text:
Muddy Depictions Create New Ways of Seeing
Katy Payne is the kind of person I love to interview. For starters, she is warm and delightful, wise and instructive, about things I had never pondered before. And though eminent in her field of "acoustic biology," she is not a famous name.
She is a practicing Quaker and a student of the spiritual philosophy of the 20th-century, Greek-Armenian philosopher Gurdjieff, who taught self-awareness and openness to reality. The spirituality she reveals during our conversation derives its passion directly from life — and from her rare, intimate experience of usually hidden slices of the natural world.
Katy Payne is a beautiful example of a line that I love from the writer Annie Dillard — words that I take as a definition of vocation: "You were made and set here to give voice to this, your astonishment."
Payne has spent a life following her astonishment at the lives and language of whales and elephants. Along the way, her reverent attention has led to a few breakthrough scientific discoveries.
Katy Payne was a listener long before she became a self-trained acoustic biologist. She loved music before she loved biology, and as an undergraduate at Cornell she studied both. From there, in the 1960s, she became part of the first team of scientists to understand that humpback whales communicate by song. She later discovered that their songs are not inborn and fixed, but constantly evolving. Whales, like people, she says, are composers.
That is just one of the things I know about the planet I inhabit, from this conversation with Katy Payne, that I might not have learned otherwise. She also teaches me that elephants are emotional, passionate, intensely social creatures. And people who live close to them have always expressed both fear and fascination at their evident intelligence and memory and a mysterious ability to coordinate family movements across long distances.
Somewhat by chance, in the wake of her discoveries about whales, Katy Payne had an opportunity to observe elephants in a zoo in Portland, Oregon — and there she "felt" sounds that she was later able to identify as infrasonic. She later spent 15 years monitoring and decoding the basic vocabulary of elephants, and, in 1999, she founded the Elephant Listening Project in the equatorial rainforests of central Africa. This project has become a resource for thinking deeply and creatively about protecting these large and exotic creatures who increasingly compete with human beings for land and food as their habitats shrink.
I like people who muddy depictions of good and bad, right and wrong. That pit people and causes irrevocably against one another. Such voices do not simplify; they often make an "issue" feel even more complicated than before. And yet they also open our eyes to new ways of seeing, and new possibilities forward. Katy Payne offers unusual insight into the moral irony even of the noblest conservation efforts.
Over the years she has bitterly grieved the death of elephants she has studied — killed either by poachers or by culling, an official practice in some African countries of selective reduction of elephant populations that encroach on human land and livelihood. She knows that poaching is often a corollary of poverty, political instability, and hunger. She suggests that the best we can do to preserve some forms of wildlife is to support the health and vitality of the human populations with whom they coexist.
Katy Payne also experiences irony in the "No Trespassing" sign she posts on her 14 acres in upstate New York, after her years in the wildness and unbounded geography of Africa. And yet, in conversation, she makes that far-away wildness real in a way that facts and news reports and policy debates never can.
I know something about forest elephants now that makes me feel invested in their fate, as well as that of the people with whom they more closely share life. I feel myself blessed very directly by the songs of the humpback whales as Katy Payne describes the largest lessons they leave with her:
"The ocean is really huge. When you get out on a little boat, you know it. You're clinging to a cork … And out there, rolling around and swimming through and perfectly at home in the waves are these enormous animals. And by golly, they're singing … And so what that has done for me is to make me feel that what lies ahead is absolutely limitless. We are not at the pinnacle of human knowledge. We are just beginning."
Creating this show is a gift. I hope you experience it that way too.
About the images above: Photo of Humpback whale in Hervey Bay, Australia by Michael Dawes. Photo of forest elephants in Dzanga-Sangha National Park, Central African Republic by Nicholas Rost.


text:
Lincoln Electric to acquire Robolution GMBH
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Robolution GmbH, a leading European provider of robotic arc welding systems. Based outside of Frankfurt, Germany, the company serves a number of leading automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
"Robolution expands the geographic reach of our growing automation business," said CEO Christopher L. Mapes. "With our recent acquisitions of Wayne Trail and Tennessee Rand, and our new greenfield facility in Brazil, Robolution will enable us to seamlessly support customers across three continents."
"We are pleased to partner with Lincoln Electric," said Wolfgang Koenig, managing director of Robolution. "Lincoln's financial strength and worldwide reach will enable us to better serve new and existing customers across our growing business."
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the month and terms were not disclosed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
commandlinefu.com is the place to record those command-line gems that you return to again and again.
Delete that bloated snippets file you've been using and share your personal repository with the world. That way others can gain from your CLI wisdom and you from theirs too. All commands can be commented on, discussed and voted up or down.
You can sign-in using OpenID credentials, or register a traditional username and password.
First-time OpenID users will be automatically assigned a username which can be changed after signing in.
Every new command is wrapped in a tweet and posted to Twitter. Following the stream is a great way of staying abreast of the latest commands. For the more discerning, there are Twitter accounts for commands that get a minimum of 3 and 10 votes - that way only the great commands get tweeted.
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu3
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu10
Use your favourite RSS aggregator to stay in touch with the latest commands. There are feeds mirroring the 3 Twitter streams as well as for virtually every other subset (users, tags, functions,…):
Subscribe to the feed for:
Maintained by Jon H.
Site originally by David Winterbottom (user root).
Wow, didn't really expect you to read this far down. The latest iteration of the site is in open beta. It's a gentle open beta-- not in prime-time just yet. It's being hosted over at UpGuard (link) and you are more than welcome to give it a shot. Couple things:
Pipes the header row of ps to STDERR, then greps for the command on the output of ps, removing the grep entry before that.
This shows all process (-e) and threads (-L) in full format (-F)
grep по ps aux
That is useful to discover the start time of process older than 1 day.
You can also run:
ls -ld /proc/PID
That's returning the creation date of the proc files from the process. Some users reported that this way might show you a wrong date since any other process like cron, for example, could change this date.
Inner "ps...grep..." command searches for a process matching the specified .
"lsof -p lists all file descriptors owned by . Includes open files, sockets, devices, etc...
Display all pid less the 300 processes info
How much memory is chrome sucking?
This version also attaches to new processes forked by the parent apache process. That way you can trace all current and *future* apache processes.
Did some research and found the previous command wrong, we don't kill a zombie but its parent. Just made some modifcation to khashmeshab's command.
Trick to avoid the form:
grep process | grep - v grep
Finding high memory usage report in human readable format.
Okay, commands like this are a bit of a personal peeve. awk(1) operates on a /pattern/ {action} paradigm and yet I see people leave out the /pattern/ portion of an awk command all the time, opting to use grep or sed instead. You'll save yourself some typing and time if you include the /pattern/ with your {action}.


text:
Construction Vehicles
- Overview
Well-made wooden construction toys like these deliver years of happy, productive play. Each vehicle features interactive details such as a working tipper on the dump truck, and rolling caterpillar tracks on the bulldozer and digger.
