A Few CTE Questions

[SpiderWebComm]

My interest was in your take on CTE but you didn't want to talk about that. I took your advice on shishkebab to see what would come of it but ultimately aiming a different way is not a priority for me.

My intent for what I was doing with you and Shishkabob was coming in through another door that would eventually lead to the CTE room. As I've stated on here multiple times, Shishkabob and CTE are just two out of about 20 Hal Houle aiming system creations. He went into a few others with me but they didn't grab my interest and curiosity like Shish and CTE so I told him to teach me more about those two systems. It really was another realm to explore and see the connections between two balls that way along with pivots that made balls go in with ease. He'd tell me to see the CB a certain way superimposed on the OB while the tip of the cue was positioned offset from center. Then he'd say "now pivot the tip of your cue back to center CB and take the shot from there. Stroke it!" Balls kept going dead center straight into the pockets.

It was mind numbing that we weren't involved in linking the balls together with contact points or fractions which I had always done and told by Hal to forget about and don't let it enter the picture because I'd miss if I tried integrating it with what he was explaining. He said the aim points on the OB were Center, halfway between center and edge, and edge. THAT'S IT! The link on the CB was the center of it.

In the beginning I worked with both methods but for whatever reason Shishkabob came more easily than CTE. I worked with both but Shishkabob suited my eyes and the pivoting better. Years later, Stan got hooked on CTE pretty much the same way I did which was based on astonishment, amazement, and curiosity to try figuring out, "how in the f**k is this working and why do balls keep going in?"

Now Stan was always a much better player than ALL OF US on this forum before he knew about CTE as he'd won a pro 9-ball tournament with all the big name players of the day back in 2002. He was also a certified instructor with the BCA. If pool players wore jock straps like in other sports, none of us would have been worthy enough to carry it as his groupie.

But here we are on this forum with friggin' jerk idiots who don't know shit and haven't accomplished shit in pool knocking him, knocking CTE, knocking players who learn, use and tout it, knocking his DVDs, Youtube videos, and book about CTE on a daily basis year after year and day after day.

Understand this Dan, I had NO intention of trying to get you to change from what you're doing and using by replacing it with Shishkabob. What I was attempting to do was lead you down the same path that I found easiest when I was introduced to it by Hal and then later went into CTE after more experience and understanding. I just never told that to you upfront. All I was doing was instructing and evaluating what and how you were progressing and your interest in it.

Let's face it, things didn't go too well when you said you missed every shot that was laid out with donuts around half the table with cut angles between a few degrees up to about 87 degrees. You couldn't get the pivot down properly. Now, that's OK.
I understand it's not the most effective way to teach something with written words only.
But what I DIDN'T see was you asking, "what's going on here...what might I be doing wrong that's causing me to miss even the
most simple shots?"

That was it and got dropped as you faded off into the sunset and came back on here to knock CTE with PJ and the other 6 or so regular knockers.

Like I said in the beginning of this, Shiskabob was my choice to go with to lead into CTE since it made the most sense from the way I did it. You showed no interest in continuing so back to the same crap of knocking CTE here on the forum and defending it. My final words in this post...IT WORKS AND WORKS JUST LIKE IT'S TAUGHT!

THANK YOU LORD FOR HAL HOULE AND STAN SHUFFETT!!

 

[cookie man]

I'm posting about the things Brian said on this forum. He obviously wasn't feeling right for various reasons but he was also careful not to take away from your win, as it should be. You won fair and square but that does not mean you saw Brian at his normal speed.

You can bait me all you want. Brian and I had a good time playing pool. End of story.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Brian had lots of excuses for his relatively poor play and I tend to think they are true. He's clearly saying he didn't give you his normal game and you are dismissing that.

Here's a real test. Brian can do what Cookie does and has done over the years. Enter the US Amateur Championship and play his ass off as good as he can. Cookie has finished 10th and I think 15th in the biggest pool tournament for amateurs in this country.

Do you have any idea how strong and good that is? Allow me to answer it for you. NO, you don't nor will even acknowledge it.
Actually, you can get your own butt into the tournament and see how you fare. Do you have the balls to do it?
Cookie is not a young spring chicken and might be as old or older than you. So how about putting all of this extensive knowledge you have or think you have along with a now perfect stroke to a REAL TEST. The one thing you don't have much experience with is "puckering asshole syndrome" when the nerves are all over the place in a venue with the best in the country competing. Bring some diapers just in case. And bring Pat Johnson with you as a competing partner.

