#ccs clear card 76

[meimi-haneoka]

Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Chapter 76: Comments + JP-ENG translation differences

Ooooh CCS fans, welcome back to our monthly appointment!! Which, apparently, will go on a little longer than previously expected because (I'm sure you've heard of it in the last month, but in case you didn't) CLAMP/Kodansha did what I thought they wouldn't dare doing: they extended the Clear Card serialization a little bit more, announcing the last volume will be the 16th one, instead of the 15th one as previously stated! Volume 16 will be released on April 1st 2024, while they also delayed the release of volume 15 to November 13th (this made me suspicious, is it to accomodate more chapters in it? Or what else happened there, to delay it?) I have no idea how many more chapters we'll get at this point (or if the 16th volume was born because it will accomodate some after-story extra chapters), but I have to say that after the initial shock, I've took the news quite well and I just can't deny that the story really seemed to need a bit more room to develop the conclusion properly, so I'd daresay the announcement ultimately made me sigh in relief. And this chapter definitely proved to me that things are steadily proceeding, but taking care in depicting carefully and without haste an heroic moment that will turn out to be more complex than what probably Sakura & co. expected. I'm gonna need a bit more patience to see how all of this ends, but I prefer for the end to not be rushed and not have regrets in the future! Also, this looks like it might tie in with the beginning of season 2 of the anime? We'll see!

Well, after this preamble to update everyone on the situation of the serialization, we'll proceed under the cut to talk about the actual chapter, which unfortunately this month is stained by several translation mistakes, omissions and inaccuracies. They really deceived me, doing a good job on the past 2 chapters...*sigh* I'm still quite mad because of course WHO gets affected the most, among those translation mistakes? I feel like coming at this point I don't even have to state it. *another sigh* Before diving into my ramblings, let's give a look to the gif of this month! I chose this one because I feel like I need to lighten the mood a little bit, since between the end of this one and -I'm sure- the next chapter, I'm afraid there won't be anything to laugh about.

Under the cut!

The Color Page

Anyone following this blog since some time, or who knows me well, probably doesn't need to be told that I completely loved the color page of this month! 🥰After 11 chapters, Akiho comes back to grace the opening page of a chapter of Clear Card. It's very simple, but in its simplicity I could feel all of Akiho's essence, while appreciating the usual symbolism of some elements of the color page. First and foremost, Akiho is smiling, and that wasn't a given for a color page appearing at the end of this story. We've seen Sakura making plenty of wistful faces lately, so it feels like we can't really take for granted to see our characters smiling. But her beautiful smile in combination with the nice shade of green Mokona-sensei chose for her elegant dress (which is totally in tune with what Akiho would wear) is really giving a kind of hopeful vibe to the whole color page. And I feel that for this chapter, we really needed that. Green is kind of an unusual color to associate Akiho with, but there's more to it. Together with the shade of yellow that sensei used to create a gradient on the skirt, this green is a clear callback to the color scheme of the lilies that Akiho is holding and wearing among her curls. And as we all know, lilies in this arc are primarily a symbol of the character who literally bears their name: Akiho's mother, Lilie (German for "lily"). As soon as I saw the presence of lilies in this color page with her, I went all "awwww" because I couldn't help but think "this is a sign her mother is watching over her and is always with her, right?" And inevitably, seeing Akiho gently holding those flowers made me wish even more that she could know something, anything about her mother. I also noticed that Mokona-sensei slightly changed the shading of Akiho's hair again, removing the yellowish undertone that was present in the most recent color pages that Akiho appeared in, making me sigh because I'll have to modify my color palette for my fanarts once again 😩it still looks lighter than her mother's, at least, and it's still very much ash blonde. The editorial text in JP on the color page is what Sakura told her at the end of chapter 73: "Let's get them back. The one you didn't want to lose".

Collapsing Time

Aaaaand this chapter for me started with a "I KNEW IT!" equipped with a loud laughter, because ever since chapter 75 ended I've really been wondering "will the group at home be able to follow their journey inside the fake moon, or will the connection be conveniently cut off?" OF COURSE IT'S THE LATTER, what else could've been? 😆 Tomoyo rationally wonders if the signal simply doesn't reach in the space inside the fake moon, but Eriol from the other end of the videocall tells everyone that these are rather some more specific, particular circumstances: he was able to see what was inside the fake moon for a split second before the connection was cut off, and what he saw is an environment where time isn't simply stopped, is actually collapsing. I want to start my long list of complaints about the translation in English of this chapter, with this mild inaccuracy: the ENG makes Eriol consistently sound unsure of what he's affirming above, using verbs like I suppose, while the JP text doesn't leave any trace of doubt - Eriol isn't supposing, he knows that time is breaking down in that environment.

Back to Sakura and Syaoran, our little heroes start to feel the effects of this powerful magic that is permeating the interior of the fake moon, with Syaoran noticing that the clock parts fluctuating aren't really deformed like they're seeing, but only appear so due to the strong pressure of the magic spell inside that environment. And here we have to stop once again, because this is another straight up mistake of the ENG translation:

ENG: "There's nothing wrong with the watch itself. The spell's placed too much pressure on it. It only looks broken"

JP: "It's not like the components of the clocks are really deformed...They only look like that because the pressure of the magic spell is too strong"

As you can see, skipping the translation of the word 部品 (components) made them completely misunderstand Syaoran's line and make it about the pocket watch in their hands, instead of the fluctuating clock parts! And it's like they wanted to give an explanation to why the pocket watch looks broken (hello??? The pocket watch gradually broke when Kaito was still active in the un-rewritten world!!), despite the adjective used in JP is deformed, not broken. But let's go on.

Sakura starts to feel that pressure on her head, in fact she points out that her head is hurting to a worried Syaoran (JP, lit.: "My head is..."). He answers that it's only normal, because the spell is so powerful that it's affecting them physically, and he can feel those effects too (he's only better at dissimulating it, apparently). (I'm just worried if it's clear in the ENG translation, by how they're phrasing things, that the spell Syaoran is referring to is the one that's active on the whole place, not the one he used to trace the owner of the pocket watch). Syaoran continues saying that it's happening the same to the interior of the "fake moon", basically everything is so warped and deformed (due to the strong pressure) that if the pocket watch didn't show them the way, they would've lost both their sense of orientation and even the "target" they were tracking with that compass. So while the readers might have thought that if Sakura and Syaoran got there successfully it was only thanks to the compass, CLAMP went out of their way to specify that it wasn't exactly like that: it seems like the pocket watch actively guided them through the magic beam that originated from the compass, preventing them from getting lost. I guess without the watch's intervention, the compass might have still shot that beam in search for Kaito, but it might have gotten all of them lost, because the magic spell at work inside that environment is so strong that it warps everything, beam included. Again, I wonder if this concept above is clear enough from how they phrased it in the ENG translation.

And if that wasn't enough, Sakura's sweet smiling face says that Akiho guided them there. Evidently she thinks that the pocket watch is not only permeated by that mysterious moon magic that they still don't know who it belongs to, but also by Akiho's strong will to look for and to find the person she never wanted to lose. Akiho is always with them, spirit tightly connected to that pocket watch, and I couldn't help but being so moved by how considerate and sweet Sakura is. Akiho is evidently at the center of her thoughts even now, after all, she departed for this mission precisely for her sake.

Syaoran says that the beam is pointing at this dragon that is sleeping in front of them, but then actually starts doubting it and says "wait, is this really a dragon...?". The mere fact that he had a second thought about it might already be a sign that there might be more than meets the eyes, behind this creature that we're seeing now. Sakura just needs to look at it for a moment to remember immediately: she met this dragon before, in a dream. Of course, she can remember about this only thanks to the "film strips of memories" that the Record Card supplied her with some chapters ago, since it's all stuff that comes from the "un-rewritten world". Then, Sakura takes charge of the pocket watch and thanks Syaoran for his help with the compass: it's clear that she wants to talk to the dragon, now. Clutching the pocket watch tightly and looking at the sleeping creature in an intense way, she gets closer to it.

The dragon finally opens its eyes and wakes up.

Sakura is such a sweet and well mannered girl, so I couldn't help smiling when she said this: (JP, lit.) "Please allow me to address you with "you" (anata), since I don't know your name". Yes, because Sakura's usual speech pattern includes calling people by their name, rather than using a direct "anata". Even with Syaoran, some pages ago, she didn't use a direct "you", but simply repeated his name instead. Her usual way to talk to people always sounds very soft, well mannered and warm to me, while probably using "anata" even with her closest people feels too "blunt" to her. Or, maybe, "impersonal". In this case, she really doesn't have any other choice, though. Alas, this was something that was hardly translatable in a literal way in the ENG version, and I think the way they chose works pretty well anyway.

And so, Sakura continues. (JP, but ENG is equally fine as well:) "I can feel 'something' coming from you, which is the same that I can feel coming from this watch as well. I guess Syaoran-kun would call it 'magical power'. Do you know the owner of this watch? Or.....is this watch YOURS?" How cute, this really shows clearly that Sakura's relationship with magic is not made of technicalities and such, and she still feels a newbie about it, so she is capable of feeling distinctly the magical aura coming off the dragon and the pocket watch, but she isn't still used to use technical terms like "magical power", "aura" and such. Syaoran is the expert for those things, and she seems to admire and respect him a lot for that! 😆

Sakura asks something to Syaoran to get a certain confirmation. I have the impression that she could feel it herself, but wanted the confirmation from her expert husband boyfriend. She asks him if the magical power that is permeating the environment of the fake moon is the same moon power that comes from the pocket watch. Syaoran confirms they're different (again, an inaccuracy of the ENG translation, which makes Syaoran say "something is different". There's no "something" in the JP, he was just plainly stating that the two sources of power are different).