- Dump Truck: 9.5" long x 4" wide x 5" high
- Bull Dozer: 9.75" long x 5" wide x 5" high
- Digger: 11" long x 4.75" wide x 8" high
- Crafted of solid rubber wood with a painted yellow and black finish.
- Realistic wooden dump truck features working tipper and a moving tailgate.
- A detailed wooden bulldozer features rubber tracks and a cab.
- Wooden digger features rubber tracks and a movable digger.
- Use with the rest of our Construction Collection (sold separately).
- Ages 3 and up.
- WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Click for details.
- Dimensions & Care
- Dust with a soft, dry cloth.
- Shipping & Return Info
This is a general shipping item. In-stock items will usually ship within 7-10 business days for the cities listed below.
- San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, New York City, Baltimore, Boston, Cromwell, Atlanta, Raleigh, Charlotte, Tampa, Fort Meyers, Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale
For other areas, your items will be delivered within 2-3 weeks.
View Our Shipping Information
At Pottery Barn Kids, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction is our priority. We carefully inspect your order prior to shipment; upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage. We will arrange for a prompt replacement. If, within 7 days for Quick Ship upholstery and 30 days for all other products, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value.
If your return for Merchandise Credit Cards is greater than $10,000, we will issue $10,000 in Merchandise Credit Cards to you that day, and then mail additional Merchandise Credit Card(s) for the amount in excess of $10,000 to you.
For returns of items purchased from your Pottery Barn Kids registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later.
Delivery fees are non-refundable and prior purchases are not eligible for a price adjustment. The following items are non-eligible for returns or exchanges:
- Personalized/Monogrammed items
- Mattresses
- Gift cards
- Special-order items (including made-to-order upholstery and custom order rugs)
- Final Sale items (identified by a price ending in $.97 or $.99)
- Items damaged through normal wear and tear.
Questions? See our full Returns Policy.
International Returns: Online returns are available only for items that were shipped to the United States. If you would like to return items that were shipped outside the US, please see International Returns and Exceptions.


text:
Center for Entrepreneurship Announces New Alumni Hall of Fame InducteesEvent Details: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., May 15, John and Lucy Cook Hall, 3674 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63108
The Center for Entrepreneurship at Saint Louis University has selected five inductees for the 2011-2012 Smurfit-Stone Entrepreneurial Alumni Hall of Fame.
Now in its fifth year, the award recognizes SLU graduates who have contributed to society through entrepreneurial leadership and service to the community.
Ellen Harshman, Ph.D., J.D., dean of SLU's John Cook School of Business, said the alumni honorees exemplify the University's commitment to educational excellence, strong business leadership and service to the community.
"In both their professional and personal lives each of the nominees exhibits the spirit of collaboration that helps develop strong individuals, businesses and communities," Harshman said.
For more than two decades, the Center for Entrepreneurship has served as a bridge between academia and the business community to provide resources and support for enterprising entrepreneurs.
Tim Hayden, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and an entrepreneur in his own right, said the Hall of Fame not only honors alumni for their achievements but also serves as an inspiration to students following in their footsteps.
"The path for each of the honorees began with an idea that was developed, nurtured and took shape to become successful," Hayden said. "Their accomplishments provide knowledge and encouragement to students who will become the next generation of entrepreneurs."
Doug Brown (BSBA '66), a member of the inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame class, spent 30 years as a highly-successful executive at Enterprise Rent-a-Car before retiring and going on to use his experiences to help budding small business owners develop their ideas through consulting and as founder of Habitat for Neighborhood Business.
"Entrepreneurship not only builds businesses but also strengthens the communities where those businesses are located," Brown said.
The 2011-2012 Smurfit-Stone Entrepreneurial Alumni Hall of Fame inductees include:
Small Independent Entrepreneurship
Harvey Hartman (BSBA '71),
Founder, Chairman and CEO, The Hartman Group
Large Independent Entrepreneurship
Patrick Lee (BSAE '59)
Founder and Chairman, International Motion Control
Social Entrepreneurship
Tiffany Denyer, (BSN '96)
Founder and President, Wilderwood Service Dogs
Robert Fox (MBA '76)
Chairman, Casa de Salud
Corporate Entrepreneurship
James Haglund, (MSR '75)
Vice President of Rehabilitation, War Memorial Hospital
In addition, three SLU students who best embody the University's spirit of entrepreneurship will be recognized.
The induction ceremony will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at the John Cook School of Business, 3674 Lindell Blvd. Tickets are $50 per person. The event is open to the public however reservations are requested.
Click here for additional information or to RSVP.


text: This is one of a number of views of Brighton in which Constable depicted fishermen and their boats. He included the figure leaning on an upturned boat in a number of these oil sketches. Constable wrote to Fisher: 'The fishing boats are picturesque, but not so much as the Hastings boats, which are luggers' (Beckett VI, pp. 182–83).


text:
San Diego Chargers Quiksilver Trunk Are Back…. All Your Favorite Pro Sports Teams Boardshorts!
South Coast Surf Shop crew showing some charger pride!
There is a slight chill in the air, leaves are rustling, the sun is setting sooner- this can only mean one thing- football season! That's right! Get your lazy boy out, put those Doritos in a bowl and have your pizza man on speed dial because this season is looking good! And what better way to say, "I'm here for you" to your favorite sports team than rocking Quiksilver's official team trunks? Quiksilver has the rights to all your favorite teams like (our favorite) the San Diego Chargers! This updated Charger trunk is a 22 inch 100% polyester boardshort with diamond dobby technology (less fabric touching your skin = less chance of rash or chaffing), new Neo Fly 2.0 stretch at hems, lycra at inside front rise, and custom eyelets. South Coast is proud to carry our favorite San Diego sport's team but we also love our Kobe- take a look at the Los Angeles Lakers trunks! Same technology and features- different love! How can you not be proud to wear this 16 time NBA champion trunk? Other teams we are carrying are the 49ers, Cowboys, Patriots, and Packers! If you want to be the best, you have to wear the best, and the best is the Quiksilver Pro team trunks!
Los Angeles Lakers NBA Quiksilver Boardshorts
Not seeing your favorite team?? Don't let that stop you! We are proud of our special order services and we can order any trunk you like! Love NFL? Are you a Broncos, Steelers, Giants, or Raiders fan? What about NBA? Knicks, Mavericks, Heat, or Celetics? Quiksilver makes them for the NHL too! Let us know what your favorite team is and we will be happy to help! Please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com for all special order inquiries.


text:
Chapter 4
Gospel light shines on the Saints—Mortal trials are nothing as contrasted with eternal glory.
1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received
2 But have
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the
5 For we
6 For God, who
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the
8 We are
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are alway delivered unto
12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the
17 For our light
18 While we look not at the things which are


text:
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text:
Skip to comments.Liberal Pundit Says U.S. Constitution Confusing because it was Written 100+ Years Ago Video
Posted on 12/30/2010 9:13:23 AM PST by Federalist Patriot
Here is video of liberal Ezra Klein actually saying today that the U.S. Constitution is confusing because it was written more than a hundred years ago.
