text:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
And yesterday it didn't sound as if the phone were ringing off the hook. "People call and they're trying to see what you're doing," Walsh said. "It's not that hot, I wouldn't say that. But there are conversations going on."
Most teams with any interest in the Knicks' players are in observation mode right now, according to some NBA team executives. For instance, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons are believed to be monitoring Zach Randolph, who has played very well so far, but his contract ($48 million left over three years) still compromises the Knicks' 2010 plan.
With Rasheed Wallace having an absolutely horrible preseason and in the last year of his contract, perhaps Dumars is willing to provide New York with a little cap relief in exchange for Zach Randolph. Although pairing Randolph with the young and inexperienced Amir Johnson may be a risk, it may be riskier allowing the Cavaliers acquiring Randolph's services and leaping ahead of Detroit in the Central.
Not really a strong article, but this is good for open discussion.
I would do(fair, both reasonable deals for both teams)
Rasheed for Zach works.
Detroit gets an offensive presence inside who would fit in with their half court offense.
Knicks get a PF who can spread the floor and play defense...something none of our bigs can do.
Plus, Rasheed expires, and this is a major plus for the Knicks.
With Cleveland
This should be our goal:
Get all expiring contracts; ,Snow, Wally and Wallace who expires in 2010.
Knicks trade
Cavs trade
PG - Williams/West/Gibson
SG - Crawford/Palvovic/Kinsey
SF - James/Richardson/Jefferies
PF - Randolph/Hickson
C - Ilgaukaus/Varejao/Wright
Cleveland gets two 20 ppg scorers...huge help for Lebron, along with their new scoring PG in Williams. That should be enough offensive firepower to take pressure off Lebron and take Cleveland to the next level.
With that...I would offer OKC
Serge Ibaka
something...Curry is so useless to this point who knows what trade value he has.
or do Curry/Lee for Camby..iono, Curry sucks so bad.
Line up for the Knicks if we pull off that Cleveland deal
Guard1 - Duhon/Snow
Guard2 - Marbury/Robinson
Point F - Gallinari/Wally
Wing F - Chandler/Ewing
PF/C - Lee/Wallace
Run a 4 - 1 offense...preform successfully and have cap flexibility.


text:
LG to make flexible OLED displays for use in mobile devices too, says they'll be "unbreakable"
27 Comments
1. Birds (Posts: 1171; Member since: 21 Nov 2011)
Samsung is going to sue the flying ass meat out of LG!!!! And this is a legit pursuit for government intervention.
2. u-suck-more (Posts: 529; Member since: 26 Aug 2011)
Samsung and LG are both supported by the Korean government, so, this is unlikely
13. remixfa (Posts: 14605; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)
there is a high amount of espionage at samsung's plants from other manufacturers. I would probably put this firmly under "stolen tech".
Im sure samsung's lawyers are looking into any similarities for potential lawsuits. I doubt this is the last we will hear of it.
21. u-suck-more (Posts: 529; Member since: 26 Aug 2011)
i'm 99% sure that it won't happen. of course it might but chances are slim. the Korean government won't allow it because LG and Samsung are one of the most reputable names from Korea. Both companies also make Korea look like a very technologically advanced country and have helped Korea with loads of investments and money. if both companies start suing each other, business wise, for Korea it wouldn't be good. besides, a lot of people have invested in LG and Samsung because of their good relationship with each other and because pf the Korean government's massive support for both companies.
also, LG and Samsung are known to help each other out quite a bit, so chances of a law suit are actually quite slim
24. Rangers (Posts: 12; Member since: 19 Apr 2012)
LG and Samsung have not helped each other out. I guess you have no idea of the relationship between LG and Samsung.
27. u-suck-more (Posts: 529; Member since: 26 Aug 2011)
i guess you dont live in Asia
6. simon1 (Posts: 5; Member since: 10 May 2012)
LG is trying hard to this industry again. It's a really nice idea. Even recently they launched Optimus LTE 2 -http://goo.gl/9E9uj . Can you believe its having 2GB of RAM.
3. hung2900 (Posts: 965; Member since: 02 Mar 2012)
Now we can be sure who is the culprit stealing Samsung's OLED technology.
11. hung2900 (Posts: 965; Member since: 02 Mar 2012)
The evidence here
19. u-suck-more (Posts: 529; Member since: 26 Aug 2011)
it did say LG use a different production method. so LG dint steal
4. LordOfTroll (banned) (Posts: 54; Member since: 08 May 2012)
Now we are sure LG have been innovating and Samsung showing off everything to make it theirs entirely.
5. bobfreking55 (Posts: 866; Member since: 15 Jul 2011)
well, can't say LG is copying Samsung but I guess everyone takes the same steps in evolution.
i agree that we shouldn't be expecting bending phones, rather we should be expecting unbreakable displays.
12. hung2900 (Posts: 965; Member since: 02 Mar 2012)
That's not copying. That's stealing.
16. bobfreking55 (Posts: 866; Member since: 15 Jul 2011)
i'm sure LG is also innovating, especially when they to attack Samsung's Pentile Displays. LG's a great company, their execution just... fails.
17. hung2900 (Posts: 965; Member since: 02 Mar 2012)
Did you read it?
How can LG immediately get 55 inch OLED screen and the same "unbreakable" flexible OLED as Samsung?
20. u-suck-more (Posts: 529; Member since: 26 Aug 2011)
can YOU read?! the article states that LG uses a DIFFERENT method.
this is the paragraph from THAT article you posted: ''LG might have come by their tech legitimately, however. Despite the theft, LG's tech does have a different technological base than Samsung's. It might be that LG managed to miraculously close the technological gap that Samsung created.''
7. a1000smiles4u (Posts: 84; Member since: 24 Apr 2012)
a mobile to have flexible display means its should have other hardware parts flexible too....
not seeing it any sooner than 2014 end
8. Bluesky02 (Posts: 1439; Member since: 05 Dec 2011)
This is the future...
9. medicci37 (Posts: 1353; Member since: 19 Nov 2011)
A LG phone that won't break... I'm not so sure thats a good thing.
10. PimpStrong (Posts: 310; Member since: 25 Jul 2011)
Durability over flexibility. I like that. I don't need a rubber phone.
14. OpTiMuS_BlAcK (Posts: 418; Member since: 04 May 2012)
Great, something that will surpass Nokia's Indestructi-phone.
15. darktranquillity (Posts: 284; Member since: 28 Feb 2012)
Lg is kicking some serious ass these days. Wish they could follow this path even on updating phones:-(
18. phil2n (Posts: 488; Member since: 30 Apr 2012)
then i guess we can use this phone as a paddle
22. u-suck-more (Posts: 529; Member since: 26 Aug 2011)
im just going to say what i have been saying, Samsung will be king or OLED tech and LG will be king of IPS LCD, and i dont think that is going to change anytime soon. both companies might take tries at at creating an OLED/IPS screen but LG's OLED will never be as good as Samsung's and Samsung's IPS will never be as good as LG's. still you cant blame them for trying
23. quryous (banned) (Posts: 106; Member since: 07 Mar 2012)
Unbreakable, yes? If they need a test, I am sure my 5 year old son can be enlisted. He regularly destroys steel ballbearings and trains.
25. gallitoking (Posts: 4721; Member since: 17 May 2011)
who cares Apple will pay millions for a technology like that so LG or Samsung devices will never have it...
26. EclipseGSX (Posts: 1753; Member since: 18 Oct 2011)
for once you are right, instead of innovating themselves they will just buy it and call it theirs...REVOLUTIONARY

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The refs have been quite kind to the Raps tonight imho. Maybe Casey's blowup helped.
The refs have been quite kind to the Raps tonight imho. Maybe Casey's blowup helped.
Anderson is gonna miss all 3 FT
Heat broadcaster pointed out 3 assists from our "point guards."
Kyle "it's my team now" Lowry doesn't really have a game that suits his statement.
At least, for the time being, we can say we don't have a problem at the wings....
It might have to do with Gay's not knowing the plays well enough forcing them to do more iso and ad-libing. Hope we see the Raps close this one out with Amir getting fed by Lowry, but the Heat is working hard to plug the lane.
I'm surprised the Raps are still in this one really.
Why force that shot? Sloppy O and sloppy D.
Lots of airballs tonight. both ways.
baaaaad shot by Demar. off-balance long two? Come on.
why is everyone just standing around RUN THE FUCKING OFFENSE
raptors still blowing games in second half
This game has been controlled by boo-hoo-(who?) Bosh as of late ...
If Bargs can keep his ass in the paint he could shine with Rudy and DeMar
We need a consistent post present who we can feed. I vote on running more plays for Val down low.
The Baltic Beast is unstoppable!
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
Wow - I had the same problem last year and replaced the TOD which fixed the problem. (Kitchen Aid Double Oven - Model #KEBS208DSS11) Last week, during the self-cleaning cycle the oven lost power. I once again placed the TOD (which was blown), but I still have no power. There is power to the oven, and I believe power from the transformer to the panel, but no response from the panel. Any ideas?
Started by emshields
Started by thepicker
Started by TechnicianBrian
Started by AJ
Started by mtnbikeman


text:
San Gabriel Mountains > Ontario Peak > Climber's Log
Ontario Peak Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|Vic Hanson
|Via Icehouse Canyon
Date Climbed: May 4, 2002
|Hiked with a group of friends, had a good time.
|Posted Apr 1, 2007 4:53 pm
|David Rosenberg
|Couple O'Times
|Once climbed it directly and went down Falling Rock Canyon. Second time went up Bighorn and followed the ridge out on hard snow.
|Posted Mar 14, 2007 4:19 am
|Bob Burd
|Sugarloaf-Etiwanda Traverse
Date Climbed: Jan 13, 2007
|With Ryan and others as described below. Very enjoyable day. Trip Report
|Posted Jan 27, 2007 1:57 am
|Via Falling Rock Canyon
Date Climbed: Nov 26, 2006
|Great hike of 5 peaks with Bechtt, excellent weather, beuatiful area. Also climbed Ontario False Peak.
