If you were wondering if I have cleaned another man's butt, I for better of worse, have now. I recently finished a CNA certifying course. Right now, half of you are thinking, wow CNA, sounds like a big deal. It's not. At all. No really, they're the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to health care. Their duties typically include changing linens, checking vital signs, and making sure the bed is in its lowest position. Oh and measuring and monitoring excretions. Of all kinds. How jealous are you of me? It's ok to say very jealous.
Clearly, I took this job for the prestige. My new pick up line has to be, I know the proper way to transfer you from a wheelchair to a bed. (Cue the cheesy grin and of course, the double shooters). Bullet-proof, I know. The ladies of central Florida better beware.
In all seriousness, I'm doing it because it's the best way for me to gain great first hand experience in health care. I'll be assigned to roughly a dozen patients and be in charge of the menially tasks incumbent in their care. I'm cool with that. Plus, it gives me a job that I can pickup wherever I live. Go ahead. Look up your local hospital's job listings. I guarantee there to be at least one listing under CNA or Patient Care Tech (materially identical). Yep, that could be me.
I'll take the certifying test on the 3rd and then get hired on here at one of the local hospitals. It might be a pay cut from what I'm doing now, but I'll be getting better experience, more hours and better hours. Working the entire weekend really put a cramp on my social life, back when I had one worth talking about. The new gig will have me likely slinging three days a week, 7a-7p and then every other or every third weekend off. It will be a nice paycheck and a great way to know more of the inner working of health care. And no, if you do end up in my hospital, on my watch, I will not wipe your butt. I'll let you wallow in it for days. Trust me, I'll win that battle easily.
Word.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Oh Man We Were Living, Didn't Waste One Minute
Do you remember how excited you were about getting a bag of M&M's at the store checkout counter when you were young? How about the cool-ness you enjoyed when you were finally allowed to pick out which movie to rent for the weekend?
I've been like that until recently with boating. It originally was this unbelievably cool thing that I'd get to do on special weekends, and eventually became just another thing to kill time. Well, being seven years removed from having one at my disposal has given me a new found appreciation. In the past two and half weeks, I've taken her (of course all ships are female, but no, she does not have a name. I've tried naming vehicles before, but it backfired within twenty-four hours after I named my car. Very hesitant to take that risk again.) out on the river thrice. Absolutely enthralling. Just being on the water and traveling so smoothly, just kind of lets you put everything else behind you for those couple moments. So serene. If real heaven was like cartoon heaven- that is angels resting on clouds, strumming harps- then being on a boat just cruising down the river has to be the closest approximation we have here. In all honesty, I'm contemplating spending a night anchored off shore and just sleeping on the water.
In addition to the re-discovered enjoyment of boating, things are going well. I'm working at the hospital, and keeping busy with church assignments and callings. Really, just one calling, but it sounds better if I use the plural. I thoroughly prefer a busy life to an unencumbered one and I'm very pleased to be on my way to the former of the two. Ask me again in three weeks, and I'll likely complain about it, but know that I still prefer it over spending endless days on my couch.
So yeah, thanks for all your support and willingness to listen to me gripe over living in a mansion with a nice car and two miles from the beach. But seriously, thanks. Word.
I've been like that until recently with boating. It originally was this unbelievably cool thing that I'd get to do on special weekends, and eventually became just another thing to kill time. Well, being seven years removed from having one at my disposal has given me a new found appreciation. In the past two and half weeks, I've taken her (of course all ships are female, but no, she does not have a name. I've tried naming vehicles before, but it backfired within twenty-four hours after I named my car. Very hesitant to take that risk again.) out on the river thrice. Absolutely enthralling. Just being on the water and traveling so smoothly, just kind of lets you put everything else behind you for those couple moments. So serene. If real heaven was like cartoon heaven- that is angels resting on clouds, strumming harps- then being on a boat just cruising down the river has to be the closest approximation we have here. In all honesty, I'm contemplating spending a night anchored off shore and just sleeping on the water.
In addition to the re-discovered enjoyment of boating, things are going well. I'm working at the hospital, and keeping busy with church assignments and callings. Really, just one calling, but it sounds better if I use the plural. I thoroughly prefer a busy life to an unencumbered one and I'm very pleased to be on my way to the former of the two. Ask me again in three weeks, and I'll likely complain about it, but know that I still prefer it over spending endless days on my couch.
So yeah, thanks for all your support and willingness to listen to me gripe over living in a mansion with a nice car and two miles from the beach. But seriously, thanks. Word.
Friday, August 15, 2008
I Can Design An Engine 64 Miles To A Gallon Of Gasoline
I know what you've all been thinking. Man, we haven't had a post from Rick in a long time. This, of course, is followed by seeking out a box of Kleenex, and then realizing that a chamois is the only thing with the absorbency needed. Well, I've been writing, but something significantly more important. On Monday, I sent in my medical school applications. Part of this, was a personal statement. And therein lies my literary efforts of the past couple weeks.
It's in the hands of the medical schools now. Over the next couple months, I will be compulsively checking my email and various official school sites. Wish me luck.
Oh, I figured you all might want to see it. Here it is. Enjoy, and if you want, let me know what you think of it. More importantly, let me know what you think a person who only knows me from this essay would think of me. Thanks.
I don't remember the exact date, but I'll never forget the moment. I realize that not everyone can identify exactly when they realized what they should do with their lives; the exact minute their life's purpose was undeniably clear. I'm one of the fortunate few; I know exactly when it happened, down to the minute. Over the course of sixty seconds, in a slow flash, with overwhelming certainty, I knew what I could, what I should, and what I wanted to devote my life to.
It's in the hands of the medical schools now. Over the next couple months, I will be compulsively checking my email and various official school sites. Wish me luck.
Oh, I figured you all might want to see it. Here it is. Enjoy, and if you want, let me know what you think of it. More importantly, let me know what you think a person who only knows me from this essay would think of me. Thanks.
I don't remember the exact date, but I'll never forget the moment. I realize that not everyone can identify exactly when they realized what they should do with their lives; the exact minute their life's purpose was undeniably clear. I'm one of the fortunate few; I know exactly when it happened, down to the minute. Over the course of sixty seconds, in a slow flash, with overwhelming certainty, I knew what I could, what I should, and what I wanted to devote my life to.
