Stop Me Before I Cook Again

Gumby Fresh Gari N. Corp, in his inimitable style, straightens out The New York Times (and, we must admit, us) as to the conclusions reached in yesterday's short article regarding the status of CitiField bonds. And, while he's at it, he does a little compare-and-contrast between the Mets' situation, and that of the Nets. There are plenty of scenarios under which the Mets bonds' underlying rating might be downgraded, particularly if the New York economy stays in the doldrums and the stadium does not generate as much revenue as it should. But let's remember this is a popular franchise in a large city with a very patient fanbase that gets plenty of excitement in September, if not in, ahem, October. Don't try and pretend that any Nets financing could get a rating like this as easily. I love the Mets, but they're a bit trashy. Compared to the Nets though, the Mets are that really classy lady in the black dress and pearls that fronts the Lexus dealers' adverts. Yes, that classy. ... Before anyone says (not that they will, this is hardly a popular blog with the pro-stadium crown, well it's hardly a popular blog at all, what with the infrequent postings and paucity of stimulating subjects, but you get my drift) that the preceding might be construed as a clean bill of health for the business of New York sports, please read the bit about the Mets' resilient brand, and note also that the Mets attracted new financing from the one standing bond insurer (Assured Guaranty) for a small amount for a pretty much complete stadium for a solid team. It won't do the same for the Nets. The New Jersey Nets are the Typhoid Mary of High Finance, and no-one wants to eat their delightful cooking. article

The Law of Leadership

It's better to be first than it is to be better.Many people believe that the basic issue in marketing is convincing prospects that you have a better product or service.Not true. If you have a small market share and you have to do battle with larger, better-financed competitors, then your marketing strategy was probably faulty in the first place. You violated the first law of marketing.The basic issue in marketing is creating a category you can be first in. It's the law of leadership: It's better to be first than it is to be better. It's much easier to get into the mind first than to try to convince someone you have a better product than the one that did get there first.You can demonstrate the law of leadership by asking yourself two questions:1) What's the name of the first person to fly the Atlantic Ocean solo? Charles Lindbergh, right?2) What's the name of the second person to fly the Atlantic Ocean solo? Not so easy to answer, is it?The second person to fly the Atlantic Ocean solo was Bert Hinkler. Bert was a better pilot than Charlie-he flew faster, he consumed less fuel. Yet who has ever heard of Bert Hinkler? (He left home and Mrs. Hinkler hasn't heard from him since.)In spite of the evident superiority of the Lindbergh approach, most companies go the Bert Hinkler route. They wait until a market develops. Then they jump in with a better product, often with their corporate name attached. In today's competitive environment, a me-too product with a line extension name has little hope of becoming a big, profitable brand. The leading brand in any category is almost always the first brand into the prospect's mind. Hertz in rent-a-cars. IBM in computers. Coca-Cola in cola.After World War II, Heineken was the first imported beer to make a name for itself in America. So four decades later, what is the No. 1 imported beer? The one that tastes the best? Or Heineken? There are 425 brands of imported beer sold in America. Surely one of these brands must taste better than Heineken, but does it really matter? Today, Heineken is still the No. 1 imported beer, with 30 percent of the market.The first domestic light beer was Miller Lite. So what is the largest-selling light beer in America today? The one that tastes the best? Or the one that got into the mind first?Not every first is going to become successful, however. Timing is an issue-your first could be too late. For example, USA Today is the first national newspaper, but it is unlikely to succeed. It has already lost $800 million and has never had a profitable year. In a television era, it may be too late for a national newspaper.Some firsts are just bad ideas that will never go anywhere. Frosty Paws, the first ice cream for dogs, is unlikely to make it. The dogs love it, but the owners are the ones who buy the groceries, and they think that dogs don't need an ice cream of their own. They should be happy just to lick the plates.The law of leadership applies to any product, any brand, any category. Let's say you didn't know the name of the first college founded in America. You can always make a good guess by substituting leading for first. So what's the name of the leading college in America? Most people would probably say Harvard, which is also the name of the first college founded in America. (What's the name of the second college founded in America? The College of William and Mary, which is only slightly more famous than Bert Hinkler.)No two products are any similar than twins are. Yet twins often complain that the first of the two whom a person meets always remains their favorite, even though the person also gets to know the other one.People tend to stick with what they've got. If you meet someone a little better than your wife or husband, it's really not worth making the switch, what with attorneys' fees and dividing up the house and kids.The law of leadership also applies to magazines. Which is why Time leads Newsweek, People leads Us, and Playboy leads Penthouse. Take TV Guide, for example. Back in the early fifties the then-powerful Curtis Publishing Company tried to field a television- listings magazine to compete with the fledgling TV Guide. Even though TV Guide had only a minuscule head start, and despite the awesome strength of Curtis, the Curtis publication never really got off the ground. TV Guide had preempted the field.The law of leadership applies equally as well to hard categories like automobiles and computers as it does to soft categories like colleges and beer. Jeep was first in four-wheel-drive off-the-road vehicles. Acura was first in luxury Japanese cars. IBM was first in mainframe computers. Sun Microsystems was first in workstations. Jeep, Acura, IBM, and Sun are all leading brands.The first minivan was introduced by Chrysler. Today Chrysler has 10 percent of the car market and 50 percent of the minivan market. Is the essence of car marketing making better cars or getting into the market first?The first desktop laser printer was introduced by a computer company, Hewlett-Packard. Today the company has 5 percent of the personal computer market and 45 percent of the laser printer market.Gillette was the first safety razor. Tide was the first laundry detergent. Hayes was the first computer modem. Leaders all.One reason the first brand tends to maintain its leadership is that the name often becomes generic. Xerox, the first plain-paper copier, became the name for all plain-paper copiers. People will stand in front of a Ricoh or a Sharp or a Kodak machine and say, "How do I make a Xerox copy?" They will ask for the Kleenex when the box clearly says Scott. They will offer you a Coke when all they have is Pepsi-Cola.How many people ask for cellophane tape instead of Scotch tape? Not many. Most people use brand names when they become generic: Band-Aid, Fiberglas, Formica, Gore-Tex, Jello, Krazy Glue, Q-tips, Saran Wrap, Velcro-to name a few. Some people will go to great lengths to turn a brand name into a generic. "FedEx this package to the Coast." If you're introducing the first brand in a new category, you should always try to select a name that can work generically. (Lawyers advise the opposite, but what do they know about the laws of marketing?)Not only does the first brand usually become the leader, but also the sales order of follow-up brands often matches the order of their introductions. The best example is ibuprofen. Advil was first, Nuprin was second, Medipren was third. That's exactly the sales order they now enjoy: Advil has 51 percent of the ibuprofen market, Nuprin has 10 percent, and Medipren has 1 percent.The fourth brand that entered the market was Motrin IB. Even though it has the powerful prescription name for ibuprofen, Motrin's market share is only 15 percent. (Keep in mind that Advil was introduced with a "Same as the prescription drug Motrin" theme.) And note the generic substitution. Consumers use Advil as a generic term. Rarely do they use the word ibuprofen. Even an M.D. will tell a patient, "Take two Advil and call me in the morning."Also consider Tylenol, the first brand of acetaminophen. Tylenol is so far ahead of the No. 2 brand that it's hard to determine who is No. 2.If the secret of success is getting into the prospect's mind first, what strategy are most companies committed to? The better-product strategy. The latest and hottest subject in the business management field is benchmarking. Touted as the "ultimate competitive strategy," benchmarking is the process of comparing and evaluating your company's products against the best in the industry. It's an essential element in a process often called "total quality management."Unfortunately, benchmarking doesn't work. Regardless of reality, people perceive the first product into the mind as superior. Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products.So what's the name of the first brand of aspirin? The first brand of acetaminophen? The first brand of ibuprofen? (Hint: Substitute leading for first and you'll have the answers to these three questions.)Charles Schwab bills itself as "America's largest discount broker." Are you surprised that the Charles Lindbergh of the discount brokerage business is Charles Schwab?Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon. Who was second?Roger Bannister was the first person to run a four-minute mile. Who was second?George Washington was the first president of the United States. Who was second?Thomas' was the first brand of English muffin. What was second?Gatorade was the first sports drink. What was second?Sponsored By: Brand Aid

How Much Abuse Can One Danish Braid Take?