See Trip Report
|Posted Nov 29, 2006 3:10 am
|5 Peaks Hike
Date Climbed: Nov 26, 2006
|Hiked 5 peaks (plus Ontario false peak) with Travis via Falling Rock Canyon (great cl.2/3 scramble.) Hit Sugarloaf, Ontario, Bighorn, Cucamonga, and Etiwanda before exiting via the Icehouse Canyon trail. We were fortunate to get great views from all five summits before the clouds enveloped the peaks.
|Posted Nov 27, 2006 7:15 pm
|Augie Medina
|From Icehouse Canyon
Date Climbed: Nov 12, 2006
|I did this peak solo after doing Cucamonga Peak with a group. After coming down from Ontario, I did BigHorn as well. It was a beautiful day and the superb trail makes these peaks so accessible.
|Posted Nov 13, 2006 7:34 pm
|Icehouse Canyon
|Dayhiked in late August or early Sept. 2003. Decent views.
|Posted Sep 18, 2006 1:57 pm
|Route Climbed: Shortcut Ridge
Date Climbed: Aug 19, 2006
|Lots of loose talus and rotten rock added "spice" to an otherwise nice mountain with spectacular views of Baldy Bowl and Thunder.
|Posted Aug 20, 2006 4:07 pm
|Great wintertime views
|Possibly one of the best views in the Angeles. The ocean looks nice when you can see it.
|Posted Aug 8, 2006 2:45 am
|Ontario Peak Trail
Date Climbed: Jul 8, 2006
|Great hike on a beautiful day. Clear skies made for great views from the top. Tagged Bighorn on the way down...
|Posted Jul 10, 2006 7:52 pm
|From Icehouse
Date Climbed: Jun 17, 2006
|Made it in three hours from the car. I've climbed this a few times before, but this time we made great time. Left the cars at 5:40am and didn't see the hoards till we reached the saddle and then all the rest of the way down.
|Posted Jun 21, 2006 10:55 pm
|Bighorn Peak use trail and then onto Ontario trail
Date Climbed: Jun 3, 2006
|Started the day tagging Cucamonga Peak, then onto Bighorn and finally onto Ontario Peak. Arrived at Ontario around 1:45. Late day haze made the views south not as good as they could be. View of the Baldy bowl was outstanding. Could easily see the green ski hut at the base of the bowl. Made it back to Ice House Canyon in three hours. A very long day
|Posted Jun 4, 2006 3:03 am
|"Okay! I'll ignore the time!" peak
Date Climbed: May 27, 2006
|originally planning to get home by 3 PM, but this peak was too close to miss (did Bighorn first), so headed over...
went to "fake peak," laughed and consumed three granola bars (yes, three), then tripped across much fallen pine and scree to the pile of lovely rocks at the top; sky was clear today, and oh-what-a-view! Saw all that I could not see from yesterday; made me want to re-climb Baldy just to see all this from up there...
|Posted May 29, 2006 5:33 am
|R Pollard
|Ontario Peak day hike via Icehouse Canyon
Date Climbed: May 23, 2006
|Skipped work and day hiked Ontario with stops on Bighorn and Timber. Super day, clear skies, nice temperature. Still a little snow left on the ground in spots, nothing to get in the way though.
|Posted May 24, 2006 2:26 am
|Route Climbed: Ice House Date Climbed: June 2004
|Just me and the dog did this one, Great hike and the views fron the summit are cool.
|Posted Jan 19, 2006 7:51 am
|Route Climbed: Traversed from Summit of Bighorn Peak Date Climbed: July 27, 2003
|Wanted to get out of the house for a few hours so I headed up to the local mountains. Wanted to check out Ice House Canyon and hike to Cucamonga Peak since I never had been there before. I have always went for the higher peaks in the area but I'm burned out on them. Made the saddle in an hour and a half then made the summit of Cucamonga in another hour and a half. The original plan was to do the peak and head home but Bighorn Peak looked easy enough to bag, so I hiked cross-country up the mellow south ridge to it's summit. From there I decided to follow the ridgeline west towards Ontario Peak. After about a mile I picked up the main trail to Ontario Peak and after several false summits nailed it to. Between Bighorn and Ontairo I saw a fairly large buck with a full rack, a bighorn sheep and zero people. Turned out to be a full day of hiking. Nice way to spend a Sunday.
|Posted Jan 10, 2006 10:24 pm
|Route Climbed: Ontario peak Trail via Icehouse canyon Date Climbed: July 2005
|Very nice view, this was one of many to get in shape for Mt. Whitney
|Posted Jan 1, 2006 4:55 pm
|Route Climbed: Ontario Peak Trail Date Climbed: December 24, 2005
|Got one last day hike before my trip tomorrow to Ecuador. Started walking from the Ice House trailhead parking lot at 8:59AM. By 10:05AM, I was at Ice House Saddle. Took a quick 5 minute rest and then continued onto Ontario's summit arriving there at 11:11AM. Scouted the south face of Ontario Peak. In a big snow year, I think that the south face can become an excellent snow climb. Stayed at the summit for just about 20 minutes and then headed down. Back at my car at 12:53PM (about 4 hrs roundtrip). A fun, quick hike.
|Posted Dec 24, 2005 7:22 pm
|Route Climbed: Icehouse Canyon Date Climbed: December 11, 2005
|Beautiful morning! Nice layer of powder the whole way up from the saddle. Didn't see anybody untill I left the summit and was on my way up to Bighorn. Nice to see snow again
|Posted Dec 11, 2005 5:20 pm
|Steve Larson
|Route Climbed: Trail from Icehouse Canyon Date Climbed: November 27, 2005
|A cold and windy day. I thought I was going to remove layers shortly after leaving the car, but not only did I keep them all on, I added a parka on the summit! Strong Santa Anas cleared out almost all the smog, so I got a clear view of the whole Inland Empire/LA Basin. How often does that happen? Nobody around until I reached Icehouse Saddle on the way down, then about 50 people day hiking. Ugh. Great views, better than Baldy if you're looking south. Would have tagged Cucamonga, but I promised my wife I'd be home for lunch. Oh, well. Got Bighorn Peak at least.
|Posted Nov 27, 2005 7:42 pm


text: Neville's reason is actually quite logical. As far an the general Monroe Republic knows, Neville is a disgraced officer. Plain out killing Monroe makes Neville into a traitor, and loyalists will go after him. Neville would set up a show trial, but it would "justify" the killing of Monroe to the Republic, and especially the military. ANd then Neville who "brought Monroe to justice" can "legitimately" take over. But of course Miles comes out of nowhere to free Monroe...who I agree, needs to die. 1st half of season 2 will be fine.


text:
Phillies activate Galvis from DL; option Hernandez
By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- Freddy Galvis rejoined the Phillies on Friday after opening the season on the disabled list while he recovered from an infection in his left knee.
Galvis, who had Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is arguably the team's best defensive player. He also is versatile because he can play multiple positions, including the outfield.
The Phillies optioned infielder Cesar Hernandez to Double-A Reading to make room for Galvis. They sent Hernandez to Double-A instead of Triple-A because there are less-established infielders at Double-A, which will allow Hernandez the flexibility to play multiple positions during the season.
"He's going to play a lot of third base and some shortstop as well," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "He'll also mix in some second base. But we really want him to get more experience on the left side of the infield for him and for us. We're trying to enhance his ability as a utility man."
Burnett exits game with groin soreness
PHILADELPHIA -- Cole Hamels could rejoin the Phillies' rotation as early as April 22.
But will A.J. Burnett be there with him?
Burnett left Friday's game against the Marlins in the fifth inning with what the team called "groin soreness." He will be evaluated Saturday. The right-hander said his right groin affected him intermittently throughout the game, in which he allowed two runs on five hits and six walks while striking out four in 4 1/3 innings.
"It was in and out," Burnett said. "It was pretty uncomfortable the last inning, but it came on early and went away. That's why I didn't feel like it was too serious.
"Pretty much every pitch out of the stretch, more so out of the windup, the last inning I felt it a lot. That ain't me. I don't walk guys like that. I'm going to walk my guys here and there, but I couldn't throw the ball anywhere I wanted to. Hopefully we'll find out tomorrow that it's not that bad."
Burnett, 37, also walked six batters in 5 2/3 innings in his previous start Sunday at Wrigley Field, but he said he did not have any problems before Friday's start.
"I'd just say it felt more snug that anything," he said. "Like everything was tight, opposed to something going. I guess that's a positive. I tried to mask it, but I guess I didn't, huh? ... I'm not too concerned about it, but then again, you never know. I'm not a spring chicken anymore. But it takes a lot to get me out of the ballgame. I'm not happy about that."
Adams on verge of returning to Phillies' bullpen
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies' bullpen needs help, and it hopes Mike Adams is a solution.
Adams could rejoin the team as early as Monday following a rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Adams has not pitched for the Phillies since last July, when he had right shoulder surgery. Nobody knows how he will perform once he returns, but the Phillies hope he offers at least a little stability to a bullpen that has struggled through nine games.
Their 'pen has a 4.81 ERA, which ranks 23rd in Major League Baseball. It has allowed 60 percent (6-of-10) of its inherited runners to score, which is the second-highest mark in the game.
"I feel great," Adams said Friday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. "Everything has gone above and beyond what I've expected. The bouncebacks have been great. The soreness [has been minimal]. I'm just looking forward to tomorrow."
The Phillies signed Adams to a two-year, $12 million contract before the 2013 season, but he has made only 28 appearances. His fastball averaged 91.3 mph in 2012, when he pitched for the Rangers. It averaged just 89.8 mph last season, according to FanGraphs.
Adams said his velocity during his rehab assignment has been 89-90 mph.
"It's around where I was last year, I guess," Adams said. "Maybe a little better. Hopefully coming up here and getting into a big league ballgame, I can trigger a few extra notches, but we'll see what happens. The main thing is I've been locating pretty well, changing speeds and working on a few things. The main thing is as long as I keep the ball down, 89-90, that'll work."
Revere sits out with tenderness in ribs
PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies center fielder Ben Revere did not start against the Marlins on Friday because of tenderness in his ribs. He is listed as day to day.
Revere hit the turf hard a couple of times Wednesday trying to make diving catches at Citizens Bank Park. He played Thursday, but it affected his swing. Tony Gwynn Jr. started in Revere's place on Friday against Marlins ace Jose Fernandez.
"It's a good chance to let him mend up a little bit," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said.
Worth noting
• Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels is scheduled to make a rehab start Saturday with Class A Clearwater. He is expected to make one more next Thursday before potentially joining the Phillies' rotation April 22 in Los Angeles.
• Right-hander Seth Rosin has cleared waivers and has been returned to the Phillies. The Mets selected Rosin in the Rule 5 Draft in December. They traded him to the Dodgers, but Los Angeles did not keep him on its 25-man roster. The Rangers claimed him March 26. He went 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in three appearances before being designated for assignment. Rosin will pitch in the bullpen with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
• Former Phillies left-hander Rheal Cormier will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday's game.
