Column

Spring is here and that can only mean one thing- BASEBALL I know, I know, it means other things too, but indulge an old coot. Anyone interested in this nonsense can join us at WPLJ in Walnut Creek for the annual Trivia Tournament originally played at Kings X in Oakland. We will be playing all day, so come and watch. If you want to play, let us know.

1. “It Happens Every Spring” was a very enjoyable baseball movie of 1950. Who was the star?
2. Who was the very first opening day pitcher for the SF Giants in their inaugural season of 1958?
3. In which stage musical was the song “Younger than Springtime” sung?
4. Who played the title role in the TV show “December Bride”?
5. At what Georgia health resort did FDR pass away in 1945?
6. Sports Illustrated perpetuated a great hoax 30 years ago in describing the pitching exploits of a baseball pitcher, Sidd Finch, who could throw 100 miles per hour and hit the ball 500 feet It was an April Fools Day gag created by a well-known writer. Who was the writer?

February Answers:
1. Ava Gardner 2. Dave Stewart 3. Al Michaels 4. Orson Welles 5. Kickapoo Joy Juice 6. Alan Shepherd

Win Lunch On Ben!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate at The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez! Entries must be received by April 20, 2011. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Since October, baseball in the Bay Area has been spelled G-I-A-N-T-S. It’s understandable. The Giants won the World Series and most of the players with whom the Bay Area fell in love are returning.

While the Giants have been taking multiple victory laps and repeatedly hoisting their championship trophy, the A’s have completed a series of moves that should make them serious contenders in the American League West.

Though rebuffed in their attempt to land slugging third baseman Adrian Beltre, the A’s did add Designated Hitter Hideki Matsui, outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham along with pitchers Rich Harden, Brian Fuentes, Grant Balfour and Joey Devine.

Matsui was MVP of the 2009 World Series with the Yankees, DeJesus and Willingham upgrade the corner outfield spots, and the new pitchers will give Oakland one of the strongest bullpens in the majors. Fuentes is a former All Star closer with Colorado and the Angels while Balfour was on Tampa Bay teams that won the A.L. East two of the last three seasons. Balfour’s ERA last year was 2.28 in 57 games. In 2008 he was even better with a 1.54 ERA in 51 games. Devine has been a solid reliever in Atlanta.

The most intriguing addition might be Harden. A former Athletic, Harden often hits 100 on the radar gun, yet health has been an issue. He appeared in just 46 games over the past two seasons and missed the playoffs with Texas last year because he was not recovered from his latest arm problems.

For his career, Harden has averaged more than nine strikeouts per game and has surrendered only 694 hits in 845 innings. If he somehow can stay healthy, the A’s may have acquired a veteran ace at a bargain price.

If the A’s got intrigue with Harden, they acquired one of the most famous players in the world in Matsui. The team’s new designated hitter earned the nickname Godzilla during his eight year career in Japan for his power and speed. He then signed a $73 million seven year contract with the Yankees that culminated in the 2009 World Championship. Last year, he had a solid campaign as the Angels DH with 21 homers, a .274 batting average, and on base and slugging percentages well above the league average.

Matsui is followed daily by dozens of Japanese reporters, which should help raise Oakland’s profile. And while the A’s say they acquired him for his on-field attributes, the possibility of selling tickets in the Asian community is certainly a positive factor for a team that last year generated only about half the attendance the Giants did.

The A’s also benefit from playing in the smallest division in the majors. The Mariners, Angels, and Rangers have two World Series appearances and one championship in their combined histories, and each has lost key players going into this season. And while Texas and Los Angeles figure to be competitive, neither is so strong that the A’s cannot harbor realistic hopes of taking the division title.

For ALIVE East Bay baseball fans, the A’s represent a tremendous bargain. They should be a good team in a winnable division with good seats at the Coliseum often available right up to game time. Many of those seats can be had at promotional discounts at various times, particularly midweek night games. An A’s game might be a welcome alternative to fighting the San Francisco crowds anxious to see the World Champs defend their title.