When I saw this month’s challenge, I was pretty excited.. not only were 2 very lovely people (Kelly of Sass & Veracity and Ben of What’s Cooking) hosting this month, but they had chosen a recipe I’d always wanted to try – DANISH. Seriously, when you get a good Danish, is there anything better? Buttery layers, soft and gooey and always filled with GOOD STUFF!So lemme tell ya’ll.. I’m sure you’ve seen quite a few Daring Baker challenge posts already today and some of you might even be a lil a-scared. Well don’t be. And I’m going to tell you why. I beat the ever-lovin’ shit out of this dough and it STILL gave me a flakey, buttery, delicious end product. Seriously. A few of us got together a few weeks ago to bake the braid.. and well, I was doing this and that and running here and there ultimately running out of time during the day to even shape, fill and proof my braid. So I had this rectangular slab of dough, chock full of fine European butter – what the hell do I do now? The gals suggested I go ahead and freeze it until I was ready to bake. And that I did.. so there’s the first injustice (INJUSTICE NO. 1!) committed against my dough.And then the same bunch got together last Sunday to bake the garlic knots, so I decided I could take on the braid at the same time. HAR! I crack myself up! Like I can even walk and chew gum at the same time.. but I’m going to take on not one but TWO yeast breads at the same time? hahahahahahaa! They don’t call me the Queen of Dorks for nothin’ yanno?INJUSTICE NO. 2 – someone who cared about her dough would have taken it out of the freezer the night before, placed it gently in the fridge and allowed it to slowly thaw out over night. Well I did care! But I’m a moron! I forgot to take it out of the freezer the night before so at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning I placed it on my counter. :PHow could ANYONE neglect that face???? *chomp* *chomp* I could eat him with a spoon! Okay so garlic knot making ensued.. and it was fun and I chit chatted and behaved myself and showed off wedding photos of myself and Becks.. *cough* and then I excused myself from the chat so that I could give some attention to my son, Nigel, as he was acting as if he never gets any loving from ANYONE.. poor lil neglected puppy (yeah right). Mmm hmm.. ‘kay well I laid down on the sofa in our office and he hopped up and we played and cuddled and told each other that we loved each other and HELLO- next thing I knew? It was 3 hours later. I had fell asleep. Gah.So my dough had sat out on the counter of my relatively warm kitchen for approximately SIX HOURS. Oops.. I believe we’ll present that as INJUSTICE NO. 3. *sigh*Well as ya’ll can imagine after my nap, I couldn’t be bothered with the task of shaping, filling, proofing and baking my braid – so I threw it back in the fridge. May it please the court – INJUSTICE NO. 4!Next morning.. I sheepishly peeked into my fridge fully expecting my dough to be bent over with cheeks spread giving me the full moon – but no.. it laid there obediently. So now I’m thinking that it’s being nice while in the fridge but when I try to roll it out, it’ll act up and be all sorts of bitchy – it’ll go all elastic on my ass.Huh. It didn’t.I cut it in half and it rolled out nicely.. it stayed in place and didn’t shrink up on me.. it laid still while I filled it and cut the fringe for the braid – and it wasn’t even its fault that it looked so NOT like a braid when I was through (I managed that all by myself, thankyouverymuch). It didn’t rise all too much.. actually it was kinda more like a quasi-braided filled pancake than anything else, but again, I blame myself on that one – I don’t think I should have rolled it so thin.And the reason I blame myself is because after I cut out a dozen squares from the 2nd half of the dough and shaped them into hilarious looking single pastries, I had this huge honkin’ blob of scraps left-over. I was just picking it up to throw it away (INJUSTICE NO. 5!) when I realized that was an awful lot of expensive European butter to be throwin’ away so I said, “fakk it” and I rolled it all out again, grabbed a couple handfuls of brown sugar and dumped it down the middle, sprinkled on some cinnamon and then took about a ¼ c. of butter and threw lil blobs of it here and there – braided it all up and allowed it to proof. I got a nice puffy lookin’ braid by the time I was ready to bake.. after it came out of the oven I whipped up a quick glaze of powdered sugar and super strong coffee and drizzled it all over the top. it was flippin’ gorgeous. I was shocked!!!Soon it was time for the first taste and I shite you not, kids! It was HEAVENLY – the best out of the 3 uses of this dough. And it was a MISTAKE! hahahahahahaa! Damn.But keep in mind, although rather flat – the first braid was buttery and flakey and tasted wonderful. The lil pastries were actually quite cute and they turned out very flakey.. and then the cinnamon braid was stupendous – after all of the bad, bad things I’d done to this dough, it still kicked some arse! So if mine turned out this well.. you have no excuse not to try it yourselves!Now think about this.. you’ll get through the whole procedure without any injustices to your dough, because ya’ll are way more talented than I am. Imagine how much more fabulous yours will turn out! Now that’s my kinda dough! :)Start clickin’ on that blogroll.. you’ll find more than enough AWESOME posts to inspire you to make your own Danish Braid before the month is over… :)xoxo

Charlotte Bobcats Team Report

Despite their improved ball movement the second half of the season, the Charlotte Bobcats still finished last in scoring at 93.6 points per game. They've improved as shooters and in creating easy shots for each other, so the next step is creating more possessions. The Bobcats finished the season ranked 27th among 30 NBA teams in both rebounding and turnovers. When you keep giving the ball away and are poor at getting it back, it's challenging to create the extra possessions that raise your scoring average. Coach Larry Brown is probably more concerned with the poor rebounding than the overage of turnovers. Center Emeka Okafor (10.1 rebounds per game) was one of just six NBA players to average double-figures rebounding this season, but he doesn't get much help. Brown isn't happy with his team's turnovers (15.6 per game), but he doesn't see all turnovers the same. He's fine when Boris Diaw attempts a daring pass that could have led to a teammate's lay-up. But the careless turnovers, particularly those at mid-court, not only sacrifice possessions, they lead to easy baskets at the other end for the Bobcats' opponents. Diaw led the Bobcats in turnovers at three per game, and Raymond Felton wasn't far behind at 2.8. Rookie point guard D.J. Augustin seems a safer passer at 1.7, but he didn't do a lot of playmaking the second half of the season, after suffering an abdominal strain that essentially turned him into a spot-up jump shooter. Backup center DeSagana Diop is really the only Bobcat with much capacity to up his rebounding. Vladimir Radmanovic has height at 6-10, but he's much more an elongated small forward (think Hedo Turkoglu) than someone who can be counted on to rumble in the lane. SEASON HIGHLIGHT: For the second time in three seasons, the Bobcats swept the Los Angeles Lakers. They've now won five of six against the Western Conference's premier franchise and the last of those victories, at home March 31, extended a late-season playoff run the first time this team has played consequential games in April. TURNING POINT: The season's first four months, the Bobcats were good about minimizing losses to bad teams. But the last six weeks, with the playoffs at stake, they lost road games to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards and Oklahoma City Thunder. That knocked them out of the playoff hunt with four games to go.NOTES, QUOTESBobcats director of player personnel Buzz Peterson is returning to college coaching at Appalachian State, where he got his first head-coaching job. It was no secret that Peterson missed coaching greatly, so much so that coach Larry Brown considered moving Peterson to the bench to keep him on the staff. Peterson will stay with the Bobcats through the draft before returning to Boone, N.C.With the third-best record among non-playoff teams (35-47), the Bobcats have just seven chances in 1,000 of winning the No. 1 overall pick in the May 19 draft lottery. Most likely, the Bobcats would end up selecting 12th overall in the June 25 draft. They have never won a top-3 pick in the lottery process.Bobcats majority owner Bob Johnson told the Charlotte Observer he "absolutely" would never move the franchise out of Charlotte, but is receptive to selling majority control to Michael Jordan. Jordan is now one of 19 minority partners in the ownership group, and has oversight of basketball operations. Earlier, the Observer quoted sources as estimating that the Bobcats might lose roughly $35 million over the next two seasons. The Bobcats are not alone in losing millions in this economy. The question is whether an upgraded roster will raise attendance and revenue next season.QUOTE TO NOTE: "I always tease that he has an 'A' in stretching, Pilates and yoga. I'd like him to have an 'A' in basketball." Bobcats coach Larry Brown, on how he admires C Emeka Okafor's conditioning regimens, but would like him to work more in the offseason on basketball skills.ROSTER REPORT MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Gerald Wallace's numbers weren't dramatically better than in past seasons, but he benefited greatly from Brown's coaching. He plays smarter and more precisely at both ends. He cut down on the gambles for steals that compromised teammates defensively and took fewer bad shots early in possessions. MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Everyone was relieved when Adam Morrison was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in early February. He melted under the pressure of being the third overall pick, and asked for a trade. Vladimir Radmanovic didn't have a great season, in exchange for Morrison, but he made as many big shots in a week as Morrison had the previous three months. FREE AGENT FOCUS: The major issue is point guard Raymond Felton's restricted status in July. D.J. Augustin was drafted as insurance against losing Felton, but he's been more effective as a shooter than as a distributor. F Sean May's contract also expires, but it seems unlikely the Bobcats would tender him a $3.6 million qualifying offer, as little as May has played this season. PLAYER NEWS:C Nazr Mohammed has made it clear that if the Bobcats don't plan to play him, he wants to be elsewhere. The problem is the remaining two seasons and approximately $13 million left on Mohammed's contract. Trading him, particularly in the current economic climate, without taking back a similarly bad contract, will be quite a challenge.G Dontell Jefferson is under contract, unguaranteed, for next season, which could be one more reason to doubt Sean Singletary's future with the Bobcats. Jefferson is 6-5 to Singletary's 6-0, and coach Larry Brown prefers his third point guard to be tall. Also, the Bobcats can avoid paying Singletary some guaranteed money if he's cut before September.F Boris Diaw will have a busy summer playing for the French national team. He'll have just a couple of weeks break between the end of his responsibilities with the national team and the start of training camp in Charlotte.C DeSagana Diop has a flawed offensive game, and coach Larry Brown has suggested Diop work some this summer with former NBA player Derrick Coleman on developing more low-post scoring skills this summer. It doesn't help that Diop shot just 27 percent from the foul line as a Bobcat.F Sean May has lost about 45 pounds since mid-summer and hopes to be back with the Bobcats. He plans to spend most of the summer in Charlotte, improving his conditioning.F Vladimir Radmanovic finished the season in a deep shooting slump. He was 12-of-40 from the field in his last six games, five of them Bobcats losses.F Juwan Howard looks like he can still be effective. Denver might regret not re-signing him, after waiving him in the early season to facilitate the trade that brought Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets. MEDICAL WATCH:G Raja Bell (calf strain) missed the last six games. Once the Bobcats were eliminated from the playoff race, there was little sense in pushing the injury in the final three games.