Klein made the remarks in response to news that the new GOP-controlled House of Representatives is going to begin the new session of Congress by (gasp!) reading the United States Constitution out loud!
No, Ezra the Constitution is not confusing, and it was actually written more than 200 years ago! It is just inconvenient to liberals like you because it actually limits the power of the Federal Government, which goes against ever fiber of your being.
(Excerpt) Read more at freedomslighthouse.net ...
These America-hating communists cannot even come up with good lies and excuses any more to nullify our Constitution. What a crock.
Gee, maybe Liberals aren't really smarter than Conservatives.
Klein must be a public school graduate.
More confusing than the average piece of legislation coming out of Congress today?
"Klein must be a public school graduate."
Sounds more like a Harvard Law graduate.
Well this would help to explain why their Leader in the house demands that laws be passed before they are read...because they have too much difficulty understanding them.
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
The same could be said of Marx's Das Capital, but liberals have no problem at all understanding that.
You can't fix this kind of weapons-grade stupid.
Math class was tuff (so was Anglesh and hestory)...
Maybe he is right, since the government and courts seem to find it so confusing that they keep trying to rewrite it.......Kelo vs. New London. I can't find where it says the government can take your stuff if some other guy says he can pay more taxes on it than you.
That, too.
It really quite simple, even for Leftist pinheads.
It is all about the clearly limiting, proscribed powers of government.
In other words, if it is not in the Constitution, the US government CANNOT do it.
More from the idiot-ridden far-left........if the Earth had indeed been flat, these SOBs would have already fallen off the left side of it..../s =.=
Klein is probably an atheist, since the Bible and Koran were written at least 1,300 years ago.
Klein was born in Irvine, California, where he attended University High School. He attended the University of California, Santa Cruz but later transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, from which he graduated in 2005 with a B.A. in political science.
Klein was raised Jewish.[3]
Then he would have REAL problems with the Torah.
Life is tough. Life is tougher when you are stupid. - Duke
Klein must still be recovering from his grueling high school English Literature class. They made him read The Scarlet Letter and Huckleberry Finn.
Treasonous trash like Ezra Klein are the reason I see American Liberals as being in need of a trail, followed by drawing and quartering.
That was the traditional punishment for treason, after all.
Klein is a Liberal Jew, educated at UCLA and it majored in political science.
Fittingly, he is a California product, not that anyone would be surprised by his opinions, such as they are.
Treason on two feet.
Respectfully FP the Constitution may be confusing to Liberals who may be reading it for the first time. I can hear the remarks in Congress now, "Hey where's the abortion and Gay Rights clause?" LOL!
This country has declined to the point that it must be renewed.
Since the Ten Commandments were written almost 3,000 years ago they would have to be utterly incomprehensible.
How about this 'street' version for ezra:
Us Peeps of this here place, cuz we need a onion and some Nyquil an D fence an fo' sho welfare checks on our orderly prostate dun rit up dis Constitooshun.
Trail? Slugs leave trails...
So Klein says the Constitution means something different to everyone. Seems to me it is pretty straight forward. But of course it's going to seem confusing to someone like him. He probably can't get past the first sentence without someone explaining it to him.
He obviously cannot understand "shall NOT be infringed!" in the 2nd Amendment.
Ezra Klein is the slithering dumb@$$ founder of the behind the behind-the-scenes Journolist and the coordinated attempts to discredit Sarah Palin immediately upon her selection as VP running mate.
I don't much go for "what was the most under reported news story of 2XXX?" questions, but the Journolist revelation of 150+ who conspired to shred Palin, the Tea Party and protect Hussein from criticism still makes my blood boil.
Nothing by any of that bunch should be printed without a Journolist Disclaimer.
Liberal Pundit Says U.S. Constitution Confusing because it was Written 100+ Years Ago/////
So was the Communist Manifesto but he hasn't expressed any problem understanding it.
Yea, that damn "thinking" thing again, right?
Really EK?
Ezra is the skinny version of Megan McCain.
"So was the Communist Manifesto but he hasnt expressed any problem understanding it."
And we severely need about a dozen Joseph McCarthy types now in the House!!! Recall how badly he was maligned — because he was RIGHT!!! Not much has changed since his tenure. RIP Joseph McCarthy.
because he was RIGHT!!! Not much has changed since his tenure. RIP Joseph McCarthy.
You are so right.
Obama admits the Constitution is a document of negative freedoms because it limits the powers of the federal government. God help us.
The interviewer asks if the Republicans reading the Constitution aloud on the House floor is a gimmick:
Ezra Klein: "...of course it's a gimmick..." "...it has no binding power on anything..."
The liberal left's view of the U.S. Constitution: it's just an old confusing, contradictory, and meaningless piece of paper, without value or power, not even a somewhat interesting footnote to history (much the same way they view the Holy Bible).
"Is it time, yet?"
I'm not sure what kind of death, but it will be something particularly unpleasant, probably involving Tabasco sauce, midgets, and/or wasps.
My typo - should have been trial.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
Skip to comments.Urban Legend Haiku
Posted on 01/17/2002 4:50:52 AM PST by LN2Campy
Haiku...Urban Legends -- two intermittently occuring topics on this esteemed forum. Why not combine them??
What's this on mirror?
One night stand of DEATH!!
It's strange to awaken
In a bathtub full of ice.
HEY - where's my kidney!?!
"Speed trap" I flash them
As a helpful motorist
Only to get shot!!
OK, folks, knock yourselves out!!
OK, you got me there...
Cookie recipe
Do I have to pay for this?
Now it's yours for free.
Now that's funny!
Late into the night
Bumping silly, funny threads
I'm a FReep addict :)
Anyway, my pretties, here's this morning's pathetic efforts:
Madonna in stretch.
Lower East Side beckoning,
Four guys at same time.
Why the fence, Ollie?
Bad dude after me big time,
Name of OSAMA
It will change the World!!
The auto will be extinct!!
Naah, just a scooter.
Hawk's pithy remarks
Can shed light - ere we lose sight
Of bigger picture....
- bwteim, one of the deck hands
Lunatic escaped.
I'm scared! Quit necking, peel out
Hey, whose hook is this?
What a great hairdo
but why is blood dripping down?
spiders ate your head!
Dog brings dead rabbit.
Friend's! Wash, dry, return--surprise!
it had been buried.
What's this, a pimple?
It's growing very large now.
Yikes! Baby spiders!
Recipe--charge me?!
I'll show you, neiman marcus!
Here it is for FREE!
Collect soda tabs
then send thousands to some church
free dialysis!
Fever, death, oh no!
Same restaurant--ate bad food?
No! Toilet spider!
Cows sleep standing up
We went cow tipping, really!