Maybe both of you can have some backroom activity with Cookie when not scheduled to compete.

Btw, do you happen to notice a name in the list that's a Stan endorsed instructor of CTE? This isn't passed out
to just anyone. Obviously, they ALL know far more than you about CTE. Your perceived knowledge is only that...very weak to disjointed nothing.

Stan Shuffett Billiard Instruction and Book — www.justcueit.com

Stan Shuffett's Center Pocket Music: Using CTE PRO ONE to Improve Your Pool Game is THE instructional manual for learning Center-to-Edge Aiming to improve your pool game. Stan is the world's foremost authority using and teaching real CTE PRO ONE

www.justcueit.com

 

[boogieman]

True. But often when playing sets gambling with relatively even players it comes down to made the 3or 4 shots to decide the match

IMO that's why you don't want to be thinking about aiming systems, except maybe at the practice table. 3-4 shots in a race requires your mind power to be dedicated to more important things, like strategy, 2 way shots and shape. The sooner you master however you aim and can offload it from consciousness, the better you'll do. No knocks on aiming systems, but if you have to think of aiming systems it means you need more time at the practice table. Sure, you can't know all the shots, so they can be a nice backup, but in an ideal world you will look at all shots and know them intimately.

Shot making is an athletic endeavor. It's the one of the few reasons pool is considered a sport. Just like hitting a teammate's glove in baseball. Gotta know where you're throwing and play catch enough until it becomes automatic.

That said, if I'm in a situation desperate enough to warrant thinking about aiming systems, it's probably a good idea to consider safety play as an option. With strong safety play you shoot mainly ducks anyway. Let the cowboys try the desperation shots, I'll get them with the percentages in the end. If they can out shoot my safety play, they deserved to win anyway.

 

[cookie man]

IMO that's why you don't want to be thinking about aiming systems, except maybe at the practice table. 3-4 shots in a race requires your mind power to be dedicated to more important things, like strategy, 2 way shots and shape. The sooner you master however you aim and can offload it from consciousness, the better you'll do. No knocks on aiming systems, but if you have to think of aiming systems it means you need more time at the practice table. Sure, you can't know all the shots, so they can be a nice backup, but in an ideal world you will look at all shots and know them intimately.

Shot making is an athletic endeavor. It's the one of the few reasons pool is considered a sport. Just like hitting a teammate's glove in baseball. Gotta know where you're throwing and play catch enough until it becomes automatic.

That said, if I'm in a situation desperate enough to warrant thinking about aiming systems, it's probably a good idea to consider safety play as an option. With strong safety play you shoot mainly ducks anyway. Let the cowboys try the desperation shots, I'll get them with the percentages in the end. If they can out shoot my safety play, they deserved to win anyway.

I agree but what in the world makes you think I’m thinking about my aiming system. I have CTE down and it’s much easier, less complicated and more precise then anything else. I don’t need to think, just recognize the perception and automatically do it. My visual intelligence has grown tremendously with CTE , how is that a bad thing!

 

[boogieman]

I agree but what in the world makes you think I’m thinking about my aiming system. I have CTE down and it’s much easier, less complicated and more precise then anything else. I don’t need to think, just recognize the perception and automatically do it. My visual intelligence has grown tremendously with CTE , how is that a bad thing!

It's not a bad thing at all. The point I was trying to make is that someone who knows the shots is a favorite, regardless of how they train themselves at the practice table. CTE is one way to do it. I hope I didn't come off as being confrontational, it wasn't my intention.

CTE is fine for an aiming system, but just like any other, you have to put the time in until it's burned into your pool computer. I think this is why many of the "doubters" doubt, they don't put the time in with it. If they already have an aiming system that works, it's not doing a lot of good in the meantime until they get CTE figured out. I went through a period after doing CTE that I aligned to half ball or center ball only. It worked fine too. Sometimes it's nice to experiment and try to learn things with different systems. If you're constantly in action or tournaments/league it's tough to dedicate the time to learn an entirely new aiming system, especially one that changes the paradigm of how they aim.