I want to point out how cool Syaoran looks in his pose of this scene, his hand gripping the handle of his sword the whole time, ready to unleash it at the minimum sight of danger on Sakura. I really love it because Sakura doesn't really know the intentions of the dragon yet, so what she's doing is pretty risky in itself, but Syaoran didn't stop her, he trusted her and let free to do what she wanted to do. He's just, you know, going to stay in the background with his hand on his sword, ready for any scenario, just in case. 😂 Protective boyfriend (but not suffocating one) strikes again! This is what I mean when I say they came a long way ever since chapter 1.

I Know Your Eyes

Sakura can feel that even the magic coming from the "cage" (she uses a term in JP that sounds more like fence than the harsher cage, though) is different from the one the pocket watch is giving off, and this is all she needs to have the confirmation she was looking for: just putting 2 and 2 together from the difference in powers, she concludes that the dragon is there against its will, and someone else locked it up in there. Sakura asks the dragon if she's right, but it simply......stares at her, in silence.

Sakura watches those eyes....and they're all she needs to see. Because she realizes she knows those eyes.

And here, unfortunately, I have to prepare you for another translation mistake, an actual omission that irritated me quite a lot because I consider this a very important scene for a certain character's depiction and development. And you probably don't even need to ask who he is, because he's been bastardized this whole time by the ENG translation.

ENG: "I know you. I know your eyes...And not just because I've seen them in a dream. With your eyes, you watched over Akiho-chan. Somehow, that memory's still inside of me"

JP: "I know...your eyes. And not because I've seen them in a dream. Those eyes used to look at Akiho-chan with great care/affection. (That feeling) remained inside of me"

*draws a deep breath* Okay. I'll go with my grievances with the translation first and then I'll talk about my own reaction to this scene.

When Sakura is talking about the way Kaito used to look at Akiho (because it's clear as hell we're talking about him here, even if she doesn't remember who he is, yet), the JP text includes a very important adverb, 大切に (taisetsu ni, lit. "carefully, giving importance, cherishing something). And Sakura doubles down on it by preceding it with another adverb, とても (totemo, "very"). It is absolutely, unmistakably clear that Kaito used to look at Akiho with lots of affectionate feelings. That 大切に indicates how much he cherished her...how much she was important to him...and he never said it aloud, probably not even realizing it himself, but his eyes spoke for him. And Sakura saw it all.

The ENG translation completely omitted and skipped the translation of the adverb とても大切に, indicating only that Kaito "watched over" Akiho. Completely stripping the action of looking at her of any emotional involvement. To me, that is intolerable. Why?

Because this is the first time that a character, any character, clearly spells out how Kaito considers Akiho. And of course they gave the honor of pointing out the elephant in the room (gosh, this really looks like that situation) to the protagonist, our Sakura. I mean, we came to this point in the story precisely because nobody was able to say for sure what the hell Kaito thought of Akiho. Not even the person concerned himself! I've seen countless of theories along the years, and a worringly big amount thought that Kaito only wanted to use Akiho for his own selfish goal. I kept seeing speculations of that kind even after all he did in chapter 70. And that was particularly strong in the western side of the fandom, because of how the translation portrayed Kaito all these years. Now that we finally get a spoken, spelled out confirmation that he considered Akiho so important, he cherished her so much, and those sweet feelings seeped through his eyes and couldn't escape Sakura's attentive stare, what do they do? They remove any sign of it. They make Sakura say that he only "watched over her" like a regular watch dog, without touching any of the emotional involvement that was indicated in the JP original text. I remind you that 大切(な) is also the core adjective of the famous 一番大切なひと, "the most important person". If this will be connected to an eventual statement later on, this omission is even worse.

Of course, I cannot be anything else than dismayed at this perpetrated character assassination that this translation is operating on Kaito. Leaving aside all my bias for my two favorite characters, this omission penalizes Sakura's characterization too. The fact the she could recognize Kaito (without knowing it's Kaito) through the Dragon's eyes is a testament to how extraordinarily empathetic she is, and how her empathy is literally saving this story. Her empathy made her understand that Kaito couldn't be a bad person, deep down, because of how he looked at Akiho and how Akiho was so happy with him, leading her to make the decision of not confronting them openly, back in the un-rewritten world. Her empathy is what guided her here and what now is telling her "yes, this IS Akiho's most important person. And that person cherished her too". And how she was able to recognize that? Not because Kaito used to just "watch over" Akiho, what made that gaze special were the feelings that Sakura could see inside of it. All of this story is held up by the feelings between its characters. I think it's a huge mistake to not give the right importance to them, to ALL OF THEM.

I think I complained enough about this translation, so let's get talking about happier things. Because of course, in its original form, this scene became my favorite one from the entire chapter and moved me to tears. I was amazed by how Sakura was capable of recognizing Kaito's soul, his essence, only looking at the dragon's eyes. And you know, although being similar (they are some kind of tsurime too), they're not exactly the same as Kaito's, so it seems clear to me that Sakura recognized them basing on sensations and feelings alone. Eyes are, after all, a window to somebody's soul. And even though we could never really get into Kaito's head, or only partially did towards the end of the "un-rewritten world", I really have to say that his eyes spoke volumes of what he was feeling for the entirety of the manga. And for that, we can only praise Mokona-sensei's wonderful skills. I always loved Kaito's eyes, how they could be mischievous, happy, surprised, sweet, sad, tragic. The fact that I could be sure that he loved Akiho in any capacity till now, was also thanks to how he looked at her. So I was really glad to see the element "eyes" being used in this scene to make Sakura recognize him. And there's more to it. I delved into the use of the word 瞳 (hitomi, lit. "pupils") with the furigana "me" next to it (which is the pronounciation of another kanji used to indicate eyes, 目), and I found out/re-confirmed that 瞳 indeed literally means "pupils", but in manga, songs, novels and such it is a trope used to indicate the eyes when there's an emotional nuance attached to it. It is used to make things sound more "romantic" or drip with emotion. "Your eyes...looked at her with so much affection"... ...You can now understand even better why I am so peeved at the omission of the ENG translation for this part. All the other languages did their job and included the nuance correctly. CLAMP were trying to be very straightforward with their composition of Sakura's line, everything was indicating that this was a very important and emotional moment. Akiho, all alone in Sakura's memories of the double date, is at the center of the entire page, as if to indicate that she was at the center of Kaito's eyes too (because that's what Sakura is talking about in the bubbles). But we can see a "spotlight" beside her, an empty one: that was certainly where Kaito used to be when Sakura met them at the botanical garden.

The Escape

Okay, Sakura found what she was looking for. Or, rather, WHO she was looking for. And it doesn't matter if it's a huge, dark dragon trapped inside a cage. I found this almost hilarious, how she doesn't question even for a second that Akiho's most important person is actually a dragon! But I could quickly realize that it's all because in this manga, external appearances don't matter. What matters is who you are. These are all souls, loving other souls. Everything in between holds no meaning. And so if there's one thing that Sakura knows with all her heart, is that this dragon cannot stay here. So she tells him (yeah, I can finally say "him") to come along with them. But it's in that moment that a danger arises: the clock particles start attacking Sakura and Syaoran at great speed, so much that Syaoran has to turn around very quickly to realize it (I loved the effect in his eyes to indicate the speed). With a swift move, Syaoran summons his famous "Raitei Shourai" and his powerful thunderbolt repels and destroys the clockwork that was about to attack them.

We go back for a moment to Yukito's home, where everyone is staring intently at the tablet to see if Sakura and Syaoran give any sign. A worried Touya (and Yukito, too) turns his attention to Akiho, though, who is the quintessence of tension right now. Hard stare to the screen, she looks as if she's ready to fight anyone at any moment. And here, unfortunately, another translation mistake drops.

ENG: "We need to be sure we're ready to go...In case Sakura-chan calls for us" JP: "I have to be fully prepared...for when Sakura-san will call me"

First thing first, you probably caught it yourself, Akiho calls Sakura "Sakura-chan" in the ENG version, and that's a mistake. She hasn't suddenly changed speech tone in the JP, she hasn't dropped keigo, she still calls her "Sakura-san", as usual. And despite here there isn't a subject (again, a typical thing Ohkawa-sensei does in her scripts), it's pretty understandable that she's talking about herself and not the whole group, because of the imperative tense she's using. Moreover, Sakura told the rest of the group that MAYBE she would've called them if she ended up needing any help, but for Akiho she was SURE she was going to call her, so Akiho really does have to be ready to be called at any moment. Akiho in JP uses a particular word to indicate the concept of "be fully prepared, all set, take all possible measures": 準備万全 (junbi banzen) and when I looked for its complete meaning on the internet, to understand the context better, I found out that this is also the name of a skill in the game of the "Uma Musume" series. That made me laugh because coincidentally, Akiho's voice actress Minori Suzuki is famous for voicing one of the characters of Uma Musume, "Agnes Digital" and I know for a fact that CLAMP are fans of Uma Musume. Was Ohkawa-sensei trying to make a fun reference or an Easter egg, here? 😉 Anyways, Akiho's determined face here is really beautiful, I'd daresay there isn't only determination in those eyes, but also a tiny touch of...irritation? I've probably said it before, on other social media, that I hope Akiho will be the one giving an earful to Kaito, and yell all her feelings in his face while angrily crying 🤪if this is building up to that, I cannot be happier than this!

Everyone proudly looks at our little warrior getting ready, and unfortunately due to the misunderstanding above, Yukito's line is mistaken too, in the ENG version: they make him say "I'm glad we have eachother" while in JP he simply commented "You're so confident/reliable!", which is totally coherent with the face she was making before. The adjective he uses, 頼もしい (tanomoshii) indicates someone who's dependable, reliable, confident or even "sure-footed".