No, we really did.
Our hotel room robbed!
Thieves left cam'ra, toothbrushes.
(pic---they're in their butts!)
Pick up hitchhiker--
girl in sweater---disappears!
Ghost who died this day.
Date, but I have gas,
blast it quick in boyfriend's car.
(oops!---friends in backseat).
Groom has a surprise.
"Look under your plate!" Pictures
of bride and best man.
Don't understand name
How to count the syllables
To make good Haiku.
Dear Fish Hawk, just rhyme
Part of name, one at a time
Bee Double U Time
A loud explosion
Brains leaking from woman's head
No, just cookie dough
Shuttle engine width
Based on chariot wheels? No,
Nothing's that simple.
Disney on ice? No,
He's pushing up daisies in
A Forest Lawn plot.
Fargo: Pure fiction,
But treasure hunter believes,
And dies in the snow.
Modesto diner.
Elvis has Cheeseburger,
Usama eats rings.
Be Seeing You,
The otters are mad.
Did you ever hunt for snipes?
And did you catch one?
Unless it was mail
Written just like a haiku
That's going too far.
Asian lady personal ads
this native is restless
gotta catch me one.
Did you ever hunt for snipes? And did you catch one?
No, but Snipe Hunting is an one of our family legends. Years ago, I drove our two sons on vacation from Kali to Oklahoma and up to Illinois to meet their Mom, my wife, for the next leg of the journey, she flew out later to join us in Illinois where her family lived.
The oldest son was 15 and grew about 5 inches on the trip. So he was just wanted to eat, sleep and grow and wasn't your typical teenager, and he presented no problem except feeding him about 5 times each day.
The younger son made up for it. He had just turned 13 and had become the devil's gift for 7 years instead of God's. He was a complete pain on the whole trip to Oklahoma, and while staying at relatives there he got worse. We took him snipe hunting to calm him down. It worked, and he was okay for about 5 days. He couldn't believe that we left him in the woods holding a gunny bag and whispering "Here Snipey!" About twenty minutes after the sunset, he realized what had happened and walked the 2 miles to our relatives's home.
Then, we drove to Illinois to meet Mom who flew out. He reverted to usual whining teeneager because she was there to protect him. On a very hot Illionois day, I took my sons and a car load of cousins swimming at a community pool about 5 miles from my wife's home.
My son got ejected from the pool for his behavior, and he was out of control on the trip back to his grandparents. I told him to control his mouth and to stand down or I would stop the car and leave him on the side of the road.
On hearing this, he and his mouth got even worse. I stopped the car and pulled him out. I told him that he was only about 4 miles from the little town in Illinois. He said that I wouldn't leave him and started mouthing. We all wave at him as we left him on the side of road. I can still remember what his eyes looked like as we drove off and left him by the side of the road.
He stayed there about 15 minutes in the hot Illinois sun waiting for Dad to return. Finally he began to walk to his home. About 40 minutes later, his mother and grandmother were driving back home after lunch and shopping. As they passed him, his grandmother yelled stop, "That's X walking on the road."
His mother stopped and he got into the car and started using his mouth again. She stopped the car and told him to shut up or get out. He couldn't believe it, and she said shut up or get out. He apologized and kept his mouth shut.
Later my wife and I discussed the "mouth", and she agreed that I had correct.
While in Illinois, we bought her brother's classic Camaro Convertible. This meant on the way back to Kali, we had two vehicles. My wife and the mouth drove in the same car most of the time and the oldest son and I drove in the other car. A great way to travel with teenagers.
Now this son loves to tell this story as an example of great parenting by his Dad during the teenager years.
So Snipe hunting holds a treasure of memories for our family.
The correct snipe call
is, "Snipe, Snipe, Snipe!" "Snipe, Snipe, Snipe!"
Stick to fly fishing!
(No urban legend
haiku thread can be without
a rural legend!)
A lot of people still believe this U.L.
A beautiful, nice
Asian, Christian girl for you
I'm on the lookout.
230 posted on 1/29/02 11:50 AM Pacific by Prodigal Daughter
I am truly LOL!
Friend at ER Help!
Sick Heart Attack - stroke? NO!
Ate son's pot brownies.
Matchmaker matchmaker...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Dainty Sneaker
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Item # 247296
The nostalgic retro styling of the low-top classic Converse® Chuck Taylor® All Star sneaker will never go out of style and this one boasts a low-profile. Incorporate the lightweight Dainty vintage shoe, with a little less sole, into your casual wardrobe and make it your own, footwear for ladies in classic green.
- Canvas upper with original Chuck Taylor® patch logo
- Accent foxing strip that ties back to the color of the shoe
- Slimmer vulcanized rubber outsole for traction and flexibility
- Imported
- More colors available
- View more Women's Converse Sneakers
By: shoeschick
Location: New York City, NY
October 04, 2012
Cute Converse shoe.
"I had to go one size up with this style of Converse shoe when I compare to the original Chuck Taylors. They are comfortable and casual. Great."
By: eb68134
Location: Nebraska
September 26, 2012
love the color...too narrow!
"I so very much wanted these shows and was excited to order them in my favorite color, scoring the last size 10 anywhere. When they finally arrived, they were just too narrow and uncomfortable for that reason. An 11 would have been perfect."
By: ashnash
Location: Washington, DC
August 21, 2012
A classic
"This is the first pair of chucks I've purchased since high school, and I love them just as much as the beat up ones I wore back then. The new colors are refreshing and fun."
By: ShoeMainiac
August 14, 2012
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text:
|Team: Barcelona
W: 218 lbs
Bday: 09/01/1988
(28 Years Old)
Current: PF
Possible: SF/PF
|Agent: Arturo Ortega
Current Salary:$1,370,000
High School:
Hometown: Valencia, Spain
Drafted: Pick 22 in 2009 by Trailblazers
|Victor Claver
|Victor Claver
No one will ever know how high Victor Clavers stock could have rose had he not gotten hurt, and well probably have to see if he can bounce back next season before knowing how to fully evaluate his NBA potential.
Claver was the definition of an opportunist before losing the vast majority of his season to a knee injury. Finishing at the rim at a 60% clip (very solid in the competitive Spanish ACB) and shooting 40% from three in catch and shoot situations, the 1988-born forward appeared to be turning the corner on his immense potential. Clavers midrange game is still lacking, as evidenced by his .44 PPP on pull up jumpers, but the biggest concerns surrounding his game stem from the fact that he turned the ball over on 22.6% of his logged possession in half court settings and was fouled on only 6.4% of his shots, ranking him as the most turnover prone and the second-worst player at drawing fouls in our group. Its pretty clear what he needs to work on the most this summerhis ball-handling skills. Considering the serious setback he endured, all Claver needs to do to keep his stock high going into next summer is prove that he hasnt lost any of his considerable athleticism and continue shooting the ball at an excellent clip.
