text:
brady hoke
Unverified Voracity Is Very Excited For A Questionable Reason
IT'S HAPPENING. Butch Jones! Got fired! Fairly obviously! And his replacement! Is!
KNOXVILLE — Brady Hoke is Tennessee's interim head coach with two games remaining in the regular season after the school relieved Butch Jones of his duties this week.
YAIIIIIISSS. And his next game is against!
CAJUN BRADY HOKE. Why does this make me so happy? I don't know! Will I be watching this game and rooting for Tennessee? Hell yes! Will this go very very badly and still delight me? Absolutely!
Seeds and tourneys. Soccer got the #13 overall seed in the 48-team NCAA tourney, which comes with a first round bye and a home game on Sunday at 5 against the winner of the Massachusetts/Colgate game.
Meanwhile, field hockey has made that sport's final four with a hamblasting of Northwestern.
The Goal Scorer! @emmatway #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Bol1z0V3eu
— Michigan Field Hockey (@umichfldhockey) November 12, 2017
The semifinal is Friday in Louisville against Maryland. I couldn't find any TV information, so... I guess it's not televised? If anyone knows otherwise let us know.
Coachfights! It's been testy in college hockey of late, with two-count-'em-two postgame blowups in what's historically been a very chummy coaching fraternity. The unspoken rule about not poaching recruits that Joe Tiller thought was a college football thing—thus giving the world "snake oil" as a college football term—has been more or less real in college hockey since I've followed things. That's breaking down. Denver just poached a top SCSU recruit, and this was the result:
— GOHUSKIESWOOOOO (@GOHUSKIESWOOOOO) November 12, 2017
Clear f-bombs! Exciting! But not PRESS CONFERENCE F-BOMBS!
"I guess my first comment is I want to make it loud and clear that what their coach did...was a fucking classless asshole."
That's Cornell(!) head coach Mike Schafer being pissed at Quinnipiac's Rand Pecknold—who sounds like the libertarian villain in a terrible screenplay by a Salon author—because Pecknold argued with a referee that a five-and-a-game boarding call was embellished. Which seems like a not-great reason to go off.
Baseball's recruiting is on the uptick. MGoFish has an extensive breakdown of Michigan's latest class, which is ranked #23 by Perfect Game and features pitcher Steven Hajjar:
Steven Hajjar, North Andover, MA (Central Catholic); @StevenHajjar
Hajjar is probably my favorite signee, and for a few reasons. Like mine, his last name is confusing to spell and probably gives people fits. He was committed to Maryland as recently as July and flipped to Michigan. He somehow has a GPA of 4.4 and got a 1330 on his SATs. And he is really freaking good at baseball. At the July Perfect Game National Showcase, his scouting report was a perfect 10/10, hitting as high as 93 on the gun as well as a slider that "was very consistent with plenty of depth and biting action" that can get up to 79 mph. His mechanics remind me of fellow Michigan pitcher Rich Hill, who had an excellent postseason for the Dodgers. Unconventional, but wicked offspeed pitches make hitters look foolish. Combine those mechanics with a 6′ 4″ frame and long arms and hitters will feel that the ball is being released from about 50 feet away. Good luck.
It is extremely difficult for northern schools to get all the good croots because of the ridiculous schedule they have to play; Michigan is the only team north of the Mason-Dixon line in the top 25. #38 Indiana, #42 Penn State, and #43 Maryland are Michigan's closest Big Ten competitors on Perfect Game.
Ann Arbor Urban Planning Moment. I generally like Ryan Stanton's work for MLive but I find the framing of this article to be horrendous:
Ann Arbor facing potential loss of hundreds of public parking spaces
The potential loss of those spaces is because the city's lease on two downtown surface parking lots is about to expire, and the owners of that property—First Martin, which is an advertiser FWIW—are likely to put in big D1-zoned buildings. Which was the veritable goal of a decade-long density-encouraging rezoning process. Large buildings have housing, retail, provide tax revenue, and reduce commuting to downtown offices. Surface parking lots... are there.
Incessant parking complaints from the local olds continue to baffle me. I've lived in Ann Arbor for 20 years and gone downtown several times a week at all hours and almost never even think about parking in a structure because whenever I drive up Division most of the spots are open—and that's if it's a relatively high-traffic night and I'm not aiming for something a bit closer. I do tend to avoid going downtown on Friday and Saturday nights but when I do the downside is I am parking in a structure with hundreds of open spots.
The structures get jammed during the day when work commuters arrive, which is only a problem for work commuters. Ann Arbor should ignore the concerns of people who must come downtown, because they will find alternatives like Park and Ride if forced, while keeping might come downtown people relatively happy. Which they should be unless they think parking three blocks away is a travesty.
Etc.: AFC Ann Arbor memberships available for 2018. Jim Hackett and Paul Tagliabue are speaking at the Ford School at 4 PM if you're interested in swim lanes and good coach hirin'. And Paul Tagliabue. Michigan signs five basketballists, talks about them. Hoover Street Rag on Maryland. Z/X Simpson emerging.
The "Speed Is Overrated" Era Is, Mercifully, Over
The successes. [Patrick Barron]
In his four-year tenure at Michigan, Brady Hoke accepted commitments from eight recruits who entered the program as wide receivers. With Drake Harris' move to cornerback, one remains at the position on the current roster: senior Moe Ways, who has five career receptions and doesn't appear likely to play a significant role this fall.
After the Harris news broke, The Mathlete posed a question to the group in the mgo-slack chat:
Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson are obvious; both just went in the NFL draft after productive college careers. If we take this question literally—including only players who were recruited as wide receivers—then the third answer tells you all you need to know about Hoke's recruiting at the position: Moe Ways, he of the five career catches.
Here are Hoke's recruits ranked by receiving yards. I've listed them by the position they began their careers playing, because this staff well and truly thought Devin Funchess was a tight end for two years before getting it right:
- WR Amara Darboh, 2062
- TE/WR Devin Funchess, 1715
- TE Jake Butt, 1646
- WR Jehu Chesson, 1639
- RB De'Veon Smith, 251
- TE/FB Khalid Hill, 226
- TE AJ Williams, 164
- RB/WR Dennis Norfleet, 157
- FB Joe Kerridge, 123
- TE Ian Bunting, 118
- RB Drake Johnson, 107
- RB Justice Hayes, 105
- FB Sione Houma, 91
- S Jabrill Peppers, 82
- WR Moe Ways, 64
- RB Ty Isaac, 54
- WR Drake Harris, 50
- FB Henry Poggi, 47
It's understandable, in this relatively short time period, to have the type of chasm that exists between Chesson and Smith—a team can only have so many top targets. Having not one, not two, but three fullbacks rank ahead of the next player recruited as a wide receiver (and a fourth threatening to pass him), however, is not.
You may note that the entire 2013 wide receiver class—Jaron Dukes, Da'Mario Jones, and Csont'e York—is missing from the above list. The trio produced two catches for 13 yards at Michigan, all by Jones. In retrospect, perhaps this wasn't the best recruiting strategy:
Michigan signed three receivers last week, none of whom ranks better than a three star.
They seem to be big on size, but lack elite speed.
That doesn't concern receivers coach Jeff Hecklinski.
"Speed is overrated," he said last week. "Obviously, it's something we have to have. But speed is overrated. How can you truly judge the speed of a high school kid on the perimeter when maybe he touches the ball three times a game?
This is how a true sophomore, Kekoa Crawford, wound up as the old man among expected two-deep contributors at receiver this year. Thankfully, Jim Harbaugh followed up on a strong 2016 receiver haul with, by recruiting rankings, the best receiver class in program history. One look at Donovan Peoples-Jones will dispel any notion that this staff believes speed is overrated. Thank the football gods.
Unverified Voracity Says Good Job, Butch
The Daily has a book. It is a collection of their coverage from the 2016 season, and it's cheap at just $7.50. Marvel at things Peppers does, grapes that have been removed from existence, and the appallingly excellent skin of the youths who insouciantly bring it to you!
If you're in town you can stop by the Maynard building and avoid shipping costs. There's also something in the draft copy about bringing them a pizza from NYPD so you can see all the things they stole from road games but that's CLEARLY a joke so please don't do that and also don't tell me what it is afterwards. (Operative theory: Michigan State's dignity.)
[Bryan Fuller]
Not a starter, technically. PFF lists the best returning players in the Big Ten. Michigan has a member of the DL land at #3 despite graduating all four starters, and you already know who it is:
Michigan's defensive line was so loaded in 2016, Hurst was technically not considered a starter. This year, however, he is the clear leader of the unit, as three likely top 100 picks will be moving on to the NFL. In terms of production amongst his returning peers, Hurst has no equal. His 34 total pressures in 173 pass-rush reps last season ranks him first in pass-rush productivity among 2017 defensive tackles, and his 18 run stops on 155 run downs ranks him eighth in run-stop percentage within the same group.
Expect a lot of "where did this guy come from!?" next year as Hurst's increased snap total results in some silly numbers.
Everyone quote tweet tonight. About a dozen people on my timeline quoted this Bruce Feldman tweet to let their followers know it was a good idea:
SOURCE: Former #Michigan head coach Brady Hoke is expected to become the new D-line coach at #Tennessee.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 6, 2017
They are not wrong. Hoke plucked Willie Henry, Ryan Glasgow, and Frank Clark out of obscurity; even the touted recruits he grabbed frequently outperformed their rankings. Chris Wormley(composite #129), Taco Charlton (#132), and Mo Hurst (#258) are all potential first-round NFL draft picks. There were some busts in there, but Hoke recruited seven of the eight guys on Michigan's best-ever defensive line.
I'd take him back in Ann Arbor as a DL coach if that wouldn't be super weird. In this instance, Butch Jones's weird tendency to get the Lloyd Carr band back together is not clinically insane.
Early enrollment is a thing. College football already has an early signing day of sorts:
The 2017 recruiting class seemed to have less late drama than years past, and that could have something to do with the growing number of early enrollees. Among the top 50 prospects in this class, 26 were midyear enrollees, which included 11 of the 15 five-stars. And of the top 150 prospects, 54 enrolled early.
Michigan had a whopping 11 guys enroll early, a program record. The large numbers of Michigan seniors ready to graduate and start prepping for the NFL draft full time created a bunch of openings that freshmen gladly filled.
