Browsing Posts tagged Baseball

Getting to the big leagues can be a long and treacherous road for young ballplayers. Whether they’ve grown up in small towns or in the suburbs of big cities, their dreams of playing in Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park are intersected by the reality of long bus rides through middle America, mediocre salaries, and the simplicity that goes with life in a small southern town. As a way of staying connected in these small towns throughout America, potential big league ballplayers find themselves connected with friends and family more often than not with the help of satellite internet. From Birmingham to Nashville, the overall coverage of these services can be seen across towns and cities throughout the nation.

For those prospects that have sacrificed so much to get to play in the minor leagues, the idea that they will one day find themselves jet setting across the country and competing for the almighty world-series ring keeps them pushing forward at every turn. Without the benefits of satellite internet broadband, many of them would find it difficult to connect via high-speed internet when they are lodged at some motel in the middle of Kentucky or Oklahoma. The service provides efficient and widespread coverage to millions of Americans, including those who are out on the road looking to make it big time. While away from their homes, these players have found the efficient coverage to help keep them up on stats and details of the major leagues as well. They can stay in touch with potential scouts and ensure that they’ll never miss an important e-mail. The benefits of having access to such a reliable coverage can be felt throughout various professional fields, but the small-town nature of minor league baseball seems to best capture the necessity of satellite internet in this day and age.

While some technologies have improved to a great degree, offering mobile internet at super sonic speeds, others have yet to come around. In fact, the focus of modern technological developments is almost exclusively on providing the infrastructure to the urban hubs of our nation and of the world. For this reason, we’ve seen great advances in places like Silicon Valley and the metropolitan Boston area. But what about the rest of the U.S., where millions of Americans traveling and working are also reliant on high-speed internet to stay involved with one another in their diverse lifestyles? For these, it is a savior to have the benefits of satellite broadband from rural towns and villages across the nation.

Minor league ballplayers are simply a microcosm of the expansive network of overlooked professional fields that don’t get the proper respect they well deserve. For this group, staying connected to the world at large with modern day technology is just as important as it is for anyone else. That’s just one of the reasons why satellite internet broadband plays such an important role in our society, as it links people who otherwise wouldn’t have the ability to connect with efficient and high-speed results.

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wildblue satellite internet service connects people from far and wide with unbeatable speed and reliability. In the realm of high-speed dish services, wildblue is a name to be trusted.

Low Back Pain Relief Hit with a Baseball Bat Hello, I am Dr. Darrel Hestdalen and I would like to share a story with you that is similar to what I have seen happen many times in the past 30 years. Kirk had just got home and the door bell rang. As Kirk bent over to straighten the rug by the door he was hit in the back with a baseball bat. Well that is how he described the sudden pain that he felt. The pain was excruciating and he could not stand up. He went to the floor trying to find a position to relieve the pain. Kirk had not had any significant low back problems. He was a former athlete and was in relatively good shape. He had not felt any strain to his back from any recent activity. Why did his back go out? In my 30 years of clinical experience I have found most of these types of acute low back had a similar underlying cause. Their second brain was abused. Your second brain is that complex nervous system that controls the harmony of all of your internal organ and most of the digestive process. We have become experts at abusing the second brain. This leads to an energy imbalance, tissue breakdown, a toxic body burden and several other responses that give us a variety of health problems. In the case of Kirk, he had experienced several stresses that had put a considerable drain on the energy of his digestive organs. The digestive organs have priority over other tissues. There are 3 tissue energy levels. These are the skin and nerves, the connective tissue and the internal organs. Allergies, skin conditions, muscle and joint pain or any chronic condition will b related to this dysfunction.

I recently treated a lady after a 10 day trip. Her schedule of activity, eating and rest were altered. Her complaint was neck tension that probably was related to a 2 day car ride. Her support muscles of the low back and neck were in dysfunction. Also her immune system and hormone balance were stressed as indicated by her acupressure points. In fact all 8 of her Second Brain Energy Points were stressed. Now back to Kirk. What Stresses? For a few weeks his life was like this: -Rushing out in the morning without breakfast. -Eating in a rush during the day. -Eating too much at night. -Tension and stress a work were high. -The drive home that day had heavy traffic and he nearly had an accident. To maintain digestive function or to compensate for the digestive stress the energy of the tissue is drawn from the low back support muscles to the digestive organs. When Kirk bent over the muscle responded to slowly to give him the proper support and motion and his back went out. The immediate spasm and pain would feel like being hit with a baseball bat. Could Kirk have avoided his acute low back problem? Yes he could have.