I found CTE not too difficult to understand as I'd done a perfect aim lesson with Gene and practiced the hell out of it. It too is a system of seeing in 3D, though it is much easier to implement for players who already are decent. Is it better? I don't know, but it made it easier to get the gist of CTE and understand the NISL, parallax and such.

 

[cookie man]

It's not a bad thing at all. The point I was trying to make is that someone who knows the shots is a favorite, regardless of how they train themselves at the practice table. CTE is one way to do it. I hope I didn't come off as being confrontational, it wasn't my intention.

CTE is fine for an aiming system, but just like any other, you have to put the time in until it's burned into your pool computer. I think this is why many of the "doubters" doubt, they don't put the time in with it. If they already have an aiming system that works, it's not doing a lot of good in the meantime until they get CTE figured out. I went through a period after doing CTE that I aligned to half ball or center ball only. It worked fine too. Sometimes it's nice to experiment and try to learn things with different systems. If you're constantly in action or tournaments/league it's tough to dedicate the time to learn an entirely new aiming system, especially one that changes the paradigm of how they aim.

I found CTE not too difficult to understand as I'd done a perfect aim lesson with Gene and practiced the hell out of it. It too is a system of seeing in 3D, though it is much easier to implement for players who already are decent. Is it better? I don't know, but it made it easier to get the gist of CTE and understand the NISL, parallax and such.

Geno is a great teacher. I just didn’t want to leave readers with the impression that CTE is hard to use and necessitates a lot of thinking. For an experienced CTE user the aiming is automatic

 

[boogieman]

For an experienced CTE user the aiming is automatic

Absolutely.

 

[Dan White]

Here's a real test. Brian can do what Cookie does and has done over the years. Enter the US Amateur Championship and play his ass off as good as he can. Cookie has finished 10th and I think 15th in the biggest pool tournament for amateurs in this country.

Do you have any idea how strong and good that is? Allow me to answer it for you. NO, you don't nor will even acknowledge it.
Actually, you can get your own butt into the tournament and see how you fare. Do you have the balls to do it?
Cookie is not a young spring chicken and might be as old or older than you. So how about putting all of this extensive knowledge you have or think you have along with a now perfect stroke to a REAL TEST. The one thing you don't have much experience with is "puckering asshole syndrome" when the nerves are all over the place in a venue with the best in the country competing. Bring some diapers just in case. And bring Pat Johnson with you as a competing partner.

Maybe both of you can have some backroom activity with Cookie when not scheduled to compete.

Btw, do you happen to notice a name in the list that's a Stan endorsed instructor of CTE? This isn't passed out
to just anyone. Obviously, they ALL know far more than you about CTE. Your perceived knowledge is only that...very weak to disjointed nothing.

Stan Shuffett Billiard Instruction and Book — www.justcueit.com

Stan Shuffett's Center Pocket Music: Using CTE PRO ONE to Improve Your Pool Game is THE instructional manual for learning Center-to-Edge Aiming to improve your pool game. Stan is the world's foremost authority using and teaching real CTE PRO ONE

www.justcueit.com

I'm not implying that Brian is a better player. I have no idea either way. cookie is clearly a strong 8 ball player as seen in his tournament results.

This all came about because you somehow think that you can prove CTE by beating PJ. It's nonsensical.

 

[Dan White]

My intent for what I was doing with you and Shishkabob was coming in through another door that would eventually lead to the CTE room. As I've stated on here multiple times, Shishkabob and CTE are just two out of about 20 Hal Houle aiming system creations. He went into a few others with me but they didn't grab my interest and curiosity like Shish and CTE so I told him to teach me more about those two systems. It really was another realm to explore and see the connections between two balls that way along with pivots that made balls go in with ease. He'd tell me to see the CB a certain way superimposed on the OB while the tip of the cue was positioned offset from center. Then he'd say "now pivot the tip of your cue back to center CB and take the shot from there. Stroke it!" Balls kept going dead center straight into the pockets.

That's not what you said. You said you were not going to attempt to teach anybody CTE because that's Stan's thing not yours. You said you would show me shishkebab but did not indicate this would lead to CTE. Had I known that I might have kept up with it. If I understood you right, you agreed that shishkebab was a subjective system that required knowing when the shot was on as compared to CTE in which the shots are automatic if you follow the steps. That's mainly why I lost interest in shishkebab but not completely why I stopped. I banged up my wrist working in the garage and I may have fractured a bone. I still haven't seen a doctor but that might be necessary this week. I can barely make a bridge so pool playing isn't on my agenda right now.

