Health

Baseball HQ on Matt Kemp

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Q. What is the BEST case scenario in a Matt Kemp deal?

A. That he returns to decent health, and hits anything like he did in 2011-12 at ages 26-27. Volume stats in 2012 are prorated:

Season	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	R	OPS+	RC/27
2011	.324	.399	.586	39	126	115	172	8.7
2012	.303	.367	.538	35	104	110	147	7.0

Those are insane Runs per 27 Outs numbers, amigo. Especially for a power hitter who lets the bat fly - high bases-per-outs figures come from the BB experts. You get up near 8 runs, as a cleanup hitter, you are bringin' the PAAAAaaainnnn.

David Ortiz' lifetime is 7.6; Prince Fielder's lifetime RC/27 is 7.5. Meaning, a lineup full of Kemps, Ortizes and Fielders gets you 7.5 runs per game.

Q. How likely is this?

A. It's the single most likely scenario, in my view. Like, a 60%, 70% scenario.

But there are a fair number of players who are great at ages 26-27, and then fall back to ordinary MOTO hitters. Kemp's floor would be what... Nelson Cruz, with speed?

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How to fake working

In office culture, basically nothing happens during the time between Christmas and New Year’s. A lot of people take the week off, and those who are left have little motivation to work. And yet, you still have to act like you’re working, just to keep up appearances. Slate has an excellent guide to doing just that.

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Southtown Pub

Southtown Pub is the perfect spot in St.

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New Year’s Resolutions

Last year, I made a resolution per month for 2013: take a photo every day, face a fear every day, that sort of thing. I even scheduled every. Single. One. I’m not kidding! As a result, I had a very interesting year. Our year was dotted with so many tragedies, however, that it didn’t always work out—and that’s okay. I tried a lot of new things this year (I found out that I don’t like pho soup; sorry, M!

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The Dog & Duck Pub

Modeled in the style of a classic British watering hole, The Dog and Duck Pub is the perfect place to relax after a long day. They’ve won several awards during their more than 20 years of service and have a long list of loyal and happy customers singing their praises. The beer selection is amazing, featuring more than 40 brews on tap, though be aware that they don’t serve up hard alcohol - beer and wine only at the Dog and Duck. And the food there is a mix of classic British-styled pub grub and some more refined offerings for the health-conscio

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So-called healthy foods that aren't

It's had enough to give up the Cheetos and start eating healthy. (I should know!) But the world of food makes it even more difficult by dressing up bad-for-you foods in healthy clothes and tricking people into thinking they are doing themselves a favor. It's just junk food in disguise.

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Franklin Gutierrez, SuperSub

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Q. Franklin Gutierrez, Super Sub? I thought Dr. D was Guti's eternal opponent?

A. Funny thing. Back when they were giving him +6 WAR and four-year deals, I thought the emperor had no clothes. But now that we're talking about him as a 4th outfielder extraordinaire, I'm super stoked.

The 116- Mariners had two main substitutes, Mark McLemore and Stan Javier. They both played so cotton-pickin' ever-lovin' grrrrrrrr-eat that Lou didn't give even 100 at-bats to any other sub.*

*the backup catcher played a little. But it's amazing how few AB's went to anybody else on the bench. Kain't argue with 116 wins, kiddies.

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Q. Is a 4th outfielder a big deal?

A. It never is for us. It sometimes is for good teams, though.

Managing your needs as a parent

Over the years, I have learned the hard way that neglecting your own needs as a parent has some pretty rough consequences. I have neglected my health, my sleep, even my teeth while I hustle to take care of family, home and work. Even though my 70-hour work weeks are gone—how could I have them now, without a baby who sleeps most of the night and morning?—I still find it difficult to sneak in some exercise, flossing and even sleep sometimes. Parenting alone can make this happen, but when you homeschool and work, too, it’s pretty much buying time wherever you can.

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Review: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ‘The Bridge’

After seeing what the folks over at Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. put together for their mid-winter send-off, I have to honestly say that I’m not sure I’ll be back when this show returns. The entire series has been a bit of a disappointment to me and no matter how hard I try to remain positive I just can’t ignore it any longer. Filled with mediocre writing, only half-likeable characters and no strong over-arcing plotline to get excited over, the show just can’t inspire in me any anticipation when it airs each week. I was hoping that the mid-season finale, ‘The Bridge’ would solve that dilemma by deepening the story, but I was once again wrong.

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Patty’s Inn

For a taste of what a dive bar truly is, take a trip down to Patty’s Inn if you dare. This dark and moody drinking spot is the very essence of regular customers, cheap-as-heck drinks and greasy bar food. This isn’t the type of place you go if you’re concerned about your health, but if you want to meet some very interesting characters and drink all night for about 20 bucks, you’ll find you’re in the right spot. Whether out on a date with someone that prefers a place raw and gritty or just looking to hang out with a new group of cool people, Patty’s Inn fits t

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