Maybe if you decide to take a look at the way you have been learning you might discover that this is where an adjustment can be made which in turn will help you have more fun while practicing and playing.

According to Chuck Hogan, “Education would be a complete success if it met one criterion: to make learning fun, no one would tire of learning. They would enter into learning for pure joy of fascination, exploration and discovery. Nobody would be forced to learn. Proficiency and productivity would skyrocket as a by-product of this process. The same is true for golfers. Golf should be pure joy. Learning could be limitless if golf was purely fun.”

So many golfer’s are “stuck” in the same pattern of just trying to experiment with the latest swing advice or golf gimmick and invention that they often fail to see where the problem really exists. Maybe it is all in one’s own head! If you picked up the game out of a fascination and desire to learn, somewhere along the way that passion got side tracked. No doubt golf is a challenging game requiring coordination and motor skill development, but if you are constantly battling yourself within, it makes learning almost impossible to yield favorable results!

Take an assessment of your learning. Is it intimidated by hesitation, confusion, frustration, anger or depression? The trick is to genuinely make learning fun. As O.B. Shallow reminds us; “Choose to have fun. Fun creates enjoyment. Enjoyment invites participation. Participation focuses attention. Attention expands awareness. Awareness promotes insight. Insight generates knowledge. Knowledge facilitates action and action yields results.”

“When you indulge completely in this process, there cannot be fear or anger,” says Hogan. “You can enter into every golf shot without prejudgment of the outcome before it takes place.”

Your learning system and infinite capacity to learn will be open. As long as you don’t get serious about fun you’ll keep improving. You’ll also be a uniquely disciplined golfer who doesn’t get “sucked into” the “golf is hard” beliefs.

Perhaps you have set your goals high and you are, more than ever, determined to have your best season yet. Make sure to also place at the top of your goal list to have more fun in the process!

I was privileged to have worked with Chuck Hogan back in the early 90’s while playing on both the PGA and Nike Tours.

Dave Delong, PGA Class A Professional, Boundary Oak Golf Course

Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve which supplies feeling and movement to parts of the hand. It can lead to numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle damage in the hand and fingers. The median nerve provides feeling and movement to the “thumb side” of the hand (the palm, thumb, index finger, middle finger, and thumb side of the ring finger). The area in your wrist where the nerve enters the hand is called the carpal tunnel. This tunnel is normally narrow, so any swelling can pinch the nerve and cause pain, numbness, tingling or weakness. This is called carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is common in people who perform repetitive motions of the hand and wrist. Typing on a computer keyboard and using a mouse are the most common causes of carpal tunnel. Other causes include driving, painting, writing assembly line work, use of certain hand tools, various sports, and playing some musical instruments.

A number of medical conditions are associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, including diabetes, obesity, infections, alcoholism, hypothyroidism, menopause, PMS, pregnancy, bone fractures, arthritis of the wrist, and chronic inflammatory conditions.

Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome includes: numbness or tingling in the thumb and next two or three fingers of one or both hands, numbness or tingling in the palm of the hand, pain extending from the elbow, pain in wrist or hand in one or both hands, problems with fine finger movements (coordination) in one or both hands, wasting away of the muscle under the thumb (in advanced or long-term cases), a weak grip or difficulty carrying bags or opening a jar (a common complaint) and weakness in one or both hands.

Class IV Laser Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Up until recently the most common treatment for Carpal Tunnel has been the use of anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, wrist splinting and surgery. These treatments do not treat the cause but the symptoms only and are not always effective long-term.

Now, however, we have a powerful, effective, non-invasive solution to reverse the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. Ending the symptoms caused by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome requires stopping the cycle of inflammation at its source. Class IV laser therapy is an excellent method for this, because it is presently the only modality that can both reduce inflammation and heal tissue simultaneously. Laser treatments at Align Healing Center are done with the K-laser 1200 a Class IV Laser. This laser does not cut or burn but is gently absorbed by the tissue. During Laser Therapy the infrared laser light interacts with tissues at the cellular level, increasing metabolic activity and improving the transport of nutrients across the cell membrane. This initiates the production of cellular energy (ATP) that leads to a cascade of beneficial effects, increasing cellular function and health. Therefore, laser therapy creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness and pain. As the injured area returns to normal, function and strength are restored and pain is relieved.