Nice visit with Muggs

As you may know, The Muggs were first colleagues of ours in Cote D'Ivoire, then were colleagues of us in Mali. They served in such a key role as business managers for us and our other colleagues. They served also in several creative ways in evangelistic ministries, in fact our study room model was partly inspired by their success with their marche study room. Incedentally, they were on a trip from Colorado, all the way to Detroit, and stopped to have coffee with us on the way. They have a good car with a bad starter. So... where 2 or 3 missionaries are gathered, someone has to push their car!! So we pushed their car to get it started so they could get on their way... It really brought back Africa memories... :DAnd we were well familiar with how to do a push start!Anyway, pray for them as they are now in the USA, and seeking Gods' next step for them.They will be GREATLY missed in Mali... But we know God will use their open and willing hearts wherever he puts them....Btw- Countdown to Lisa's activation....Thursday & Friday this week. Be in prayer as we see what we'll have as a starting point towards her hearing journey to regain full hearing again.Thanks for sticking with us in prayer. Your visit today meant a lot to us... :DTom & Lisa

Houston Astros Team Report

INSIDE PITCH Astros hitting coach Sean Berry, who had a cancerous kidney removed Friday morning at the Methodist Hospital of Houston, was released from the hospital Monday. Berry's right kidney was removed by Dr. James Goldfarb, a renowned urologist. "Thank you for all the messages of support," Berry said. "I would like to especially thank Dr. James Muntz (one of the Astros' team physicians) and Dr. James Goldfarb and everyone at The Methodist Hospital for their expertise and professionalism. "I also greatly appreciate the understanding and first-class actions by the Astros organization in helping myself and my family through this difficult time. I will be back soon." In Berry's absence, third-base coach Dave Clark is helping with the hitting coach's duties. Berry is expected to return to work with the Astros in two weeks.NOTES, QUOTESRHP Jeff Fulchino was optioned back to Class AAA Round Rock on Sunday. He had posted a 5.91 ERA over two stints with the club. With his demotion the Astros moved back to 12 pitchers and 13 position players after going to 13 pitchers and 12 position players on Wednesday.IF Jason Smith, who was 0-for-21 before he was designated for assignment on Thursday, was re-signed on Sunday to help back up in the infield. 1B Lance Berkman has been out because of a sore wrist.RHP Brandon Backe, who has been on the disabled list with a strained left intercostals muscle, threw six scoreless innings Friday in a rehab start for Class AA Corpus Christi. He threw 82 on Friday for the Hooks. "It's more or less like I'm in spring training again trying to build my arm up to 100 pitches," he said. "It's a slow process."C Humberto Quintero (strained right shoulder) went 0-for-3 in a rehab assignment for Class AAA Round Rock, and barring any setbacks, he will rejoin the team Tuesday in Colorado.BY THE NUMBERS: 1 Astros ace righthander Roy Oswalt, who was 10-2 after the All-Star Break last year, earned his first victory of the season Sunday, May 10. QUOTE OF NOTE: "Obviously I have to be worried. We're in May. We're almost on May 15 and we're still struggling. This guy (Lance Berkman) is one of the best hitters in the game. And, yeah, I am a little worried about him." Manager Cecil Cooper, after dropping Lance Berkman to fifth in the lineup.ROSTER REPORTC J.R. Towles was optioned to Class AAA Round Rock on Monday, an off day for the Astros. Towles hit .182 (2-for-11) in four games, three starts, after being recalled April 25. C Humberto Quintero, who suffered a strained right shoulder on April 24 when he was smashed by Milwaukee's Mike Cameron in a collision at the plate, will be activated off the disabled list and join the Astros in Colorado for the start of a three-game series against the Rockies on Tuesday. He was 1-for-10 during his four-game rehab assignment at Class AAA Round Rock.1B Lance Berkman, who missed the entire three-game series sweep against the Padres because of a sore left wrist, might be ready to return to the lineup Tuesday for the start of the three-game series against the Rockies at Coors Field. Berkman has not played since he was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts Thursday against the Cubs.RHP Felipe Paulino will start Tuesday against the Rockies. Paulino struggled in the bullpen after being put there after posting a 2.55 ERA over three starts. "I feel more comfortable in the starting rotation, but I was trying to do 100 percent in the bullpen, too," he said. "I'm ready to do whatever they want."C Ivan Rodriguez went 4-for-4 with a home run and a triple Sunday in the Astros' 12-5 win over the Padres. MEDICAL WATCH: 1B Lance Berkman (sprained left wrist) sat out May 8-10. He is day-to-day. RHP Roy Oswalt (bone bruise on right index finger) left the May 5 game. He expects to make his May 10 start. C Humberto Quintero (strained right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list April 25. He began a rehab assignment May 8 with Class AAA Round Rock, and he is expected to be activated May 12. RHP Brandon Backe (strained left side muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list March 27. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Round Rock on April 27, and he moved his rehab to Class AA Corpus Christi on May 3. He could return to the Astros in late May. RHP Jose Valverde (strained right calf) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 27. He had fluid drained from the calf April 30 and May 1, and he might be out until early June. RHP Doug Brocail (torn left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list May 4. He is out at least a month, and if he ultimately requires surgery, he would miss the rest of the season. INF Aaron Boone (open-heart surgery on March 26) went on the 15-day disabled list March 27, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 10. He was uncertain whether he'd resume his career. ROTATION: RHP Roy Oswalt LHP Wandy Rodriguez LHP Mike Hampton RHP Brian Moehler RHP Felipe Paulino BULLPEN: RHP LaTroy Hawkins (closer) LHP Wesley Wright RHP Geoff Geary LHP Tim Byrdak RHP Chris Sampson RHP Jeff Fulchino RHP Alberto Arias RHP Russ Ortiz CATCHERS: Ivan Rodriguez Humberto Quintero INFIELDERS: 1B Lance Berkman 2B Kaz Matsui SS Miguel Tejada 3B Geoff Blum INF Jeff Keppinger OUTFIELDERS: LF Carlos Lee CF Michael Bourn RF Hunter Pence OF/1B Darin Erstad OF Jason Michaels

What? I'm too OLD!???

I believe nearly everyone can relate to being told that they are too old for something. It happens all the time as we age. We become a certain age and then someone younger than us or perhaps more mature than us tells us that we are too old to be doing whatever we're doing. They tell us to grow up---even if some of us are already grown up...

As a kid, I always liked taking trips to the bank with my mother because the nice lady who worked the window would give out lollipops to us kids if she saw us in the back of the car. My siblings and I always made sure that the lady saw us by waving at her in the window or poking our heads out over the front seat of the car. She'd smile at us and walk away. We knew it was candy time. She'd return to the window with three lollipops. These weren't any normal lollipops. They were special bank lollipops with a ring handle and extra sugariness. It was hard to find them anywhere else. Well, about a year ago at age 18, I was making a withdraw at the drive-thru bank window. For some reason, the teller was taking longer than normal. She was new. She came to the window and told me it would just be another minute. I asked her, "You don't happen to have any lollipops do you?" She smiled and said, "Don't you think you're a bit too old? We need to save them for the kids."

What??? Since when have lollipops been just for kids!? I felt like the dopey rabbit in those 'Trix' commercials. I looked at her and said, "No, ma'am. I'm never too old for lollipops." Then, I gave her one of my fake smiles. She walked away and came back with an envelope. No lollipop and I wasn't about to ask twice, so I drove off annoyed that someone, yet again, told me I was too OLD for something. Someone once told me that I was too old to drink juicy juice out of a box. EVERYONE knows juicy juice tastes best with a sippy straw!

La grippe porcine grippe A, un danger pour l’humanité ?

La marche de l’homme bloquée par un porc « Si l’histoire est effectivement, comme la définissait Walter Benjamin, non pas une longue marche de l’humanité vers le progrès mais plutôt une montagne de ruines qui monte au ciel… » — Enzo Traverso, « Rationalité et barbarie », in L’histoire déchirée. Essai sur Auschwitz et les intellectuels. Éd. du Cert, 1997. «Pour Sylvie» van der Werf, de l’Institut Pasteur (…) “c’est un virus nouveau contre lequel l’ensemble de l’humanité n’a pas d’immunité.” (…) Le virus pourrait devenir “beaucoup plus dangereux”, selon l’OMS. AFP, 27 avril 2009. Voir aussi : • Institut de veille sanitaire (France) • Center for Disease Control (USA) • Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS)

Write More, Write Less

When: Thu Jan 15, 2009 6pm to 8:30pm CST Where: DePaul Universitys Rolling Meadows Campus Meadows Corporate Center East Tower 2550 W. Golf Rd., Suite 255 Rolling Meadows, IL
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Join STC Chicago on Thursday, January 15, at the DePaul University campus in Rolling Meadows (east of Woodfield mall), for our first chapter program meeting of 2009. Our speaker, Joe Welinske of WritersUA, will present "Write More, Write Less: Embracing the Value of Crafted Words and Images". While the word "content" is a good shorthand for words, audio, and images, it unfortunately can move us farther away from the core competency of developing good information. The theme of this presentation is that documentation teams are often spending too little time writing well -- and at the same time spending too much time writing little-used information. Research and professional observation suggest that not enough time is being put into crafting text to be exactly the right text for a particular context. And writing resources for doing "agile" user assistance would be more readily available if writers would prioritize topic writing based on user need. "Writing More" while "Writing Less" can result in better utility for users and can reduce the need and load on the overall documentation development process and content management. Technical communicators of all backgrounds will benefit from this thought-provoking presentation. About the Speaker Joe Welinske is the president of WritersUA, a company devoted to providing training and information for user assistance professionals. The WritersUA Conference for Software User Assistance draws hundreds of attendees each year from around the world to share the latest in user assistance design and implementation. The free content on the WritersUA web site attracts more than 20,000 visitors each month. Joe has been involved with software documentation development since 1984. Together with Scott Boggan and David Farkas, Joe authored two editions of the popular and pioneering book Developing Online Help for Windows. He has also taught courses on developing online help at the University of Washington, the University of California at Santa Cruz, and Bellevue (WA) Community College. Joe received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1981 and an M.S. in Adult Instructional Management from Loyola University in 1987. About the Meeting A catered buffet (with non-alcohol beverages) is included with registration. There is no bar on campus. The presentation will start at 7 p.m., with check-in at 6 p.m. Registration deadline: 8 p.m. Friday, January 9, 2009. For prepaid online registration, the rates are: $30 for STC Chicago members $40 for non-members $15 for full-time students (with confirmation from their schools) $120 for a table of 6 After the deadline, you must register at the door and must pay by cash or check only. The rates for registration at the door are: $40 for STC Chicago members $50 for non-members For more information or to register, visit www.stc-chicago.org.

