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Achieve Your Goals. Serve Your Community.
The College of Health Professions offers an interprofessional approach to healthcare education, raising the bar for healthcare in Georgia and across the Southeast by providing a well-trained, compassionate workforce. With its commitment to interdisciplinary learning and professional excellence, Armstrong prepares the next generation of healthcare clinicians and administrators for success, while meeting the growing healthcare needs of the region.
You can be part of the largest health college in the State of Georgia. Explore the following programs and choose your path.
Health Sciences
The curriculum emphasizes a view that health is different from illness and is designed to teach new students and practicing health professionals this difference. Students earning the baccalaureate degree will develop expertise in the health sciences, while focusing on applied health-related areas.
Diagnostic & Therapeutic Sciences
The department offers bachelor degrees and degree completion programs in the high tech fields of medical laboratory science, radiologic sciences and respiratory therapy. All of these programs offer options for completing the coursework either fully or subtantially online.
We appreciate your interest in our nursing program. It's an exciting time to be a nurse! A nursing degree from Armstrong provides you with a strong career foundation from which you may practice clinical nursing as a professional nurse in a variety of diverse settings, or pursue higher degree options
Rehabilitation Sciences
The department offers undergraduate and accredited graduate programs in Rehabilitation Sciences and Communication Sciences and a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy. We are located in beautiful, historic Savannah, Georgia, just 40 minutes from the beach and close to both Hilton Head and St. Simons Island.


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Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has claimed it's up to the viewers to judge how candid he was during his no-holds-barred chat show with Oprah Winfrey following reports that the American wasn't contrite while confessing to doping in the show.
Armstrong responded to a report in an American daily newspaper, citing an unidentified source, that he was not remorseful when he acknowledged with Winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs, Stuff.co.nz reports.
Armstrong also held conversations with US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) officials, touching off speculation that the team leader who demanded loyalty from others soon may face some very tough choices himself.
Armstrong's conundrum lies between whether to cooperate with the authorities and name those who aided him or helped cover up a sophisticated doping ring that he ran on his tour-winning US Postal Service squads.
The American added he had no idea what the future holds other than him holding up his kids.
Armstrong's interview with Winfrey won't begin airing until it's show time in US, but already some people want to hear more under oath before he's allowed to compete again in elite triathlons, a sport he returned to after retiring from cycling in 2011, the paper said.
In addition to stripping him of all seven of his Tour de France titles last year, anti-doping officials banned Armstrong for life from sanctioned sports, it further reported. (ANI)

subset: commoncrawl


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Lewis Hamilton has been stripped of his pole position and will start from the back of the grid at Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix after failing to return to the pits under his own power at the end of Q3.
Hamilton stopped on track at turn nine after setting his pole position time, breaking Article 6.6.2 of the sport's technical regulations that requires cars to return to the pits to give a fuel sample. McLaren argued that he stopped for reasons of force majeure because a team member failed to fuel his car sufficiently, but the FIA rejected that explanation saying: "As the amount of fuel put into the car is under the complete control of the competitor the stewards cannot accept this as a case of force majeure."
The FIA statement added: "The stewards heard from the [McLaren] team representative Mr Sam Michael who stated that the car stopped on circuit for reasons of force majeure. A team member had put an insufficient quantity of fuel into the car thereby resulting in the car having to be stopped on the circuit in order to be able to provide the required amount for sampling purposes."
In a press briefing ahead of the stewards' investigation, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh revealed the car had 1.3 litres left in the tank when it stopped on track. The FIA requires one litre for a fuel sample, but Article 6.6.2 - which was introduced after Hamilton stopped on track at the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix in similar circumstances - also requires the car to return to the pits under its own power. The stewards deemed that Hamilton did not have sufficient fuel to do so and McLaren accepted the verdict.
Article 6.6.2 reads: "Competitors must ensure that a one litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time during the event. Except in cases of force majeure (accepted as such by the stewards of the meeting), if a sample of fuel is required after a practice session the car concerned must have first been driven back to the pits under its own power."
Hamilton has been excluded from qualifying as a result and will have to start from the back of the grid. The verdict means Pastor Maldonado will start from the front of the grid and Williams has taken its first pole position since the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix.


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Hospice volunteers gave 800 hours of service and drove nearly 7,500 miles in 2012
Line every mile driven for Hospice of Northeast Missouri by 31 of its volunteers in 2012 and the path would lead from Seattle to the Florida Keys.
But instead of taking part in a cross-country trip, each volunteer arrives at the doorstep of someone in need of a soft hand and compassionate care.
Hospice celebrated its volunteers and the thousands of miles and hundreds of hours they devoted last year in providing care and end-of-life care for 150 families in 11 counties in northeast Missouri.
"Without the dedication of this group, we wouldn't be able to do what we do," said Terrill Roberts, volunteer coordinator with Hospice. "And we know you're just a phone call away."
Roberts, other Hospice staff and about 20 of its volunteers met for the annual celebration luncheon at Thousand Hills Wednesday, taking a moment to recognize the people who are out in front giving care and time.
"These are faithful servants helping those in times of critical need," said Hospice Chaplain Paul Milliken during an invocation. "Thank you for the love and compassion they provide."
Roberts related that in the past year, the more than 30 regular volunteers devoted 800 hours of service and drove nearly 7,500 miles to and from people's homes.
"Every minute of your time is so appreciated," he said.
Hospice recognized volunteers Pam Byrn for the most hours served by a female volunteer and
Sam Burkholder for most hours served by a male volunteer, with each serving 89 and 45 hours, respectively.
Volunteers Barbara Chipman and Dan Wilford were recognized for driving the most miles in 2012, with each logging 1,044 and 392 respectively.


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Hello. Sorry in advance for the length, but here is my loooong introduction :
Yesterday has added even more questions, fear, and uncertainty to the lives of my husband and I! My husband was given the diagnosis of MS yesterday, and I am here to look for direction on what to do next. To give some background, my husband has always been very healthy and very active. He is at the gym every morning for an hour before work, and spends his weekends hiking, and as much time as he can, backpacking.
In February he began noticing his right arm and leg would "seize" up for 10-15 seconds while he was on the weight bench at the gym. By March, it had increased to a couple of times a day. He made an appointment with our family doctor. He expressed concern to our doctor about the cost of testing, but the doctor suggested he start with a good blood work-up. We found out in mid-April that we had met our insurance deductible for the year...just in time... hubby had a sudden spike in "episodes" (4 to 5 per hour for 4 or 5 hours) that also pulled his face and disabled his speech (15-20 seconds in length) and I rushed him to the ER with what we thought were siezures or a brain tumor!! He was in the hospital for 5 days and they did many (many!!) tests. The neurologist on staff at the hospital was convinced that hubby was having mini-strokes and wanted him to immediately start aspirin and blood pressure meds (hubby was experienceing very high bblood pressure). One area of "concern" was found in hubby's MRI of the brain. The whole mini-strokes didn't add up to us, so when we saw our family doctor two days later (and hubby's blood pressure was normal), he felt comfortable telling my husband to hold off starting blood pressure meds until we got the results of the lumbar puncture that had been done.
Well, when we saw neurologist for check-up two weeks later he was more upset that hubby didn't start the blood pressure meds and he was snarky and said that everything pointed to mini-strokes when I questioned the lumbar tests. He said the results were normal. When we left, our family doctor called to say that he had seen the lumbar results and they showed some concerning levels of proteins. Neurolgist calls my hubby two hours later to say that the lumbar results have him thinking MS instead of mini-strokes and wants to know when hubby can come in for more tests. Ha ha ha yeah, right. He didn't even look at the lumbar results before (or during) our appointment!!!
Family doctor recommends we find a neurologist at John Hopkins (thankfully we are close enough to benefit from this facility). We saw someone in June and he said that according to everything he saw in hubby's records, it had him leaning toward MS, or at least CIS, and he scheduled a second MRI for hubby, to include the spine. MRIs were performed almost exactly 3 months after the ones in the hospital.
Yesterday we were told that a second lesion was found in the new MRI of the brain, but still no lesions on the spine. The MRI lesions, the protien in the lumbar tests, and some other markers (including low Vit D) in the plethora of blood work they performed gave the doctor the confidence to bump hubby to a MS diagnosis. We were then told to research drugs and get back to him on what we would like to try. Hubby has had no other symptoms since the initial right side "episodes" went away a week after his hospitalization. he had no symptoms with the new lesion that devoloped in the past three months.
Hubby and I are not really "medicine" or "doctor" people, so this has really given us some concern. We do not know where to start. i have asked our family doctor to help us, but have not heard back from him yet. The neurologist also suggested that hubby start 4000 iu of Vit D (and he also suggested we get the levels of all 4 of our children checked). My migraine this week is stress related I am sure!!
For those that have read my long story, thank you. For those with any encouraging advice, thank you very much!! My hubby's passion is backpacking and he wants to section hike the AT (he is 10% done) and I want to keep him healthy and happy as long as we can!