While Ricky Rubio is unquestionably the top NBA prospect in the ACB, Victor Claver has given scouts a very good reason to continue to head to Spain this season, despite Rubios continuous absence. After getting his first taste of ACB basketball in 2006, Claver saw consistent minutes last year with Pamesa Valencia. While his production was solid (albeit inconsistent) considering he was only 19, Claver has taken his game to a completely different level this season despite having the added pressure of being one of Pamesas go-to players.
The name of the game for Claver has always been confidence (hes been criticized for being passive and underachieving at times), and hes been riding a rollercoaster this year, but still finds himself amongst the ACBs most efficient players. At 610, with a developing frame, Claver has the size to play power forward and the quickness and skill set to play out on the perimeter. While he has seen a lot of time at power forward in the past, this season marked his first opportunity to see extensive minutes at small forward. His transition from backup four to starting three has looked very encouraging at times, and is clearly hugely beneficial to his NBA stock.
Though he started out the season on an absolute tear from the outside, putting up big numbers in the first three rounds of the season before dropping 23 on MMT Estudiantes in round four, he followed up that game with 19 combined points and ice cold shooting in his next three contests. After consecutive losses to significantly less talented opponents in Menorca and Ricoh Manresa is rounds 5 and 6, Valencia let go both Head Coach Fotis Katsikaris and General Manager Johnny Rogers. With Croatian coach Neven Spahija now on board, Clavers fortunes seems to have taken a turn for the better after quality outting in back to back games against ACB powers Unicaja Malaga and Real Madrid.
In a round eight contest against Unicaja, Claver paced Pamesa with 19 points on 3-4 shooting from the field, 4-5 from three, and 1-3 from the line to go along with 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal. He started the game by running off the back screen for an easy alley-oop before raining a couple of catch and shoot jumpers from the outside. His other baskets came from quick moves to the rim for acrobatic finishes, largely characteristic of his offensive game at this point.
In Pamesas round nine game against Real Madrid, Claver looked like a completely different player, going 0-6 from three, but still managing 8 points and 10 rebounds. This game offered a glimpse of the type of player he can be as a power forward when his shot isnt falling, an example of the inside ability he hasnt gotten a chance to showcase very often this season.
While he has played well recently, there may still be more changes coming in Valencia. Although Clavers increased role has done a lot for his development, it seems that Pamesa may not be entirely satisfied with his production thus far. They have been linked recently to names like Gabe Muoneke and Marc Salyers, both combo forwards who would fill similar roles to Claver in many situations. Whether they choose to sign another player could determine what position Claver plays the rest of this season, and where he winds up in the future.
The first thing that jumps out about Clavers game this is just how opportunistically he plays his position offensively. With two talented guards that love to shoot or break their defender down off the dribble in Ruben Douglas and Shammond Williams playing next to him, Claver often finds himself receiving the ball with an open look or with his defender off balance. While his silky smooth three point shot (hes ranked seventh in 3FG% in our ACB database) has been his calling card this season, hes experienced more than his fair share of struggles.
When Claver is making his shots, hes a force, but his confidence tends to wane when he misses his first couple of jumpers. At times hell get tentative, but against Real Madrid he continued to try and get going. While he didnt see positive results, its a good sign that he didnt take himself out of the game entirely like he did in rounds three through six. 50% of Clavers attempts from the field this season have come from beyond the arc, and hes making 54% of them so far, while hitting 61% of his overall shots.
In addition to showing vastly improved consistency from the outside, Claver has also been more aggressive putting the ball on the floor when he sees an opportunity to get to the rim. He shows an explosive first step and is capable of playing above the rim, but is still learning to finish consistently.
What makes Claver such an opportunist is how well he picks and chooses his spots when attacking the rim. He almost never forces a drive or a shot from the perimeter, seeming to only shoot when open and only drive when he knows he can go straight to the rim. This was apparent against Unicaja, where Claver was able to beat a slowed player in Carlos Jiminez on a couple occasions, but didnt even try to get to the rim against the quicker Marcus Haislip. Claver is getting to the free throw line at a pretty poor rate, which is a bit disappointing considering the athletic advantages he enjoys against most matchups.
While his measured style of basketball has helped him put up some gaudy efficiency numbers (he ranks 2nd in the ACB in points per play, 3rd in true shooting percentage, and 2nd in effective field goal percentage while also ranking tenth in PER and EFF amongst qualified players in our database), it still exposes some of his weaknesses.
Claver doesnt turn the ball over very often because he doesnt take risks, a characteristic of his game that can be attributed to his inability change directions with the ball in his hands when attacking the rim. He seems more content to give the ball up when he gets cut off, and could definitely stand to become a more dynamic ball-handler to augment his growing perimeter arsenal. At times he shows nice court vision, so getting better at drawing addition defenders could improve his playmaking ability as well. Right now he sports a very poor 1/2 assist to turnover ratio, which definitely needs to improve if hes to play on the perimeter full time.
Despite having not possessing great lateral quickness, Claver has done a very nice job defending the perimeter this season. His length gives him the ability to tip some passes and hes not adverse to giving some effort on the defensive end. While he doesnt garner much attention for his defense, his ability to create turnovers is a very promising sign (he ranks amongst just outside of the top 20 in steals per game). In addition to having the ability to create some turnovers, Claver shows nice anticipation as a help side defender at times, and is a lot more active defensively than most heralded players his age.
That same ability to anticipate also helps him rebound the ball, and while hes not a standout in that area of the game, his size and athleticism let him make an impact despite spending most of his time defending the perimeter (he ranks 15th in rebounds per game in our database). When Claver does get a chance to defend the post, he shows good fundamentals, but isnt quite strong enough yet to be a factor. He does a great job boxing out his man, something that helped him quite a bit against a Real Madrid team that features tremendous rebounders in Felipe Reyes and Jeremiah Massey.
Clavers strong play in his past two games hasnt necessarily led his team to a win, which is somewhat emblematic of his status as a role-player who doesnt necessarily change the complexion of the game. While Claver will undoubtedly see his percentages dip and rise as the season goes on, he will need to maintain his confidence and consistency and not let a small step backwards hurt what has become a solid season. With Eurocup play on the horizon, and thus the amount of games doubling from one per week to two, Claver is going to have to deal with a whole new group of challenges, and will have to assume a bigger role in Pamesas offense to help the team avoid the letdowns they experienced in the ACB against much more formidable competition. Whether he accomplishes this feat should be reflected in how NBA scouts perceive his stock this summer.
In a season full of up and downs, actually more frequent in the downs, Victor Claver just happened to deliver his best offensive effort this past weekend. His 24 points where crucial for Pamesa Valencia to erase a 16-point deficit they suffered late in the third quarter against Kalise Gran Canaria, becoming just the second team this season to come away from the Canary Islands with a victory under their belt.
Regardless of his inconsistency, coach Katsikaris has played Victor with some regularity, giving him chances to regain his confidence. The mental side of Clavers game is always important to stress: hes not the most self-confident player around, while his skill limitations hinder his ability to produce consistently.