Needless to say, I was very happy to: 1) See an interaction with Akiho coming from Yukito, this is the first time and with this comment he acted like another お兄ちゃん to her (the more, the better); 2) See him defining her "confident and reliable", I've seen a JP fan I follow on Twitter making an interesting interpretation of his line, coming from a character that was always worried over not knowing what to do to help the people he loves, and seeing another magic-less character standing tall and facing this ordeal courageously might have prompted him to understand Akiho's position more than we could imagine; 3) Acknowledge that it really seems as if CLAMP are trying to establish new and more connections between the old cast and Akiho, probably because these connections will stay even after the end.

Back to the situation inside the fake moon, Syaoran yells to Sakura that he's sure he won't be able to break that cage only with his spells, so he urges her to find a way to free and get that dragon out of there while he fends off all the incoming attacks. Sakura immediately complies, and this back and forth between them was already awarded the title of "husband and wife interaction" from the JP fandom. 😂 Sakura remembers what Momo told her about the remaining Cards that are waiting for her call...and sadly I have to point out another translation mistake: while the JP was always vague about the number of Cards awaiting for her to call them, the ENG this time around traced back its steps and made Momo say that "There is one more Card that was left behind", despite in chapter 73 correctly translating Momo's words as a general "There are other Cards that haven't disappeared". So, not only they haven't even checked what they translated just 3 chapters ago and are unable to keep coherence with it, but they didn't even consider that the Card we're about to see isn't even the last one that is waiting to make an appearance ever since the Clockland Play happened. Therefore, it's NOT true that there's just one left.

But the inaccuracies aren't over, because in the next line, Sakura looks at Kaito's pocket watch, and this is the association that she makes with it:

ENG: "This is my mother's watch...and that card looked just like it. I don't remember creating it...but..." JP: "My mother's watch....I created a Card that looked like it, and I never found out when that happened"

Always thanks to Record, Sakura got also back the memories of Nadeshiko's pendant watch, how she got it, and that she found herself with a Card that looked like it but didn't know when she created it (hint: it was because Kaito rewound time, but the Card survived).

It's the moment for Sakura to call the Card: TIME!! And finally, this Card that many awaited in trepidation gets activated for the first time. In a very poignant moment, no less! Sakura, full of gratitude, thinks about her mother and how they made this Card "together", and she finally realizes that Nadeshiko's pendant watch found its way to her through great-grandpa Masaki precisely for this. To be used in this moment. And so she does. She orders to the Card to "activate" the time of the cage, so that she can "open" it, and Nadeshiko's watch goes to position itself precisely over what I think is "the lock" of the cage. I think this might suggest why the watch was changed into a key in the anime: it would make even more sense that it's a key the one that will open the lock. The lock, together with the cage, successfully dissolves, freeing Kaito/the Dragon. The Dragon seemingly "stretches" himself (poor thing, having to stay all crouched for god knows how long!!), destroying all the remaining clockwork in the process. Sakura gets her Card back and doesn't waste time, urging everyone to get out of there. Syaoran notices the opening they had "sliced" into the fake moon earlier, and says to go through that to get outside. I think the opening is appearing here in front of them so immediately because the spell that was warping and making that space so tortuous and convoluted is now broken. Sakura and Syaoran fly towards the opening, successfully getting out of it, but once outside Sakura notices something and looks back in dismay: the Dragon is not moving. She asks frantically why. But Syaoran yells to Sakura to pay attention: she turns around, in time to see a big group of arrows pointing at them, in full attack.

Aaaaand this is where the chapter ends, once again with a big cliffhanger!! Where is this attack coming from???

I'll give you a hint......

Remember a nice afternoon tea, interrupted by a clan of ass*oles allied with an Association of criminals, back in chapter 33? Yeah, Kaito sure remembers well. Lord knows how many of these attacks he had to repel over the months that passed from when he was excommunicated from the Association, officially starting "the war" between him and those bastards. Kaito back then easily fended off the attack by stopping time, again at the expense of his life, but I wonder what will happen now. It's clear it's something that's coming from them. However, I'm still not sure they're concretely sending the attack right now. It might be a "trap" they've left in place in case anybody tried to free Kaito, so maybe Sakura won't confront them directly. I still don't believe this is where it's going. But we'll see what will happen and what direction CLAMP decided to give to this.

My biggest concern is also the Dragon. It became apparent, in this chapter, that the creature is Kaito himself, in some capacity. I say "in some capacity" because we don't know if he was transformed, if this is the form the Seal of D forced on him, or if it's the effect of taking all that magic from the artifact that he got from Akiho. I am pretty sure this isn't his true form or anything like that, he was a human being to begin with.

We don't even know if he's conscious of what's happening right now, what he remembers from "before", from the un-rewritten world. If he remembers about Akiho at all. Unfortunately, he didn't give any signs of even understanding what Sakura was telling him. I have to say it pains me to see Kaito like that, and this is a possibility that I had been preparing myself for since long time, so that surely "cushioned" the blow.

However....

There is a theory going around, about why the Dragon won't move at the end of the chapter. I've seen it both from JP fans and from my mutuals too. And I have to say....it's pretty in-character. It's very convincing. The Dragon/Kaito doesn't move because he doesn't want to. Because he thinks he doesn't deserve to go out there and be saved. And it's to be noted that what Syaoran says is indeed 動かない (doesn't move), not 動けない (can't move). If we have to take those words literally, then we should exclude that there's anything "external" preventing him from moving. The reason is somewhere else.

If it's really Kaito being unsure/not willing to go with them because he doesn't think he deserves to, then that would also mean his memories are intact. Add agony over agony. If his consciousness is intact, I wonder what he thought when he saw Sakura and Syaoran? Was he surprised? I really think this could be the perfect spot where Akiho could finally spring into action. Because THAT is something only SHE can do anything about. If that's really the reason why he's not moving, then he needs to hear the full story. And he needs to hear it from the person his plan affected the most, the one he saved, yes, but also the one he's hurt the most with his blind "excess of love". But before that, Sakura needs to understand where the problem lies. I really hope she'll have the chance to talk to the Dragon again, and with her exceptional empathy, understand that Akiho needs to talk to him.

Next chapter, the 77th one, is going to be published on August 30th on CLAMP's Youtube channel, less than a month away! And by this release date, I can infer it'll go on sale with Nakayoshi on September 1st. At this point it doesn't even feel so "special" to announce it, but the next issue of Nakayoshi will see Sakura once again on the cover, and once again featured in the furoku! At the time of writing this post, no leaks have appeared regarding how/what the furoku will be.

Well! Sorry again for an endless post full of complaints about the translation, but this time around they really messed up. I thought something changed in the translation process in the past 2 chapters and they paid more attention/checked multiple times before giving the OK, but apparently this time that was not the case. As usual, I'll await any question/topic you want to discuss about in my ask box! See you at the end of this month for chapter 77!!

[haro-hawayu]

CCS: Clear Card Ch. 76

Wooo chapter 76! The latest chapter can be found on CLAMP-net’s YouTube Channel. As always, definitely check out @meimi-haneoka's post on the latest chapter for EN-JPN translation differences!! Unfortunately, there apparently were a lot of translation discrepancies/omissions in the English ver for this chapter, so don't miss out on the "big picture"!

Links for previous chapter reactions can be found here.

Play-by-read (live reading reactions)

Beautiful Akiho on the cover~I love the color!! The flowers!! So lovely!! The lilies! Also her edges of her sleeve design makes it look like "lily of the valley" flowers too--not sure if it's intentional, but such a nice touch!

Leave it to Eriol to help & try to explain things. Also, wow, time breaking?? What does that entail??

Will we finally find out what the deal is with The Dragon?

I love the look on Syaoran (cuz he looks so cool, wahhh)!

Okay, the way Sakura is talking to The Dragon seems to imply Kaito... soo....?? Is it??

Sudden memory from Momo!

IT'S TIME!!

Hmm... I wonder why time being frozen on the cage makes it... impervious to damage? Is it because it prevents it from being worn down/broken? That's why Time would work on it?

SYAORAN IS SO COOL OMGSH!!!

Um, can I just say I love that there's a bit of interaction between Akiho and everyone else?? Like, it's not just "Akiho" and "the gang" like they're two diff factions, but Akiho is very much part of the gang?? I love this??

Wahhh Dragon-san, please go with SyaoSaku TuT

And we still don't have an answer yet!! ><

Thoughts:

Okay, so I had to check @meimi-haneoka's post after reading the chapter and found out there were a lot of missing things and poor translation choices?? Why??? I think the one part that I felt was most important was when Sakura was talking to The Dragon (Kaito maybe 90% confirmed at this point??) and she said how she knows those eyes that look at Akiho with great care and affection. Like how do you just erase that?! It's such a Sakura-like thing for her to say as the main protagonist. It's such a CCS-ish moment too, were certain characters (i.e. Tomoyo) would be the one to point out to another how they "look upon so-and-so affectionately." Sakura may not know exactly who or what this Dragon has done, but she is trusting in her own instinct from what she sees/feels. This is such a shame ><

Anyways, looks like maybe the actual "villains" might be showing up to prevent the rescue? I wonder if this means Akiho & co. will make a move from their end too. Much excited for the next chapter!