Haves vs Have Nots: Fight! It's going to be a short fight. Michigan has some analyst spots to fill, as they usually do, and they're going after this gentleman:
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday that Hawaii DC Kevin Lempa met with Michigan over the weekend about a "non-coaching" position in Ann Arbor.
Lempa already resigned as the Warriors' DC to take a 'worse' job once before, when he departed the islands to be a DBs coach at Boston College in 2002. He's in his mid-60s so this won't be a play to move up at Michigan if it does indeed happen; it would be about dollars and the opportunity to participate in Championship Football(tm).
FWIW, Don Brown is the connect here. Lempa was on his staffs at Maryland and UConn.
OL exit... MSU OL Thiyo Lukusa has left MSU's program, reportedly to retire. Lukusa played last year as MSU tried to find any combination that would work and was widely expected to compete for and probably win a tackle spot. Not good for the Spartans as they try to pick themselves up after a 3-9 season.
And it might get worse, with rumors flying that a number of other MSU players are off the team. Nothing definitive yet but there is a lot of smoke out there.
...OL entrance? Cal starting left tackle Aaron Cochran plans a grad transfer, and he was definitely a part of a thing that did things:
Cochran was an integral part of an offensive line that paved the way for a nationally ranked offense and numerous school records the past two seasons.
Everyone's nationally ranked, sir.
Anyway, Cochran is enormous at 6'8", 350, and has 16 starts under his belt at a Power 5 team. Cal was third in adjusted sack rate last year so he can't be horrendous. He only pops up once on PFF, but it's an encouraging note: he graded out well in Cal's loss to Washington, the #5 sack rate team last year. He is vaguely draftable per NFL Draft Scout.
Isaiah Hole reports that Michigan is "actively seeking" guys who could help them out but hasn't decided to pursue any particular player yet, including Cochran. If Michigan has the spot it would seem like a no-brainer to add a Pac-12 starter, even an iffy one, at a position of yawning need. Do they have it, though? Right now they're two over their scholarship limit. (Publicly, anyway. It's likely that Michigan knows of a couple departures already.)
Keeping the hype contained. Charles Matthews is profiled by Brendan Quinn, and John Beilein would like to keep expectations reasonable.
Beilein is careful not to preordain Matthews. One of the grand traditions in college basketball is for the redshirt player -- the one no one gets to see -- to be billed as a team's best player. Beilein avoids the pitfall.
...by turning into Fred Jackson:
"He's probably a combination of Hardaway and Glenn Robinson III. That's a good combination to have."
But fast!
Frustration, defined. John Gasaway's Tuesday Truths column from before the MSU game:
|Big Ten
|Opp. PPP
|Michigan State
|Ohio State
|Penn State
Michigan's offense is as good as anyone in the country in conference play. They have the same points per possession as Villanova, WVU, Kansas, and anyone in the ACC not named North Carolina (1.16). Only the Pac-12 has teams doing better on offense. Even a meh defense gets Michigan into the tournament with ease.
Or you could boot them for Houston, just sayin'. The Big Twelve has voted to dock Baylor a quarter of its annual payout until such time as "proper institutional controls" are in place and vetted by a third party. That's about six million dollars a year and is probably sufficient to get what the Big 12 wants out of them. But you could, I dunno, boot Baylor from your conference for cause and add a school in a much bigger media market? That's both ethical and a financial win.
FWIW, this is a measure of revenge for Art Briles in a mutually-assured-destruction sense. He tried to bilk some money out of Baylor with a lawsuit, causing the Baylor regents to assemble a pile of texts (and submit them to court!) that definitively expose Briles and former AD Ian McCaw as the worst kind of one-dimensional B-movie villain:
When a female student-athlete reported that a football player had brandished a gun at her, the court paperwork said, Briles texted an assistant coach: "what a fool -- she reporting to authorities."
In another case, a masseuse asked the team to discipline a player who reportedly exposed himself and asked for favors during a massage, the document said Briles' first response was, "What kind of discipline... She a stripper?" ...
In one text exchange, after a player was arrested for assault and threatening to kill someone, the paperwork said Briles texted athletic director McCaw that he had just talked to the player, who said Waco police had agreed to "keep it quiet." Briles promised to ask Shillinglaw to check in with a local attorney.
"That would be great if they kept it quiet!" McCaw allegedly replied. He is now the athletic director at Liberty University in Virginia.
Briles had to drop his lawsuit but the revelation of what actually went on was probably a spur for the Big 12's financial penality. In his accidental way Briles actually did some good here. So he's got that going for him.
Etc.: Various croot profiles include Joel Honigford, Cesar Ruiz, PWO and Air Force decommit Sean Fitzgerald, and fellow PWO Jared Davis. Lorenz picks some underrated Michigan recruits. Hugh Freeze is mad that other schools mentioned the obvious thing they should mention about Ole Miss. Vincent Smith profiled by MGoBlue. More mock drafts.
Unverified Voracity Is A Pretty Bear Indeed
WOOP [Eric Upchurch]
Exit Shane Morris. Per Tom Van Haaren, Shane Morris will pursue a graduate transfer. CMU is the most likely destination.
Morris never lived up to the titanic hype that his arm strength generated when he was a high school junior. First, a bout of mono his senior year put him behind the development curve; second, Al Borges finished the job. An inexplicable start against Minnesota in 2014 resulted in a probable mild concussion, setting off a firestorm of controversy Dave Brandon's incompetence stoked until it resulted in both his and Brady Hoke's firing.
Morris will, but shouldn't be, remembered mostly for that. He was a Michigan kid through and through, to the point where he played slot receiver in the spring and was happily a lead blocker on sweeps. It didn't work out at M; here's hoping he goes Thomas Rawls at CMU.
We were already banking on Morris's departure in our recruiting calculations, so that won't affect the size of the class.
PFF's All Big Ten team. Michigan folks:
- Offense: Amara Darboh ("highest-graded run blocker among Big Ten receivers ... 2.65 yards per route run average ranks second in the conference"), Khalid Hill, Erik Magnuson (2nd), Mason Cole (2nd).
- Defense: Taco Charlton ("absolutely dominant force in Big Ten play"), Ryan Glasgow("posted four sacks and 14 total pressures to go with nine total defensive stops" in final four games), Maurice Hurst(2nd), Mike McCray("24 total pressures on just 77 reps"), Jourdan Lewis, Channing Stribling (2nd), Jabrill Peppers (as a slot corner), Delano Hill(2nd).
Peppers was obviously the punt returner; Jordan Glasgow was their All Big Ten special-teamer. Entertainingly, OSU punter Cameron Johnston was the ABT punter and was graded out at –13.8 before the Michigan game. PFF hates specialists, like any red-blooded American.
You'll notice a few omissions: Mackey winner Jake Butt, Chris Wormley, and Ben Gedeon. Wormley scored around +31(!), basically level with Charlton and Hurst and a hair behind Glasgow. He got left out because of Jake Replogle's existence and some guy named Steven Richardson from Minnesota. Butt got a bunch of pass blocking minuses(?!) and didn't have the same kind of receiving impact he did a year ago. (If we're being honest, he should have won the Mackey last year; getting it this year is a bit of a lifetime achievement award.) Gedeon was +12, so he was on the verge. There were a ton of good linebackers in the league.
So you're saying there's a chance. Jabrill Peppers made an appearance on the Dan Patrick show ("THAT'S RIDICULOUS," exclaim Ohio State fans, "MALIK HOOKER SHOULD HAVE MADE AN APPEARANCE ON THE DAN PATRICK SHOW"), and on that show he denied that he'd made an NFL decision:
During an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Patrick asked Peppers -- who is eligible for the NFL Draft this year -- why he would stay at Michigan?
His answer?
"To get a degree, to try to finish some unfinished things here, to keep getting better at my craft," Peppers said. "I don't know, man. I've got a tough decision to make."
I... no. I am not taking this seriously, but I appreciate Peppers making it sound like a hard choice. FWIW, Peppers also said he'd vote for Deshaun Watson for Heisman.
This is probably fine. Buried at the end of an Ole Miss press release about Hugh Freeze dumping his offensive coordinator:
Ole Miss announces OC/QB coach Dan Werner will not return. Also, at the end of the release, Asst. AD Barney Farrar no longer part of staff.
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) December 8, 2016
No word about the "assistant athletic director for football operations," John Miller, who directed Tunsil to talk to Farrar about getting some more money.
I throw many shades at uniformz so only fair to acknowledge the flipside. These are gorgeous.
Ladies and Gents, here's your first look. This weekend, the Nanooks will wear throwbacks to 1938 for the #GovCup series against UAA. pic.twitter.com/PyODTUUpA3
— Nanooks Hockey Blog (@NanookHockey) December 7, 2016
I miss playing Alaska-Fairbanks, for the 8-0 wins Friday and inexplicable 2-1 losses Saturday, and for the two free games Michigan got whenever they went up there. Also I cannot figure out how to buy this jersey.
Knives out for Butch Jones. 247's Travis Haney has a feature article featuring an absolute ton of people slamming Butch Jones as not up for it:
"You talk about the time and place to say something like that - and that is not what our fans wanted to hear," one Tennessee administrative source told 247Sports, referring to the "champions of life" comment. "That will never go away. That soundbite will never go away." ...
"It's like he doesn't think he should be there," [another] source said. "It's like he doesn't think he belongs. And that permeates through the program. Everyone feels that." ...
"The culture is a disaster," said someone who works in the football building.
There are many more quotes from different people; even the supportive folk on the record are mostly talking about how Jones's accomplishments, such as they are, have not been fully appreciated. Add in Jalen Hurd's highly unusual midseason transfer and it looks grim for the future of the Jones regime. Regardless of the veracity of the claims in the article the number of people saying those things, even anonymously, for publication gives off a strong Rich Rodriguez vibe. He has problems of his own making, and now that he's down in a hole the rest of the program is digging for him.
This is of tangential interest to Michigan fans because of two things: Marcus Ray's bizarre insistence that Jones should have been the man instead of Harbaugh and Jones topping that hot take by hiring Michigan Olympic sports administrator Mike DeBord as his offensive coordinator. The parallels between Tennessee's breakdown of culture and discipline and those of the late Carr era are obvious.
