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Sixers Balls: A Roster Worst Than This? 1995-96 Roster..
I am sitting here wondering what is the worst roster the Sixers have ever assembled. Why I am thinking that? It's pretty DAMN obvious, why I am thinking about that. This year's roster looks to be able to do barbaridades. Barbaridades is the Spanish word for terrible things. Yes, this roster could do some terrible things, once it is finalized. Could this roster be historically bad? Probably not, BUT…
I mean, the Bobcats (7- 59) finally took over the worst winning percentage (.106 winning percentage) in NBA history from the Sixers two seasons ago. Well, that 1972 Sixers team went 9-73 and had a winning percentage of .110. They were actually lead by Hall of Famer Hal Greer, though Greer was in the twilight of his career. With all the terrible things that are likely to happen with this year's team, I figured to take a look at some of the worst rosters put together by the Sixers organization. I am thinking about just doing my ERA of Sixers b-ball. I say, let's go from 1990 until now.
My search for the worst roster begins and ends in the "Dark Ages" of Sixers Ball. If you're a Sixers fan, you know exactly what ERA I am talking about. That would be 1992-1996. For the love of all things that are good, they had some dreadful rosters back then. You had Charles Shackleford, Sharone Wright, Andrew Lang, Thomas Jordan, Billy Edwards, Greg Graham, B.J Tyler, and Sean Higgins that were involved in those rosters then. I could have kept going, but I would have given myself carpel-tunnel.
After looking up and down those rosters, I said to myself that 1995-96 team (18-64) has to be the worst roster ever assembled by the Sixers in my ERA. Here is look at that roster:
Derrick Alston– The 6″11′ forward played three season in the NBA. He some how scored 30 points in a single game. I am still not sure how he did that. He averaged 5.4 points for his NBA career.
Elmer Bennett– This guard scored a total of 48 points in four NBA seasons. Enough said.
Shawn Bradley– The "Savior" of the Sixers franchise. Yeah, not so much. He did have a decent career though. Still can't believe that the Sixers didn't take Penny Hardaway with that pick.
Mike Brown– Another journey-man center. If only I could have been 6″9′ or 6″10′.
Derrick Coleman– I believe that this was the infamous hurt "toe-nail" season. What a waste of talent. He was actually voted the second worst cancer ever to a team by ESPN
Richard Dumas– This dude looked to be a very solid player at one time, but substance abuse derailed his NBA career. He was done when he was with the Sixers
Greg Graham- He was a nice college player, but as a NBA player? Well…
Greg Grant– I used to love this dude. Why? Well, he was my height 5″7′. That is all he had going for him.
Sean Higgins- Well, he could actually shoot the ball at least, which was his MO back then. Though strangely enough, his shooting results never said that.
Jeff Malone– Malone had a good NBA career (17, 231 points scored). That year though, he only averaged 6. ppg and had a .394 shooting percentage for the Sixers. He retired after that season.
Tony Massenburg– This dude was a monster. He was 6″9′, 220 lbs of muscle. He ended up playing 14 seasons in the NBA. He was an OK player.
Vernon Maxwell– The dude could score, but was streaky as hell. He also was not all there in the head, hence the nickname "Mad Max". He actually thought about trying out with the Eagles that year. That would have been fun.
Tim Perry- TempleUniversity's own.. That's all I like to remember him for.
Ed Pinckney– "Easy" Ed was an NBA journeyman and a Villanova alumnus. He played 12 seasons in the league. That year he played for the Sixers was a forgettable one. Though 1985 will never be forgettable..
Trever Ruffin– This dude had a game for the Sixers that year where he scored 32 points. He could score, but was awful defensively. After that year he vanished from the league. Not sure what actually happen to him.
Scott Skiles– Skiles was on his last leg with the Sixers. He retired after that season.
Jerry Stackhouse– One of the few bright spots for the Sixers. I will never forget his first game with the Sixers. He dropped 27 points in a Sixers win in the opener. That was the only time the Sixers were above .500 that year. Game One…
Greg Sutton– Ummm…
LaSalle Thompson– The 6″10′ center played 15 seasons in the NBA. He was a solid player at one point. With the Sixers? Well, he averaged 1.9 ppg and 4.5 rb. He was also at the end of his career.
Rex Walters– He did have that one game where he scored 23 points, dished out 12 assists and had 6 rebounds for them. Just throwing stuff into the wind here.
Clarence Weartherspoon– Spooooon!!! He was my favorite Sixer growing up before A.I came around. Man, his top of the key and baseline jumper was nice.
Scott Williams– The "Lance Parrish" of the Sixers.
Trever Wilson– Played for four different NBA teams in his four year career. Enough said.
Sharone Wright– Well, he at least made the Second Team All-Rookie Team in the 1994-95 season for the Sixers.
You know I had to show you my "Spoon" jersey. Yes, Sir…
Sixers Balls: Highlights From Media Day, Turner Wins…
As we are all waiting for training camp to open, I have decided to go through some of the highlights from "Media Day". Gotta love media day. That's when the players and the media play "nice, nice" with each other. It really is rather cute.
Let's begin…
–Chris Vito of the Daily Times reported that Kwame Brown (who is injured already) entered through the PCOM doors with a plate full of food in the very beginning of the day. Glad to see Kwame working hard on that new Brett Brown rule of being in top shape. Kwame being Kwame.