By a few lifestyle changes and simple massage to the acupressure points for the second brain he could have avoided this painful problem. The problem was that he did not know about his second brain. He responded quickly and now he does know how to handle these stresses better and keep his low back stable. Are you at risk? Are you abusing your second brain? If Kirk had made a few simple changes and treated the second brain energy formula acupressure points he could have handled the stress much better. Thousands of my patients did. For Your Total Wellness, Dr. Darrel Hestdalen.

Darrel Hestdalen PhotoAbout Author
Darrel Hestdalen, DC, has over 30 years of clinical experience. He holds advanced degrees in Applied Kinesiology and Acupuncture. He has taught post-graduate education to hundred of doctors and thousands of health conscious people. You can get more information on the Second Brain Energy Formula

Fan, Fashionable, it was, the product concept for 3F highly valued manual work texture, confined to leather products of some brands, a huge challenge, but Mr Coates to merge the COACH is in his own brand products perfectly demonstrated. But little-known is, the world’s first Coach handbags that inspiration from baseball glove.

The COACH from the United States, is Cahn family in 1941 in Manhattan loft a family in the form of workshop, the six leather with exquisite craftsman handiwork passed down from generation to generation, but unexpectedly, operating from original founder of traditional baseball glove first get inspiration. Founded in 1962, brand and kakha in person mayer when watching a baseball game, and was surprised to find that the baseball glove is smooth, in the soft characteristics, so he tried to become soft leather special treatment, and full of sheen, thus the durable leather, the world’s first Mr Coates purse was born. It is not easy decolour, wear characteristics, and simply use wet cloth to wipe, can make the skin perfect, such as new durability design, immediately the convenience of customers love!

Today, over half a century, Mr Coates leather factory is still the exquisite master by the skill, they mostly for leather with more than 20 years of experience, leather leather process full of love and devotion. For each of the two Mr Coates master, Mr Coates is not a brand name, but their painstaking care crystallization and inheritance.

The COACH has been very wealthy American style, loving and aesthetic appearance of simple practical usage, regardless of size, shape, pocket and aglet design, are widely used to highlight and comfort and convenience degree is high, and the joint and used to make its double seam, more stable, even by increasing brand in shape and different material design, also still in the design concept. Nowadays, the COACH in the United States has more than 200 shops.

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I prefer to Coach handbags, in order to better at the beach, specially prepared my COACH series POPPY canvas wing charm handbag.

In Florida, boy’s high school baseball is one of the most celebrated sports in the state. Hundreds of high school athletes participate every year in hopes of one day making the big leagues, or even just playing at the collegiate level. One player that has scouts talking is Rudolph Lavecchia. This prospect has been performing very well lately for his high school team. It is looking very likely that he’ll star on a collegiate team some day. Until then, Florida 6A baseball is feeling the presence of Rudolph Lavecchia.

Cypress Bay High School in South Florida had a great year in 2009. Much of that success had to do with the heroics of Rudolph lavecchia. While the right-handed outfielder stands just below six feet, he packs a ton of power. Scouts love the fact that he covers a lot of distance in the outfield. In fact, he runs a 60-yard dash in just 7.40 seconds. Rudolph Lavecchia also has an incredibly lean build, but experts suggest he could fill out even more at the next level. With strong and quick hands, as well as a patient approach at the place, Lavecchia is a consistent line-drive hitter that gets the barrel to the ball. Using an incredibly level plane, his swing is known locally as one of the best around.

One only needs to look at Rudolph Lavecchia’s performance against Taravella in last year’s regional quarterfinal to see the impact he has on his team. Down two runs and entering the fifth inning, Rudolph hit a blast to deep right center field, tying the game. On the day, Rudolph went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and three runs batted in. He even added to the Cypress Bay High School lead in the sixth inning with a double that scored runner Steven Reznyk. This win put Cypress Bay High School up against Douglas High School in the regional semifinal the next day, a great accomplishment for Rudolph lavecchia and the rest of his talented high school team.