More Butch Jones. Tennessee just got a commit from Trey Smith. Depending on who you listen to Smith is the top OL and possibly the top player in the country. Tennessee's sales pitch?
Trey Smith said a critical factor for choosing #Vols was branding. Smith said Butch Jones told him #Vols could help build his brand.
— Rhiannon Potkey (@TennesseeBeat) December 6, 2016
As Get The Picture points out, their real sales pitch was "we will give your sister money to be executive assistant to the head coach." At least Michigan hires actual football coaches.
Also knives out for someone you may know. Also in bad-idea coordinator hires:
Wow. The Oregon president is out here taking shots, says the only advice he can give is to "Go out and find a great defensive coordinator."
— Chantel Jennings (@ChantelJennings) December 8, 2016
I confess that I thought hiring Brady Hoke might not have been the worst idea in the world—look at his track record with under-recruited Michigan DL. It turned out to be... unhelpful. At least. It's possible that he took over a unit so far away from competence that he was doomed either way; it is extremely unlikely anyone will take that chance. Tell you what, though, whoever hires him as a DL coach is not wrong.
The Counterfactual. The #1 alternate universe of the past ten years in college football: what if RichRod takes the Alabama job? Nick Saban goes... somewhere. Michigan hires... somebody. He probably still fails extensively. John Talty looks back at one of the most fascinating coaching searches in CFB history.
Etc.: Excellent scouting report on Will Lockwood, one of the bright spots on the hockey team. A major reason Willie Taggart got the Oregon job: Jim Harbaugh. Lane Kiffin still the frontrunner for the Houston job. Me, I'd just hire their DC. Assistant salaries skyrocket, they have the money to pay players, etc.
Unverified Voracity Pokes The Bear
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To prevent this, you can go to Defensive Drivers Group, take their online course, complete it as 99% of applicants do, and get the states of Michigan, California, and New Jersey to wipe your record clean. It's normally 39.95; five bucks off for responding to this ad, and no hidden fees.
No mercy. I'm completely fine with John O'Korn throwing garbage-time bombs into the endzone with Michigan up multiple scores:
The @RunRalphieRun uniform combination is ... the exact same as it was on 9/24/94. #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/fbyjoWX3P5
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) September 12, 2016
This is poking the bear. Colorado, consider the bears poked.
Meanwhile, the bear. PFF's early-season take on Michigan is off-the-charts optimistic. Notes from a meaty piece:
- Michigan is their top defense so far. The competition has not been great, obviously.
- The OL is second(!) in pass protection.
- Kyle Kalis was one of PFF's worst returning guards nationally. (I wonder what PFF would have thought about Michigan's 2013 line if Kalis's shaky 2015 was that bad in their eyes.) He's up to seventh nationally(!!!) in their grading. That's sure to slide backwards as Michigan's schedule gets tougher, but as I mentioned UCF actually has a player or two on their DL. If Kalis manages to hang onto a top 30 spot it's time to buy Tim Drevno an above-ground outdoor pool.
- Newsome's been great as a pass protector and okay on the ground; I'm seeing more or less the same thing. Newsome's having some mental issues on plays to the edge and he has a tendency to pull so deep that he runs himself out of any chance to block someone.
- Speight is well ahead of Early Season Jake Rudock, which is 1) not a surprise and 2) faint praise. OTOH, PFF has him accurate on 28 of 36 opportunities from the last game and I think they're grading as harshly as possible there—I wouldn't knock Speight for that attempted dumpoff to Evans that Evans couldn't get out on, for one.
- Speight's efficiency has gone through the floor when he gets pressure.
- In a separate article on their top 25 they note that Ryan Glasgow has posted bonkers 86 and 84 grades so far; they rank Glasgow as one of their top five NFL draft risers: "Glasgow's consistently defeated one-on one blocks, and opponents haven't been able to move him off the line of scrimmage on double teams. In addition to his dominant run play, he's averaging a pressure once every seven pass rushes, an impressive ratio for a nose tackle."
All of that is very positive, especially Kalis. In the season preview I mentioned that he was the one returning player on the line who could take a major step forward. Early indications are that he has, and again since so many of his problems last year were mental the kind of improvements he's made are ones that translate to tougher competition.
I'm not sure there's much to read into Speight's issues against pressure yet. I'd expect that he remains iffy in that department because he's not that mobile; eight attempts is not a sample size worth getting exercised over.
I'm over it. I'm mostly over it. Speight on the fading days of the Hoke era:
"When I came in during the winter (of 2014) and redshirted that season, I didn't know what was going on that year and not many people did. It was kind of a messy year, it didn't end well at all," Speight says. "I just kind of skated through that year without much discipline (with) football. It was kind of a rude awakening when (the new staff) came.
"I realized I needed to change some things."
While he tried to soften it…
Speight wants to make it clear. Brady Hoke -- the coach who recruited him to Michigan -- and his staff gave him plenty of coaching in 2014. He says he just wasn't in the mood to listen.
…I mean come on. It wasn't just Speight who wasn't in the mood to listen. It was team-wide. A couple weeks ago Kalis said something wistful about how he wished that he'd had five years under Drevno instead of two.
I'm a little surprised that guys are throwing the old staff under the bus in press conferences, but also… not surprised. I was there, and bitter. I can't imagine how bitter I'd be about the Hoke chaos if it was eating through my eligibility with nothing to show for it.
Anyway, Speight's starting now and good at throwing balls.
"There was one UCF player who was trying to talk smack at me, and I just started dying laughing, because we heard him from the huddle. And there were other times that we'd be up on the line of scrimmage and I'd think something was funny."
Speculation on what this laughter-inducing smack was:
- "Got my crampons on, gonna scale your ass"
- "I am going to camp out halfway up your surface."
- "Ed Davis got a sixth year"
- "I may be the size of a flying squirrel but sir, I propose to embark on a climbing expedition lo these many months. And yea, I will harvest your acorns. Mark these words. Acorns. Harvested. Eventually."
Now in something other than Speight talking. Rich Eisen talking:
Full 5-minute @richeisen speech to @UMichFootball after last Friday's practice with @CoachJim4UM kneeling in awe. pic.twitter.com/2RovePxmuC
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) September 12, 2016
Injuries. As near as I can tell:
- Probably back Saturday: David Long.
- Could be back Saturday, could be another week or two. Taco Charlton, Jourdan Lewis. Lewis's injury was described by Harbaugh as a "muscle strain" unrelated to the issue that kept him out of the opener. He "did some things" and ran around on Monday. Charlton had a slight limp after getting his ankle rolled. Michigan could keep both guys on the bench in a game they expect to win.
- Definitely another few weeks: Bryan Mone.
- Unknown but doesn't look great: Noah Furbush and Drake Johnson. Radio silence on Furbush's issue probably isn't good. Johnson has similarly been out of uniform without much in the way of explanation.
Etc.: Ross Fulton on OSU's early offensive struggles against Tulsa: didn't want to get the QB hit and Tulsa banked on this. Won't apply for M. Chase Winovich on his first start. Matt Godin on his last go-around. NCAA removes events from North Carolina. Colorado plays fast and has a good secondary. When you have two quarterbacks and one of them is a Purdue transfer, you have zero quarterbacks. Possibly negative one quarterbacks. Urban Meyer on his brain and how he fixed it.
Mailbag: Crootin Philosophies, Insane Post-Michigan Hires, 2017 DL, 2016 LB
Crootin philosophies
[Bryan Fuller]
Brian -
Two quick mailbag questions for you during this recruiting season.
1 - How would you describe Harbaugh's recruiting philosophy?
I think Hoke's was pretty easy to understand. If you got an offer from Hoke, it was a commit-able offer. If you wanted to take visits after accepting an offer, then you were no longer considered committed and they would consider you just a recruit competing for a spot in the class.
Rodriguez was somewhat similar to Harbaugh i think, but there are some subtle differences. Rodriguez would fire off a ton of offers and sort out how "official" they were as they learned more about grades, etc. I think he had less consideration for class distribution by position and that may have gotten him in trouble, but he also chased some of the top players regardless of fit.
Harbaugh seems to be something along the lines of this:
-- An offer is conditional upon certain requirements (curious your opinion on those)
-- If you commit, that doesn't mean that either you or Michigan is married to another. Visits are still allowed and Michigan may still explore options for your spot.
-- Until you sign the LOI or enroll, consider things a soft commitment.
Harbaugh sends out "offers." Hoke did not do that. If you had an offer from Michigan under Hoke you could commit to it. Harbaugh does the thing most people do these days and fires out offers in name only. To date he's been less than circumspect when it comes to allowing kids to commit to those offers (though sometimes that's not his call; some kids announce commitments to uncommitable offers).
A commitment is still mostly a commitment. Of the guys who left Michigan's class only two, Swenson and Weaver, were instances where Michigan flat out didn't want a guy because of their perception of his talent level. It's been more or less directly stated by guys like Steve Wiltfong that other players who decommitted had academic benchmarks they didn't reach or were 100% the player's choice. And Swenson was a unique situation since he was a highly-rated commit who was offered before his sophomore year by Brady Hoke. Michigan evidently made it clear they wanted to see him in action to confirm but didn't make it CLEAR, if you know what I mean. That's an error Harbaugh admitted to and hopefully won't be as much of a thing going forward.
I expect that Michigan will continue to have a few speculative commits who may or may not end up in the class for reasons academic and otherwise. Their offers will continue to keep pace with the state of the art in mangling the English langauge for marketing purposes. Some guys will take those offers. Michigan will make things clear to them, and some of them will end up in the class while others either use their status as a springboard, as Weaver did, or end up where they were going to end up anyway.
[After the JUMP: a graph, 2017 DL worries, 2016 LB worries, and HOW INSANE WAS THIS COACHING HIRE]


