Special one of a kind gift: Personalized BINGO
I like to make really personalized gifts for the holidays. This year I got so behind that I didn’t make much at all, which is too bad because I had so many good ideas—from this homemade owl puppet set for my daughter (which is totally going to be in her Easter basket) to personalized BINGO cards for my family.
Who wouldn’t get a kick out of having a BINGO card dedicated to them—or even an entire game of BINGO? You can make your own cards, box, the whole shebang—but my idea was to just go over one of those cheap $1 boxes of BINGO games at Target and glue in my answers (see photo).
Family BINGO
For family BINGO, you can assign each card a person’s name. Next, include things about that person or special things that he or she likes in the squares. You can gift this to a whole family—say, your best friend and her husband and children, or your aunt, uncle, and cousins—or even make a set to pass around with your siblings to play at holiday gatherings. How special would that be! You could even make new cards as new children arrive in the family.
This is important: Be sure to include the same items on at least one other card! Otherwise, you’ll have to wait forever for anyone to get a BINGO. So if Uncle Danny is the only person who likes to play polka, don’t include that. Unless...
Personal BINGO
If you want to make a whole set of cards for one family member, the more specific you are, the better! You still want to be sure that the clue answers are used on at least two cards so people can mark them off, of course. This is a gift that shows your loved one just how well you know him or her—and it takes some time to make, which shows how much you care, too.
For a romantic gift, make your personal BINGO game filled with especially intimate answers, such as first date locations, first kiss memories together and other special memories. That would make a wonderful Valentine’s or birthday gift for your sweetheart.
For chips or tokens on either game, you can use whatever comes in a box or personalize them. For example, you could buy used Squinkies for a kid’s game, or photocopy family photos to use. In a pinch, you can always just cut up squares of construction paper.
Easy gift idea: Homemade craft kit
If you’re searching for an easy, cheap gift idea, many people—especially children—would love a homemade craft kit. You can usually make this with things you find around the house, but if you have to purchase supplies you shouldn’t have to venture any farther than the dollar store.
Start with a container for your craft kit. Maybe you have a bucket you could use, or a pretty box. A simple recycled Kleenex box, or any box from the grocery store, would work, too. A shoebox is the perfect size. You could even decorate the box, or provide materials to decorate it for the recipient such as stickers.
Now comes the fun part: filling up your box! Be as creative as you like as you select various ink pens, pencils, crayons, and other implements for drawing and coloring. Oil pastels aren’t as expensive as many would think and make a great, unexpected gift. Markers, paints, and other pigmented mediums work well, too.
Recycled materials such as straws, toilet paper tubes, and extra buttons from your garments all come in handy when making crafts. Anything extra you have around the house, from necklaces you no longer want to cotton balls (which make excellent pom poms in a pinch), are great additions to your craft box. Popsicle sticks are another staple! You can collect them as you eat them or buy a cheap package at the store.
Make sure to add something to hold projects together. Tape works, but some sort of glue—whether school glue, tacky glue, or a glue stick—is much more versatile. Glitter glue will likely earn you a giant grin of thanks. You can also include stampers for paint by gluing string on squares of cardboard in the shapes of letters or pictures. You can also make sponge stamp shapes by cutting your cleaning sponges into hearts, stars, or other fun shapes.
Scissors are another essential component to your craft kit gift, as is something to use as a base—like recycled paper. If you’re creating a small box, feel free to cut the paper to fit, or to roll it up and secure it with a rubber band. Rubber bands are great for crafts, too—as are paper clips.
For an extra special treat, include a coupon in the package for some craft time with you! Nothing beats the gift of time, especially when you’re covered in glitter. Of course, some real coupons to a store like JoAnn’s or another hobby center would be great, too. You can print some good ones just by following that link.
Simple pocket pet gift: A fish and fish setup
If you have a vase, a fish bowl, or even one of those small beta fish tanks, you have most of what you need to give this fun gift to someone you love already. A fish is such an easy pet to care for, as long as you go with a low maintenance type and provide plenty of food and care tips for your recipient.
Add some fish food, decorative rocks, and a fish and boom—that’s it! It’s such an easy yet thoughtful gift, especially for children or people who are allergic to furry companions. If you have had fish before, chances are that you still have plenty of fish equipment, fish food, and other necessities at your house. Of course, you could go big and get a fancy tank with a filter and the works if you wish, but that will be costly (though you can sometimes find good deals on used sales websites like Craigslist).