After nine months as a volunteer in the Pediatric Ward of a local hospital, I began volunteering in the Emergency Room. My shift in the ER was ending for that day and I had spent the last half hour in the trauma room. A patient was wheeled in and the staff began working feverishly. For the next thirty minutes, serving as a scribe, I witnessed and recorded chest compressions, epinephrine pushes, bicarbonate boluses and defibrillation shocks. Then, just after eleven on a Sunday night, everything stopped and the lead physician sighed, "Time." I looked up at the red digits on the clock, recorded the time, and paused for the next instruction. It never came. It didn't have to. Everyone understood.
I had seen dead persons before. But it was that precise moment, that pulse between being alive and then not, that became uncharted territory for me. Being the end of my shift, I drove home with the vivid images and impressions etched on my mind. I had seen a dozen men and women do all they could to help, but in the end, it was out of their hands. I realized that even though their primary objective of saving this life wasn't achieved, they were able to accept it and move forward as though it had been.
This is what separates medical professionals from professionals in other fields; this ability to work toward a goal that may or may not occur despite well-executed procedures. For these professionals, the success was in doing everything they knew how to do, excelling at all the procedural steps within their control. That one minute -those simple sixty seconds- crystallized those impressions in my mind. This understanding, this indelible clarity has directed the course of my actions ever since.
It was, by then, the first semester of my junior year in college. I had already spent my freshman year working toward a degree in finance. Following my freshman year, I volunteered for two years serving as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A strong work ethic has always been a hallmark of my family and dedicated service came naturally. The days were long, the work tough, and the results of the work often not within my control, but throughout the experience I acquired skills that continue to influence my life today. During those years, I gained a greater appreciation for those who devote their lives to service. I personally discovered the joy of learning, the reward of service and the satisfaction that comes from positive life changes.
When I completed my mission, I returned to school with a new direction. After serious thought and prayer, I decided which science courses would best prepare me for medical school while I also made progress towards a major in finance. Every semester, pursuing these two paths meant rigorous credit loads, regular scheduling conflicts, and constant decisions concerning the amount of credits hours to allot each semester to biology, chemistry and physics courses while making sure I had the required accounting, economics and management classes to complete my degree. My commitment to excellence and personal work ethic is demonstrated by the fact that I earned a finance degree from one of the top business schools in the nation while simultaneously completing the science courses that would best equip me to meet the demands of medical school, including devoting my final semester exclusively to science courses.
Graduating with a degree in Finance, I was quickly recruited into a financially lucrative position by a subsidiary of Bank of America. I rationalized taking the job knowing that was a great way to pay for medical school but very quickly realized it was not helping me prepare for medical school and left me feeling unfulfilled and empty. Consequently, despite achieving recognized success in that position, I resigned and readjusted my priorities.
I realize that my current financial rewards are not as great as what I left behind, but I have no regrets. The feeling I get when I make a difference in the life of another human being is more reward than what can be measured in dollars and cents. In a nutshell, I have come to realize that I'd rather be a poor physician in a rural clinic in Pahokee Florida than a wealthy financier on Wall Street.
I am confident that my personal and professional experiences thus far demonstrate my commitment and my character, and I eagerly await the opportunity to join them with the necessary training medical school provides.
Word.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
I've Been Waiting. I've Been Waiting For This Moment, All My Life.
How awesome are the olympics? Very. Simply amazing. Just to let you know, this is going to be long. This is the actual running conversation me and a friend had while watching the olympics on August 12th. All times EST. Savor. Enjoy.
9:57pmRick
You watching the olympics?
9:58pmC
yes of course
9:58pmRick
They're lauding Michael Phelps for waking up at 6:30am and going to bed around 11pm. That's not that special.
I know about 50,000 guys pulling those hours.
9:59pmC
yes me being one of them i'm pretty sure with pressure he is under i wouldnt be able to sleep
9:59pmRick
Probably. Then again, this pressure is nothing new for him. Really, he's probably felt it since he was 16.
10:00pmC
true that all i know is the man is a beast
10:00pmRick
Not to take anything away from him. I mean, honestly, most dominant athlete in their port...ever?
10:01pmC
it will be if he wins tonight no doubt
10:02pmRick
He has two chances for gold, and one of them is essentially a given. Ok, when you're competing at the olympics, and barring you falling asleep at the start everyone else is playing for silver, that's amazing.
10:02pmC
yes it is
10:03pmRick
Do you also want the french guy to drown?
10:03pmC
yes very much so. he just won that one dangit.
10:04pmRick
I know. And took the world record back.
10:05pmC
friggen french
10:05pmRick
Good for nothing really.
10:05pmC
thats one place i do not want to go on my mission
10:06pmRick
The language wins the women, but it otherwise mostly useless.
10:06pmC
really i thought italian did...?
10:07pmRick
It does as well. Italian is the prettiest though.
10:07pmC
yes i agree if i go on a mission there that'd be sweet
10:07pmRick
Seriously, I was on a bus ride and these two italians were talking infront of me. So beautfiul, just put me right to sleep like a lullaby.
10:08pmC
haha i bet
10:09pmC
dude did you see that dudes eyes?
10:10pmRick
Yeah. Looks like he got jacked.
10:11pmRick
Much like the french guy's world record!
10:11pmC
seriously!
10:11pmRick
For the second time in a week.
10:12pmC
i want katie hoff to win gold
10:12pmRick
She needs to. Badly.
10:12pmC
yes very bad
10:12pmRick
Does she have any gold medals at all?
10:12pmC
nope bronze and silver
10:12pmRick
What about 2004?
10:13pmC
she had a bad year she was the one that passed out on the floor after her race big upset
10:14pmRick
Ouch. Passing out after winning, legendary. Passing out after losing, embarrasing.
10:14pmC
exactly
10:15pmRick
Hoff is getting hammered. She's going to need a Lezak-esque finish. Ouch.
10:16pmC
SHE DIDINT EVEN MEDAL! gosh china beat us on that one!
10:16pmRick
I didn't think I would ever say this about a swimmer, but over-rated.
10:17pmC
that wasnt her best race i still like her but come on!
10:17pmRick
She better take home a gold from this olympics. Otherwise, she might have to be put on suicide watch.
10:18pmC
oh no doubt
10:18pmRick
She passed out while losing last time... is that next?