Claver continues living off his ability to take advantage of the different opportunities that arise for him during the game, but he struggles to make things happen for himself. Playing as a full-time power forward this time (as hes been regularly doing in the past weeks), he didnt waste the looks he enjoyed on the perimeter, netting three of the four open spot-up treys he found. He was active moving without the ball, and his cuts towards the basket provided him easy layups, dunks and free-throws (he almost completed a spectacular reverse dunk by the baseline after being fouled).
After a very promising ending to his rookie season, particularly with his showing in the ACB playoffs, Victor Claver has seen inconsistent playing time on this very ambitious Pamesa Valencia squad, which plays both in Spain and in the ULEB Cup. That is somewhat to be expected considering his age, but due to numerous injuries Pamesa suffered on their front line, we were fortunate enough to see Claver get a career-high 35 minutes in the Copa del Rey.
Claver is a very intriguing prospect for a number of reasons, first and foremost due to his physical profile. Standing 6-9 with a good frame, long arms, and very intriguing athleticism for a European forward, Claver passes the eye test and then some on first glance. He has a very quick first step, is explosive off his feet, and looks like a very fluid all-around player, bouncy and reactive to things going on around him, clearly looking like his physical tools will not be what stands in his way of a hypothetical NBA future.
Claver started at the power forward position for Pamesa, and wasnt really anything more than a cog in their offense, which seems to be the case for how hes been playing all season long. His job here is to be a part of his teams ball-movement, mostly a spot-up shooter who moves off the ball looking for room to use his athleticism in open spaces, either with a sharp cut to the basket or a simple two-dribble foray and finish at the rim.
His perimeter shot looks decent when he has time and space to set his feet, with solid, fluid mechanics, and decent elevation off the floor, but hes inconsistent with his release point at times, particularly when rushed. He needs to improve his versatility hereespecially the quickness in which he gets his shot off, as well as his ability to knock down shots off the dribble and in movement. He doesnt always fully set his feet and square his shoulders, which leads to some off-balance attempts, and it doesnt seem like hes fully confident in his ability to knock down shots, as hell look quite hesitant at times if not completely open.
This seems to be a bit of a theme with Claver in general from what we saw at the Copa del Rey, and from the footage we evaluated of him this season. Hes not a confident offensive player, somewhat cold in his approach to the game, and a bit tentative or passive on the offensive end. He has great tools to play the game, but at this point (possibly partially due to his role on the team), doesnt look 100% certain in his abilities as a player.
To fully make the transition to the small forward position, Claver needs to become a much better ball-handler. He is capable of taking advantage of unbalanced defenses and putting the ball down on the floor with a very quick first step, but struggles when forced to create anything more complicated than that off the bounce. He doesnt show much in the ways of advanced moves, not being able to change directions or use his off hand, which limits his potential on the offensive end of the floor, since hes not yet a great shooter.
Defensively, Claver brings excellent energy, looking very intense moving his feet and contesting shots, and doing a good job using his excellent leaping ability to make his presence felt in the paint and come away with rebounds. At this level, he does a fine job stepping out to defend the perimeter, but there are some question marks about his ability to defend the small forward position in the NBA, as hes a bit too upright in his stance (hes not very flexible bending his knees), and shows average lateral quickness staying in front of athletic wing players. He appears to be more comfortable in a hybrid forward role on an up-tempo team, but might not quite be as tough as youd hope a player like that to be.
This summer is going to be very important for Clavers development, as it will go a long way in deciding what position hell be best suited to play down the road. He needs to work on his ball-handling skills in particular, and become more versatile with his perimeter shooting ability. Getting more comfortable defending the perimeter will also be key for him.
What early into the tournament looked like a possible big-time outing, ended up as a rather inconsistent performance, very dependant on his perimeter accuracy, while opponent teams also adjusted on Victor to slow him down after those early impressive showings.
Still, theres plenty to feel intrigued about regarding Clavers game. Most of his best attributes have been showcased in this championship. Obviously beginning with his superb physical/athletic profile. You dont see such a skilled guy standing 6-10 and enjoying that kind of quickness and leaping ability every day. However, its still an athletic issue that (perhaps momentarily) keeps him away from the perimeter, as his defensive lateral quickness struggles against real wings. Skill-wise, hes all the way a perimeter player.
At some point, we could see the complete package. Shooting, ball-handling, passing, shot-blocking, rebounding, activity on the court, basketball IQ... His perimeter stroke looked extremely intriguing at times. If he manages to gain consistency with his off-the-dribble long-range attempts, he would become next-to unstoppable. The way he puts the ball on the floor to get his match-up off-balance and go up for a shot--using his length and nice elevation-- makes those jumpers extremely difficult to contest at any level. He was also productive with turnaround jumpers from the mid-post, usually from near the baseline. For a guy with his ability to light his opponent up off the dribble, it would be extremely useful to work on his skills finishing around the basket. He struggles using his left hands in layups, and its not like he can make magic with his right. He could probably use a bit of body control while in the air and better footwork in the slashing department.
Defensively, he suffers from his lack of clear position, as besides his struggles facing perimeter opponents, hes not strong and physical enough to deal with some inside players. Well see how things turn out for him, but expect Claver to play the power forward position full time next season in Pamesa Valencia.
Victor Claver was probably the biggest story in the preliminary round, but has faded a bit off the tournament sky these last days, somehow following the evolution of his perimeter accuracy. He has dominated while his jumpers have gone in, showcasing a great ability to create his own shot, but he has struggled in the last couple of games, right when his team needed him the most to emerge as the go-to player. He's still one of the best prospects here hands down: length, athleticism, activity, passing, rebounding, handles, it's hard not to feel very intrigued with him.[Read Full Article]
Likely the top prospect at the camp, Claver hasn't damaged his stock one bit after his showing here, which is already a great success after his impressive performance in the ACB playoffs. He didn't make much noise in his last day here, but still he delivered some intriguing details. Growing in defensive toughness since the days we first reported about a few years back him in the L'Hospitalet tournament, Claver has actively looked for charges to force offensive fouls. He also did a nice job hedging pick and roll situations, stepping in the way of the ball-handler without hesitation. He also has provided some spectacular moves while dribbling the ball; particularly yesterday when executing a great direction change in transition at full speed. Actually, he's taking advantage of any opportunity he has to take the ball up-court in early transition. Next season he should become an important contributor for Pamesa Valencia in the ACB League.[Read Full Article]
After yesterdays phenomenal performance, we were hoping for a big encore from the Spanish combo forward, probably the best NBA prospect in the entire camp so far. He made some unselfish passes, showed great quickness getting to the basket, knocked down one beautiful 3-pointer, and even posted up a bit, but for the most part didnt find a lot of success in most everything he did. He fluctuated greatly from being way too passive to being very shot-happy for short spurts, usually gravitating more towards the passive side as he coasted up and down the court.[Read Full Article]
After his excellent performance in the ACB playoffs he's pretty much matching the expectations, emerging as one of the very top prospects in the camp. Still, he's combining spectacular actions (he finished an alley-oop with a jaw-dropping reverse dunk) and general solid play with a few silly mistakes. Claver missed various easy layups and sometimes seemed a bit out of focus, but those are just flashes of inconsistency in a player that seems to have gained a lot of character and steadiness over the last year.