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Years ago, without setting out to do so, the Afrobeat ensemble Antibalas jumped out ahead of the pop-culture curve in two ways. First, geography: The band was formed in Brooklyn in the 1990s, before the New York borough became the mecca of independent music that it is today. Second, the music itself: Afrobeat makes its way into lots of popular music today, but Antibalas was doing it before it had a mainstream foothold.
Antibalas contains 11 people, all hard at work in a complex musical machine. Rhythm tends to lead the way, with each song evolving over several minutes. The members have been busy with separate projects for the past five years, but with their latest album, simply titled Antibalas, they've reunited. The group's lead singer, Amayo, says time is an essential ingredient of the music he and his bandmates make.
"We've got a lot of tunes on our menu that we play over and over again. It takes, sometimes, a year or two before the song actually starts to make some sense," Amayo tells NPR's Rachel Martin. "That's the beauty of being in an orchestra of this size: You let the song marinate, as you would a fine meal or a fine wine. I think this record is, for me, a fine wine. It finally matured."
Martin Perna, Antibalas' founder and baritone sax player, says time isn't the only important variable: Temperature matters, too.
"We did a show a couple years ago in New York City, in December, in the street," Perna says. "We asked to have these big gas heaters on the side of the stage to just blow hot air at least on our part, because when it's cold, the wind instruments — the trumpets, saxophones, trombone — actually go down in pitch."
You can hear more of Rachel Martin's conversation with Antibalas by clicking the audio link on this page.
In the 1970s, a new sound began to emerge from West Africa. Afrobeat - strains of traditional African call-and-response mixed with elements of funk and jazz, and a lot of energy. Fela Kuti was known as the father of Afrobeat, but he passed away more than a decade ago.
One Brooklyn-based band has spent years doing its part to push the genre forward. Their name is Antibalas.
MARTIN: Antibalas is a big group with a big sound, 11 musicians altogether. They started making music in New York in the late 1980s. For the past five years, the band members have been busy with separate projects, including the creation of an Afrobeat musical on Broadway. But with their latest album, simply called "Antibalas," they have reunited.
A while back, we sat down with two of those members: the band's founder and baritone sax player, Martin Perna, and the lead singer, Amayo. They say this is the album, where after years of tinkering and toiling away at individual songs, everything fell perfectly into place.
AMAYO: You know, we've got a lot of tunes and like we play over and over again. And it takes, sometimes, a year or two, before the song actually starts to make some sense.
AMAYO: That's the beauty of being in an orchestra of this size. You know, you let the song kind of marinate, as you would like a fine meal, you know, or a fine wine. So I think this record is, for me, a fine wine. You know, it finally matured.
MARTIN: What is it about this music - Afrobeat - that lends itself to a group that size? I mean, do you need a lot of people playing a lot of different instruments...
AMAYO: Yes.
MARTIN: ...to bring this to life?
AMAYO: Absolutely, it's like a network. Each piece has its own role. You know? And because of the size of the band it also dictates that it needs to be played for a longer period of time. 'Cause you can't play this style of music, like, five or six minutes and really get the effect of it. You have to go at least half an hour.
MARTIN PERNA: It's definitely some types of music are transactional. And when this music is done right in the right context, it's transformational. That has so much to do with the ambient temperature of the room. So this being a tropical music, sometimes you come to the stage all fired up and it's an outdoor show - 55 degrees out - so the best we can do is...
MARTIN: Which doesn't work for you.
PERNA: No. Well...
PERNA: Well, the best we can do is turn up the AC. A lot of times...
MARTIN: You do?
AMAYO: Yeah.
PERNA: Yeah. Yeah. A lot of times we're powerless though. For an example, we did a show a couple years ago in New York City, in December, in the street. Like, it was a, you know, a proper stage and everything - Mayor Bloomberg came. And we asked to have these big gas heaters on the side of the stage to just blow hot air; at least on our part, because when it's cold, the wind instruments - the trumpets, saxophones, trombone - actually go down in pitch.
So, if you're playing in cold weather, it's this whole struggle, like you're walking on a balance beam to just keep your horn in pitch, and constantly adjusting. And when you're having that struggle, there's no way in you can really groove or connect with the rest of the band.
MARTIN: At this stage in your band's evolution, you've kind of come into your own - you've all grown up individually, your music has evolved. Does this mean that Antibalas is going to be your number one priority moving forward? I mean...
MARTIN: ...each of you and all the band members have all these different projects going. Are you at a new place?
PERNA: It's really hard to say. So much of that, that the music industry at it's worst point ever for a band like us - 11, 12 musicians who are making original music. Eleven people sounds like a lot. But in the early days, we were taking 13, 14 people on the road. And so, this 11 is like a skeleton crew. And even then, it's every day, our manager is: Well, how can we save money here? Can you guys do one meal a day for the next three weeks?
PERNA: 'Cause if you could, you know, you'd be able to pay your phone bill the next month.
PERNA: Like, that's a little bit extreme but it's tough. Artistically, things are going better than they've ever been. But financially, it's going to be a crisis and it's hard, 'cause I think most of us want to be doing this as much as we can.
MARTIN: The album is called "Antibalas." Martin Perna and Amayo of the band Antibalas joined us in our Washington studios.
Thanks to both of you.
PERNA: Thank you.
AMAYO: Thank you.
MARTIN: And you can hear a few tracks from Antibalas' new album at nprmusic.org.
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Rachel Martin.
(SOUNDBITE OF A SONG, "HIM BELLY NO GO SWEET") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Wyoming Coal Company Strikes Export Deal
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Wyoming mining company has signed an option agreement allowing it to ship up to 16 million tons of coal a year through a planned West Coast port.
Cloud Peak Energy said Wednesday's deal involving Washington state's proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal will allow it to expand overseas sales amid weak domestic demand.
The company has mines in Wyoming and Montana. It shipped 4.4 million tons of coal to Asian customers in 2012.
Gateway Pacific is proposed by SSA Marine in the town of Cherry Point and could begin commercial operations by 2018.
Cloud Peak has a separate option agreement to ship 5 million tons of coal annually through a second Washington port, the Millennium Bulk Terminals in Longview.
Both port proposals are strongly opposed by conservation groups.


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18 December 2009 07:15
shell and tube heat exchanger
concentric tube heat exchanger information, manufacturer, supplier, etc
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Founded in late 2003 and heartquartered in France, we are non-profit and independant.
We believe in the open web, think internet services should be sustainable, build for the long term.
While we are re-launching the service, we only accept new members through invitation.


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- ITV Report
Chelsea victory: The return of 'the Special One'
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho celebrated his Stamford Bridge return with a comprehensive and incident-packed victory over Barclays Premier League newcomers Hull.
Almost six years since leaving the Blues, the self-proclaimed Special One enjoyed a rapturous reception and a strong showing from his side on his homecoming.
It did not all go Chelsea's way as Frank Lampard saw a sixth-minute penalty saved by Allan McGregor and goal-line technology came into play when the Scotland goalkeeper saved a Branislav Ivanovic header in first-half stoppage-time, correctly ruling no goal had been scored.
Chelsea were already two goals up at that point, through Oscar and Lampard's stunning 30-yard free-kick, with the three points all but secure.
Hull put up more resistance in the second period to give reason for optimism, but at times it seemed like they were in a different league to their hosts.
For the newly promoted Tigers, it was always going to be difficult to end Mourinho's now 61-game unbeaten home record in the English top flight.
Chelsea had won 12 and drawn two of their previous 14 opening-day league games, while the Tigers' last away win in a season-opener was in 2002 at Exeter and in the fourth tier.
The Blues will have to be better against Aston Villa on Wednesday night and then at Old Trafford against defending champions Manchester United a week tomorrow, where Chelsea target Wayne Rooney will be the centre of attention.
It was a day Chelsea supporters have been waiting for since Mourinho's departure in September 2007.
The intervening years have brought success, but also chaos.
Under Mourinho's predecessor Rafael Benitez, the atmosphere was hostile. It was anything but today.
The return of the Portuguese even prompted notoriously shy owner Roman Abramovich to make a public utterance, just a few months after the 10th anniversary of his takeover, hoping for "many more years of success" in a 29-word statement on the cover of a special matchday programme.
Abramovich's millions helped Mourinho lead Chelsea to a first championship in 50 years in 2005, but now the task is to mould the existing team rather than spend lavishly, with the possible exception of Rooney.
Belgium forward Kevin de Bruyne has been a Chelsea player since January 2012 and finally made his competitive debut behind Fernando Torres, who was preferred up front to Romelu Lukaku.
After acknowledging the acclaim by blowing kisses, Mourinho set to work and so did his team, playing with a fluidity Hull struggled to cope with.
McGregor, one of five debutants in a Hull line-up which saw new signings Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore left on the bench, saved from Eden Hazard before felling Torres with a clumsy challenge which conceded a penalty.
Lampard saw his spot-kick saved, but it appeared only a matter of time before the visiting defence was breached.
Hazard received the ball on the left, cut inside and found De Bruyne, who fed the on-running Oscar and the Brazilian prodded underneath the advancing McGregor.
The Scot again denied Lampard, this time from the edge of the area, as Chelseapressed forward relentlessly in search of a second.
It came after Torres was awarded a dubious free-kick 30 yards out, against James Chester.
Lampard's rapier-like strike dipped into the top corner past McGregor and Chelsea's record goalscorer wheeled away, racing towards the dugout and his manager.
Mourinho turned his back, though, focusing on what would happen next and leaving Lampard to celebrate with his team-mates.
Hull will have less difficult days than this in the top flight, but they did little to help themselves, giving possession away cheaply.
Lampard had another shot saved as half-time approached and, from a corner, Ivanovic had a header blocked on the line by McGregor.
There was no reaction from referee Jonathan Moss, whose watch did not buzz - it would alert him if the ball had crossed the line - and Hull were relieved to be only two down at the interval.
Chelsea were content to bide their time in the opening exchanges of the second period and home goalkeeper Petr Cech was required to make a save for the first time when Robert Koren shot straight at him.
The Tigers were fortunate not to concede a second penalty when Ivanovic was pushed over by Robbie Brady before Hull appealed in vain for handball when Yannick Sagbo's shot was driven at Lampard's chest.
The arrivals of Huddlestone and Livermore gave Hull more of a midfield presence and Cech was forced into another save when Ahmed El Mohamady's right-wing cross found Curtis Davies, whose header extended the goalkeeper.
Andre Schurrle and Lukaku replaced De Bruyne and Torres, respectively, as Mourinho sought a fresh impetus which never came.
Schurrle chipped over when played through by Ramires but Mourinho had to be content with victory by a two-goal margin.