10:18pmC
haha idk its possible
10:19pmRick
Ok, how many seconds does he break his own record by? I would set the over under at .75
10:20pmC
i say he breaks it at at least that even more
6 YEARS!
10:20pmRick
Seriously, I was typing when they said that, and I stopped and kind of shook as that sunk in.
10:21pmC
Me too
10:21pmRick
Ha ha ha. Make these guys all look like boys. Best quote of the olympics.
10:21pmC
I know i was just gonna say something
10:22pmRick
Want to see an athlete drop the hammer? He's gone. By .06
10:23pmC
Yes he won! whew hes a beast. he won and hes still mad!
10:24pmRick
No joke. I guess when you've already 9 gold medals, winning by itself isn't as special.
10:24pmC
true
10:24pmRick
Ridiculous. He's pissed that he didn't go under 1:52.
10:25pmC
I know i say he takes it out on his next race
10:26pmRick
Wouldn't be surprised.
Ok, is there always at least one hot little gymnast on the American team? Really? How long has this been a tradition.
10:30pmRick
My vote for hottest on the team goes to Alicia Sacramone. Although, Shawn Johnson is clearly a better athlets, Alicia is just striking.
10:31pmC
oh shes a cutie no doubt about it no doubt. these chinese girls look about 10 or 12
10:31pmRick
Yeah, and honestly, I would pick a small german shepherd over any of them in a fight. TKO due to strikes in the first round.
10:32pmC
haha no way she is 20! shes 13!
10:33pmRick
Yeah, ridiculous. She's 15 tops. I think Alicia is 20. I say Alicia like she's an old friend.
10:34pmC
haha i understand. is she? i'm gonna look it up lol
10:35pmRick
She'll be 21 in December!
10:36pmC
I know i just looked it up! shes all yours. dude shes 5'1"
10:36pmRick
Shawn Johnson, that firecracker, all yours my friend.
10:36pmC
haha i'll take it
10:36pmRick
She's 5'1" and she towers over the rest of the competition.
10:37pmC
haha i know she does look tall. johnsons 4'9"! shes 16 though
10:38pmRick
She can't see over the steering wheel. Dude, that's perfect, when you get back, she'll be 18. How's that for a slice of fried gold.
10:38pmC
ITs perfect! she'll need to convert though but thats no big deal
10:39pmRick
That's easily the easiest part of the whole plan.
10:39pmC
oh most def
10:40pmRick
Once you two meet, how could she not join the church?
10:41pmRick
There they are. Sister's C and Russell.
10:42pmC
haha its perfect
10:42pmRick
I swear, if this happens, we are kings.
10:42pmC
golden kings! dude i'm like mezmorized by them just standing there
10:43pmRick
No joke. The killer would be if we start dating them separately, and then we send each other wedding invitations, figuring it out then.
10:43pmC
that would be hilarious!
10:44pmRick
We all have dreams.
10:44pmC
bridget looks like she could beat me up
10:45pmRick
She's scary.
So hot. She looks like she's 5'5" by comparison.
Alicia, obviously.
10:45pmC
Yes we do MLK had a dream and it came true....
10:45pmRick
Not this ugo.
10:45pmC
Haha
of def 5'5"
10:46pmRick
And her olympics are over.
10:46pmC
agreed
10:47pmRick
And the television viewing public is the better for it. She did that ridiculous cross step in the pre-lims.
10:48pmC
i know thats what they just said the same time you said it lol
10:48pmRick
Yeah, I know this crap solid.
10:50pmRick
That's my girl, gets her job done and doesn't even sit down. Just picks up her bag and goes to work at her next task.
10:50pmC
Oh she does work son
10:51pmRick
Heck yeah she does.
10:53pmC
dude i'm like mezmorized by the uneven bars
10:53pmRick
Definitely the most exciting of the women's event. Just mind boggling that people look at a horizontal bar and say, Yep, I am going to fling myself off of that do two flips and a twist, and catch the thing in rhythm. Pretty simple when you think of it that way.
10:55pmC
oh there is no simplicity about it whatsoever. who thought of this event anyway?
10:55pmRick
I think I might dirty my drawers if I went around the bar while still holding onto it, much less letting go in efforts to catch it later.
10:55pmC
oh i def would i mess mine just catchin air
10:57pmC
that blonde one is a cutie too
10:58pmRick
Yeah she is, and in other olympic years, such as 2000, she might have been the eye candy. But now she's third.
10:58pmC
but that is still a good third let me tell ya
10:59pmRick
No arguments there.
Word.
9:57pmRick
You watching the olympics?
9:58pmC
yes of course
9:58pmRick
They're lauding Michael Phelps for waking up at 6:30am and going to bed around 11pm. That's not that special.
I know about 50,000 guys pulling those hours.
9:59pmC
yes me being one of them i'm pretty sure with pressure he is under i wouldnt be able to sleep
9:59pmRick
Probably. Then again, this pressure is nothing new for him. Really, he's probably felt it since he was 16.
10:00pmC
true that all i know is the man is a beast
10:00pmRick
Not to take anything away from him. I mean, honestly, most dominant athlete in their port...ever?
10:01pmC
it will be if he wins tonight no doubt
10:02pmRick
He has two chances for gold, and one of them is essentially a given. Ok, when you're competing at the olympics, and barring you falling asleep at the start everyone else is playing for silver, that's amazing.
10:02pmC
yes it is
10:03pmRick
Do you also want the french guy to drown?
10:03pmC
yes very much so. he just won that one dangit.
10:04pmRick
I know. And took the world record back.
10:05pmC
friggen french
10:05pmRick
Good for nothing really.
10:05pmC
thats one place i do not want to go on my mission
10:06pmRick
The language wins the women, but it otherwise mostly useless.
10:06pmC
really i thought italian did...?
10:07pmRick
It does as well. Italian is the prettiest though.
10:07pmC
yes i agree if i go on a mission there that'd be sweet
10:07pmRick
Seriously, I was on a bus ride and these two italians were talking infront of me. So beautfiul, just put me right to sleep like a lullaby.
10:08pmC
haha i bet
10:09pmC
dude did you see that dudes eyes?
10:10pmRick
Yeah. Looks like he got jacked.
10:11pmRick
Much like the french guy's world record!
10:11pmC
seriously!
10:11pmRick
For the second time in a week.
10:12pmC
i want katie hoff to win gold
10:12pmRick
She needs to. Badly.
10:12pmC
yes very bad
10:12pmRick
Does she have any gold medals at all?