• Carlos Ruiz is hosting his "Get in the Game" bowling and billiards tournament for Philadelphia Futures on Sunday at North Bowl in Philadelphia. Proceeds will support the "college dreams of Philadelphia's low-income, first-generation-to-college students. More than 400 guests will attend the sold-out private event. This is the 14th year the Phillies and Philadelphia Futures have partnered. "Get in the Game" has raised more than $1.6 million to support Philadelphia Futures' students.
• Jimmy and Johari Rollins recently hired Mina Sabet as executive director of the Rollins Family Foundation. Sabet is a former executive producer at NBC10 in Philadelphia. The foundation will host a Bollywood Bash at the Union League in Philadelphia on May 14.
Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
LG and Prada Team Up to Make Designer Phone
LG Electronics recently announced it has teamed up with the always chic Prada to develop "an innovative and iconic mobile phone." LG previously collaborated with Roberto Cavalli to create an Ultra Slim UMTS Phone (shown at right).
Apparently, the first LG Prada phone will combine high-end technology with avant-garde design. LG claims the joint effort focused on the key elements inside the phone, such as software, user interface and music as well as its look, for example design and packaging. Photos of the gadget have not been released.
For more about release dates, just
The initial launch is planned for early 2007, with distribution starting in Europe (first in Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany), followed by countries in Asia such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. I'm still on the fence when it comes to designer phones, but when I hear Marc Jacobs wants to team up with Blackberry I might change my mind.
Update: Check out the leaked Prada phone pictures.


text:
Clash of the Titans — Once you get over the fact that this remake of Clash of the Titans doesn't prominently feature Harry Hamlin in a loincloth or a campy Maggie Smith as the sea goddess Thetis, you might be able to appreciate this big-budget update for what it is. Sam Worthington (Avatar) is wearing decidedly more clothing in this version, and, at least according to the cast list, Smith's role has been wiped out all together. But fans of fantasy films will likely not be disappointed, and with Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes bringing their talents to the table, this Clash of the Titans is sure to be entertaining.
Why Did I Get Married Too? — Tyler Perry movies have a cult following, so expect Why Did I Get Married Too? to be the latest hit in his extensive and successful library of films. Perry certainly has a way with women's dialogue, and Janet Jackson is said to give an explosive performance in this film, which she started shooting just days after her brother Michael's death last year. Fans of Perry and Jackson should love this flick.
Go by Jónsi — Out Tuesday, the first solo album from Sigur Rós's gay front man is an up-tempo departure from his band's atmospheric style. This prolific Icelandic chef, writer, and artist is a modern-day Renaissance man; click here to read more about him.
Oyo by Angelique Kidjo — This Benin-born diva describes her latest album as "the story of my childhood." Singing songs that inspired her, Kidjo takes on music by James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, and Aretha Franklin. Out Tuesday.
"Nothing" by Janet Jackson — Even though radio is reluctant to play Janet's singles anymore, it doesn't mean they're not great listens ("Make Me" from her recent greatest hits set deserved to be a hit in its own right). The ballad "Nothing" — the theme song to her new movie, Why Did I Get Married Too? — is a nice departure from her usual dance-stompers, and she sounds a bit like Michael on it, which isn't a bad thing.
by Kelis — The kooky Kelis is back with this single (her album Flesh
Tone drops this summer) and just-released video that highlights the
pop star's out-there fashion sense. The tune, produced by dance king
David Guetta, is thrilling drum-and-bass techno about an unlikely
subject: her son, Knight.
The Big Gay Musical — An attractive cast helps to elevate the thin tale of two young actors starring in an off-Broadway musical called Adam and Steve, Just the Way God Made Them, which mirrors the struggles the pair face as they try to deal with relationship problems and reconcile their religious faith with their sexuality.
Pandemonium — English duo Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, collectively known as acerbic pop band Pet Shop Boys, document their recent tour with this double-pack CD-DVD of a concert at London's O2 Arena. It features the spectacular set pieces and thrilling live arrangements of their dance hits, such as their recent "Love, Etc.," that have become a trademark of their performances.
Sticky & Sweet Tour—Madonna's recent tour to support her Hard Candy album was the most successful by a solo artist in history. Four concerts were filmed in Buenos Aires for this CD-DVD combo, which includes 30 minutes of exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the course of the tour.


text:
Having one team shoot in two mediums, both photo and video, creates a synergy from which the concept of StillMotion was born. Aside from the obvious organizational advantages of having one team take care of photo and video, there is a tremendous benefit to having a photographer constantly giving you feedback on your video, and vice versa.
One of the biggest things we have picked up from our photo team over the years is the importance of achieving and controlling depth in all of our imagery. By depth I am referring to Depth of Field (DoF) and, in particular, trying to achieve a very shallow DoF (see Key Concepts, right), in which the subject of the shot is in focus while objects in front and behind are out of focus.
If Amina and John (our photo team) were to shoot an entire wedding at f22 (giving a deep DoF with everything in focus) they would likely lose their photography license rather quickly. At the same time, we as videographers often shoot every wedding with a very deep DoF, and so few of us realize just how unattractive that can be. When Amina and John leave for a wedding, the first thing they grab is their Canon 135 f2.0 or the 85 f1.2, both of which allow you to achieve extremely shallow images (Figure 1) and are key to our style of imagery.
Many things affect DoF, such as the lens focal length, aperture setting, distance to the subject, and the camera's sensor size. The issue we run into as videographers is that no matter how much we zoom in or keep our aperture open, the sensor in our cameras is so small that it really limits the DoF we can obtain. Most HD prosumer camcorders today utilize 1/3" (roughly 8.5mm) CCD or CMOS sensors (the number of sensors won't effect the DoF) compared to many digital still cameras that utilize a full frame, 35mm sensor.
Meet the Brevis
The challenge for us as videographers, then, becomes how to achieve a similar, very shallow DoF, with sensors that are much smaller than those our photographer counterparts use. The solution comes in the form of a sexy, black carbon fiber tube that attaches to the front of your camera, the Brevis 35 adapter. These adapters have a mount on the front for photo lenses and project the image from the photo lens onto a 35mm-sized screen inside the adapter. These adapters allow us to achieve the same DoF in our imagery that photographers can, and we can now shoot with the same lenses that they do. While there are several companies producing these units (called 35mm adapters), the StillMotion crew exclusively uses the Cinevate Brevis for its excellent build quality, optics, attractive price point, and the company's exceptional customer service.
There is a tremendous benefit in bringing these units along for event coverage, but they also introduce a host of new issues that need to be thought of ahead of time. Let's start with the advantages.
While depth in our imagery is very aesthetically pleasing in itself, and more than enough reason to add these tools to your gear bag, there are other less obvious advantages as well. In terms of storytelling, being able to isolate your subject in the frame with the use of focus, is a very effective means of directing your viewers' attention (Figure 2). For example, as the bride is having her dress zippered and her bridesmaids watch in the background, do you want the viewer to focus on the dress being done up or all the anticipation and excitement from the girls right behind her>
Working With Specialty Lenses
When shooting locations are less than ideal, you can also use shallow DoF to make any location look much more attractive. With a bare camera you have a limited focal length range and while you can add wide angle or telephoto lenses to your camera, your options are still relatively limited. By using a 35mm adapter, you open the door to an incredible versatility. Aside from being able to shoot from extremely wide to very tight while retaining exceptional optical quality throughout, you also have access to some pretty snazzy specialty lenses to take your productions even further.
A couple of our favorites are the Canon EOS 100mm macro as well as the 45mm tilt-and-shift lens. The macro lens features a 1:1 magnification ratio, meaning the lens can reproduce an image on the sensor that is the same size as the object. In other words, it allows you to get very close to objects and open up a whole new way of seeing them (Figure 3).
A tilt-and-shift lens can actually bend, which then changes your plane of focus from the standard horizontal plane to an angled plane. With a normal lens, if the focus is set at 8", all objects 8" from the lens will be in focus. With a tilt-and-shift lens, you can have a gradient of focus (Figure 4).
Changing the Bokeh
Aside from all of these benefits, a 35mm adapter also changes the bokeh—the appearance of out-of-focus elements in the frame—and that in itself goes a long way towards the much-sought-after film look. While every type of lens has its own signature bokeh, the look you get from bare camcorders has a very videolike appearance, while bokeh coming from photo lenses has a much more organic and filmic feel. If you take the time to actually look at the bokeh in various images, the differences become very apparent (Figure 5).
Benefits and Challenges of 35mm Adapters
After considering how much 35mm adapters can add to your productions, one might wonder: Why aren't we all shooting with them, and why don't those of us who do use them shoot everything with them?
Well, for starters, it certainly makes your rig bigger, and for run-and-gun work, that extra heft may be too much for some shooters. The weight itself isn't much of an issue, but it can get rather uncomfortable after a long day of shooting and these setups can be a tad more intimidating than a bare camera.
What's more, as you add photo lenses to the end of your adapter, there will also be no option for auto focus, so you need to get accustomed to doing everything in manual focus. For the most part, this becomes very easy rather quickly, but there will be limitations on certain shots you can do, such as those involving fast-moving subjects.
To get a very shallow DoF, we choose to use a lot of prime or fixed focal-length lenses with our Brevis, as they often offer a brighter aperture setting. The downside of using prime lenses is that you lose the ability to zoom and you now need to take several lenses with you for every shoot. This also becomes second nature as you start zooming in and out the old-fashioned way—by walking back or forth.
You can also use zoom lenses with 35mm adapters, but those generally lose more light; even the most expensive zoom lenses having minimum apertures of f2.8. The better adapters out there (the Brevis and the Letus) generally lose half a stop of light through the adapter, so you usually want to shoot with the brightest lenses possible.
35mm adapters have come a long way over the past year or so, and the setups available now are more enticing than ever. Gone are the days of having to work with inverted images when you wanted to shoot with an adapter. Both the Brevis and the Letus come with an optical flip solution so that you view the image upright, as you do when normally shooting with your camera. The amount of light loss as well as the optical quality have also been vastly improved over the years, making today's units more than ready for an HD workflow.
In the future, I would love to see adapters get even smaller and lighter, making them both easier to use and easier to hide (I've already been stopped once in a London train station by police who suspected me of being a terrorist for walking around with the Brevis at my side).