At Align Healing Center we are having great success treating carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, shoulder and neck pain, migraines, arthritis, tendonitis, post surgical pain, sports injuries and more; even if it’s long-term residual pain. Arthritis and degenerative disc disease sufferers can see long term benefits from this treatment without any of the negative side effects experienced with the long term use of medications.

Dr. Niele Maimone, DC is the owner and founder of Align Healing Center in Danville, CA. She has been active in our natural health & wellness community since 1999. For more information or to set up a consult call 925.362.8283 or visit www.alignhealingcenter.com.

“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?” These lyrics from Katy Perry’s smash hit song “Firework” is about getting your confidence back, taking chances and feeling strong. When you feel good about yourself, your outlook on life is different. You feel empowered, ready to tackle life’s challenges with the attitude that anything’s possible.

One thing that can help you achieve this confidence is getting the right make-up colors that fit you as an individual. I have witnessed this transformation many times in our beauty boutique with women I help when choosing the right lip color the appropriate foundation and eye colors. When you have the right make-up your confidence level is lifted, and you are happier knowing that you have the right combination in cosmetics that match your skin perfectly and just for you. This spring, take the challenge and reinvent yourself. It is time to shine, do some spring-cleaning and change some things in your cosmetic wardrobe.

Fresh Eyes
The forecast for spring eyes are fresh, light and cool neutral tones, with little surprises of color. The neutrals this spring come in a wide range of grays tones from silver to matte pale grays. Pair it with some peach tones to add some youthful tint to the eyes. Browns are fine but switch to browns that have some gray undertones to them to give the eyes that nice subtle rich tone. This will also give you an updated and fresh look for spring. Under eyes add a new twist of color like teal or navy to give your eyes that modern glow.

Couture Lips
Polish your look with long lasting lip shines for your lips. Lips are icy almost nude for a sophisticated yet youthful look this season. Try a nude pink lip color lipstick with a beautiful sparkling nude shimmer pink gloss to finish. There are many so many shades to pick from so you can be original. Be natural and alive. We’re Obsessed!

Beauty Event
Choosing the right colors for your eyes and lips are invaluable, so find out what looks best on you. At The Rouge we listen to your needs and help you select and choose the right colors that go with your very own skin tones and style. We are dedicated in helping you. Now through April 30th we are offering make-up updates to give you exactly what you need. You are special and original and there is no-one like you. Like Katy Perry’s lyrics… “Let your colors burst and show them what you’re worth!”

Theresa Taylor Grutzeck is the owner of the Rouge, Kiss and Make-up Studio, 822 Hartz Way, Danvile, CA 94526. Phone: 925-736-3900 and email: info@therougecosmetics.com

Would it be an exaggeration to say that for some time we’ve all been on, or at least witnesses to, a bit of a wild ride? A tide of awareness, enabled by social networking and technology, has flooded previously oppressed masses as the term “global economy” echoes from New York to California and beyond.

Here at home, average Americans (and even some politicians) are experiencing an awakening of sorts too, coming to grips with severe budget woes by realizing that wealth is earned by providing real goods and services and that “created” economic stimulus concoctions are like trying to fill the shallow end of a pool by scooping water from the deep end.

We’ve suffered doses of tragedy and catastrophe, as good people we know or know of have suffered, from Phoenix, Arizona to Christchurch, New Zealand. And as if real issues were not enough to deal with, we’ve struggled to explain to our kids the inequities and ironies of life, like material wealth and celebrity status bestowed upon one of the “Two-and-a-Half ____.” (If ever there was an oxymoron, it would be here in using the word “men.”)

To be sure, a lot has happened of late; much of it being difficult to process. But process it we will, one way or another.

The coming of spring is always a good time to take stock of what really matters and appreciate the fact that with all change and struggle come opportunities for real, significant growth. And that applies to individuals, groups, and even nations.

Remember that for all of the bad and ugly we endure, good always has and always will, prevail.