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Fans encouraged to be at stadium for Senior Day ceremony
Fans encouraged to be at stadium for Senior Day ceremony
Each one of the Nittany Lion football seniors who will be honored prior to Saturday's Nebraska game (3:30 p.m.) had the opportunity to walk away from Penn State at no cost.
But they didn't.
Kyle Baublitz, Kevin Blanchard, Alex Butterworth, Glenn Carson, Bryan Davie, Brandon Felder, Garry Gilliam, Adam Gress, Ty Howle, DaQuan Jones, Alex Kenney, Matt Lehman, Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, Eric Shrive, John Urschel, Malcolm Willis and Pat Zerbe stayed at Penn State because they felt like the people around them were too special to walk away from.
For that, the 2013 senior class will forever be remembered for their commitment to Penn State. And for that, fans are encouraged to be in the stadium to recognize the commitment of the special senior class.
"We can't wait to come into Beaver Stadium and hopefully it will be a great crowd," head coach Bill O'Brien said. "I would imagine that the Penn State fans will turn out in force to show their respect for this senior class that stuck with this university and stuck with this football program. I'm looking forward to the game on Saturday."
In addition to its success on the field, the 2013 senior class is a standout group in the classroom. By the end of the spring semester in 2014, the 17 seniors are projected to earn a combined 22 degrees. Additionally, the group is projected to have graduated from eight different Penn State colleges. Of the 17 players being recognized, 10 of them have a cumulative GPA higher than 3.0. Eight members of the senior group entered the 2013 with a Penn State degree already in hand.
"I think it's a special thing when you get introduced in front of the home crowd. It's a special stadium; I think these kids deserve a great crowd."
All 17 seniors are unique to one another, but they share the common bond of sticking together in the most difficult of times. When the NCAA sanctions were announced in July of 2012, this group of players had a choice to make. Outsiders thought it was a no-brainer and the members of the roster would walk out the door in favor of a fresh start at a program without sanctions.
But that's not in the DNA of anyone who will take part in the senior recognition ceremony. The 2013 seniors viewed the situation as an opportunity to be a part of something special. They stuck together and nothing tore this group apart.
"Resilient is a perfect word to describe us," linebacker Glenn Carson said. "We have been through so much together. We chose to be with each other over any school in the nation. Without a doubt, we will always stick together."
Fans are encouraged to be in their seats at least 30 minutes prior to kickoff on Saturday afternoon to be a part of a Senior Day ceremony that will honor a special group of student-athletes. The ceremony begins at 3:10 p.m.


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In the second Confederation Cup semi-finals, European and World champions Spain come up against Italy.
It's set to be a titanic occasion, with Italy looking to end the Spanish dominance on Brazilian soil.
Spain are not only favourites for the fixture, but the favourites to lift the trophy and their performances have certainly backed this up.
Not only have they netted 15 times in the group stages but they have the tournament's top goal scorer within their squad - no one other than Chelsea misfit Fernando Torres.
They've been impressive at the back too, conceding just the one goal on their travels to the semis - an unstoppable free-kick from Luis Suarez's right boot.
Italy, on the other hand have conceded just as many as they scored (eight) in the group stages.
This immediately highlights they have a massive weakness to be exploited and Spain will be looking to open this up with their inch perfect passes from the likes of Iniesta, Fabreags and Xavi supplying their lone striker.
Whether the Italian back-four will be able to hold out against such explosive opposition is yet to be found out but, conceding three goals to the likes of Japan doesn't send out the best message.
However, if Italy are to get anything out of the fixture, then they are going to have to hope there midfield maestro's Marchisio, Montolivo and Aquilani can, not only stay strong in front of the back four but, get the ball forward as much as they can.
The Spaniard's team-talk will more than likely echo the obvious 'same again.' Although a cliché, they will need to continue with the way they know best and that is with patient build up play, holding on to possession and exquisite through balls to their front man.
I can see nothing but a Spain win here - with the Italians finding it difficult to get the ball off the Japanese I can't see them getting much more of it here either. Presuming the Spanish stick with the five in midfield and a lone striker they will hold on the ball with ease and pick out through balls to Soldado all night who will find it easy to put the ball past a very shaky Buffon.
Although Fernando Torres has already found the net five times in this competition I can see Del Bosque sticking with Soldado up front who I believe will bag on the night. I'm going for 3-0 with Soldado grabbing a double and Fabregas netting the third.
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Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan talks to Scott Kara about the pioneering British metal band's legacy as they bring those classic rock riffs to New Zealand on a joint tour with Journey
It's one of the most recognisable guitar riffs in music. But there have been some rather unsavoury things said about Deep Purple's heavy rock anthem, Smoke on the Water, over the years. And then there's the pub covers bands who give the song a bad name as they wade into the opening bars - "da da da, da da da da" - after a long, boozy night.
Yet for Deep Purple singer and co-songwriter Ian Gillan, it's still a special song - and, 40 years on from when it was written, you have to love the way he describes it.
"I think that song is like having a motorbike or a wild horse waiting for you outside," he says. "You just get on it and go for a ride. You feel the wind blowing through your hair, you just climb on board."
And who would have thought it, but the late opera star Pavarotti was also a Deep Purple fan, and he had a few observations about the song for Gillan, who had worked with the great tenor on a number of projects before he died in 2007.
"He told me that he'd seen us play Smoke On the Water six times and each time it was different. He said, 'if I did that with Nessun Dorma they would crucify me'," laughs Gillan. "But when we're touring, every night is a different environment and a different audience, so sometimes [the song] is driving, sometimes it's laid-back ..."
It will be one of the highlights of the band's set when they play Vector Arena on February 24, along with American prog-meets-soft rock survivors Journey.
It sure is a big year for pioneering British - for want of a better term - heavy metal, what with Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and Robert Plant (though his show is likely to be more bluegrass and worldy than grunty Zeppelin material), playing in New Zealand during the first half of the year.
"Holy moly, that's great ... we're looking forward to it," says Gillan on the phone from Berlin, where the band have just finished the European leg of their latest tour.
The current Deep Purple line-up resembles the one that toured here in 1973 in support of their classic Machine Head album from the previous year, which had Smoke on the Water on it. There's Gillan, bass player Roger Glover and original drummer Ian Paice, but keyboardist Jon Lord, who died last year ("we always looked upon him as Deep Purple's founding father. He was someone you'd always want to go out for dinner with, Jon") and the band's most famous guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore (who left the band in 1994), have been replaced by keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Steve Morse.
The recording of Machine Head is the stuff of rock 'n' roll legend. "It was fairly well organised, for Deep Purple at least. In other words, we all turned up at the same time and in the same place," remembers Gillan with a laugh.
That place was Montreux, Switzerland, in December 1971. However, the album was meant to be recorded at a casino in the city, but a fire during a Frank Zappa gig burned the place down. Not only did the inferno inspire Smoke on the Water, but on a more practical level, Deep Purple were forced to use a more makeshift recording venue.
"We ended up at the Grand Hotel. The gear was set up in hallways and bedrooms, so the residents hated us, and we had the police banging on the door many a time, and we had to keep them out while we finished the track. It was quite difficult."
And at the end of the recording sessions, they were short by one song to fill an album so, remembers Gillan, "We used a soundcheck track and quickly wrote a biographical lyric about the making of Machine Head, which turned out to be Smoke on the Water. It was just a throwaway track really. But it rounded off the album quite nicely."
That song is what they are best-known for. It was back in 1969, when Gillan and Glover joined, that Deep Purple started taking a more accessible and commercial bent - even though Gillan insists they never had mainstream ambitions.
"We brought an element to the band that was more than just the noise we make," he says with a laugh.
It's that combination of noise, and the diverse influences that they worked into their music, ranging from orchestral, jazz and big band through to rock 'n' roll, soul and blues, that helped pave the way for heavy metal.
"It's quite textured, and it is hard rock, but there is a lot more to it than that."
And the remarkable thing, even for Gillan, is that they are still in demand today.
"It's hard to figure out. We haven't done anything different, apart from keeping the thing alive, and that there's still a lot of energy in what we do. But we just love the music we're playing.
"You're never going to be believe how much we enjoy it. We still turn around and grin at each other [on stage] and ours is the art of improvisation, so every song changes, night by night, town by town."
Who: Deep Purple
Where and when: Vector Arena, February 24, with Journey
Essential listening: Deep Purple (1969); Deep Purple in Rock (1970); Fireball (1971); Machine Head (1972)
- TimeOut