10:12pmC
nope bronze and silver
10:12pmRick
What about 2004?
10:13pmC
she had a bad year she was the one that passed out on the floor after her race big upset
10:14pmRick
Ouch. Passing out after winning, legendary. Passing out after losing, embarrasing.
10:14pmC
exactly
10:15pmRick
Hoff is getting hammered. She's going to need a Lezak-esque finish. Ouch.
10:16pmC
SHE DIDINT EVEN MEDAL! gosh china beat us on that one!
10:16pmRick
I didn't think I would ever say this about a swimmer, but over-rated.
10:17pmC
that wasnt her best race i still like her but come on!
10:17pmRick
She better take home a gold from this olympics. Otherwise, she might have to be put on suicide watch.
10:18pmC
oh no doubt
10:18pmRick
She passed out while losing last time... is that next?
10:18pmC
haha idk its possible
10:19pmRick
Ok, how many seconds does he break his own record by? I would set the over under at .75
10:20pmC
i say he breaks it at at least that even more
6 YEARS!
10:20pmRick
Seriously, I was typing when they said that, and I stopped and kind of shook as that sunk in.
10:21pmC
Me too
10:21pmRick
Ha ha ha. Make these guys all look like boys. Best quote of the olympics.
10:21pmC
I know i was just gonna say something
10:22pmRick
Want to see an athlete drop the hammer? He's gone. By .06
10:23pmC
Yes he won! whew hes a beast. he won and hes still mad!
10:24pmRick
No joke. I guess when you've already 9 gold medals, winning by itself isn't as special.
10:24pmC
true
10:24pmRick
Ridiculous. He's pissed that he didn't go under 1:52.
10:25pmC
I know i say he takes it out on his next race
10:26pmRick
Wouldn't be surprised.
Ok, is there always at least one hot little gymnast on the American team? Really? How long has this been a tradition.
10:30pmRick
My vote for hottest on the team goes to Alicia Sacramone. Although, Shawn Johnson is clearly a better athlets, Alicia is just striking.
10:31pmC
oh shes a cutie no doubt about it no doubt. these chinese girls look about 10 or 12
10:31pmRick
Yeah, and honestly, I would pick a small german shepherd over any of them in a fight. TKO due to strikes in the first round.
10:32pmC
haha no way she is 20! shes 13!
10:33pmRick
Yeah, ridiculous. She's 15 tops. I think Alicia is 20. I say Alicia like she's an old friend.
10:34pmC
haha i understand. is she? i'm gonna look it up lol
10:35pmRick
She'll be 21 in December!
10:36pmC
I know i just looked it up! shes all yours. dude shes 5'1"
10:36pmRick
Shawn Johnson, that firecracker, all yours my friend.
10:36pmC
haha i'll take it
10:36pmRick
She's 5'1" and she towers over the rest of the competition.
10:37pmC
haha i know she does look tall. johnsons 4'9"! shes 16 though
10:38pmRick
She can't see over the steering wheel. Dude, that's perfect, when you get back, she'll be 18. How's that for a slice of fried gold.
10:38pmC
ITs perfect! she'll need to convert though but thats no big deal
10:39pmRick
That's easily the easiest part of the whole plan.
10:39pmC
oh most def
10:40pmRick
Once you two meet, how could she not join the church?
10:41pmRick
There they are. Sister's C and Russell.
10:42pmC
haha its perfect
10:42pmRick
I swear, if this happens, we are kings.
10:42pmC
golden kings! dude i'm like mezmorized by them just standing there
10:43pmRick
No joke. The killer would be if we start dating them separately, and then we send each other wedding invitations, figuring it out then.
10:43pmC
that would be hilarious!
10:44pmRick
We all have dreams.
10:44pmC
bridget looks like she could beat me up
10:45pmRick
She's scary.
So hot. She looks like she's 5'5" by comparison.
Alicia, obviously.
10:45pmC
Yes we do MLK had a dream and it came true....
10:45pmRick
Not this ugo.
10:45pmC
Haha
of def 5'5"
10:46pmRick
And her olympics are over.
10:46pmC
agreed
10:47pmRick
And the television viewing public is the better for it. She did that ridiculous cross step in the pre-lims.
10:48pmC
i know thats what they just said the same time you said it lol
10:48pmRick
Yeah, I know this crap solid.
10:50pmRick
That's my girl, gets her job done and doesn't even sit down. Just picks up her bag and goes to work at her next task.
10:50pmC
Oh she does work son
10:51pmRick
Heck yeah she does.
10:53pmC
dude i'm like mezmorized by the uneven bars
10:53pmRick
Definitely the most exciting of the women's event. Just mind boggling that people look at a horizontal bar and say, Yep, I am going to fling myself off of that do two flips and a twist, and catch the thing in rhythm. Pretty simple when you think of it that way.
10:55pmC
oh there is no simplicity about it whatsoever. who thought of this event anyway?
10:55pmRick
I think I might dirty my drawers if I went around the bar while still holding onto it, much less letting go in efforts to catch it later.
10:55pmC
oh i def would i mess mine just catchin air
10:57pmC
that blonde one is a cutie too
10:58pmRick
Yeah she is, and in other olympic years, such as 2000, she might have been the eye candy. But now she's third.
10:58pmC
but that is still a good third let me tell ya
10:59pmRick
No arguments there.
Word.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
She's A Good Girl, Loves Her Mama, Loves Horses, And Her Boyfriend Too
Let's catch up a little, heh? A month ago, I walked into my job at Countrywide (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America) and resigned. Yes, it wasn't fun, but it's what needed to happen if I want to be taken seriously this round of applications to medical schools. Within 24 hours of resigning, I was on the road down here to Florida where I've been living since. Ironically, I'm in the house all by myself because my parents like to spend their summers up in Park City. Can't blame them. When it gets in the high 90's here, and PC only tops out at 82, they made the right decision.
So I'm knocking around in a fairly large size home. No really. If you and a dozen of your friends want to stay near the beach, I know a guy with room. While down here, I've been looking around for jobs in medical centers and hospitals. Hopefully, something is going to come through within the next couple days, but nothing is certain. I've also been looking into volunteer opportunities, but, and I don't fully understand this, no one is looking for volunteers. I finally got a hold of a doctor in a specialty worth shadowing, and am trying to line something up with him, but that is looking like it might be a couple weeks.