[seotipsandtricks-me]

SEO campaigns have multiple options of keyword focus. Whether you provide insurance policies or greetings cards, you need to make important campaign choices. For example, should you focus more on commercial owners insurance keywords or professional indemnity keywords? Birthday cards for Mum or birthday cards for Dad? Which of these keyword clusters should you prioritise in your campaign and which should you put on the backburner or even ignore entirely? Getting the answer right could see you attaining the summit of ROI. Getting it wrong could send you on an expedition up a mountain that isn’t worth climbing. In this post, we explore why it can seem difficult to know which mountain to climb, and outline a spreadsheet-based method to help you find your campaign’s Kilimanjaros – the mountains of keyword intent which represent the best ROI for your campaign. Why SEO Campaign prioritisation comes first When the aim of the campaign is to maximise performance within a given budget, each option of focus naturally needs to be ranked by net potential gain to determine which ones matter more in relation to the aim and which ones matter less or not at all. Areas which won’t yield a net KPI gain in response to the application of campaign budget are irrelevant to the ultimate campaign aim thus defined and should be removed from consideration in relation to that aim, freeing up more focus to put to better use in approaching it. But it’s not immediately obvious where the biggest net gains in response to SEO campaign activity will come from, because the rules of the system in which pages compete for prominence in organic search are manifold & complex. SEO campaign targeting is the process by which the hierarchy of the areas of greatest net gain can be made evident despite this complexity. The product of this pruning process is a list of ranked survivors, the areas most relevant to the achievement of the aim – those that will yield the biggest KPI improvements per unit of budget. The assignment of campaign budget & strategic focus in accordance with this prioritisation is the foundation of a maximally successful SEO campaign. Search is Mountainous The campaign targeting process begins with the act of seeing the search landscape. It can’t be seen directly because it’s made up of abstractions, but its features can be discerned indirectly through the use of tools. Like a real landscape, it has mountains, only they’re made of intent-clustered amalgams of keyword SERPs rather than gneiss & granite. The higher the mountain, the greater the commercial reward of nearing its summit. Some are little more than hills. Others are majestic peaks. The Tibetan plateau, seen from altitude. A representational model is constructed to record what matters about the landscape in relation to the campaign aim – the search landscape document. Like a map of a mountain range, it’s a representation of the features of landscape which may be relevant and it’s something which can be returned to conveniently throughout the campaign. A map depicting the Himalaya & Tibet, from Joseph Hooker’s Himalayan Journals – 1854 If you have an established site, you are already sending expeditions of varying levels of proficiency up many of these mountains. Some of your expeditions (pages) have shown natural flair and are already part way up the mountain or even near the summit. But some of your expedition teams have stalled, and you naturally want to know why. K2, Karakoram Range, Pakistan. The red circle highlights the Serac, a dangerous ice fall marking the gateway to the summit. It’s a common sticking point for expedition teams. A. Overstretched supply lines – a link equity problem. At 8.6 km high, K2 is the world’s second-highest peak and is widely regarded as the most difficult of all mountains. Before it was first summitted, a valiant American expedition led by Charles Houston in 1938 got tantalisingly close, reaching 8km – that’s 93% of the way to the top – before stalling because the food supply lines weren’t sufficient. The peak wasn’t climbed until years later. Porters transporting expedition supplies. (By Niklassletteland [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons)Himalayan climbing expeditions like this rely on teams of porters to transport food and oxygen from base camp to the camps along the route to the summit. These supply lines keep the expedition going. The longer and harder the route, the better the supply lines need to be. If your expedition team has stalled high up on a treacherous peak, chances are good that the supply of link equity is insufficient to keep the expedition going. B. Missing equipment – a technical problem. The approach to camp 2 of K2’s Abruzzi route requires successful traversing of the House Chimney, a 100’ shoulder-width icy crack in a vertical rock wall. Moving higher isn’t possible without specialist equipment. If the way your page is set up means that Google can’t access some of the key content on your page properly, it can’t effectively promote your content in its results, and your page hits an impassable barrier despite all the other good things it has going for it. C (i). The expedition is lost – a relevance problem. There’s a limited number of precisely defined ways the cluster summit can be approached because Google’s interpretation of the intent behind the multiple search terms for that cluster includes only a few content types which it deems to properly answer that intent. The route of Charles Houston’s 1953 expedition along the Abruzzi spur, frequently cited as the easiest route but by no means easy. One cluster might reward commercial product pages as the primary content form and short, snappy how-to guides as secondary form. Another might reward long form thought leadership pieces and detailed B2B commercial explainers. One of these routes is generally most cost-effective for reaching the summit of each cluster. If your expedition team don’t know what the most cost-effective route is, and they don’t have a precisely defined map for it, they will get lost on the mountain and not approach the summit. And the more precisely they know the route, the faster they’ll approach the summit. C (ii). They’re arguing – another relevance problem. The first serious attempt on K2 was made by Oscar Eckenstein and Aleister Crowley in 1902. Eckenstein was a famous climber who invented the modern crampon, and Crowley was later to become famed as an occultist with a dark reputation. The expedition was well supplied, with over 200 porters being drafted in to carry, among other things, Crowley’s vast collection of poetry books. The 1902 K2 expedition with Aleister Crowley 4th from the left. The expedition made 5 attempts and the best of them reached 6.5km, 76% of the way to the top. There was disagreement within the expedition team over which route to take. Crowley favoured what would later be known as the Abruzzi route along the south-east ridge, widely regarded as the safest bet today. But the Austrian contingent of the expedition favoured the North-East ridge, and this difference of opinion developed into an internal fight to which the ultimate failure of the expedition has been credited. When the motive force behind an expedition to the top of a cluster is divided between 2 or more pages without a clear dominant page to end the conflict, neither page has the expedition’s full force behind its ascent. And even if there is a dominant page, weaker dissenting pages still impede its progress to the top. Which of these problems does your expedition have? Uncovering the specific combination of the above 4 problems which is impeding progression within a cluster has a not inconsiderable cost. That means it can’t be done for all clusters. The brave expedition teams on the heights are far from base camp, and while their dots can just about be made out with binoculars, a powerful telescope needs to be used if an accurate diagnosis of why they’ve stopped is desired. To look in detail and find out whether it really is a lack of links vs the competition, or whether key relevance indicators are absent from an otherwise serviceable page, or a bit of both, is an intensive act of further seeing, analysis & insight generation. A commonly used SEO tool from 1902 (Acc. 90-105 – Science Service, Records, 1920s-1970s, Smithsonian Institution Archives) This is because, for many valuable keyword clusters, uncovering the specific actions that will be required to improve performance is complex. There are many variables and the role of natural language increases as the particulars of page content come under scrutiny, something which AI currently can’t handle well enough to be relied upon alone. An expert is needed to manage the use of powerful SEO tools, unpack the approaches of successful competitors & make the right judgement calls. That’s expensive because the good tools aren’t free and few know how to use them properly. So it’s doubly important that this high-resolution analysis for insight into the best value actions for an individual cluster is itself prioritised effectively among all the clusters based on net gain, well before any activation of tactics to actually improve performance takes place. The alternative is a squandering of campaign resource. Campaign targeting is at the core of the profitable application of the 3 dimensions of SEO – accessibility (technical), relevance (content relevance), credibility (links). The analytic & tactical application of each dimension needs to be carefully aimed at the right keyword clusters to make the best use of campaign budget.  Making The Best Use Of Resource: SEO Campaign Targeting With Spreadsheet-Based Narrow AI The key elements of a keyword cluster and its relationship with a domain are numerically expressible. They manifest as a set of 3 consistently recognisable characteristics and thus lend themselves well to computational processing, and this can all be done in a spreadsheet. The following narrow AI approach leverages this amenability in order to instantly rank keyword clusters for SEO campaigns by net gain along 4 strategic dimensions: Gap – The new pages you should make, in the order you should make them. Fix – The cannibalisation you should fix, in the order you should fix it. Defend – The top-ranking clusters you should defend, in the order you should defend them. Boost – The clusters you should boost, in the order you should boost them. Here’s the general idea The 3 Cluster characteristics: 1. Value What’s the price of a Google helicopter ticket to the cluster summit? The more frequently the keywords in a cluster are searched, and the more advertisers are willing to spend to capture those searches, the greater the monetary value of standing atop the cluster. Facts on the principal mountains of the globe – Fichier, 1825 How it’s calculated: Search volume – More searches = more potential customers and brand awareness. We calculate how many organic clicks are up for grabs based on SERP click-through-rate studies. This can be refined with Google Search Console CTR data if you have the time. Click value – Ever since ‘not provided’, suggested CPC data has been commonly used to estimate conversion value for a click because the more advertisers tend to be willing to pay over a long time period, the higher the likelihood that they’re doing so because of success they experienced in driving conversions from the search term that drove the click. If you already have true average CPC data from a PPC campaign, that’s an even better measure to use. Combining 1 & 2 into a single metric – What would we need to pay Google to capture those clicks? Roughly speaking, this is calculated by multiplying opportunity traffic and CPC to give us Media Value. The final step is to subtract the captured media value (the value of the clicks the page currently gets) from the total media value to give us Uncaptured Media Value – the final value metric that shows us what’s up for grabs. In cases where eCommerce revenue data by page is available and the site is established, it would be better to determine value using that data. Any relevant information you have access to can be used to calculate the monetary value to the best of your knowledge. Client involvement is critical Any list of clusters based on a survey of the search landscape should be collaborated upon at some level by the client because there are usually variations in the profitability of clusters which aren’t obvious from the search investigation. A handy client scoresheet is all that’s needed to completely align the calculation of the priorities with the nuances of the client’s evolving business priorities. Each cluster is marked with a number, 1 by default. It’s a simple multiplier. Clusters which have become irrelevant due to recent changes within the business can be marked with zero, which multiplies the value score by zero, thereby removing it from the eventual priority list. Concurrently, clusters which are particular business priorities for reasons which couldn’t be picked up by the search investigation can be marked with any number greater than 1 indicating their increased relative importance. 