Let's face it, things didn't go too well when you said you missed every shot that was laid out with donuts around half the table with cut angles between a few degrees up to about 87 degrees. You couldn't get the pivot down properly. Now, that's OK.
I understand it's not the most effective way to teach something with written words only.
But what I DIDN'T see was you asking, "what's going on here...what might I be doing wrong that's causing me to miss even the
most simple shots?"

lol. Please reread our conversation, which is in black and white. I told you I was not getting the results you expected and that I needed to unravel what is going on. I quickly realized that my pivot was sloppy, most likely because my bridge hand was half off the nose of the rail while shooting because of the donut hole positions you specified. I've been using BHE for years and never had any problems with pivoting. I learned that I did have a pivoting problem while my bridge was in a funny position. Good to know. I told you about this and explained how I found it by carefully parallel shifting etc etc and all you said was to forget about all that stuff. You misunderstood my point, and it seems like you still do. Please go back and reread it because it feels like we are arguing about something very simple. I wasn't pivoting properly, I fixed that, and then the balls went in as you expected.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

I'm not implying that Brian is a better player. I have no idea either way. cookie is clearly a strong 8 ball player as seen in his tournament results.

You're sure as hell trying to cast doubt that Cookie might not be the better player as you make up all of the whack job excuses about jet lag, constipation, hemorrhoids, stubbing his toe on a strange bed in the motel, etc. (yeah, I know that's an exaggeration but yours were just as bad in their own way)

This all came about because you somehow think that you can prove CTE by beating PJ. It's nonsensical.

What in the hell lead you to that assumption? I could care less about proving CTE to PJ. CTE is accepted all over the world now and his opinions don't hold jack squat...never did, not now, and never will. I'd use it but I could just as well pound his ass into the ground with contact points and pounding him would be the real pleasure for $5k.
Btw, neither do your opinions. Both of you are Public Nuisance #1 and #2 when it comes to CTE and this forum.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

That's not what you said. You said you were not going to attempt to teach anybody CTE because that's Stan's thing not yours.

That's absolutely correct, I wasn't going to teach it and won't. But it doesn't mean I couldn't have given you some insights into things you don't know and keep harping about incorrectly to clear it up.

You said you would show me shishkebab but did not indicate this would lead to CTE.

See above. I was interested in what your attitude and success would be with Shiskabob first.

Had I known that I might have kept up with it.

You might have, I don't know. That's exactly why I did it the way I did.

If I understood you right, you agreed that shishkebab was a subjective system that required knowing when the shot was on as compared to CTE in which the shots are automatic if you follow the steps.

I was going to show you how the shot was on. You said that you missed every single one.

That's mainly why I lost interest in shishkebab but not completely why I stopped. I banged up my wrist working in the garage and I may have fractured a bone. I still haven't seen a doctor but that might be necessary this week. I can barely make a bridge so pool playing isn't on my agenda right now.

I told you what I wanted to tell you and no more. It depended on your attitude and perseverance. You made absolutely no mention at all about your wrist and having pain or problems. NONE!

lol. Please reread our conversation, which is in black and white. I told you I was not getting the results you expected and that I needed to unravel what is going on. I quickly realized that my pivot was sloppy, most likely because my bridge hand was half off the nose of the rail while shooting because of the donut hole positions you specified. I've been using BHE for years and never had any problems with pivoting. I learned that I did have a pivoting problem while my bridge was in a funny position. Good to know. I told you about this and explained how I found it by carefully parallel shifting etc etc and all you said was to forget about all that stuff. You misunderstood my point, and it seems like you still do. Please go back and reread it because it feels like we are arguing about something very simple. I wasn't pivoting properly, I fixed that, and then the balls went in as you expected.

It's good all the balls went in, they should have as I knew it would if done correctly. There's a point to be made about it but based on how it played out, I really don't care to go further. There was a lot you could have learned from it in relationship to CTE which I would have explained but you aren't ever going to change your thinking and attitude so that's it. It was good while it lasted and if you weren't so f**ked in the head about CTE I could see where you'd be a decent person to pal around with.