So, to recap, I live alone in a good sized home, with no job, no volunteering and the beginnings of shadowing experiences. If you would have told me this was my life two years ago, I would have been ecstatic. Really, I divide my time in the mornings between fishing, sleeping, reading and television. Sleeping is leading the division by a good six games. Afternoons, I watch One Tree Hill (How did no one tell me about this show before now? I'm hooked. Maybe it's because I just watched the columbine episode and one of the main characters got shot, but regardless, I definitely looked on ebay to see what it would take to get the series- too much by the way.) and then make a couple phone calls or visits to the dozen or so people I stopped by concerning employment. At six, back to back Stump the Schwab comes on followed by Jeopardy at 7pm. after 7:30, dinner of some sort, then fishing, or watching a baseball game. Unless it's institute or FHE night. And I guess adult volleyball is starting on Fridays nights. So if you call, at any given time of day, you have a fairly good idea of where I am or what I'm doing. The deviation is starting to grow though, as I'm meeting more people roughly my age.
I really don't have an agenda for this post. Normally I wait until I do, but I figured going a month without anything of substance, no recapping baseball predictions does not count, is inexcusable.
However, I do need to dole out some props.
First and foremost: The Dark Knight. If you haven't seen it, seriously, shut down your computer right now and go see it. If you've only seen it once, go to hollywood.com and buy tickets for the next possible matinee. It's better than that good. It's simply incredible from all aspects. Cinematography, performances, score, symbolism, script. All of it. Easily the best movie I've seen in a decade. Better than Batman Begins, not by a lot mind you, but by a good margin. Just spectacular. When it hits the dollar theater, I will see it probably twice more. It will likely depend on how many dollars I have at that time.
Second: Baseball division races. Really, if you ever wanted to get into baseball, pick one of them 13 teams currently in the hunt for their respective divisions and follow them for the next month and change. It doesn't get any better than this year for baseball. All the teams are close and evenly matched (excluding the Angels).
Third: One Tree Hill (See above). I'm more interested it it than a man my age should be.
Word.
So I'm knocking around in a fairly large size home. No really. If you and a dozen of your friends want to stay near the beach, I know a guy with room. While down here, I've been looking around for jobs in medical centers and hospitals. Hopefully, something is going to come through within the next couple days, but nothing is certain. I've also been looking into volunteer opportunities, but, and I don't fully understand this, no one is looking for volunteers. I finally got a hold of a doctor in a specialty worth shadowing, and am trying to line something up with him, but that is looking like it might be a couple weeks.
So, to recap, I live alone in a good sized home, with no job, no volunteering and the beginnings of shadowing experiences. If you would have told me this was my life two years ago, I would have been ecstatic. Really, I divide my time in the mornings between fishing, sleeping, reading and television. Sleeping is leading the division by a good six games. Afternoons, I watch One Tree Hill (How did no one tell me about this show before now? I'm hooked. Maybe it's because I just watched the columbine episode and one of the main characters got shot, but regardless, I definitely looked on ebay to see what it would take to get the series- too much by the way.) and then make a couple phone calls or visits to the dozen or so people I stopped by concerning employment. At six, back to back Stump the Schwab comes on followed by Jeopardy at 7pm. after 7:30, dinner of some sort, then fishing, or watching a baseball game. Unless it's institute or FHE night. And I guess adult volleyball is starting on Fridays nights. So if you call, at any given time of day, you have a fairly good idea of where I am or what I'm doing. The deviation is starting to grow though, as I'm meeting more people roughly my age.
I really don't have an agenda for this post. Normally I wait until I do, but I figured going a month without anything of substance, no recapping baseball predictions does not count, is inexcusable.
However, I do need to dole out some props.
First and foremost: The Dark Knight. If you haven't seen it, seriously, shut down your computer right now and go see it. If you've only seen it once, go to hollywood.com and buy tickets for the next possible matinee. It's better than that good. It's simply incredible from all aspects. Cinematography, performances, score, symbolism, script. All of it. Easily the best movie I've seen in a decade. Better than Batman Begins, not by a lot mind you, but by a good margin. Just spectacular. When it hits the dollar theater, I will see it probably twice more. It will likely depend on how many dollars I have at that time.
Second: Baseball division races. Really, if you ever wanted to get into baseball, pick one of them 13 teams currently in the hunt for their respective divisions and follow them for the next month and change. It doesn't get any better than this year for baseball. All the teams are close and evenly matched (excluding the Angels).
Third: One Tree Hill (See above). I'm more interested it it than a man my age should be.
Word.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Fortune Fame, Mirror Vain, Gone Insane
Easily, the all-star game last night was the best all-star game ever, and without question, the best game of the year. When you have bases loaded, none out, no runs scored situations, teams literally being down to the last man on the roster, pitching on two days rest, and runners being cut down at the plate to keep the game going until the 15th, that's amazing. Nothing would have pulled me away from that. Maybe the laundry.
Since all goals need to be revisited from time to time, this seems like an appropiate juncture to review my pre-season progonostications. However, I'm going to start with surprises of the year, both good and bad.
Good: Rays, Josh Hamilton, and the Cubs
Honestly, who outside of Coach Maddon and Don Zimmer thought the Rays had a shot this year? Here we are, mid-July and the Rays are a half game back in the East and 2.5 up in the Wild Card. Absolutely outstanding. Unless you're a Yankee fan.
Hamilton coming back from drug addiction to become an all-star and helping his team battle in the anemic AL west.
The Cubs, see the Rays, but add on not winning the series for 100 years. Oh and having your best athlete on the DL for a month and being in first with the most accident prone pitching combination of Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden. Best of luck to those guys being healthy.
Bad: Phil Hughes, Dontrelle Willis, The Tigers, and Andruw Jones
Obviosuly, the jury is still out on this, but really, if Phil stays this injury proned, Yankee fans might start looking at the decision to keep him over Johann Santana as being a worse decision than getting Gary Sheffield instead of Vladimir Guerrero. Yes, Santana is all but destined for Tommy John, but with a known one-year layoff, and then reasonable improvement for the first little while, this has to be a better scenario than a Mark Prior-esque career path, right?
So, Willis came from Florida, and is now back in Florida. This time, it's the minors though. And he was supposed to be the innings-eating difference maker that got them a ring. Not quite. His failure has completely over shadowing Miguel Cabrera's lack of performance, and has been a benchmark for the Tigers' demise.