Assembling Your Shooting Setup
So you've decided to take the plunge and dive into 35mm adapters, but where do you start? The first two decisions are what brand of adapter and what type of lenses would you like to use with it. I would suggest checking out the Brevis first (www.cinevate.com) as well as the Letus (www.letus35.com; see Daniel Boswell's March In The Field) as your prime adapter options.
As for lenses, the Canon EOS set is rather pricey for somebody just starting, and the EOS lenses offer no external aperture control, so you always have to shoot with them wide open, though workarounds are possible. These lenses also tend to feel a little too plastic when used as manual lenses on adapters. Nikon lenses are extremely sharp, well-built, and also feature external aperture control, but they don't offer the same lens selection as Canon (no 85 f1.2, or 50 f1.2, for starters), and like the EOS set, they're rather pricey for somebody starting out.
The best bet for most is usually the older Canon FD lens setup. These lenses are built extremely well, offer external aperture control, have excellent optics, are very small compared to more current lenses, and are also extremely affordable.
An excellent starter kit would include a 50 f1.4, an 85 f1.8, and perhaps a 135 f2.8—all of which can be found online for under $200 for the set.
The next big thing to consider after you have chosen your adapter brand and lenses would be whether or not you also went to get a full rails setup (Figure 6). Rails add improved stability by bracing the adapter and providing additional support for the lenses you attach, which can be quite long and heavy.
If you're looking at small primes, such as the 50mm or 85mm, it would be quite easy to get by without rails. If you want to shoot with longer and heavier lenses, such as a 70-200 f2.8, you will definitely want to grab a rails setup. The stability provided by the rails also goes a long way when pulling focus or getting in really tight for macro shots.
As for the StillMotion crew, we have 5 Brevis setups with several different EOS and FD lens sets. We try to introduce 35mm adapters into our wedding work as much as possible, with certain things such as the preps being ideal for adapters. A good portion of every wedding we shoot these days is done with a Brevis. We also use it on wedding-related shoots like Love Stories (Figure 7 & Figure 8).
When it comes to corporate/commercial work, we find the look of 35mm adapters to be so much more appealing that we often shoot the entire project with adapters (see the three stacked images in Figure 9). Feel free to check our blog (www.stillmotionblog.com) for many current samples of our 35mm adapter work that demonstrate the shallow DoF we get with the Brevis and the impact it has on our wedding and corporate projects.
As with any tool—advanced ones especially—35mm adapters do take some time to learn properly and to become comfortable with. Pacing yourself and accessing the wealth of information on various forums can go a long way in getting you started.
From my personal experience as well as what we hear through many emails, it often takes very little time with a 35mm adapter to become hooked on the look. Give it a try for yourself.
Patrick Moreau (patrick at still-motion.ca), a 2007 EventDV 25 honoree, runs the "Motion" (cinematography) half of StillMotion, an international award-winning photo/video studio based in Mississauga, Ontario. He will be one of three featured presenters at Re:Frame Austin in April 2009.


text:
Discussion in 'Racquets' started by Ross K, Sep 11, 2010.
Did you get a chance to try the blade tour?
You're a mysterious man, Kennedy.
Not yet...I have a fed stick with 4g at 40 lbs for this week
It is a very good all around poly which is perfect for testing out in new frames as you know exactly what you get. I would argue that it is one of the better poly's out there in the feel/playability category similar in this regard to Black Magic. TBH my favorite ATM is Polybreak (sublime in the Prestige) and it would be in the blade right now if I hadn't run out.
Murray, Full poly in the blade? Nice. I could see how that could be pretty fantastic. I put some 16 gauge OGSM crosses in since that was all I had, and I have to say I like the feel of going up a gauge. Interested in seeing how it plays out for me. Still loving the 4g as my mains. Amazing string, if crossed with OGSM, the price drops to under $10 a job.
Gads, nice to hear you hit with the same grip. My coach taught me the nice driving forehand, but I never thought to tweak my grip. I was hitting a lot of short balls until I made this change. Now I am hitting my backhand a lot more square and clean. Hopefully this continues.
Really brings up a Holicy thought though - I have not seen gads play, but it sounds like we hit the same. On paper, we should be using open pattern sticks, but it seems as if I play better when a racquet pushes me more towards hitting flatter. Not that I ever would hit flat, but combining my forehand with an open pattern stick can result in a fluffier ball with too much spin, or if I compensate, a tendency to hit long or dangerously close to the lines every time. With the Blade, I hit far less fluff and much more driving shots that stay in the lines - gives me confidence out there. I will test this theory possibly tonight as I anticipate the arrival of the APD.
Also, another thing I notice..I hit open stance a lot, but there really is so much power and control when I step in with my left foot more against players who hit softer. The open stance seems to push my balance backwards more than I want. I know all the techniquenerds swear by open stance all the time, but when I get my weight moving forward onto my left foot, I can crush the ball with so much more accuracy.
One other thing - bags. This is the time to get bags if you need one - black friday, new bag releases in early '13..etc. Looks like I will be selling my beloved 200s with the yonex bag tomorrow to a local TTer.
My friend has had the Wilson Tour 9 bag, and I have to say it is a thing of beauty. Not just the PJ, but the pockets and lay out. It has the super important cell phone pocket with a soft inside and a lot of padding. Has a wetpocket as well for shoes and sweaty clothes.
A no brainer replacement for me since the blade colored one is on sale now. I liked the yonex bag and find it high quality, but the wilson is a little smaller and seems to hold its shape better. Those little things are key for me since I bike to my tennis club a lot and the bag makes a huge difference. If I didnt bike, I'd probably do something more FedK like..a trader joe's bag, or something equally hipster.
can u provide a link to the Wilson bag on sale? I see the backpack is on sale...is that what u meant?
if any of you guys are interested in a great deal, you can get a reel of Black Venom for 40% off at the tennis site named similarly to the home improvement superstore. Use cyber40 promo code.
Black Venom is one of the best black poly's around....soft, good pop and decent tension maintenance. If you like this string, this deal is a no brainer. TW usually matches price if u want to try and order through them instead.
Jack the mid west store is a place to check for the Wilson Tour 9 racuqet bag, not the backpack.
thanks bud. I wonder why the 12 pack is cheaper than the 9?
and when we gonna see some of that video you keep teasing us about???
I am going to shoot some match play video today and hopefully post some of it later.
We're on the same page here. MD mentioned how we were talking about this the other day and it's exactly why I've long gone against the idea that spin-hitting players should always hit with open patterns, flat hitters should go closed pattern, the APD is made for spinsters, etc, and argued that the other way around has, more often than not, worked for me: closed patterns tend to bring my trajectory down to where I pierce the court more (not to mention the more pinpoint accuracy), and quite frankly, I'm still hitting with spin. Just not so much that the ball is loopy and unpredictable. MD hits a naturally flatter ball, and he's been much better with the APD than me... A lot of my big spinny shots with the apd end up just being too loopy and just long, whereas he's been able to keep it tamed just enough so that the ball is clipping more lines.
A lot of it also has to do with stiffness and power level, I think. Softer sticks with very open patterns, I've been more successful with than the super stiff open patterns. I was able to achieve more depth and trajectory control with sticks like the BC20 or even Yonex 200. With blasters like the APDs and Pure Drives of the world, the ball just seems to trampoline off the bed and go just long. There were a few shots against MD where, with the APD, I don't feel like I'm hitting long but the ball still flies just past the baseline.
As always, different strokes, different folks.
Yes there are no rules it seems. I have the new APd in hand and will test our theory tonight against the mighty blade.
Jack I have a video that ran for 2 gigs..way too long and I need to just grab a couple minutes of hitting and then post it up when I get a chance to chop it. Do not fear, I have a plan. I am tweaking my footwork a little for my own benefit, and should be able to show some before and after.
Hoping to film some hitting with the APD as well..just boils down to what courts I play on this week as some have windscreens.
Loving this easy video bungee trick though..it is really going to help me out.
BTW the Wilson 9 may be more because it of features. Not sure. The size to pocket and space ratio is the absolute best. You can fit shoes, clothes, balls, water and 4-5 sticks in the bag with no problem. It is a perfect size for any club player.
allright guys, I'm going to lay off sticks for a while. Its gonna be hard. With all these new rackets coming i can already smell the closet RH's and suckers who wanna sell their old sticks asap for the newest models.... But i'm gonna try to invest in a Alpha Revo 4000 machine and string on the side. Just keep working and finding my perfect stringbed... Gotta save up for when I decide to move out!
The strings are more important anyways.
My Babo review is up -
Short version - the Blade is a much more comfortable stick, with more control and plow. I did really enjoy the APD, but I too felt it in the wrist and I know long term that I'd be craving a control stick rather soon. That being said, my mind is back open to the Steam Room. I honestly think the Steam is the tweener to demo. The APD is nice, but we all know what it does. Also if the Steam really does get that much spin, it should be easier to keep in the lines. For now, I Blade. I think Placement is everything, and I have been playing great tennis with the Blade as it hits such a driving, accurate laser.
Something I tried tonight while playing...every time, I mean every shot, in my head I would tell myself the stance to hit in. Wide ball to my forehand, I would think "open". short ball - "closed". Backhand - "closed". What I find is that I was hitting much cleaner shots by telling myself what stance to hit out of. I came up in the 90s so for me, stepping into the ball can sometimes be a natural reaction and my feet can get frozen at times. So this little mental drill seems to help.
Also, I dont care what anyone says, semi closed stance is GOAT on forehands that you have time to attack. Stepping into a short ball is the way to go. Your % of winners will go up. I have no idea why some of the people on the technique forum here think you should always hit open, but for me, open is how I generate power when i dont have as much time.
On the backhands, thinking closed before setting up gets my weight forward and my stance aligned right.
Anyway, just a thought from my evening. I didnt film tonight, but I will do it when I get a willing partner again and should be able to show the difference.
Just read your well thought out review. Nice one.
PP, echoing Ross K's sentiments, nice review indeed. i'm interested to see if the stick will grow on you a bit as you spend more time w/ it. i found that it did on my 2nd hit. it's a shame it's so stiff and uncomfortable though because it really can crack winners from literally anywhere on the court.
and i agree w/ you on stances as well. i find that i hit a much cleaner more penetrating ball w/ a semi closed stance as well. open is how i am forced to hit when i'm rushed. i also hit much better 1hbhs when i remind myself to move my feet, close my stance and turn my shoulders enough so i can get my RHS up and drive my weight into the shot. good stuff. glad to hear that i'm not the only one who talks to himself on the court.