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International News
Blog Posts, Opinion Piece Address HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
May 20, 2013
On May 18, the world recognized HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, which "commemorates the global effort to develop a safe and effective vaccine that will protect against HIV," according to a USAID email alert. "While there have been some disappointing recent results in the HIV vaccine field, the stalwart march to discover this critical tool is evident in the over 40 clinical trials that are ongoing or planned to begin in 2013," the alert states. The following bulletin, blog posts and opinion piece address HIV Vaccine Awareness Day and vaccine research efforts.
Back to other news for May 2013
AIDS Vaccine Needed to Achieve AIDS-Free Generation More Efficiently, Cost-Effectively, Says NIAID Director Fauci
This article was provided by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. It is a part of the publication Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report. Visit the Kaiser Family Foundation's website to find out more about their activities, publications and services.
Add Your Comment:
(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in
Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Before
adding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.)

subset: commoncrawl


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Summer Research Mellon Grants
Gettysburg College received a four-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities for students. The grant supports research throughout the year by covering research expenses for individual students or classes, as well as the cost of students presenting their research at regional and national conferences.
The grant also supports faculty development related to mentoring students in research and developing curricula for research methodology courses. While the grant provides funding for projects in all academic programs, it is targeted toward students studying humanities, arts, and social sciences.


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Community Fund to receive millions of dollars
Thanks to a donation which will bring millions of dollars into its coffers, the Big Spring Community Foundation's future just took a turn for the brighter.President Drew Mouton announced Thursday the foundation has been named beneficiary of a trust fund established by the A.K. Guthrie estate. The fund is expected to bring between $15 million and $20 million to the foundation during the next 20 years.For the entire story, pick up a copy of the Herald print or e-edition.


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Blood on the Sun
Genre: Noir, Political Thriller
98 minutes
James Cagney stars as a tough newspaper editor in Imperial Japan, bent on uncovering a conspiracy within the Japanese government for world conquest.
Blood on the Sun is a forgotten classic from a bygone age, and a must-see for any fan of film noir. They really don't make films like this one any more, which is unfortunate. Times were different back then, when you needed more than just a camera and some friends to put a movie together. With brilliant photography and sharp dialogue, Blood on the Sun is a fine example of the genre. However, to be totally fair, this was also an era before feminism or any kind of political correctness. Villains portrayed in yellow-face with ludicrously forced accents are definitely noticeable and a little difficult to watch in the modern age. Although based on historical events and documents (which they themselves are questionable), one wonders just how accurate the portrayal of Japanese culture is in this wartime film.
Social issues aside, Blood on the Sun is superbly produced, even winning the Oscar for Best Art Direction. The use of lighting for dramatic effect is stunning, and the score, while not exceptional, fits as a product of the time period. Cagney is fantastic in the leading role, exemplifying the Tough Guy role he was known for. He plays an idealized American male, rough and brash, but always sound in his judgment and his principles. Silvia Sidney's role of the leading lady is melodramatic at times, but otherwise satisfactory for the character as written. As mentioned, don't expect much in terms of the modern feminism in this movie. The villains of the tale, led by John Emery and Robert Armstrong, deliver the poorest performances of the film, mostly due to their failure to produce a believable Japanese accent.
Impressively, Cagney insisted on doing his own stunt work for the film, and studied judo extensively under John Halloran, an officer with the LAPD, and Ken Kuniyuki, a leading sensei in the Southern California area. While fight choreography has definitely progressed a long way from the 1940s, the action is still impressive as one of the earliest martial arts movies in history, and probably the first to show judo to Americans. Cagney's judo skills were strong, and he demonstrated it to great effect in the film's fight scenes. He has even been quoted as saying he loved judo so much that he continued to practice it long after the production was finished.
While carrying of the social baggage that comes with aging for 65 years, Blood on the Sun is still a great film even today, and worth watching as both a piece of history and just a fun popcorn movie.


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CRN TV recaps the news from the 2013 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. CRN editors discuss HP's big move into the Android tablet market with the aggressively priced Slate 7, as well as the company's sale of WebOS to LG Electronics, plus a new Firefox mobile operating system and the blurring of the lines between large smartphones and small tablets (commonly referred to as phablets).
PUBLISHED March 1, 2013


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Gianfranco Zola is in the frame to become next Chelsea manager, according to reports.
The Daily Mirror claims the Blues legend is one of a number of names on owner Roman Abramovich's shortlist, after ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola joined Bayern Munich earlier in the week.
Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Michael Laudrup and Diego Simeone have also been linked with the post, whilst Frank Rijkaard is available after being sacked by Saudi Arabia in the last seven days.
Zola became a firm fans favourite during his time at Stamford Bridge, with the little Italian scoring 80 goals in all competitions during seven successful years with the club.
He returned to England in 2008 to manage West Ham United, but was sacked after two season with the club narrowly avoiding relegation.
Appointed Watford manager at the start of the current season, Zola has helped transform the Hornets into one of the most eye-catching sides in the Npower Championship, and is now being tipped for bigger and better things.
"One of my dreams is a day when I can become the manager of Chelsea," Zola admitted earlier this season, according to the paper.
"Chelsea is in my heart. I hope one day I will get the chance to be manager there."
Rafa Benitez was appointed interim manager at Chelsea following Roberto Di Matteo's departure in November, but the club's supporters have not taken to the Spaniard, and the 46-year-old Italian is now in contention to replace the ex-Liverpool chief.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


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A federal judge has rejected a claim by an Oklahoma minister that the image on the state's license plate of a young Apache warrior shooting an arrow skyward conveys a religious message that is counter to his Christian beliefs.
U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton dismissed the claim Tuesday filed against the state by Bethany pastor Keith Cressman.
Heaton wrote there is nothing about the image that suggests the Indian warrior is praying or that the arrow he is shooting is sacred, even though the image is inspired by artist Allan Houser's "Sacred Rain Arrow" sculpture.
Cressman claimed the plate is an affront to his Christian beliefs and that being forced to display the image on his vehicle violated his First Amendment right against compelled speech.
KGOU is a community-supported news organization and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online, or by contacting our Membership department.


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It's MCC's Golden Year!
Over the past 50 years, Monroe Community College has grown to become the largest college in western New York. But even more importantly, for nearly half a million alumni and their families, MCC has made a true and lasting difference.
We take pride in the quality of our programs and the many ways we've helped students, businesses and our community grow over the past five decades. Together, we are Fulfilling Our Community's Promise and helping to create a prosperous future for our region.
I invite you to celebrate the college's golden anniversary with our vibrant community of educators and learners who pursue excellence and every day deliver on our promise to positively impact our community.
Anne M. Kress, Ph.D., president


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Rock and pop legends Jon (Sha Na Na) "Bowzer" Bauman and Ronnie Spector (of the Ronettes) bring back the best songs from the late 1950s and early 1960's rock, pop and doo wop era in an all new My Music concert event. This all new special recorded in May 2010 includes new live performances and rare, never before available archival classics from the Dick Clark vaults.
Length: 1 hour, 58 minutes


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Posted 26 October 2010 - 10:13 PM
I'm now sitting in the dust of Helmand province, Afghanistan. Well it makes a change from being underwater, right?
Does anyone know what the Lightroom equivalent is of the Photoshop filter "Unsharp Mask"? I'm used to using this filter in PS to prepare pics for agencies. Here in the dust I'm trying to minimise the steps I need to prepare images and just can't work out what the equivalent would be to do the job in LR.
Thoughts most welcome.
Meanwhile, while you Pixelers are preparing to dip your rigs in salt water, spare a thought for we who are now dipping ours in dust....
Best wishes from Afghanistan
(PADI IDC Staff Instructor and former Dive Manager, KBR Lembeh Straits)
Nikon D800 and D500, Nikkors 105mm and 16-35mm, Sigma 15mmFE, Tokina 10-17, Subal housing
Latest images: http://www.shutterst...lery_id=1940957
Posted 26 October 2010 - 10:39 PM
Cant remember the actual step in PS but I think this is the LR equivalent you mention...or one of them,
scroll down on the right and go to the sharpen field (all from memory this so excuse me if I've used the wrong wording) click on the little square by the image and choose the area you want zoomed on from the main image, zoom into the pciture 1:1 on the main screen. Hold down the ALT key and slide the sharpening slide up and the images will turn black and white, the further you slide up the more it sharpens, the sliders above it have an effect too, saying all this, I think it shows very little difference IMO. Clarity is also useful, and Clarity & Sharpen with a mask (round button top right to create your mask(s))...if its this one let me know. The export sharpen may work wel too
Take care out there
www.scubysnaps.com >)))°>
Posted 27 October 2010 - 05:26 AM
edit: Just seen that this has been posted
Good luck out there!
Edited by Captain_Caveman, 27 October 2010 - 05:27 AM.
I use...
Canon 5d2
Aquatica Housing
8" Dome
Sigma 15mm
Sola lights
Posted 27 October 2010 - 05:57 AM
So we're not confused; In Lightroom I think you're looking for Sharpening, it's under the Develop module / Detail panel / Sharpening
In previous versions of Lightroom, when sharpening you had to be zoomed into 100% to see the effects of the sharpening. If you're in the Lightroom 3 you can see your sharpening even at the lowest zoom level.
From the Adobe help file;
Amount - Adjusts edge definition. Increase the Amount value to increase sharpening. A value of zero (0) turns off sharpening. The adjustment locates pixels that differ from surrounding pixels based on the threshold you specify and increases the pixels contrast by the amount you specify.
Radius - Adjusts the size of the details that sharpening is applied to. Photos with very fine details may need a lower radius setting. Photos with larger details may be able to use a larger radius. Using too large a radius generally results in unnatural-looking results.
Detail - Adjusts how much high-frequency information is sharpened in the image and how much the sharpening process emphasizes edges. Lower settings primarily sharpen edges to remove blurring. Higher values are useful for making the textures in the image more pronounced.
Masking - Controls an edge mask. With a setting of zero (0), everything in the image receives the same amount of sharpening. With a setting of 100, sharpening is mostly restricted to those areas near the strongest edges.
Holding down the Alt key can be very helpful as Paul describes.
The Clarity tool is sort of like using the Unsharp Mask in Photoshop, but without the extra sharpness. Clarity affects the contrast only in the midtone range.
I'm trying to figure out if there are two places on the planet further apart in culture, environment, and general vib than KBR and Helmand. I think you have the record Tim.
Stay cool,
Edited by Steve Williams, 27 October 2010 - 05:58 AM.
The Fin Foundation
HSWImages.com My Images on Flikr
Canon 5D Mk III, 7D & 40D, 60mm, 100mm, 17-40L, Tokina 10-17, Nauticam 7D, Sea & Sea MDX-40D YS-250's ULCS arms, Lightroom
Posted 27 October 2010 - 06:37 AM
I'm doing images for an agency and was using PS to do the final processing after an initial pass through LR. One step I used in PS, required by the agency, was to use the PS filter "Unsharp Mask". I'm not entirely sure what this does (!) but I think Steve may be right with it creating a similar effect to Clarity in LR.
Out here in the dust, I'm trying to cut down on the amount of time all my gear (laptop included) is exposed. So I'm looking to see if I can do all the steps the agency require in LR - rather than, as I do at present, some in LR, and then finally in PS. The one I havn't been able to work out is the LR equivalent of the PS Unsharp Mask.
So thanks for all the advice guys.
Yeah Steve, this is about as far from KBR as a human can get without a Saturn V..... well, maybe I should say that if there is a greater switch I'm not sure i need the experience.
This is actually my second time in Afghanistan since the Taliban were removed. I was with the British Embassy for 18 months a few years back. Afghans really deserve our support and I feel I want to do my bit.
Edited by TimG, 27 October 2010 - 06:38 AM.
(PADI IDC Staff Instructor and former Dive Manager, KBR Lembeh Straits)
Nikon D800 and D500, Nikkors 105mm and 16-35mm, Sigma 15mmFE, Tokina 10-17, Subal housing
Latest images: http://www.shutterst...lery_id=1940957
Posted 27 October 2010 - 03:08 PM
Although it was written for Version 1 it is equally applicable for later versions (except for noise reduction).
If you want to simulate Unsharp Mask this should do the trick:
When Detail is set to 100, you could say that the Amount and Radius sharpening settings are allowed to process the image with almost the same effect as the Unsharp Mask filter in Photoshop.
Hope your Tim Tams aren't melting in the heat.
Edited by Gudge, 27 October 2010 - 03:20 PM.
Canon 7D MkII, Nauticam NA-7DMKII housing, 2 x Inon Z240, 2 x Ikelite DS160, Tokina 10-17, Canon 60 & 100 macro, Sigma 150 macro, Kenko 1.X Teleconverters.
Posted 27 October 2010 - 09:32 PM
Ahhhhhhh, TimTams. I dream of TimTams. And bread. Butter. Meat not out of a can. Vegetables. Fruit. But only one more week to go before I go on 2 weeks leave. Then I will eat my way through the curry houses of Manchester (UK). And there are many......
(PADI IDC Staff Instructor and former Dive Manager, KBR Lembeh Straits)
Nikon D800 and D500, Nikkors 105mm and 16-35mm, Sigma 15mmFE, Tokina 10-17, Subal housing
Latest images: http://www.shutterst...lery_id=1940957
Posted 27 October 2010 - 10:36 PM
Join us for an Underwater Photography Workshop in the Lembeh Strait at NAD Lembeh with Doug Sloss in 2018
Blog and Photo Archive/Portfolio Site www.mikeveitchblog.com
Learn underwater photography in the ultimate classroom, Bali! or join us on a trip www.underwatertribe.com and www.baliuwphoto.com
Join us for a trip in Indonesia in Komodo or Raja Ampat
Posted 28 October 2010 - 01:15 AM
Aha! You did go back to afghan. Good to hear from you Tim. Is it true? Life in a warzone is easier than living in Lembeh?
LOL, you know I would never be that indiscrete, Mike......
Curiously there are moments when there is no water, a huge queue for a bowl of soup and its 42 degrees in the shade that I quite miss KBR and Lembeh.
Odd eh?
Hope you guys are in top form and NAD is thriving.
(PADI IDC Staff Instructor and former Dive Manager, KBR Lembeh Straits)
Nikon D800 and D500, Nikkors 105mm and 16-35mm, Sigma 15mmFE, Tokina 10-17, Subal housing
Latest images: http://www.shutterst...lery_id=1940957