2. Advantage How far up the mountain is your expedition team, and what does this say about their prospects for added success? If the expedition is already doing great, helping it do even greater is a cost effective proposition. Google already deems it relevant, and the traffic rewards are richer for every position gained as you approach position 1. It’s a better bet to look into developing existing success despite the added difficulty of upward movement in the higher positions because the potential for a high-payout easy fix exists, and effort can be unified on few stronger clusters rather than focusing on a set of easier-looking clusters for which current position strength is poorer. An organic CTR model How advantage is calculated: SERP position – For each keyword in the cluster, take a snapshot of your website’s position. CTR – Determine the click-through rate for each position. This study gives a rough guideline to the click-through-rates seen by industry and by device. These are of course generalisations, but they are accurate enough at large sample sizes. You can use GSC CTR data to refine if you have time. Combining 1 & 2 into a single metric – Estimated traffic share is calculated by getting the position-based CTR for each keyword’s current ranking position, multiplying this by the search volume and scaling it up to cluster level – one easy way to do this is by pivot table. It’s the single percentage value that reflects how well a whole cluster is doing, reliably revealing if it’s already on to a good thing. 3. Unity How is your expedition team getting along – is it unified upon a single goal? This measure looks at the pages ranking in a cluster and expresses the key information about them and the cluster-level relationships between them as a single score. Is there a single dominant page ranking on which you can focus your efforts? Or are the rankings cannibalised across multiple competing pages – and if so, is it bad enough to stop the expedition from succeeding right away, even if you bolster its supply lines? How it’s calculated: Search volume split across ranking pages – Within a cluster, how is the available total search volume for those keywords split across each page which is ranking? This gives an indication of how much relevance the search engine is assigning to each page in relation to the cluster, even if the ranking positions in question are far below the click threshold. Identify the dominant page & compare – The dominant page is the page covering the greatest total search volume in the cluster. Knowing this page, we can compare vs non-dominant pages to get a reliable idea of how fragmented a cluster is, and importantly, whether this fragmentation is serious enough to matter in relation to the campaign aim. Sometimes it’s not a big deal – for example, a non-dominant page ranking for 3% of the cluster volume will have little or no detrimental impact on cluster performance. So these patterns, when identified, are not flagged as problems. Variation in average rank across ranking pages – Compares the distance between the average rank of the dominant page with the average rank of the cluster, which reveals major differences in relevancy assignment within the cluster – another red flag. These are multiplied together based on a set of criteria to give a single score which reveals how unified your expeditions are for each cluster relative to the average unification across all clusters. This allows the worst problems of this type on the site to be identified and ranked in order of severity. One thing to note – The use of this measure as a cannibalisation detector depends on the clusters being properly constituted. This is particularly handy if you didn’t do the clustering yourself and it needs improving – it can alert you to clusters which should be split or which contain irrelevant keywords. It’s a smart measure in that it won’t trigger if there’s just a handful of irrelevant keywords left over from the keyword gathering stage – it’s only when the presence of irrelevant keywords will have a measurable impact on the SEO campaign targeting that a problem is flagged with the cluster. From Cluster Characteristics To Campaign Priorities: 4 Strategic Shortlists Now the vital statistics of your clusters have been nailed down, the information is processed into 4 ranked shortlists (Gap, Fix, Defend, Boost) based on a comparison of the dominant characteristics of each cluster. The 4 shortlists are produced when weighting formulas run through a series of ordered checks: Detect gap clusters & rank them by priority – These are clusters for which no page is ranking, and for new sites, this is the focus. Priority is calculated by value and AdWords competition level is factored in as a guide to modify for difficulty in relation to value so the easiest new-page wins are explored first. The output – The gap shortlist. Check for cluster unity – For the clusters that are not total gaps, is there a solid page you can focus on to improve performance – or do you need to go in and split or consolidate the targeting to address cannibalisation before you can expect good results in response to campaign activity? Those which need looking at are identified and listed in order of severity. The output – The fix shortlist. Check if the cluster summit has already been reached – If this is the case, you need to know because the strategy will become one of defense. The output – The defend shortlist. For what’s left, which will be the majority of the clusters if the site is established, a simple equation is applied to determine which of them will yield the best net gain from being further examined & boosted by campaign activity, the output of which is the boost shortlist: Value score x advantage score = boost priority score. The final output: The 4 cluster prioritisation shortlists Results Deep dive The Boost priorities – A closer look While the clusters with the greatest uncaptured media value tend to congregate at the top, their prioritisation for the campaign is tempered by consideration of the traffic share as an indicator of the likelihood of future success in response to the application of campaign budget. Example 1 – The giants are humbled Travel & Holiday Insurance > Regional Travel Insurance > Europe, the cluster with the highest uncaptured media value, is only the 8th priority because the current traffic share is tiny at 1%. However, it’s so valuable that even moving from, say, to is still something worth pursuing as a lower priority. In a similar vein, Travel & Holiday Insurance > Regional Travel Insurance > USA, the cluster with the 6th highest uncaptured media value, is relegated to slot 22. Example 2 – David defeats Goliath Travel & Holiday Insurance > Cancer, with the 25th highest uncaptured media value, is ranked 3rd priority because it’s doing very nicely at 17% traffic share. The keywords are in positions 2-5, which means an upward move will radically increase clicks, providing the best net gains provided the page is set up to convert. But the real gem, found at the top of the list, is the automated identification of Travel & Holiday Insurance > Stated Medical Condition > Pregnancy as the Kilimanjaro of our search landscape. Summit Kilimanjaro, not K2. Mount Kilimanjaro is 5.9km high. Just 68% of K2’s 8.6km majesty. But it’s also 68 times easier to climb (that’s a fact). And 300 times less dangerous to climb (that actually is a fact). Kilimanjaro is the best bet for climbing up as high as possible for the least effort possible. Kilimanjaro. It’s high and not all that hard. (Attribution: Chris73) Travel & Holiday Insurance > Stated Medical Condition > Pregnancy’s uncaptured media value is £38,360 per month. It’s quite a bit less than Travel & Holiday Insurance > Regional Travel Insurance > Europe’s £61,511. Yet, it’s the Kilimanjaro of this campaign. It may have only 62% of the uncaptured media value of its bigger brother, but the expedition to climb it is already in such a good position for further success, with existing top-5 ranking for major keywords, that this is easily outweighed. Focusing instead on the Europe cluster as the priority, which is what we’d do if we were looking only at cluster value, would be more akin to attempting K2. It’s not that K2 should never be attempted. On the contrary, there’s great value in reaching even camp 1 (say, position 18) for the highest volume relevant search terms, and this is built into the prioritisation system. But unless you have a crack expedition team that’s already near the top, attempting to summit K2 is unlikely to be the best use of your money. Plus, think of your pages. They don’t want to go up there. What sane page would? K2 is high and all that hard. (Attribution: Kuno Lechner) The Fix priorities – A closer look Example 1 – Clash of the titans Topping off the list, we have ‘Medical Conditions Travel Insurance’. A common issue has been revealed – the homepage and a strong inner page are competing for dominance within this major cluster. This is the top priority to go in and fix because the volumes involved are huge, and the weaker page for the cluster (homepage) is ranking considerably worse – you could rank better for those keywords if you had a stronger single page. There are huge search volumes ranked for across the lower half of page 1 and across page 2, and the amount of this which is cannibalised is considerable. As this is the core topic for the client, its place at the top of the fix list is well deserved. Example 2 – Textbook cannibalisation to sort out later on if there’s time Travel & Holiday Insurance > Senior / OAP / Elderly Ranked as the 24th fix priority. It’s a clear example of cannibalisation, with 2 content pages approaching the same meaning with different phrasing – but the volume at stake isn’t high enough and the pages don’t rank all that well for any keywords with appreciable volume. So it’s not a high priority to sort out. Example 3 – Opportunity out of chaos Travel & Holiday Insurance > Best This one’s got a decent volume with lots of pages ranking. It’s very fragmented and the differences in page relevance for the keywords in the cluster are high, which has earned this cluster a fairly high fix priority score. A brief look reveals that it’s a cluster in chaos. Although the site is being considered for ‘best’ terms, there is no existing page which focuses on it. A single page needs to be defined or created to target these valuable terms. An Instant Map To Guide Your SEO Campaign Knowing what can be ignored when striving toward an aim is essential to acting effectively in pursuit of that aim. Otherwise, there’s too much information to be considered, much of it irrelevant. Considering irrelevant information is costly. SEO practitioners have long been able to collect information and derive great campaign prioritisation insights from it – it’s industry standard. Yet this is all too often an ill-defined, time-consuming and manual affair, relying on the individual flair of the expert. The instantaneous cost-efficient transformation of the information into a usable map specifying what can be ignored and what can’t be ignored is where this approach delivers its added value. Every SEO campaign has its Kilimanjaros. Let the AI find them. So you can concentrate on climbing them. After a hard-but-not-nearly-as-hard-as-K2 expedition, your team reaches the summit of Kilimanjaro. The tribes native to the region did not name it “the mountain of best gains”. Perhaps they should have. (Attribution: Chris73) The post The Mountaineer’s Guide to Maximising SEO Campaign ROI appeared first on FOUND.

