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Tell me why you converted to Islam.
I converted to Islam about 12 years ago. The reason that I converted to Islam is because the Western world or the world in general had nothing to offer me other than gambling, sex, killings, etc.
Islam gave me hope. When I heard of Islam, it had a certain amount of effect on me, but there was a portion of my heart that was never, ever satisfied or happy until I came to understand Islam or heard of Islam. And this is what actually pulled me in. I inquired more about it, and the more I inquired, the more I knew that it was for me.
How did you even come across it?
I had an old dear friend that he had his problems in the past, and he eventually became a Muslim, and I didn't know why. There was one time that I was walking down the street, and he was walking towards me -- and I was a person that never fears of any human being -- but I actually felt dirty and unclean when my old friend was approaching me. It seemed that he was wearing a [robe] and a beard. I actually became embarrassed of myself, and I actually crossed over the road, hoping that he hadn't seen me. I was with a particular friend, and he said, "Look at that crazy person who became a Muslim," or an imam, etc.
And glory be to Allah, every Muslim has a beautiful story to tell, because six years later, [with] that same person, the roles was reversed. I was actually with a Muslim in a halal shop getting food for my actual wedding, and the same person actually walked into the halal shop and said the same thing to me, six years later.
What was the attraction then to the Finsbury Park Mosque? How long had you been involved in that?
I've been involved a numerous amount of years, worshipping and etc. I like to feel that every masjid [in Arabic, mosque] has the same rights as Finsbury Park masjid. It wasn't the case of just Finsbury Park because it's Finsbury Park. What attracted me to Finsbury Park is because there was a struggle, and in Islam, one that has belief in Allah, he must incur some hardship or struggles according to his belief. If any Muslim practices Islam and he doesn't feel any pressure upon his shoulders as in persecution, then this person isn't practicing Islam properly. ...
Do you consider yourself first a Muslim, or do you consider yourself an Englishman and then a Muslim?
I always consider myself a Muslim first. ...
People see us as extremists because we don't compromise the religion of Allah. We accept it with every word and every utterance of our beloved prophet Muhammad, that no Muslim can turn away from one ayah of the Quran, one verse of the Quran. If we don't accept this, we actually become disbelievers.
Abu Abdullah is the leader of the Finsbury Park Mosque in London. He is a British-born convert to Islam. The mosque, suspected of promoting radical ideals, was raided by police and shut down for a year. Among its patrons were "Shoe Bomber" Richard Reid and suspected 9/11 hijacker Zacarias Moussaoui. Abu Hamza al-Masri, its former leader, was recently arrested by British Police and remains in custody. Abdullah tells FRONTLINE, "I was born and bred in this country. I have obviously an amount of feelings for certain people in this country. ... But if my shoes, if my feet was in another land where the country like Britain would be invading, then it becomes [necessary] to do what Allah has told me, and that's to defend the umma of Muhammad, to defend the Muslims, even at the cost of my life." This interview was conducted on Oct. 14, 2004.
And a quick quote -- I'd like to put this as well for a message to my brothers and sisters around the world that calls themselves moderates. I urge them to read the Quran and understand instead of passing a judgment without reading the Quran, because Allah mentioned jihad in the Quran 26 times, and Allah mentioned quital 79 times. Quital is fighting by a physical fighting -- 79 times. ...
Are you prepared to physically fight to defend Islam?
I'm not in a position to physically fight. I was born and bred in this country. I have obviously an amount of feelings for certain people in this country. The everyday person, the layman, the civilian -- I don't point no fingers at the civilian. So it would be completely haram [in Arabic, forbidden; taboo] to wage war against any civilian in this country.
But if my shoes, if my feet was in another land where the country like Britain would be invading, then it becomes [necessary] to do what Allah has told me, and that's to defend the umma [in Arabic, community] of Muhammad, to defend the Muslims, even at the cost of my life.
So this is war. The Western governments are waging war on all of our Muslim countries, and the issue is, when is it going to stop? When?
So what is your sense of what's happening in Iraq today?
My sense of what's happening in Iraq is no different than Afghanistan and Kashmir and Philippine[s] and [Chechnya]. The objective from these people, the Freemasons and the [Illuminati], is to hide behind Christianity. They are waging war on Islam because they cannot have full global domination until they completely eradicate Islam, because Islam is the only religion that accepts and recognizes Allah with no partners.
So therefore a Muslim cannot compromise his religion, no matter what the Western governments bring, where[as] you look at people like the Jews and the Christians and the atheists and the Hindus and the Sikhs and etc., every one of these people, within whatever it is that they worship, has compromised their faith, where Islam will not compromise.
And this is the reason that there's been a war waged on Islam and also government puppets that have been put in our countries to again divide and rule.
So the beheadings of [British hostage] Ken Bigley and others -- I mean, what's your position on that?
Allah says in the Quran: "Fight them as they fight you. Lay in wait for them and smite them at their necks." But if it be upon you that you would show mercy, that you might hold them as prisoners and may even ransom them, as in a life for a life, as in trade them, Allah gives this right. ...
[Do you believe Sheikh Abu Hamza should be in jail?]
Absolutely not. He faced these charges many years ago, and there was no evidence whatsoever. Because now America has somehow gained some kind of information through torturing Muslims over in Guantanamo Bay and in other prisons, they now say that they have evidence on the man, so obviously for him to face trial.
But if this country, which not too long ago was held in high respect by many, many countries all around the world for its judicial system and the way the law is run, but now all of a sudden that's completely lost. And let's not forget not too long ago, obviously Britain lost America to America as well. So there's many depths that we can go to, but obviously we don't have that time. ...
What about the Finsbury Park Mosque? It has been accused of fostering extremist views. Some of the people from 9/11 are said to have traveled there or visited there. What's your view of that?
My view on that is that a Muslim can travel to any masjid that he pleases. Because people may have visited Finsbury Park masjid doesn't mean that they was affiliated to Sheikh Abu Hamza and Abu Hamza gave them some kind of instructions, as it's been portrayed to the media.
We visit many, many mosques all around the country, so it's not particularly to do with Finsbury Park Mosque. And at the same time, I don't even have any evidence that they did visit Finsbury Park Mosque, only other than what the media's actually saying. I have been there for a few years, and I didn't have the privilege of meeting these people, so where's the evidence for this?
It's been said that a couple of the people involved in the Beslan [Russian school massacre] atrocity had come through the Finsbury Park Mosque. Are you familiar with any of them?
No, absolutely not. It's the same scenario that whenever something's done in Europe or around the world, it's tied to things with [the mosque] and Sheikh Abu Hamza. And I think the man has been demonized further than he can be demonized, and it's a time where the public take a step back and think about what their actual governments are doing.
As I said, Abu Hamza has become another political pawn to justify Blair and Bush's war on Islam, and this is their way of showing the public that "We're here for you; we need to put these people away and lock them away for your safety." ...
How widespread are your views held in just the mosque there?
There are many people that accept what we're saying. The only thing is that they're scared. They're scared to come out into the open and support; they're scared to stand shoulder to shoulder and voice the truth. I make excuse for these people. No human being can carry the burdens of another, and nor should a human being burden another. So there are many, many Muslims in this country that accept this way of Islam is the truth because there is only one Islam. There is not 72 or 73 Islams.
And this is why that nullifies [what] the Muslim Council of Britain does. They have invented their own religion and [are] brainwashing the ignorant Muslim that doesn't fully understand the Quran. And this is how they're going, with the support of Tony Blair, to turn fellow Muslims against me or against the likes of Osama bin Laden and etc. and etc. and etc. The ultimate thing is that they're turning them away from the prophet, peace be upon him. ...
Tell me more about your personal story, your personal journey to come to Islam. Were you brought up Christian?
No. I was brought up as in some of Allah's names. I thought I was a Muslim. That's all I knew. Obviously Allah doesn't compel somebody to seek [Him], so if that's what I thought I was in that state, then I'm sure that Allah would have taken me as a Muslim.
But I only knew to utter a few words of Allah. I didn't know how to pray. I didn't know you had to pray. I lived in this society all of my life.
From my early ages, I was already disheartened by the system and the way things was. There was a portion of my heart that wasn't happy, even though this country gives you many opportunities to earn money or better yourself, and etc.
But it's not all about money and material things. It's something else that you're yearning for -- hope. And the only hope is the everlasting, the hereafter, which [is] where you can be put into paradise to live for all eternity, never to suffer stomachache, never to defecate, never to get bored. This is the goal of every Muslim that -- or any, every human being, not just Muslims. This is the goal we should all be chasing.
Allah created human beings to serve Him and Him alone, not for us to serve money or man or our desires.
I was a person that was full of desires, from gambling to other things. There was a stage when I was involved with heavy people. I'm talking about seriously heavy people. ... I refuse to name their names only because I don't want to do them any --
Yeah. That way I was never happy. I used to have money. I just wasn't happy. It wasn't right.
And then 12 years ago, when I heard about Islam, it had an effect on me. It was recited in Arabic, and then from there I investigated, and it was just like my heart kept melting every time I was being told about Islam.
I just knew there and then that this is it. There's nothing, no example -- it doesn't even come close. I don't know if you've ever felt the -- you fell in love with a woman at first sight, and you think, wow. This doesn't even come close to when you understand Islam. Doesn't come close, because that feeling is all the time.
Your feeling for that woman may wear out, but for Allah it doesn't. It continues, and Allah increases that feeling. The more you practice, the more Allah increases that feeling.
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MORRISSEY Family HistoryThis interesting surname has two distinct possible sources. Firstly, the surname may be of Irish origin, and is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "O'Muirgheasa", descendant of "Muirgheasa", a personal name apparently derived from the elements "muir", sea, and "geas", action, and are a branch of the "Ui Fiachra", having their territory at the southern side of Sligo Bay. These are of MacDermot stock, being descended from Muiris, the grandson of a famous MacDermot. However, there is no Gaelic sept of Morrissey associated with Munster or Leinster.
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Michael Morrissey - born around 1812 or earlier and immigrated to Castle Garden, New York and arrived on May 30, 1836. He reported himself to be from the Parish of Muckalee, Kilkenny, Ireland. He left Dublin and went to Liverpool, England, then sailed to America. He reports that he was a farmer, but I'm leaning towards "laborer". He was illiterate and poor. I have no idea how he was able to come to America, being poor. He sailed on the ship "New Orleans" with no other family member I could see on the passenger list. He was reported to be 22 at the time he came in 1836, but on his naturalization intent in July of 1838, he reported himself to be 23. I'm almost certain he was Roman Catholic. He ended up coming to Indiana soon after arriving because that is where his naturalization intent was recorded, (Tippecanoe, Indiana). He was found in a census in Union, Fulton, Indiana in 1850 and was reported to be 38. He married Jane Mendenhall in Fulton, Indiana. I found a death record of a Michael Morrissey who died in 20 June1861, who was from Ireland and birthdate unknown. He is buried in St Mary's cemetary in Lafayette, Tippecanoe, Indiana.
My great x 3 paternal grand mother was Ellen Morrissey, born in County Kerry, 1841. Her mother was Honora Sullivan, I am unsure of her fathers name. Ellen married James Thomas Keane (B. 1837 County Kerry D. 1918 Temuka, New Zealand) and they immigrated to New Zealand, settling in Temuka. Ellen died in 1878. I have been unable to find anymore information beyond this and would love to make family connections also. Please contact Debi if you can help or may be family- email@example.com
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THANK YOU PARENTS AND GUARDIANS of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students! We have successfully completed all the Reading, Math and Science OSTs for this school year.
We also want to thank PTO for our annual Spring Dance. Students had a great time.
On Tuesday, May Festival music students will be performing.
On Wednesday, Girls on the Run will have their final session. Students will also be selecting books from the book swap.
On Thursday, Students will be selecting books from the book swap.
On Friday, We will be having our annual Field Day. If the weather in inclement, we will move Field Day to the following Friday, the 24th. Students are allowed to dress down for Field Day. Bellies and Shoulders must be covered. PTO will also be having a Treat Sale after school.
Here are other important announcements to remember:
If you have any questions about these weekly all calls, please call 330-761-7903 or email me at [email protected].