-Hey, guess what? Royce White is not afraid to fly after all. He said that his afraid of flying is a big misconception. He said that he will fly when he has to, drive when he can. He also said that he he will make the trip to plans to Europe. Interesting.
-Some of the media members asked Nerlens Noel about his flat-top. They asked him if he thought that his hair style would become a Sixers-wide fad. Noel's reply, "Nah, they're all grown men." Shit, sounds like I am asking these questions.
-I do love me some Khalif Wyatt, but the dude already is rocking Jrue's old number 11. Yes, I know, let it go Joe.
-We found out that Arnett Moultrie had ankle surgery yesterday. He suffered left ankle medial malleolus injury and is likely out until January. We also found out that J-Rich is likely out until January. Saw that coming.
-Evan Turner was asked about his take on the Holiday trade. Turner: "just shocked we traded Jrue" via Philly.com. Turner also said how it took guts by Sam Hinkie to pull off the trade.
-Speaking of Hinkie, he had the quote of the day. Hinkie was talking about how he thought that camp would be competitive. He talked about this: "You'll eat what you kill". Well, then…
– I spoke too soon. Highlight of the day? Well, that goes to Turner. Why? Take a looksie…
Sixers Balls: Camp is upon us..
When you're talking Sixers, you're talking non-guaranteed, minimum contracts. That is basically what the Sixers have done since trading Jrue Holiday. I mean, it is smart on their part. Next year's draft class is Exhibit A for that ( Wiggins, Parker, and Randle). I have said it before, I am not crazy about the tanking thing, but in the NBA sometimes it must be done. David Stern doesn't like taking credit for that.
The Sixers have brought in undrafted rookies, players that haven't found their niche yet (likely never will), and veterans desperately trying to stay in the league. That adds up to non-guaranteed contracts, partial guaranteed contracts, some guaranteed contracts and barely reaching the cap floor. That is the ultimate tanking job. Well, done Mr. Hinkie…
Training camp is upon us (opens Saturday) and with that said lets take a look at one of the most interesting Sixers rosters ever assemble. This is going to be a fun year. I say the Sixers win 17-22 games. Too much?
I figure to begin with the players that actually are guaranteed to make this roster, unless Hinkie decides to say no, and just trades everyone. It could happen.
Guaranteed Contracts
PG- Michael Carter-Williams – The 6-6 point guard is one of the youngsters that Hinkie is relying on to be part of the future. The kid has good vision and can get to the rack. He struggles with his jumper and turning the ball over.
C- Nerlens Noel – The Kentucky product should just sit out until he is fully healthy from his ACL injury. Even if that means the entire season.
PF/SF- Thaddeus Young – The heart and soul of the Sixers. A good guy to have around for youngsters to learn from.
PF/C- Spencer Hawes – Can you say traded by the deadline? Yes, Sixers fans. He does have some value. As much as he drives us insane, he does have skills for a big-man.
PF- Arnett Moultrie – If he wants to stay in the NBA, there is no better time than now to prove it.
PF- Lavoy Allen– Remember that time when we thought that Lavoy maybe could be a starter in this league? He is a decent backup.
SG- Jason Richardson– I did read a report that the Sixers may ask him to sit out the year. Hinkie is a funny dude…
G/SF- Evan Turner– The Sixers "whipping-boy". Some thought that he would have been gone already. Does Hinkie actually like Turner? Or does he not know what value Turner has in the trade market. I sure as hell have no clue.
PG- Tony Wroten– This dude is intriguing as hell. He has size (6-6) and is very athletic. He sees the floor well, BUT the guy can't shoot. That is a recurring thing on this team.
C-Kwame Brown- Giving this guy a guaranteed contact is the ultimate "tanking" move. Just start him at center every game.
Partial Guaranteed Contracts
PG- Khalif Wyatt- I love me some Wyatt. If Wyatt wants to make this team or stay in this league, he should be watching Andre Miller game tape's .
PG-Darius Morris– Well, he did play for the Lakers at least.
C-Tim Ohlbrecht- Who? The center appeared in just 3 NBA games for the Houston Rockets. The 25 year-old is a German professional basketball. Hooray, for the Deutschland!!
PF- Royce White– Actually, I have no clue where to put this dude at. I guess, I can say that he is a partially guaranteed contact. He is expected to be in camp. I really don't even know where to start with this talented, but trouble dude.
Non- Guaranteed Contracts
SF/PF- Arsalan Kazemi – Reportedly, signed a contract overseas in Iran. I would love to see him stay. Love his grit.
SF/G-Rodney Williams– The undrafted wing out of Minnesota is a good athlete. He did run the floor well in the summer league. Just saying…
SG-James Anderson– The former first round pick by the Spurs (20th overall), has played three seasons in the NBA. He has played for the Spurs and Rockets
G-Vander Blue– The former Marquette guard, is an outstanding athlete. His name is awesome.
SF- Hollis Thompson- The 6-8 swing-man out of Georgetown, He spent last year with the Thunder's NBA Development League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers.
The Sixers may go up to 20 guys on the training camp roster. As of now, 19 where it stands and this is where the journey for Wiggins begins…
Sixers Balls: Stern Doesn't Want Sixers To Have Top Pick
The National Media is starting to catch on to the "Winless for Wiggins" movement that the Sixers began many months ago. The Sixers are just putting the finishing touches on their movement by signing players (Vander Blue to name one) to partial guaranteed contracts, to fill out the remaining roster spots. Signing players to partial guaranteed contracts? Man, if that is not tanking I don't know what is.