[decadenttimetravelmentality-blog]

Can anyone tell me what health insurance is offered to Target employess, especially those in Oklahoma?

"Can anyone tell me what health insurance is offered to Target employess, especially those in Oklahoma?

This is not for my personal use (I already have an HMO policy and am an Insurance Administrator) - it is research & I would really like to hear from someone who actually works for Target or even if you could direct me to a site with this information.  Thanks!

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://freeinsurancequotes.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

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if your buying a car from a garage will they ask for proof of insurance bought before they let u drive it away or are they not bothered? ive arranged insurance online today and am picking up car later will they let me drive off with car if i say i booked it over the phone, obviosuly i dont have any paperwork as its coming through post?""

How to reduce the price of your insurance for a 18 year old? (in the UK)?

Hey, i just wanted to know if anyone knew ways to reduce the price. At the moment i know some insurance companies reduce the price if you have done something called pass plus Also adding a parent onto YOUR policy can also reduce the cost (not the other way round, that's illegal if you drive it more then they do!) Thanks, i only want a Ford Fiesta, but insurance is looking at 1500+!""

How much should I pay for car insurance?

I own a 1994 Camry XLE. 215,000 mileage. How much should I pay a month for some decent insurance?""

What is the best/cheapest car insurance for high risk drivers?

What is the best/cheapest car insurance for high risk drivers?

Is there a good site to compare the insurance rates of different cars?

I'm looking at cars for my son (who just turned 16) and would like to see which cars are best in terms of insurance rates without going through the process of getting a quote for each car.

""I am 15 and will be 16 in early October, today i got my national insurance number. Does this mean i can work?

I was just wondering now i have my national insurance number if i could start applying for some Saturday jobs?

Can I get cash instead of repairs for my auto insurance claim?

The damage to the car is from hail and I've already received an appraisal but I would like to know if I can get a check from my insurance company instead of getting the repairs done. Basically, do I have to spend the money on repairs or can I keep it?""

How much do 22 year olds pay for car insurance?

How much do 22 year olds pay for car insurance?

Can I rent a car without my own insurance?

I don't have any car insurance since I go to college in the city and rely on public transportation. I'm 21 years old and I am making a trip to LA where I want to rent a car. I am wondering if I am still able to rent a car since I don't have my own car insurance. Can I bring my parents insurance information with me? The insurance card only has their names on it, not mine. What should I do?""

How can i get heath insurance?

affordable very cheap

Why is car insurance so messed up?

i just got a quote for 1200 to insure a 1.4 focus, costing 600. but i also have a quote of 1000 to insure a 2004 mazda rx8 costing 5000. how the hell do they work this rubbish out""

Car insurance in Florida?

Do i need to have a Florida license in order to have car insurance for a car registered in Florida?

Pregnancy Insurance California?

Ok I know my son is responsible and wants to me about this matter but would like some help if someone knows since most places are closed on the weekends that would help with this. My son (21) and fiance just found out she is pregnant, my son works and has great insurance for himself. and just purchased his first home. Income about 30,000. Girlfriend just got laid off from a part time job and no insurance. Just moved in with him recently. If not married will his income disqualify her from Medi cal or will he be charged for the service. They were planning on getting married before this and adding her on to his insurance 100.00 a month. for family benefits. but now that she is already pregnant some have told us the insurance may not pay because of preexisting. and if they marry most likely will disqualify from getting medi cal. Also have seem something about AIM. If anyone has used that or have knowledge of that insurance. I know this is long someone also mentioned that my sons first time buyers credit (loan) may also be taken from him if she gets medical. Any help will be appreciated.""

Anyone know of an car insurance company that doesn't require the vehicle to be in your name?

Geico cancelled our policy because our car is in our grandmothers name.Also if she gets a policy, the addys have to all match.Are all insurance companys this strict?the car is about to die soon, so we dont wanna spend more money on transferring the title, but I guess we will if we have to.We are getting another car fixed soon that we will be driving.""

I'm17 and have not got my license yet but when i do how can i get cheap car insurance?

I have heard that if i buy a classic car, my insurance will be cheaper, is this true? And do you have any tips for getting it as low as possible""

Can anyone tell me what health insurance is offered to Target employess, especially those in Oklahoma?

This is not for my personal use (I already have an HMO policy and am an Insurance Administrator) - it is research & I would really like to hear from someone who actually works for Target or even if you could direct me to a site with this information.  Thanks!

How much do you think my car insurance would cost?

I'm turning 18 in March and will be getting a car on my 18th birthday. I don't know what type of cr I'll be getting but I'll make sure it has good MPG. I'll be using my car for storm chasing. Do you think I'll get a discount since I'm helping the National Weather Service issue watches and warnings by storm chasing? What's the average cost of car insurance for my age group in Manatee county, FL? Sources?""

How much to insure for drivers insurance?

Im 16, so I know it will be expensive. I will be getting a 4 Cyl car, either a Honda Prelude, Civic, Accord, Nissan 240sx, something along those lines. I took a drug and alcohol class which takes off 15% and then I got a B average which takes off another 10% can someone please tell me how much it would be a month? Thank you""

What car insurance do you use and how much?

I need new car insurance.. what do you use and how much do you spend per month?

Im a 20 yr old female- much would it cost to insure a 1.4 2007 astra sxi?

JUST PASSED TEST. Its insurance group 6 Tanks

Will a first time speeding ticket in Missouri effect my insurance and i have Statefarm insurance?

Will a first time speeding ticket in Missouri effect my insurance and i have Statefarm insurance?

What's the best health insurance company for a self employed family?

Self Employed. In Georgia. What's the most cost effective company that pays great? Thanks

Do I have to have car insurance?

I'm 18, and I'm getting my first car that I'm paying for in two weeks (2006 Ford Mustang). Unfortunately, I don't think my mom will put me on her insurance. I don't have enough money to pay for my own insurance. My mom told me its illegal to drive around without insurance (Is this true? And how would police know?) Also, what would happen if I got into a car accident with damage to both cars and I was at fault?""

How much would auto insurance be around for an 18 year old female?

I'm looking to buy a car but before i do i want to make sure i can afford it with car insurance

Do I need a license for a 150 cc scooter in Indiana?

Do I need a license for a 150 cc scooter in Indiana?

""Cheap Home Insurance Companies Orlando, Florida?

I used to be insured by Homewise Home Insurance but for some reason they cannot longer insured me and they are transferring me to another insurance company when my renewal comes around and increasing my premium by close to $300. I need to know right away the cheapest home insurance companies in Orlando... help..

I wanted to now about car insurance liability?

my boyfriend is on his mums insurance, but the other day, he had a little bump, which wasnt his fault, the person in front kept breaking spontaneously on a very busy road which caused him to slightly go in to the back of her car, theres no damage to his mums car and hes says (and i fully believe him) that the only bit of damage to their car is a few screws missing, yet they have still got the insurance company involved, but he really wasnt liable for the little bump, it wasnt his fault, the other person kept putting breaks on and i know you can fail your test for breaking like that on a busy road, i just want to know what will happen about his mums insurance now as hes really worried.""

Car Insurance - Which one?

Hi all, I am shopping around for a new car insurance company. I've been comparing quotes and it seems like either Gieco, Progressive, TheHartford. As I've never had experience w/ either of these companies, could anyone here chime in w/ their thoughts on either?""

Car insurance help. please help me?

I am buying a 2011 camaro 2lt. Now here is what I am thinking. If i put my car under my dad's insurance will my insurance also be lower if i am listen under my dad's insurance and as one of the people who drives the car instead of having the car under my insurance?

Insurance and a car that is being stored in a garage?

I'll have my full license next March and I was thinking of if I found a car (before then) and bought it, registered it and certified it but didn't use it until March (store it in a rented garage). If I did this, could I not pay insurance until I take it onto the road (I've read I can have it SORN )? Also, if I did get insurance for it (should anything happen to it while it's in storage) would I pay less than what I would if it were on the road and if so, how much of a difference would that be?""

""My daugter is 19, and drives without insurance and driver licence(she has a permit though) in California?""

I tried to reason her not to do it, till I get insurance and she gets the licence, but nothing works. She bought the car on her own, but I was planning to help her with insurance. I wanted to find some impressive articles on internet..kind of like If you drive without insurance, you go to jail or pay $1000, and your car is taken away :-) , but couldn't find anything oficial. Please help!""

Is pregnancy considered a pre-existing condition in florida?

IM PREGNANT!!!! I am 7 weeks along and just found out! The problem is I start a new job next week and will not be eligible for insurance until after 90 days.. By then I will be over four months along and I'm not quite sure if they will accept me or if they will say that it is a pre-existing condition? So, my dilemma is either: pay out of pocket until my 90 days are up and hope they accept me OR apply for medicaid and use the health department? If it changes anything the insurance I would be applying for is Florida Hospital private owned insurance.""

""What do u think of the health care reforms in massachuset ,?

would u like a similar plan at the federal level

""Question about being a teen, and car insurance?""

I am 17 now, I am taking my driver's test in about a week. My boyfriend said that when he got his licence he was automatically added to his mom and dad's car insurance. Well I was wondering would it be the same for me. Because (This might be a little confusing (: ) I was adopted by my birth mother's boyfriends mom, and i live with her and her mom. No one in the house has a car, or car insurance, and my birth mother doesn't have any custody of me but she does have car insurance, and my birth father has half custody of me, and he has car insurance. So.... ha ha my question in general is, when get my license, will I be added to any ones insurance? Or will I have to get my own? Ha ha ALSO, If I do have to get my own what would be the best and cheapest insurance for me? I wouldn't want full coverage, I would just get P.I.P. Please and thank you so much!""

Who has the best & affordable dental and medical insurance?

I need a lot of work on my teeth and I will know it will be expensive. I'm trying to find a good and affordable insurance for dental and medical. I would like my copay to be no more than 20% and my deductible to be no more than $3,000 & doctor visits no more than $30. Can anyone help me out? I'm also looking for not only me but my child as well.""

What is the best choice for a college student with no health insurance?

I am a 20 year old (21 in December) who is a sophomore in college. I have absolutely no form of insurance-health, dental, etc.- and I have been wondering what is the best choice for me? I know this is a problem and I need to get some, but I am clueless. What companies are best? What should I be looking for? What do I need/not need? HELP!""