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"Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one."
-Stella Adler
Day 8 (05/25/11): A photo of something close up.
After my students finished their final exam on Monday, I promised them videos for the rest of the week. (Don't even ask me why their finals were scheduled a week before school gets out!) I worked really hard to find videos that were math-related, but still interesting. Yesterday my history of numbers documentary didn't go over very well. Perhaps they're still a little young to get the narrator's dry humor.
I was cautiously excited about today's offering. I rearranged our Netflix queue to immediately ship Between the Folds, a recent documentary that showcases the artistic, cultural, historical, mathematical, and technological aspects of origami. I also offered a stack of colored paper, available for the students to experiment as they watched. Although third period was "too cool" to fold paper and kept telling me how those people "don't have lives," the two other classes were really intrigued. And, creative! The picture above is a close-up of my favorite creation from today: a peacock with a cute little beak.
Btw... I totally recommend both of these documentaries, if you enjoy that kind of thing. I found both of them fascinating!


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Situated on 911sqm of land, this beautiful home is located on an idyllic street in a blue-chip suburb.
A grand double brick period home, positioned behind secure gates lush with greenery, means exclusivity, tranquility and privacy are at the heart of this home.
The lower level is an entertainer's haven. Open plan living, dining and kitchen seamlessly integrate indoor and outdoor lifestyle alongside the in-ground salt water pool. With a separate media, dining, study and pool room, this home suits all families no matter what stage of life. The gourmet kitchen, a culinary delight, with 900 Ilve 5 burner gas stove and teppanyaki plate, twin Fisher and Paykel dishwashers, island bench positioned so that the kitchen opens to the dining and lounge area. Located also on the ground level is a powder room, laundry and the spacious master bedroom, with his and hers walk-through robe and generous ensuite.
On the upper level, a further 4 bedrooms, each with access to a bathroom with separate toilet, make this home perfect for families and guests.
As expected in a home like this, air conditioning upstairs and in-floor central heating/air conditioning downstairs, with split systems servicing directly the master bedroom and pool room, remote controlled retractable blinds, two fireplaces, heated towel rails, and a security system.
In walking distance to St Rita's, St Agatha's Primary School, Clayfield College and moments to Eagle Junction State School, St Margaret's, Nudgee College, Brisbane Boys and Brisbane Girls Grammar. Only 2km to the trendy restaurant precinct of Racecourse Road, Ascot and 4km to the Newstead Gasworks, this home really is in the perfect location. Approx 10 minutes to Brisbane Airport and the CBD, this home is not only located in a premiere suburb, it is proximate to the wider Brisbane amenities.
The sellers are genuine and are looking for all offers in writing. Call to arrange your inspection today.


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You've heard the mantras often enough:
The cover sells the book
The cover is all important
Poor cover, poor sales
But what happens when the cover you use is something you like, really like, for several reasons, but the cover doesn't translate well to the computer monitor or e-Reader device? For me, it was a mystery with no apparent solution. In fact, it took me two weeks to resolve the dilemma.
Often, I would awaken in the early morning hours with visions of my original book cover dancing in my head, without the benefit of sugar plums to dress it up. The cover sported my choice of colors, but the layout was too dark to be appealing or easily visible on an electronic device. After spending hours designing a new cover, I would revert to the original. Because, beyond logic, I still liked it.
Tuesday morning, at 0438 hrs. to be precise, I crawled out of bed, accompanied by those dancing visions again. If I didn't want to keep losing sleep, I knew it was time to get serious about changing the cover on my latest Pepper Bibeau mystery novel, WITH FIERY VENGEANCE.
Now, finally, I have a new book cover, all dressed up for the ball, so to speak. No, it won't be attending any of the parties slated for President and Mrs. Obama's visit with ʻOhana here in Hawaii (the talk of the beauty parlor on Monday!) but I'd lay bets they would like the new design.
The reason this cover is appropriate for the novel is because the through-line focuses on Pepper's fourteen year old son, on circumstances occurring over the years that led to current situations, and how the boy is affected by events unfolding during Pepper's stay in Hawaii.
All of the Pepper Bibeau mysteries are available in ebook and trade book format at Amazon.com
The novels are free-standing, but if you want to start with Book 1, FOR EVERY ACTION in ebook format is available for 99 cents from 12/26/2013 to 1/1/2014.