Andruw Jones- Ridiculous. How is he still wearing a jersey?
Ok, let's get to what matters, namely how am I faring at this not exactly half-way mark. We'll work backwards from the order I made the predictions.
Which brings us to the NL. Which still doesn't matter. Part of me felt bad for the NL fan as they were so close to winning an All-star game for the first time in over a decade, only to see them blow it. Ouch. I'll still say that the Mets and the DBacks are worth talking about, but now I have to add the Cubs and make this a three team race. Now you're thinking, but wait, the Mets aren't even leading their division, how can you still have them as a favorite. Well, they're a half game back of the Phillies. They have a new coach, a new mentality, and, most important of all, have seemingly forgotten all about last year's historic collapse. Oh, and they haven't had a lot of injury problems this year, which should bode well for the rest of the year.
The DBacks had a bad June. I've got to put that one on myself. I showed up when they were 8 games up, and I left when they were a game up. Sorry guys. My fault. By the same token, don't look for them to fall any time soon.
Lastly, the Cubs. They've been, well, dominant in the tough NL Central, holding the best record in baseball, along with the Angels. With Harden pitching well, it seems like the juggernaut is going to keep rolling.
So the NL predictions have no reason to change, with the exception of the Wild Card. Atlanta is not cutting it, and the people above them in their own division are not dropping any time soon. I'm going to take the Brewers, after the addition, and successful outing, of CC Sabathia. It'll come out of the Central for sure, just a matter of who.
NL Recap, original in parenthesis
NL East: Mets (Mets)
NL Central: Cubs (Cubs)
NL West: DBacks (DBacks)
NL Wild Card: Brewers (Braves)
Now the part that matters, the AL. West first.
Seattle, who I had slated for a 86-win second place finish, are all but mathematically elimiated from that. Bedard has been useless and the offense has been worse than usual. That recipe always cooks up a horrible season. Beyond that, everyone is over 500 for the season. I'm not as suprised at their ability, but I am suprised at how those three seem to end up with the W in every close game. They're like the Zac Morris of the league. Always count on them to pull out of the scrapes. However, removing the Mariners from the equation, which they have done on their own, I was pretty on going Angels, A's, Rangers. I'm pleased with that.
The East has been interesting, and is now boiling down to whether or not the Yanks will be able to pull themselves up once again by their bootstraps and force themselves into the wild card. The division is the Red Sox's to lose, and not just because of that thinnest of possible margins 1/2 game over the Rays. They're firing on all cylinders, with the pitching doing fine without Schilling, and Papelbon emerging as a competitor to Rivera's throne.
Rivera leads us to talk about the Yanks. (By the way, and I'm not the first to say this but I will be one of the more adamant supporters of this, if the Yanks make it to the playoffs and Rivera performs for the rest of the year as he has already, he should get the Cy Young). They're floundering. The pitching rotation is worse than anyone could have reasonably expected, with the exception of Mussina's moderate renassaince performance, and the Joba experiment has been a good move for the starting pitching, while leaving the reliever corp cupboard bare. What's more, the offense has been weak. For example, name who's batting over 300 this year. Answer: Matsui (.323), Damon (.319), and A-Rod (3.12). That's it. More? Ok. Who has more than 20 Hrs? No one. Not A-Rod, not Giambi, not Abreu, no one. (Note: this would leave them on pace for less than 40 in the season even if they were at 20). Yikes. Good luck gentleman, but I have to move you out of the wild card. The pitching, well, we've been over Hughes lack of a season. Kennedy didn't work out nearly as good as hoped for, and it has gotten so bad that Kei Igawa was recalled (and then sent back down) in addition to the Sidney Ponson sighting a little while back.
The Rays, surprisingly, and have a great shot to hold onto the wild card. So much so, that if forced to decide right now, I would say they do hold onto it. They are in a good position, with what has been so far very consistent pitching backed by quality hitting. That's pretty good, if you like winning and all. The Yanks, more so this year than others, are floundering, and worst of all, outside of the amazing #2, none of them really seem to care about it. They had more excitement during the all-star game than they did in the series against Boston a little while back.
The Orioles suck as expected, but suck respectably, being only three games under five hundred. So while they're some 10 games back in the AL East, in the NL West, they would only be a game back and tied in the loss column. That's all the ink they deserve.
The Blue Jays are treading water at best, but are no where near worth talking about it any sense. Look for them to unload whatever talent they have, if any, for future prospects.
All in all, spot on for me, with the only thing in error right now is the switch of the Rays and Yanks for the 2-3 spots. Doing well.
The Central has been a pleasant surprise for me. The White Sox's young arms have done much better than I expected, which has been critical considering the struggle of Buehrle at the beginning of the season. Also, Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye are putting up terrific numbers, while Konerko and Thome have quietly had good, not great seasons. Everything is kind of working as one smooth unit, and has put us in the driver's seat. I'm very much pleased by this. So much for only 78 wins this season. I am happy to eat crow over my claim that "simply put, the White Sox are not a playoff contention team this year."
By the same token, there is no way the Tigers will be winning 97 games this season. Who would have guessed how big a flop the Willis-Cabrera deal would have been? Just has shattered this team. They'll be lucky to maintain their 500 winning percentage.
The Twins will be nipping at the sox heals all year, another moderate surprise. Torii Hunter's replacement has been outstanding, and the pitching has not seen too siginificant a drop since Santana's departure. In view of those two losses, this really has been a great season for them, and they have a legitimate chance to win the wild card or even the division.
For the Royals, see the Orioles above.
The Indians, good grief. Someone please, let Travis Hafner know it's ok if he wants to hit the ball again. Seriously, in games where Cliff Lee did not earn a decision, they are 29-51. Not kidding. Wow. Let that sink in. It's reminiscent when Seaver won 21 games and his team won something like 54 games.
