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Curve balls
So I wonder at what point Android's upwards curve will intersect with Nokia's downwards curve?
Smartphone sales rose by half over the last three months, according to market analysts Gartner, with the segment now making up almost 20 per cent of phones sold. Of the 326 million handsets that Gartner reckons were sold in the last three months, 19 per cent fall into the smartphone category, with Symbian's share of that …
So I wonder at what point Android's upwards curve will intersect with Nokia's downwards curve?
that a lot of the smartphone sales increase is that there are fewer and fewer dumb phones on the market.
I had a devil of a job finding my other half a mobile. She prefers very, very dumb phones and most shops had almost nothing less than a semi-smart mobile. They're the new basic standard.
I'm not surprised Android has taken such a hold. It's a good system, user friendly and seemingly able to be used on low to high spec phones without much difference in base experience. However, even thought it looks like it's overtaking blackberry, it's got a much larger opportunity with nearly every manufacturer using it.
It's becoming a strange world with Microsoft running the computers and Google running the phones.
I can't understand why Google passed up the chance to become a phone network aswell though, they could make billions from that because their phones are so in demand and it's easy money.
Why enter a market you are spending billions to destroy? As much as I disagree with anti-net-neutrality folks like Andrew O, the one thing they are 100% correct on is that if Google gets its way then there will be zero money in being an ISP or mobile carrier. This isn't the right threat for a net neutrality debate, but the facts are pertinent.
Why hitch your horse to a wagon you've just set on fire?
On low-spec phones is not so smooth and battery life sucks but yes it works and it's apparently free (although you have to sell your soul to Google, and at some point soon we'll start seeing "protection racket" behavior by Google, just like MS did with Windows). So Android is quickly becoming the Windows of the smartphone world.
Android is becoming the "Windows of the smartphone world" because it's better and has more features.
The only complaint i have with android so far is the Google Maps update
But there are other operating systems out there. By the way, I wonder what BlackBerry are going to do with QNX...
Google is already a huge ISP. With Google Talk that makes them a telephone company via wireless & so in terms of virtual reality they become a phone company.
The older smartphones only ran one task at a time & so that one was the only one using battery & time unused basically stopped & only checked in between. With multi-tasking you have several apps going at once whether you want that or not. Especially with Android. Your safe with iPhone because that only runs one & a half programs at a time, so get one of those. Anyway after a small tease to get the Applers screaming about their better sex-life & I'm sure it is because they're not bright enough to be nerds anyway. Sorry, another one!
As far as Google becoming the Windows of the mobile phone I believe that has already happened. So far they've behaved fairly well but one can see the testing of waters coming out in current behaviours.
OK, yes, I know that there are devices out there -- but all the adverts and shop windows are full of feature-full smart phones so it's no wonder people are buying them.
Take the example of my friend -- she bought a brand new Android device the other day. She didn't want a smart phone, and didn't ask for one. In fact, she tried to take it back a few days later (when it was too late) due to terrible battery life and too much complexity she'll never use. She's getting used to it now and finding that it's not all that bad -- but I doubt she'll even use the web browser more than a couple of times a year, never mind the email client and other features.
So, for the average (European at least) consumer, you actually have to seek out "non-smart" phones, it seems.
My advice is either to look past the window display and go into the shop, or shop in your local supermarket. My works phone (very old Nokia 6310) packed up, so I replaced it with a Nokia 2330 - cost me £20 from the local Phones4U. I've also seen similar devices in the local Asda and Tesco stores.
Okay, the 2330 has got a camera, but apart from that it's a basic phone (and I'm sure that there was an even dumber/cheaper Nokia, but I needed one with Bluetooth), and quite good - I use it for about 30 minutes a day, the rest of the time it's on standby and it needs charged about once a week.
What makes a phone a smartphone? The figures aren't really that useful without this definition...
The Trevor Pott definition of a smartphone, which holds no weight whatsoever, is that a smartphone is a device you can both install applications upon and make phone calls from. (I leave open the question of whether or not PCs/Laptops equipped with Skype count.) Many "dumb phones" still have advanced features: cameras, browsers, etc. These phones can't be changed beyond the manufacturer's software loadout however, making them even more locked down than a non-jailbroken iPhone.
To contrast, a smartphone is essentially a palm pilot with a cellular radio and an application for making phone calls. There are nigglies about "but they're more advanced than that" I am sure, but the basic principle remains the same. Smartphones are PDAs/application executing devices first and phones second. Dumb phones are phones first and they maybe do other things when needed.
I suspect that 10 minutes with any device will give you a good understanding of which side of that gap the device in question was designed for.
It's usually defined as a phone on which the user can install and run applications.
Wife and child have Nokia phones with S40 that do maps, web browsing, email, etc., but only connect via 2.5G (whatever that is). You can also download Java apps from the Ovi app store, not that I've tested the feature. The little ones (emergency) phone was around £50, a year ago.
What smart phones have, may be, GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi, bigger screen, touch screen...
"the iPhone 4 is still to arrive in some markets and is selling despite being dogged by the media blowing a small issue out of all proportion"
Well since the media blows everything to do with Apple out of proportion you can't really complain about this one.
I knew having a phone which can't place calls and being concerned was just me over reacting as well... silly me.
When the iPhone was doing great you were probably happy as half the net filled up with previews, reviews, leaks and general gush about how wonderful each new iteration was. The column inches given over to publish ever more masturbatory shite were hardly justified or in proportion.
Why cry now the same degree of coverage is being given to a flaw? A flaw that Apple claimed didn't exist until the rest of world proved it...errr...did.
On-topic; I'm using the HTC Wildfire I got on the strength of the Reg's review. It's a great little phone; basically a baby Desire. I turned the HTC Sense UI off because I don't need six home screens or countless widgets. The three screens on the vanilla Android UI work just fine and the overall performance is a lot snappier for it.