So David Stern was hanging out last week at the Beyond Sports Summit, when someone decided to ask him about what he thought about the Sixers movement. Well, he didn't seem very pleased with this "Hinkie" revolution going on in South Philly. Stern:
That is so… small," said Stern. "I hope they have a great season & don't have the chance for the No. 1 pick." via ProBasketBallTalk
David, David, David… I hate to break it too you, but the Sixers actually do have a chance at the number one pick. That would be 25 percent chance that is. They also have set themselves up very nicely for that chance too.
David, my man, I know that you were taking the high road with that answer, but if you really don't like the tanking thing, you only have yourself to blame for that. That is the way you have the league setup. You reap what you sow there David…
Chip And His Gang Need Time…
The honeymoon is over already? Please… People have to have real expectations about the Birds this year. This really is a TRANSITIONAL year. I know some thought that the Birds would go 10-6 and surprise people while others thought they could make a playoff run. Well, maybe that could still happen, but I doubt it. There is just too much of a learning curve for this team. I also seen John Gonzalez, of CSN Philly, say that Chip is now under the microscope after the loss to the Chiefs. Ummm, this is Philadelphia so he was under the microscope the minute he was hired by the Birds. That dude is the worst.
Like I said before, it's all about learning curves people – a new offense, new defense, and a plethora of new coaches. Some of the media and fans love to write people off as quick as possible. For example, ESPN First Take asked if Kelly's offense has been exposed after the Birds put up 511 yards on the Chargers. Huh?
I do understand that patience is not a virtue for Birds fans (I can include myself in there at times), but I think we need to learn this virtue, especially when it comes to Chip Kelly. I should throw in the new 3-4 defensive scheme as well. We are three games into the season and for once I am willing to have patience with the Birds.
Chip Kelly... Give the guy time to see how the NFL game works. Let him learn time management better and that you really don't need a two-point conversion, unless the situation calls for it. Let him learn what is the best ratio for run to pass plays during an NFL game. Let him learn to push the pace and when not too offensively. Let him learn what tricks will work and what won't. The BIGGEST thing will be to give him time to make adjustments.
Offensive Line…Give them time to gel. Give Lane Johnson time to learn the NFL game. Give time to Jason Peters (two torn Achilles) to get back in rhythm. As a whole, give them time to learn the offensive scheme as one.
Defense… Try to give Billy Davis the benefit of the doubt. I know he doesn't have the greatest track record, but neither did the late "great" Jim Johnson, until he came to the Birds. Understand that they don't have the right personnel for the 3-4 scheme. That some players have never played in that scheme before. That it will take a little bit of time to get the right players for this system.
To some this is a lot to ask of. I do understand that to a point. We as a fan base are tired of not having a Super Bowl ring, and that every other team in our division has more than one. We are tired of hearing that (I know am). We are also tired of being held accountable as the only fan base to ever boo anyone (Santa Claus). OK, fine…We also throw snowballs at him. He deserved it though. Trust me…
We proved a lot of the National Media wrong when we gave Andy Reid and McNabb great ovations. Now we can even surprise our selves by giving Chip and the Birds some time…
Philer-Up: To sign "Doc" or not to sign "Doc"?
To sign "Doc" or not to sign "Doc"? That is the question. Well, actually the Phils have many questions to be answered heading into the off-season. Hernandez or Revere for CF? Or do they look outside the organization? Is Asche the future 3B? If so, what do they do with Franco? Do they make a run at Brian McCann (FA to be) or do they bring back Chooch. Has Ruf done enough to win the job in right-field? Or do they make a run at Nelson Cruz, who they can likely get cheap now. Has Rosenberg and Diekman earned a spot in the pen next season?
I mean, I could keep going here. There is just a ton of questions that need to be answered over the next few weeks of this season and the off-season. You could say that the Phils have a plethora.
To go back to my main point, should the Phils bring back Doc next season? That might be the hardest question for Amaro to answer. The Phils have Hamels, Lee, newly acquired Gonzales as their likely top three in next's year's rotation. The last two spots are wide open. Kendrick seemed to have one of those spots locked up in the first half of the season, but now? Not so much… I like to call him Mr. "Non-Tender".
Jonathan Pettibone was decent, until he had shoulder issues. Ethan Martin looks to be better suited for the pen. I mean, I would think that the Phills would like to go with one veteran and one kid in those 4th and 5th spots. Let's just say that Phils give Jessie Biddle the 5th spot for the fun of it. That is where the veteran comes into play. I know some might like another kid in that spot, but Amaro is always looking to reload and make another run. You might not agree with it, but that's Amaro.
One of the few players that the Phils can maybe look at would be Phil Hughes (former 18 game and 16 game winner), He is just 28 years-old and leaving the AL could be recipe for success for him. Phils could get him for around 5-6 million I would think. I am not really crazy about him, but he is an option.