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Yesterday the FHA released new guidelines designed to further stimulate the struggling housing market.
The FHA (Federal Housing Administration, an arm of the federal Housing & Urban Development department) is now allowing 'bridge loans.'
What's A Bridge Loan?
Just like a physical bridge, bridge loan financing gets you from here to there.
Bridge loans are short term financing. In this case, the mortgage company loans the buyer additional money to cover the costs of home buying that are above and beyond the purchase price. In exchange, the buyer turns over his/her federal income tax credit money to the lender.
What Does the New Bridge Loan Cover?
The new FHA guidelines allow first time homebuyers to use bridge loans to cover the following costs:
- additional cash down payment
- mortgage interest rate buydown costs
Use Bridge Loan as Down Payment?
Most buyers can't use bridge loan money as their required 3.50% cash down payment. However, buyers financing through state Housing Finance Agencies and certain non-profits will be able to use the tax credit for their down payments.
Why Is This Good?
The second two bulleted items above can both be great for a buyer. The bigger your down payment, the smaller your monthly mortgage payment. It almost goes without saying that lower interest rates mean lower payments.
Could This Be Bad?
Could be. A bridge loan by another name is often called a Payday Loan and Arizonans learned just how unpopular those are in the past election. The interest rates on short term loans can be sky-high. In addition there is a lot of data that shows mortgage default rates increase as cash down payments decrease. Finally, I haven't seen anything that addresses this situation: buyer borrows $4,000 on a bridge loan to cover closing costs, but is eligible for an $8,000 tax credit. Is the lender required to return the extra, unused $4,000? Presumably lenders will create their own regulations, but I'd advise buyers to read the fine print extra carefully if considering a bridge loan under these circumstances.
More Info for First Time Homebuyers
- The Arizona Mortgage Guru on "Do I Qualify for an FHA Loan?" (note this takes you away from The Phoenix Agents website)


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While the geopolitics dimension routinely sees most volatility from year to year, demography is much more stable. As before, we did not form an expert panel on demographics. And yet, those who follow the other dimensions are acutely aware of the importance demography holds for how a number of outcomes will be resolved in coming years. This slow pace of change makes the job of demographic policy analysis more subtle and challenging, but does not reduce its importance compared to other dimensions of change.
This makes a retrospective view valuable. 2015 marks 70 years since the end of WWII. Over this period the world Jewish population increased from 11 million to 14.2 million (or an addition of approximately one-third). Moreover, in each of the last seven decades there has been a rise in the number of Jews, with an especially salient increase in the last decade (between 2005 and 2015). These estimates of the Jewish population combine the objective definition of halachic criteria in Israel and subjective self-definition of group belonging for Diaspora Jewry. One may include two more sub-groups with current orientation to the Jewish people: immigrants to Israel (mainly from the FSU) and their offspring who met the criteria of the Law of Return, but do not define themselves according to any religion and are not halachic Jews. This group comprises some 350,000 people. Another group, mostly living in the United States, comprises people who regard themselves as "partially Jewish." The overwhelming majority of them are offspring of mixed parentage. This group is composed of approximately one million people. It is likely that the "partially Jewish" can be found in other Diaspora countries as well. Adding these groups to the Jewish population increases the size of the world Jewish population to some 16 million. This estimate is very close to the number of Jews in the world on the eve of WWII.
Along with the growth in the number of Jews in the world, their geographic dispersion has changed dramatically. In 1945 only 5 percent of world Jewry resided in Palestine/Israel, but today it is home to 43 percent of the total global Jewish population (of 14.2 million). At the same time, Jewish communities in countries in an earlier stage of modernization – in Asia and North Africa – have been emptied. With the more recent influxes from the FSU, Jews have converged in a small number of democratic, economically advanced, and culturally pluralistic countries. The presence of Jews in Diaspora countries is also notable because they are heavily concentrated in a few major cities and metropolitan areas. In the United States, the number of Jews is stable, and, presumably, somewhat increased (from 5 million in 1957, to 5.7 million today). This is a result of contradictory processes of low fertility compensated by positive international migration. Likewise, the average number of children born to Jewish women who are also raised Jewish increased. Although the drift toward intermarriage continues, more and more mixed marriages are transmitting Jewish identity to a growing number of Americans. For the first time in memory, a majority of the children of intermarried parents in the 18-30 age bracket identify as Jewish (59 percent). The general American population increased more rapidly, which has diminished the proportion of Jews from 2.8 percent in 1957, to only 1.8 percent today. In Israel, since the foundation of the state, the equilibrium between Jews and non-Jews (the former also includes people of "no religion") has remained fairly stable at 80 and 20 percent respectively. Major recent demographic developments in Israel include the near convergence of Jewish and non-Jewish fertility (around three children); and an increase in Jewish immigration (mainly from France and Ukraine). The overall trend of world Jewish demography is in a direction of growth.
These trends are not noteworthy compared to global demographic changes. But from a Jewish people policy perspective, the continued observation of these dynamics in the past year causes us to move the gauge for this dimension in a positive direction.


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Was war ever more "civilized"?
Can war be "civilized"? Is one era of mass organized armed conflict more "civilized" than the other? We asked experts to attempt to put this question into a historical perspective.
Meet the Vasectomists
The organizers of World Vasectomy Day want to educate the world about the values of voluntary male sterilization, one incision at a time.
Multiracial in America: Who gets to be "white"?
Jeremy Gordon on growing up multiracial, assimilation and "whiteness" in post-Obama America.
That inevitable Donald Trump-to-Adolf Hitler converting plug-in is here
"This project is childish and dumb," but desperate times call for desperate measures. Introducing the "Hitler has a toupee" Chrome plug-in. It works better than it should.
The lingering effects of NYC's racist city planning
While changing hearts and minds is essential for the end of racism, the infrastructure of cities will also have to be altered in order to have meaningful progress.
Meet the activist leading the lonely 'smokers' rights' movement
Audrey Silk, the founder of CLASH, is fighting for her right to smoke... anywhere she wants.
From Baghdad to Paris: David Shields on the problem with New York Times' war photography
With his new book War Is Beautiful, David Shields wants people to confront the influence the New York Times has over media and the power its images have over us.
Why isn't the KKK designated as a terrorist organization?
Anonymous dropped the names of over 1000 alleged members of the KKK today, we asked experts to explain the various reasons why the Ku Klux Klan isn't designated as a terrorist organization.
A visual history of abortion and birth control
Photographer Laia Abril pictures centuries of gadgets meant to delay or terminate pregnancy, from lemon rinds to knitting needles to enema syringes, first published by Hopes&Fears.
What will happen to China's undocumented "ghost children" after the one-child policy ends?
China has ended its "one child" policy. How will this affect the "ghost children" who for years have lived sans identification or access to public services as their families could not afford the fine?
This is the niche, dirty drug that landed a Saudi prince
in lock-up
A Saudi prince was allegedly busted with two metric tons of Captagon, or likely, its counterfeit brew of amphetamines popular on the Syrian battlefield. We talked to the DEA about its origins.
The private sale of guns online is virtually lawless
Picking up a gun at Walmart with your milk and eggs isn't the easiest way to get a gun. There's also the internet and its network of loosely regulated private gun sellers.
Holocaust expert:
Ben Carson's gun statements have "no relationship with fact"
We talked to Michael Berenbaum about why politicians exploit the Holocaust as a "negative absolute in society," and why Ben Carson's gun comments are "ridiculous."
We talked to sex worker advocates about the potential impact of the NYPD's Rentboy.com raid
This morning, the NYPD arrested Jeffrey Hurant, the CEO of male escort advertising site Rentboy.com, along with six employees.
Ken Burns speaks on the centrality of slavery in the American Civil War
"When Thomas Jefferson says all men are created equal, he owns a couple hundred human beings and he doesn't see the contradiction or the hypocrisy..."
22 veterans commit suicide in the US every day
A new bill passed by the US senate aims to reduce this epidemic.
After 95 years of women's suffrage, these people still can't vote in the United States
Women gained their hard-won right to vote in the US 95 years ago today, but many other groups are still waiting.
Who was Khaled al-Asaad and why should we remember him?
Khaled al-Asaad worked for 50 years as the head of antiquities in the Syrian city Palmyra, where he was killed.
Survey says Republicans have happier marriages than Democrats
Self-identified Republicans are more likely to be married and less likely to be divorced than self-identified Democrats. Republicans also say they are more satisfied with their marriages on average.


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First Impressions
I stepped off the plane the other day and realized something. Fall is almost here. You could feel it. Breeze with a hint of crispness. Leaves rolling through the street. Sun a little low on the horizon. After almost two and a half weeks of travel, things in Northern California definitely changed. Time to start breaking out the fall workout gear.
Last spring, we parked a Sugoi Alpha Hybrid Jacket in the closet. We purchased it pretty late in the season and never really gave it a go. It compares to products like the Eddie Bauer IgniteLite and The North Face Animagi, both reviewed here. And Sugoi makes both a running and cycling friendly version.
Our Sugoi Alpha Hybrid came in all black. Sugoi makes other combos including a red/black, blue/black and even a green called Berzerker. The Alpha Hybrid — like most products in the category — boasts a lightweight, synthetic stretch sleeve and shoulder for mobility and an insulated body to warm your core on a cool day. The company employs what they call MidZero fabric on the sleeve, back and sides which helps mobility. The body uses a Polartec brand synthetic insulation which delivers breathability and warmth.
Weight: 16 oz. (large)
Fabrics: Nylon, Polartec insulation
The front of the jacket presents a smooth, flat surface that's wind and water resistant. Sugoi provides three pockets: one zippered chest pocket and two handwarmers also zippered. There's also two interior pockets as well.
The collar stands up. The main zipper parks under a small protective garage for comfort. No thumb loops are provided.
The Sugoi Alpha Hybrid Jacket uses the company's semi-fit approach. Not too tight and not too relaxed either. We did find it snug enough to size up one. Men's large for us vs. our normal medium.
Final Verdict
The Sugoi Alpha Hybrid is one slick jacket. Nothing too fancy here, solid construction, fit and finish. The version we purchased was only $35, far below the normal retail price, and a definite bargain at that. If you can find one anywhere near that price, buy it.