One Veggie Star

Snowed under. Swamped. Buried. So describes my work situation at the moment. If you will give me a “Get Out of the Kitchen Free” card, then I will give you the recipe for a very simple Moroccan salad. Moroccans are masters at concocting salads in which one solitary vegetable is the headlining act. Radishes, green peppers, and tomatoes, for example, can all get the star treatment. The recipe below features zucchini, and is one of the many dishes I learned from the cook who introduced me to Moroccan cuisine. Lemon-tart and garlic-tinged, this salad tastes even better the next day. Warm Zucchini SaladServes 4 as a salad3¼ cups / 500 grams zucchini (a.k.a. courgette, baby marrow), very thinly sliced1½ teaspoons / 7.5 milliliters ground cumin2 teaspoons / 10 milliliters sweet paprikaPinch of cayenne¼ teaspoon / 1¼ milliliters salt2 cloves of garlic, minced1 tablespoons / 15 milliliters olive oil2½ tablespoons / 37.5 milliliters fresh lemon juice2 tablespoons / 30 milliliters vegetable broth (you can use water)Handful minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish Steam the zucchini until it is tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together the ground cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, vegetable broth and parsley. Add the steamed zucchini and place over medium heat. Cook for five minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Note: You can also boil your zucchini with a pinch of salt until tender, and use reserved cooking water in place of the vegetable broth. Tags: zucchini, salad, Morocco, North Africa, recipe, Field to Feast, food blog, Africa

The Times Transfer Bulletin: United accept £80m bid for Ronaldo

THE NEWSManchester United have accepted a world-record £80million offer from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo. United have given Real permission to talk to the Portugal winger and the deal is expected to be completed before the end of the month. Ronaldo's contract at United runs out in 2012 and the Premier League champions decided to allow him to leave after the 24-year-old made it clear that his heart was still set on moving to Spain. Oliver Kay, our Football Correspondent, says the sale of Ronaldo leaves United with a problem: "They will have to replace him with not one but two new players: a brilliant winger and a prolific goalscorer." Who should Sir Alex Ferguson spend the money on? Have your say. Chelsea's summer transfer plans have taken a blow after they were quoted a £65m asking price by Bayern Munich for Franck Ribery. Sergio Aguero, the Atletico Madrid striker, and David Villa, the Valencia forward, are also on Chelsea's radar in the event that they fail to lure the Frenchman to Stamford Bridge. Fulham have entered the race for Stephen Hunt, the Reading midfielder. The Premier League club watched Hunt play for Ireland against Bulgaria last weekend.Fraizer Campbell has indicated to Hull that he will join them when he returns from England Under-21 duty at the European Championship. The Tigers have agreed to pay Manchester United £6m for the forward, who has been in contract talks.Amaury Bischoff could be about to leave Arsenal for Paris Saint-Germain, just one year after the midfield player joined from Werder Bremen when he was out of contract. The 22-year-old made his debut as a substitute against Wigan in the Carling Cup in November.Lyons have declared their interest in signing Patrick Vieira from Inter Milan. "This season, [coach] Claude Puel regretted not having a leader," Jean-Michel Aulas, the Lyons president, said. "Patrick has this charisma that can create the conditions for Lyons to be more ambitious."------------------------------------------------THE RIVALSDrog will snub City - The SunDidier Drogba has reneged on his plan to leave Chelsea and will reject an offer from Manchester City. A source said. "The player wants to stay."Gary Jacob's verdict: This is likely. Over the past 18 months, Drogba has repeatedly suggested he is unhappy at Stamford Bridge, but he has had a change of heart and is set to sign a new contract. His current deal has a year left on it. Rating: 8/10It could be Blues for Pirlo - Daily MirrorAndrea Pirlo, the AC Milan midfielder, has said that his proposed move to Chelsea could still happen despite the sale of Kaka to Real Madrid.Gary's verdict: Chelsea hope to rejuvenate their ageing midfield and the 30-year-old Pirlo does not fit the type of player they want. At best it would represent a short-term solution but more probable is that it is wishful thinking on Pirlo's part. 6/10Arjen scrap - The SunReal Madrid have put Arjen Robben up for sale for £7m, with Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool interested in the winger.Gary's verdict: A contact of mine in Madrid says Real are looking to sell Robben because he has suffered a lot of injuries though they are likely to ask for more than £7m. Liverpool and Tottenham are the most likely suitors as both are looking for a left winger. 6/10Barca rob Job - The SunRobinho has stunned Manchester City by revealing that he wants to join Barcelona. "The whole world would love to play there," he said.Gary's verdict: Robinho would certainly be interested in a transfer. He wanted to accept an offer from Chelsea in January when Luis Felipe Scolari was in charge but City refused to sell. And Barca would be interested in signing him but they won't match his exorbitant wages at City. 5/10Dunne on his way - Daily MailSunderland, Stoke and Tottenham will bid for Richard Dunne after Manchester City made him available for £5m.Gary's verdict: After an indifferent season from Dunne, the club have put him up for sale, not least because they also hope to bring in a new centre-half - possibly Matthew Upson. Tottenham showed interest in him last summer but they have since signed Vedran Corluka. Dunne will not join Stoke so Sunderland is his most likely destination of the three. 7/10Hammers hope to hijack Sturridge deal - Daily MailGianfranco Zola will make a bold attempt to persuade the Manchester City forward to join him at Upton Park rather than go to Chelsea.Gary's verdict: West Ham might try that but Sturridge's transfer to Chelsea is almost completed. As I understand, they and City are currently discussing a compensation fee for him as he is out of contract but under 23 and therefore cannot join them on a free. 6/10Rovers want spark of Zoro - Daily MirrorBlackburn will revive their interest in Marco Zoro, the Ivory Coast defender playing for Benfica.Gary's verdict: Sam Allardyce is likely to try to buy a central defender with the money from the likely sale of Roque Santa Cruz. Zoro, who was on trial at West Ham last summer, is a realistic option. 7/10------------------------------------------------GUIDE TO THE TRANSFER WINDOW Deal or no deal - silly season is here againThe window promises to leave managers, chairmen, agents and supporters in a daze, so read our basic guide to how deals are brokered Undisclosed fees, transfer payments and loan deals explained Graphic: the anatomy of a transfer from start to finishThe quintessential middleman - all your questions answered about agentsTransfer terminology: what "I'm their player until told otherwise" really means ------------------------------------------------HAVE YOUR SAY"As a life long fan of West Ham, albeit from a distance, I'm interested to know your thoughts about their future under Gianfranco Zola. Do you see them as content with mid-table finishes or wishing to improve and strive for a European place? Given their recent history I was pleased with their final position this season and feel that they would do well to finish as high next season unless they make a few good additions over the summer."PatrickGary Jacob: It has been a pleasure watching Zola's West Ham, compared with some of the sterile football of the previous two seasons. It was a difficult decision for the Icelandic owners to appoint a Chelsea great, but they took advice, including Tony Gale, and he has been excellent. Zola and Steve Clarke, his assistant, are highly ambitious. They won't settle for mid-table, but competing for a European spot could be harder next season. There are at least eight teams potentially with stronger squads: the so-called big four, Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham and Manchester City.As much as Zola said he wanted to finish seventh to claim a European spot this season, it was a blessing in disguise that they never qualified. Injuries to a few key players towards the end of the season showed the shallow depth of a sizeable squad. It is time to trim and bring in better players. Zola and Gianluca Nani, the technical director, have their work cut out in attracting players without a large transfer budget. They will have to raise some money by selling players, so look for Luis Boa Morte, Julien Faubert, Calum Davenport, Nigel Quashie and Matthew Upson to be sold this summer. Nani has scouted several players in Italy and I expect that they will try to sign a several players on loan. They want a back-up goalkeeper, a right back, and two forwards.This week, the club was effectively repossessed by the banks that lent the Icelandic owners the money and it awaits to be seen how the asset company that now owns West Ham will run the club. The company claim that they have a three-year plan, but personally, I believe they will sell as soon as they get a decent offer. You have to remember that the asset company has creditors too, and so it may be better to sell for a certain price than risk looking for a higher price, and the club's value plummeting if they were relegated. This change in ownership will affect Zola's transfer kitty. The asset company are unlikely to want to invest much, if any money, in the club, which will be asked to balance their budget. It's comparable to a bank repossessing a house and renting it until the market improves to sell: the bank will try to put just enough money into the house to maintain it's condition."Are Sanli Tuncay and Sylvain Distin plausible signings for Liverpool? And will any club take a chance on Stewart Downing?"PhilGJ: I don't think that Tuncay is good enough for Liverpool. He would be a squad player at best at Anfield. Distin is more realistic and would be inexpensive, not least because he has one year left on his contract at Portsmouth. If Liverpool were flush for money this summer, I'd suggest that they would try to sign Upson from West Ham, but money is tight. They want to sign Glen Johnson and a winger."With Spurs being unusually quiet by their standards so far this close season and rumours being a bit flaky at best, who do you see them signing this season? With Harry Redknapp in charge activity will be inevitable, but does he need to sell first before he buys as he stated? Is Ruud van Nistelrooy a genuine target?""DanGJ: As I mentioned last week, when Redknapp says "I'm looking for one or two free transfers" as he has done, he really means "I want to shake up the squad and bring in five or six". Harry likes big squads, which gives him choices, and he likes his players. Maybe for his benefit, he will take an opportunity to criticise previous transfer strategy, albeit sometimes correctly.Tottenham's net spend in the summer window starting from 2004 is: £12.1m, £5m, £12.15m, £29.6m, £-10m. In January, they spent around £42m net and the club gave warning that they would have raise transfer money this summer by selling players. Expect the following first team players to be available for transfers: Darren Bent, Roman Pavlyuchenko, David Bentley, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Dorian Dervitte, Gilberto, Giovani dos Santos, Alan Hutton, Jermaine Jenas, Didier Zokora and Tom Huddlestone. On top of that, several youth players may leave for a nominal fee.I expect Redknapp to sign a combative midfield player, two forwards (one of whom is aggressive and one in the John Carew mould), a left winger and possibly another centre back (depending where they see Corluka playing in future. He wants to play centre back but has played right back for them).Ask Gary Jacob a question relating to transfer gossip at your club and he'll return his verdict.E-mail: sport@timesonline.co.uk

We're Number One! Yay?