Recap predictions, again original in parenthesis:
AL East: Red Sox (Red Sox)
AL Central: White Sox (Tigers)
AL West: Angels (Angels)
AL Wild Card: Rays (Yankees) [Yeah, I'll take the sexy pick. They've got the talent to make it happen]
Obviously, these changes affect playoff matches, so without further ado:
ALDS
Rays over Angels in 5
Red Sox over White Sox in 4
NLDS
Dbacks over Cubs 5
Mets over Brewers 4
ALCS
Red Sox over Rays in 6
NLCS
Mets over Dbacks in 7
World Series
Red Sox over Mets in 6
Boston is still the best team taking the field this season. Obviously, baseball playoffs has a lot more luck and momentum playing roles, so who knows what will happen in October. Look no further than last year's amazing run by the Rockies. Ideally for me, it would be White Sox DBacks with the sox winning in 7 so I can get the most money out of DBacks world series tickets while still being able to watch the Sox win in game 3. Yeah, that would definitely be ideal. Word
Since all goals need to be revisited from time to time, this seems like an appropiate juncture to review my pre-season progonostications. However, I'm going to start with surprises of the year, both good and bad.
Good: Rays, Josh Hamilton, and the Cubs
Honestly, who outside of Coach Maddon and Don Zimmer thought the Rays had a shot this year? Here we are, mid-July and the Rays are a half game back in the East and 2.5 up in the Wild Card. Absolutely outstanding. Unless you're a Yankee fan.
Hamilton coming back from drug addiction to become an all-star and helping his team battle in the anemic AL west.
The Cubs, see the Rays, but add on not winning the series for 100 years. Oh and having your best athlete on the DL for a month and being in first with the most accident prone pitching combination of Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden. Best of luck to those guys being healthy.
Bad: Phil Hughes, Dontrelle Willis, The Tigers, and Andruw Jones
Obviosuly, the jury is still out on this, but really, if Phil stays this injury proned, Yankee fans might start looking at the decision to keep him over Johann Santana as being a worse decision than getting Gary Sheffield instead of Vladimir Guerrero. Yes, Santana is all but destined for Tommy John, but with a known one-year layoff, and then reasonable improvement for the first little while, this has to be a better scenario than a Mark Prior-esque career path, right?
So, Willis came from Florida, and is now back in Florida. This time, it's the minors though. And he was supposed to be the innings-eating difference maker that got them a ring. Not quite. His failure has completely over shadowing Miguel Cabrera's lack of performance, and has been a benchmark for the Tigers' demise.
Andruw Jones- Ridiculous. How is he still wearing a jersey?
Ok, let's get to what matters, namely how am I faring at this not exactly half-way mark. We'll work backwards from the order I made the predictions.
Which brings us to the NL. Which still doesn't matter. Part of me felt bad for the NL fan as they were so close to winning an All-star game for the first time in over a decade, only to see them blow it. Ouch. I'll still say that the Mets and the DBacks are worth talking about, but now I have to add the Cubs and make this a three team race. Now you're thinking, but wait, the Mets aren't even leading their division, how can you still have them as a favorite. Well, they're a half game back of the Phillies. They have a new coach, a new mentality, and, most important of all, have seemingly forgotten all about last year's historic collapse. Oh, and they haven't had a lot of injury problems this year, which should bode well for the rest of the year.
The DBacks had a bad June. I've got to put that one on myself. I showed up when they were 8 games up, and I left when they were a game up. Sorry guys. My fault. By the same token, don't look for them to fall any time soon.
Lastly, the Cubs. They've been, well, dominant in the tough NL Central, holding the best record in baseball, along with the Angels. With Harden pitching well, it seems like the juggernaut is going to keep rolling.
So the NL predictions have no reason to change, with the exception of the Wild Card. Atlanta is not cutting it, and the people above them in their own division are not dropping any time soon. I'm going to take the Brewers, after the addition, and successful outing, of CC Sabathia. It'll come out of the Central for sure, just a matter of who.
NL Recap, original in parenthesis
NL East: Mets (Mets)
NL Central: Cubs (Cubs)
NL West: DBacks (DBacks)
NL Wild Card: Brewers (Braves)
Now the part that matters, the AL. West first.
Seattle, who I had slated for a 86-win second place finish, are all but mathematically elimiated from that. Bedard has been useless and the offense has been worse than usual. That recipe always cooks up a horrible season. Beyond that, everyone is over 500 for the season. I'm not as suprised at their ability, but I am suprised at how those three seem to end up with the W in every close game. They're like the Zac Morris of the league. Always count on them to pull out of the scrapes. However, removing the Mariners from the equation, which they have done on their own, I was pretty on going Angels, A's, Rangers. I'm pleased with that.
The East has been interesting, and is now boiling down to whether or not the Yanks will be able to pull themselves up once again by their bootstraps and force themselves into the wild card. The division is the Red Sox's to lose, and not just because of that thinnest of possible margins 1/2 game over the Rays. They're firing on all cylinders, with the pitching doing fine without Schilling, and Papelbon emerging as a competitor to Rivera's throne.
Rivera leads us to talk about the Yanks. (By the way, and I'm not the first to say this but I will be one of the more adamant supporters of this, if the Yanks make it to the playoffs and Rivera performs for the rest of the year as he has already, he should get the Cy Young). They're floundering. The pitching rotation is worse than anyone could have reasonably expected, with the exception of Mussina's moderate renassaince performance, and the Joba experiment has been a good move for the starting pitching, while leaving the reliever corp cupboard bare. What's more, the offense has been weak. For example, name who's batting over 300 this year. Answer: Matsui (.323), Damon (.319), and A-Rod (3.12). That's it. More? Ok. Who has more than 20 Hrs? No one. Not A-Rod, not Giambi, not Abreu, no one. (Note: this would leave them on pace for less than 40 in the season even if they were at 20). Yikes. Good luck gentleman, but I have to move you out of the wild card. The pitching, well, we've been over Hughes lack of a season. Kennedy didn't work out nearly as good as hoped for, and it has gotten so bad that Kei Igawa was recalled (and then sent back down) in addition to the Sidney Ponson sighting a little while back.
The Rays, surprisingly, and have a great shot to hold onto the wild card. So much so, that if forced to decide right now, I would say they do hold onto it. They are in a good position, with what has been so far very consistent pitching backed by quality hitting. That's pretty good, if you like winning and all. The Yanks, more so this year than others, are floundering, and worst of all, outside of the amazing #2, none of them really seem to care about it. They had more excitement during the all-star game than they did in the series against Boston a little while back.
The Orioles suck as expected, but suck respectably, being only three games under five hundred. So while they're some 10 games back in the AL East, in the NL West, they would only be a game back and tied in the loss column. That's all the ink they deserve.