I'm happy with Android. It feels like it's 1995 again and I'm a part of something new; something pioneering and audacious. Back then being 'on the internet' meant that people pointed at you in the street and talked about you in hushed whispers. The sound of a dial-up modem doing it's thing was likened to the approach of the Four Horsemen.
This is the stage I feel Android is at now. It's gaining traction, visibility and a momentum all of its' own. It's fun to use, has a common base and works well on a broad range of hardware. The people developing for it aren't people in lab coats locked away in California; they're ordinary folks who write apps or widgets out of that weird human philanthropy which can't quite be explained but was responsible for the rise of the internet.
In short; you can stand in the corner wiping your eyes and rubbing your sore arse all you like. Android is a phone OS for phones real people want to use. Butthurt hipsters who spent too much on a broken personality substitute need not apply.
Have a great weekend!
"the iPhone 4 is still to arrive in some markets and is selling thanks to brand-bitches being too blind to its most famous design flaw"
Just as a quick test I checked the O2 shop on their website and there are a whole bunch of cheap Pay-As-You-Go phones for the cost of only a few tenners which fall squarely into the non-smartphone category.
Of course in the shops they display the flashiest and fanciest stuff they can, but there's plenty of more simple phones still on the market.


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Discussion in 'Tennis Tips/Instruction' started by tennis_balla, Dec 17, 2010.
Yea its between like an eastern and semi-western I'd say, more to the SW side
are u in ontario?
do u play ota tourneys?
Yea I am in Ontario and not anymore, haven't played an OTA tournament in 5+ years
Your fluidity reminds me of Michael Stich.
Hear Hear. I agree.
From how the court looks, I believe I hit on the exact same court as you a few days ago XD.
There are green clay courts outside right?
those are in toronto
Mario with a modern forehand? No way! Must of taken lessons from Oscar Wegner
what level did u play at?
so many active members from toronto.
where are those courts? i m looking for a winter club. looks very similar to tam, except different court layout
I don't play in Toronto but I do live in Southern Ontario.
what level OTA did u play?
i m guessing A to open.
Open? No no thats much to high for me. Top 200 ranked Peter Polansky is 4.0 rated on TT Forum, I'm hoping to reach the 3.0 milestone soon
Just checked out the comments on my Youtube video, seems like I'm the new poster boy for MTM and the Wegner Method
u have nice "A" warm-up strokes, but losing to a pesky C player is also a possibility.
i give up
Train hard for the next few years...if you can't get to 3.0 until you're 35 you will miss your window, nobody over 35 can possibly reach that "mastery level".
Nope, not even Yoda.
Strong with this one the force is
What do you want me to say? Yes I played Open tournaments, lots of them and yes I've won prize money but any knucklehead who pays the entry fee can play open tourneys, thats why its called Open
I avoided your question because I don't like answering it and people can make up their own minds what level they think I'm at, I have no problem with that. Though if I ever lose to a C player I'm selling my rackets
i hope you plan to reveal your tournament record at the end of the study.
if not, i suggest to everyone, this is a complete waste of time
u r a tease and you deserve the starry bra from aphex
oh please... too much ego going on here. how bout u play each other and post the vid?
^^^ I concur ^^^
Oh no, I think he's going to try and convince me I stink and my game needs an overhaul
i m totally up for that. i have already hit with a few guys from TT.
just one hit. u dont have to play me again.
we will post the scores here.
not at all
u are probably open to C players
i have no clue. no judgement/opinion yet.
however i can see top open, A players posting videos here, maybe a recruiting video. jury is still out. evidence is conflicting
What evidence would that be? I posted a video of my strokes, nothing more. It is what it is. I never claimed to belong to any playing level because frankly I don't care nor do I want to get into these types of discussions. I only made fun of past ratings that people have made on these boards.
You were the one who came along asking questions about my level and didn't like the fact that I was being sarcastic.
Now you want to play me because the evidence in my video is conflicting? Whats the point? You're the same guy who posted a video of Will from FYB and wanted to know his NTRP rating. Coo coo
come down to central FL since it's a bit warmer. how bout i get to play each of you too.
i got the same offer from powerplayer
u choose to muck your cards. thats ok. u dont have to play me. just a suggestion.
but hold on, whats the point of posting your video again?
- are u trying to get an help on your ntrp becaue u are unsure about your rating?
- are u doing a test like aphex? testing our ability to rate?
- testing the waters, if u get a good response , it will confirm your own self rating. if u get bad responses, thats ok, it was meant to be a joke anyways.
imo, will is a good hit. i wanted other's opinion. i was wrong, i had the opnion that he was just a lot of talk. after seeing the video, my opinion has changed
from the class of 98, u are either EK or BC, other than that u are most likely not an open, top A player.
I know my own level. I've been playing since I was 5 years old, played tournaments since I was 10 and have been coaching for the past 6 years or so. I made this thread because I post on TT and others in the past have posted their own videos so I figured why not and say hey this is me, this is how I play. I mean even now theres a thread active about how people should be posting their own videos so we can see who's who, yet when someone does it turns in this discussion.
I've posted videos of myself playing guitar in the past on music forums and people either give advice or say hey thanks for sharing sounded good.
I don't care what people think of my level because its all subjective. If you believe I'm an A player thats fine, if someone thinks I'm a past pro or a 3.0 or 4.5 unless more is shown then thats cool too. I'm not looking for affirmation or want to know where I stand. I just posted a freaking video lol, I shouldn't have to defend it especially since there's no editing involved and I'm not trying to prove or claim anything. I don't understand how that is so difficult to believe.
muck your cards? u sure?
we can learn a lot from this thread.
this is more of an introduce yourself thread. cause u mentions the polansky rating and most videos threads on here are about ntrp rating, i assume this was the same. oh well
btw, what is your level?