PP, nice review indeed. Could u compare the new APD to the PD12 for me? Which felt stiffer, more forgiving, powerful, etc?
I like that it feels heavier. The PD12 stock was too light for me.
But my biggest issue with it was, without full multi, my wrist and shoulder felt sore afterwards. No elbow pain, but could definitely feel it in my wrist and shoulder.
Thanks guys. Ok, the PD 2012 actually felt a little easier on my arm, but not by much. In terms of power the APD has more due to the SW. The biggest thing about all these sticks is you need full poly for control. You could weight it up and do the tsonga setup, which would slow down your swing and allow you to put gut mains in. That is what I did with the Pure Drive and it was awesome, but now that I have a racquet I can rip with, I find it better for my game to play with less powerful racquets under pressure. I also like the sticks a stock weight because that is when the spin gets good.
If I had to play the PD or the APD at stock weight, Im going APD. It is fine with no lead, but if you added a little at 12 and the butt, it would have more plow.
In terms of comfort, I see no improvement at all besides less vibrations.
This leads me to my next demo : I should have a Steam 99s in my hands by Friday.
I honestly am stoked because it will have that wilson gripshape and feel and if there was ever a stick to have next to my blades in the bag, it would be this one. Same weight and balance, so it will answer a ton of questions in terms of what I prefer. If I do like it, I could see myself Gadsing out with 2 Blades and a Steam in the bag. Just taking my time on a nice extended matchplay comparison.
My point is simple..the Bab is nice, but I think the Steam is the tweener that will actually offer something new from what we are used to. We all know what the Babs, Juices, Pro Opens, yy100s...etc do. We don't know what the steam will offer.
Continue Juicing. Wait for the Steam.
I hit with my APD13 this am.
Fact #1: it's an apd.
If you like the pd or apd you will likely enjoy this one. There are improvements and tweeks but it's def a Bab.
If you don't like Babolats, it's not likely that you will switch to this one.
There are some improvements: I did find that it feels much better on contact with the new cortex and handle: its much more solid overall and I would play it stock if I switched to it.
As Maddog noted above, it swings lighter than the older versions and that's a big plus. However, it still feels less mobile than my Prestige S. The S weights 5g more and has the same balance: 33cm. My apd13 weights 324g with a rubber band and tourna.
Looking forward to hitting some more with it but I also found what PP did: the trajectory is a bit higher than it is with some other sticks, I prefer to produce a driving lower traj ball: look at the TW review video, you can notice the difference to what they were hitting with the Blade.
My right collarbone area is throbbing right now after hitting this am. I had a similar feeling with the GT versions of the PDR and apd but not the apd original or apdc.
My S feels like a wand in my hand, it comes around lightening fast and I'm rarely late: the apd swings faster than before but the 100" hoop and big beam is not as agile. Looking forward to PPs feedback on the Steam.
Ideally, I would love to have full TB in this stick at 43/42 and a 1/4 grip to get a true feel on the stick. It's really nice of TW to give us an extended demo with this stick
quoted & bolded for truth!
I had that collarbone pain bad with the PDr after a while. What the heck is it? lol. It made me go to the RDIS 200.
i don't get the collarbone pain, but i do get shoulder, elbow, wrist pain and oddly enough my bicep with stiffer sticks.
Great reviews by PP and PED. Very accurate to a lot of the things MD and I have found thus far with the APD.
PP's early entry into the steam room will be fascinating. He is our Neil Armstrong.
My super plan, if possible, is to film myself steaming and blading. I will then need to make sure youtube accepts such a filthy video onto it's servers.
From what I have seen, it will probably not showcase much on video, but most likely the difference in trajectory will be easy to see. Who knows. To make extra it sexy, I will be sure to wear the new Vapor 9 Agassi PJ as long as they fit me.
I've got a friend who's a PT. I complain to her about my shoulder all the time, and she tells me it's usually rotator cuff regardless of where my pain is. There is a technical word for it, but I'm forgetting it now.
This could be too hot for TV. I love it.
PP, if youtube allows "filthy" stuff like this to be loaded on their servers,
i'm sure your video will be just fine.
That's nothing. THIS is filthy:
OH NO!!! you don't really want to go there, do ya?
Picked up the Tour 9 in blue today to store my Juice. Nice bag!
Yes, score. that bag is awesome. Still waiting on my black one, but let me know any plusses and minuses you see.
what do you guys think about headsize difference? for example would there be a noticable difference between a 100 sq. in. and a 98 sq. in. stick?
Okay, some thought-provoking observations. Sounds slightly like a mixed bag from your POV. Having now read yours, Peeps, Gads, MD's reviews, I think I may also find it something of a mixture. Funnily enough though H, I'm actually a fan of that higher trajectory and it's one aspect I've found hard to ween myself off as I've attempted to transition away from the APD Original.
You're kidding me?:-o ... Oh my god... riiiiiiiight... you lucky so and so!
Ross, the one thing you will like about the apd13 is the feel on impact, similar to the pd12 and much smoother than the earlier ones.
My soreness is not the collarbone but the connective tissue in that area.
One more point, I really like it on my 2hbh, it's very versatile off that wing.
Ross, re the hi traj ball, I was referring to the shots that pp mentioned, I had to be careful to hit thru it otherwise it was like a hanging curve that can get murdered. I found it easier to hit heavier ball with the prestige that took more time away from my hitting partner.
Pluses are lots of compartment pockets. Minuses are only 2 large sections. Seems like a nice bag. Question. When do I use the thermo guard pocket and when do I use the moisture guard pocket?
it's really quite simple. when you want to guard against thermo, use the thermo guard pocket. when you want to guard against moisture, use the moisture guard pocket.
j/k...the thermo guard pocket is mylar lined to insulate your gear from large temperature swings so it's like a cooler. the moisture guard pocket is for wet, sweaty clothes to keep it separated from your other gear that you don't want to get all wet and stinky.
this is the explanation from Wilson
Thermoguard: Protects equipment against extreme temperatures as well as to help maintain the racket's string tension
Moistureguard: protects equipment against damaging moisture
but both pockets are for racquets? I understand the thermal part, just not the moisture part? Maybe you put your racquets in there if its very humid??
maybe before you play w/ your racquets, you put them in the thermo compartment. after you play, the grip is wet from all the sweat from your palms, you put them in the moisture compartment.
- or -
when it's hot out, you store your racquets in the thermo compartment. when it's raining, you transfer your sticks to the moisture compartment. not that you'd be playing when it rains anyways so the moisture protection is a moot point.
- or -
it's all just a bunch of baloney tech to sell us gullible consumers the latest and greatest bags. back in the 80's, bags held racquets and balls. there was some foam to help the bag maintain its shape. there was no thermo and moisture tech. the same racquets from that era like the POG 4 stripers are still intact and in great condition so apparently the fact that the old bags didn't have all this new fangled tech made no difference after all. :idea:
posted another video today
hitting with the ball machine with my Juice 100. I turned up the speed this time. I couldn't out the camera behind me, so I used an angled front view.
Comments welcome.
I'll go with C.
You seem to make pretty clean contact, though it's difficult to tell what the ball is doing on the flip side of the cam. Main thing I notice is that you really hold onto the end of the follow through and sort of 'watch your shot' in a very deliberate way. If you're doing that to just get accentuate/drill a stroke/follow through with ball machine, totally cool and that's perhaps what you're doing, but if playing an opponent a suggestion I'd make would be to 'watch your shot' a little less and work on getting the feet moving more quickly to get yourself right back to a good court position, rather than standing there watching the shot for quite as long as you're doing. But again, not sure if you're doing it on purpose now to drill follow-through technique into the head, in which case this is moot.
Jack you have pretty good weight transfer into the court. That is huge. Your prep is definitely late and you are not going to get the timing to really uncork the power until you fix that, but it will not be too hard. I agree with Gads, you are watching your shot like a golfer. You need be moving a lot faster and more fluid. But do not abandon that weight transfer you have going on.
I am staring at a massive 5 gig video I am going to chop down. It will be my "before". What I am seeing is my grip on the backhand was not eastern and my point of contact was awkward many days (such as the one I filmed). My footwork was very active though, but my balance was wrong because I was not thinking about what stance to use on each shot. I have been working on that little swing thought and it has paid off the past few days. I plan to try and film thursday, especially if I hit with this british guy, as his commentary will be hilarious. He gives me a lot of sitters that have heavy backspin, so it was a great night to work on stepping into those balls. As expected, my winner % went up substantially. Also, switching to the eastern grip on the backhand has cured my awkward contact point issue. The blade and I bonded on the backhand side rather well tonight.
As for the Bab, nothing has changed. With the footwork correction, I was able to tee off more, but that resulted in a little elbow pain now and then. Nothing major, but enough to remind me that my bab days are done. I have to re-emphasize how much better the blade is on serve. It is such a beastly serving stick. It also is so much easier on the arm..huge difference. day 2, and I am still blading with no hesitation. The Bab is really fun though. I do like to pick it up for a bit while it's here. Probably spent half my time with it tonight.
Jack, I would use the thermoguard for beverage clothes and ball storage. Thermogaurd does work rather well when its hot and you have a drink in the bag. I actually like 2 pockets. With 3 (yonex had 3) I was less organized. Always mixing up where I put something. To have a dedicated cell phone pocket is gold to me. I always lose my keys and cell in the bowels of my bags. Its the little things to me with these bags. Also, the tour is a more realistic size .
that is something I do for some reason and I am working on being quicker to recover and get ready for the next shot. I don't do it on purpose, but its something a few people have pointed out to me. I need to work on a quicker recovery for sure. Thanks!
JAck, try this drill with a friend. you hit DTL and he hits crosscourt. Its an old drill we did in juniors.
So Id hit DTL to a guy, and he would hit CC to me..id have to get there and hit that shot back DTL..hed have to get there and hit his CC..go as long as you can. Your footwork will improve and you may have an awesome vomit session as well afterwards.
So what's the "moistureguard" for? For sweaty clothes or towels? I thought those 2 large outer pockets were strictly for the racquets???
Also, could you compare the new APD to the PD12?
I did it there..ask away if I missed anything. I will add off the bat that the PD is much better for serves.
The moisture guard is actually best for your sticks. it just keeps them from getting wet of course, but if you ever use gut, it is optimal. It really doesnt matter..I didnt have either in the yonex. I only notice the thermoguard when I would put a drink in there and it stayed cold..very nice.