Another guy they could look at could be Ubaldo Jimenez (likely to void the last year of his contract). The 30 year-old has been very good of late for the Indians, showing the flashes of when he was dominant for the Rockies. His problem over the past few years has been control issues. He has averaged around 4 BB/per 9 innings over the past 4 seasons. Well, actually he has average 4.1 BB/per 9 innings for his career. Amaro loves taking chances on those "low-risks, high-reward" type of players. Or is it 'high-risk, low-reward"? Whatever…
There are others out there. There is Paul Maholm, Jason Vargas, and Bronson Arroyo. All those fit that 4th starter types. Now, that leaves us with "Doc".
The two-time CY Young Award winner has an ERA of 5.07 in four games back from shoulder surgery. Overall, he is 3-4 with 7.28 ERA. In his last outing, he couldn't escape the fifth inning after walking four consecutive batters for the first time in his career. His fastball is topping out at 87 mph, though Doc has never been labeled as power-pitcher anyway. His best year was in 2008, when his fastball average in-between 92-93 mph, according Ryan Lawrence of the Daily News.
His main issue is his control. The dude has no clue where the hell the ball is going. Doc himself, and us fans are not used to seeing anything like this from him. That is likely why Doc looked ready to have aneurysm on the mound the other day. Obviously, the main reason for his control issue is the shoulder surgery (still amazing how quick he returned from it). In 2006 through 2012, he only averaged 36.8 BB a year. This year has he 31 BB in just 11 starts. His control issues can be straightened out by the more he gets comfortable and finds his arm slot again.
By next spring training, Doc should be throwing around 90 mph again. To be honest, it's not like he getting knocked around out there. Overall he has only given up 51 hits in 55 innings, and since returning from the DL, he as given up 18 hits in 21.1 innings. Like I said before, he just doesn't know where the ball is going right now.
I might be in the minority here, but I wouldn't mind seeing Doc back in a Phils uniform again. I know, I am not getting the "old" Doc, but I believe that guy still knows how to pitch. The Phils would not be asking him to be a number 1 anymore. They would be asking him to be a 4th starter.
Sixers Balls: Meet Your Coaching Staff
The Sixers and Brett Brown are finally rounding out their coaching staff. Get excited people… This new staff is loaded with player development pedigree. Maybe, all this development stuff can help out Evan Tur….Sorry, it was worth a try. Let's take a look at the new coaching staff
Greg Foster
Foster played 13 years in the NBA (ended in 2003). He played for the Washington Bullets, Hawks, Bucks, Jazz, Supersonics, Lakers and the Raptors. Foster was coaching at UTEP the past few years. He started as an graduate assistant under Tim Floyd (he was a lovely NBA coach) in the 2010-2011 season. He then became an assistant coach the following year. He was known for he solid recruiting skills. He got skillzzz… This was first reported by Anthony Salom of SBNation.
Chad Iske
Iske comes to the Sixers with a great reputation for player development. That goes right with Brett Brown. As we all know, its all about the development in the Sixers world. Iske was a part of the Denver Nuggets' organization for the past 13 seasons. Though the last five years he has been an assistant coach under George Karl. Funny thing about Iske. He never played basketball in the NBA or college. He once was a volunteer for an high-school team. Now, this dude is in the NBA. Nice story there. Of course, Wojo broke the news of this hiring a few weeks back.
Lloyd Pierce
Lloyd was Brown's first hire. He actually was rumored to be a candidate for the Sixers head coach spot early in the off-season. Lloyd has been with the Grizzles the past few years as a player development guy. This is Lloyd's fourth NBA assistant-coaching job. He was with the Warriors and he also was with the Cavaliers as a player-development coordinator for three seasons. Marc Spears of Yahoo! was the first one to report about this hire a few weeks ago.
So when does the 2014-15 season start again?
This picture is just Awesome…
Eagles Round Up….
Well, we are all set for one of the most interesting football seasons that we have had in some time around here. The obvious reason for that is Andy Reid not here anymore. People are excited and full of wonder about these Birds. I have heard people say that the Eagles will go 10-6 this year. That they're going to surprise a lot of people. I also have heard that the Eagles are going 5-11 because of their defense.
I say, they fall somewhere in-between. I am going with 7-9 for the Birds. Monday Night should be fun to watch. With that said, here are some of my latest from RantSports on the Birds.
Jairus Byrd
Could the Philadelphia Eagles be a landing spot for the disgruntled safety Jairus Byrd? NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Byrd will miss the start of the season for the Buffalo Bills because of a lingering plantar fasciitis injury. Rapoport also reported the "wildcard" to watch for in the Byrd situation is the Eagles…Continue reading here…
Cary Williams and his issues.
Cary Williams my man, you have some issues. Yes, I get that whole incident the other day at practice for the Philadelphia Eagles likely stems from the Riley Cooper incident. Cary was one of the players that didn't forgive Riley right way. Obviously he still hasn't, but Cary has his own issues. This dude loves to talk even though he wasn't talking to reporters after the fight. He also loves to stir stuff up. You could say he has an anger management issues…Continue reading here…
Danny Watkins talking about his time here
I use to love that one particular song by Limp Bizkit, you know what one I'm talking about. No, not that "I did it all for the Nookie" song, though I did enjoy that one thoroughly. I am talking about "It's all about the he said, she said, BS". Sorry, people, I am trying to keep it PG style. Why do I bring up the he said , she said song? Well, it has started between Danny Watkins and Howie Roseman. Actually, like I said before, I just like the song…Continue reading…
"Shady" On Cooper: "We definitely have his back."