Great strokes TennisBalla. I recognize a player when I see one. Easy power, I wish I had your leverage but I'm only 5'8. I'm a Ontarian myself but I'm not really familiar with Southern Ontario. Where are you based? Niagara Falls?
Well you should come down to the GTA and play in the various ITF's they have here. You'll get some good competition for sure. A lot of old tour players lurking around Toronto (like top 200-300s). Also you can come down to Kew and train with the likes of Adam Baraknowski, Ryan Chow, Peter Bedard and the likes.
Good luck to you.
dude, why do u always drop names?
i dont get it. i dont think they will appreciate that.
thats something, i wont even do. and i have been branded a troll.
I don't know the other guys but know Adam. Last time I talked to him was summer '09. He's got 2 kids and coaches at Kew Gardens over the summer (not sure if he's still there) but can still play, well he always could great player. Always liked his game, very easy and relaxed and consistent. Really nice guy as well.
Adam is a super guy. He's moved out closer to missisauga so it's a little tougher commute for him but yes he's still at KEW. Class act. He won the kew open last year and no one was even close and we've got some damn good players at the club.
I played him a couple years ago at the tournament and managed 2 games off of him. Those were two games earned with a lot of sweat, tears and oxygen. Hehehe.
Great coach. If anyone wants like solid instruction in the GTA I recommend him. He's not like most coaches or instructors who sometime cater too much to the 'feel good' lessons. He makes you earn it, ball by bloody ball.
Pushing...ummm if you're not from ON or the GTA these names mean nothing to you so who cares. On the flip side, if you are from GTA or play OTA you already know who I'm talking about or at least should.
If I was talking about a woman, I would never reveal her name in online forum. That's just unsafe.
Nothing wrong with dropping a name of someone who's already got their name out there, as a coach especially.
Very nice! If your 1HBH remains solid in match play and you have a pretty good serve, then you're probably close to 5.5-6.0 IMO.
I remember seeing Baranovski at the nationals about 15 years ago... HUGE flat forehand!
Excellent strokes. This could become an epic 100 page thread like the tonylars one. It's always sweet to get in on the ground floor! LOL!
# 89 is mine!
Fugazi nice for you to drop by bro! I hope your christmas is going well. ADam's forehand is still flat and big.
Best wishes to you and D this holiday. joyeux noel!
I doubt this thread will ever get to 100 pages, but I will update it here and there if I can with new videos. I wanna get a video of my serve again as I haven't done that in a while and some points/games/tiebreakers. Going to have to find a good camera spot for the points which will also show where the ball is going as the back view isn't wide enough for shots in the corner. I'll try a better camera next time as well, maybe that'll make a difference.
Thanks DavaiMarat! Joyeux Noël to you!
do u hit with AS from west of toronto? he also loves the guitar.
Awesome backhand, it looks effortless which is pretty incredible. I concur with the poster who envies your height, I got stuck at 5' 8" too.
I didn't feel like scrolling through all the replies, so I'm sorry if this has already been pointed out...
You have very nice, grooved groundies. I wish I could see your volleys and serve (the two things that I'm best at critiquing IMO). However, I did notice on your backhand slice that you tend to open up on it, making it pop up a little more than I (and probably you) would like. Make sure you're really keeping yourself sideways and throwing that left-arm back.
Otherwise, very solid.
the only thing that pops into my head when i watch your video is -- how many countless hours, days, weeks of actual time on a tennis court did you spend? and how many hundreds of thousands or millions of balls do you think you hit to get that good?
oh and then the idea that there are a handful of people out there who are even better.
thanks for posting balla. we really do need to convince TennisWarehouse to host a tennis tournament this summer and either make it an open tournament (lots of hacks and a couple of gems) or an invitational. and then post videos.
There are a lot more than a handful that are better then me, A LOT more
Put it to you this way, if I went to play in a tournament that mattered say a Futures qualie right now, I wouldn't like my chances in the first round.
that your speculation. do u really know they dont care? i prefer to err on the side of respect people's privacy
can i start calling you by your real name?
you are probably not even friends with any of them. i dont see you on adams nor ryan's FB friend's list
how stiff is the competition in A2, btw?
Yea, because you're not truly friends with someone unless you're on their Facebook friends list
pushing_wins, do you have anything positive to contribute to this thread or are you just going to come here and harass people and push your opinions upon them? because if that is the case I suggest you make your own thread and do it there.
Have a nice day.
Well I don't what to say...for someone who respects people's privacy, why run around and gather info on peeps on face book.
I have Adam's number in my phone. I know RC's dad quite well and run into the whole family at KEW all the time. But I don't think that was the point, who cares?. I was just saying to Tennis Balla that he could find some good competition at KEW and in the GTA.
ALSO...did I say in my last post that I was 'friends' with them? (even though I know them quite well). Chillax dude. Go back to your 'Convince someone they stink post', you'll have a lot more to contribute there bro. No offense but it sure sounds like your trolling again. No one cares about me or who I know or who I don't. This isn't highschool nor is it the movie industry. Just leave it at that.
I'd rather be discussing the leveraged power balla seems to get on a relatively easy swing.
Do you lead up your frames at all Balla?
Separate names with a comma.

subset: commoncrawl


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Palestinian Environmental Film Festival opens with Doors to the Sea and Tunnels to Nowhere on Monday, April 1 @7pm in Textor 103
Contributed by Beth Harris on 03/26/13
The second annual Palestinian Environmental Film Festival (PEFF) opens Monday, April 1, 7pm, in Textor 103 with two films addressing economic immobility, Doors to the Sea and Gaza: Tunnels to Nowhere. Cornell graduate student Max Ajl will also provide a tribute to Vittorio Arrigoni, an Italian activist with the International Solidarity Movement, who was killed in Gaza on April 15, 2011. Vittorio's accompaniment of Gazan fishermen is documented in the Doors to the Sea.