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Cynthia Tassopoulos has a 2-3 record in the cage this season (photo Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After routing Bryant, 4-1, on Monday, the Harvard field hockey team will look to build a winning streak when it visits Brown Saturday and entertains Quinnipiac Sunday.
at Brown, Sept. 29, Noon
Live Stats | Live Video
vs. Quinnipiac, Sept. 30, 2 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video
About Harvard
The Crimson (2-5, 0-2 Ivy League) is led by sophomores Noel Painter and Caitlin Rea. Painter leads the team with nine points on four goals and one assist, while Rea has added four helpers and one score. In goal, senior Cynthia Tassopoulos has made five starts and junior Jenn Hatfield has received the starting nod on two occasions. Tassopoulos enters the weekend with a 1.74 goals against average and .816 save percentage, while Hatfield has allowed 2.49 tallies per game and owns a .750 save percentage.
Last Time Out
Harvard exploded for four goals, its season high, in a 4-1 win over Bryant Sept. 24. Painter paced Harvard with two goals and an assist, while Rea and Rachael Rosenfeld also found the back of the cage. Tassopoulos made eight stops to anchor Harvard on the defensive side.
Offensive Outburst
After scoring three goals over the course of the first five games, Harvard has found its stride offensively with a combined seven goals in the last two contests. The Crimson had three goals against Penn Sept. 22, before the four-goal onslaught over Bryant. The total of seven scores matches Harvard's highest two-game total since its first contests of the 2011 season when the Crimson blanked Holy Cross, 4-0, and snuck past Lafayette, 3-2 (OT).
Tassopoulos Near the Top
Cynthia Tassopoulos has been one of the toughest goalies in the nation to score on so far in 2012. The senior co-captain was ranked eighth in save percentage (.800), 11th in saves per game (8.00), and 35th in goals against average (1.91) through Sept. 23. Since the last rankings came out, Tassopoulos made eight saves, while allowing one goal against Bryant Sept. 24.
Rea to the Rescue
Caitlin Rea has been involved with half of Harvard's goals to date. The sophomore has assisted on four goals and also picked up a goal of her own against Bryant. Entering Monday, Rea was ranked 19th in the country in assists per game with 0.67. Of Ivy League players, she ranked third behind Princeton's Katie Reinprecht (2nd, 1.00) and Columbia's Paige Simmons (11th, 0.75).
About Brown
The Bears (2-5, 0-2 Ivy League) have dropped four straight since winning two of the first three games of the season. Sophomore Clayton Christus and freshman Hannah Rodgers lead the team with seven points and three goals apiece. Shannon McSweeney has played every minute in goal for the Bears and features a 3.67 goals against average and .741 save percentage. The sophomore ranked second in the country in saves per game with 10.5 as of Sept. 24.
About Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac (6-4) is on a two-game winning streak after beating American and Brown by 3-2 scores. The Bobcats have four players with three or more goals, including Jennalise Taylor with six and Jess Rusin with five. Four of Taylor's scores have been game-winners this season.Senior Nicole Lewis has received the majority of the playing time in the cage for Quinnipiac and currently owns a 6-3 record. Lewis owns a 1.63 goals against average, good for 27th in the country, and a .754 save percentage, while seeing time in nine of the team's 10 games.
All-Time Series
The Crimson leads the all-time series against Brown, 21-10-6, and is even with Quinnipiac, 1-1. Harvard has topped the Bears in four of the last five meetings and is 16-3 since 1993. Quinnipiac tied the two teams' series with a 4-3 win over Harvard last season. The Crimson had previously defeated the Bobcats, 1-0, in 1999.
Up Next
Including the match with Quinnipiac, Harvard will play four consecutive games at Jordan Field. The Crimson hosts No. 9 Northeastern (Oct. 3), Bucknell (Oct. 7) and Cornell (Oct. 13) before going back on the road.


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Episode Details
series: Rolling Stones: Get Yer Ya-ya's Out!
air date: 3/12/13 3:25 AM
The Rolling Stones' first concerts at Madison Square Garden on November 27 & 28, 1969, rank amongst the greatest live rock and roll performances ever. This new performance documentary captures "The Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World" playing on "The World's Greatest Stage," over that historic Thanksgiving weekend. Albert and David Maysles famously documented the Rolling Stones' 1969 U.S. tour in their film "Gimme Shelter." ABKCO Films along with Albert Maysles has put together never-before-seen footage that shows the band - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Mick Taylor, and Bill Wyman - at its apogee, wowing New York audiences in their first Madison Square Garden shows. The film includes newly discovered versions of five previously unreleased Stones performances - "Prodigal Son," "You Gotta Move," "Under My Thumb," "I'm Free," and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - and extraordinary backstage gems like Keith Richards, Mick Taylor and Jimi Hendrix sharing a musical moment, and Janis Joplin grooving to the Stones' performance from the side of the stage.
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Good read ... Keep bringing it brother!
Sheldon Richardson wasn't the most popular pick amongst Jets fans, but he should become a fan favorite quickly.
It sure didn't take him long to impress the coaches.
"I don't want to put expectations too high but, ah, yeah he was impressive to say the least,' said Rex Ryan.
On the first day of rookie minicamp Richardson made plays all over the field, lining up at the nose and 3-technique. He'll probably be seeing time at both when the season starts.
No, Richardson isn't bulking up. He is expected to start the season weighing even less than the 294 lbs he was listed at...
Good read ... Keep bringing it brother!
Great to hear. I may be mistaken, but I don't recall Rex being this amped for Coples in rookie mini-camp. It took Coples some time to gain Rex's trust while Richardson seems to have already gained that trust.
Admittedly I wasn't a huge fan of the Richardson selection, but the more i hear from him and now from Rex I am liking it more and more.
DL is going to BEAST this season
I actually wanted an O-lineman with this pick, but if Richardson becomes a beast then no complaints here.
I mean this guy still doesn't exactly fit our system -
This leads me to believe that he actually had to have such overwhelming physical ability that the Jets just couldn't pass up the opportunity to draft him
He was almost definitely rated as the BPA after Milliner on the Jets board. Look at the next 3 picks at 10,11,12 - Warmack, Fluker and Hayden.
Jets wanted Cooper supposedly but passed on Warmack then a reach RT in Fluker and a redundant CB that we weren't going to draft.
Jets draft board looked like this:
um yes he does.....what exactly is the jets system? it's a HYBRID which consists ofboth 3-4 and 4-3.....at Missouri Richardson played all over the line which is why he will be a force in the Jets defense....the jets would not spend a number one pick on a player who would not fit in their system...why is it difficult for so many here to understand that???