The Blue Jays are treading water at best, but are no where near worth talking about it any sense. Look for them to unload whatever talent they have, if any, for future prospects.
All in all, spot on for me, with the only thing in error right now is the switch of the Rays and Yanks for the 2-3 spots. Doing well.
The Central has been a pleasant surprise for me. The White Sox's young arms have done much better than I expected, which has been critical considering the struggle of Buehrle at the beginning of the season. Also, Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye are putting up terrific numbers, while Konerko and Thome have quietly had good, not great seasons. Everything is kind of working as one smooth unit, and has put us in the driver's seat. I'm very much pleased by this. So much for only 78 wins this season. I am happy to eat crow over my claim that "simply put, the White Sox are not a playoff contention team this year."
By the same token, there is no way the Tigers will be winning 97 games this season. Who would have guessed how big a flop the Willis-Cabrera deal would have been? Just has shattered this team. They'll be lucky to maintain their 500 winning percentage.
The Twins will be nipping at the sox heals all year, another moderate surprise. Torii Hunter's replacement has been outstanding, and the pitching has not seen too siginificant a drop since Santana's departure. In view of those two losses, this really has been a great season for them, and they have a legitimate chance to win the wild card or even the division.
For the Royals, see the Orioles above.
The Indians, good grief. Someone please, let Travis Hafner know it's ok if he wants to hit the ball again. Seriously, in games where Cliff Lee did not earn a decision, they are 29-51. Not kidding. Wow. Let that sink in. It's reminiscent when Seaver won 21 games and his team won something like 54 games.
Recap predictions, again original in parenthesis:
AL East: Red Sox (Red Sox)
AL Central: White Sox (Tigers)
AL West: Angels (Angels)
AL Wild Card: Rays (Yankees) [Yeah, I'll take the sexy pick. They've got the talent to make it happen]
Obviously, these changes affect playoff matches, so without further ado:
ALDS
Rays over Angels in 5
Red Sox over White Sox in 4
NLDS
Dbacks over Cubs 5
Mets over Brewers 4
ALCS
Red Sox over Rays in 6
NLCS
Mets over Dbacks in 7
World Series
Red Sox over Mets in 6
Boston is still the best team taking the field this season. Obviously, baseball playoffs has a lot more luck and momentum playing roles, so who knows what will happen in October. Look no further than last year's amazing run by the Rockies. Ideally for me, it would be White Sox DBacks with the sox winning in 7 so I can get the most money out of DBacks world series tickets while still being able to watch the Sox win in game 3. Yeah, that would definitely be ideal. Word
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Is It A Whiskey Night, Or Just A Couple Beers?
There definitely are a lot more cons than pros to my recent relocation to Florida, but one of the pros has to be the fact that I'm able to post this message while fishing off my dock. If there is a lengthy pause, it's because I'm reeling in dinner. (Oh and if anyone know what type of bait/lure/action I should be using to catch fish, please let me know. My main effort includes putting a piece of hot dog on the line and letting it sink to the bottom, and wait for a catfish to eat it. Not that successful really.)
Yes the plan is definitely to catch and eat a fish within the next couple days. I've done it once, but never off my dock. A scout trip down to the keys where we went scuba fishing during the day and pretty much chilled at the campsite during the nights led to us buying a Mickey Mouse, and I mean that literally, not just figuratively, rod and reel combo and some squid bait from the bait and tackle store next door. We landed about eight fish in the space of two hours. They weren't big at all, but when you took three or four of them, it was enough to be a meal. Plus, you felt amazing knowing that you could make food happen if you ever went broke. I want to go back to those times every now and then, and this may be the last chance I get for a while.
Of course, it was sunny thirty minutes ago, so now it has to start to rain. Makes sense. Hold on, moving to the boat so I can continue fishing/blogging.
If any of you were wondering if I did land a fish tonight, the answer is yes. I pulled up a catfish, as expected, and thought about cooking it, but after asking about three people who knew more about fishing than I did, decided to kick it back into the water. And this is when the thing stabbed me with one of its whiskers. Didn't see that coming. Now I'm wondering if I need antibiotics or vaccines of some sort. Not going to go the doctor about it though, so I guess we'll just hope my foot doesn't die.
This is kind of a weak post, simply because nothing has really happened since I decided to move back to Florida. I could talk about all the fun I had in Phoenix, but that would just leave me moderately depressed about the whole leaving episode. However, I do think this is where I supposed to be right now. I think it's my best chance to get into medical school, even if I have to forgo social relations, friends, and professional baseball. By the way, expect the DBacks to tear it up now that I'm gone. They sucked while I was there, and almost lost the division lead after being up by like 15 games just before I showed up. Not to say I'm the sole cause, but I had to play some role in it. Word.
Yes the plan is definitely to catch and eat a fish within the next couple days. I've done it once, but never off my dock. A scout trip down to the keys where we went scuba fishing during the day and pretty much chilled at the campsite during the nights led to us buying a Mickey Mouse, and I mean that literally, not just figuratively, rod and reel combo and some squid bait from the bait and tackle store next door. We landed about eight fish in the space of two hours. They weren't big at all, but when you took three or four of them, it was enough to be a meal. Plus, you felt amazing knowing that you could make food happen if you ever went broke. I want to go back to those times every now and then, and this may be the last chance I get for a while.
Of course, it was sunny thirty minutes ago, so now it has to start to rain. Makes sense. Hold on, moving to the boat so I can continue fishing/blogging.
If any of you were wondering if I did land a fish tonight, the answer is yes. I pulled up a catfish, as expected, and thought about cooking it, but after asking about three people who knew more about fishing than I did, decided to kick it back into the water. And this is when the thing stabbed me with one of its whiskers. Didn't see that coming. Now I'm wondering if I need antibiotics or vaccines of some sort. Not going to go the doctor about it though, so I guess we'll just hope my foot doesn't die.
This is kind of a weak post, simply because nothing has really happened since I decided to move back to Florida. I could talk about all the fun I had in Phoenix, but that would just leave me moderately depressed about the whole leaving episode. However, I do think this is where I supposed to be right now. I think it's my best chance to get into medical school, even if I have to forgo social relations, friends, and professional baseball. By the way, expect the DBacks to tear it up now that I'm gone. They sucked while I was there, and almost lost the division lead after being up by like 15 games just before I showed up. Not to say I'm the sole cause, but I had to play some role in it. Word.
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