Car Insurance If I Am Not The Car Owner?

Is it possible for me to insure myself to drive my sister's car, and to add her as a named driver? Or do I have to own the car. My sister has just passed her test, and her insurance would cost 700 if she does it herself. If I insure myself to drive the car and add her as a named driver, then it would be more like 200. Does my sister have to sign over ownership of the car to me for this to work?""

""1998 Honda civic, had a car accident, back tire smashed in back Axel is bent how much will this cost me?

Any chance my insurance company will decide to total it out?

Im 18-think insurance?

I want a car soo bad it has been 6 months since i passed my test.! what is the cheapest car which is likely 2 not break the bank i.e::: insurance, running costs, reliability. and another thing what is good 4 pullin birds (picking up the girls (slags))))?????""

Do they let you take insurance?

hi does insurance companies in US,let you take life term insurance if you have HIV..""

Annoying dilemma about factoring age into car insurance rates?

Okay this is annoying me. My car insurance policy is up for renewal very soon. It is a 6-mo policy. I am currently 24 yrs old but turning 25 literally 7 days after my policy renews. As you might know, generally car insurance rates decrease when you turn 25, because 25 is the age threshold that is no longer considered to be a high risk age group. However, my car insurance company insists on rating my entire 6-mo policy as a 24-yr-old...which means that for literally 96.2% of my policy period, I will be 25 yrs old but paying the higher rates of a 24-yr-old. This does not make me feel happy or appreciated. >:( So I was wondering...what would you do? Should I switch insurance companies shortly after turning 25 so that I can get a better rate, and then perhaps switch back to my old company sometime shortly later? Is there a way I can negotiate with a manager so that he/she will re-rate me shortly after my 25th birthday? Thanks for the feedback.""

Can anyone tell me what health insurance is offered to Target employess, especially those in Oklahoma?

This is not for my personal use (I already have an HMO policy and am an Insurance Administrator) - it is research & I would really like to hear from someone who actually works for Target or even if you could direct me to a site with this information.  Thanks!

Cheapest company to insure young new drivers in England? and also cheapest cars?

This time its not for me, its for my boyfriend, he's 19 and really big and broad so he wouldnt fit in something like a saxo or 106 unfortunately :( Also first time driver looking for cheap old shitty car! Quinn used to be cheapest but now quote has gone up at least 1,000!! Probably would prefer to pay monthly and am looking for third party fire and theft. Hopefully would have legal cover I have been looking for ages but since i'm not 17 yet, me getting a car instead of him is out of the question although i know it would be cheaper Thanks! :)""

Any ideas on an affordable insurance?

I'm a college student with a low-paying part-time job and I'm in desperate need of health insurance. My main thing is that I want to see my personal doctor once a year and make my pills more affordable. Any thoughts are more than welcome!

Is it legal for me to drive this antique car?

Hello. My dad has just offered me his old MGB. During the talk about it, he said if I get it running I can have it. But he also said that I might need to be 21 to drive a car with antique plates. We have Geico. Is this true? Thanks guys.""

Is it illegal to use a wrong address on your car insurance?

I want to use the address my dad lives at for my car insurance because it makes my insurance 200 cheaper. It is my registered address and my driving license, bills and bank is addressed there but I don't technically live there anymore. I live between my boyfriend and another parents house. What is the deal with this?""

Speeding and insurance rate?

I got a speeding ticket 2 years ago. It was for 20 km over in a 50 km zone. There was a fine but no demerit points to my licence. Will this affect my insurance rate when applying for a new policy this month? Thanks.

Renault clio 1.3L 16v Insurance costs?

how much will it cost to insure me in a Renault Clio 1.3L 16v when i am 17 using a provisional license

What is the cheapest scooter insurance in California?

I have a 80 cc scooter. I ride for pleasure , not commuting far distance. Right now, I am renewing, but $200 for 1 yr. coverage is to high. I'm a college student, 20 yr. old. I didn't take the driver course. Any students out there who have scooter insurance? what you have?""

Car insurance renewal premium amount?

I have a Swift car which is one year old. I have to renew its insurance. What can be the likely estimate of insurance amount

California Traffic School Twice Within 18 months?

Can I do traffic school twice in California within 18 months? From what I think I understand the first citation is kept confidential. The second within 18 months is not. Can my insurance company raise my rates even though I did happen to take traffic school even though it was twice within 18 months. Will my insurance rise, if so how much?""

Does anyone know car insurance rates?

I wanted to know whats the average rate of car insurance for an 18 year old female..?

Who has cheap auto insurance in Austin?

I need to find auto insurance that is not as much as my car payment. Can anyone suggest an agency please?

Will my car insurance be invalidated?

Phoned my car insurance company today to report a minor bump. The guy asked if I had any points on my license and I told him that yes I have 3 points for speeding. He said that they had no record of this. I don't know why they have no record of this but that's not really the point. Will they try to claim that my insurance is invalid? If they do try this will I be able to claim a refund as I will have been paying them money for literally nothing for the past four years?

Lamborghini gallardo?

what is the fuel economy and the insurance and the repair will cost a Lamborghini gallardo per month

Teen car insurance question?

Everyone knows that if you get good grades your insurance costs are lowered. i live california just so you know i dont know if it matters. but if i got about a D average my first semester and B+ or an A average second semester will they look at that or average them together. also any other tips to lower insurance costs... thanks ahead of time.

Insurance&&Permitt???

Do you have to have insurance when you have your permitt. All i have is my permitt,and my grandma is worried about getting me insurance. Her insurance covers 65 and above. But my cousin didnt get insurance until she was 16 she thought that you didnt hafta have insurance until you got your license?""

How Much Would My Auto Insurance Cost ?

Im a 20 Year old Male in New York City. My Parents never drove so i am looking to start a policy under my name. I bought a 1997 Accura CL Coupe a couple days ago for $2000. I have my Permit and i have my road test in 3 weeks so i should get my license shortly after. I know New York usually has higher rates but i checked a free online quote from Geico & it was about $600 a month / $3600 for 6 months. This looks way too high to me. Is it this high because i don't have my insurance yet ? And how much do you think it will be when i do get my insurance with the state minimum insurance ?

How much higher would car instance be if I hit a housei?

I lost control of my car as I was pulling into my girl friends house. I want to know if it would be worth it to call the insurance company our just take out a loan for the repairs

I just totalled my car. How much money can I expect from the Insurance company?

Car is a 2001 Chevy Malibu. Was in great shape. If you know a thing or two about cars please help me out. Thanks.

Where can I find inexpensive health Insurance for an individual?

Where can I find inexpensive health Insurance for an individual?

Nineteen and no insurance?

so i have a Q im 19 and i have no health insurance i live in chicago IL and i was wondering is their any help that i can receive from like the goverment that will offer my health insurance ??

Is american family insurance cheaper when you take drivers ed?

i know how to drive, but my mom is worried abbout the price, is american family insurance cheaper when you take drivers ed?""

Why is auto insurance through Geico so cheap?

Why is auto insurance through Geico so cheap?

""What are the requirements for getting a license and driving in Tennessee, age,insurance,cost,et cetra.?""

What are the requirements for getting a license and driving in Tennessee, age,insurance,cost,et cetra.?""

How much does insurance pay on total loss if owner owes more than its worth?

If a car is worth appoximately 30,000 and the owner owes 40,000 what will the insurance company pay the owner? I hope it is 30,000....""

How much would insurance on a motor scooter cost in the state of ohio roughly?

How much would insurance on a motor scooter cost in the state of ohio roughly?

Can anyone tell me what health insurance is offered to Target employess, especially those in Oklahoma?

This is not for my personal use (I already have an HMO policy and am an Insurance Administrator) - it is research & I would really like to hear from someone who actually works for Target or even if you could direct me to a site with this information.  Thanks!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/berry-kentucky-cheap-car-insurance-quotes-zip-41003-gabriela-madewell/"

[olivereliott]

As New: Reviving a Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica

There are purists who baulk at the thought of changing even one bolt on a classic motorcycle—and then there’s folks like us. When you spend your days curating the world’s finest custom motos, you can appreciate a tasteful set of mods on even the most sacred of machines.

But there are some motorcycles that even we wouldn’t dare alter. It’s a short list, but the Ducati 900 MHR is near the top.

If you’re not a member of the Ducatista, or a classic racing fan, allow us to enlighten you. Back in 1978, Mike Hailwood staged a legendary comeback at the Isle of Man TT, winning the Formula 1 class aboard a Ducati 900 SuperSport. The following year, the production Ducati 900 MHR (Mike Hailwood Replica) was born.

Under the hood it was essentially a 900 SS. But it was styled just like Hailwood’s race bike and treated to a few notable upgrades like Brembo brakes and Conti silencers. By 1984 it had evolved, with a new 973 cc motor making 76 horsepower, thanks to a bigger bore, bigger valves and a redesigned crankshaft.

Now called the MHR Mille, it also featured an electric start, a redesigned instrument panel, folding foot pegs with rubber inserts, adjustable Verlicchi clip-ons, and a hydraulically actuated clutch. About 7,000 Mike Hailwood Replicas were produced up to 1985, but only about 1,100 of these were Milles. Oh, and they were the last bevel-drive twins that Ducati produced.

So if you found one, would you change a thing? We wouldn’t, and neither would the good people of Revival Cycles. The Austin, Texas-based shop is known for going deep on its projects, and we’ve seen some extensive custom work from them over the years. But when a customer rolled in with a recently acquired Mike Hailwood Replica, they knew what had to be done—and what not to do.