Well, since the Riley Cooper incident may or may not be resolved even in the Eagles own locker room and Cary Williams is exhibit A for that. I have been wondering how other players around the league will deal with Cooper. I can almost guarantee that players will harass Cooper on the field by taunting him or whatever. That is something Cooper will have to just live with.
Some people believe that scuffle between Cary and Cooper was directly from that incident even though some players on the Eagles say that it's unrelated. I call "BS" on that one. To be honest, Cooper is just going to have to get use to these little scuffles from players. I would think that these types of incidents will arise a handful of times throughout the season for Cooper.
The other day LeSean McCoy talked to to reporters about Cooper. McCoy:
In the beginning when the whole situation happened, guys were different to him and didn't really speak to him," McCoy said. "They really didn't know how to take it. But now, it seems like normal again. He's interacting with every guy — the offense, the defense, myself. … There is no difference between me and him and other guys." "It's been great. Everything's been great. Everything is completely, 100 percent normal, talking to everybody, everybody talking to me. We're all real close — everybody, Cary included." via PhillyMag
I still say it's "BS" about Cary, but McCoy was very honest with the way that he felt about Cooper, when Cooper's incident happened. So why would he lie now? I believe "Shady" to an extent.
"Shady" went on to talk about how other players will likely deal with Cooper. "Shady":
I think for sure a lot of guys are going to try and do dirty things to him," McCoy talking to Tim McManus of PhillyMag. "Obviously they are going to say things to get under his skin. For one, they are opponents, so they are going to try and do anything to get the advantage. And two, I think maybe some of the words that he did say offended a lot of guys. We definitely have his back." via PhillyMag.
I did say, I believe him to an extent right?


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Community board votes down Chelsea Hotel renovations. [Curbed]
Meanwhile, Kaufman and Chetrit teaming up for Noho hotel. [NY Times]
Defects caused 7 Train crane to collapse, site will reopen Monday. [Journal, WNYC]
Oprah sells East side condo to hedgie for $7.9 million. [Real Deal]
Adrian Grenier ditches the Park Slope Food Co-op for another. [NY Times]
Take 24 rooms, one for every hour of the day, on Park Ave for $18 million. [Curbed]
Apartment vacancies hit lowest level since 2001. [Crain's]
Building a bridge fit for the new Lincoln Center. [Journal]
WTC sphere sculpture must be out of Batter Park by end of month. [DNAinfo]
Domino Sugar Factory will know its fate come end of April. [Real Deal]
Sprucing up the Bronx at two derelict sites. [Daily News]
Generous outdoor space for less than $1 million. [Curbed]
Dumbo's manifest destiny? Conquering poor Vinegar Hill. [Journal]
Governor Cuomo's infrastructure bank will fund $143 million for parks. [WNYC]
You can forage a meal in Prospect Park—just be careful. [BK Paper]
Washington Heights and Inwood is rat capital of rodentine city. [Daily News]
Just like Home Alone: Vaseline bandit arrested. [NY Times]
The end of sprawl? [Atlantic Cities]
On the Market: Chetrit's Hotel Follies; Oprah Sells; Adrian Greiner Swaps Co-ops
Community board votes down Chelsea Hotel renovations. [Curbed]


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text: Detroit's Urban Farming Revolution A group of visionary residents in the American city of Detroit are sowing the seeds of an urban farming revolution. Earthrise18 Aug 2012 07:53 GMT Environment, Agriculture In the early 20th century the American city of Detroit was a booming industrial powerhouse and world leader in car manufacturing, with a population that reached nearly two million people.But since the major car companies closed their factories, more than a million taxpayers have moved out of Detroit, leaving behind more than 100 square kilometres of vacant land, and nearly 40,000 abandoned houses.Now after decades of urban decay, Detroit is undergoing something of a revival as a centre for a new trade - urban farming.In this half-hour special Russell Beard meets a group of visionary residents who see the city's vacant land as fertile ground for an urban agriculture revolution.First is businessman Gary Wozniak, who has plans for a $220m urban farming project in central Detroit - starting by converting an abandoned truck depot into a fish farm capable of producing 2,300 tonnes of tilapia a year.Across town, Mark Covington is tending to Georgia Street Community Garden, a small plot founded to revive his ailing neighbourhood. With many grocers in the city long closed, access to healthy fresh food can be a challenge. His vegetable patches, goats and chickens not only provide free organic fruit and vegetables to his neighbours, they have brought people together and even attracted newcomers to the area.Individual farmers like Covington are helped by Earthworks Urban Farm, a highly-productive 0.8 hectare urban agriculture and education hub that supplies city farmers with everything they need from support to seedlings, and teaches students how to make a living from small organic plots.Earthworks also supplies starter plants to veteran urban farmer Edith Floyd. As the number of houses on her street dropped over the years from 64 to six, she has gradually taken over many of the empty lots on her road in a practice known as 'blotting' or backyard lotting. With the help of her orange tractor, Floyd hopes to plant fruit and vegetables all along her street, and even set up a drive-through fruit market.It is not only existing residents who have started growing food in the city. The last 10 years has seen a 59 per cent rise in young graduates moving into the city's core, some drawn by the growing urban agriculture movement. Carolyn Leadley is one of them, and now runs Rising Pheasant Farms on Detroit's east side. In the last part of earthrise's urban agriculture special, Russell joins Leadley at dawn to help bike her produce to the city's thriving Eastern Market.Source: Al Jazeera Tell us what you think


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LETHAL BEAUTY / The talkers / For California Highway Patrol and bridge district officers, stopping a jumper requires total concentration.