So the question remains: what type of fish should you give? A goldfish is always a fun, lovely choice that’s easy to take care of. According to Fish Channel, species like neon tetras and platy fish make good beginner pets. African Dwarf Frogs are also very low maintenance and cheap, only requiring a feeding twice a week.
Featured Artist: Mike Henry
Henry has a quirky and animated style that’s very kinetic and reminds me a bit of Ed McGuiness and Joe Madureira . Add on top of that a vibrant use of eye popping colors and his stylized art really pulls you in. Check out more of his work at his website bigmenaceindustries.com.
Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on December 25, 2012
Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on December 25, 2012
Ambient office = .123 microsieverts per hour
Ambient outside = .074 microsieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain = .115 microsieverts per hour
Kirkland butter from Costco = .124 microsieverts per hour
Tap water = .089 microsieverts per hour
Filtered water = .059 microsieverts per hour
Links for December 25, 2012
Radioactive fallout around a Fukushima incineration plant is being hidden. enenews.com
Jeff Rense does a video interview about dangers of manmade radiation dangers. youtube.com
The CIA Helped the Yakuza and the LDP get power in Japan and promote nuclear power. japansubculture.com
There are active faults under the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. japantimes.co.jp
M's Need Two Stars -- Not a Reshuffle of Their Scrubs
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You know, the word "shrill" gets thrown around a lot ...
Slamming a 41-year-old in there to take AB's, when previously those AB's were spent so generously on pure experiments like Carlos Peguero, smacks of ""we need to see progress this year."
Not that such a warning is out of order. This is year five and though the talent pyramid is miles better, the on-field product is not.
Shuffling the Scrubs as the offseason plan? From the 30,000-foot view that looks Pretty. Cotton-Pickin'. Feeb.
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Mike Carp was .286/.325/.494 in the second half of 2011. He had 12 HR and 46 RBI in 64 games, which is a 30-HR, 116-RBI pace. Then 2012 was a washout due to the shoulder.
That 30-HR, 116-RBI thing occurred during the ENTIRE second half. He was raking. So you're going to swap him out for Raul Ibanez in a desperate attempt to get a hair's breadth worth of delta at the LF/DH slot.
I think there are going to be a lot of Mike Morses out there, three years down the line...
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Not often that SSI scoffs at a strategy, because a lot of strategies can look good, given the execution. But he scoffs at this one. If you can't find a way to pay six prospects for the player you really want, fine. But that doesn't justify abandoning ship on your Carps and Liddis and Wellses for cosmetic Scrub changes.
Rauuuul can probably help you in 2013. So could Mike Carp probably help you in 2013, used exactly the same way. So could other people, such as Alex Liddi.
You can't get the Stars you need? Don't kid yourself that a 100-RPM carousel at the bottom end of the roster is meaningful. All you did was rob yourself of a really valuable card-draw at a Seager-like, young impact player. If Dr. D were running the ship, he'd have the presence of mind to remain calm about the current Scrubs -- and to increase the laser-focus on the top six slots of the payroll.
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The time comes to overpay. The goal isn't to win individual transactions. You get two days' pub for doing that. You get more for actually delivering a dynamic team. Who cares right now whether Marshawn Lynch's contract is team-friendly? We care about the fact that the San Francisco 49'ers are widdling their pants about the prospect of playing the Seahawks in the playoffs.
The M's have EMPHASIZED the short-term "fiscal responsibility." Over the last 10 years their attendance has seen the largest drop in sports. Their appreciation has been pathetic relative to the Angels and Rangers. Year-to-year fiscal responsibility has cost them huge money.
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What the suits are afraid of -- b'lee DIS -- is that if they make an offer the Marlins can't refuse, then (1) they'll be marked as suckers, and then (2) the second deal down the line, nobody will trade with them until they get another sucker's ransom.
The time to worry about that kind of stuff is long gone. Way past time for the Mariners to get a Seahawks flight pattern engaged. So the M's could have had Hamilton with a 6/150 deal. It coulda been an albatross in years 5 and 6. SO WHAT! AFTER you are good, you can DEAL with deadwood contracts. The Angels aren't crippled by the Wells deal. They make sure that they win, and they deal with mistakes from the 20th floor of the skyscraper. The Mariners bottom-feed and take pride in the fact that they don't swallow anything that makes them burp.