 

[Dan White]

You're sure as hell trying to cast doubt that Cookie might not be the better player as you make up all of the whack job excuses about jet lag, constipation, hemorrhoids, stubbing his toe on a strange bed in the motel, etc. (yeah, I know that's an exaggeration but yours were just as bad in their own way)

What in the hell lead you to that assumption? I could care less about proving CTE to PJ. CTE is accepted all over the world now and his opinions don't hold jack squat...never did, not now, and never will. I'd use it but I could just as well pound his ass into the ground with contact points and pounding him would be the real pleasure for $5k.
Btw, neither do your opinions. Both of you are Public Nuisance #1 and #2 when it comes to CTE and this forum.

Good thing you're around to save the forum.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Good thing you're around to save the forum.

Finally, you said something that made sense.

 

[Dan White]

That's absolutely correct, I wasn't going to teach it and won't. But it doesn't mean I couldn't have given you some insights into things you don't know and keep harping about incorrectly to clear it up.

See above. I was interested in what your attitude and success would be with Shiskabob first.

You might have, I don't know. That's exactly why I did it the way I did.

I was going to show you how the shot was on. You said that you missed every single one.

I told you what I wanted to tell you and no more. It depended on your attitude and perseverance. You made absolutely no mention at all about your wrist and having pain or problems. NONE!

It's good all the balls went in, they should have as I knew it would if done correctly. There's a point to be made about it but based on how it played out, I really don't care to go further. There was a lot you could have learned from it in relationship to CTE which I would have explained but you aren't ever going to change your thinking and attitude so that's it. It was good while it lasted and if you weren't so f**ked in the head about CTE I could see where you'd be a decent person to pal around with.

You seem to have two themes. One is that you were judging whether the student was worthy to learn your secrets, kind of like Hal, and the other is this innuendo that I was incompetent at performing the shots. The first theme backfired on me because you made it pretty clear that shishkebab was all you were interested in teaching, which, really, I was not interested in learning. Had I known otherwise I'd have kept with it. Although, I don't know what "insights into CTE" are if I'm not actually learning it. The second theme is fake news made to make my other opinions on CTE look less credible. I'll say if for a third time. I wasn't pivoting properly because of my hand position over the rail. Once I diagnosed the problem, in about 30 seconds, I had no problems after that.

It's no big deal. Maybe we can try again sometime down the road.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

You seem to have two themes. One is that you were judging whether the student was worthy to learn your secrets, kind of like Hal, and the other is this innuendo that I was incompetent at performing the shots.

From start to finish with the first post to each other and the last in PMs, you were incompetent at performing the shots. The entire communications started on 2-20 and ended on 3-5. At no point behind the scenes did you say you were successful in performing all the shots.

The first theme backfired on me because you made it pretty clear that shishkebab was all you were interested in teaching, which, really, I was not interested in learning.

There was/is a certain tie in between the two.

Had I known otherwise I'd have kept with it.

But I wasn't going to let it happen until you got proficient with the first.

Although, I don't know what "insights into CTE" are if I'm not actually learning it.

That's because you don't have a clue about either of them and never have.

The second theme is fake news made to make my other opinions on CTE look less credible. I'll say if for a third time. I wasn't pivoting properly because of my hand position over the rail. Once I diagnosed the problem, in about 30 seconds, I had no problems after that.

You never spoke up about the rail and your hand position being a problem even one time. I'm not a mind reader. Nor did you say anything about screwing up your hand and being in pain.

OK, you said you finally got all of the shots to go. Does that mean just on the side rail or also the three on the bottom rail?

What visual and pivot did you use on the side rail shots to make them go in? What visual and pivot did you use on the end rail shots to make them go in? IOW for clarification, where did the tip/ferrule of your cue start on the CB and where did the RIGHT side of the tip end up AFTER the pivot before pulling the trigger to start your stroke? Did you have better success starting out a CCB with the center of your tip there before pivot to the outside...or did you have better success with the left edge of your tip on CCB and then pivoting back to CCB?

Was it the same initial setup and finish after pivot on all the shots or did they differ?

 

[Dan White]

From start to finish with the first post to each other and the last in PMs, you were incompetent at performing the shots. The entire communications started on 2-20 and ended on 3-5. At no point behind the scenes did you say you were successful in performing all the shots.