PEFF focuses on "(Im)mobility in Palestine" this year. The films, which will be shown at Ithaca College and Cinemapolis April 1-7, examine how the continuing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza are creating unsustainable economic, social and physical environments. The documentaries explore courageous efforts and innovative strategies to break the siege and protect Palestinian communities.
Festival director Ava Carmeli, an Ithaca College senior, explains, "This festival was designed to promote dialogue on campus and in the Ithaca community about the struggles facing the Palestinian people."
On the second night, April 2, 7pm, The War Around Us features Al-Jazeera journalists who were the only international reporters in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. The Park Center for Independent Media and Park School are co-sponsoring this screening, which will be in the Park Auditorium.
Kingdom of Women: Ein El Hilweh, a multi-media documentary about the leadership of Palestinian women in the largest refugee camp in Lebanon, will be shown Wednesday, April 3, 7pm, in Textor 103.
On the weekend, April 6 and 7, Cinemapolis will screen two award-winning films: the Oscar-nominated Five Broken Cameras and feature film Habibi. FLEFF co-sponsors Five Broken Cameras, which follows Palestinian director Emad Burnat's documentation of the weekly peaceful protests in his West Bank village of Bil'in. This film will be screened April 6, 4pm, and April 7, 7:20pm. Jewish Studies and FLEFF co-sponsor Habibi, which retells the famous Sufi parable "Majnun and Layla," as set in modern-day Gaza.
For more information and a schedule of the festival please visit icpeff.wordpress.com. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Ava Carmeli at email@example.com. Please make requests for accommodations as soon as possible.
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Education In The 1920s
What was education like during the 1920s and the 1930s?
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Something that might be considered as well is when schools became bigger, sometimes their focus changed. With increased industrialization of America, the purpose of many schools became to produce students who were cabable and skilled to become factory workers. The schools were business and educating competent workers was the product.
In the early 20's there was a record number of schools. It was the era of the one room school house. Towards the end of the decade consolidation was the norm and many of the one room school houses were replaced with larger consolidated schools.
During the 1910s and 1920s education in the US was something that the American businesses rallied for. They wanted the government to encourage education, especially the high schools as all the skilled labor required for business came from the education system in the country run by the goverment.
But the Great Depression in the 1930s changed the outlook completely. Businesses no longer needed more skilled people and instead were opposed to the government funding education as it required resources that were collected as taxes from the businesses. Businesses instead wanted tax breaks and were intent on reducing the money that went towards education.
Schools were intended to be only for the elite as they would run the businesses and the labor had no need for skills that they gained at school. This led to the shutdown of schools on a large scale, especially those for the non-whites as education was no longer considered important for the work they were to do.


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Meetings could be quiet for D-backs
Club likely won't pull off any blockbuster deals in Las Vegas
By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com
This year, Arizona will likely be pretty quiet at the Winter Meetings, which which take place on Dec. 8-11 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
"Last year we felt like we had the wherewithal to get a starting pitcher that we could have for a number of years at a fair price," Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes said. "That took up a lot of our Winter Meetings last year."
The D-backs' target this year is a second baseman to replace Orlando Hudson, who is expected to depart via free agency.
"We've explored a lot of different possibilities at second base," Byrnes said. "We'll see where it ends up."
The D-backs offered free-agent infielder Ramon Vazquez a one-year contract with a club option for 2010, but Vazquez's agent, Melvin Roman, said he told the D-backs that his client had received an offer for more money from another club.
"[The D-backs] said they would get back to us with something else and that's what we're waiting on right now," Roman said.
Vazquez, 32, has been one of the club's top targets after he hit .290 with a .365 on-base percentage for the Rangers last season. His OPS (a weighted measure of on-base percentage plus slugging) was 111 last year, which means according to that statistic, he was 11 percent better than the league average at the plate.
Vazquez told the Texas media in September that he wanted a multi-year contract and that is still his desire.
"That would be a priority for us," Roman said.
The D-backs could get some face-to-face negotiating time with Roman during the meetings as well as with the agents for infielders Mark Loretta and Damion Easley.
The club is looking at the pair as a right-handed complement to Vazquez, who has struggled against left-handers.
The D-backs have a couple of contracts they would like to move and may talk about that in Las Vegas. Outfielder Eric Byrnes will be entering the second year of a three-year, $30 million deal, while infielder Chad Tracy, who is slated to make $4.75 million in 2009 with a club option at $7 million in 2010 that includes a $1 million buyout.
Moving either of the contracts would give the D-backs a little more money to spend. They were unable to offer free-agent pitcher Randy Johnson more than $3 million and they have less than $10 million to spend overall this winter.
Complicating any attempt to move Byrnes or Tracy is the fact that both had their performances affected by health issues last year and teams may be leery of trading for them before seeing them this spring.
Byrnes injured his hamstring just before the start of Spring Training and eventually shut down his season in July.
Tracy, meanwhile, had microfracture surgery on his right knee in 2007 and was still recovering as the 2008 season went along. He said near the end of the year that he hoped a full offseason of workouts would get him back to 100 percent in 2009.
One player who has drawn some interest this winter is catcher Miguel Montero, but the D-backs have not been able to find a suitable match. While the club is not looking to get rid of Montero, they appear open to trading the left-handed hitter, because of the presence of Chris Snyder behind the plate.
Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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NFL.com's rankings have Wilkerson rated higher than Heyward and Cameron Jordan.
Wilkerson's intangible pluses:
- Local kid from NJ.
- Went to college on the East Coast.
- Big frame with room to grow and get stronger.
- That same college happens to be where one of the best players in franchise history came from.
- One of the younger players in the draft at 21.
I like this pick alot. I wonder if it's enough of a boon to the D. I'd really like to walk away with a Ayers, Reed, Moore, Williams, etc. tommorrow. 94 seems very far away.
NFL.com's rankings have Wilkerson rated higher than Heyward and Cameron Jordan.