text:
Officials, particularly in college basketball, favor the home teams, as well as teams that are trailing by a large margin. This has been well-documented not only by the average fan who has watched more than 3 conference road games, but also by people who actually study this stuff (Boyko 2007, Pierce 2009, AP 2009). Perhaps especially noteworthy was the Kelley School of Business 2009 study, which concluded that home teams should generally play more physcal, aggressive basketball to take full advatage of the bias. The question is, what, if anything can be done to combat this? Is home-court bias just part of the game? Do you want it to be? Thought I would spark a bit of discussion of a slow night...
Home Officiating Bias
The home crowd seems to dictate a lot of calls. Especially at the end of the game.
I don't really know how to combat this, but I am personally sick and tired of watching this happen, specifically when Duke plays at home.
As of recently, I'm much more frustrated with this when ohio plays at home.
During the early stages of the game it appeared that Stauskas drew a charge from Thomas (Kellogg also said it looked like a charge during the broadcast). It was called a bloking foul crowd went nuts and OSU got a 3 point play.
Not long after this it appeared that Thomas was sliding under one of our players and a fould was called. This was more clear cut than the first call mentioned above so I was sure it would be a blocking foul. It was instead called a charge (once again Kellogg said during the broadcast that he thought this was a bad call). Another 3 point swing.
This scenario could have easily (and according to the announcers) ended with us up 6 more points and Thomas out of the game.
These 50/50 calls (charges and blocking fouls) seem to be harder to call and the refs like to dramatically call them.
I wonder if you look at just the 50/50 calls and not all fouls if they even more favor the home team?
Referring to those as 50/50 calls does injustice to the situation. Both announcers agreed those two calls were just blatantly wrong.
Not to mention the foul that got called on the floor even through Burke was clearly in a shooting motion; and the no-call where Hardaway got blasted down to the ground by the defender's entire body.
What I found interesting and what hurt us is the physicality the refs allowed. We really weren't used to it, it took us by surprise, and the refs really let the players (both sides, to be honest) play a pretty rough game. We started to have success when we drove to the hoop a bit and played more aggressively like Ohio State started off. It wasn't until the very end did they start calling ticky tack fouls.
It seems like that rule generally holds true, except the #1 team in the country is usually protected by the refs. I wonder what would have happened if we played ohio after the new rankings came out, reflecting Duke's loss. Maybe we get another call or two? I think other conferences take care of their #1 teams moreso than the B1G does. But that's just my opinion.
Refs are the same across conferences in CBB. Theres no such thing as B1G refs or ACC refs.
I would tell my players to not take a charge. They won't get it. Rather, attempt to reach in on dribble drives at the very least it's not a shooting foul. and If I were the home team, I would drive on every opportunity.
Not just limited to college BB - you see plenty of this in the NBA as well. Much more so than hockey, football or baseball. I think it's a function of the way the crowd interacts with the players and the refs. They're so much closer to the action than in the other 3 sports and as a result, it's a lot easier for both the players and the refs to feed off the emotion and will of the crowd. The refs too often get caught up in it and instinctively side with the home team. Some refs are worse than others, but this has been a problem for the game for as long as I can remember watching basketball at any level. I don't think it will change anytime soon.
Do you think it's a function of the noise? I guess I've just always wondered what causes this. Sure, crowds are easy to give in to, but these are trained professionals. Is it really that hard to call it as you see it?
But the proximity of the crowd to the court, mixed with the highly judgmental nature of the calls is what creates the problem. In the NFL, for example, the crowds get loud but they are not right on top of the playing surface the way they are in a smaller venue like a college basketball court. As for the officials being professionals, I don't know.....basketball refs are awful. To me, they're like wrestling referees minus the steel chair.
Very well could be, though I wonder how much more judgmental/subjective the calls really are. PI and holding seem to be some of the most subjective in all of sports, and while the bball crowds are closer, they are also generallly less numerous.
Foul calls in basketball are extremely subjective. If you're a ref, do you allow handchecking? A shuffle or two on a screen? An off-arm hook (Deshaun Thomas's speciality). Is it a charge or block? And then there's the issue of whether a foul is on the floor or in the act of shooting, or an intentional foul, or whether or not a guy traveled. And on and on.
The book Scorcasting talks a lot about this. They argue (and I agree), that the "home field advantage" across all sports can be mostly linked to officiating. College basketball, statisticaly has the largest home field (court) advantage in sports. The books says its likely due to the objectivity of calls. Most sports, major calls are more bright lined. Basketball, its really more ambiguous as to when there is a call.
What can be done about it?? Ummm. I've personally just accepted that its almost part of the game. Makes home court mean something. 50/50 calls will go home teams way, so you just gotta play that much sharper on the road.
Everyone here should read Scorecasting.
Ordered. Appreciate the recommedation from both of you.
Do the higher seeds get more calls because they generally play regionals closer to home (i.e. Duke often plays early rounds in Charlotte or Greensboro)? Just wondering.
I can't stand biased officiating, even if it benefits Michigan, because I never want the outcome decided by the refs. As far as I'm concerned, refs do the best job when you barely notice they are there.
I dont mind it except when it gets ridiculous like at indiana and ohio
I noticed it happens at IU as well watching the UNC game. UNC couldn't buy a call with all of the money they saved in funding the Afro-African American studies classes.
spent the entire first half playing I ball instead of team ball and then reverted to it after tying the game the officiating wouldn't have made a difference.
true, but i do think the reason we had such a slow start was because ohio hand checked literally everytime someone tried to make a move and we weren't used to playing against a defense like that and not getting those calls
Definitely agreed. The refs allowed a physical game, and we were not prepared for it. Seems we made an adjustment, but it was late and costly.
Totally agree, and this was also a place where our youth showed. If you're getting hand checked like that, you need to do something to call the ref's attention to it. Knock the hands away with your off arm, exaggerate the contact, do that move that Durant and Kobe do where they swing the ball through a hand check and go up for a shot, or do something else that either forces the ref to make a call or calls attention to the hand checking.
In the end, it's a wash. I don't think any team (at least in our conference) benefits more so than others, so every time we lose a close game because of it, I feel confident that we'll get the makeup when the game comes back to Ann Arbor. But I think it weakens the validity of the event itself. It feels like it has a "part show" quality to it.
is the right description. In the NBA they aren't even pretending otherwise; witness the fine on Gregg Popovich earlier this year.
Like other have said, I think officials in college basketball get caught in the emotion of the game moreso than other sport (and for good reason). Nothing can be done about it, it's human nature.
How about noise-cancelling headphones? Half kidding of course, but I do feel like there has to be a way to lessen this effect. To me, it really disrupts the integrity of the game.
I think it's an integral part of the game. So much of college basketball is determined by emotion. Emotion from the players, crowds, as well as officials. College basketball wouldn't be what it is if it didn't get a little nutty.
I know it IS determined by emotion, but should it be? Was that horrendous no-call on the THJ slap worth the benefit that we get from emotion? Admittedly, I am one emotionless bastard aside from rage at Michigan losing, but I don't see the need for it in officiating.
A purist will tell you no. I've accepted the fact that it is part of the game, and it's not going to change any time soon. I've learned to love it for all of it's shortcomings.
It's kind of nice when it happens at home but then sometimes I feel like we're stealing points. It's horrible on the road. Refs are people too and I'm sure they subletly enjoy hearing the home crowd cheer instead of boo and enjoy seeing the poor team way behind get back in it. Hard to take that human element out of it
but also by people who actually study this stuff (Boyko 2007, Pierce 2009, AP 2009). Perhaps especially noteworthy was the Kelley School of Business 2009 study, which concluded that home teams should generally play more physcal, aggressive basketball to take full advatage of the bias.
Do you have links to these studies or any more information on how they were conducted?
Because if the main statistic that is considered is number of fouls for home teams vs. away teams, then it is pretty flawed.
We also have to consider that the home team generally plays better and because of that will foul less/draw fouls. To an untrained eye, it appears that the refs are giving the home team the benefit of the doubt, but that's not necessarily the case.
As a case in point: the 50/50 calls from the OSU game everyone was complaining about? I think there was only one that you could call "50/50." The rest were correct and if you watch the replay and know the rule, they weren't that close.
What calls are you referring to? The Stauskas "charge"? The Hardaway hack? It looked like pretty much every close call went to OSU.
I'm also curious as to why you say the home team will play better. Do you have any evidence to support that?
I meant to specify 50/50 charge/block calls.
Just because "every" close call went to OSU doesn't mean they were wrong. You have to analyze each call seperately. Perhaps one or two was wrong. Maybe none. There were probably one or two calls we got.
I'll break down the Stauskas charge here. Unfortunately there's no video to embed - I'm breaking this down from my DVR:
At 18:28 of the first half Stauskas committs a charge. The common misconception is that if the defender is sliding, then it is a block. This is not true. A player must gain legal guarding position at the time the offensive player leaves the floor for his shot in order to earn a charge. Legal guarding position is defined as: being inbounds, having two feet on the floor, facing the defender, and in front of the defender. Once you gain legal guarding position, you may move sideways and backwards to maintain to so long as you are not moving into the offensive player (i.e. beat them to the spot).
For Stauskas' charge, while it's clear that Thomas' left foot was still sliding, it is also clear that at the point of Stauskas leaving the floor, Thomas was able to gain legal guarding position, took the hit to the chest and drew the charge. The fact that his feet were sliding is irrelevent to the rule.
I'd love to break down more of the calls, but seeing as my post was marked as flamebait, it would appear that some of our Maize and Blue glasses still haven't come off and we haven't returned to being able to discuss something objectively.
I genuinely would like to know how these studies were conducted.
I think it is pretty accurate to say that players play better at home - it's a legitimate question that needs to be addressed if you're going to look at this issue scientifically and objectively.
But whatever, feel free to flame me for trying to be objective and argue a reasonable viewpoint.
Also, here's a very good write-up of block/charge that uses the technical language in the rulebook, but also makes it readable and easy to understand. Here's a key quote which I'm referring to when I say "whether his feet were still sliding is irrelevent."
After obtaining a legal guarding position, defensive players may move their feet "to maintain position in the path of the opponent." After the legal guarding position is obtained, movement by the defensive player laterally to the sideline, to the defensive end line, or to the intersection thereof, absolves the defensive player from causing contact. Any contact on the torso of the defensive player after such movement, (which is not obliquely forward in the above movements) be it on front, side, or back of the torso, cannot be a foul on the defensive player.
The technicalities of this all are very interesting. A couple of thoughts...
Saying that in general sliding feet are irrelevant is an over simplification in my opinion. Slidng feet very often indicate that the player is still trying to establish legal guarding position, especially when the player with the ball was not the defender's man to begin with. Rule 4, secction 35 of the NCAA basketball book says...
- Guarding shall be the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent. The guarding position shall be initially established and then maintained inbounds on the playing court.
I think this is an important part of legal guarding that you left out. The defender has to actually be in the offensive players path to establish legal guarding position. I basically agree with everything you're saying as long as the player has established position. Once a defender establishes position (including everything you cited AND being in the offensive player's path) the onus is on the offensive player not to contact the defender.
Rule 10, articles 8-10 are also interesting.
Art. 8. A dribbler shall neither charge into nor contact an opponent in the
dribbler's path nor attempt to dribble between two opponents or between an
opponent and a boundary, unless the space is sufficient to provide a reasonable
chance for the dribbler to pass through without contact.
Art. 9. When a dribbler passes an opponent sufficiently to have head and
shoulders beyond the front of the opponent's torso, the greater responsibility for
subsequent contact shall be that of the opponent.
- Art 10. When a dribbler has obtained a straight-line path, the dribbler may not be bumped, pushed or otherwise crowded out of that path. When an opponent is able to legally obtain a guarding position in that path, the dribbler shall avoid contact by changing direction or ending the dribble.
It almost seems like these consecutive articles contradict themselves. What I am taking out of all of this is that once you establish legal guarding position, as long as you don't jump out of your vertical plane or let the offensive guy get his head and shoulders past you, any contact he makes with you should be a charge.
But, I think an important part of legal guarding position is being in the path of the offensive player, so if a guy who was not initially guarding someone tries to slide in to take a charge, he has to establish himself in that path before the offensive guy leaves the ground. I think this is where the obsession with sliding feet comes in. If the guy coming over is still sliding his feet and moving, he wasn't established in the path of the offensive guy and it should be a block. If the guy was already guarding the ball handler and hadn't allowed the offensive player to get his head and shoulders past him, it doesn't matter if the defender is sliding their feet.
The way I was taught block/charge and the way it has been explained to be by college officials is that you establish the space in front of the defender with your body. In the Stauskas charge above, Thomas' body is in place - he takes a knee right to the chest. Yes, his left foot is still sliding, but he's established position with his body at the time Stauskas leaves the floor and he takes the hit straight on.
Can the feet be an indicator? Sure, but that's not the rule, which was my point.
It's not an obvious call. It's not an easy call. I think it was correct though and if you get someone that has no ties to either school that truly understands the rule, I'd be interested to see their interpretation. The feet sliding are deceptive, though.
My argument is that you can't point to a couple foul calls and say "it's because its the home team." Look at each call individually to first discern whether it was correct or not regardless of which team benefits.
I think you can make a case that the call is correct. In the larger picture, I think the stated interpretation of the rule is bad for the sport. Sliding under a guy as he elevates, even if you have position, shouldn't be part of basketball. The defensive player should be encouraged to contest the shot, not merely get his body in the way. It's dangerous, in that it constantly threatens to undercut the offensive player and it encourages flopping.
20 years ago, you never saw the amount of charging calls that are a part of the game today. I think it's Duke that really introduced it into the college game as a means for their small guards (Hurley, Collins, Wojeciowski) to defend against players who could elevate over them, but it's really become a plague on the game. I'd support a rule change that charging couldn't be called against a player in the air (either a block or a no call). That at least would discourage all of these late slide in charges that are really the bane of aggressive, driving basketball.
EDIT: the other thing it does is penalize a player who's legitimately trying to avoid the defender. In this play, when Stauskas jumps, he's not trying to go through Thomas, but to flank him to Stauskas's left. By Thomas continuing to slide (with LGP), it defeats the attempt of Stauskas to avoid contact. In short, this may be a correct call by the current interpretation, but the current interpretation is misguided.
I did not downvote you, and I know what a charge is. The reason that sliding is often considered an indicator of a block is precisely because the defender is so frequently moving into the offensive player. In my opinion, that was exactly the case here. You can say "it's clear" as much as you want, but I see it very differently from you. Thomas is not in front of Stauskas, he's certainly not facing him, and it's not even clear he has two feet on the floor. Besides, an extremely literal interpretation of that defintion would require nearly every call to be a charge. Furthermore, a charge can only be obtained AFTER a guarding position is established. How you watch that and think Thomas established a legal guarding position is beyond me.
Btw, I've given you the year and the author. That should be plenty to get you started. Sorry, but on a Tuesday night, I'm not giving you MLA or Bluebook on Mgoblog.
Exactly, its a Tuesday and you decided to start a thread about a general issue and spent an entire paragraph defending a point.
Sure you referenced a couple studies, but that's it. There's a study for everything. You could have actually analyzed the data gathering methods. You didn't that's fine, it just doesn't strengthen your argument.
I also don't have time to go look up studies - I would presume you've read them and could answer a simple question such as how a study made their conclusions.
I agree you can argue whether or not Thomas established LGP by the time Stauskas left the floor. I don't see how you can say he's not facing Stauskas. I don't see how you can say his feet are not on the floor. Those are both obvious from the picture. But we can agree to disagree on the timing of it. That's why it's a difficult call - a so called "50/50" call.
However you want to interpret the plain text of the rule (and I disagree with your interpretation of "establishing legal guarding position," but that's unimportant), that series of events is called a block WAY more often than it is a charge. The referees have established a firm precedent that what Thomas did is a block.
It's like people in baseball saying, "well, that pitch was outside the technical definition of the strike zone, so it's a ball." But if an umpire has been giving that same itch as a strike to the other team all day, it's justifiable to question the call.
(Did not downvote you either, for the record)..
He appeared to draw a charge from Thomas a few plays earlier?
I don't always agree with the calls, but as long as they appear to be called consistently I am ok with it. What bugs me is when the plays look similar and one is a charge and one is a block.
Stauskas charge (didn't see during the game, live), the Hardaway/Ravenel decapitation, and the Aaron Craft non-intentional/non-And-1 call = All Ohio's way. The kicker is the latter two calls weren't 50/50 or close calls but terribly blown calls.
Just let them play. Except ohio...they should lose every game.
I touched on this in a thread over the weekend. I'm in my twenties and have watched lots of basketball over the years. Growing up it was watching the Bulls, their first Championship year was when I really started watching and then on through the 90's. In the mid-late 90's is when I started watching college basketball (Michigan, duh). I was also playing ball by the late 90's, competetively. Even though I knew the game fairly very well as a youth (we even watched film during the middle school years/traveling AAU years) I can guarantee I watch basketball differently now as an adult than back then.
What I'm doing a poor job of getting at, and this primarily but not soley goes to the older-than-me people here, is has the officiating seemed to change over the past, say, 20 years? Is home crowd a bigger benefactor than it was in say, 1985, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2003? What I posted the over the weekend was that to me, since I've been watching basketball as a teenager and an adult, which means back to the early 2000's, it seems over that over that span, ~10 years, that the officiating has changed. For example, home court/crowd nowadays really is a benefit (especially in a close game) where, in my opinion, 10 years ago it wasn't as big a factor, for whatever reason.
(The "Charging" rule/call has defnitely changed in my mind, that isn't even an opinion but a fact to me. One used to have to have had the "spot" for, say at least a second, and now if one gets there two-tenths of a second before the ball carrier gets there a charge can be called; it's made the game more finesse and disallows many tactics of getting to the basket (for better or worse). Other calls have evolved as well, as athletes are more superior nowadays, such as the rarity of "Over the Back" calls, NCAA basketball allowing more steps instead of a travel, etc..)
And you think officiated is MORE slanted now?!?
I think some it has stemmed from that, where they've taken most of the physical out of basketball. And the college rules have emulated the NBA's evolution. (if Jordan didn't invent the too many steps non-travel, he perfected it).
But I certainly don't think home field has gotten worse. If anything I'd say it's easier to win on the road. If you think Indiana is a tough place to win now, you should have seen what it was like when Bobby Knight was screaming at the refs. But if anything te parity of programs and scholarships just makes it tougher to be dominant at home.
Thanks for the feedback. Through all of my writing there really was a question in there and you gave a good answer; again, I was curious if it was just me and my perception of the game nowadays or if there was something to the evolution (worsening?) of officiating. The notion of Bobby Knight and Assembly Hall in the late 70's and 80's was actually a comparison I was envisioning, that and say, Cameron Indoor in the 90's. Saying that it's actually easier these days is an interesting and probable thought.
As far as MJ and travelling, I guess I've never thought of him in that regard -as getting extra steps. For me was Patrick Ewing was the epitome of "extra steps" (I can picture him now taking 3 1/2 steps across the lane for a mini hook-type shot).
With the grace of a one legged goose.
I recall reading that the reason the officiating often goes in favor of the home team is because the officials (mostly subconsciously) are afraid of angering the crowd and having thousands of people boo them. Been shown with soccer fields where the crowd is closer to the field and therefor louder to those on the field, that the officiating is more in favor of the home team. Hard to fix unless you make them deaf.
"Unless you make them deaf." I know it seems crazy, but is it really? What about putting some earplugs on them?
Great idea!
And blinders!
Hearing is too important a sense to officiating to take away. It would help with crowd noise, but may end up taking away from slap fouls. Plus you wouldn't hear other officials whistles. Which on one hand could make for some comically hilarious moments, but would ultimately be bad and could be somewhat dangerous. So, IMO putting earplugs on would only solve one problem while creating multiple others. The only solution to this problem is prepare for it. You know it's going to happen, so practice like it is going to happen. Then you won't be surprised when it does.
I did notice though that when a bad call was made in favor of the other team, there seems to be a make up call to even it out. I noticed this a lot this last game we played. They flop to the floor by hardaway when that guy from Ohio swung his arms with the ball and Hardaway pretended like he got an elbow to the face. Then the embarrassing part was when they reviewed it in slow motion to see if the elbow was intentional only to see that he flopped.
watch the ohio player's leg and knee as he attempts to sterilize Tim. It wasn't the elbow but Hardaway's "tender area" was abused ... and that is a FOUL.
Go Blue!
Not to mention that, by the current interpretation, swinging the elbows that high is a foul whether or not contact is made. If there's contact, I believe it's an automatic flagrant.
another thing that is frustrating is the inconsistency of the charge vs block call, hardly ever will they call more than one or two charges in a row no matter what, especially when they go against the home
Some won't agree and call this "overrated" because you probably don't have data to back up the claims but I see a lot of truth to your points. I'm not sure about the game going "downhill" per se but worded another way I'd probably agree.
In a general, conference-wide sense I think officiating hurts the B1G in the post-season. In the ACC they certainly wouldn't allow Aaron Craft to put a saddle on opposing PGs like the B1G does. While OSU played good D in the game, ACC refs calling OSU vs. whomever at a neutral site in the Dance will have a whistle-fest with the hand-checks, reaches, on-the-ball bumps and off-the-ball muggings. Being acclimated to this style of play can bite B1G teams in the ass when they have to deviate from the style they've played the entire conference season. I know numerous caveats apply to this theory but I think it definitely plays a role in the post-season.
I'm absolutely sick of the overwhelming favoritism officials give the home team, particularly in the B1G. The players should dictate who wins and losses, not the officials. The officiating in Sundays game was clearly in favor of ohio. The amount of non calls and inconsistency with blocking/charging calls was maddening. This was also evident in Michigan's win at home against ohio last year. If that game was called evenly I don't think Michigan wins. It makes conference play an absolute farce.
I've been saying this for years, I'm glad someone finally made a post about it.
Love how this thread and it's premise (of which I pretty much agree with) happens on the night the number 2 team in the country loses at home. Irony or Alanis Morrissette Irony?!
When we beat state by one last year there was at least 8 points state got screwed out of and even though we won it effected how I felt.
Then on sunday OSU gets handed the game at the end and I get pissed.
Just call it fair all around.
nuff said
I'd counter with, one very well referee'd game is the exception, not the norm. Those guys did a great job of ignoring the cheering and booing of the Indiana faithful and just calling what they see. Most refs these days are more human in their psychology and it seems they let the cheers/jeers and emotion "get to them".
The finest home cooking in my 35 years of following basketball:
Indiana University during the Bobby Knight years.
Boston Celtics during the Larry Bird years.
Duke throughout the Coach Eyechart reign.
In general though, home cooking is worth I'd say an average of about 8 points a game for the home team in college basketball. The Ohio State game was a perfect example, where early attempted charges all went OSU's way as either a blocking foul against a UM player, or a charge by a UM player against a sliding OSU defender.
This is honestly the single reason why, as exciting as basketball is, it will always be #2 in my book behind football. I just flat out detest how much of the game gets controlled by the poetic license of referees making endless marginal calls to (a) favor the home team, and (b) favor the team getting blown out to make the game respectable.
No solution to it really, unless basketball can find a way to rework the charge call, which is the single biggest culprit of this bias.
IMO the reason all of the things pointed out in this thread happen is fairly simple at most elemental level. Referees are humans and all humans would rather be "liked" than disliked. No one will ever convince me that refs wouldnt rather, if given the choice, be cheered rather than booed and the very definition of "50-50" calls means there's no definitively right way to call it. So the referee has a choice to make literally in his subconscience, in the nanosecond after he sees somethng that warrants a wistle. Do I want to be cheered or booed here? And not surprisingly the vast majority of referees (Joey Crawford notwithstanding) would rather be cheered.
Also I think Ghost of Yost makes an excellent suggestion on having the refs wear some form of noise-deadening device. I really wonder if they couldnt get the sensory input from the crowd if they would still make the calls the way they do. I honestly think they would resist this however as it would prove fairly quickly that the home team bias is real and exists and none of them ever wish to admidt to this.
If you remember (and I put the NBA and NCAA in the same bucket) a few years ago when Mark Cuban started charting calls when the same teams played with the same officiating crews to see if the calls varied from home to away and the league went nuts. Nobody wants this unpleasant reality to become validated because if it was then leagues, both college and professional, would be foreced to actually do something about it.
Just like in football there should be no conference ref affiliation. Either completely governed by the NCAA or some other 3rd party outfit that also determines post season seedings based on actual in season performance.
Intimidating environments can create a buzz and the officials react to it.