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Scarves to show off
Want to beautify, cover or parade your neck with an elegant scarf? Check out the scarf collection of VHL Designs in Bruges and find a great scarf for every day of the week! The suppliers abroad are chosen with great care in order to always be able to offer you, the customer, the best quality available.
Inouïtoosh is a French company which creates its own designs and produces in the Dutch East Indies. In their collection you'll find unique scarves with animals, landscapes, portraits, and much more. The beautiful designs make these very high-quality scarves in Bruges something really special.
Colores de Otoño
Looking for something a little more exotic? Then the scarves of this Spanish brand are definitely for you! The articles are made in India, mainly using 100% silk. The result is a very fine, ultra-high quality product.
The Imperial scarves come directly from India. These 100% cashmere scarves are also called "pashmina" - a fine cashmere scarf, flexible and pleasant to wear.
Feel free to drop by and discover unique scarves in Bruges, and also handmade handbags and delightful jewellery. If you've any questions, feel free to contact us!


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For MBI users who are interested in displaying their dashboards and reports on screens throughout the office, there are a number of hardware options that can easily enable this setup.
Here is the list of things you will need for the option we recommend:
A television or monitor with HDMI input to broadcast to.
A wifi-enabled dongle running a lightweight OS, like Chrome OS or Raspberry Pi. Your dongle should have an HDMI output that connects to your screen, and displays your selected dashboards at all times. A dedicated machine running its own OS will be superior to a setup like Chromecast, where you would be limited to beaming the same dashboard to all connected screens. The dongle is best mounted behind your screen.
A USB keyboard and mouse to control your dongle.
A browser extension to rotate between several tabs at once. This allows you to set up any selected dashboards that you display in a unique tab. We recommend the Revolver Tabs extension if you are using Chrome.
Once you have all of the hardware above, you can open a browser window on your screen with a specific dashboard that you want to display in each tab. Finally, configure your browser to rotate through each dashboard at the desired frequency.


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Holl Villa – Stunning Villa in Legian
On 01st June 2017, Holl Villa was officially announced for opening to all valuable guest and partners. Holliday Villa offers 1 villas of One or Two Bedroom Villa with Private Pool. The villa is well designed, stunning and completed with private pool, Bathtub, kitchen with kitchenette, Living and dining area and sundeck by the pool which is suit and more comfortable for honeymooners and family. The villa offer free Wi-Fi internet connection in all villa area.
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Silicon Valley is building ADHD business cultures
I came across a presentation about Netflix Culture, originally developed by Netflix CEO and founder Reed Hastings. It has been used internally at Netflix for years and released publicly in 2009 (the online presentation received over 5 million views). So not exactly hot off the presses but it really rang a bell with my recent thoughts on the differences ADHD brings to our relationship with work, in what business contexts are we most effective and how can businesses better enable people with ADHD to succeed and shine. The values are now available on the Netflix website.
Normally in the long period it takes a company to grow, the ADHD founding entrepreneurs are side-lined or exit. Innovation and rule-breaking traits lose value, planning and process dominate. The founders leave to found new start-ups, where they can once again find greater self-determination, variety, novelty, creativity, excitement and flexibility.
The newish internet organisations break this traditional model. Their growth is so rapid that they often retain their neuro-diverse founders. These powerful and wealthy entrepreneurs then use their authority to shape their businesses in new ways, with values and philosophies far more in sympathy with thier ADHD work styles – check out the very different approaches to traditional business models and styles at Google, Facebook or Linked-In.
The ADHD way of working
Perhaps one day those of us with ADHD will no longer have to create our own business in order to find a company where we actually want to work and that recognises the value in our independence, innovation and lateral thinking.


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Using public transport
Ranking: useful
Publication date: June 2015
Public transport for someone with autism can pose particular challenges that complicate the journey if a dedicated taxi isn't available or you don't have access to car. This short guide runs through the key issues and offers help through the charity to help overcome them.
Follow this link to their web site.
To obtain a copy of the web page in an alternative format or language
Please write to:
Ambitious about Autism
The Pears National Centre for Autism Education
Woodside Avenue
Telephone: 020 8815 5444
Email: email@example.com


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Chamber Music Academy Coach
'Cille Lutsch has spent all but three years of her life living, breathing, hiking, and making music in the mountains of Colorado. She grew up on the Western Slope and then pursued her advanced education at Western State College, Colorado State University, and the University of Northern Colorado.
'Cille has performed with many regional orchestras and has worked as an orchestra manager and contractor. Most recently she has enjoyed an active chamber music performance schedule with several different ensembles including Five Suites to the Wind (a woodwind quintet), Synesthesia (flute, clarinet, cello, harp, and percussion) and of course her duo work with Frances Cobb, harpist. Outside the classical music genre, 'Cille enjoys collaborating with a wide variety of musicians, artists, and storytellers, and has recently added the melodica and the baritone ukulele to her wheelhouse.
A strong advocate for lifelong learning, 'Cille teaches flute lessons to players of all ages across Northern Colorado and coaches youth chamber ensembles with Off The Hook Arts in Fort Collins.


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It has been a little while since may last post.
I have been a lot occupied with my kids and being super dad. I Love It.
Anyway, Gojoewesley.com's activity has got off to a running start to get up to speed for this year. This past week Gojoewesley.com participated and appeared on Great Day Houston hosted by Debra Duncan.
Gojoewesley.com was there as a part of the NFLPA Houston Chapters support and promotion of the April 14 Stroll for Epilepsy http://www.eftx.org/, which will take place at the Houston Zoo. We were also accompanied by their biggest sponsor Cyberonics.
Here is the link to register. http://eftx.donordrive.com/index.cfmfuseaction=donorDrive.eventDetails&eventID=536
Hopefully you can come out and join us this year. We (NFLPA Houston) will be out signing autographs and having fun with the kids.
Here is the clip for the Great Day Houston Show.
Check it out and hope to see you at the April 14 Stroll of Epilepsy at the Houston Zoo.


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Hi, Thanks for popping in today. I hope you enjoy your visit to my little crafty corner of the universe. Don't forget to leave a little love, while you're here & I'll pop over to your blog and do the same!
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
One For The Boys
29 comments:
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liebe Grüße
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Owner Dragonfly Dreams
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¸..• ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.•´ .•´¨¨))*((¸¸.•´ ..•´
Shell in Alaska ~ OSAAT DT ~
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Liebe Grüße,
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Great card!ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing at MAWTT this week.
A really fun card Dawn. Love the image and design.ReplyDelete
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- AnonymousSaturday, April 26, 2014 10:22:00 pm
Hi Dawn, A fabulous card, love the colours and the design.ReplyDelete
Hugs Erin x
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Thank you for participating in the One Stitch at a Time Challenge this week!
Love The Orange Colors .. Cute Image .ReplyDelete
Thanxx For Joining Us This Week at Robyn's Fetish Challenge ,Good Luck
Sherry @ Robyn's Fetish DT
- AnonymousSunday, April 27, 2014 2:36:00 pm
Wow das ist ja großartig gewordenReplyDelete
Hab lieben Dank fürs mitmachen bei der Stempelsonne
Grüßle Tamesis
Super card, thank you for join us this month at Dragonfly dreams. Hugs Tania (DT) xxReplyDelete