Anyway, he delivered plenty of stuff for the scouts to drool over. Easily handling the ball either in the open court (he loves to take the ball up-court in quick transitions) or attacking his matchups, he felt pretty comfortable on the court, ready to try and make things happen during most stretches. His perimeter shot remains inconsistent, though. He seems to enjoy a good stroke, but perhaps he gets unnecessarily unbalanced during the release too often. Claver particularly shined passing the ball, showing a nice understanding of the game. He was very active on defense, looking for the passing lanes, working hard on his man, but also helping out his teammates. Still, he hasn't solved the doubts about his lateral quickness when facing perimeter guys. Actually, he's spending extended minutes at the power forward position, which is a bit surprising in a setting like this camp that usually promotes its participants in the most intriguing position they can play. It seemed to work out pretty well for him today, though.
It had been a very quiet season for Víctor Claver. As we predicted last summer, he wasnt bound to have a sudden impact in the ACB League (unlike players such as Rudy Fernández or Sergio Rodríguez in recent years) considering the strength of the league and his team, his position on the court and his character. Seeing only a few sparing minutes of playing time, he couldnt score his first point until April the 1st. But it wasnt April Fools Day for him; the very next weekend he led an unbelievable fourth-quarter comeback against Akasvayu Girona after Pamesas starting power forward Dejan Milojevic fell injured. It was a real turning point for him: he proved his coach to be capable of contributing right away and a spot in the rotation opened up for him.
In the following games he kept on leaving drops of his talent and potential, but it wasnt until the playoffs when Víctor emerged as a real force for Pamesa. He needed only 14 minutes to score 12 points in the opening game against Real Madrid. It was a thriller, full of questionable calls. Two of those calls resulted in four points for Real Madrid, off supposedly illegal blocks by Claver. Actually, both were legal rejections that could have added a three-block total to his stat-line. He rounded out his acrobatic show with a terrific one-handed put-back dunk.
This is excellent production for a limited tenure on court, and well reflects the unexpected aggressiveness and activity Víctor is showing. That was the primary concern about this supposedly timid player, a certain lack of self-confidence and aggressiveness on court. Last summer we already saw a new Claver, a guy who played hard on both ends of the court and was more committed than ever to claiming victory. You would always think it was temporary behavior, helped by a great coaching staff and an easy-going group of teammates, but the consistency of this improved attitude points towards a maturation process.
Just like he did last summer with the Junior National Team, Claver is playing full-time power forward. Remember, hes a 6-9, athletic and multi-skilled player adaptable to the small forward position, where Pamesa had been developing him, but right now hes more productive at the four, where he feels more comfortable taking his frontcourt match-ups to the perimeter to light them up with his quickness, while he avoids having to keep defensively up with wings through picks and screens.
Enjoying a superb combination of size, athleticism and skills, Clavers awful performance in last years championship now looks like a mere illusion. Being a first-year guy in a troubling locker room probably had a lot to do with it. He has made everybody forget about it with an impressive showing in Greece, showcasing his excellent array of skills, but also surprising intensity and character.
Claver symbolizes like anybody else in the Spanish team the excellent work done by the coaching staff regarding mental preparation, and indeed some of that preparation was specific for him. For our loyal readers, it was no secret that they guy was a very talented player with excellent potential, but there were always doubts about his competitiveness, aggressiveness, and character on court. A good example was his defense. Before this tournament, he had never looked really intense and aggressive. Particularly his team defense was rather poor. In Greece, besides his nice man-to-man defense showing good lateral quickness, he has been very active chasing his matchup, helping his teammates, staying alert to the passing lines, even if he sometimes struggled a little bit defending the low post against true inside players.
After all, Claver has played all tournament long as a power forward, were he took advantage of his ridiculously superior quickness and impressive first step. Enjoying nice ball-handling skills, he just blows by his defender attacking with either hand to look for the basket. He doesnt like to force his slashing attempts, and usually waits until the ball movement unbalances his defender, but he can beat perimeter guys in pure one-on-one settings. Once hes in motion towards the basket, there arise some possibilities, always considering his limitations. These limitations are a poor use of his left hand to finish around the basket (indeed, if he attacks his rival from his left, he will try to change directions to regain the right), little creativeness with his right hand to perform anything else than a rather orthodox layup and some certain problems to properly release the ball after contacting a rival. So, his usual options are to look for the rim with his right-handed layups or with remarkable dunks (a guy of his size and athleticism looks quite spectacular attacking the rim). He can also search for a teammate if he doesnt see a clear option to go all the way to the basket, showing nice passing ability and decision making, something that he also delivers moving the ball in the perimeter.
Another possibility, not frequent though, he has in his slashing repertoire is to release an off-the-dribble mid-range jumper. Claver has quite a solid stroke with good range, out to the international three-point range, although hes not an automatic shooter. He is capable of fading away a bit in order to gain room for the shot, although he loses almost all his accuracy with a rival right by him. His mechanics are nice, although with average quickness releasing the ball.
Also in this tournament we saw him take advantage of his size in the low post against smaller matchups, just with simple moves to release the ball over his rival. This was a glaring miss for him in previous events, but a very useful skill for a 6-9 small forward.
Claver has now a three-year deal signed with Pamesa Valencia, reportedly worth around 1 million euros, and he will play in the ACB League next season. We dont expect a big impact; the setting is too demanding and Claver might not be the type of player with that fearless attitude in order to shine so soon surrounded by veteran established men on a demanding team. However, the talent is there and so is his apparently more aggressive character (was it a midsummer nights dream or will we keep seeing that new character in the future?), so anything is possible.
Claver has been doing his best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde impersonation over the past few months. After an almost invisible performance at the European Junior Championships in Belgrade last summer, this time we saw Víctor Claver at his absolute best once again on his home soil. Back in Pamesa Valencia, where hes the cut-clear leader, Víctor was easily the most impressive player seen in the tournament, even surpassing the excellent showing he delivered in last years edition. Just for the sake of comparison, we could say that Claver played at a similar level at this same tournament displayed by eventual lottery pick Yaroslav Korolev one year ago.
More clearly than in past occasions, Claver showed that hes a pure small forward, the position where Pamesa is wisely developing and playing him. He enjoys most of the tools he needs to maximize his potential at that position, whether physical or technical.
His strengths and weaknesses remain rather constant from what we told you one year ago at the previous edition of the LHospitalet tournament. But lets rehash for a quick reminder.