In his senior year, Lavecchia picked up right where he left off last year. In a recent game on April 13th, the young outfielder helped propel his Cypress Bay High School team to a 13 to 8 victory over Taravella High School. In the game, Lavecchia was a key performer. He went 3 for 4 with a few great at-bats. Constantly working the pitcher, Lavecchia had a very timely RBI. Rudolph didn’t stop there – he managed to get on base and score a run himself.

With Rudolph Lavecchia’s senior year off to a great start in 2010, pundits are excited about the potential of Cypress Bay High School. So far, he has a .333 batting average, with five runs scored and seven runs batted in. His slugging percentage, found by taking the amount of bases covered and dividing them by the amount of at-bats, was an astounding .476.

It is no mistake that this young prospect is on his way towards collegiate baseball. There is a lot of talent in Florida, but this 6A prospect is one of the best. With a 5.1 second 40-yard dash, stealing bases and making plays in the outfield is one of his strongest points. Expect to hear the name Rudolph Lavecchia for years to come.

About Author
Freelance writer dedicated to providing helpful information to colleges and universities about high school baseball stars in South Florida.

Rudolph Lavecchia is a student who attends Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida, graduating later in mid-2010. He is also well known for his accomplishments on the Lightning, which is their official baseball team. Standing at five feet, ten inches and weighing in at a mere 155 pounds, this outfielder is also known for his accomplishments as a line drive hitter. In fact, in June of 2009, he helped Cypress Bay score a victory over Taravella when he hit a long home run in the fifth inning, effectively tying the game. This led to the 6-3 victory in the class 6A regional quarterfinals, with Rudolph Lavecchia accomplishing three hits for each of his three at bats.

A right handed fielder and batter, Rudolph lavecchia has been cited as having a throw as fast as 81 miles per hour when he throws the ball back from the outfield. He is also a very durable player with his athletic build and his patience when he is at the plate offers him many opportunities for success. His quick and strong hands have granted him the ability to exhibit a level swing, which, in turn, enable him to take the bat and get the ball every time. His senior year saw Rudolph Lavecchia hit 14 times in a grand total of 42 at bats, which is equivalent to giving him an impressive .333 batting average for the baseball season.

His senior year also saw Rudolph Lavecchia get onto base once when he was hit by a pitch and five times by way of a walk, which granted him an on base percentage of .417 for 2010. Ten of these 14 hits from his senior year were singles, putting him on first base, three were doubles, putting him on second base, and the last hit was the game altering home run in the fifth inning. Scoring five runs and whipping out seven runs batted in, Rudolph Lavecchia ended his senior season with a slugging percentage of .476.

It is clear that Rudolph Lavecchia exhibits a great ability to hit the ball into the outfield and he has proven that he knows how to handle his footwork when out in right field. As of this writing, he exhibits a level of skill that will probably make him either a junior college prospect or Division II, though if he continues to improve the skills he has improved thus far, he will be likely be able to be a prospect for Division I.

Rudolph lavecchia shares a birthday with a date that is perhaps one of the most famous among those in the history of America, having been born on September 11, 1992. Though he is part of the 2010 graduating class, Rudolph Lavecchia has not yet committed to any college; however, he has stated that he intends to major in Physical Therapy. His high GPA may warrant him this ability with ease. Wherever he may go, Rudolph Lavecchia intends to maintain his right fielder position throughout the course of college baseball, which was his position throughout his career in high school.

In a recent 40 yard dash, Rudolph Lavecchia posted a 5.1 second result, and in the 60 yard dash, he completed the run in 7.4 seconds.

About Author
Freelance writer dedicated to providing helpful information to colleges and universities about high school baseball stars in South Florida.

Sometimes for a special birthday, an anniversary, or an otherwise important occasion, we want to give something a bit more than the basic ‘few DVDs and a CD’. While we want to stick to the list and give the person what they want, there’s something very impersonal about simply buying a film they’ve asked for – it lacks effort and it lacks that extra individual touch. A great way to spice up a gift then is to personalise it and make it more unique than the run of the mill (literally).