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2014 Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft: Scouting Aaron Murray
Aaron Murray has been developing a lot of momentum lately, especially among Vikings fans—should an elite prospect like Khalil Mack or even Sammy Watkins be available at pick eight, perhaps the Vikings could take that talent and then take a prospect later in the draft who could fill the same position.
If it were the case that the quarterbacks in the third or fourth round are not significantly different than the ones in the first round, this would be a pretty awesome strategy—and Aaron Murray is central to a lot of plans Vikings fans have envisioned. He has been a statistical maven (the SEC passing yards and touchdown leader and the 2012 yards per attempt and adjusted yards per attempt leader in all of the FBS), and with a merely "OK" supporting cast, to boot—the undraftable Rantavious Wooten, mid-round prospect Arthur Lynch and a number of receivers who don't look promising for next year's draft—not to mention countless injuries at skill positions, including the loss of Todd Gurley, one of the nation's premier running backs.
Reputed to be a smart, accurate quarterback who's played in college's "toughest" division, what's not to like?
Accuracy: It's been easy for him to be accurate at the college level in terms of getting the ball to the receiver, but he is far too erratic in terms of putting the ball in a space with exclusive real estate to his players and has a number of balls overthrown, underthrown, thrown too far behind and too far ahead of his receiver to really be called "accurate".
In fact, even at the base level of getting the ball to his receiver, Murray falls behind the others in his class. One can look at a passing chart created of Murray over seven games (Clemson, Florida, Missouri, Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, South Carolina) and compare it to the passing charts of the other four I've done charting work for, as well as the modified charts that adjusts attempts for system:
Murray is not inaccurate in this context, but a player considered "accurate" should significantly beat his peers. His ball placement is a big concern and could hamper an offense in a big way. He seems to have a sense of who will be open, but not a precise understanding of where they will be. Alternatively, he simply could not be that accurate.
If that's the case, there's not a lot that can be "fixed," as he doesn't have a lot of accuracy-related mechanical issues that will resolve this level of relative inaccuracy, though he does have mechanical work that needs to be done.
Relative to the rest of the class, his passing on the run is a bit better (though not as good as Bridgewater, Manziel or Bortles) when rolling to his right, but one of the worst in the class when rolling to his left. From a distance perspective, he really flags in deep accuracy.
It's difficult to tell with the charts above, but he is one of the worst in the class at deep shots. The five attempts tracked at 35+ don't tell the whole story; the 32 attempts at 20+ do begin to paint a better (though not great) picture, though. Bortles is at the top of the tracked quarterbacks at 73.3% (32 attempts), Bridgewater follows at 65.9% (44 attempts) and Carr and Manziel follow shortly after with 59.4% (64 attempts) and 58.5% (53 attempts). Murray, on the other hand fell to 46.9%.
Overall, I was disappointed with Murray's general accuracy because his reputation demanded more.
Delivery: Murray will have a long, looping delivery at times, and compact at others. To compound that, he will occasionally tip his hand by shaking the ball before throwing. I've found his release to elongate more often in games where he's been hit often (like early on against Clemson, or later in the season against LSU), and that may speak to mechanical issues that will be exposed more often at the next level—even in live games, it is easier to hide ingrained muscle memory at the college level than in the NFL.
I really like his footwork when throwing, but haven't seen enough of it coming out of a drop. Murray has fantastic rotation and setup with his base. He has great follow-through with his shoulders and hips to put power on the ball. Unfortunately, his variable release means that the timing of his footwork can be off and hurt accuracy on his throws. When his motion is tight, he steps forward into the throw. When his motion is longer, his lead foot hits the ground while he's still cocking the ball back and he loses a lot of potential energy. Tom Brady, who sometimes has an elongated release that dips low (though not below the hip, like Murray), does not have this issue with his footwork.
This isn't to say Murray always has a long, looping motion. There are a number of times that he keeps it compact and carries the ball high throughout the throw.
He has an issue with balls batted down at the line of scrimmage; it seemed like it happened once or twice in every game I scouted. Some of this has to do with his general throwing—the nose drives the ball down further than it should—and some of it has to do with his long release. A player like Blake Bortles, at 6'5", doesn't have to worry about this as much but Murray has to watch out a little bit more because of his long release and the fact that he doesn't slide into throwing lanes (more important at 6'0 1/2").
In general, he can throw from multiple platforms, and will sometimes willfully change his release in order to gain an advantage—a great thing, though a little odd that he can't keep a consistent or even good release in normal throwing situations. The ball he throws would generally be catchable when accurate, but the trajectory problems that force the ball too low or too high make it very difficult for his receivers to get to the ball. This is part of the reason that Murray's drop rate (14%) is higher than anyone else I've tracked so far, even after adjusting for distances (for reference: Bridgewater: 6.5%, Carr: 12.7%, Bortles 9.6%, Manziel 8.0%).
One final note, I'm not an expert in delivery mechanics, but it sure seems like Murray hasn't nailed down when to let go of the ball or consistently pushes it away with his fingers in the same way—sometimes the ball will leave his hand with the nose too high, while at other times it will leave with the nose pointed far too low. This affects the trajectory of the ball in significant ways, and when this happens, Murray's throws are wildly off target.
Ball Velocity: This is less important for Murray than it is a number of other quarterbacks in this class, but the point should be made here: arm strength matters.
It has recently become vogue to denigrate arm strength as an evaluative tool, and that makes sense. It certainly is not as valuable as the NFL seems to make it out to be when they draft poorly trained, strong-armed throwers over precise, weak-armed throwers. But that does not mean it is valueless, and the move to get away from traditionalists who value Giovanni Carmazzi over players like Tom Brady may have overcorrected.
This is not to say it is the primary evaluative criteria or that the NFL values arm strength correctly (I think they overrate it in practice—during the draft), but it isn't irrelevant by any means.
It is critical that quarterbacks at least possess sufficient arm strength. Certainly, after a threshold, marginal increases in arm strength do not provide as much value as marginal increases in other traits. But that does not mean it is "less important" than other obviously key traits, like pocket presence and accuracy. Both of those can be "threshold" traits as well, where a sufficient amount in one can be good enough to lead a successful franchise. The difference, of course, is that most draft-eligible quarterbacks possess NFL-sufficient arm strength, but not necessarily NFL-sufficient pocket presence or accuracy.
Further, marginal increases in accuracy help a quarterback more than marginal increases in arm strength after a certain point. The reason that a quarterback needs to have appropriate arm strength is not the reason that many discuss: deep ball passing (though it certainly helps there). There are very few college prospects that cannot throw the ball 50 yards or more. Instead, there are a number of other reasons the emphasis on ball velocity makes sense.
The first is simply the size of the throwing windows in the NFL. Holes in coverage are smaller and the space between defenders will close faster at the next level, so the ball has to rocket through those small spaces, even on a seven-yard crossing route. A slower ball has no chance to get throw multiple closing windows.
Beyond that, most NFL offenses have an element of timing in them, which means that the receivers know when the ball should be coming, but the defense has to react. A slower ball gives the defense more time to react and make a play on the ball. Leveling the playing field in that manner is deadly for an offense.
A strong arm also makes deep shots more reliable by flattening the throws and giving the throws more consistency and predictability for the offense and threatening the entire field for the defense. A defense that only has to defend some of the field is an effective defense.
The ability to flick the wrist and still make a high velocity throw also reduces the margin for error for a lot of quarterbacks. Nearly any quarterback can make a top-tier throw in a clean pocket with time and room, but it takes a lot of skill and technical precision to reset ones' self before throwing again with less than a second of time to adjust. Most quarterbacks, even in the NFL, do not fully have that skill. Arm strength can make up for it and give more wiggle room when dealing with these issues, artificially boosting accuracy and performance under pressure.
Taking the time to reset is an extremely difficult skill to learn and maintaining good mechanics when moved off of one's spot is tough. Arm strength covers some of those difficulties up, and allows QBs not only to make an accurate throw, but create some consistency and hit spots on the field they otherwise wouldn't be able to. This is also useful when it comes to throwing on the run, switching to hot routes on blitzes and throwing the ball away under pressure.
The last reason arm strength matters is not as significant as you might think given the conditions Minnesota will have to play in, but can be important: weather. Driving the ball through strong winds requires not just velocity (which great mechanics can help provide, but it's something arm strength becomes important for) but a good spiral that catches less in the wind. Even pockets of air in domes can hinder ball movement, though at the NFL level it's a minor effect.
An OK indicator of ball velocity comes from the radar gun at the Combine, and @AllbrightNFL has pointed out, no quarterback has thrown below 55 miles per hour at the Combine and succeeded in the NFL. It's not a complete proxy for arm strength, as big guns like Joe Flacco (who actually threw at 55 MPH) don't score as high as you'd expect. More importantly, not all quarterbacks get tested with a radar gun or are attempting to drive the ball the same. Still, it's an interesting point in the evolving debate about arm strength.
At times, Murray feels like he's riding the line in terms of arm strength and I worry that it's not "sufficient" to get the job done, even if he was an extremely accurate quarterback (he's not). As Sigmund Bloom and Matt Waldman point out in the Football Guys podcast, there could be an interesting discussion involving players with weak arms like David Fales—if it's a threshold issue, then players like Fales are out of the discussion.
But if there's a sliding scale between arm strength and accurate anticipation (and players like Peyton Manning and arguably Tom Brady prove there could very well be), then Fales could be in the conversation as a legitimate starter. Unfortunately, Murray is not yet at that point. If he were sufficient at one of the two skills, he would definitely be intriguing, but he is arguably not strong enough or accurate enough.
That isn't a death knell. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees all increased ball velocity and arm strength upon entering the NFL. It doesn't seem to be as permanent as people make it out to be, but isn't the kind of thing one projects to improve a significant amount.
In terms of touch, Murray is judicious about taking pace off the ball when necessary, and like to throw bucket passes when his receivers win against man coverage. He also is smart about how the angles change at different speeds and can generally arc it when he needs to. He just has a problem of arcing it too much.
Pocket Presence: Aaron Murray has surprising inconsistency when it comes to pocket presence. Usually when players are relatively inconsistent, it can be explained by a general rule: they usually feel pressure but react too early, making some actions look preternatural and others look scared. For Murray, it's pretty clear that he is sometimes very good at sensing edge pressure and getting away from it, and sometimes completely oblivious to it—an odd combination. Moreover, he has some games where pressure clearly gets to him and his mechanics suffer (Missouri) while he has others where constant pressure isn't nearly as much problem mechanically (Clemson, though that was his least accurate game I've scouted).
Murray occasionally drifts into pressure, which eliminates space for him on his throws and exposes him to more pressure and potential sack opportunities. It hurts his mechanics, (sometimes, being rushed contributes even more), and his throws under pressure are much more inaccurate despite the fact that it looks like he's standing tall in the pocket.
He also has a few times where he'll overreact to pressure, lean back from it or rush his throws in response to it. Those instances are further apart than most people with pocket presence issues, but they're there and they will be magnified in the NFL.
My bigger issue is that he manages interior pressure very poorly and has extremely inconsistent edge management (sometimes climbing the pocket, sometimes leaning away, sometimes sensing pressure, sometimes remaining oblivious). Those times he has poor pocket presence and makes mistakes are not really counterbalanced all that well by those times he has good presence, because he simply is an OK quarterback in a clean pocket.
I have minor ball security problems with him as well, sometimes in exchange and sometimes while sacked (though many of these were ruled incompletions, it speaks of a worrisome trend). It doesn't appear every game, but it worries me a lot; much more than with anybody else I've reviewed. At least Manziel, who is careless about his ball carriage, still hasn't fumbled the ball all that often. Both Manziel and Murray, however, should be careful—their low fumble stats probably won't carry over into next year.
Field Sense: For all the clamoring about the control that Murray has in the "pro-style" offense that Mike Bobo ran at Georgia, there doesn't seem to be as much in Murray's control as people have been implying. That's fine, most college quarterbacks don't have the full arsenal of plays to call, and it's rare that a passer has access to every play when approaching the line, like Bridgewater does.
But while Murray seems to have responsibilities for protections and presnap reads, the audibles are called from the sideline. I have seen from sources that I respect that Aaron Murray is in full control of audibles and the playbook, but watching the games for the countless times the team looks to the sideline and changes plays, or reading the comments from fans and bloggers about Murray's frustrating lack of control at the line of scrimmage leads me to believe that he really doesn't.
At any rate, Murray's habit of forcing throws, combined with his long release time makes him extremely poor against zone coverage, where most of his interceptions came from this last year. He also misses defenders at times (as in, he doesn't know where they are) or doesn't see how they'll react to his throw. He also likes to throw across his body, which is generally inadvisable for players that lack either arm strength or stunning accuracy, and the low velocity of those throws, along with the general inaccuracy, will create additional turnovers.
Further, one big aspect to "pro-style" work is playing under center and reading while dropping back to pass, working within a rhythm with footwork and maintaining pocket integrity. Murray took the vast majority of his snaps from under shotgun as Mike Bobo moved closer and closer to a spread-style system with four and five receivers, wider lineman splits and fewer pro-style route concepts for Murray to read through.
They've been doing that for far longer than people may think, and almost all passes from under center have been I-formation play-action passes, instead of non-constraint passing plays with traditional route progressions. Because of that, I think it will take longer for him to adapt to an NFL offense than people typically indicate.
That said, Aaron Murray clearly goes through progressions and is willing to scan the full field, unlike many prospects higher up than him on draft boards. He clearly looks off safeties and is willing to use his eyes to move the defense around. He'll hold defenders in place and will anticipate receivers (though he is late on them a lot of times) getting open against those defenses.
His progressions are quick and generally correct, though he'll move on from an open safer receiver in his progression in order to see if more aggressive option is open—and that can lead to mistakes.
Nevertheless, his ability to master some of the more subtle crafts of quarterbacking shouldn't be ignored and it's sometimes just pleasant watching film of him playing particular defenders like a fiddle when they aren't doing the same to him.
Scrambling/Running: Like Derek Carr's athleticism, extremely underrated because of his offensive system. Would be effective at running in any system that dosed in two or three quarterback runs a game and shouldn't limit him from any particular play or scheme in the NFL. But that's only one-off, straight-line speed.
Murray isn't an accomplished "runner" in the sense that he has great vision, agility or patience to really run like a good runner should, but that is mostly judging against other runners at the quarterback position. He is much better than the average pocket passer as a runner and should be used in that way from time to time.
As a scrambler, he's functionally OK but doesn't create big gains or consistently get away from pressure to be considered a great scrambler.
Intangibles: It is once again difficult to speak to this, but I feel obligated to include this. In order to defer my made-up responsibility on this, I'll just quote Scouts, Inc.:
Holds a career record of 35 and 17 as a starter. Respected by teammates and coaches. Adequate leadership skills. Will get vocal when he needs to. Strong work ethic and willing to put in the time. Enjoyed the party life early on but has matured as career progressed. Very good student (named to SEC Academic Honor Roll multiples semesters). Showed improved poise in big moments as a senior rallying fourth quarter comeback against LSU, Tennessee and in the Auburn Hail Mary game (loss).
Good enough.
Primary Concerns: I'm really confused as to why Murray hasn't consistently gotten better as a passer (I don't mean statistically) over the course of his time at Georgia. Unless his 2010 game against Auburn is a fluke, he was phenomenal (even though some of his throws have terrible footwork), even if you account for the fact that he was throwing to A.J. Green, Tavarres King, Orson Charles and Kris Durham. The ball had more zip and spiraled better, even with sidearm throws. He displayed incredible arm strength, quick and correct decisionmaking and only needed to clean up the lower half of his body on throws. He was unafraid of pressure (but a bit stupid about it sometimes) and a great scrambler. What happened? His ball placement even was better.
There's a chance it was a fluke. His 2011 against South Carolina was abysmal (aside from, interestingly enough, an incredible scramble), but I'm still worried about why his delivery looks worse now, and why his accuracy doesn't seem up to his redshirt freshman self. Even his other 2011 tape (say against Auburn again or Michigan State) looks good. His 2012 tape isn't nearly as stellar (I looked at his game against Tennessee and South Carolina. I also looked at the SEC Championship game against Alabama, where Murray put the third-most efficient passing performance Alabama saw that year, despite Murray's poor box score—it looked like a decent game from the QB at a quick glance, with a glaring error), but some of it looks like it could be an improvement over some of the 2013 stuff I saw.
So, without a great explanation—why would the 2010-2011 stuff look better than the 2012-2013 stuff?
I cannot emphasize how much his weakness against zone coverage bothers me. He will too often throw the ball close enough to a defender that they can close on the ball, and he usually doesn't see them. Against man coverage, Murray has a decent instinct of where to throw the ball, but seemingly cannot handle those players that read his eyes, as good as he is at masking his decisions.
The fact that the ball is often slow out of his hands when playing risky against those zones exacerbates the problem. Already making ill-advised decisions, he needs more zip on the ball to follow through on them.
Aaron Murray's ACL injury is one of the biggest concerns people have about him entering this draft, and that makes a lot of sense. After seeing what Robert Griffin III turned into after his knee injury, there's a good reason to be wary. It's true that Murray showed well at his Pro Day and that ACL treatment seems to have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, but it introduces more uncertainty into his prospects, and it's not something that can be waved away easily.
If we accept that he's not guaranteed to return to his former self, we should at least estimate a probability. Based on what we've seen, something like 80% makes a lot of sense if we're being generous. Jamaal Charles and Adrian Peterson came back, but it took a lot of time for Darrelle Revis to return to his former self and some players didn't meet those same standards (Kyle Williams of the 49ers wasn't great before his injury but was definitely worse after it, while Jake Ballad has done nothing).
If 80% of a backup-quality player is what you're getting (or an 80% chance of getting the player you scouted to be a backup-quality player), it is difficult to justify a good pick.
One last note: Murray's height and short arms have come up a few times, and while I think the arm length is relevant to the analysis of whether or not he can improve his arm strength (his earlier tape implies that he'll be able to, so not a huge worry), his height is only relevant if his release point is too low (it's not) and whether or not he slides to open lanes or finds other ways to account for his height. It may, in some small part, contribute to the batted passes we see, but I think the fact that he fires low in general has a greater impact.
Conclusion: Based on what I saw in 2013 on tape (before other concerns), I would give Aaron Murray a late fourth-round grade and would not except to anyone who graded him as a fifth-round prospect. I was not as careful to break down his 2010-2011 tape, but if my initial impressions match potential deeper work, Aaron Murray could be worth a low first-round pick. He still wasn't 100% in sensing pressure and there were some ball placement concerns, but he had more accuracy and arm strength (significantly more arm strength) than the seven-game review of 2013 (and that was before the injury) and the quick look at 2012.
That's a loose grade not subject to the rigor that I gave the 2013 tape, but worth thinking about. Because of that, I would move Murray up off of my 2013 evaluation (by a round)—something is definitely there worth investigating, even if we're willing to say that he had more to work with when he looked better. We could just as easily say his high drop rate may be attributable to a terrible supporting cast (I don't really think so) or that his chemistry was too far off with a rotating corps or any number of other things. Basically: if we're downgrading him for his good supporting cast in previous years, we need to ask why we wouldn't upgrade him for his poor cast this year.
But to finalize the circular arguments, one would need to explain the difference in statistical output in 2012-2013 if his supporting cast was the reason he looked weaker. At the end, it's not worth the chance, especially with an injury in the books. Because of that injury, I'd bump him back down one more round to the fourth round.
To reiterate: fourth-round grade based off the tape, but he gains a round because of previous work and loses that round due to injury. I like him best as a backup in a rhythm-oriented offense, such as the Coryell offense Turner will run, but that doesn't mean I think he has starter potential.