Claver is a gifted athlete, a 6-9 wing with a solid frame and excellent quickness for his size. Hes a very complete face-up offensive player, enjoying a surprisingly good jump-shot, with good fluid mechanics, being able to deliver it off the dribble, in turnaround fashion, or even with a fade-away movement. Hes far from being a pure shooter, but hes rather skilled in this department and his size makes him hard to stop. Also a very nice slasher, Claver has an excellent first step and the ball-handling skills to get the job done. He feels more comfortable driving with his right hand, but can also change directions if he starts the movement with his left. On defense, he shows accurate lateral movement, although he perhaps lacks a bit of aggressiveness.
With the ups and downs that Víctor has showed in the past year, his consistency is an important question mark. In LHospitalet, he played only one real game. After a ridiculously easy debut against the Dominican Republic, where he was rested on the bench for the most part, Claver and Pamesa faced Real Madrid in a decisive contest. He dominated the game from the opening tip-off right until his teammates decided to go away from him, although Reals off the ball defense also played a part in this. Víctor got frustrated at that point, making some questionable decisions when the game was already lost.
However, the final impression was excellent. He was extremely positive for his team whenever he had the ball in his hands, showing a great basketball IQ, a rather improved character and intensity and leaving everybody in LHospitalet drooling over his potential.
A pretty sad story, Claver probably displayed the biggest differential between expectations and actual performance. Hes a 6-9 forward with excellent skill and nice athleticism, as we told you earlier this year from LHospitalet, but who probably lacks character and competitiveness. It doesnt look like a matter of attitude, as he seems to be a fine kid, but a problem of confidence and fire in his game.
Víctor was downright awful all tournament long except in the last game, where Spain fought for the bronze medal. After an endless succession of turnovers (1.9 per game), hesitance, doubts, defensive mistakes and frustrating play, he finally had a decent showing, collaborating on both ends of the floor, and looking more confident to try things.
Lets summarize, because it doesnt make too much sense to go into detail about the skills that Claver didnt show this time (you can get extended information on him in the LHospitalet report): he is an athletic and skilled combo forward with a perimeter shot, solid slashing abilities, nice court vision and quite a good basketball IQ, although nobody would say these things after watching him in this tournament. Besides, a good part of his potential relies in his ability to play small forward at 6-9, and he looked slower than usual on defense in Belgrade.
His mental issues dont seem easy to change, and Pamesa Valencia, his club, doesnt have the best track record regarding developing young talent. But lets remain optimistic: Claver has the gifts to become a very good player, and it would be really disappointing to see such a great potential go to waste.
If Korolev was the star of the 1987 group age, it was Víctor Claver who stood out for the 1988 kids. No question about it. He was already a well-known name for those who follow youth basketball in Spain, and this tournament was his confirmation as a legit top prospect.
From the moment the clock started to run in his first game, everyone in the pavillion felt like something special was going on. A red-haired boy, standing 6-9, was displaying the kind of performance from the wing that leaves your mouth open.
Claver is really long. You think about a power forward the first time you see him, but once you check his athleticism and skills, you know he belongs to the perimeter.
He enjoys a nice stroke from anywhere on the court. He's smooth, showing great mechanics. If necessary, he will make a delicate fade away movement. At this point he still needs some space to nail the long-range jumpers consistently, but with his size and quickness, it's not that difficult for him. He can put the ball on the floor using his very good handles and a long, quick first step, and take advantage of his match-up's unbalanced position to deliver the shot. Indeed he's a very nice slasher. Perhaps his best play was a crossover dribble mid-way towards the basket that killed his defender, finished with a powerful dunk. Unstoppable.
The low post is not a very familiar place for him. He's very perimeter-oriented right now, but I think he should work some post moves to take advantage of his size against smaller defenders.
But not everything is about scoring skills. Claver is a guy who understands the game and usually does the right thing, whether it's trying to score or passing the ball. His court vision is pretty good and he helps his team's ball movement to be more fluid, usually passing the ball to the right teammate, even when he's double-matched.
The biggest concern with those big perimeter guys is usually their defense, but Claver has enough lateral quickness to defend his position. Besides, his long wingspan makes him an intimidator with a nice blocking ability. On the other hand, he's not particulary agressive, and can eventually look a little bit static in team defense. Nothing to worry about, anyway.
With Víctor Claver, Spain gives continuity to an unprecedented (in Spain) series of very talented prospects that started with Pau Gasol and seems not to have a near end.


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Ya Gotta Love the Jets
Nation World HQ
November 08 2011 08:57PM
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- You just gotta love the Winnipeg Jets, Even if you live in Chicago or Edmonton or L.A., if you like watching hockey, you just have to love watching the Jets. After all, whenever the Jets step on the ice, anything can happen. And I'm not being hyperbolic.
There is no team in the National Hockey League that is as inconsistent in its play as the Jets.
Tuesday night at the HSBC Arena, the Jets took a quick 2-0 lead, then watched that evaporate. Then they took 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4 leads and gave up all of them. In the end, Tomas Vanek's second goal of the night, a power-play tally at 4:35 of overtime, gave the Sabres a 6-5 win. Buffalo never had the lead until Vanek scored the game winner.
Up until Tuesday's game, the Jets had scored 10 goals -- total -- in their previous five games. Then on Tuesday night, against one of the best teams they'd faced on a very tough seven-game road trip, the Jets scored five times and yet still lost 6-5. The way goaltender Ondrej Pavelec had played recently, you'd have thought five goals would be enough, but Pavelec gave up six on an incredible 45 Buffalo shots and the Jets suffered their third overtime loss of the season.
With Tuesday's defeat, the Jets fell to 5-7-3 on the season and 3-2-2 on the road trip. There is no question that the trip, through Philadelphia, Tampa, Sunrise, Long Island, Newark, Manhattan and Buffalo has to be considered a success. Even though the Jets themselves probably wouldn't agree. Many pundits thought the Jets would be lucky to go 2-5-0 on the trip. Instead, Winnipeg won three and probably should have won five.
Still, they play so differently from one night to the next that it's impossible to get a handle on this team. They were shut out twice during the trip, but also had five-goal and nine-goal games against two of the East's best teams -- Buffalo and Philly. One night they would do a great job defensively and the next they'd get skated right out the end of the rink. That's what happened on Tuesday when Buffalo scored four power-play goals and a short-handed goal as Winnipeg's special teams collapsed.
The Jets are fun. There is no question about that. No matter what happens they play hard, but they make a load of mistakes, get extremely inconsistent goaltending (see; Cam Charron's piece "Ondrej Pavalec Wants to Make All the Saves" below), have their defensemen get caught in some of the strangest places and miss marvelous scoring opportunities.
I've said head coach Claude Noel looks like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. I don't say that because he's a bad coach. I say it because when he watches his own team, he often watches them in disbelief.
When you watch the Winnipeg Jets, you watch them with your eyes wide open because you don't want to miss a second of this circus.