For example, why not give someone a unique personalised pint glass if they enjoy their beer? It’s easy to make and fairly cheap and there are loads of places you can get glass engraved (including online). Put their name on it, a nice message, or a nickname (or both of your names) and they have a keepsake that will also amuse guests. Engraving can go on all sorts of other things too – most obviously jewellery – and a ring with your name on it can be all the more meaningful. In today’s modern world though you also get engraved watches, iPods and even phones. Similarly the internet gives you a lot more opportunity to personalise those items – using various websites you can use your own images to make phone covers, or using 3D printing sights you can even make your own designs for jewellery and ornaments to give someone something they can wear that’s 100% individual (or why not make jewellery the old fashioned way with some beads and a thread?).

Another great option is personalised t-shirts or baseball caps. This it a less expensive gift that the ring or the engraved iPod and makes a great amusing present for a friend. This can then either be a joke – for example you can buy your loved one a t-shirt with their nickname on (or their pet name) or a photograph of yourself (and your back on the back if you want to go all out) which will be amusing while showing effort; or a serious present – for example you could put an image on it that you know they like. This could be a painting they really liked, a photograph, or something clever you thought of yourself. Alternatively you could combine an image they like – from a film or famous painting – and then incorporate the receiver into the image by writing their name or photo-shopping their face into the image. Another idea is to make the image yourself – to paint or draw an image yourself that you think they’d like to wear on their t-shirt (only do it if you’re genuinely a good artist though as it can be embarrassing otherwise). This way you are showing that you put an awful lot of effort into the present and obviously spent a long time on it.

Other personalised gift ideas could be a wine bottle with a personalised label, a calendar of pictures from that person’s life, a mug with their name on it… the list is endless. Whatever you buy, by looking into personalising it you know it’ll make them smile and show that little bit extra thought. And as an added bonus you know they won’t mix it up with anyone else’s…

About Author
At conventions or other events promotional tshirts identify your staff easily for potential clients. Another very popular clothing item for staff identification are baseball caps.

Pitching is a very important part of baseball. When a pitcher is throwing with good control he is a very important factor in determining the outcome of a game. There are different types of pitches a pitcher can use. This article will explain different types of pitches and how to use them effectively.

Fastballs are used for speed. The amount of break is usually not visible. The ball is rolled from the ends of the index and middle fingers. The wrist is snapped when the ball is released. The curveball is thrown with an outward rotation of the hand and arm.

The ball is spun between the thumb and forefinger with the middle finger and wrist providing the spin. A screwball is thrown with an inward rotation of the hand.It is released with the middle finger and the fourth and fifth fingers with the middle finger and wrist providing the spin. A knuckleball usually breaks in the same direction as a curveball. The first joints of the middle and index fingers rest against the ball between the seams where they are the narrowest. The thumb and fourth and fifth fingers hold the ball tightly. When the ball leaves your hand the bent fingers are extended for additional speed.

There are other pitches a pitcher can use effectively.Good control with your pitches will win ballgames. The greatest pitchers in baseball had good control and were very tough to hit. Hopefully this article will help pitchers become better with their pitches.

About Author
Author-Eugene Rischall, Owner, Baseball Training Emporiumwww.baseballtrainingemporium.com

Let’s say that you are on first base and a right-handed pitcher is on the mound and he is pitching from the stretch position. After he comes to the set position, you should use a “key” to help you determine if the pitcher is going to throw to the plate or if the pitcher is going to throw to first base for an attempted pick off. The “key” is some part of the pitcher’s body that moves a certain way, where you would then know that it’s safe to take your secondary lead.

If you are attempting to steal second base, it will let you know when you can start sprinting toward second base. Many base runners use the right-handed pitcher’s front left heel as their “key.” In other words, after the pitcher comes set, the runner watches to see if the front heel is brought back toward the pitching rubber. This tells the base runner that the pitcher must throw to the plate. Once the pitcher brings the heel back, he can not turn and then throw to first base or it’s a balk.

The thing I don’t like about using the pitcher’s front heel as your key is that pitchers “play games” with the front heel to deceive the base runner. Pitchers have a tendency to be very smart and I know for a fact what they are starting to do the last several years. Some pitchers will actually move the heel for a fraction of a second slightly back toward the rubber and then deceive the base runner and throw to first base. The runner who is keying on the heel sometimes gets picked off by what should have been called a balk. In fairness to the umpires, it is not easy for an umpire to see something as small as a pitcher’s foot move illegally for only a fraction of a second.

