Other people, not. Certainly it was really amazing to me that when I was practicing in Esalen, most people had an emotional experience. And then when I moved to Boulder and I started practicing here, only a few did. And in my mind I was doing the same thing. But I think a lot of it, in that case, was context. People went to the Esalen Institute to work on themselves, to get their feelings out, and this was the early 80s, just pound the pillows, and yelling, and screaming, and getting it all out. It was cathartic experiences.
Til Luchau: And in my practice in Boulder, it was more, you could say orthopedic, or people would come to me because their knees hurt from running or hiking or something, and they never shed a tear, and that was fine, too. So a lot of it was the context, it was the expectations, and why people were coming.
Whitney Lowe: Yeah, those fascinating things that do end up coloring our experiences of where we are now and how we continue to look at things. It's been good getting started on this conversation, let's pick it up in our next episode.
Til: Sounds good. Before we go, thanks are due to our sponsor, ABMP.
This episode is sponsored by ABMP, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. ABMP membership combines the insurance you need, the free CE you want, and the personalized service you deserve. Featuring the dynamic new Five-Minute Muscles review app, with muscle-specific palpation and technique videos, and the award-winning Massage & Bodywork magazine, where we are both frequent contributors.
It's easy to see why members love ABMP. I have been a member for years and it's clear the organization is driven to offer loads of key benefits to their members and their primary focus is on delivering exceptional opportunities and services. Listeners who join ABMP as new members save $24 at www.abmp.com/thinking. ABMP—expect more.
Whitney: Yes, big thanks to ABMP. Be sure to stop by the podcast site for show notes, CE credit updates, and extras: www.thethinkingpractioner.com. Or, at Til's site, what is that Til?
Til: It's Advanced-Trainings.com, or you can find me on social media @TilLuchau. They're on your site too, Whitney. What's the address?
Whitney: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com, or social media. We'd love your thoughts or questions at info@thethinkingpractitioner.com, or via social media.
Til: Rate us on Apple Podcasts and wherever else you listen, and tell a friend! Thanks Everyone.
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