Stop piddling around and put a winner on the field.
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United States Atoms for Peace Program
In 1953, United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered a speech titled “Atoms for Peace” to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. In the speech, Eisenhower mentioned nuclear warfare but mainly focused on the potential for peaceful used of nuclear energy. He announced new U.S. program to supply equipment and information to institutions and nations worldwide to assist in nuclear research. Eisenhower reassured the world that the U.S. was dedicated to peace and letting other countries choose their way of life. He mentioned the problem of nuclear stalemate and affirmed that the U.S. would be dedicated to using its creativity for constructive purposed and not destruction.
A propaganda campaign was launched by the U.S following the speech and it continued for years. Some analysts said that the main intention of the speech and the media campaign that followed was to counteract the public fear and horror triggered by the atomic bombing of Japanese cities. As the Cold War set in between the U.S. and Soviet Union and the Soviet Union developed its own atomic bomb there was increasing discussion of a possible nuclear war with the Soviets. The U.S. government was moving ahead with nuclear weapons development and some say that development of commercial reactor for power generation were supported because they aided the weapons program.
Another theory about the Atoms for Peace program is that it was aimed at our European allies. With fears of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe and the huge cost of defending Europe with conventional weapons and troop, the Eisenhower administration wanted to sell the Europeans on a cheaper nuclear defense shields against Soviet aggression. Convincing them that nuclear power was a safe economical alternative to convention fossil fuels for power generation would help in soothing their concern about U.S. nuclear weapons deployed in Europe.
In spited of the positive tone of the speech, the official position of the Eisenhower administration was that only a massive U.S. nuclear arsenal would deter the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union adopted the same policy with respect to the U.S. Under Eisenhower, the U.S. nuclear arsenal rose from about one thousand warheads to over twenty thousand. Although his speech did result in exploration of peaceful uses for atomic energy and the creation of a world wide system of nuclear reactors for commercial power generation, many countries that did not have nuclear expertise acquired it and, in some cases, went on to create nuclear weapons.
Ironically, the Atoms for Peace program helped both Iran and Pakistan develop nuclear research programs and nuclear reactors. Pakistan now has nuclear weapons and the world is worried that Iran will soon have them. In the end, it would have to be said that whatever the intent of that initial speech, the resulting impact that the program had on the world was to promote both the peaceful use of atomic energy and also to stimulate the creation of nuclear weapons in some belligerent countries that are destabilizing the international situation.
Rauuuuuul's Production in 2013
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=== Slow Down One Second, Guys ===
It's not far-fetched to believe that Rauuuul could be a better hitter, at age 41, than any of the in-house options available to Zduriencik. I was surprised to see that a fair number of age-41 players have hit well, including recently:
- Brian Downing - .407 OBP (!), 138 OPS+ in 400 plate appearances for Texas 1992
- The Edgar - 300/400/500 season at age 40, roughly league-average hitting at age 41
- Carlton Fisk - a 135 OPS+ at ages 41 *and* 42 for Chicago 1990-91
- Paul Molitor - more BB's than K's, nearly league-average hitting for Minnesota in 1998
- Dave Winfield - 138 OPS+ with 108 RBI at age 40, better than league at 41, almost league at 42 for Minny
- Pete Rose - hit .325 with a .391 OBP for Philly in 1981, hit league-average at 43
Of course, you have a bunch of Ted Williamses, Ty Cobbs, Luke Applings and Honus Wagners who were bona fide stars at age 41. We wouldn't consider these old-timers relevant as it pertains to the question of 21st-century competition at age forty.
Stan Musial was 10th in the MVP voting at age 41; that was in the early 60's, when guys like Koufax and Gibson and Whitey Ford were around. so, there's that. He had a tremendous .330/.416/.508 season; this was the NL in the sixties, remember.
Barry Bonds is a laughable exception: at ages 41 and 42 he had (collectively) an OPS over 1000. He was better, at 40, 41, and 42, than the best players are right now. Ah, but you say, Bonds was physically different. So is Raul.
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We assume that Rauuuul will be platooning; last year, at age 40, he slugged .492 against right hand pitching, this in a full 360 AB's.