My favorite key is the front left shoulder of the right-handed pitcher. If the right-handed pitcher comes set and you see the front left shoulder go toward first base, get back to the base because he’s trying to nail you. If he pulls the shoulder backward, the pitcher must throw the ball home and you should then be sprinting toward second base if you are stealing. It’s more difficult for the pitcher to be as deceptive with the front shoulder. It’s easier for the umpire to see a balk with the shoulder, compared to a balk with the heel or foot because umpires are not usually looking down low near the ground. That and the fact that the shoulder is simply much larger and easier for the umpire to see.

Using the front left shoulder of a right-handed pitcher is an excellent key and one of the best baseball base running tips for a base runner on first base and is a better key than the front heel!

Larry Cicchiello PhotoAbout Author
Larry’s very user friendly eBooks cover 320 topics on playing excellent baseball. ANY baseball player, coach or parent who wants to help their child will be fully equipped! Some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips are available at Larry Baseball.com

It is mandatory for baseball pitchers to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the baseball hitters they face. There are certain very clever things a pitcher can do. If the hitter takes a practice swing before facing you, pay attention to his practice swing! If he appears to be hitting an inside pitch with it, he is probably a pull hitter. If he appears to be hitting the ball the opposite way with his practice swing, chances are he likes to go the opposite way. If he appears to be hitting a high pitch, he probably likes the ball up. If he appears to be hitting a low pitch, you guessed it, he’s probably a good low ball hitter.

One of the best baseball pitching tips to remember is that professional baseball hitters, all the way down to very young players like to practice what they do well and not what they do NOT do well. This very often includes their practice swings.

Some Guidelines To Use BEFORE You Actually See The Hitter Swing:

Batter Has A Closed Stance. He probably likes the ball away from him and out over the plate. Find out if he can handle a pitch inside.

Batter Has An Open Stance. He probably likes the ball inside. Find out if he can handle the tough low and away strike.

Batter Stands Deep In The Box. I would be thinking primarily breaking balls. If he doesn’t want to “catch” my breaking ball early, let’s go with it and see how he handles my late break.

Batter Stands Shallow In The Box. Well, if the batter wants to give me an extra couple of feet on my fastball, I’ll take the extra foot or two he’s giving me to see if he can catch up to my heater.

Batter Has His Hands Held High. Almost always likes the ball low, with very few exceptions! You can check it out for yourself right now. Put your hands up high right now, by your back ear and pretend you are holding a bat. Move your hands like you are swinging at a chest high fastball. It doesn’t feel right, does it? Pitch him primarily up in the zone until he proves you to be wrong.

Batter Has The Bat Curled Around His Neck. Find out if he can handle a pitch that is up and in. His bat has to travel extremely far to hit that pitch well.

Some Thought Processes To Use AFTER You Have Seen The Hitter Swing:

Your first pitch is a real good fastball and he pulls it and hits a seed that’s a foul about 350 feet from home plate. You now know there is a very good chance he loves the fast ball. You should strongly consider going off speed on your next pitch. The only risk is that if he’s a good hitter, he might be thinking along with you after what he just did to your fast ball. (This is part of the chess match that takes place between a good pitcher and a good hitter.)

Good hitters are good hitters for a reason and that’s because they are always thinking. OK, he has clobbered your first pitch fastball. I’m not saying that you should not go off speed but you do have another option, considering this guy appears to love the fastball. The thought process goes like this…OK, you love the fastball, well I’ll give you another fastball. But this time it’s going to be six inches or so off the outside corner. Remember, if he loves to hit the fastball, he may chase one out of the strike zone because he doesn’t know if he’ll get another one from you. After two fastballs, he may start to think that you are going to stay with your heater. You might then go off speed, on your third pitch. If this sounds like a chess match to you, it is because it is a chess match that should be going on between a good pitcher and a good batter!

What If You Start The Batter Off With A Curve Ball?

You may start a hitter off with a curve ball and he may act like he’s never seen a curve ball before. I experienced this first hand when I was pitching at the age of 15. I had a very successful outing in our championship game. A player on the other team was a feared and outstanding hitter! I knew very little about him other than that everybody knew he was a tremendous hitter. Now please keep in mind the purpose of this article…I want to get to know him as quickly as possible. He had smoke coming out of his ears when he came up to the plate and I thought, “Oh boy, here we go.”