I was a little about Wilks over Heyward, but i trust our scouting crew. I'm totally relieved we got that 3-4 End that i think we needed in bad way..
Some mixed feelings about letting Jordan get so close. Don't really understand letting him go, but time to look forward, not backward. Carter rnd 3.
Great pick!!
Instant starter on the D-line and brings intensity and a shot of youth to the defensive front. 6'4 315 3-4 DE dont grow on tree's and the best part is that he is going to get even stronger as he gets acclimated in an NFL training program. This kid has so much potential and Rex is going to help him realize it.
I'm hoping tomorrow the Jets trade up and select a pass rusher since Bowers, Ayers, and even Reed are still available.
God if you can hear me please allow the Jets to select Akeem Ayers tomorrow, Thank you.
but time will tell. I'm more than happy we got Wilkerson over some of the other fan favorites here. It just hurt a little to see a few guys get so close and then be snatched away in the last few picks.
A tall, long-armed defensive line prospect who possesses a great-looking frame and the physical makeup to get even bigger. Is a raw talent at this stage who played this past year as a defensive end in the Temple 34 front, but he still has a lot of upside to his game. Showcases inconsistent pad level when asked to sit into his stance, has the ability to keep his base low, but too often comes up with his butt too high off the ball causing him to get upright into contact. However, at times does showcase a good pad level off the ball, can extend his arms and gain leverage on contact. But typically when engaged allows himself to get upright, which takes away from his initial power when asked to anchor. Will allow defenders to get under his frame and can be driven off the line at times. But does a good job collecting himself, extending his arms and using his length to free himself and make a play on the football.
Displays average instincts and read and react ability inside and has the athletic skill set to make plays off his frame when need be. At his best using his violent club on the outside to slip a blocker off the line and closes quickly in pursuit. However, is much more natural keeping himself clean than disengaging with his hands through contact. Isn't a real gifted pass rusher at this stage. Exhibits a good first step, is routinely one of the first linemen off the ball and can threaten gaps inside. However, gets too upright into contact off the edge, doesn't showcase much violence/know-how to use his hands to shed and his upright pad level really takes away from his balance and ability to slip blockers even in space and close.
Impression: The skill set is there; he's long, has a good first step, can bend and find the football. However, he's just inconsistent with his pad level and doesn't know how to use his hands to disengage. Has a lot of upside still to his game, but is going to need time to mature until he's ready to play at the next level. Will gets looks both as a 3-4 DE and a 4-3 three-technique.
Pass rush: Overwhelms college tackles with size and strength, then chases down quarterbacks with his length and nimble feet. Lacks a quick first step, but flashes a swim move and closing speed to the passer. Feels cut blocks, keeps his hands involved and watches for the quick throw in his direction. Must improve his hand usage to consistently get off blocks inside. Eats up multiple blockers on inside twists to free up other defensive linemen. Effective bull-rushing college tackles when coming from outside the tackle, but rarely pushes back interior linemen. Not sudden or flexible enough to get the corner.
Run defense: Agile five-technique who lines up on either side of the formation. Patient and keeps his eyes in the backfield to contain; very solid in his outside assignment. Comes off outside path or double teams inside to spin/shed, catching back running through the hole. Uses shoulder to hold off blockers while slanting into the backfield. Not exceptional change-of-direction agility but his length allows him to get a hand on ballcarriers trying to get through the hole. Not a dominating interior player despite his size. NFL blockers will win the leverage battle until he gets stronger and more physical inside.
Explosion: Has the potential to be very explosive off the snap, but comes off a bit slow and must use his strength to pop into the chest of blockers. Can utilize his strength and length to hit hard and squeeze the football from a ballcarrier.
Strength: Flashes strong hands, playing with leverage, and the ability to push off linemen to make tackles. Gets stood up at the line too often instead of bull-rushing his man backward or pushing his way through the double-team.
Tackling: Tall, thick frame and long arms make him difficult to avoid in tight quarters and to shed once latched on. Gets a lot of tackles with hustle, keeps his feet moving when chasing from behind. Lacks superior straight-line speed but gives excellent effort to the sideline. Must drop his hips to bring down more elusive pro ballcarriers.
Intangibles: Plays a lot of snaps given his size but gives good effort throughout the game. Attended Hargrave Military Academy. Temple's defensive MVP in 2010. No known character issues.
So happy with this pick, my username now fits both my name and a current Jets player as well lol
Love this pick!!
Bold prediction - Mo will have more sacks in his rookie year that VG has in his career!
This quote from an article in Tuesday's Post got me thinking this is exactly what Rex would be looking for - The anti-Ghoulston!
Two of the coaches Wilkerson considers himself closest to -- former Temple defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin, both of whom went to the University of Miami with head coach Al Golden -- referred to the same characteristics they believe will make Wilkerson a great NFL player.
"His football intelligence is off the charts," Franklin said. "You can tell this guy something one time on the football field and he gets it."
D'Onofrio said, "He understands the game at a high level. Whoever ends up drafting him will figure that out real quick, and because of that he'll be able to step in and have immediate impact."
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/...#ixzz1KvpovTzg
Peter King
30. Jets, Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple. Poor man's Ngata for Rexie.
Patsie homer....


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ANTHONY Mundine further infuriated boxing rival Daniel Geale by refusing to apologise for questioning his Aboriginal heritage and had more explosive words for a country he says is one of the most racist in the world.
A press conference in Redfern today where Mundine was expected to apologise to Geale turned into a rally for the nation's politicians to scrap Australia's flag, national anthem and welfare system for multi-generational Aborigines.
Geale said his wife Sheena had been offended after Mundine said on Thursday that "he's got a white woman, white kids". Mundine conceded he had gone too far.
"I do regret that - it was heat of the moment, if she felt offended I would apologise to her," Mundine told The Daily Telegraph after the conference but had no qualms making stinging statements against his own nation.