On March 11, a 42-year-old California Highway Patrol officer got a call to be on the lookout for a suicidal young man at the Golden Gate Bridge.
The man's car was found in the parking lot at Vista Point. The officer, Kevin Briggs, drove his CHP motorcycle along the span, looking for the potential jumper.
He spotted him on the sidewalk near the north tower, talking on a cell phone. The man saw Briggs and jumped over the rail, standing on a narrow ledge just inches from a long drop and almost certain death.
"That was one of those that I thought would actually go," Briggs said. "I had to dig down deep for that one."
Briggs parked and approached the man. Usually, he said, he tries to get as close as possible. But there was a lot of wind and a lot of traffic that day. It was noisy and dangerous out on the span. Plus, Briggs thought the man was on the verge of jumping. He didn't want to spook him.
Briggs called for units to hold back traffic and pedestrians so he could concentrate on the young man. He stayed several yards away, still near the tower. And then he settled in for a long chat. He spent an hour, maybe an hour and a half, just talking to the guy.
"Everything came out," Briggs said. "What happened when he was a kid, things about his parents, how he was treated in life. Lots of things.
"I just kept working on him. I could see he was breaking down. Finally, I said 'I'm coming up there. I'm going to talk to you in person. I'm not going to do anything, I'm not going to grab you.' "
Briggs walked slowly to the rail, placed his hands on the metal and spoke to him face to face.
"Finally, he agreed to come back over," Briggs said. "Another officer and I helped lift him back over the rail."
The officers got the man to safety and turned him over to mental health professionals. Later, the man's mother wrote the CHP to thank the officers for saving her son's life.
"As far as I know, he's doing a lot better," Briggs said.
Every year, about 50 people are persuaded not to jump off the bridge. There is no suicide barrier on the bridge, so the task of saving lives goes to the CHP and Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District patrol officers. Sometimes even ironworkers or bridge employees who are working on the span get involved.
The number of people who are prevented from committing suicide off the bridge is hard to pin down. The bridge district says 51 to 54 for each of the past four years. But those are only the people it knows about. Officers who patrol the bridge stop and talk to anyone who looks even remotely forlorn or out of place. Bridge officials won't discuss how many people are involved or give details about patrolling. Suicide prevention comes under the greater concept of bridge security, which became sensitive information after Sept. 11, 2001.
There isn't much formal training. CHP officers get a week of crisis intervention training before they start work. Bridge district officers get occasional training on one aspect of suicide or another.
"I really think the kinds of skills we learn to deal with are learned on the job," said district Capt. Michael Locati, 54, of Novato. "You get a sense, or most people do, just by being out there. A sense of what to look for, what someone looks like who might be intent on taking their life."
District Lt. John Fenstermaker said potential jumpers are sometimes obvious. They are alone and they look depressed. They tend to linger in one spot and stare down into the water.
But the bridge gets 10 million visitors a year. It can be hard to spot a potential suicide. That's where instinct kicks in.
"Sometimes, there's something about the way they walk," he said. "They're not looking at anything or anybody, they're just kind of zoned."
Fenstermaker has worked at the bridge for 23 years, and Locati for 32. Between them, they've seen a lot of death and a lot of people brought back from the brink.
"Now there are some memories that come back to -- I won't use the word 'haunt' -- but come back to visit you," Locati said.
It's the happy endings everyone prefers to recall.
Locati likes to talk about the guy who climbed under the bridge on the west side, with the intention of jumping from one of the tower supports. Someone saw the man, and patrol officers were called to get him down.
The standoff lasted seven hours.
The talking seemed to be headed nowhere until an officer found the man's parked car and ran the license plate. Officers figured out that the man had a child. That information was relayed to the people trying to talk him down.
"Now the message was, 'Think about your kid,' " Locati said. "That seemed to work. Finally, he said, 'OK, I'll give it one more try.' He sat in the office later being interviewed by the CHP and he said he was really appreciative."
Fenstermaker remembers the woman who tried dozens of times to jump. Every time, someone made it there in time to save her. Then she dropped out of sight. He figured she'd found another way to kill herself.
Some time later, he said, the woman came into the office. She'd gotten help, gotten married and had a child. She just wanted to say "thanks."
Briggs said he's been fortunate, so far, not to have lost anyone.
"That's just sheer luck," he said. "I've talked to people from 10 minutes to seven hours. I very much despise losing. I do whatever I can to get that person back over the rail. I play to win."
Briggs and other officers said there is no model, no template they use for dealing with a potential bridge jumper. You approach the person, make contact, ask questions and move on from there.
"I like my space, just me and that other person," Briggs said. "Nobody else around. Just keep everyone back. And I try to get a connection there. Let them focus on me, their anger, their frustrations. When they break down, everything gets transferred to me. And then I can get them to look at different aspects of their life.
"I have them look out over the water, look at the city. I use different techniques to talk them out of what they might be considering. Try to get in and talk about their families. This isn't just about you, it's about a whole bunch of different people. It's about me looking at you going down. Now I'm affected, now my family is affected. And that's nothing compared to what your family is going to go through.
" 'Do you have kids? Do you have a wife?' That's going to generate a lot of guilt. I don't think it's a trick; it's just bringing them back to reality."