In 2011, Rauuuul slugged over 100 points higher against RHP's. This is perfectly normal; the bat slows a tick, the platoon splits go up. At age 39, Rauuuul's EYE against lefties was ... wait for it .... 3 walks, 38 strikeouts.
In 2010, Raul had 57 walks and 64 strikeouts against RHP's; against lefties it was 11:44. This is an absolutely classic pattern: aging RBI man gets mortified by LH-on-LH matchups against the kiddies, but ... he can still git R done against righties.
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=== State of the Rauuul ===
In September of 2012, when last seen, Raul slugged .541. The guy's in weird physical condition, and the fact is that he can still rock RHP. His SLG against them last year was .500'ish ... and that is despite a .242 BABIP.
I wouldn'a signed him. But be advised that Zduriencik believes that he's one of the M's 25 best on-field players for 2013.
I'm not as sold on Casper Wells as youse guys; I think that with exposure, with consistent AB's, he'd very possibly prove himself a mirage. Shedding Wells will cost Dr. D no tears -- except that the Mariners have invested a whale of a lot of Safeco AB's in dead ends like Wells, Trayvon, Carp, etc. The ROI on these experiments is getting out of hand.
Rauuuul is NOT a player you're going to win your next pennant with. Zduriencik is managing the 2013 roster as if he's got the 2013 Lakers and he's got one more year to win before he's done ... oh, wait. My objection to Rauuul is strictly the CYWYNPWTP.
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=== Here's How It Could Work ===
As to the roster crunch, I got two words for yer. Two catchers, one of which starts at DH. Mike Napoli just did it for Texas: in 2011, Torrealba caught a lot, Napoli DH'ed, and Teagarden played 14 games out of AAA. Avila and Victor Martinez did it a couple years ago. In recent years, the 13-man bench hasn't allowed for platoons and pinch-hitting. But a 2-man C/DH system could enable such a retro strategy. Whether Eric Wedge is the man to buy in, who knows.
It says here that the leadership, the "buy-in," isn't as big a factor as people make it out to be. The Mariners apparently think that Rauuuul will give them an Earl Weaver-style big bat off the bench, a modern-day Terry Crowley type. Earl used to want offense out of his backups. I don't think the Mariners have ever had offense out of their backups, unless you consider Mark McLemore 2001 a backup.
ASSUMING that you were going to use Jaso and Montero behind the plate, with a Shoppach in AAA, and ASSUMING that you were actually going to use Rauuuul to pinch-hit for Brendan Ryan and Franklin Gutierrez, Terry Crowley-style, well, hey. That would be refreshing. To me, the Raul decision means a 2-catcher decision.
Trust me, if Raul SLG's .510 in part-time play next year, you're not going to be hearing any static from the peanut gallery in August.
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We're playing devil's advocate with this post. I got no idea why the M's would invest so many AB's in the Trayvons and Carps and Pegueros and then, all of a sudden, do a U-turn and freeze them all out for 41-year-olds. Dr. D hates, hates, hates this inconsistency here: let's pile 20,000 hours of Safeco time into this and that and the other kid. Now, just when some interesting guys like Franklin and Zunino are getting here, let's cut all that available time to zero.
But Raul Ibanez could be an ironically effective role player for the 2013 M's. It's possible that, for 2013 in a vacuum, Raul is the best choice.
BABVA,
Dr D
The Secret to Russell Wilson's Courage
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I grok Russell Wilson's shtick. Tell you why.
In sixth grade, Dr. D ran into the kid who was going to turn out to be a brotha from anotha motha. We spent the next seven school years taking the same classes, playing on the same basketball, football, etc etc teams, writing for the school paper, doing the Dungeons and Dragons thing ... on graduation we carpooled to the UW, and took jobs at the same Denny's on Pacific Highway. Dr. D married a Normandy Park girl from the same high school ... and brotha married this girl's sister, two grades younger.
We've spent 30, 40, who knows how many years taking 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 basketball and flag football th'o downs... thing is, brotha when he graduated high school was 5 foot 5 inches tall, 108 pounds. (He's a championship-class wrestler, if that gives you the physical picture). Never any shortage of chumps willing to let us set up the teams... they'll always go here, you guys can have your pick of those two over there, to set the 3-on-3 ...