text:
Did you realize that Wednesday, April 10, was "National Siblings Day?" Chances are you haven't heard much about the occasion because it is not widely recognized, although it should be! When it comes to the topic of raising multiple children, the media is quick to focus on the cost of parenting in the modern age and the challenges of sibling rivalry. But brothers and sisters give us so much to celebrate. Siblings make life meaningful and fun, help create countless memorable moments among families both young and old, and should never be taken for granted.
So how did National Siblings Day start? The occasion was founded in 1998 by Claudia Evart as a way for siblings to honor, recognize and celebrate each other. Evart, born and raised in New York City, started a non-profit charity called the Siblings Day Foundation to honor the memory of her own late sister and brother who died in separate accidents at an early age. Evart chose April 10 as Siblings Day because it was the birthday of her late sister, Lisette. "Like many, I have these pictures of my brother and sister, who are both gone, but remain with me daily, not just in these pictures, but in my daily thoughts and in my heart," she said. "I lost both of them in tragic accidents, making me understand the everlasting bond we have with our siblings."
While Siblings Day still has a long way to go to be formally recognized and widely celebrated in the U.S., awareness of this occasion is growing, especially through social media. Many celebrities took to Facebook to acknowledge their brothers and sisters, and "Happy National Siblings Day" was even a trending topic on Twitter. Fox News also had some fun with the holiday Wednesday morning, as "Fox & Friends" anchor Gretchen Carlson called her sister for some sisterly bonding and co-host Brian Kilmeade squeezed in a little brotherly love with his brothers, Jim and Steve Kilmeade, who took a seat on the curvy couch to reminisce about growing up together.
I was an only child for nearly seven years, and I have very distinct memories of praying to God for a baby brother or sister as a kid. When God answered that prayer and my brother, Paul, was born in 1991, I was incredibly grateful and excited. 22 years later, one of the great blessings in my life is the relationship I have with my brother, and hearing about Siblings Day caused me to reflect on the treasured gift of family. And while I'm crazy about my younger brother, I'm not always sure the feeling is mutual. Paul loves to quote cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, who famously said, "Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life." Ouch! I prefer to quote Lucy Gibney, who tweeted, "In the cookies of life, siblings are the chocolate chips."
Well why should we celebrate siblings?
Siblings keep life interesting and make (almost) everything more fun.
Over the years, my relationship with my brother Paul has evolved and we've gone from being classmates in homeschool to rivals fighting over who would sit in the front seat on car rides to now (I think) being friends and enjoying meaningful activities and engaging in profound discussions together. Having brothers or sisters around can make even the most mundane activities interesting and fun and you help each other grow in countless ways.
Siblings teach you random things you would otherwise know nothing about.
If you have a brother or a sister, chances are you've been forced to learn about certain topics or aspects of life that you would otherwise have nothing to do with. In my case, Paul has taught me more about Star Wars and Taylor Swift to Heavy Metal and Guitar Hero than I ever thought I'd care to know… and I've learned a lot of deep things from him as well (I'm not saying that Taylor Swift isn't deep… well, maybe I am).
Brothers and sisters don't let you get away with anything. They know your weaknesses, they witness your embarrassing moments, and they don't allow you to become overly confident with the compliments and accolades of others. My brother is as brutally honest with me as he is witty and sharp, and he's always quick to remind me of the many areas in life I need to work on. When Paul was in town recently the two of us went on a late evening grocery shopping trip, and he offered to cook dinner for us that night. "You are so kind to do that for me," I said. "It's mainly that I really don't trust you to cook… I know you can't." he responded. Sadly, he was right.
Siblings are a precious gift from God and should never be taken for granted.
I've shared some light-hearted examples of why I'm thankful to have a sibling, but a heartbreaking reality is that many people never have that opportunity. While in some countries and cultures, large families are celebrated and the family unit itself is viewed as a community, in far too many places today having multiple children is discouraged or even illegal.
In India, for example, there is a long history of government attempts to restrict the size of families and limit couples to two children. Thankfully, many destructive government efforts have failed, such as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's implementation of a forced sterilization program in the 1970s or the southern state of Kerala's proposed "Women's Code Bill" in 2011 which would have prohibited couples from having more than two children. Although there are currently no legal restrictions on having children in India, there has been an ongoing campaign to promote only two children per family. The slogan – advertised prominently both in big cities and small towns – reads, "We are two, we have two."
Perhaps the harshest and most Draconian place when it comes to "family planning" is the nation of China. The Chinese government still implements a strict one-child policy for couples living in urban areas, and penalties for attempting a second pregnancy are brutal. In fact, if anyone tries to have a family with siblings in China, they are threatened with forced abortion and sterilization, excessive fines, the destruction of their homes, and even the death penalty.
The Chinese policy restricting couples to one child was established in 1979 under Deng Xiaoping, leader of the Communist Party of China. Although it was then designated as a temporary measure to limit the country's population growth, the one-child policy continues to this day. Just last year, Chinese government officials revamped their abrasive slogans surrounding the policy and now use "less offensive" rhetoric to warn citizens of breaking the law. Previous government advertisements stated, "We would rather scrape your womb than allow you to have a second child" and "Once you get captured, an immediate tubal ligation will be done; Should you escape, we'll hunt you down; If you attempt a suicide, we'll offer you either the rope or a bottle of poison." While the language might be different now, the cruel policies and penalties are still in place… and this means that every day, the children in China are growing up without any brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, or uncles with whom to share the joys and challenges of life.
The institution of the family is highlighted throughout the Bible, and scripture tells us that, "Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him… Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them" (Psalm 127:3,5). As we celebrate our own siblings and give thanks for the gift of family, let us pray for those in India who encounter tremendous pressure to have small families and those in China who face such brutal violations to their basic human rights. And next time your kids start fighting over who gets to sit in the front seat or who got a bigger piece of cake, be grateful that you have the opportunity to raise multiple children… and trust that their raucous sibling rivalry will one day develop into the closest of friendships.