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- Page 1 Nikon Coolpix P4 Review
- Page 2 Nikon Coolpix P4 Review
- Page 3 Nikon Coolpix P4 Review
- Page 4 Feature Table Review
- Page 5 Test Shots – Full Res Crops Review
- Page 6 Test Shots – Exposure Evaluation Review
- Page 7 Test Shots – Exposure Evaluation Review
- Page 8 Test Shots – Exposure Evaluation Review
- Page 9 Test Shots – Exposure Evaluation Review
The only real problem that I found with the design of the camera is the hatch over the battery and card slots. It has no latch, and comes open very easily. Several times while I was out testing the camera I found that the hatch had come open in my pocket. The card and battery have separate latches so they won't fall out, but the hatch lid is only made of fairly thin plastic, so it could easily be damaged or even snapped off in some circumstances. The battery itself is a 1,100mAh lithium-ion rechargeable for which Nikon claims a 200 shot capacity.
Main mode selection is controlled by a large dial in the middle of the top panel, with additional options such as EV compensation, flash mode, macro mode and self timer accessed via the D-pad. Shooting modes on offer include an all-auto mode in which the menu is inaccessible, as well as a good selection of scene modes, including a portrait mode featuring Nikon's outstanding face-recognition AF system. Most of the scene modes have secondary options and effects, such as different colour balance settings or soft-focus modes. There is a help mode that tells you what each effect does. More useful is the program mode, which allows full access to the menu system, and unusually for a pocket compact an aperture priority mode, which allows the more experienced user to exercise some creative control over depth of field.
The technological highlight of the P4 is of course its optical image stabilisation. It's one of the smallest cameras on the market to have such a system, and to be honest I'm not entirely convinced that a camera with only a 3.5x optical zoom really needs it, but there's no denying that it works very well. Like most such systems it allows steady hand-held shots to be taken at shutter speeds around three stops slower than would otherwise be possible. The system has two modes, normal and active. In the former it detects panning movements both vertically and horizontally, and damps out vibrations that are at right angles to the camera movement, which should help when trying to capture moving subjects, if only the monitor was a little quicker. In active mode the VR system damps out all vibrations regardless of direction, which is useful for situations like taking pictures from a moving vehicle.
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We hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but "Old Man Winter" has arrived early this year in the hills of Vermont. With his visit he has brought along cold air, a bit of snow last night, and low temperatures of only 21°F are predicted for this evening followed by a low of 13°F on Friday night.
Now that we have gotten the bad news out of the way, hopefully it will serve as our annual warning to our old car friends and readers in the US and other colder parts of the world to prepare your collector cars for winter storage. At the same time get your snow tires mounted, new wiper blades installed, and your antifreeze tested if necessary on your daily driver.
To get into the winter spirit today's lead photo contains an older gentleman posing with a clean 1959 Buick four-door "Plain-Jane" sedan – could this possibly be a new car moment captured on film?
The enlargeable image below appears to have been taken at a pull over on a mountain pass in California or Nevada, and the Chrysler station wagon in the foreground has just passed through some snow. In the background is a red and black sign with "STOP"visible on the upper part of it which maybe a warning for motorists to put on a set of snow chains before going over the pass. At the end of the parking area on the right, a person laying on the ground beside a blue Chrysler Products sedan appears to be either installing or taking off a set of the metal winter traction devices.
Tell us what you find of interest in the photos via This Was Americar.


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Small Business Credit Card � Benefits Business Owners
If you own a small business, you might just have significant monthly expenses that are required in its operation. But in many cases you may not yet have sufficient cash on hand to pay for those expenses. For those reasons, a business credit card or a small business credit card can come in handy, given the benefits offered for business owners in particular. It is a temptation indeed to spend more than one should with a credit card. This lack of control, however, is the primary source of the profits in the credit card industry. If you have the financial insight to manage your money as a business owner, business credit cards could give you the flexibility you need to manage day to day expenses. Business credit cards used with care could be just the thing you need to help you manage your growing business.
About the Author: For more on business credit cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com


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The global equity rout extended on Tuesday as a gauge of world stocks headed for the biggest three-day slide since 2015. U.S. shares were poised for more losses, with a measure of volatility at the highest in nine years. Treasuries slipped and the dollar rose.
As assets decline, volatility is surging, causing pain for investors who had positioned for price swings to remain muted. Trading was halted in some exchange-traded products used to bet against volatility, and the VIX Index was set for the highest close since 2009.
Elsewhere, oil slumped for a third day and metals joined the selloff after gaining on Monday. Bitcoin dropped for a sixth day, at one point trading below $6,000 for the first time since October.
Here are some key events scheduled for this week:
- Monetary policy decisions are due in Russia, India, Brazil, Poland, Romania, the U.K., New Zealand, Serbia, Peru and the Philippines.
- Earnings season continues with reports from Walt Disney, SoftBank, Sanofi, Philip Morris, Total, Tesla, Rio Tinto, L'Oreal and Twitter.
- Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan and New York Fed President William Dudley are among policy officials due to speak in Frankfurt and New York.
These are the main moves in markets:
- The Stoxx Europe 600 Index decreased 2.3 percent as of 8:13 a.m. New York time, hitting the lowest in more than five months with its seventh consecutive decline and the largest dip in more than 19 months.