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Maximize your time in Auckland on this private tour. You may choose to see some of the following: Some of New Zealands finest scenery around Auckland, visit a number of arty, charming and historic villages, learn about the indigenous Maori Culture, walk on the craters edge of an ancient volcano, and discover the Wild West coast. Snacks are included in your tour.
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Press Release
AALDEF Statement in Support of New Relief for Undocumented Youth
Today the Obama Administration announced a new policy that will make certain undocumented youth eligible for renewable two-year deferred action on removal proceedings or deportation from the United States. Those youth who demonstrate eligibility for this prosecutorial discretion will also be eligible for work permits. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) supports this important action that will affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of undocumented youth, and which highlights the reality that millions of undocumented people form the economic backbone of this country.
The administration's action, effective immediately, will apply to those who are currently under 30 years old, who arrived in the country before they turned 16, have lived in the U.S. for five years, and have earned a high school diploma or remained in school.
AALDEF has been collaborating with Asian American DREAM Act-eligible youth (DREAMers) in New York and New Jersey to create a youth group to support Asian American DREAMers and to assist their organizing for a just path toward legalization and equal access to education. One of the frustrations most frequently expressed by the youth, many of whom were brought to the United States as children by their parents, has been their inability to work legally despite graduating with honors from high school and college. Consequently they are subject to many of the same abuses in the workplace suffered by millions of other undocumented immigrants.
While the new action stops deportations, it does not offer a path to citizenship, which is critical for undocumented youth.
"We are inspired by the DREAMers, who have taken a stand for justice and led the way for the important actions taken today by President Obama," said AALDEF Executive Director Margaret Fung.
In the coming months, through the efforts of the youth group, AALDEF will work with undocumented youth to seek deferred action status or other available relief.
Ujala Sehgal
212.966.5932 x217
Image via LongIslandWins/Flickr