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Hello, and welcome to the forums.
Before I answer your questions, please do note that we expect people to use their best attempt at English. Not capitalizing words like "Hello" and "i" (when it's clear you have the knowledge to do so), and using fake words like "wanna" will limit the people who answer your questions.
You'll get the hang of it soon.
You have an inverted form with "gone are the days." Sometimes people use it artistically and sometimes there are just some set phrases where we're used to seeing it that way. There is no difference between saying "Gone are they days when you could pretend you tried to called - Caller ID will make a liar out of you" and "The days are gone when you can pretend you tried to call..."
Inversions are sometimes necessary (when you start with something negative) but in your example, it's just used because the person liked the way it read that way.
Student or Learner


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"After two seasons of my WNYC podcast, I've developed a fondness for hosting a show that involved talking with smart, talented and engaging people in every imaginable field," said Baldwin. "I'm grateful to MSNBC for helping me bring a similar show to television."
"I've been talking with Alec for a while and can't wait to bring his personality and eclectic interests to MSNBC," said Griffin. "He's got such passion for ideas and what's going on in the world - he's going to be a great addition to our line-up."
Baldwin is the winner of two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, eight SAG Awards and a Television Critics Association Award for his role as Jack Donaghy on NBC's "30 Rock." He is one of Hollywood's most charismatic and prolific actors, having appeared in over 40 films. Baldwin garnered raves for his performance in Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" and a 2004 Academy Award nomination for his role in "The Cooler" opposite William H. Macy. Other film credits include "Beetlejuice," "The Hunt for Red October," "Glengarry Glen Ross," "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat," "The Aviator," "The Good Shepherd," "It's Complicated" and Woody Allen's "To Rome with Love" and "Blue Jasmine."
Baldwin has hosted the popular podcast "Here's the Thing" on WNYC since 2011. On "Here's the Thing," Baldwin has interviewed a variety of public figures including politicians, policy makers, performers and artists, ranging from David Letterman to Dick Cavett to Republican political strategist Ed Rollins.
In addition to his dramatic credits, Baldwin has proven to be an adept and perennial host of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (with 16 hosting appearances to his credit).
Baldwin's production company, El Dorado Pictures, has co-produced the Emmy-nominated miniseries "Nuremberg," "The Confession" for Showtime and the feature film "State and Main."
Among his many stage credits, Baldwin won acclaim and a Tony nomination for his work opposite Jessica Lange in "A Streetcar Named Desire," which also garnered him an Emmy nomination for the television adaptation.
Baldwin co-hosted the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in 2010 with Steve Martin. In 2011, he received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A dedicated supporter of public policy and the arts, Baldwin serves on the boards of the Roundabout Theatre Company, People For the American Way, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Guild Hall of East Hampton and the New York Philharmonic.


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At the direction of Gov. Tom Corbett, PennDOT has granted a temporary waiver on certain restrictions on commercial drivers to allow for continued smooth delivery of salt supplies for road clearing during winter storms and home heating oil.
�Forecasts are calling for more storms in the next few days, and we want to take steps now to ensure that salt supplies are adequate to meet the mission to keep drivers moving,� said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch. �The waiver will help us and municipalities meet our respective goals.�
The waiver extends the limits on hours of service for salt delivery drivers. Drivers usually must take a mandatory rest period after 11 hours behind the wheel. Under the waiver, the limit for driving hours is extended to 14 hours.
Exemption is also granted from the requirements of the 60/70-hour limits rule. This rule requires drivers to stop driving upon accumulating 60 or 70 on-duty hours (including all on-duty and driving time) over a period of seven or eight consecutive days, respectively. Any period of seven or eight consecutive days may end with the beginning of any off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours.
A similar waiver is in place for home heating fuel deliveries through Feb. 11 or until emergency conditions end.


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ADAM SANDLER (John Clasky) has enjoyed phenomenal success in the entertainment
industry as an actor, writer, producer, director and musician. He first gained
international recognition as a cast member of television's "Saturday Night Live." Most
recently, he starred in two back-to-back $100 million-plus grossing comedies for Sony
Pictures Entertainment: Columbia Pictures' 50 First Dates opposite Drew Barrymore
and Revolution Studios' Anger Management, in which he co-starred with Jack
Sandler was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his breakthrough
performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love. He recently completed
The Longest Yard with Chris Rock.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, Sandler's first
brush with comedy came at age 17, with a spontaneous performance at a Boston
comedy club. From then on he was hooked, performing regularly in comedy clubs
throughout the state, while earning a degree in Fine Arts from New York University.
Sandler made his motion picture debut in Coneheads, opposite Dan Aykroyd and Jane
Curtin. He has gone on to become an almost self-contained mini-studio involved in all
aspects of film production. Happy Gilmore was one of the most successful movies of
1996. With a budget of just $12 million, it grossed more than $40 million at the box
office and $35 million on home video. The Wedding Singer, in which he also starred
with Drew Barrymore, was the first box office hit of 1998, with an opening weekend
gross of more than $22 million. His next film, The Waterboy, had an opening weekend
of almost $40 million. Other recent $100 million-plus grossing Sandler films include Big
Daddy and Mr. Deeds.
Sandler collaborated with writer Tim Herlihy on the screenplays for Happy Gilmore,
Little Nicky, Billy Madison, Big Daddy and the smash hits The Wedding Singer and The
Waterboy. Billy Madison has become a cult classic for college students across the
country, with "Billy" nights and "Sandler" festivals.
Sandler served as executive producer on Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, The Animal, Joe
Dirt, The Master of Disguise, The Hot Chick and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.
Sandler's production company, Happy Madison Productions, has a deal with Columbia
TriStar Domestic Television to develop shows for the studio.
During breaks from his busy filming schedule, Sandler spends time in the recording
studio. Several of his comedy albums on Warner Bros. Records have gone multiplatinum.
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text:
Notes on the Inner Life
by Roberto Assagioli
Printed in The Beacon, November 1926 and March 1995
IN THESE BRIEF NOTES have been jotted down in a simple and direct manner the admonitions, the intuitions, the reflections, the resolutions of a soul, as they have been received by it spontaneously during its "silent conversations".
They do not claim to say anything "new", nor to be presented in a strictly philosophical setting; they are offered in a brotherly spirit as a help and encouragement to all the souls that are struggling and aspiring.
During certain critical periods of the soul's evolution it is necessary for it to pass through the hard experience of being deprived of all human comfort; it is necessary for it to be left to itself, so that through its powerlessness, its torment, its despair, it should be induced, nay, compelled to turn directly to God, in order, to seek and find in Him alone that which it so anxiously was trying to find here and there among people and things.
It is only through such an experience that one acquires the power to really dominate things and people instead of letting oneself be allured and overcome by them, thus enjoying the privilege of entering into full communion with God, of receiving abundantly His Light, His Glory, His Love.
Those who wish to tread with a firm foot the arduous roads of inner development, avoiding the pit-falls and deceptions encountered at every step, must learn to keep a sharp look out for life's "signals", to recognize clearly God's will, to distinguish true intuitions from phantasies evoked by the subconscious mind or by suggestions from outward influences.
That is an indispensable craft. We must cultivate it assiduously in every moment of our daily life.
It behooves us to watch the way in which these "signals" or indications attract our attention, and to note if facts bear them out or not.
Thus little by little one comes to feel the subtle difference between what descends to us from "on high" and that which springs from "below", or is due to external appeals, to discriminate between pure direct intuition and the fantastic travesties with which it becomes more or less disfigured during its descent through the various psychic planes.
We should learn to consider every situation, every event, every person, every physical and moral condition of ours as so many tests, lessons and "examinations". That is what they all are.
We ought to try to create a dual consciousness. We must learn not to identify ourselves with the contents of our momentary consciousness; one part of us should always remain free, a sentinel, an observer, a judge: the "Spectator".
Every material help ought to be an instrument for moral and spiritual help. Hand in hand with every aid intended to combat certain effects should go others that are calculated to eliminate their causes
Thus, for example, doctors, besides curing an illness, should teach the patient how to avoid becoming ill again; should give him sound advice on the matter of hygiene and on the prevention of ill-health, both in a general and in an individual way, according to the nature of the ailments to which the patient is predisposed.
This is the least a doctor should do. But spiritual doctors should add to it psychotherapy and spiritual healing; they should point the way to perfect health on all planes.
If one wants to really succeed in helping others to better themselves (as in the education of the young, the guiding of souls, psychotherapy, etc.) one must never oppose to the tendencies to be combated or disciplined, forces external to the individual (such as the teacher's own will-power, or the doctor's impositions, prayers-not even rules or abstract impersonal laws)-one must rather awake the higher forces lying latent within the pupil or the patient.
The first alternative, too often, alas, adopted by parents and educationalists, arouses a sense of opposition in the individual who feels, as if his vital development were thwarted and repressed. Hence are so often found in the young, who feel strongly the need for expansion and self-assertion, an obstinate disobedience and a fiery spirit of revolt.
By the second, instead, are brought out an individual's best feelings and his highest powers, and he is shown how his lower instincts are really an obstacle to his truer, fuller, wider self-expression.
In this way the disciple feels that he is understood and helped in his unfoldment, and he gratefully accepts the help held out, he even asks for it.
When some sorrow torments us, when pain and preoccupation incline us to shut ourselves up in the shell of our own personality and we are led to give way to morbid lamentations, bitter recriminations, to indulge in baneful self-pity, let us force ourselves by a resolute effort to come out of ourselves, to remember and realize how many human beings in all parts of the world are suffering more than we do: the prisoners, the sick of body and soul, those that are slaves to degrading passions, those that are mentally afflicted, the morally and materially forsaken and forlorn....
So let us sink our own little drop of bitterness in the big ocean of human suffering, and let us realize the significance, the high value, the spiritual object of suffering; the glorious goal of human evolution; the final deliverance and the blissfulness in which all suffering will find its overwhelming compensation.
Just as much courage is needed to endure prosperity as adversity. During the spells of well being we are easily led into committing a grave error, by living and acting only on "personal levels", relaxing our watchfulness and discipline, neglecting to keep in continuous touch with the Inner God We delude ourselves into thinking that we personally are strong, free, self-controlled; we dissipate in a vain and sometimes degrading way, for selfish purposes, the precious energies showered upon us by the Higher Self.
Then necessarily He must manifest to us, often unrecognized, under the form of pain, of adversity, of inner darkness, shaking us, awakening us; obliging us to appeal to Him, training us to become worthy trustees of our Father's gifts and powers
Every morning we must wake up twice: wake up from the sleep of the body, and wake up from the sleep of our everyday consciousness to the real wakefulness of the Spirit
All remembrance of limitations, weaknesses, failures of the past has no value any more for the future. By an increase of spiritual strength, what before seemed impossible or hard can be made easy.
The morrow is new and different. New possibilities have no precedent, no measure or comparison in the past, they have no limitations. Let us therefore give no heed to the past, but boldly press forward, with infinite faith, with joyful ardour. [-]