There was/is a certain tie in between the two.

But I wasn't going to let it happen until you got proficient with the first.

That's because you don't have a clue about either of them and never have.

You never spoke up about the rail and your hand position being a problem even one time.

I told you I figured out the problem was a sloppy bridge and I cured it by being extra careful by lining up parallel etc etc but you didn't seem to get what I was saying. You told me to forget about all of that while in reality I was just relaying what I did to prove that my bridge was sloppy and now the pivots are good. I may not have said it was because of the rail at the time because I didn't think of it.

I'm not a mind reader. Nor did you say anything about screwing up your hand and being in pain.

I didn't injure my arm until after our conversations. I haven't had time to play sometimes even more than once a week and the injury didn't help matters. It's been too painful to even chalk the cue so continuing on with the conversation was not a priority.

OK, you said you finally got all of the shots to go. Does that mean just on the side rail or also the three on the bottom rail?

I'm talking about the ones on the side rail down to near the corner, which is the ones you told me to do first.

What visual and pivot did you use on the side rail shots to make them go in? What visual and pivot did you use on the end rail shots to make them go in? IOW for clarification, where did the tip/ferrule of your cue start on the CB and where did the RIGHT side of the tip end up AFTER the pivot before pulling the trigger to start your stroke? Did you have better success starting out a CCB with the center of your tip there before pivot to the outside...or did you have better success with the left edge of your tip on CCB and then pivoting back to CCB?

Was it the same initial setup and finish after pivot on all the shots or did they differ?

OK, let's reset if you will cooperate. I'll go back through our conversation and will redo the donut holes and will get back to you on what happens. If you're in the mood to continue, then I'm game. If not, then we tried. I'll pm you when I'm able to do all that.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

I told you I figured out the problem was a sloppy bridge and I cured it by being extra careful by lining up parallel etc etc but you didn't seem to get what I was saying. You told me to forget about all of that while in reality I was just relaying what I did to prove that my bridge was sloppy and now the pivots are good. I may not have said it was because of the rail at the time because I didn't think of it.

Seems to me it would have been pretty obvious to "think" about it since it seemed to be a real irritant and uncomfortable.

I didn't injure my arm until after our conversations. I haven't had time to play sometimes even more than once a week and the injury didn't help matters. It's been too painful to even chalk the cue so continuing on with the conversation was not a priority.

I'm talking about the ones on the side rail down to near the corner, which is the ones you told me to do first.

That's fine. Those 3 are a good starter.

OK, let's reset if you will cooperate.

Since I initiated it, how wasn't I cooperating? I created and typed a lot of stuff for you as intricately as I could so we'd both be on the same page to see the balls and pocket identically along with the cueing instructions. But it might not have been good enough.

I'll go back through our conversation and will redo the donut holes and will get back to you on what happens. If you're in the mood to continue, then I'm game. If not, then we tried. I'll pm you when I'm able to do all that.

I'm game but don't even think about it until your hand/arm is completely healed. Doesn't matter how long it takes. One last question, on those 3 shots along the side rail, do you remember how you set up for the shots and how or how much your actual pivot was? Did you set up INSIDE and pivot back to center or set up CENTER pivoting to outside?

 

[cookie man]

You seem to have two themes.

Wondering what you would consider your “themes” to be here in the aiming forum?

 

[Dan White]

Seems to me it would have been pretty obvious to "think" about it since it seemed to be a real irritant and uncomfortable.

That's fine. Those 3 are a good starter.

Since I initiated it, how wasn't I cooperating? I created and typed a lot of stuff for you as intricately as I could so we'd both be on the same page to see the balls and pocket identically along with the cueing instructions. But it might not have been good enough.

I think it was fine.

I'm game but don't even think about it until your hand/arm is completely healed. Doesn't matter how long it takes. One last question, on those 3 shots along the side rail, do you remember how you set up for the shots and how or how much your actual pivot was? Did you set up INSIDE and pivot back to center or set up CENTER pivoting to outside?

I set up 1/2 tip inside and pivoted to center. The first shot went center pocket, I think and as I moved down the table the ob went to the fatter side of the pocket. I'd have to do it again to see exactly where, but probably the third shot hit the facing before going in. I didn't like pivoting to outside because it put a ton of english on the cb.