Reason we mention, is the idea of intuitive connection. Brotha and I don't give anything to Xavi and Ianesta, not as far as the telepathy is concerned... there are athletes far more talented, including some reading this. There probably aren't any who have spent thirty, forty years on no-look basketball passes 'cause they know where their bro's are going to be. We're strictly weekend warriors, but it's been a fun ride.
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=== Football ===
Most often in flag football these days, Brotha plays wideout and cover corner. But 20% of the time, he plays quarterback, and we here to tell you he plays EXACTLY like Russell Wilson plays, adjusting for a Major League Equivalency factor of a gazillion. When I first saw Wilson play, I laughed. An NFL guy who does Brotha's thing. That was funny, man. Point is, Russell Wilson's game, on a Jurassically smaller scale, is what we been watchin' on sandlots.
If Brotha played a flag football game tomorrow, he'd go 15-for-21, all high-percentage throws ...
There is an odd quality to Brotha's style in sports combat. These days he is 5'6", 150 lbs. or so and he still is THE most fearless player on the field - any field, soccer, racquetball, pickup hoops with strangers in Tacoma, whatever. In 30-odd years, Dr. D has never seen this Mighty Mite flustered in any situation, including in scuffles and fights.
Do you know why?
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He never takes a flush hit. Never happen.
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=== Evolution of the Game ===
Brotha - and Wilson - are the only players on the field who have, in essence, never been electroshocked out there. It's natural and comfortable for them to stay out of peoples' way while executing their game plans. When Wilson takes that little 1-step to get an angle, and then lets the ball fly with his weight moving forward, it doesn't take any more effort than breathing.
Ron Jaworski saw it right away. Wilson "looks down the gun barrel," sez Jaws. There's physical harm out there in the maelstrom. Threat of grave bodily injury can be somewhat of a distraction.
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For Russell Wilson to zig-zag a step or two, eyes downfield, and maintain concentration, that's like you reaching over to your mouse while completing a comment in the thread. A bigger man might spend 0.3 seconds deciding whether to challenge or evade. For Wilson the 0.3 seconds of threat assessment doesn't exist. He avoids all threats, inside the pocket or out.
Other QB's wish to avoid contact, too, but RGIII will sometimes take on a defender. A decision point exists for him, and that decision process can shrill out his downfield vision.
It's an odd thing: Brotha doesn't think of himself as a little guy. He doesn't have 'short man's disease,' a bluster that is designed to compensate. He doesn't see himself as vertically challenged, as Wilson doesn't. He's kicked too many keisters. ... Russell Wilson too - he never thought of 5'10" as relevant, any more than he thought of black hair as relevant. It is not a factor for these guys. Wilson was ready to lead the team in training camp. Why wouldn't he be?, he'd wonder if you asked. True, calm self-assurance is a beautiful thing in a short man.
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It's a different game in the NFL these days. Tackles are like car wrecks. QB mobility? Its value is RISING - exponentially. And another 20 years, there will be no such thing as a Peyton Manning,* not unless they change the rules so that QB's get the same protection that punters do.
My teammate, Brotha, is very courageous when needed, but talking about his personal courage, that misses the point. The real point is that the DANGER of the game is DISCOUNTED for him. He's not IN the same danger that other players are in.
There's one other QB you can think of who looked like this: Fran Tarkenton. We note that SSI's early comp is gaining traction around the NFL ...
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When Russell Wilson eyes downfield and Mario Williams tries to surround him, and Wilson waits until the last step and then casually hops off the line of attack, Wilson's heart rate is perfectly normal.
Maybe Wilson's background was a little different than Brotha's. That's negotiable. But I recognize the poise, man. The wholeheartedness, the joy in the game, the effortlessness of the downfield concentration -- it's unique because Wilson's self-defense on the field is unique.
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You might ask, why haven't other little QB's succeeded. Other little QB's haven't had big hands and sturdy frames. Really the problem with little QB's is not their line of sight; it's their durability and the fact that usually their physical talent is second-rate. Wilson is a QB who, freakishly, avoids all "little QB" handicaps other than line-of-sight ... and lots of QB's, such as Brees, can't see over the line.
Vick, RGIII, those guys are nimble, but they take flush hits. When they were 14 years old, they probably walked down the middle of the school hall. Russell Wilson's turn to walk down the middle of the hall and get three feet on either side.