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"The following artwork was initially created or renovated by Broward County for the designated facility in which it is housed; however through an inter-local agreement, it is no longer a part of Broward County's Public Art and Design Program. This artwork now belongs to the city in which it is located."
Artist: Richard Medlock
Title: "Equestrian Oasis"
Medium: Installation with Multiple Components
Size: 10' x 120' x 120'
Year Installed: 2004
Venue: Sunshine Ranches Equestrian Park
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony press release
This integrated environment artwork is comprised of a sculpted berm with boulders and two saddle shaped forms made of concrete, placed to align with summer and winter solstices at sunset. Other amenities included in the horseshoe shaped berm are a water trough with waterfall, timber hitching post and planting of sabal palm trees according to the Fibonacci's Golden Mean ratio. This is truly an unique place of respite awaiting both horses and riders.
"The Equestrian Oasis work is intended to be a gathering place for riders and horses. Its primary purpose is as a place to sit and enjoy equestrian life. It is a contemplative and a social sculptural landscape environment. The work incorporates symbols of equestrian life as a metaphor for universal meaning and understanding. It is a designed environment expressing the poetry of connectedness".
"The horse shoe shaped mound is the most obvious equestrian imagery and forms a cove facing east toward the show ring. It contains two decorative saddle shapes imbedded into the western high areas of the mound. If one is standing in the middle of the horse shoe shape at winter or summer solstice then one can witness the sun setting in the saddle. This evolved out of the Town's original name (still the name of the park): Sunshine Ranches".
"The saddle designs formed of concrete into the berm are like horse saddles but simplified and therefore somewhat like Einstein's theory of a "saddle shaped universe". The whimsical ambiguity is intentional. If the back of a horse is also the shape of the universe then the ides of connectedness takes on new meaning and gives us a lot to contemplate - "…as above so below."
"A special pattern of Sabal palm trees forms a puzzle that invites the participants of the environment into and out of the Oasis. The puzzle is a "Fibonacci Trail of Trees" that leads one from the outside of the horse shoe shaped berm to the inside and back out. That path followed mentally or physically, forms a fictive Lasso. The Fibonacci number series (1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,1144 etc…) discovered in the 13th century by Leonardo Fibonacci, expresses growth patterns in nature and as a ratio, of adjacent numbers in the series, is referred to as the Golden Mean (1.618 or .618). It is a resonant frequency of creation. At the beginning of the area occupied by the work and before the beginning of the "Fibonacci Trail of Trees" is a hitching post that is proportioned using the golden mean ratio".
"A kind of introduction to the trail and ratios utilized in the work. There is a replica of the white horse of Uffington carved on one of the center stones. An emblematic curio acknowledging the Forse deity of the Druids and re-establishes the ancient symbol as the "Golden Horse of South West Ranches". As one sits on the stones lining the horse shoe shaped berm one can observe the quiet waterfall into the watering trough and see the horses riding all round… A sweet and wondrous place to just be. If one chooses contemplating the connections this site makes through symbols that can also be an enjoyable and educational activity at the site."
Click thumbnails to enlarge images:


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It occurred to me the other day that it is becoming less and less necessary to speak. Why talk when you can text, tweet or email? Why pick up the telephone when Facebook brings you up to date with every detail of your friends' lives? It feels like the human voice is becoming irrelevant, and I'm thrilled about it. You see, I have a daughter who can't speak.
When Eva, who is now in her late 20s, was 6 months old, we received the official diagnosis of cerebral palsy. It wasn't a surprise. Her birth had become suddenly difficult, then dangerous — a rapidly falling heartbeat, a baby in severe distress, an emergency Cesarean. After watching over her anxiously for the three weeks she spent in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, we were told to take our daughter home and "see how she develops." We'd know soon enough what damage the lack of oxygen had wrought.
During those early, desperate months, my mind was preoccupied with disastrous scenarios. Would she ever sit up? Yes, it turned out. Would she walk, dress herself, eat by herself? No, none of those things, we realized as she grew.
It took me awhile to realize that I had left off my list of questions the most profound one: Would my beautiful baby ever be able to talk? It was impossible to imagine what kind of life she would have if she couldn't. To me, no speech meant no communication. No communication meant no human connection. No human connection meant a life without joy. But I was wrong.


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HERSCHER — Well, it didn't take long to experience some real high school postseason drama. It came on the very first day of spring regional competition where the Coal City soccer team finally found a way to beat Herscher in the playoffs, in turn ending the Tigers' season.
Last year Coal City lost to Herscher in the Herscher Class 1A Regional championship and the year before that the Coalers lost to the Tigers 2-0 in the finals at Herscher. The year before that, the locals lost to Herscher 2-0 in the semifinals of that same regional.
Not only that, but according to Coal City senior Donjeta Shabani, over the last four years the Coalers had never beaten Herscher — even in the regular season — until last week. Coal City beat Herscher 1-0 last week before plunking a 5-0 victory down around their ears on Wednesday in the regional.
"When we had played them on Thursday, both teams had played multiple games in a row leading up to then," Coal City coach Michael Kostbade said. "Since then, we've had adequate rest and we came out with a lot of energy on the offensive end (Wednesday). Lisle was the same way. We scored in bunches that day, too. It's like, once the tide gets turned, we ride it out."
Of course, beating Herscher in the postseason was just one step in the right direction for the Coalers. As senior Megan Jessen pointed out, 'there's nothing on our soccer board in the gym. Nobody has ever won a regional before'.
Well, girls you can knock the cobwebs off that old board.
To get its first piece of hardware, the Coalers had to win on Friday night against Reed-Custer, which they did by a 1-0 score. Coal City had won the regular-season meeting between the two teams by a 3-0 score, but this one had a true defensive feel to it. In fact, by my count there were 17 shots on goal combined by the two teams.
High school playoff soccer at its finest.
Two dates into the spring season and we've already had high drama. This has the potential to be a really interesting ending to spring.


text:
David Hall: The 1936 is the highest mintage Walking Liberty Half Dollar from 1917 to 1940 and it is the most common issue of that era in all grades. While readily available in mint state and also Gem condition for that matter, the 1936 is not as common as the P-Mints of the 1940s as many more coins were saved by the roll in the 1940s as opposed to the 1930s. The typical mint state 1936 half dollar is very well struck and has outstanding white frosty luster. This coin comes very nice.
© 1999-2018 Collectors Universe NASDAQ: CLCT