"Australia is a very racist country," he said. "I live here and I know it.
"I've had friends come here and they feel it. We can't turn a blind eye anymore. You've got to say what you've got to say to make a change for the better. That's all I'm trying to do.
"That's why I want to change the flag. I want to change the anthem."
Yet Mundine's refusal to directly apologise to Geale - who he will fight in January - and instead canvass wider political issues was labelled as a cop-out by the unified middleweight champion.
"He made some statements that I don't think really helped, he just changed the topic," Geale said.
"This is ultimately about our fight coming up and he is trying to play a few games but it's not going to put me off. My wife took offence to the statements he made. It was disappointing."
Mundine said he was not against Aboriginal men marrying white women but wanted to see more breeding between people of indigenous heritage.
"Our women are the backbone of our community, and the Aboriginal community is weak if our women are weak, we need to bring our women up with us and embrace that," said Mundine, whose mother was part of the Stolen Generation and is half-Aboriginal.
"We are a dying species, an endangered species, our mortality rate is far worse than our birth rate. We are probably one of the only races on Earth like that right now. So we need to populate and multiply."
He stood by his comments that Geale did nothing for the Aboriginal community - a claim refuted by Geale.
"Saying ain't doing - anyone can wear a flag in the ring," Mundine said. "The Aboriginal community is very small, people know people.
"I asked around, he is a dual world champion and no one sees him in the community. He can't go to Moree and rock the hall like I do when I walk down there because he is not out there doing what he can do."
At Thursday's presser at The Star, Mundine said in reference to Geale's background from Tasmania: "I thought they wiped all Aborigines from Tasmania out, that's all I know."
Mundine apologised to Tasmanian Aborigines today.
"I know there are a lot of Aboriginals in Tasmania that are proud of their heritage, just like me," he said.
"My comments weren't directed at anybody but the system that, in my opinion, do not reflect the sentiment of the first, second or third generation Aboriginals.
"There are people who get jobs and are claiming benefits who claim to be Aboriginal because they have a great, great, great, great-grandmother or grandfather and that's it.
"The system needs to accommodate those Aboriginals that need it most instead of trying to cater for everyone."
Mundine added that Australia's national anthem was the theme song for a regime that wanted to wipe out Aborigines and that the flag did not represent the first inhabitants of the land.
Originally published as Mundine versus the nation


text:
This dataset is maintained and distributed by the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD), the criminal justice archive within ICPSR. NACJD is primarily sponsored by three agencies within the U.S. Department of Justice: the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Free Press, Fair Trial Data, 1970 (ICPSR 7541)
Principal Investigator(s): Nagel, Stuart S.; Eimermann, Thomas; Reinbolt, Kathleen
This data collection contains information gathered in a 1970 survey of 623 newspaper editors, police chiefs, bar associations, prosecuting attorneys, and defense attorneys from a sample of 166 cities across the country. The study's research objectives were to develop a model for determining the optimum mix of free press and fair trial in pending criminal cases, to compare alternative procedures for handling the free press/fair trial problem, and to compare the attitudes and procedures of the various decisionmakers involved. Information gathered in the survey includes: (1) the degree of pretrial press publicity allowed on pending criminal cases, (2) relevant attitudes and opinions, especially concerning ways of reducing the adverse effects of pretrial publicity while still having an informed public (e.g., the degree to which the public needs to know the details of criminal proceedings, whether the traditional legal remedies of change of venue, voir dire, sequestering, etc., are adequate to neutralize the effects of possibly prejudicial news coverage, and whether the American Bar Association's restrictions on the extent of information lawyers can release represents an infringement upon the people's right to know), (3) the benefits seen as derived from news coverage of criminal cases, and (4) prevailing pretrial procedures by editors, police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges. Demographic data (e.g., population, region, and whether an SMSA or not) about the 106 cities represented in the survey are also included in the file.
Access Notes
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
Study Description
Nagel, Stuart S., Thomas Eimermann, and Kathleen Reinbolt. FREE PRESS, FAIR TRIAL DATA, 1970. ICPSR version. Urbana, IL: Stuart S. Nagel, Thomas Eimermann, and Kathleen Reinbolt, University of Illinois, Urbana [producers], 1970. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2002. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR07541.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR07541.v1
Export Citation:
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Scope of Study
Subject Terms: attitudes, attorneys, criminal justice policy, fair trial-free press, freedom of the press, freedom of information, media coverage, news media, opinions, pretrial procedures, pretrial publicity, trial procedures, trials, United States
- 1970
- 1967--1970
Universe: Newspaper editors, police chiefs, bar associations, prosecuting attorneys, and defense attorneys in the United States.
(1) Different questions were posed to different sets of respondents. Responses to their individual questionnaires are all combined in one data file. (2) This codebook is provided by ICPSR as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be accessed using PDF reader software, such as the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is provided on the ICPSR Web site.
Sample: Newspaper editors, police chiefs, bar associations, prosecuting attorneys, and defense attorneys from a sample of 166 cities across the country were sent questionnaires in the mail. Fifty-four percent of the newspaper editors responded, 50 percent of the prosecuting attorneys, and 48 percent of the defense attorneys, representing almost all 50 states.
self-enumerated questionnaires, and standard sources providing demographic characteristics of cities
Original ICPSR Release: 1984-05-03
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text:
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text:
26 Mar 2015
And the finalists for the Callaghan Innovation Best Technology Solution for the Creative Sector 2015 are...
-Shotover Camera Systems
"This year's finalists span the full spectrum of the hi-tech sector with a record number of new companies entering for the first time. There has been a huge number of entries across the board and it's awesome the level of entries in the start-up and young achiever categories has been so high" says Wayne Norrie, Chair of the Hi-Tech Trust.