Are you a golfer? Because that's what i was thinking, too, before PP even mentioned it. The thing about holding onto the follow through and watching your shot for as long as you do, you end up giving your opponent a bigger window to then hit the ball back through. Gotta move those feet. If you really want to get into it, look up videos that concentrate on Fed's footwork. He's the very best at it -- whenever drawn out at all wide, his first couple steps back into the court are both immediate and effortless, and he's nearly always back in a very good position to grab that next ball. The best thing about watching Fed in person is the ability to just stare at his feet throughout some points. The dude simply floats, because his feet are always moving and not in any over-excerted way, just these little but constant baby steps.
Vomit sessions are the best.
thanks for the comparison ...not sure how I missed it
I think you are going to break strings like crazy on the new Steam, but I hope I'm wrong.
Strokes are definitely looking smoother than your last video. Nicely done!
The only thing I can critique is what has already been mentioned, you're just watching the ball way too much after your strokes and your recovery is suffering.
Try the machine even a touch faster next time if you can. High speeds really halt the "watching the ball" phase of the stroke. Another thing to try as well is to put the machine on "random" if it has the feature so you don't know where the next shot is going to be. If you want to have a hope in heck of getting the next shot you have to recover properly!
I have done that drill and its a killer. We actually call it "21" because you would hit 2 shots crosscourt, then 1 DTL. Cross, cross, dtl...cross, cross, dtl, etc. Makes it slightly less "vomit inducing" but its still tough. Problem is I need a very consistent partner to keep this drill going. My fellow 3.5 and 4.0's aren't able to keep this drill going for long. A ball machine would probably be better for me, if I could set it to hit to both spots alternating.
I think I can get the standard 8-10 hours out of a full job as long as its 16 gauge. Thats my guess. I think the Steam will be the tweener of the year. Factors into my prediction : Respected TW posters and testers are screaming about this thing like teenage girls at a Bieber concert. The specs are perfect with a SW that is healthy but won't scare off anyone who finds the Blade a little sluggish and playery. The wilson grip shape. The Pro Open could have been a tweener of the year except that it looked really bad and was not innovative. But anyone who used it was impressed, and you could tell Wilson was on to something. The Paint job is goat. A welcome change from the creepy original steam kaleidoscopic montage. Wilson seems to "get it" in regards to their new line. Blade PJs based on blacked out tester sticks? They clearly read these boards. Drakulie is either more insanely biased against Babolat than I thought possible, or his mind was really blown. He has some of the best strokes I have seen on TT, and they are pretty classic in some ways, so I am really interested that he was this blown away.
My club has a ball machine that will alternate..you may have a good chance of finding one up there.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
© 2012 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Stability of starters sets tone for Giants, Reds
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
This Division Series between the National League Central champion Reds and NL West champion Giants will be a series about Dusty Baker, sure. After all, this Reds team -- a team that ran away with the NL Central -- gives Baker a tremendous opportunity to end his long, painful quest for a World Series ring. But the search for that ring runs right through his roots in San Francisco, against a Giants team whose 2002 bid with Baker fell one win shy of glory. This will also be a series with a storyline of survival. The Giants not only survived but thrived without their No. 3 hitter, Melky Cabrera, whose season was unceremoniously cut short by a performance-enhancing drug suspension. And the Reds not only survived but thrived when their No. 3 hitter, Joey Votto, missed 45 games with a left knee injury initially suffered -- coincidentally enough -- in San Francisco.
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
This is a really good article by Larry Coon and illuminated many factors I did not even know existed. This basically further erodes any leverage Denver had and forces them to trade Melo prior to the deadline or lose him for nothing. Once the Nets realize Melo won't extend with them it leaves just the Knicks to swoop in and offer pennies on the dollar. I have a feeling Melo will be a Knick and many of you will be eating crow once he turns into a dominant fan favorite.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]The Carmelo Anthony rumors are back on the front burner this week. However, the sides appear to be locked in the same stalemate, with the New York Knicks being Anthony's preferred destination, while his current team, the Denver Nuggets, would prefer doing business with the New Jersey Nets.
Neither the Nets nor the Knicks have any plans to wait patiently while the Nuggets make up their minds. ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan reports that Knicks GM Donnie Walsh is attempting to trade for at least one first-round draft pick, a prerequisite to any Melo deal. Meanwhile, the Nets have the parameters in place for a blockbuster deal that also includes the Detroit Pistons, and are trying to set up a face-to-face meeting with Anthony to convince him of the virtues of being a Net.
The other 27 teams are most likely out of the picture for now. Few teams will be willing to give up significant assets for the superstar forward without a commitment that he will stick around past June 30. Without a signed extension, any team trading for the superstar forward risks losing him as a free agent this summer.
While Anthony still has not definitively ruled out remaining with Denver long-term, Nuggets executive VP Masai Ujiri nevertheless faces a ticking clock. If he does not work out a suitable deal for the forward by the Feb. 24 trade deadline, Ujiri risks losing his franchise cornerstone to free agency -- without compensation. As fans in Cleveland and Toronto will attest, this isn't an outcome he wants to contemplate.
Some people have speculated that if Ujiri fails to pull off a blockbuster trade by Feb. 24 he will have another chance after the season ends, such as on draft day. But this is highly unlikely, due to quirks of the rules and the structure of Anthony's contract.
Ordinarily a team is free to make trades once its season ends, and can continue to make deals through June 30. But teams are precluded from moving players whose contracts are ending in postseason deals. This also applies to players whose contracts might end by virtue of an option. If there's any chance the player could become a free agent, then he's officially off the postseason trade market.
Ordinarily, the player or team can simply pick up the option in order to make the player tradable -- with the option invoked that the contract would no longer be ending. However, Anthony possesses an early-termination option. With an ETO, the contract doesn't end unless the ETO is invoked.
Why is this important? Because there's no way to not invoke an ETO, other than by running out the clock. The player can either exercise his ETO and become a free agent, or wait for the deadline to pass on June 30. There's no mechanism to officially notify the team and league that he's not going to invoke his ETO.
So after the season players with ETOs are always considered potential free agents, and so can't be traded. The only way to trade such a player after the season is if the team and player mutually amend the player's contract to remove the ETO. The player would then be locked-in through the following season, and at that point a trade is possible.
But there are several disadvantages to the Nuggets in a postseason trade, decreasing the likelihood of such a scenario:
Ujiri can't take back expiring contracts like he can before the trade deadline. A Melo trade would signal the retooling of the Nuggets franchise, and one of Ujiri's goals in such a trade would be to gain financial flexibility. This is usually achieved by acquiring expiring contracts, which drop off the books at season's end. If Ujiri wants to acquire an expiring contract, then he has to do so before the trade deadline, not after the season.
Because he can't take back expiring contracts, many trades that would be available at the trade deadline would be illegal after the season. For instance, a deadline trade with the Knicks would likely include the expiring contract of Eddy Curry. Since Curry couldn't be included in a trade after the season, the teams would have to find another combination of players to fulfill the league's salary matching requirements. Curry would need to be replaced in the deal with a combination of players that includes Raymond Felton and either Ronny Turiaf (if he picks up his player option) or Timofey Mozgov.
An after-the-season trade would not change the Nuggets' luxury tax position. Tax numbers are locked-in at the end of the regular season, and do not change with any subsequent trades. The Nuggets are currently slated to pay about $13.2 million in luxury tax, and would like to leverage a Melo trade to reduce or eliminate their tax burden. This would not be possible if the trade occurred after the season.
Anthony's ETO can't be eliminated unless both he and the Nuggets agree. This means Ujiri would have to secure Anthony's consent for any postseason trade. The control Anthony currently wields over his own destiny would greatly increase, as he would be empowered with what amounts to a no-trade clause.
Bottom line -- if Anthony isn't traded by the Feb. 24 trade deadline, then it's unlikely that he will be traded before June 30. If Ujiri wants to maintain any control over the situation, then he has to move his superstar before the trade deadline. He can't rely on getting a second chance after the season ends. So an Anthony trade needs to take place by Feb. 24 -- or not at all.


text:
SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake Captain Kyle Beckerman and GK Nick Rimando have been called up to the U.S. Men's National Team for its Sept. 6 and Sept. 10 World Cup Qualifying matches at Costa Rica and against Mexico.
Beckerman and Rimando will depart for U.S. camp following Real Salt Lake's Friday home match against the Portland Timbers. The Claret-and-Cobalt duo will return to the team following the USMNT's Sept. 10 qualifier in Columbus against Mexico and will be available for selection for RSL's Sept. 13 road match at Seattle Sounders FC. Neither Beckerman nor Rimando will miss a Real Salt Lake match while on international duty.
Both Beckerman and Rimando starred for the U.S. team that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July, both starting all but one match in the tournament and Beckerman earning Man of the Match honors in the U.S.'s 1-0 Gold Cup Final win over Panama. Both players were called in to U.S. World Cup Qualifying camps in March and June of this year.
A regular member of U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann's squad selections, Beckerman has 31 career caps with the United States. He's appeared in eight matches – including seven starts – for the U.S. in 2013, notching two assists for the Stars-and-Stripes this calendar year. Beckerman captained the U.S. in its 0-0 draw against Canada on Jan. 29 in Houston and started in central midfield in the team's first – and only – win over Mexico on Mexican soil on Aug. 15, 2012.
Beckerman has four goals and four assists in 20 regular season games – all starts – for Real Salt Lake this year.
"It's always a big honor to be called to the national team," Beckerman said. "I can't wait to get in with the group and I'm looking forward to contributing in any way that I can."
Rimando has 12 career caps with the U.S senior team. The 34-year-old 'keeper has six appearances with the USMNT this year, posting a perfect 6-0-0 record, registering two shutouts and allowing just four goals.
Rimando has had a stellar season between the pipes for RSL, leading MLS in goals against average and wins and notching eight clean sheets in 21 regular season appearances.
"It's an honor to be called up for the next set of very important World Cup Qualifiers," Rimando said. "I'm excited for this opportunity and I'll be ready if called upon."
The U.S. is currently in first-place in the CONCACAF Hexagonal with a 4-1-1 record through six matches. The top three finishers in the 10-game Hexagonal automatically qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, with the fourth-place finisher playing a home-and-home series against New Zealand this November for one spot in the World Cup.
Real Salt Lake will return to MLS action this Friday, when it will host Western Conference foe the Portland Timbers at 8:00 p.m.at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tickets are still available for Friday's match and can be purchased at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at www.RealSaltLake.com/Tickets or over the phone at 801-727-2700.


text:
Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by JacksonArcher, May 28, 2009.