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Activity quiets down on the New York Stock Exchange as shares settle into their two-week range. Wednesday's high-low spread in the futures was the second-narrowest in the last 10 sessions. Price closes in the upper portion of each day's travel range recently.
The chart below shows the vaults of Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, and their aftermath. The fact that price has scarcely dipped since then objectively says that institutions are not selling into this rally. For the most part, they are content to sit on positions and are not interested in locking in profits.
All of this adds up to a market that wants to go higher.
If this was the end of a bull market, the Dec. 31-Jan. 2 move would have been used as an opportunity to dump positions. Institutions begin to sell into a rising market which provides the demand for the shares they need to off.
Of course, this could begin to change tomorrow. But for most speculators and shorter-term traders, it is best to stay in synch with the trend — i.e. what the market has already done — and not try to predict when that will turn. And at this moment the trend is up.
It is to be noted that volatility is mean-reverting. In theory, this means it will go from one extreme to something closer to an average. In reality, volatility will often overshoot the average and go to the opposite extreme. As the above S&P chart shows, the extreme of two wide-range days yielded to the opposite extreme, a series of very-narrow range bars.
Thus, the current low-volatility action is expected to yield to something more dynamic. Because most consolidation periods, which is what the averages are currently in, tend to result in upward revaluation, this is a likely prospect.
Volatility tends to be high early in a bull and late in a bull. This is true not only for the averages but also for individual issues. The end of a bull market is normally characterized by choppy, back-and-forth activity. Big swings that do not produce much upward price progress. This has yet to be seen.
Meanwhile, the Naz, influenced in part by Apple's (AAPL) 6.4% drop of Monday/Tuesday, looks weaker than the S&P.
Many leading titles adopt the same tightness in their chart pattern as do the averages. This is a positive.
Among the names, Facebook FB, -0.52% pulls back near support at the top of its prior five-week base. The prior up leg was fairly steep, just like the November up leg. The Jan. 14 high at 32.21 is a logical pivot for a breakout entry.
A positive is Tuesday's volume of 142% above average drying up to Wednesday's of just 4% above average. Moreover, Tuesday's 2.7% decline ebbed to a Wednesday loss of 0.8%. Also, Tuesday's close was near the bottom of the day's range vs. the mid-range close of Wednesday.
In other words, the supply-demand quotient — momentum — changes at the margin. The view here is that this is the stuff that is more important than any analyst's comment, opinion, or forecast. It is unbiased, it is objective, it is available to all, and it does not lie.
Ocwen Financial OCN, +0.89% was discussed here one week ago ("The all-time high set Oct. 24 at 39.83 represents a suitable entry pivot."). Price acted very well over the last week and is now 3.6% below the pivot. The comment stands.
Sherwin-Williams SHW, +0.51% is a paint-store operator with over 3,400 locations. The company, a play on the housing sector's resurgence, is expected to show earnings growth of 32%/19% in '12/'13. Technically, SHW sets up in an eight-week cup-with-handle base. The handle, just five sessions old, is exceptionally shallow, a plus.
An intermediate-term speculator can consider the top of the handle, Jan. 9's high of 163.14, to be a logical pivot point for entry. A protective sell stop of 6% below entry would be just below the 50-day moving average.
Equinix EQIX, +0.67% on Dec. 28 was discussed as "...looking pregnant and can be taken above the Oct. 1 high of 207.77." The stock moved through the pivot and has formed a tight ledge with a miniature depth of just 2.8%. A breakout through the Jan. 10 high of 219.91 could serve as a pivot for an add-on position.
Elsewhere, United Rentals URI, -0.21% could be taken above the Jan. 4 high of 49.73, with Cornerstone Ondemand CSOD, +0.50% above the Jan. 11 high of 31.75.
In summation, the initial wave of leaders have broken out. While few have yet to reach the 20%-25% benchmark hurdle, few have failed post-breakout. A few more set up, and these are noted above. Earnings release dates should be checked prior to entry, and position sizes either adjusted lower or, depending upon one's position on the risk stratum, not taken at all. Institutions appear to be digging in for an extended stay. This by virtue of the paucity of profit-taking and feeble movement in the averages post-Jan. 2.
The time-worn saying beckons: Never short a dull market.
Kevin Marder
Charts created using TradeStation. ©TradeStation Technologies, 2001-2013. All rights reserved.
All mutual fund ownership and earnings estimate data provided by Thomson Reuters.
At the time of this writing, of the stocks mentioned in this report, Kevin Marder or an affiliate thereof held no positions, though positions are subject to change at any time and without notice. The information contained herein may have been previously disseminated.