Forbes Magazine just released their annual list of the most expensive places to live in the United States. Guess who tops the list? Ah yes, Los Angeles. Home of the crazy.
Here's the full list:
Forbes: Top 20 America's Most Overpriced Cities
- No. 1: Los Angeles, Calif.
- No. 2: Chicago, Ill.
- No. 3: Miami, Fla.
- No. 4: New York, N.Y.
- No. 5: Providence, R.I.
- No. 6: Riverside, Calif.
- No. 7: Long Island, N.Y.
- No. 8: Cleveland, Ohio
- No. 9 (tie): Newark, N.J.
- No. 9 (tie): San Diego, Calif.
- No. 11: Philadelphia, Pa.
- No. 12: Portland, Ore.
- No. 13 (tie): Tampa, Fla.
- No. 13 (tie): Memphis, Tenn.
- No. 15: Orlando, Fla.
- No. 16: St. Louis, Mo.
- No. 17: Jacksonville, Fla.
- No. 18: San Francisco, Calif.
- No. 19 (tie): Warren, Mich.
- No. 19 (tie): Boston, Mass.
[Taken from this article, opens in a new window]
I don't know whether to feel proud or to hide beneath my desk. I think I'm just going to have some coffee and think about the orange I'm having for dessert tonight when I get home, I picked it from my tree, the very last orange of the season. I let it stay on the tree as long as possible to see how big it would get. It's huge!
One perfect California orange. Well worth the price of admission.
Have a great weekend!!

Court upholds GPS tracking by police without warrant…

Wisconsin court upholds GPS tracking by police By RYAN J. FOLEY MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin police can attach GPS to cars to secretly track anybodys movements without obtaining search warrants, an appeals court ruled Thursday. However, the District 4 Court of Appeals said it was more than a little troubled by that conclusion and asked Wisconsin lawmakers to regulate GPS use to protect against abuse by police and private individuals. As the law currently stands, the court said police can mount GPS on cars to track people without violating their constitutional rights  even if the drivers arent suspects. Officers do not need to get warrants beforehand because GPS tracking does not involve a search or a seizure, Judge Paul Lundsten wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel based in Madison. That means police are seemingly free to secretly track anyones public movements with a GPS device, he wrote. One privacy advocate said the decision opened the door for greater government surveillance of citizens. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials called the decision a victory for public safety because tracking devices are an increasingly important tool in investigating criminal behavior. The ruling came in a 2003 case involving Michael Sveum, a Madison man who was under investigation for stalking. Police got a warrant to put a GPS on his car and secretly attached it while the vehicle was parked in Sveums driveway. The device recorded his cars movements for five weeks before police retrieved it and downloaded the information.

Reading About Writers -- Jay

It’s been a while since the Reading Bug bit me…and I blame the public library! Until recently, I worked full-time at a library. Surrounded by more books than I could ever read, I regularly took home more books than I could ever read. I’d skim through a few pages of whichever book piqued my interest at that moment, then put it down and maybe pick up another, hardly ever finishing two chapters of any book before it was due back.Over time, I forgot how wonderful it is to get absolutely lost in a single book!Now that I’m more selective about which books I begin, I realized the other day that I’m about to finish my third book this month. (I know, some of you read three books in three days. Good for you!) And then I realized, all three of these books are non-fiction titles dealing with authors and why…or how…they write what they write.Author Unknown: tales of a literary detective by Don Foster makes it clear that “since no two people use language in precisely the same way, our identities are encoded in our own language, in a kind of literary DNA.” Mr. Foster first proved that theory with his work on a newly discovered poem by William Shakespeare…if that is who wrote it! Using the same literary forensics, he made headlines when he unmasked the anonymous writer of Primary Colors. But my favorite chapter deals with the true identity of the man who originally wrote the words ’Twas the night before Christmas… Did Clement C. Moore come up with that poem, as we’ve been told, or was it a man named Major Henry Livingston, Jr.? You absolutely must grab this book for that chapter alone. (Ever heard of Santa’s reindeer, Dunder and Blixem? Probably not. But you should’ve!)The Man Who Invented Christmas: how Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol rescued his career and revived our holiday spirits by Les Standiford is a great book to pick up for the holidays. Not only does it tell some interesting history about a classic story and the man who wrote it (and there is no doubt that Mr. Dickens wrote it!), it’s a fascinating look at the evolution of how we experience the Christmas season.Grant and Twain: the story of a friendship that changed America by Mark Perry was not one I expected to enjoy, but I’m over halfway through it and I’m trying to slow down my reading (yes, even slower than it already is!) so I can enjoy it for a few days more. It’s a book about history, literature, and the friendship of Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain. Twain influenced Grant to write his memoirs before he lost his fight with cancer. Those memoirs are now considered classics of American non-fiction. At the same time, Twain was trying to figure out what should happen in the last half of his book about a boy named Huck.So what do I plan to read next? Well, for Christmas I asked someone to get me The Annotated Christmas Carol so I can dig even deeper into that book. And I just bought the personal memoirs of U.S. Grant, which is over a thousand pages long…so I think I’m set for a while.- Jay

Some good things can become too much of a good thing

I don't even want to calculate the amount of time I spend sitting in front of a computer. Let me just say it is far too much. I use to justify my computer time by saying I was doing my morning time with God (i.e. reading Christian blogs and online devotions, writing about living my own Christian faith, etc.) With this excuse I could explain away why I needed to jump on my computer first thing in the morning and sit there for at least an hour. But the truth is although those activities where Christian in nature, they were still pulling me away from what I should be doing and they were just extensions of a bigger problem--avoiding the tasks at hand by pursuing my own interests. So now let me get really real with you and share with you what I really use the computer for. Facebook: catch up with old friends, look at pictures, and play games (including many rounds of Scramble).Blogs: I haven't been keeping up with all my reading but I have been reading all of my nesting blogs. They give me lots of ideas of things to buy to help redecorate my home and often result in me spending time moving my furniture around to see if I can change our house by just feng shui-ing a wee bit.Celebrity Sites: I have become rehooked on People and eOnline. I stay up to date with all the Hollywood drama by repeatedly stopping by these sites for the latest new feeds.News: I do stop by MSNBC, CNN, and 2 local news channels each morning. There is never much to read there (unless I am looking at the entertainment section) but I always scan the headlines since we don't get a newspaper. Sparkpeople: Tracking my nutrition and fitness, which is a good thing but again, I become enslaved to the process and find myself running back and forth to the computer throughout the day just to see how I am doing.Movies and TV shows: we don't have cable or satellite but we do have Netflix and the Internet. Hence I am never short of something to watch. Lately I have been watching Friday Night Lights and Little People Big World. Sheepishly I will admit I've been watching these shows in the middle of the day. I also tend to watch these shows by myself, even if my husband is home. Bye-bye together time.Emails: I tend not to respond to emails but I love to read them. I will check my email at least 10 times a day. Usually there is nothing dire there. The most urgent thing I might miss is a playdate or scouting cancellation. But I guess if I actually answered my phone, then people might be able to reach me that way.Lesson Planning and Teaching: Yes, I actually do this on the computer and it is beneficial. The problem is I often get distracted by the list of things above :) Household Organization: I also use the computer to make spreadsheets, track our calendar, manage our finances, etc. These are all good uses but again, the temptation to wander results in my procrastinating to the point where things don't get done. Pictures and Scrapbooking: I haven't been doing many pictures or much scrapbooking. I'm not sure why. I guess I'm just a little burnt out and am overwhelmed from being so far behind. Still even if I was still doing this, it is a hobby and not really something I need to be doing everyday, especially not in the middle of the day when I am suppose to be working.So now that I have publicly declared what a slacker I am, I will share with you why I am sharing this with you. I think there are other moms like me who get distracted by all the entertainment options that are right at our fingertips without us ever having to leave the house. I am hoping that they will relate to some of the behaviors and will come to some of the same realizations that I have come to--and that is, I am standing in my own way of what I want. My selfishness and self-centered desires are stopping me from achieving the goals that I have for my household and my children. I don't want that. Sure I want to have fun and enjoy myself while I am staying home but at what expense? So in an effort to regain some balance, I am going to try shutting down my computer all day, every day except for the weekends. It is going to be hard but I really want to move the computer to using if for hobbies when hobbies should be done and for work when work should be done. My hope is on the other days I will find myself more active and involved with my family and my home. Maybe I'll find time to exercise and cook, and just possibly even clean.

So What You’re A Christian?