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Australia: The Land Where Time Began
Large Kangaroos
There are 6 species of large kangaroo, the red kangaroo being the most common, as well as being the only one that is restricted to the arid zone, inhabiting the better watered plains and low open woodlands, with its heartland in western New South Wales. It occurs in most parts of central Australia, with the exception of true desert areas, extending its range to the north as far as the northwestern coast. Its range covers areas where the unpredictable annual rainfall is less the 800 mm, and the mean annual temperature is above 15oC. It is absent from areas with predictable rainfall, such as the southwest corner of the continent and southern and eastern areas and Tasmania, and from the tropical latitudes north of 14oS. It occurred as far south as the southern coast 12,000 years ago, at time when the rainfall pattern or the mean temperature differed from the present (Flannery & Gott, 1984; Caughley et al., 1987b).
The euro occupies the hills and ranges in an overlapping distribution with that of the red kangaroo, which occupies the plains. Being adapted for hill-climbing, the euro is stockier and has shorter hind legs. The eastern wallaroo, a subspecies of euro, extends the distribution as far as the eastern coast of Australia, well beyond the rangelands. The distribution of the euro extends north into the tropics. In this part of its range there are 2 closely related species, the antilopine wallaroo and the black wallaroo. It is believed the populations of the euros and wallaroos are probably similar to that of red kangaroo, though they haven't been estimated (Edwards, 1989).
In the eastern and southern regions of the continent, 2 species of grey kangaroo dominate in areas with predictable rainfall that is seasonal. In eastern Australia and Tasmania, the eastern grey kangaroo has its heartland in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, where the predominate season for rainfall is summer. In spite of a favourable climate in South Australia and Western Australia, it does not occur in these areas. The least common of the 4 species is the western grey kangaroo, occurring only where the main rainfall occurs in the winter, its heartland being in southern New South Wales, a gradient of lower density of population extending through South Australia to Western Australia. It is also found on Kangaroo Island, but not eastern Victoria or Tasmania. Western grey kangaroos have a high tolerance for sodium fluoroacetate, a poisonous substance that occurs in 33 plant species of the genera Gastrolobium and Oxylobium, that occur in Western Australia. No plants from eastern Australia are known to contain this poison. The western grey kangaroo has a high tolerance for this poison, as do other marsupials from Western Australia. The lethal dose is 20 mg/kg body weight (Oliver et al., 1979). Western grey kangaroos from Kangaroo Island and New South Wales share the tolerance exhibited by the Western Australian animals. It has been suggested that the tolerance for the poison in populations or western grey kangaroos from areas where the poison-containing plants are not found is evidence that the species originated in western Australia (Tyndale-Biscoe, 2005). If it was named from its distribution at the present it should be called the southern grey kangaroo, but this tolerance indicates that the name is more appropriate.
Though for different reasons, the red kangaroo and grey kangaroo species live south of latitude 14oS, north of this latitude it is too hot for the eastern grey, too wet for the red kangaroo and too hot in summer and too dry in winter for the western grey kangaroo (Coughley et al., 1984, 1987b). The ranges of the 4 main species overlap considerably in the southern half of the continent, in parts of western New South Wales all 4 species are found together where all their ranges overlap.
The most important factor influencing the locality and extent of their range is the effective rainfall, the amount of rainfall in excess of evaporation, when there is enough soil moisture to induce seed germination leading to the growth of nutritious ephemeral plants that are their main food source and which are required for successful reproduction. Other factors kangaroos species of the inland arid areas must contend with are high temperatures, food of low nutritional value, and often with a high salt content and limited shade. The kangaroos of this area must have some physiological and behavioural mechanisms to overcome these problems in their environment, they must control heat load, and conserve water and energy resources. The effectiveness of their responses to these adverse conditions determines their breeding success and hence their numbers. The red kangaroo and the euro have adapted most fully to these conditions, each in their own particular way.
Tyndale-Biscoe, Hugh, 2005, Life of Marsupials, CSIRO Publishing.
|Author: M.H.Monroe Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Sources & Further reading


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The Story: Don't eat the fruit in the garden, Eden,, It wasn't in God's natural plan., You were only a rib,, And look at what you did,, To Adam, the father of Man.
The Story: You smell like goat, I'll see you in hell
The Story: All the b***h had said, all been washed in black
The Story: And my blunt is my ho now
The Story: At home, drawing pictures, Of mounds of tots, With ham on top
"Last Dollar (Fly Away)" Funny Misheard Song Lyrics
by Tim McGraw
Did you or a friend mishear a lyric from "Last Dollar (Fly Away)" by Tim McGraw? Click here and tell us!
Misheard "Last Dollar (Fly Away)" LyricsOne, two, three, there's a bird on me.
Other Songs by Tim McGrawDon't Take the Girl
Down on the Farm
For A Little While
I Like It, I Love It
Indian Outlaw
It's Your Love
Just To See You Smile
Let It Go
Live Like You Were Dying
My Best Friend
One Of These Days
Over and Over
Real Good Man
Watch the Wind Blow By
Funniest Misheards by Tim McGraw