I would agree with you on the Spidey films, and share your hopes for some Raimi bastardry.
Horror!Raimi is where it's at. This film I will see.
Pingfah, this is definitely a return to form for Raimi and in my personal opinion the movie he needed to make after all those bloated Spider-Man films. As much as I do anticipate his return to Spider-Man, being the comic-book fan that I am, a part of me wishes Raimi would just stick to low budget, high concept horror films like DRAG ME TO HELL for the remainder of his career. Alas.
Jeez, that's just sad. I checked out some of the yahoo user reviews, and it looks like there are a lot of people (teens probably) who don't get Raimi's style at ALL.
The only thing they seem to know is stuff that's really dark like Saw, or an outright spoof like Scary Movie. lol
Eh, you know what man, those Evil Dead movies did nothing for me, I don't even think I've sat through any of the films in their entirety. I'll skip this new horror picture film.
I'm hoping to see the movie this weekend (all the mixed reviews in the thread are driving me crazy). For those of you that are Raimi fans - thought you might appreciate this...
I'm working with FEARnet.com and we thought it'd be fun to revisit Raimi's classics before seeing 'Drag Me to Hell'. So, we decided to stream 'Evil Dead 2' on the site for free.
Hope you enjoy.
Jack with FEARnet
When ya go to see the movie, everything that ya see on the screen and hear from the speakers for the first hour? That's the stuff I didn't like about the movie.
The American version of The Office made me laugh, once. The bit with all of Dwight's stuff in the vendin' machine, includin' his own wallet so he couldn't get any of his office supplies out...that was some funny shit.
Never have seen the British original.
Does my opinion carry more weight now?
As I have no other friends who enjoy horror movies as I do...I'll probably wait until Drag Me To Hell comes out on DVD to see it. Been wanting to see it since I first heard about it last year, the trailers look great and the subject matter is right up my ally so it will be a DVD rental.
You're funny. I like you.
It was a stand up film. Nothing classic like the Evil Dead films, and I saw the twist at the end coming a mile away, but it was good fun. Didn't realize Ted Raimi played the doctor until the end credits rolled, though. Too bad Bruce couldn't have a small cameo, though it probably would have ruined the mood as much as seeing Raimi's signature car over and over again.
I wasn't interested in this film until I saw the reviews. It looks awesome now.
Whatever you do, don't eat during this move. Seriously. Yeah, it's that kind of Raimi film.
I enjoyed it, it was definitely classic Raimi. There was a very high gross-out factor: scenes that you thought, wow, that's kinda gross just kept going....and going. The audience I was with was probably the most interactive I've had for a movie and overall had a good time and a good laugh. You could tell that a lot of them were really surprised by Raimi's style and were not expecting many of the horror scenes to play out the way they did. But it got a lot of laughs and a lot of "eeeeewwwww!"s
Mmmmmm, I'd have to say that I liked Army of Darkness better, but this was a very fun, stylized, classic horror movie. It almost had that 50s or 60s horror movie vibe to it, where the characters try a bit too hard to sell you the plot that's just a little too over-the-top. Does that make sense?
I can see why some people wouldn't like it--it's kinda like a Tarantino film, you either like his style or you don't (in Tarantino's case, I loathe it), and if you don't almost nothing will save the movie for you. So I completely understand why this movie is not going to be for everyone, not even all horror fans. It will, however, be a necessary addition to many fans DVD collections--it's the kind of movie that has a distinct presence in the horror genre. Above all, this movie has style.
I'm not sure if I want to see this or not. Raimi was awesome back in the day, but after the Spider-Man movies he's become a bit of a sell-out. The PG-13 "horror" movies his Ghost House Pictures produces are a bunch of crap. The Grudge and Boogeyman were both crap. So, when I saw this movie was going to be Sam Raimi's "Big return to horror" I was a bit skeptic and when I saw the rating I figured it was going to be more of his usual tripe of late.
Or at least nothing vaguely green and/or vaguely liquid !
And I've heard that this film was just an appetizer for what Raimi intend to film later.
Same thing here (in Paris). I have to add that since Wednesday (films are released on Wednesday) the cinema has moved the film to a bigger screen. It's quite successful here for this kind of film.
And like everyone in the cinema, I liked it, I'd give it 4 stars over 5.
I'm surprised the Parisian audience is going for it, but happy! How do horror movies usually fare in France?
I haven't seen Boogeyman but this was nothing like The Grudge, not even remotely. DMTH definitely has more of a sense of humor.
I just got back from seeing this. I thought it was good.
I'm not a big horror fan, but this film is definately one that will transend the genre sort of like The Ring and The Sixth Sense did. And guess what? This movie is actually scary; imagine that, a horror movie that's actually scary.
The plot is easy to follow and it doesn't leave you scratching your head thinking what the hell was that all about. Everything makes sense, except for all the dumb things some of the characters do, but I suppose that's pretty standard for horror films.
This is definately one you want to see in the theater. Preferably one with a packed crowd. I see some people saying they will wait for the DVD. Big mistake. You'll regret it later.
I really enjoyed this movie. The pacing is good, it has some great comedic moments and some good scares. It's nice to see that there is still a market for non-torture porn horror films.
Apparently (I can't be sure until the box office next week) it's the success of the week.
Horror movies have fans. Saw 4 was also the biggest success of the week of its release.
Saw this last night. I thought it was a lot of fun: wild, horror slapstick in the tradition EVIL DEAD 2. About as subtle as a demon goat spraying vomit in your face, but what do you expect from a movie titled DRAG ME TO HELL?
I saw it at a suburban multiplex, but it was easy to imagine watching this at a drive-in or some scuzzy old Times Square grindhouse.
That's a recommendation, btw.
I'm off to see this in a couple of hours. Convinced a friend who doesn't normally like horror to go with me.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Merchant-Funded Rewards Make Cards Cheaper for CUs
A majority of the credit unions around the country that issue cards will soon be able to offer merchant-funded rewards.
FIS, the credit and debit card processor for the majority of card-issuing credit unions, is adding some merchant-funded rewards to its existing ScoreCard rewards program.
Merchant-funded rewards programs allow merchants to directly reward consumers who use a participating card issuer's credit or debit card. The programs are not the core of a credit union's loyalty or incentive regime, but are most often an add-on meant to enhance the appeal of the card for a given period of time or to a group of targeted cardholders.
They have gained particular popularity among debit card issuers as they seek ways to cut the costs of incentive programs in the face of a looming debit interchange cap.
Merchant-funded rewards are not new according to industry sources, but they have most often been confined to online transactions or to a relatively small number of CUs that cultivate relationships with local retailers or other merchants. They have been growing steadily in popularity, however, as both card issuers and merchants leverage existing commercial relationships into greater profitability and FIS' move positions them for even more attention and market share.
FIS' offering, dubbed ScoreMore Rewards, is an overlay of the processor's current ScoreCard program. It repays cardholders for using their credit and debit cards at certain national, regional and local retailers. The card-issuing financial institution will also be able to earn rewards when its cardholders use their cards with those retailers, the processor said.
"The Durbin Amendment has made it very difficult for financial institutions to offer loyalty programs to their customers due to the reduction of interchange revenue," said Frank D'Angelo, executive vice president of FIS Payment Solutions Group. "The new ScoreMore Rewards program takes the burden of offering a loyalty program off the shoulders of the financial institution and provides them with the means to offer a new and exciting program for their customers–all at no cost to them."
The FIS offering may be especially attractive to credit unions because it promises to remove some of the procedural headaches merchant-funded rewards often carry, especially following up to make sure the merchant honors its rewards commitment.
Also, because FIS is both a card processor and coordinator in the program, it can help credit unions make the most of their merchant-funded reward opportunities.
Robert Legters, vice president of loyalty services for FIS, attributed the growing popularity of merchant-funded rewards programs to the economic dynamic that benefits both card issuers and retailers.
Merchants help fund card reward programs because they serve as a way for them to both cut and target their marketing costs, Legters explained. Credit unions and card issuers like them because they help boost their cards' popularity.
"Remember, a merchant funding rewards points only pays the points if a customer actually purchases a product subject to the reward," Legters said. In effect, this lets the retailer put marketing dollars in a program with proven results, he explained, adding that merchants saw this practice as more efficient than buying advertising and hoping to draw sales from people who saw the ads.
But this also means that for merchants to be more interested in the program, they need to be confident the rewards offer will be made primarily to targeted cardholders.
For example, a regional home repair or hardware chain might be interested in offering a merchant-funded reward if it knew that the reward would be offered first or even primarily to card holders who had used their cards at a home repair or hardware store at least once in the last six months. That level of sophistication in cardholder data is beyond many small card issuing credit unions but will be within reach of FIS as both the card processor and rewards administrator.
Legters stressed that merchant-funded rewards are one part of the overall effort to keep CUs armed in the fight to get their cards the coveted 'top of wallet' status but it will not replace lost debit interchange income entirely. Still, he pointed out that all interchange is in effect a volume business and anything that will lead to a credit union member reaching for their CU-issued card–without the CU having to pay more for it–is a good thing.


text:
Internet Explorer works fine for some time (hours) but eventually, in response to an attempt to connect to a different site, I get the "unable to access" error page and I'm unable to accessany site, including sites that I just accessed a short time previously. I terminate and then restart IE, but I'm still unable to access any site. But if I terminate IE,shut downZoneAlarm ISS, then restart IE, it again works fine. I can then restart ZAISS and IE still works fine, at least for a while. (Version of my ZAISS is 6.1, incidentally, not 6.0)
Operating System:Windows 2000 Pro
Product Name:ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite
Software Version:6.0


text:
Francoeur embraces fresh opportunity
Right fielder has immediate impact in debut with Mets
By Tim Britton / MLB.com
In his first at-bat as a member of the Mets, Francoeur came up with the bases loaded and one out in the first inning on Saturday night. He promptly delivered a two-run bloop single down the right-field line.
"To be able to dump that one in the first inning felt good," Francoeur said. "The last thing I wanted to do was roll over my first pitch for a double play to end the inning."
It ended a 15-inning scoreless drought for the Mets' offense and propelled them to three first-inning runs and a 4-0 victory over the Reds.
"He's done that to us many times -- fought the ball off," manager Jerry Manuel said. "That's the competitive nature he brings; he's going to do everything he can to get those guys in."
It also calmed the nerves a little for Francoeur and allowed him, and the Mets, to relax.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous -- it's different when you're wearing another uniform," Francoeur said. "For me, the fans were great tonight and made me feel welcome here. I'm excited to play here and be a part of this team."