- Futures on the S&P 500 Index fell 0.4 percent to the lowest in almost 11 weeks.
- The MSCI Asia Pacific Index sank 3.6 percent to the lowest in almost six weeks on the largest tumble in more than 19 months.
- The U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index dipped 2 percent, reaching the lowest in almost 10 months on its sixth consecutive decline and the biggest decrease in almost 10 months.
- The MSCI Emerging Market Index sank 3.1 percent to the lowest in five weeks on the largest tumble in more than 19 months.
- The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index increased 0.4 percent to the highest in more than two weeks.
- The euro decreased 0.3 percent to $1.2327, the weakest in two weeks.
- The British pound dipped 0.7 percent to $1.3867, the weakest in more than two weeks.
- The Japanese yen declined 0.4 percent to 109.50 per dollar.
- South Africa's rand jumped 0.6 percent to 12.0541 per dollar.
- The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index fell 0.2 percent to the lowest in two weeks.
- The yield on 10-year Treasuries climbed two basis points to 2.73 percent.
- Germany's 10-year yield declined five basis points to 0.69 percent, the lowest in a week on the largest drop in more than two months.
- Britain's 10-year yield fell four basis points to 1.514 percent, the biggest fall in almost five weeks.
- West Texas Intermediate crude dipped 1.3 percent to $63.34 a barrel, the lowest in more than two weeks.
- Gold fell 0.4 percent to $1,334.96 an ounce.
Read the Original Article on bloomberg.com


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News Release 11-173
NSF Signs Agreement to Use Russian Icebreaker for Critical Antarctic Resupply and Refueling Mission
Icebreaker will create channel allowing annual refueling and resupply of two U.S. stations in Antarctica
August 25, 2011
This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) today announced it has reached an agreement with a Russian company to charter a diesel icebreaker to create a channel through the sea ice of Antarctica's McMurdo Sound that will allow the annual refueling and resupply of two U.S. stations in Antarctica.
NSF has signed a one-year contract, with an option for additional years, with the Murmansk Shipping Company to use the Canadian-built icebreaker, Vladimir Ignatyuk, to create a channel into NSF's McMurdo Station and to escort resupply and refueling ships.
The refueling and resupply are critical to the Presidentially mandated mission of the U.S. Antarctic Program--which NSF manages--to maintain an active and influential national presence on the southernmost continent, by supporting a comprehensive science program and operating three year-round research stations. Delivery of fuel and supplies is critical to two of those three stations, in particular: McMurdo, on Ross Island and Amundsen-Scott South Pole.
Without the annual resupply mission--and in particular the delivery every year of roughly 5 million gallons of fuel to support each year's activities--the science mission would have to be severely curtailed.
Earlier this summer, the Swedish government announced that it would not, as it has done in previous years, be able to allow NSF to use its icebreaker, Oden, to escort the annual resupply and refueling missions.
NSF officials, working with officials in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the State Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard, have since been actively pursuing alternatives to Oden in the wake of the Swedish government's announcement.
Ignatyuk currently provides icebreaking service to other National Antarctic programs, including the Indian Antarctic Program. The multi-year contract with Murmansk Shipping Company will insure that an icebreaking vessel is available to the U.S. Antarctic Program until the U.S. Coast Guard heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, which is undergoing an extensive refit, is available for service in 2014.
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2019, its budget is $8.1 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 50,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards.
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A certain strain of late-20th-century pop music, pioneered by artists like Sun Ra, George Clinton and Lee (Scratch) Perry, drew on science fiction, electronic instruments and experiences of racial marginalization to forge an aesthetic called Afrofuturism.
"The Shadows Took Shape," an exhibition at the Studio Museum in Harlem that runs through March 9, takes its title from a poem by Sun Ra and surveys parallel developments of Afrofuturism in the visual arts.
This Sunday at 1 p.m., the museum is offering an hourlong tour exploring more than 60 works in the exhibition. The tour is intended to appeal to children as well as adults.
From 2 to 4 p.m., "Hands On: Drawing Stories in Pen and Ink" will invite children to draw their own characters and develop original stories based on them. The workshop will be led by Laylah Ali, whose "Typology" series of drawings is featured in the "Shadows" exhibition.
At 4 p.m., adults can take part in the Shadows Took Shape Book Club. Sunday's installment is focused on Samuel R. Delany's 1968 novel, "Nova," a key text in the development of Afrofuturism.
Participation in all three programs is free.
(Sunday, from noon to 6 p.m., at 144 West 125th Street; 212-864-4500, studiomuseum.org.)
Like so many otherwise comfortable childhoods, the Miser's was haunted by the specter of the Soviet Union. Stoked by movies like "Red Dawn" and "WarGames," music by Minutemen and Prince, and Olympic moments like the Miracle on Ice, the Cold War was an ominous, palpable presence throughout those formative years.
If it was no joking matter then, perhaps we can laugh a little now. That would seem to be the premise of "A Brief History of the Soviet Union," a new play by Vladimir Zelevinsky, in which four actors perform what the producers describe as "100 years in 100 minutes."
The show, directed by Jacques Stewart and presented by the Hive Theater, runs through Feb. 1 at the Dorothy Strelsin Theater in Midtown Manhattan. Tickets are $18.
(Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 3 p.m.; at 312 West 36th Street; 212-868-2055, thehivetheatre.com.)