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NEW HOPE (AP) — Police are searching for a missing 39-year-old woman who was last seen leaving a Bucks County bar where she works.
Investigators say Lambertville, N.J., resident Sarah Majoras was last seen early Saturday leaving John & Peter's in New Hope where she works as a bartender. Her live-in boyfriend reported her missing Saturday afternoon and police say it's being treated as a missing person case.
Police in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have been searching for her and they are also looking at her cell phone records.
Investigators say Majoras had been at John and Peter's Bar in New Hope on Friday night but was not working. They say she had been hanging out with friends and left around 2 a.m. to walk home.


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Sesame Street's When Families Grieve
Wednesday, April 14th at 7 pm
When Families Grieve features the personal stories of several families with children who have experienced the death of a parent. This powerful and heartwarming 60-minute show, featuring the Sesame Street Muppets, will provide families in the military and in the general public a valuable service by making the courageous struggles of parents and children visible, while sharing strategies that have helped them cope with grief.
Most recent data state that one in 20 American children under the age of 15 experiences the death of a parent whether it be from illness, suicide, accident or war-related. The death of a parent is one of the most difficult things a child can face; but children are not the only ones that feel overwhelmed and experience change in their behavior. Grieving is a family experience and, thus, the entire family needs support during this most difficult time. This is why When Families Grieve will harness the unique approach that Sesame takes in addressing children's needs: using the Sesame Street Muppets to aid the communication between adults and children with language and strategies that are child appropriate and useful for the whole family.
Hospice Austin's Camp Brave Heart is now accepting applications for a free three-day camp, to be held Aug. 2-4. It combines grief support with the fun of a recreational camp and is open to any child in the community age six through 17 who has lost someone due to death in the past year. A majority of the losses involve parents or siblings. We have openings for 100 kids, and unfortunately the need is such that it tends to fill up fast. Parents and guardians can receive more information and an application by calling 342-4784 or by visiting www.hospiceaustin.org <http://www.hospiceaustin.org/> .
When Families Grieve bilingual resource kits will be distributed nationwide.
KLRU will have 100 kits available.
To reserve a kit for pick-up, please email email@example.com.