Earlier in the day, Francoeur was struck by a sense of the bizarre when he entered Citi Field.
"It was weird when I walked in today to see the colors and my uniform," Francoeur said.
After spending four years with the Braves, to be traded from his hometown team within the division to a longtime rival was a lot to digest. But the strangeness of his new surroundings wasn't enough to defuse any of Francoeur's enthusiasm and excitement to be in New York.
"I've been [in the bigs] for four years now, playing against the Mets. So to get the chance to play with them, play in a big city and play with a lot of fans out there that are very passionate, I'm looking forward to it," Francoeur said.
Francoeur, acquired Friday night in exchange for Ryan Church, batted fifth and played right field in his debut. He finished 2-for-4 with those two key RBIs.
The night wasn't all perfect for Francoeur, who was caught stealing second base in the seventh, when he bolted for second base a little too early. Reds reliever Carlos Fisher turned and easily threw him out at second.
"I thought I had timed the pitcher, and he just stood there," Francoeur said. "About halfway, I stopped, and if I had run as fast as I could, I probably could have made it, because I don't think the pitcher knew what was going on. The guys ragged me pretty good on that one. We'll work on that."
Overall, though, it was a promising start for a player hoping the change of scenery equals a change in production.
After a stellar first two-and-a-half years for the Braves, Francoeur has struggled since the start of the 2008 season. He batted .239 last year with only 11 home runs and 71 RBIs; so far in 2009, the right fielder is hitting .253 with five homers and 37 runs driven in.
"I think he's looking at proving he can play and wants to play on this stage," Manuel said. "Any team benefits from his mentality of energy and competing."
Francoeur's issue at the plate has been his lack of plate discipline -- something the Mets are confident they can cure given time. First, though, Manuel wants to let his new right fielder get comfortable.
"The approach we're going to take is we're going to watch for awhile," Manuel said. "We're going to try to let him get as comfortable as he can possibly get without trying to make these types of changes. What we hope is that some of the program that we have in place will address some of his issues on a daily basis."
Manuel and the Mets probably won't need to spend much time addressing Francoeur's defense. A Gold Glove Award winner in 2007, Francoeur is known around the league for his gun of an arm.
Francoeur has finished in the top two among National League right fielders in assists in each of his four big league seasons. He has six outfield assists so far this season.
Manuel is excited by the chance to pair Francoeur with fellow Gold Glover Carlos Beltran in center field when Beltran returns from the disabled list.
But that wasn't the first thing on Manuel's mind during his initial conversation with his newest player; instead, he was looking for some inside information.
"I was just trying to pick his mind on [Braves skipper] Bobby Cox," Manuel joked. "He's one of the best managers in the game. What does he do every day? Why is that roster so good?"
Tim Britton is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Celebaby Roundup For Feb. 28, 2012
Celebaby Roundup
Celebaby Roundup
It was another exciting week for many celebrity babies. Whether they were shopping in LA with their famous parents or enjoying beautiful days outside, they managed to have fun with their loved ones. Click through to see which little guys and girls had family fun over the last few days.
0previous images
-21more images


text:
Artists2artists Social Network
107 members
Join Artists2artists Social Network
Welcome toArtists2artists Social Network
Sign Upor Sign In
Or sign in with:
Ms Kristen T. Woodward critiques of members art.
Rochester Erotic Arts Festival
Urban Wildlife: Learning to Co-Exist
Mark Arts' Abstract National Exhibition
29th National Drawing and Print Exhibition
Camera USA 2018: Photography Exhibition & Award
SHIM Invitational 6
Figure That! Call for Artists
Studio Montclair ViewPoints 2018
Portrait: Image and Identity
First Street Gallery' 2018 National Juried Exhibition
Call for 2d New York City Artists
Coos Art Museum' Expressions West
Recycle 2018: Juried Art Show NYC
Wide Open 9
For the Love of Printmaking
ART in Embassies Registry
Furman University Call for Exhibitions
Woodson Art Museum' 2018 Birds in Art Exhibition
Red Hot Wicked II
NJEAA Art of the Horse
Added by A2a Editor
0 Comments
2017-2018 All Rights Reserved - All images, information, text, and html found within this site and on individual artist pages, may not be copied, reproduced, modified, or distributed without prior written consent of content owner.
Member Terms of Service
© 2018 Created by A2a Editor.
Powered by
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by Mirror Sulu, Feb 24, 2013.
No reason why they can't introduce Data into the new Trek continuity.
Data is the one TNG character that is iconic in the way Kirk and Spock are, and could be brought back, but his iconic-ness is really from an earlier source. He's Pinocchio. So why bother with having him be Data, per se? Come up with a different Pinocchio. Or come up with an android who has something else driving him/her.
And if you want more iconic characters, go back to earlier sources of mythology and fairy tales, and start transferring them into a Star Trek context.
For example, Picard is a variant on the elder/mentor character type, he could be Gandalf or Obi-Wan. Why not just go direct to the source and have a character who truly is a mentor (Admiral, ship's counselor, holographic sidekick, etc) to a younger character?
Worf is the fish-out-of-water, and also an exile from his people. You could assemble two different characters from that, or merge them but come up with someone very different from Worf.
Maybe assemble the characters different ways. The young character on a quest is the Pinocchio. The mentor character is exiled from his/her society. And on and on.
There are any number of archetypes to draw on. Limiting it to TNG is such a waste - those characters are not the strongest that we should hope for, given the range of possibilities.
If they reboot again they need to go nuts with the casting. I want Donald Glover and Aubrey Plaza for Kirk and Spock!
With all the paradigm shifts within the franchise it is a difficult concept.
I don't know if I read you correctly, but what I missed a lot ever since Trek movies went down the wrath / revenge / conflict / war path is the original concept that Star Trek is about to go where no one has gone before (and not to go where George Lucas or JMS went, it's derivative), explore space, meet different cultures and how to handle human and interspecies relationships and conflicts.
That's what I always assumed to be Roddenberry's Star Trek Vision, that's what used to be Star Trek's trademark and - I have to put it bluntly - the animated series had more of these Star Trek characteristics than the same amount of "Star Trek" movie screen time I had to endure in previous years.
Unless, as you put it, a "traditionalist" puts Star Trek back onto its original tracks to create a noticable distinction from "Star Wars" or "Star...Ship Troopers" I don't see a promising future for the franchise.
If its makes money and gets people interested it's future is very promising.
they should make a pure traditional trek film that would tank at the box office and kill trek forever just to shut up future demands for pure trek.
Wasn't that called Insurrection?
I'm inclined to think that after Star Trek XIII, there will be several years of inactivity and then Paramount will announce a total reboot with new actors playing Kirk and Spock & the gang. This one will be a clean restart, as if no previous version of Trek had ever existed and it was being created for the first time, with everything being completely reimagined from the Enterprise to the uniforms (goodbye both prime and Ambramsverse continuities).
And CBS will just continue to sit back and continue what they've been doing with Trek on the TV front for the past eight years.
Honestly, I just use the words "tradition" and "pure" simply to get a rise out of people. And it works much better than I usually intend. I'm really not that picky about Star Trek and honestly don't care about what is or isn't "true to Roddenberry's vision." But really, being an "anythign goes" kind of guy doesn't really make for an entertainng online persona.
There is technical term that describes this particular approach.
This is actually true. I remember the Ex Astris Scientia website trashing Enterprise quite completely - the ship and technology, the continuity, the characters and storylines - and then when JJ Abrams came along I read "...at least Enterprise was pure Trek..." and laughed by ass off.
And by extension, Voyager was constantly ridiculed and criticized during its run, but as soon as Enterprise came around everyone online became "at least Voyager was pure Star Trek." Trekkies - we only like what came before.
I don't agree. IMHO, what we've seen in recent Star Trek is a steady "expectation erosion". If you think it can't get "worse" you better think again. If you feel the latest incarnation really isn't good, the contrast can at least help to discover more positive things in the previous one. Thus, attitudes can change which I think is only natural and last but not least human.
Trek lives on, but its soul is dead.
In 10-15 years the studio should consider making a new live action Trek series. In the meantime I think an animated series wouldn't be a bad idea.
Nah, but its katra has been placed in Karl Urban's brain.
I just hope there is new Trek after Abrams
There will be, it's just a question of when.
Paramount will continually produce Star Trek movies for the foreseeable future. The movie biz has become centered around tentpole franchises, and thanks to Abrams, Star Trek is securely situated as a success in that category.
There really aren't a lot of franchises out there, and it's an expensive risk to try to create a new one (ie, John Carter), so nobody is going to discard one wantonly. Some franchises like Harry Potter and LOTR have an end date (they are going to stop after they stretch The Hobbit till it squeaks, right?) So an open-ended franchise is the best kind of all. Star Trek, Star Wars, James Bond and The Avengers are all golden names in Hollywood.
Whether it's on film or TV there will be more Trek. It will be in the JJverse (no going back to prime continuity folks) and may well feature new ships, cast and crew.
And it won't jump forward to the 24th century - they won't reboot TNG.
I agree with half of that. I can't imagine that they'll ever go back to the earlier continuity, but I can see somebody rebooting TNG one of these days. TNG nostalgia is bound to kick in at some point, especially as the generation that grew up on that show ends up in charge . . . . .
Separate names with a comma.


text:
but I am afraid that I had to disable the ability for you to comment anonymously. The recent bombardment of spam has left me no choice. Some of it has been harmless advertisements, but some of it has been offensive and I just don't want to see it anymore. I am sorry that a few bad apples has ruined it for the rest of you. I wish there was another way for you to leave comments and ask questions but at this point I just do not know of one.
In other news… I have been working on a new quilt. If you follow me on Instagram you probably already know that I have been slowly but surly working on this new quilt for the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, progress has been slow because the kids and I have been very sick with the flu. Thankfully, my husband never got sick. He single handily saved Christmas this year. I was to sick to drive, shop, or cook so he picked up the slack to make sure the kids and I still had a memorable Christmas. He truly is an amazing man.
I think this is going to be my new "go to" quilt for gift giving. In just over an hour I was able to cut the two jelly rolls it takes to make this quilt. The blocks came together quickly, and now that I am feeling better, I am hoping to complete the quilt top this week.
No promises though, the kids are home from school for the next two weeks and I am not sure how that is going to cut in to my sewing time. Feeding them alone can be a full time job so it could go either way.
Have a great day!
Subscribe to Updates - Like on Facebook - Follow on Twitter