My first pitch to him was a slow curve ball. He swung down at the ball with the very unusual appearance that he was hammering a spike into the ground. I had him “chopping the wood,” as it’s referred too. I remember his timing was disrupted and literally saw the look of bewilderment on his face after the pitch. After this peculiar swing, I actually saw his eyes squint as he was shaking his head from left to right and right to left as if saying “no.” Well, the only thing I knew about him was that he batted something ridiculous like .600. I now also knew, after only one pitch that he does not like my curve ball.

In two subsequent at bats, he hesitated and decided to swing at the last fraction of a second. He was 0-3 against me and did not come close to getting a hit off me. Please…I am not making fun of Danny nor am I bragging. I have always and still have total respect for everyone on the baseball field. The only point I’m making here is for your benefit and not mine. The point is that I was able to learn a lot about this hitter after throwing one pitch! He saw fastballs off the plate and medium speed or slow curve balls the entire game. I still had to show him the fast ball because he’s a good hitter for a reason and he will make adjustments. If I threw him only curve balls, probably about the fifth one would go over the fence. He would progressively go from looking terrible to looking very good and that’s why he’s a very good hitter.

I have to be honest and level with you here. I told you I had a very successful outing and that’s totally true. We lost the game 2-1 in extra innings. I had a two hit shutout going into the last inning. We led 1-0 in the last inning and I was starting to get tired. With one out, I walked a batter. I struck out the next batter on a fastball. So there is a runner on first base and two outs. No problem. The next batter hits a fairly easy grounder to second base. Our second baseman runs over about three steps to his left, is in front of the ball and it goes through his legs. (Ouch!) I should be celebrating a 1-0 victory with a 2 hit shutout! But instead, there are now runners on first and second and still two outs. I still need one out and they have their second best hitter up. I threw him a “mistake,” a high curve ball and he singled to left center to tie the game up. The next batter popped up to end the inning and I was done for the game, as the league rules required me to leave after six innings. They scored in the first extra inning on a walk and then a double and beat us 2-1.

It’s amazing how I can remember the details from over forty years ago but I was heart broken and that’s probably why I can remember it so well. I was very upset and emotional after the game and my father, God rest his soul, had a very nice chat with me. We lived less than a mile from the park but my father and I drove around for about twenty minutes before returning home to break the bad news to my mother and sisters. He kept dwelling on my solid performance and told me, “you pitched your heart out and that’s all you can do.” My father was great and made me feel a little better but this one hurt and my tears reflected just that. (Thanks for letting me share my heartbreaking story with you.)

Okay, let’s get back to knowing a batter quickly. Let’s make sure we are clear on something. Remember that even if I see that a hitter does not like a pitch in a certain location, it does not mean that I can throw that same pitch over and over and over again and expect to be successful. Good hitters will make adjustments at the plate. I still have to show him other pitches and other locations also.

Be cautious that a batter doesn’t start out one way and then when he is actually swinging, he changes. For example, a batter may have his bat curled around his head but when he’s actually ready to hit, he changes and it’s not curled any longer.

Another example is if a batter has an open stance. He may possibly close his stance just before getting ready to swing. You have to pay attention, just like a batter who takes your pitch and follows it all the way into the catcher’s mitt to see how your pitch is moving.

Baseball pitching tips require clever use of the mind as well as the body and pitching is not simply getting the ball and throwing the pitch. Please make sure you learn a hitter’s tendencies as quickly as possible!

And don’t ever forget to take that sneaky look at those practice swings, one of the best baseball pitching tips you will ever learn!

Larry Cicchiello PhotoAbout Author
Larry is the author of “Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away.” His VERY user friendly eBooks and CD’s cover 320 topics. ANY player, coach or baseball parent will be fully equipped! Some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips are available at LarryBaseball.com


A hilarious routine from the undisputed master of intelligent comedy, George Carlin (RIP). These are the many reasons why I have ALWAYS hated baseball };-) This segment is rated PG, no foul language, so don’t dispair… };-) ENJOY, RATE, COMMENT, AND SUBSCRIBE!! —————————–