This year's strong line-up of international judges includes renowned American business strategist, Gary Hamel; co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak; founder of Massive, Claudia Batten; Director of Engineering for Google in New York, Craig Nevill-Manning; Senior Vice President for Cisco, Howard Charney; Andy Lark; CMO of Xero and Managing Director for IDG Ventures, Pat Kenealy.
The StarNow Team are looking forward to attending the finalist gala on May 15th to see who takes home the title.
Fingers crossed!
10 Jan 2014
The Acting Immersive competition kicked off in December, offering StarNow members a chance to attend the prestigious Acting Immersive Program put on by Hollywood Immersive.
There were over 5,279 applicants. All the finalists were hand-picked based on their StarNow profiles, and then our incredible panel of judges viewed each finalist's showreel before picking the best one.
And the winner of Acting Immersive 2013 is… Griffin Avis-Foster!
Griffin will be jetting off to LA to take part in the prestigious Acting Immersive program, where he will get trained by the best coaches, network with key decision makers in the industry, create a showreel, shot and directed in LA, and connect with other talent. He will also study at the famous Beverly Hills Playhouse, with alumni including George Clooney, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kate Hudson to name a few, and so much more!
Congratulations also to all of our talented finalists, check them out here!
20 Dec 2013
Congratulations to all the winners of the Sydney Film School Festival Awards which was held last week. Throughout the three days of the festival, there were over 80 short films presented (dramas and documentaries).
An extra big congrats goes to the winners of the StarNow sponsored Outstanding Performance award, Colin Jones and Mémé Thorne for the film 'Solitude'.
Read the full list of winners
16 Dec 2013
It's been 5 months since Tatiana Quaresma attended the Acting Immersive. Since then Tatiana has acheived representation with a Los Angeles manager and is auditioning for roles regularly whilst taking steps to attain her 0-1 Visa. We caught up with Tatiana to find out what she's learnt about acting and the industry since attending.
StarNow: What experiences/lessons did you take home with you from the Acting Immersive Program?
Tatiana: I count myself lucky to have been with such an amazing group during the immersive. I experienced a great sense of camaraderie by getting to know the stories of other artists who like me needed help with their careers. I learned very quickly that the ultimate responsibility lies with the actor. During my time at the Beverly Hills Playhouse I realised a real actor never stops learning, never stops taking lessons and never stops in their pursuit of artistic success.
StarNow: Have you noticed a difference in the auditions from before you went on the Acting Immersive Program and after you went on the program? Has there been a difference in the quality of the opportunities?
Tatiana: There has been a great difference in the quality of opportunities. Before the immersive it was rare for me to be able to audition for main roles unless the project expected the actor to work for free. I am now thrilled to be auditioning for lead roles in international projects that give a high degree of exposure.
StarNow: What do you think makes a great actor?
Tatiana: I feel a great actor is one who does not allow ego to take the driver's seat. A great actor is one who endures discomfort to create a beautiful image. I believe a great actor is one who is adored for their raw talent and ability to touch audiences with their performance.
StarNow: What have you learned from directors and senior actors?
Tatiana: I have learned that a character really is an extension of you and it's ok to experiment and implement ideas. You don't always have to agree and you don't need play a character word for word as the script says.
StarNow: What tips do you have for other young actors trying to break into the industry?
Tatiana: I cannot stress it enough "there is no such thing as an overnight success!" You must be realistic and not hold yourself to impossible standards. If you haven't worked on any acting jobs yet at least begin with regular lessons. Teachers can usually assist if you want to seriously pursue acting. This industry is by far one of the hardest to navigate so you must have thick skin and not be affected by any forms of negativity. Be strong!
Apply now for your chance to be this year's Tatiana
5 Dec 2013
The Sydney Film School is one of the top film schools globally and is recognised for its comprehensive hands on training. Many students, on graduating, are employed throughout the world in screen and media industries.
Twice yearly, at the end of each semester, Sydney Film School organises the popular SFS Film Festival to celebrate the completion of the semester's productions and the graduation of the 1-year Diploma and Advanced Diploma students.
StarNow is happy to announce its continued sponsorship of the Sydney Film Schools Festival Awards this year, in the 'Outstanding Performance' category.
The winners of the 'Outstanding Performance' award will be announced at the award night on Thursday 12th December.
Find out more about the festival


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San Clemente surfer Greg Long has issued a statement describing his near-death experience in big waves at Cortes Bank, taking the chance to thank well-wishers and the rescue team that pulled him out of the water, face down, after he lost consciousness.
Long issued the update from his San Clemente home after being released from UCSD Medical Center in San Diego, where he was flown by the Coast Guard for observation after the three-wave hold-down.
Cortes Bank is a big-wave break about 100 miles west of Point Loma in San Diego, and about 50 miles southwest of San Clemente Island. The massive wave breaks only during certain swells, and only a few surfers in the world are experienced enough to take it on. Waves on Friday afternoon were in the 25-foot range, and some of the best big-wave surfers in the world were out.
Here's Long's description of what happened:
"I had taken off on the second wave of a four-wave set and was forced to straighten out. After enduring an extremely violent and long hold down, I barely broke the surface and was attempting to grab a breath of air, when I received the full impact of the lip from the third and largest wave of the set. All of my breath was knocked out of me. I nearly lost consciousness at this point and was again driven deep and was subjected to a furious beating.
"I attempted to swim to the surface as the energy of the wave began to release me, but only made a few strokes before the next wave passed overhead, pushing me back down. As this beating started to subside, I began climbing my leash, hoping to break the surface before passing out. I made it to the tail of my board while it was still submerged in the turbulent and aerated water, at which point I blacked out from CO2 saturation and lack of oxygen.
"Three rescue skis operated by D.K. Walsh, Jon Walla and Frank Quiarte were tracking me following the initial wipeout. After a fourth and smaller white water had passed, I was quickly located, floating face down alongside my surfboard by D.K. Walsh. D.K. abandoned his ski, jumping in the water in order to raise my head above the surface. Jon Walla arrived on his ski, and together they pulled me onto the rescue sled.