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When the Ricardo Palma Hospital, in Lima, Peru, became part of the large private Spanish hospital group Quirónsalud in December 2016, it marked the first time the Spanish network had expanded beyond its borders.
The alliance happened to come two months after Quirónsalud's own acquisition by Fresenius Helios, a German healthcare network that already was Europe's largest publicly traded healthcare provider. Together, Quirónsalud and Helios now qualify as the largest European hospital group, with a combined total of 156 hospitals and another 367 outpatient centers in Germany and Spain — and now Peru.
Mario Gonzalez, a hospital CEO in the Spanish healthcare system for 20 years, took on the role of general manager of Ricardo Palma in January 2017. Quirónsalud, he says, has great hopes for Ricardo Palma as an important foothold in the Peruvian market. (This interview was conducted in Spanish.)
Why did Quirónsalud decide to expand outside of Spain?
The company had grown a lot within Spain — we're present across nearly the entire territory, with eleven hospitals in Madrid, seven in Barcelona, and two in Sevilla. Expanding was a logical consequence.
Why Peru?
We looked for a market where we have a connection. Latin America was a very natural option to grow our line of business because we have the culture and the language — that helps a lot. Within Latin America, we considered various alternatives: There were options in Chile, Colombia, and here in Peru. But for various reasons that have to do with the country itself and the level of presence of other foreign companies in the country, we picked Peru. On top of that, there was an opportunity that emerged to be able to form an alliance with a hospital like the Ricardo Palma Hospital, which we had a lot of respect for.
It was a process that lasted close to four years — this wasn't something that was sudden nor an agreement that was put together quickly. It is a strategic alliance that was the result of much study and analysis between the old owners of the hospital and the Quirónsalud group.
What's the hardest thing about forming an international alliance?
The hardest part is finding the right candidate. It's complicated to find that hospital that, because of its trajectory, spirit, vocation, and vision, shares the values of an organization that wants to partner with it. In that respect, we were very lucky. We were looking for an institution in the private sector within Lima that was clearly a model. And we wanted a hospital that was a complex clinic, not one that just had low complexity cases. We needed to find an institution that has all these characteristics in the right moment.
The hospital, of course, has to be in a country that you're interested in, and it has to be willing to establish a strategic alliance. There are a lot of hospitals that are very good but that want to continue to function in an autonomous manner, which is totally acceptable. So you need, in the end, a kind of perfect storm for something like this to happen.
That's why it's important to look at a lot of alternatives and not just limit yourself to one country initially. You have to say, "Let's see where else we can set ourselves up." We looked at Lima, but if it wasn't happening in Lima, we may have had to look at another country.
Why did it take so long? You said negotiations took four years.
I was not directly involved, but negotiations just take a long time. You have to make proposals, you have to make detailed analyses. You have to add in the distance factor — meetings took place in both Peru and Spain, which isn't as quick as if they took place within the same country. And every country has its own rhythm.
What do you see as the longer-term value of the acquisition?
We don't just see the opportunity in the Ricardo Palma Hospital, but rather an opportunity, if the economic circumstances of Peru and of the health sector go well, for us to cover other niches within the health market here. I would like to be very cautious about this, though, because we have only been in this hospital for four months. We have some very clear objectives for this year. When we evaluate how the year went, it will be a good opportunity to sit down in Madrid with the leaders of the group and consider a strategy for the future and what Quirónsalud's role should be in Lima. A third of the Peruvian population lives in Lima, so we would begin here and then think of other alternatives. This also depends on the opportunities that present themselves.
Peru is one of the countries in Latin America with the greatest potential for growth. And the health needs of the population here are still largely unmet. There is a statistic here: People say that Peruvians do not go to a doctor for nearly half of their health needs. It is very important that as the economy grows, the population benefits from this growth. When the middle class begins to seek healthcare and health insurance, I can tell you that the structure of private hospitals here in Lima will be insufficient to meet the demand.
Positioning in Peru right now is strategic positioning to be here for the future; to be in the right place at the right time and able to take advantage in that precise moment. The prognosis is that in the next year and half the economy and the health sector will pick up again. It is a big opportunity. Those who are here will have the opportunity to grow. Those who are not yet here will have to pay the price of arriving and setting up and getting to know the market — and they will clearly be at a disadvantage.
U.S. hospitals are expanding rapidly around the globe. Was this a motivating factor for Quirónsalud to come to Peru, where there is no presence of U.S. hospital groups?
No. There is a tradition of relationships between Spain and Latin America because of culture, affinity, and language. I would say that among Spanish companies, their areas of expansion in recent history have been in Europe — because of the European Union — and Latin America.
Can you talk a little bit about what are you focusing on at the Ricardo Palma Hospital?
This is a very successful hospital. It has a 40-plus year trajectory and stands out as a model hospital in Peru. With the entrance of Quirónsalud, with an ownership of 50 percent and management of the hospital, we are trying to implement a management style we have in Spain.
When we looked at ways we could optimize the hospital, for instance, we found that there were clear gaps in the patient attention process. We are concerned about how the entire process goes for a patient from the moment they arrive and check in, are seen by the doctor, go for different clinical tests, and then pick up their prescriptions. This process has to be clearly coordinated with minimal wait times.
What we found when we arrived was that in each and every one of these parts of the process, there were significant wait times, and that this has been a source of dissatisfaction among the patients and their family members who accompany them. This was the first point where we really focused our attention when we arrived. Whoever is waiting to check in or to pick up a prescription should never wait more than five minutes, and the normal wait time should be between one and two minutes.
We are also in the process of changing the appearance of the hospital. We are receiving proposals right now. It's fine now, but we want the first visual impression patients get, from when they first walk in the front door to when they sit in any of the waiting rooms, to be that they are in a modern and inviting environment. We are also going to work very intensely on everything that has to do with information systems and electronic records. With the exception of the emergency department, which works with electronic records, everything here is still done on paper. During 2017 and 2018, we want to implement an electronic records system based on our group's model. This will allow us to establish an integrated communications system. If a patient is seen here and in the future goes to Europe and needs some type of a procedure at one of our hospitals, the European hospital won't have to begin from scratch.
Will this kind of coordination extend to the clinical level?
Of course. In our hospitals we have collaboration on an as-needed basis. If professionals here want to go to Spain to learn a specific technique, we can help them do that. And if we develop a technique here that could be interesting for professionals in Spain, they could come here and learn. It's difficult because of scheduling, with the seven hours of time difference between here and Spain. But an environment of collaboration is going to be very permanent on all levels.
How might the hospital evolve, going forward?
There are three vertices around which a hospital should revolve: treatment, teaching and research. The most important part is the treatment. But what sustains a hospital is teaching and research. Our interest as we look towards 2018 is to incorporate teaching here. We have a central location and great medical knowledge within the hospital. We need to take advantage of the fact that we have some of the best professionals in the country in many specialties, so that doctors who have recently graduated from school can train in a specialty here. And we should take advantage of the opportunity for this training to not be complemented with just a single vision of one country's reality. We should take advantage of the possibilities that the group gives us in Spain to be able to send specific professionals to complete pieces of their training in hospitals in Madrid, Seville and Barcelona, where we have world class specialists.
— Catherine Elton
Catherine Elton is a freelance journalist and business writer based in Lima, Peru.


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Wales is a popular holiday destination for couples, families and groups, and provides an abundance of attractions and sightseeing tours sure to please everyone no matter their age. A boat hire Cardiff is perfect for travellers who are looking for a unique way to see stunningly beautiful sites along our waterways.
Our boat hire Cardiff trips begin at Mermaid Quay — a historical graving dock in Cardiff Bay — and travels through the Cardiff Barrage, into the Bristol Channel and out to sea. The total round trip lasts for about 90 minutes and includes an onboard commentary informing the passengers of historical information and fun facts about the area.
A few of the sites you will see on the cruise include St. David's Hotel, BBC Wales, Millennium Centre, Cardiff Barrage locks, the Norwegian Church, Penarth Pier, the Doctor Who Exhibition, Steepholm Island, the Cardiff Devils ice hockey and Flatholm Island.
Grab yourself and your party some tea or coffee — which along with various other drinks and snacks are available for our passengers to purchase onboard — and relax while cruising through Cardiff and Penarth via the calming waterways. In addition, nothing makes for a better picture backdrop of you and your family, friends or group than the Cardiff skyline. We also offer an onboard toilet for your convenience. You can easily book your trip online or by contacting us through our website. Keep in mind, however, that when booking your boat hire Cardiff our ship only sets sails on school holidays and weekends, and that we are at the mercy of the tide and weather.