“This machine had been in the same home for many years, but its owner seemed to have fallen out of love with it,” we’re told. “It was marred with cracked and chipped paint, worn suspension, an incredibly shaky kickstand, electrical gremlins and carburetors that were never tuned quite right. It took all the pleasure out of what used to be an amazing machine.”

This poor little MHR needed a ‘Revival’ of the highest order.

With too many hard-fought miles under the belt for basic maintenance, a full restoration was on the cards. So Revival tore the bike down to the bare frame for powder coating, replacing every bushing and bearing along the way.

They rebuilt the Ducati’s stock Marzocchi forks, but opted to ditch the worn out rear shocks for a new set from Progressive Suspension. The gorgeous wheels were brought back to their original gold luster, and every last shiny bit was re-chromed to better-than-new condition.

Revival naturally tore into the engine too, giving it a good refresh before re-sealing it with new gaskets and seals. Then they set their focus to ironing out the old 900’s numerous wiring issues.

Leaving no stone unturned, the guys treated the cockpit to a serious refresh too. They did make a few changes though: along with the new rear shocks, they’ve added custom-made brake and clutch hoses, a custom-built side stand, and reinforced the center stand. They also installed a pair of K&N filters, rejetting the carbs to match.

But nothing could compare to the love and sweat poured into the Ducati’s race replica bodywork. Years of abuse and shoddy fiberglass repairs had taken their toll—and aftermarket Mike Hailwood Replica body panels aren’t exactly in abundant supply.

Countless hours of body and repair work later, the MHR was finally ready to receive its original livery in a better-than-factory finish. Revival took their time, laying down the original decals perfectly and adding layer after layer of clear coat for a deep, rich effect.

“That—and the roar of the mighty bevel drive breathing fire again at our Twist Off event—made for one happy Ducatista!” the guys tell us.

After seeing these shots, we believe them. Like they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Revival Cycles | Facebook | Instagram

[buddyrabrahams]

5 MLB teams that could disappoint in 2017

Pitchers and catchers are reporting to spring training, and most teams have at least some optimism for the 2017 season. Some teams have higher hopes than others, with playoff appearances and World Series contention on their minds.

Only ten teams can play into October, though, and here are a few franchises that have postseason ambitions but may find themselves falling short when the time comes.

5) New York Yankees

It’s easy to be excited about the Yankees in 2017. They sold at the trade deadline and still went 84-78, with young players such as Gary Sanchez stunning the league with their power and impact. It was enough to keep the team in the playoff race, at least nominally, into September.

To be clear, the return of Aroldis Chapman does help the Yankees on the field, as does the fact that Mark Teixeira and some other dead weight has been trimmed away. What isn’t clear is how a lot of the younger players will respond to being given larger roles.

Sanchez, for instance, still hit nine home runs in September, but his batting average dropped to .225. Was the league adjusting to his hitting? Greg Bird and Aaron Judge will also likely have larger roles, and Bird definitely showed flashes in his stint with the team in 2016. Judge has little MLB experience, though, and rookies like this can struggle as often as they succeed.

Matt Holliday isn’t an ideal replacement for Carlos Beltran, which is illustrative of an issue for the Yankees. Their offensive players are either young and have yet to make an impact or older and playing with their best days behind them. The Yankees were 13th in the American League in OPS in 2016; a significant improvement will be required in 2017 for the team to contend.

They will also need the pitching staff to hold up. They have an unquestioned ace in Masahiro Tanaka, but his right arm is always a concern. He’s dealt with forearm and elbow issues, even a partial UCL tear, though none of them have ever proven terribly serious. It’s still worrisome. CC Sabathia turns 37 in October and is coming off of knee surgery. Michael Pineda has the stuff, but the results — a 4.82 ERA in 2016 — have not quite followed in New York. Put it this way: there’s a reason the Yankees continued to search for rotation upgrades during the winter.

Will the Yankees hit enough and stay healthy enough? It’s a risk. And in a strong American League East, their roster might not have enough to get them to October.

4) Colorado Rockies

It’s a bit odd that a team that won 75 games in 2016 would be on a list of potential disappointments, but there has been a lot of excitement about a potential renaissance in Colorado. Every season, it seems like there’s that one team that “wins the offseason” and ultimately disappoints once the games start. In 2017, that may be Colorado.

The enthusiasm is generally based on a few key acquisitions, led by Ian Desmond, who will be paired with a legitimately great third baseman in Nolan Arenado, and strong complimentary pieces like D.J. LeMahieu and Charlie Blackmon. Desmond is a good player, to be sure, and Coors Field may help him keep up the strong number he put up in 2016, maintaining a .285 average and 22 home runs.

In Colorado, however, offense is never the problem. It’s always pitching, and the optimism there may be misguided.

Jon Gray is the centerpiece of much of it, a former No. 3 pick who struck out 185 batters in 168 innings. Tyler Anderson was another rookie who impressed with a 3.54 ERA in 19 starts; Tyler Chatwood’s 3.87 ERA was something of a surprise; and top prospect Jeff Hoffman, acquired in 2015’s Troy Tulowitzki trade, may break through into the rotation this coming season.

Let’s suppose that Gray improves, and Anderson and Chatwood can repeat their fine seasons. That may add a few extra wins to Colorado’s total, but they’re still building from a 75-win platform. The bullpen is a huge shortcoming, and adding Greg Holland and Mike Dunn won’t change that. Dunn is essentially a replacement for the departed Boone Logan, and there’s no guarantee that Holland, who has been out for a year and a half after Tommy John surgery, will return to the heights he reached before while with Kansas City. The Colorado bullpen had a 5.13 ERA in 2016. That needs to be significantly better if this team is going to improve enough to contend for the playoffs.

Colorado is likely going to be better in 2017, but not that much better. They’re still at least a year away.

3) Seattle Mariners

The Mariners are another team that seems to generate excitement year after year before ultimately falling short of the playoffs. In 2014, it 87-75 wasn’t good enough; high hopes in 2015 gave way to a 76-86 record, and then they reversed that to go 86-76 in 2016, which still wasn’t good enough for a playoff berth.

In response, general manager Jerry Dipoto had one of the busiest offseasons in baseball. A whole pile of trades brought in the likes of Yovani Gallardo and Drew Smyly to help the rotation, Jean Segura and Jarrod Dyson to bolster the lineup, and a couple lower-level free agents to shore up the bullpen.

How much did it all improve Seattle? Some, but not a ton.

The middle of Seattle’s lineup was strong in 2016, and adding Segura will help. What they need is more production from fringe players like Mike Zunino, Leonys Martin, and Danny Valencia. They also need the pitching to improve. Felix Hernandez wasn’t quite his ace-level self, particularly down the stretch, in 2016. That must improve. James Paxton must show that his 3.79 ERA was no fluke. Smyly and Gallardo must show that they can be reliable pitchers at the back end of the rotation. Importantly, the Seattle bullpen must show that they can get the ball to flamethrowing youngster Edwin Diaz to close it out.

The biggest problem might be the competition. The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers figure to be strong again, and as far as wild-card spots, there are a bevy of teams in other divisions that may have a say. Seattle may, as they were in 2016, simply be crowded out by superior competition.

2) Baltimore Orioles

People say this every year, because the Orioles always seem to scratch together enough talent to contend despite it not making a lot of sense how. In 2016, they won 89 games thanks to an offense heavy on home run power, pitching that was just barely good enough, and Zach Britton.

In 2017, some of that power will be gone. While it remains possible that Matt Wieters could return to the Orioles, it hasn’t happened, and other suitors are circling. That’s 17 fewer homers, and Pedro Alvarez’s 22 have also left the scene. That leaves a team very reliant on Mark Trumbo to be close to as good as he was when he hit 47 bombs in 2016, because they don’t hit for a high average. The Orioles will sink or swim on account of their power bats.

That’s even more important because, even in 2016, the Orioles didn’t really have the pitching. Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman were both good enough, but the rest of the rotation was ineffective, and there were issues if they couldn’t get the ball to reliable relievers Brad Brach and Britton. Recall how the Orioles bullpen held up when Buck Showalter inexplicably refused to use his closer in last year’s wild card game. It won’t take a whole lot for Baltimore to fall off a bit in 2017 – and that will likely leave them out of the playoffs.

1) St. Louis Cardinals

Is the magic gone? The Cardinals were left out of the playoffs last season for the first time since 2010. They haven’t missed out for two consecutive seasons since 2007 and 2008, but it’s a very real possibility that happens in 2017.

In the past, much like the Orioles, the Cardinals have been able to find players seemingly out of nowhere to launch them into contention. Now, though, they share a division with a loaded Chicago Cubs team, have to cope with the losers of the inevitable San Francisco-Los Angeles and Washington-New York battles for their respective divisions in the wild card race, and are simply getting older.

Adam Wainwright had his worst big-league season in 2016, and at the age of 35, you have to wonder if it’s just a blip or a sign of a decline. In fact, outside of Carlos Martinez, the entire rotation failed to pull their weight, and the team did little to address that during the winter. In fact, that Cardinals did precious little when afforded the opportunity; Dexter Fowler is a nice add who will help the lineup, but the only other move of significance was the decision to give a merely decent left-handed reliever $30 million.

The Cardinals won’t be bad, but realistically, it’s hard to see where much of the improvement would come from. 86 wins was not enough for them in 2016. Don’t be surprised to see that drop into the 82-86 range in 2017 after a flat-footed offseason. Aledmys Diaz, Matt Carpenter, and Stephen Piscotty are three players who had strong first halves but couldn’t replicate it in the second, and Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk weren’t all that strong at any point. Those five players are the key to St. Louis’s offense. If they can put up strong seasons, the Cardinals may scrape by. If not, they may miss out on October for a second consecutive year.

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2lKmqp9