Rumors of Christianity’s death in the U.S. are greatly exaggerated. But like most rumors, they are not totally baseless. According to a recent poll by the American Religious Identification Survey, the number of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 percentage points since 1990, from 86-76 percent. Lots have been made in recent years not just about the number of people in this country who are not Christian, but about the rise in the number of people who claim not to be affiliated with any religion as well as those who boast of being atheist. In fact, the numbers for the latter group jumped from 1990 to 2008 fourfold from 1 million to about 3.6 million. Despite these trends, the U.S. still remains a nation decisively shaped by Christian faith. Where there can be no denying is the fact that slowly but inexorably Christianity is losing its privileged place on the cultural landscape. Christianity and its followers can no longer assume everyone is Christian or that everyone shares the core values of Christianity. So, what are we to make of this? What does all of this mean if you’re Christian? It means a lot. Hopefully, Christians are paying attention and taking note. Probably not. After all, that’s what it means to belong to a privileged group. You’re usually the last to know that you’re a has been. You’re definitely the last to know (admit) what everyone else sees so clearly. Christians will do well to sit up and pay attention to this latest bit of news. Our declining numbers on the American landscape will impact the way we do Christianity. According to recent religious surveys, Americans can no longer assume there is a broadly based consensus about the superiority of Christian values. The New Testament may declare, “there is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved except by the name of Jesus,” but future Christians are going to have to figure out what that statement means to a generation that prefers having a smorgasbord of religious options from which it can choose. Nor can one assume that just because one speaks of being a Christian or being born again that others will know what that means or even be impressed. We’re going to have to actually act like Christians, as in do what Jesus would do, to get peoples attention and to convince them to consider belonging to our, um, sect. (Some of the most lively discussions on this blog have been about what it means to be a Christian.) Heck, you cant even assume today theres a consensus that there is even a God. All you have to do is venture out of your little Christian enclave to find that this is already the case. Talk to a stranger. In polite circles, atheism is an intellectually respectable option. Heck, its downright sexy and fashionable to be atheist in some other circles. The upshot of all of this? American culture is gradually withdrawing the privilege, if not the respect, it once gave to Christianity in general, and to the church in particular. Which is no small thing to consider. Why should churches get special tax exampt status? So, you’re Christian minister. So what? That doesnt give you the right to expect special hospital parking stickers to get you in to visit a dying member. So what you pray before eating? Everyone else at the table will just keep on talking while you mumble under your breath. So you’re a woman in white, with your bible and church hat, standing on the bus corner waiting for the #7 bus to take you to the Baptist church down the street; why should the teens stop cursing and grabbing their crouches just because youre standing there? This isn’t all bad, right? Christians will just have to learn what it means to earn the respect of people, right? We can’t assume people will have heard of Jesus or know anything about The Ten Commandments. We’ll just have to go back and learn the core values of our faith and figure out how to communicate them to a public that finds such talk quaint and novel. Back to basics, right? That’s good, right? Remember the old Smith Barney commercial featuring the elderly actor John Houseman speaking with a blue-blood, Brahmin clip: “We make money the old fashioned way. We earn it”? That’s what we’re going to have to do as the soon to be Christian minority. Earn converts. Or, better yet, earn our right to co-exist with other religious faiths. Before the knee-jerk Progressive in me is tempted to hail all that a religiously diverse world is likely to offer, permit me a moment of grieving. After all, giving up power is not easy. The thought of Christianity diminishing before me gives me pause. Now I know better as a black woman than to ever claim that America is or has ever been a Christian nation. That’s just not true. But as a woman and an African American, which doesn’t grant you any automatic respect in this society, belonging putatively to the dominant religious group in society has had its advantages. (Grant it, the Jeremiah Wright tableaux reminded us once again that theres a world of difference between black and white Christianity.) The days are coming to an end, however, when we can claim this, but for at least the next hour its probably safe to say that there really is some faint notion in folks minds – however warped it may be –of what it means to be Christian. That you love everybody? Well, not that exactly. How about that you feel mandated to try to get along with people you otherwise hate. How about that you feel responsible as a follower of Jesus to improve the world by standing up to unjust people and doing your part to leave the world somewhat more just and loving than you found it. That said, can’t say that I relish the day when I wake up to find that I belong to a minority religious sect. Dang, can’t a sister belong to a group that’s in power? Now Im told that along with my gender and race, even my religion will one day be marginalized. It hasn’t happened yet. But the signs do point to the fact that the day is not that far away.

Some Bastards are Bastards…

Now, for something completely different, the story of how, back in February, my roommates and I accidentally adopted a cat, and it really pissed me off. Not at the cat, mind you - hes the most ridiculously friendly, adorable, and likable cat Ive ever seen, as Ill get to in a moment - but at his previous owners. It was a typical day in Minnesota in mid February - a lot of snow on the ground, temperatures in the upper teens (Fahrenheit, natch) during the way, down around zero at night. Coming back from the garage, my roommate found a cat in the backyard. It was skinny as all hell, looked kind of miserable, and meowing a lot, in a really pitiful way. There are a lot of stray cats in this area, and a lot of people in the neighborhood have outdoor cats who roam around, so a cat in the backyard isnt terribly uncommon, and we dont really mind. (Theres one outdoor cat in the area that we refer to as Bob, for no particular reason, who does an excellent job at keeping the local squirrel population in check. Yay, Bob!) This one, though, was a bit different& You see, he followed my roommate to the side door of the house. And then sat outside the door, meowing at the top of his little kitty lungs, for several minutes, loud enough that it could be heard inside. I went to go see what the commotion was, thinking maybe one of the cats we already had had gotten locked outside, or something. I opened the door& and in walked what would eventually prove to be our newest cat, completely fearless. He was a little bit skittish around us at first, but let us pick him up and pet him, and certainly didnt object in the slightest when we gave him some cat food and water. He was in really sorry shape - pretty much skin and bones, and he had some strange-looking wounds on his legs and feet - and with the weather getting worse, we couldnt in good conscience kick him back outside, so we agreed to keep him overnight, have him looked at by a vet, and then see if anyone we knew wanted a cat. That was the plan, anyway. We took him to the vet, who said hes a roughly two-year-old male, already neutered, and in basically perfect health, all things considered. The wounds on his feet and legs were all too familiar to the vet; they were burns from having hopped up onto the engine of a recently-parked car to stay warm. They were a couple weeks old, and healing without any complications. Obviously, someone previously owned him (or was owned by him, depending on your point of view regarding cats.) Just as obviously, someone had gotten rid of him and left him to fend for himself in the arctic hell that is Minnesota in winter. There were no lost cat signs anywhere nearby; we checked. Heres what really gets me, though: the cat, whom weve decided to call Harold (dont ask), is, pretty seriously, the most friendly, well-behaved, people person of a cat. He loves people. Want to pick him up, pet him, scratch his belly? Want to play with him? Want him to cuddle in bed, or on the couch, or just sit on your lap while youre watching television? Hes more than happy to oblige. Once he recovered from his ordeal outside, hes become an incredibly friendly, incredibly energetic, incredibly lovable cat with no bad habits whatsoever. (Crap on the floor? Nope. Pee in the corners? Nope. Scratch furniture? Nope& you get the idea.) The sort of cat, in other words, that youd have no trouble whatsoever finding a new home for, if you wound up being foreclosed on, or evicted on short notice, or simply decided to move to a new apartment that didnt allow pets. Anybody would want him. We really didnt want another cat, but couldnt resist Harolds quite evident charms, and wound up keeping him. Everybody who meets him, loves him. (Even our other cats like him, for crying out loud, and theyre the most territorial, anti-social little monsters you ever met.) I think everybody whos ever met him, has loved him. Except, obviously, the last people who had him, who left him to fend for himself in Minnesota in winter. Its like they say - some bastards are just bastards, but some bastards are bastards

Thirsty

Anderson, M.T. 1997. Thirsty. Candlewick. 237 pages.In the spring, there are vampires in the wind.Is that not a great first line? It continues,People see them scuffling along by the side of country roads. At night, they move through the empty forests. They do not wear black, of course, but things they have taken off bodies or bought on sale. The news says that they are mostly in the western part of the state, where it is lonely and rural. My father claims we have them this year because it was a mild winter, but he may be thinking of tent caterpillars.Vampires are real, and they don't sparkle. So when our hero, Chris, begins his journey towards becoming a vampire, he's not happy about it. All he wants is for his life to go back to normal. Okay, he wishes it would be a little bit better than normal. He wishes he could get the girl, Rebecca, to notice him. To like him. He wishes he didn't stammer and act stupid around her. He wishes his friends were less weird and/or jerky. But he wants to be human.The novel covers a few months. Months of torment for Chris as his body begins to change ever-so-gradually. Months of worry as he begins to fear what is to come. He has trouble sleeping. He's always thirsty. And water just isn't thick enough to satisfy. His reflection comes and goes. His fangs come and go. And he starts getting some really weird invites in the mail.Is there any hope for Chris? Is there anyone who can save him from the horror his life is becoming? What choice will Chris make? Can he determine his own fate? And what led him to this place anyway? How did he become cursed?This one is intense and exciting. It's masterfully written by an award-winning author. The style is sparse: each word counts. Except for the red-white-black cover, there is no comparison whatsoever to Twilight.© Becky Laney of Becky's Book ReviewsIf you're reading this post on another site, or another feed, the content has been stolen.If you're reading this on a site (other than Becky's Book Reviews or Becky's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission..

What’s That Envelope For?