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By Olympia Kyriopoulos
Who is not familiar with the images and video footage of researchers in blue suits, "floating in a most peculiar way", conducting their experiments in weightlessness on board a converted passenger aircraft? Whenever I saw such images, I would immediately be captivated by the idea of weightlessness and it would make my heart leap. If someone would have told me a couple of years ago that one day I would be one of these floating scientists and I would be doing research in weightlessness myself, I would have taken him for a fool...
When I graduated in General Mechanical Engineering from TU Darmstadt, I knew that I would like to continue my academic career by completing a doctoral dissertation. After careful consideration, I decided to conduct my doctoral research at the TU Darmstadt, at the Chair of Fluid Mechanics and Aerodynamics led by Professor Dr Tropea. I still vividly remember the moment I received Professor Tropea's e-mail suggesting several different options for my research topic. One of these concerned a project called "DOLFIN – Dynamics of Liquid Film/Wall Interaction". The description of this project also mentioned that it would include parabolic flights. I quickly wrote back: "Would I be allowed to participate in these parabolic flights myself?" The reply came swiftly: "You would actually not have any other choice!"
I started in May 2006, and I immediately had the honour to supervise experiments in weightlessness as part of my project, and to one day conduct experiments on board the Airbus A300 myself. I was, and still am, grateful that I have been given this project, which is supported by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the European Space Agency ESA! It was right at the top of my wish list, and so, with a little bit of luck, a childhood dream came true for me.
My research project concerns 'spray impact onto a heated surface'. A spray impacting onto a heated wall creates a thin, fluctuating liquid film, cooling the wall down in a very effective way. The flows in this film are influenced by waves, 'craters', uprising sheets and jets, caused by drop impact. The transfer of heat is mainly determined by convection in the liquid film, evaporation and thermal conduction. Preliminary theoretical estimates show that gravity influences the impact of a single drop. But what happens in reality? How do the weightless conditions prevailing during a parabolic flight influence the average thickness and the stability of the film? And how does this affect the heat transport associated with spray impact?
The challenges of parabolic flight
In order to answer these questions, a measurement duration of 22 seconds of weightlessness at the time would be sufficient – as long as it would be repeated often during the course of the flight campaign, of course. I still had a long way to go before my experimental setup would be completed and ready to help answer all these questions. The preparatory work concerned both technical issues with regard to the experimental setup itself and formal aspects, such as strength calculations, revision of safety data sheets, etc. It was quite a challenge, as during the design and construction of a parabolic flight experiment, you constantly need to bear in mind that both weightlessness and increased gravity pose very specific challenges. All functions need to be guaranteed for conditions between 0g and 2g (twice the standard gravitational acceleration on Earth, 'g' denotes gravity) and for safety reasons they even need to be designed for 9g – so no less than nine times the Earth's gravitational pull. To give but one example: under 0g conditions (weightlessness), the functionality of an oil-lubricated vacuum pump can no longer be guaranteed, as the oil will float to the top of the reservoir. This means that you have to use a so-called dry-running vacuum pump.
When the greater part of the equipment we ordered had arrived, we could start putting it all together. As in a jigsaw puzzle, the trick was to integrate all the individual parts into the experiment frame, which in a way determines the overall structure. It was 13 September 2006 – 18 days later, we travelled from Darmstadt to Bordeaux, the site of the parabolic flight campaign. On the basis of previously prepared CAD models of the completed experimental setup, as well as prototypes of the most important parts, made from polystyrene foam, positioning the components went smoothly. With only five days to go, the experiment was slowly starting to take shape. With the addition of a water tank and two nitrogen cylinders, the base of the experimental setup had already been completed, and the test cell – as the centrepiece – was sitting in the upper section, surrounded by high-speed cameras and a large number of measuring devices and controls. Two computers, two monitors and a laptop were attached and the last cables were connected. We had done a lot of work over the past few weeks – day and night. In the race against the clock, we needed to work straight through the night on several occasions, but now the experiment in which we had invested so much sweat and diligence was finally ready. We still had one day left before departure to test the system and we managed to achieve the spray of distilled water we were hoping for. "Bordeaux, here we come..." I rejoiced. The next day, we loaded everything into the van.
Darmstadt - Bordeaux - weightlessness
Driving to Bordeaux was a small adventure in itself, not just because my students and I were on the road with about half a tonne of experimental equipment in the back, but also because eight bottles of nitrogen were chained to the inside of the van. We would need these to supply our test cell with gas during all flight days and ground experiments. At the German-French border, I declared the cargo, referring to NOVESPACE, the company managing the parabolic flight – and we were allowed to drive on without any problems. What a relief!
After driving more than 1 000 kilometres, it was a wonderful feeling to have finally arrived – all the more so because the experiment had not been damaged in any way. After unloading everything from the van and bringing all the instruments to our designated workspace, we focused our attention on something even more interesting: the inside of the Airbus A300. I respectfully approached the aircraft with its characteristic ZERO-G markings, marvelling at its outer shell before boarding it. Inside, the sides were padded in bright tones, the centre of the cabin was waiting to accommodate the experiments, and fore and aft there were seats for the experimenters. Our experiment would be brought on board that same afternoon.
We were approaching what could well be the most exciting moment before the actual flight days: the installation of the experiments onto the experiment tracks in the floor of the Airbus. Inside the aircraft, many people kindly volunteered to help us lift the heavy experiment and place it in the right position. I breathed my first sigh of relief when all drilled holes in the baseplate finally matched the attachment fittings in the aircraft and the eight huge mounting screws could be tightened. The next few days saw the first test runs, gas cylinders were exchanged and the water tank was refilled with distilled water again and again. The cameras, which had been removed to protect them during transport, had to be installed and calibrated again. It felt as if every day time just slipped away from us without much progress, but gradually there were less and less items left on my to-do list, until after a relaxing weekend the only ones left were 'test run', 'exchange gas cylinders' and, last but not least, 'apply logos'.
The Monday before the first flight day was dedicated to the safety briefing, as is the case for all parabolic flight campaigns in Bordeaux. In addition to this, we needed to finish the last items on the to-do list. Came nightfall, I fell into bed exhausted and slowly started to realise that the big day was now really upon us. The months preparing for the parabolic flight and for conducting our experiment had come to an end. I have to admit that I was rather excited. Before falling asleep, I went through the checklists for my team and for myself one last time, in order to be absolutely certain that I had not missed any step of the procedure.
The flight day
Today is Tuesday, the big day, the first flight day for which I have been waiting so anxiously over the past months. When I arrive at NOVESPACE, I can see the tension reflected on the faces of the other researchers as well. One last round of checks in the aircraft – our experiment is ready for any 0g and 2g phase! The Airbus ZERO-G's outward appearance is so peaceful: the seasoned expert is ready for yet another adventure. In contrast, we ourselves become even more tense as the motion sickness medicine is administered, but the experimenters try to lighten up the situation by joking around a bit. A few minutes later, we are at the famous 'point of no return', as the doors of the aircraft are closed and the ZERO-G starts to taxi away from its parking position.
There are many experimenters on board and I am sure they are as thrilled as I am. The 'fasten seatbelt' sign is turned off much too soon and, following the other teams, I go over to my experiment while we are flying about 6 000 metres above the surface of the Earth. It is a strange feeling to be able to move around freely and even conduct experiments at these altitudes, whereas as a normal passenger you would remain in your seat. There are just a few minutes left before the 'zero-th', so-called fun parabola, meant to give you the chance to get used to the experience. However, my team members and I assume our working positions already. Even 'parabola #0' is too valuable to let it pass by without obtaining any data. And besides, our excitement and curiosity are simply too great: my fingers are itching to get started. I want to know right now if we can achieve a spray in weightlessness.
We hear "30 seconds, 20, 10, 5, 3, 2, 1, pull up", and the Airbus A300 ZERO-G suddenly starts to climb steeply: the pilot is applying full thrust. As if gravity had increased, I am pulled towards the floor of the aircraft as if by magnetic force. Double gravity! It feels as if I am carrying my twin sister on my shoulders. Then, the moment I have been waiting for all this time arrives: one of the crew members in the cockpit shouts "30, 40, injection", and the pilot throttles back the engines of the Airbus, sending it into a parabolic dive. During the next 22 seconds – not a lot of time for conducting an experiment –, gravity has been cancelled out: the Airbus is in a state of free fall. Suddenly, I no longer feel the invisible power of gravity, from which we can otherwise never escape in daily life and which makes apples fall from the tree onto the ground. As if by magic, I begin to float in the air, completely overwhelmed by this fantastic feeling of being completely detached. Suddenly finding myself upside down, I hold on to the handle of the experiment after having successfully triggered the camera. Where did the ceiling of the aircraft go and where is the floor? There is no up or down anymore and I have to find my bearings in a completely new environment.
After 22 seconds, the pilot issues the warning "20", which means I need to move my body towards the floor as quickly as possible, before falling to the floor at the call "30, pull out". The weightlessness phase ends abruptly. As the aircraft reaches the 'bottom' of its flight path and takes a 'run-up' to the next parabola, the gravitational pull again increases to twice its standard magnitude on Earth. Again, I feel as if I am being pushed towards the floor by twice the usual weight. Again, the blood is rushing to my feet, apparently to catch up with my stomach which seems to be down there already. These seconds seem to last forever. But then the pilot has pulled the Airbus out of the descent and into a regular climb again: we quite literally feel alleviated. During this phase, we experience the Earth's standard gravitational acceleration. The next parabola will start in about two minutes.
Wow! So that is what the mystery is all about! This feeling brings a smile to the experimenters' faces, a smile that will not go away anytime soon. But is weightlessness the only reason for smiling? Definitely not! As far as I am concerned, it is precisely this unique combination of research and weightlessness that makes me smile. I am very happy with the way my experiment is going, as I was able to generate a spray under both 0g and 2g conditions, producing a liquid film – of different thickness – in both gravity phases.
I find the idea of having just investigated something that would not have been possible at all on the ground really overwhelming. Ahead of us are 30 more shifts between 1g, 2g, 0g, 2g, 1g – between regular working conditions, extreme heaviness and wonderful lightness. The physical strain should not be underestimated, though. My colleagues and I are working intently during each parabola, in order to obtain 100 percent of the data we planned to obtain. I prefer to see each parabola as an individual challenge, rather than looking at the whole series of 31 parabolas. Before each parabola starts, I announce the parameters to ensure that they are set correctly.
Floating in the air – freer than a bird
Nevertheless, at one point I can no longer resist going to the so-called 'free floating zone', which has been separated from the experiment area by a large 'cage net' and which does not contain any equipment or other obstacles. Inside this net, I can really indulge myself during both the 2g and the 0g phases, without getting in the way of any of the other experiments. I find that the 0g experience definitely involves more 'body awareness' over here. I am experiencing and exploring my new sense of space: I can move completely freely in all three dimensions, without equipment, belts or other things getting in the way. Free like a bird, I am floating in the air. I even attempt a few breaststrokes from this position – which of course do not cause me to move forward at all. Pushing off the floor, however lightly, on the other hand gives me a lot of momentum, and sends me flying off at very high speed in unexpected directions.
When returning to the experimental setup for the next parabola, I notice how naturally my team and I are handling the cameras and instruments throughout all of this. Many of us probably do not realise at this moment that we are simultaneously exploring another 'object': ourselves, our own human bodies. Thirty times in a row during the flight, gravity, the force that has accompanied us from birth, the force that dominates all processes taking place on Earth, appears to have been annihilated. Thirty times 22 seconds full of 0g data as well as 2g datasets, unique and non-reproducible in this form on the ground.
Looking back on about two hours of conducting research under extreme conditions, I would like nothing more than to ask the pilot to fly 'just one more parabola' to give all of us on board the opportunity to enjoy the 'lightness of being' for one last time at the end of this 'work marathon', without having to push any buttons.
In the end, all experiments have been successful completed and we shut down our system. Just like regular passengers we come in for landing. A short while later, I am on firm ground again, ready to meet the other members of the team who are eagerly waiting to hear if everything worked as it should have, and who of course also want to know what it is like to be weightless. I give them a full report about the flight, which instantly makes me long for yet another 22 seconds of weightlessness – but the reality of the checklists quickly catches up with me. We now need to store all valuable data, exchange the gas cylinders again and refill the water tank, so as to prepare our spray experiment for tomorrow's new rollercoaster adventure. I feel fascinated and inspired by this way of doing research and – just like a child – I can barely wait for another opportunity to do research in weightlessness again. And so I realise that these 30 times 22 seconds were worth all those days of hard work and all those night shifts in Darmstadt.


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Back in the days of yonder, which was a Wednesday btw. My friend and I were incredibly bored pming each other. He was like "ayyy mr. man why don't we start a CC and gather many mens and womens?" As easy/fun as that sounds, it's not. People are stingy with their cc's and insist they could o0ber hax me if I don't leave rs at once. So thanks to them I cannot enter rs and gather mens and womens, and have to continue my search on the forums for our rs ritual... I mean cc!
overview: we're starting a community clan for fun with events here and there when it takes off.
I. Intro( if you're this far you've already read it.)
II. Requirements.
III. Ranking.
Since we are a small cc the requirements are strict! No exceptions what so ever!
no combat lvl needed.
no skills needed.
no college degrees needed.
no quests needed.
no knowledge needed.
no goat sacrifices needed.
If you feel you do not meet the requirements send me a pm, and we shall debate on whether or not we can make an exception.
Due to our strict skill requirements we decided to rank on a trust/annoying/cool/helpful basis. Basically we run it this way.
Positive ranking
Negative ranking
-everyone hates you
The owner of the cc is Muzzy 7, so if you're interested in joining... join muzzy 7's cc!
tl;dr overview
We're starting a clan, and everyone's invited! Join the cc "muzzy 7"
pm me(Fates Effect) to join, or if you have any questions.


text:
Are you dying for a new job, a bigger paycheck, a more fulfilling career?
Join the club—really. Starting next week, you could be Livin' the Dream.
Tell us your story, and you could be one of three DailyWorthers chosen to work with Ramit Sethi, creator/author of the I Will Teach You to be Rich blog and book, who will help you push your career to the next level.
Which one are you?
- The Seeker: You're ready to go, but…you're not sure what your dream job looks like.
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- The Candidate: You've got the interview, and you've got to nail it.
Enter here to participate, and in a few weeks, you could be livin' the dream (and blogging about it)!