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About the Club
A Club for all seasons
An old adage "live life to the fullest" resonates with members of the Telluride Ski & Golf Club. This extraodinary club attracts like-minded people; individuals that celebrate their time here as they carve new tracks, summit a neighboring peak or sink a 30-foot putt.
It is about premier service.
Members get first dibs on the slopes, preferential tee times reserved in advance, private dining, unlimited use of The Spa at The Peaks, and a bountiful social calendar. But membership goes beyond exclusivity. It is about family and creating lifelong friendships.
Skiing in welcomed solitude
Is it possible to think of a mountain as an independent state? For more than four decades Telluride loyalists have unofficially believed so. Synonymous with phenomenal snow conditions the resort's uncrowded slopes—and absence of lift lines—make skiing and riding unforgettable.
First tracks. Lasting impressions.
Members of the Telluride Ski & Golf Club have numerous privileges on the slopes, including hitting the slopes a full hour before anyone else on select days. Whether making turns on newly groomed corduroy or first tracks in fresh powder, Telluride's more than 2,000 skiable acres feel as if they are all yours.
Golf reaches new heights
Encircled by breathtaking views that include the Sneffels Range, the San Sophia Range and Mt. Wilson, this par 70 masterpiece is as inspiring as it is challenging. Playing 6,546 yards from the tips, fir and aspen forests, wetlands and undulating fairways are woven into its design.
No course in the world has these views
A beguiling tapestry of holes—the longest a par 5 that plays 627 yards— test your abilities each time out. Designed to accommodate a variety of skill sets, the course features dramatic elevation changes, forgiving fairways, large, yet well-defended greens and plenty of risk-reward opportunities.
Unwind & Unplug
The Telluride Ski & Golf Club helps you reestablish your natural rhythm. This is a place where you can do as much or as little as you please. Quiet your mind with a soothing spa treatment, a soak in the hot tub or revitalize in a yoga class.
You're in Telluride. Disconnect.
Just steps from the golf club and ski trails is the fitness center, where cardio and weight training gear, a swimming pool, and squash and tennis courts add to your ways to feel reinvigorated. Let Telluride's cobalt sky and fresh air take you a million miles from business as usual.
Share the Good Times
Community is what turns Telluride from a place on the map to a place to call home. With holiday parties or outdoor excursions, the extensive social calendar at the Telluride Ski & Golf Club will give you life-long friendships and unforgettable memories.
At the hear of this club is its members.
An informal retreat, the club is a wonderful venue for sharing stores of the day's adventures on the mountain, in town or down valley. Its members are the fabric for what makes Telluride feel like home, even if your first home is a thousand miles away.
Small town. Big adventures.
Telluride is where you trade your rush hour commute and conference calls for powder days, mountain bike rides and wildflower hikes. An afternoon honing your fly-fishing skills or clearing your head on the back of a horse sounds great as well. You're off the clock.
This is the great outdoors at its greatest.
Time to reconnect with people, explore boutiques and discover what's on the menu in town and at Mountain Village eateries. From Alta Lakes to the San Miguel River, Ajax to Lizard Head, this stunning backdrop awaits. Lace 'em up and get out there.
Time flies. Make it count.
Wouldn't it be great to have a gathering place where time is well spent with family and friends? This is where your family can return to season after season; where traditions are forged and handed down from one generation to the next.
Letting your children or grandchildren run free is one of the many pleasures of small town life. Acitivites and social events centered around families make membership in the Telluride Ski & Golf Club all the more rewarding.
Join Us
From silent valley to bustling community, Telluride has grown and matured. Through it all, this place still has soul. It still has heart. The Telluride Ski & Golf Club invites you to join us. Join our experiences, our community and our circle. Come along and make your mark.


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Uh, Roy served in the Vietnam War. He joined the army with, um, my cousin Bobby and Gary Anderson from up the... Anderson? Yeah - from up the street. And, uh, the three of 'em enlisted together and went through boot camp together, but then they got split up.
Uh, and your Uncle Roy went to Vietnam and was over there. And while he was over there, of course it was hard on Mama and Daddy. I think I told you before about the map that Grandaddy had up in the living room. And when he'd watch the news at night he'd put the little push pins on the map where the bombing would go on. And he'd have a different color push pin for where Roy was supposed to be.
So, um, we were looking through the pictures and I was tellin' Valerie - I was tellin' you - about the - when he came home we had a welcome home party. And we had it out on the carport, out on your Grandmama's house. So we've got some pictures of it. And uh, Mama had cooked - baked cupcakes and she put the little flags on there. And she had a cake and we had punch and just, you know, stuff and just welcomed him home. We had balloons and streamers up and, uh, we'd made a big banner to put across the front of the carport when he came home, so it'd say "welcome home roy" so that he'd see that when he came home.
And uh, all the - all the families in the neighborhood came down and - and uh, my Aunt Ree and Uncle Bill, my Grandmama was there and all of us kids. And we were just really happy that Roy was home safe and sound and uh, home from Vietnam.
And then after he was in Vietnam he went and served a year in Germany. And then from Germany he came back home. So, it was - it was a hard time for the family and we were just glad that he was home. He was just so young and uh, he made it home safe.
02 March 2009
Monday Memories - Uncle Roy & Vietnam
Last monday I helped plan a going away party for my friend, Ashley, who's an Alabama National Guard Sergeant who's being deployed to Afghanistan. It reminded me of some photos of my Uncle Roy's welcome home party when he returned from Vietnam.
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When Russ Skaggs pulls up to the bowling alley in his car late at night, the cats are already waiting for him.
Sometimes people gather to watch as Skaggs, who is called Shawnee's "Cat Man" by some of the locals, pours out cat food from his 44 pound bag. Before the night is over, Skaggs will have fed at least 50 stray cats in this same way at several different stops through the city.
When Russ Skaggs pulls up to the bowling alley in his car late at night, the cats are already waiting for him.
Sometimes people gather to watch as Skaggs, who is called Shawnee's "Cat Man" by some of the locals, pours out cat food from his 44 pound bag. Before the night is over, Skaggs will have fed at least 50 stray cats in this same way at several different stops through the city.
Skaggs, a former construction worker who lives in Shawnee, goes through one of these 44 pound bags in two and a half days. He estimates he spends between $450 and $500 a month on cat food alone.
"A lot of people say, 'Well why don't you quit doing that,' Skaggs said. "What would I do with the money anyway? All I'd do is buy a new car and that's not me, I don't want a payment. I'm happy with my life the way it is."
At first, Skaggs fed people, not animals.
His best friend owned a food mart in town, and when the food got too old to sell, Skaggs would distribute it to the community.
Eventually he stopped doing this for fear of giving people bad food, so he began feeding animals with them instead.
Skaggs said he began to take notice of the stray population in Shawnee.
"I would buy a bag of cat food at Walmart late at night and at least a couple of strays would come out and follow me," he said.
So when his friend's store closed down, Skaggs began buying his own food for the strays. He's been feeding animals in the area for about the last five years, he said.
Skaggs is able to supplement his cat food allowance through winnings he earns through the bowling leagues he's in or in pool tournaments he enters. He said he might earn between $30 and $40 after a night of bowling.
Skaggs doesn't just encounter cats when he makes his rounds. He said he runs into stray dogs and raccoons as well, both happy for a meal.
"Over the years I've identified dogs and matched them up with the posters," he said. "I tell people where their dogs are at, because I can't catch them."
Late at night, Skaggs will also see coyotes in the city, stalking on the strays he feeds.
"I usually put some food out for them and stick around and wait for them to eat it. If they get fed they'll usually give up on the cats," he said.
While making his rounds, Skaggs said he's come across the best and worst of people.
He doesn't do it for thanks, but Skaggs said it makes him feel good when someone acknowledges his work. Some even have given him money to help pay for the food.
Some haven't received him as well, however. A few businesses have told him not to feed in their lots. Some people have threatened to physically injure or kill the strays he feeds while others ask why he doesn't use his money to buy food for people instead.
Skaggs said he will feed people in desperate need, but he knows most of the time they can find other food options.
"I'm not going to feed them because they can get up, go to work and feed themselves," he said. "A cat or a dog doesn't have a choice. They didn't choose this type of life. This was dumped on them by owners who didn't care."
Skaggs said he believes Shawnee has a problem with stray animals. Handing them over to shelters that euthanize can never be an option, he said.
Instead, Skaggs hopes to solve the problem by spaying and neutering as many of the stray animals as he can.
"If I can get them all fixed, eventually they'll have had a good life and die out."
Skaggs is worried, however, that he does not have enough money to take a significant number of animals to the vet and that the problem will only get worse when he becomes too old to continue his work.
But still, he goes out every night believing that one man can make a difference.
"I try to do right for all the animals," he said. "I've got compassion for all of them."