By Rabbi Pinchos LipschutzPesach is in the air. The stores are packed with shoppers buying everything from fish to shoes lekavod Yom Tov. Bochurim are home from yeshiva, giving the home, shul and street a different look.Reminders confront us from all sides about the impending Zeman Cheiruseinu. Shloshim yom kodem hachag, thirty days before the holiday, we are told, we must begin reviewing the intricate laws of the Yom Tov. We have Parshas Parah to remind us to purify ourselves in preparation for the korban. This past Shabbos, Parshas Hachodesh reminded us that Chodesh Nissan is about to arrive.Unlike the other major holidays of Sukkos and Shavuos, Pesach demands a heightened degree of preparation. The home is spotlessly cleaned, matzos must be baked, special foods have to be purchased, a whole different menu is prepared, and on and on. The hachanos are especially taxing. For weeks, the noshim tzidkaniyos work themselves to the point of exhaustion making sure that everything is perfectly in order in time for the seder.When it comes to “bringing in Pesach,” family members have to be careful to share in what can be an overwhelming task if shouldered alone. At no other time of the year is cooperation so vital.This spirit of cooperation that marks Pesach preparation has its parallel in one of the core elements of Yetzias Mitzrayim - our transformation into a cohesive nation, a family unit on a national scale.We went from being slaves scattered around Mitzrayim to becoming an organized community of bnei Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov. A community is defined as a group of people with common interests joining together to contribute towards the public good. When each person cares only about himself and what is good for him, the community suffers. In a community, everyone sacrifices a bit for the common welfare.And so it is on Pesach. Perhaps this is the reason that the Rama begins Hilchos Pesach with the minhag of maos chittin, obligating all Jews to help those less fortunate who can not afford to make Yom Tov.We demonstrate to what extent we are part of the greater Jewish community by the way we respond to appeals and come to the aid of those who have difficulty meeting Yom Tov expenses.For the past several years, together with my dear friend Reb Yossel Czapnik, I have been inserting an envelope into the Yated before Pesach on behalf of Keren Hachesed. We depend upon our good readers to assist the Keren Hachesed volunteers and the people they help.Boruch Hashem, the response has always been truly magnificent and is a tribute to the righteousness of our readers who are no doubt bombarded with so many pre-Pesach appeals. Those envelopes are mailed back throughout the course of the year and Keren Hachesed counts on these donations to help repay the loans it takes out to help people before Yom Tov.Readers often wonder what exactly Keren Hachesed is and they deserve to know. It is an organization founded by bnei Torah to help kollel yungeleit, rabbeim and other hard-working people who make a living but can’t afford to make ends meet when it comes to Pesach and will not accept help from public organizations. The Keren carefully screens all potential recipients.The Keren helps the people who live next door to you in the most bakavodike and respectful way possible. The Keren helps the very people you would be helping if you only knew how to approach them and offer assistance. Contributing to the Keren is a perfect way to help a family just like yours make Yom Tov. In doing so, you are contributing to one of the greatest tzedakos in our area.If you live in a Torah community within 90 miles of New York City, chances are that you have a neighbor who is enjoying the benefits of Keren Hachesed this Yom Tov. They are good people, with nice, fine families, who dedicate their lives to doing good for the community and have everything but enough money to properly celebrate Yom Tov. Keren Hachesed helps them accomplish that in myriad ways I cannot describe, lest the recipients recognize that they are benefiting from Keren Hachesed. In fact, the recipients don’t even know that Keren Hachesed exists.Keren Hachesed, working behind the scenes, comes to the rescue in hidden ways.The volunteers are so dedicated to their cause that those who run the chesed group would rather work harder at raising the finances necessary to do their work than permit me to describe the nature of what they do. They place the dignity and self respect of the people they help above all else. Every year, I offer to write about their activities, and every year they turn me down. They aren’t looking for any attention.But this year is different. This year especially, with the world financial situation being what it is, the Keren is desperate for assistance to be able to help the nice, proud, happy families it assists every year. This year, the entire operation is in jeopardy due to the way the economic recession has hit many of the fine people who are usually able to subsidize the Keren’s expenses. The Keren still owes suppliers for provisions purchased last year, and if the volunteers are unsuccessful in their fundraising efforts, hundreds of families, of the type you would want to assist in making Yom Tov, will be crestfallen and not able to provide their families with the necessities others take for granted.Several years ago, some Keren volunteers were involved in multiple mishaps for a few years in a row. They became disturbed by the thought that a Divine message was being sent.They approached Rav Chaim Kreiswirth zt”l, the renowned rov of Antwerp and a towering talmid chochom, who was famous for his untiring efforts for tzedaka and chesed. He replied that the only one who would be able to interpret what had occurred was Rav Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky zt”l, known to all as the Steipler Gaon.One of the people involved in the Keren traveled to Eretz Yisroel and described to the Steipler the organization’s work and the misfortunes that had been happening to the volunteers. He asked for the Steipler’s insight into the significance of these episodes.The Steipler answered him that not only was there nothing wrong in what they were doing, but the tzedaka they were performing was on such a high level that the Soton was trying to derail them from their noble work.He suggested that from that year on, all those involved in Keren Hachesed should observe Yom Kippur Kotton on Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan, including blowing shofar. Many years later, the ehrilche yungeleit who volunteer for Keren Hachesed maintain that custom.Since that time, the only problem the Keren has had is raising sufficient funds to keep pace with the need. Every year, somehow, the volunteers are able to maintain their regular activities, but this year there is a very real danger that they will not be able to continue doing so.So as we run around loading our shopping wagons with everything that we need for Yom Tov, let us keep in mind the people who cannot afford to fill their wagons. As we try on new suits and shoes, let’s keep in mind those who have to make do with old clothing. Let us show that we care about those not as financially blessed as we are. Let us show hakoras hatov to the Ribono Shel Olam for all we have.Every dollar given to Keren Hachesed will bring a smile to Jewish faces of all ages. You will be contributing to their simchas Yom Tov as well as your own.When contributing to your local maos chittin campaign, and other good causes, including those advertised in this newspaper, please remember that Keren Hachesed envelope.This week, we will celebrate Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the month of geulah and redemption. If we are worthy, these can be our last days in exile. Let us all pray that in the merit of the mitzvah of tzedaka and the areivus that our acts of kindness demonstrate, this Shabbos, or perhaps the coming Shabbos Hagadol, should be our last Shabbos in golus.Shabbos Hagadol, literally The Great Shabbos, heralds the traditional rabbinic Pesach drasha, but its significance is broader than that. It is the day on which, 3321 years ago, our forefathers rounded up sheep for the Korban Pesach. It is the day which announces that the chag hageulah is about to descend upon us. Every Shabbos is “great,” every Shabbos is a gift from G-d, but since it comes around every week, we tend to take it for granted.Shabbos reminds us that G-d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Shabbos is a day which raises us up to a higher spiritual plane than we are on during the rest of the week.Yetzias Mitzrayim, when we were taken from bondage in Mitzrayim and separated as the Am Hashem, started on Shabbos with the preparations for the Korban Pesach. That seminal event is remembered every year on Shabbos Hagadol.Shabbos Hagadol is greater than every other Shabbos of the year because it announces that the days which commemorate that aliyah of the Jewish people - and have the spiritual power to renew that aliyah - are once again with us. Shabbos Hagadol heralds the arrival of the sanctified period of time that took our nation to a new and higher level for eternity. May it herald the arrival of the geulah. Amein.

What’s That Envelope For?

By Rabbi Pinchos LipschutzPesach is in the air. The stores are packed with shoppers buying everything from fish to shoes lekavod Yom Tov. Bochurim are home from yeshiva, giving the home, shul and street a different look.Reminders confront us from all sides about the impending Zeman Cheiruseinu. Shloshim yom kodem hachag, thirty days before the holiday, we are told, we must begin reviewing the intricate laws of the Yom Tov. We have Parshas Parah to remind us to purify ourselves in preparation for the korban. This past Shabbos, Parshas Hachodesh reminded us that Chodesh Nissan is about to arrive.Unlike the other major holidays of Sukkos and Shavuos, Pesach demands a heightened degree of preparation. The home is spotlessly cleaned, matzos must be baked, special foods have to be purchased, a whole different menu is prepared, and on and on. The hachanos are especially taxing. For weeks, the noshim tzidkaniyos work themselves to the point of exhaustion making sure that everything is perfectly in order in time for the seder.When it comes to “bringing in Pesach,” family members have to be careful to share in what can be an overwhelming task if shouldered alone. At no other time of the year is cooperation so vital.This spirit of cooperation that marks Pesach preparation has its parallel in one of the core elements of Yetzias Mitzrayim - our transformation into a cohesive nation, a family unit on a national scale.We went from being slaves scattered around Mitzrayim to becoming an organized community of bnei Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov. A community is defined as a group of people with common interests joining together to contribute towards the public good. When each person cares only about himself and what is good for him, the community suffers. In a community, everyone sacrifices a bit for the common welfare.And so it is on Pesach. Perhaps this is the reason that the Rama begins Hilchos Pesach with the minhag of maos chittin, obligating all Jews to help those less fortunate who can not afford to make Yom Tov.We demonstrate to what extent we are part of the greater Jewish community by the way we respond to appeals and come to the aid of those who have difficulty meeting Yom Tov expenses.For the past several years, together with my dear friend Reb Yossel Czapnik, I have been inserting an envelope into the Yated before Pesach on behalf of Keren Hachesed. We depend upon our good readers to assist the Keren Hachesed volunteers and the people they help.Boruch Hashem, the response has always been truly magnificent and is a tribute to the righteousness of our readers who are no doubt bombarded with so many pre-Pesach appeals. Those envelopes are mailed back throughout the course of the year and Keren Hachesed counts on these donations to help repay the loans it takes out to help people before Yom Tov.Readers often wonder what exactly Keren Hachesed is and they deserve to know. It is an organization founded by bnei Torah to help kollel yungeleit, rabbeim and other hard-working people who make a living but can’t afford to make ends meet when it comes to Pesach and will not accept help from public organizations. The Keren carefully screens all potential recipients.The Keren helps the people who live next door to you in the most bakavodike and respectful way possible. The Keren helps the very people you would be helping if you only knew how to approach them and offer assistance. Contributing to the Keren is a perfect way to help a family just like yours make Yom Tov. In doing so, you are contributing to one of the greatest tzedakos in our area.If you live in a Torah community within 90 miles of New York City, chances are that you have a neighbor who is enjoying the benefits of Keren Hachesed this Yom Tov. They are good people, with nice, fine families, who dedicate their lives to doing good for the community and have everything but enough money to properly celebrate Yom Tov. Keren Hachesed helps them accomplish that in myriad ways I cannot describe, lest the recipients recognize that they are benefiting from Keren Hachesed. In fact, the recipients don’t even know that Keren Hachesed exists.Keren Hachesed, working behind the scenes, comes to the rescue in hidden ways.The volunteers are so dedicated to their cause that those who run the chesed group would rather work harder at raising the finances necessary to do their work than permit me to describe the nature of what they do. They place the dignity and self respect of the people they help above all else. Every year, I offer to write about their activities, and every year they turn me down. They aren’t looking for any attention.But this year is different. This year especially, with the world financial situation being what it is, the Keren is desperate for assistance to be able to help the nice, proud, happy families it assists every year. This year, the entire operation is in jeopardy due to the way the economic recession has hit many of the fine people who are usually able to subsidize the Keren’s expenses. The Keren still owes suppliers for provisions purchased last year, and if the volunteers are unsuccessful in their fundraising efforts, hundreds of families, of the type you would want to assist in making Yom Tov, will be crestfallen and not able to provide their families with the necessities others take for granted.Several years ago, some Keren volunteers were involved in multiple mishaps for a few years in a row. They became disturbed by the thought that a Divine message was being sent.They approached Rav Chaim Kreiswirth zt”l, the renowned rov of Antwerp and a towering talmid chochom, who was famous for his untiring efforts for tzedaka and chesed. He replied that the only one who would be able to interpret what had occurred was Rav Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky zt”l, known to all as the Steipler Gaon.One of the people involved in the Keren traveled to Eretz Yisroel and described to the Steipler the organization’s work and the misfortunes that had been happening to the volunteers. He asked for the Steipler’s insight into the significance of these episodes.The Steipler answered him that not only was there nothing wrong in what they were doing, but the tzedaka they were performing was on such a high level that the Soton was trying to derail them from their noble work.He suggested that from that year on, all those involved in Keren Hachesed should observe Yom Kippur Kotton on Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan, including blowing shofar. Many years later, the ehrilche yungeleit who volunteer for Keren Hachesed maintain that custom.Since that time, the only problem the Keren has had is raising sufficient funds to keep pace with the need. Every year, somehow, the volunteers are able to maintain their regular activities, but this year there is a very real danger that they will not be able to continue doing so.So as we run around loading our shopping wagons with everything that we need for Yom Tov, let us keep in mind the people who cannot afford to fill their wagons. As we try on new suits and shoes, let’s keep in mind those who have to make do with old clothing. Let us show that we care about those not as financially blessed as we are. Let us show hakoras hatov to the Ribono Shel Olam for all we have.Every dollar given to Keren Hachesed will bring a smile to Jewish faces of all ages. You will be contributing to their simchas Yom Tov as well as your own.When contributing to your local maos chittin campaign, and other good causes, including those advertised in this newspaper, please remember that Keren Hachesed envelope.This week, we will celebrate Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the month of geulah and redemption. If we are worthy, these can be our last days in exile. Let us all pray that in the merit of the mitzvah of tzedaka and the areivus that our acts of kindness demonstrate, this Shabbos, or perhaps the coming Shabbos Hagadol, should be our last Shabbos in golus.Shabbos Hagadol, literally The Great Shabbos, heralds the traditional rabbinic Pesach drasha, but its significance is broader than that. It is the day on which, 3321 years ago, our forefathers rounded up sheep for the Korban Pesach. It is the day which announces that the chag hageulah is about to descend upon us. Every Shabbos is “great,” every Shabbos is a gift from G-d, but since it comes around every week, we tend to take it for granted.Shabbos reminds us that G-d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Shabbos is a day which raises us up to a higher spiritual plane than we are on during the rest of the week.Yetzias Mitzrayim, when we were taken from bondage in Mitzrayim and separated as the Am Hashem, started on Shabbos with the preparations for the Korban Pesach. That seminal event is remembered every year on Shabbos Hagadol.Shabbos Hagadol is greater than every other Shabbos of the year because it announces that the days which commemorate that aliyah of the Jewish people - and have the spiritual power to renew that aliyah - are once again with us. Shabbos Hagadol heralds the arrival of the sanctified period of time that took our nation to a new and higher level for eternity. May it herald the arrival of the geulah. Amein.

Litchi

Bloomsbury library now on line

From the Bloomsbury Library site: Welcome to the Bloomsbury Library Online; a new way for the readers of today to read the best books of today. The Bloomsbury Library Online is a growing home for reading through your local library. Our online bookshelves include book group titles, children’s history books, teen fiction, international fiction, books in translation, prize winners, crime, thrillers, history, sports and Shakespeare. Readers can read the book, search the text, access author interviews, reviews and press features as well as reading group guides if applicable. Each bookshelf is available on annual subscription and will be charged according to the population served. New titles will be added to each bookshelf free-of-charge within the subscription year where appropriate. New themed bookshelves will also be created regularly. Access to the content will be through UK Public Libraries using their existing technology both within the libraries and remotely with the use of a library card on home computers and internet enabled devices. The Library is powered by Exact Editions, and in their blog they have some interesting facts about its development. There is a lot more in the blog so check it out: Bloomsburys project required us to develop our platform in ways that we had not previously considered necessary. They wanted to be able to sell books as groups, and although this was not part of the formal requirement, we suspected that the next publisher to adopt this strategy would wish to be able to sell books in groups (ie shelves) but also to sell the same books as individual titles, both to individuals and to institutional subscribers. And the next publisher would want to include the same book in multiple shelves, and then remove them from some shelves

Toronto Raptors Team Report

A season that began with grandiose expectations ends with a trip to the draft lottery and a huge level of bitterness in Toronto. Even a 9-3 finish, which allowed them to finish 33-49 on the season to avoid the ignominy of a 50-loss campaign, couldn't take the sting away and, really, did little more than fuel the feelings of "what if." With Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and Shawn Marion finally morphing into a solid frontcourt and the Raptors continuing to get great production from point guard Jose Calderon, the focus now has to be on addressing serious concerns at the shooting guard spot and bench depth. And that puts general manager Bryan Colangelo directly on the hot seat as he's got plenty of moves to consider in the offseason. Marion is a free agent the Raptors would like to keep him at the right price and with starting shooting guard Anthony Parker also a free agent, Colangelo will have to address the wing needs first an foremost. If he can convince Parker to return as a backup, and find an athletic, defensive-conscious youngster to replace him, there's every chance the Raptors can make a rapid return to the playoffs after sitting them out for the first time in three years. SEASON HIGHLIGHT: Andrea Bargnani, who struggled through a bad sophomore season in 2007-08, provided one of the few highlights for the underachieving Raptors. The 7-foot center has become the team's second-most potent offensive force and his development was by far the most promising sign of the season. TURNING POINT: The Raptors gambled on a rookie Roko Ukic and a European journeyman Will Solomon as backups to point guard Jose Calderon and when Calderon went down with a hamstring injury in early December, that gambled failed. More than anything else, Calderon's nagging injury he couldn't practice for more than six weeks and sat out 14 games was the point at which the season went south.NOTES, QUOTESBy beating Chicago in the season finale to finish 33-49, the Raptors avoided a 50-loss season. They haven't lost that many in a year since 2005-06 and rallied from a 27-win season that year to win 47 games and the Atlantic Division title the next year.There may be substantial change to the Raptors' roster next season and there could be very significant change in the coaching staff, too. Not only is Jay Triano an interim head coach with no guarantees for next season, the contracts of all of his assistants Alex English, Mike Evans, Gord Herbert and Eric Hughes expire as well, and it's possible that all four will be gone.QUOTE TO NOTE: "What am I going to do anyway? We've got a couple of dates that we hopefully are both in Toronto for at the same time and just talk about things and which direction we're going to go." Interim coach Jay Triano, on when he may speak with general manager Bryan Colangelo about his future employment prospects.ROSTER REPORT MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Chris Bosh. He did go into a bit of a funk in the middle of the season mostly because he was bothered by a sore knee that eventually sent him to the sidelines for five games but he remains by far Toronto's best player. Bosh, just 25 and a four-time All-Star, came within a handful of rebounds of being one of the few players in the league to average 20 points and 10 rebounds a game and was also in the top five in free throws attempted and made per game. His contractual status he's a free agent in the coveted class of 2010 makes his future with the Raptors the subject of almost daily speculation, but it's difficult to imagine the team without him as its offensive anchor. MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Jason Kapono. What do you do with a three-point shooter who doesn't shoot three-pointers? One of the top long-distance marksmen in the league, Kapono continues to be too passive in Toronto's offense. A significant free agent signee two years ago for a deal worth the full mid-level exception and a contract with two more years to run he's never fully become acclimated to the role which best suits him, as instant offense off the bench. And his failings are a prime reason Toronto's bench has been so weak all year. FREE AGENT FOCUS: The Raptors have a handful of free agents to deal with in the summer and what they decide to do will have a huge impact on the kind of team that returns to training camp in the fall. Shawn Marion is the most interesting case. The veteran small forward's contract, which pays him an astronomical $17 million this season, will most likely have to take a serious pay cut wherever he goes next year. And the Raptors may try to retain him at some sort of bargain-basement price since there aren't a lot of teams with major dollars to throw around. Anthony Parker, coming off his statistically worst season as a Raptor, is an unrestricted free agent but it's highly doubtful he'll be given a starting role on the team next season. However, both he and general manager Bryan Colangelo are optimistic some new deal can be worked out. Of the other free agents Joey Graham, Jake Voskuhl, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Carlos Delfino (whose restricted free agency rights the Raptors still hold since he played last season in Russia) it's likely that only one will be back with the team in October. PLAYER NEWS:G Jose Calderon made his only two free throws in the season-ending 109-98 win over the Chicago Bulls and finished 152-for-155 on the season. The 98.1 percent shooting is the best single season in NBA history.C Andrea Bargnani established the kind of statistical oddity that may never be matched again in franchise history by anyone other than him. The 7-foot center, who possesses a unique skill set to say the least, led the Raptors in both three-point field goals (119) and blocked shots (97). It's the first time in Toronto history that unique double standard has been set.C Chris Bosh had 21 points and 19 rebounds in the season-ending win over Chicago, coming within one rebound of the third 20-20 game in his career. There have only been three such games ever put up by Toronto players. Bosh has two and Popeye Jones has the other. MEDICAL WATCH:G Jose Calderon had surgery on his left ring finger to repair ligament damage. Calderon should be ready for next season.F Kris Humphries (broken fibula) has been cleared to begin working out fully.G Marcus Banks (toe) is still recovering from surgery but should be back on the practice court in mid-May.