"I began regaining consciousness during the ride back to the support boat we were operating from. Several other rescuers assisted getting me onboard, at which point I began vomiting the small amount of water I had aspirated and a large amount of blood, which I later learned was from a combination of the blunt-force trauma of impact and the rupturing of capillaries due to extreme breath-holding. I was stabilized onboard the boat by the lifeguards and paramedics who were part of our safety team, and a Coast Guard helicopter was summoned to transport me back to San Diego.
"Having trained for extreme breath-holding, at no point did I allow myself to panic or lose confidence that I was going to survive this incident. I do, however, fully acknowledge that I did exceed my limits of endurance and that there will always be elements of risk and danger that are beyond my control while surfing waves of any size. Because of those elements of risk, I have always insisted on working with individuals that share my focus on Training and preparation. Humbly, I express my deepest gratitude to the team of rescuers and fellow surfers whose training and precise response contributed to saving my life."
Long is one of the world's most accomplished surfers at taking on massive waves.
Long won one of the most prestigious big-wave contests, the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau, in 2009. He has racked up more wins than anyone else at the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, and last year he was named SIMA Waterman of the Year.
He's also no stranger to risk and injury from big waves, having suffered a punctured eardrum in 2008 during a wipeout at Mavericks in Northern California.
He appeared in the recent surf movie "Chasing Mavericks."
Contact the writer: email@example.com
Education Links


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Rays Handle Red Sox for First Spring Win
I remember a line that Rich Herrera, the Rays Radio pre-game and post-game host used to say about winning. "Your wife looks better, the kids are smarter, and life just feels great." After watching today's game I have a few more to add to that list. When you are winning, the cocoa butter smells like ambrosia and the long drive home flies by and you seem to be driving on air. Okay, I might be embellishing it all a bit, but the first win the the spring can make you believe again. It is not like I have been down in the dumps or sitting with the local winos complaining about lack of hitting and spotty pitching. Okay, I have been sitting with the winos, only because they are friends of Rays Manager Joe Maddon from his "Thanks-mas" celebrations.
But the real key to today's game was the change in traffic priorities that saw almost everyone into the parking lots and at least going towards the gates by the first pitch. The Rays did some fast work to upgrade and facilitate the need for a speedy coming and going to the ballpark. Me, I have not left yet. I am sitting in the shade here at the Charlotte Sports Park trying to decide if I want to eat dinner down here before taking the drive back to reality. Because it is Friday, and nearing beer-thirty, I am hesitant to hit the lonesome highway yet. I might just wait for a few of the Rays players and ask them what is their choice for fine dinning aka bar food with a gorgeous server in the Port Charlotte area. That is right people, I am not in the mood for the dollar value menu today, I want some hot wings and I want them now!
But let's forget about my stomach and talked a bit about the game today against the Boston Red Sox. It is the first time since Game 7 of the ALCS that these two teams have squared off. Missing were most of the Red Sox starting staff, who were back at their training complex doing workouts and maybe a little shopping. But it was the first time for all of us in the Rays Republic to try and get used to the fact that Rocco Baldelli was wearing the Red jersey today. I guess I will be used to it about the time they also use the green jersey for St. Patrick's Day. Rocco did come on over and was very cordial to the Rays faithful and chatted with former manager Joe Maddon during Batting Practice today. He looks rested, cheery and ready to rumble this season.
But Bowden did have bad case of the nerves also and Rays lead-off hitter Fernando Perez took his pitch up the middle to also give the Rays a baserunner to lead off the ballgame. Perez then stole second base on Bowden and after an apparent off throw to try and pick Perez off second, he advanced to third base on the bad throw. All this time Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett was standing at the plate, and he eventually hit a nice flutter ball towards Angel Chavez and third who had no play at the plate and threw to first to record the first out of the inning. Evan Longoria got the second out of the inning and D H Pat Burrell came up and hit a sharp grounder towards Chavez that he knocked down, but could not control in time to get Burrell. Willy Aybar the came up and stroked a single to right field to put men on first and second for the Rays. Dioner Navarro then came up and hit a sharp ball to second that was handled and quickly thrown to first to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.
Niemann came out again for the second inning and got the Red Sox to go down 1-2-3, with two strikeouts in the inning. The Rays quickly got going again as Ben Zobrist lead off the second inning with a walk. He was quickly erased from the basepaths on a 6-4-3 double play ball hit off the bat of Gabe Gross. With two outs in the inning, it looked like Bowden might have survived and would leave the game with a nice line for the day. But Elliott Johnson had other plans as he Hit a double into left field that seemed to confuse Jason Bay. The Red Sox outfielder seemed to have lost the ball in the sun and it one-hopped to the left field wall. Perez then came up and walked to give the Rays two men on base with two outs in the inning. Bartlett again came up and hit another nice looper over Bay's head to score both Johnson and Perez and put the Rays up 3-0. Boston then made a pitching change and Bowden was done for the day.
Enrique Gonzalez came on for the Red Sox and still needed only one out to get out of the inning. He did not fair any better than Bowden as he left up a breaking ball and Longoria smacked the ball into the boardwalk area above left field for a 5-0 Rays lead. Gonzalez finally got Burrell to fly out to Ellsbury to end the inning. The Rays sent Brian Shouse out to face Boston in the top of the third inning. In the inning, Shouse gave up only one hit, to former Rays player Nick Green before settling down and getting out of the inning with no other problems. Quickly Navarro and Zobrist got on base for the Rays Gross then hit a single to center field to load the bases for the team. Johnson then came up and hit a hard grounder to center that scored both Navarro and Zobrist. Johnson ended up on second base advancing on the throw home and was in scoring position for Perez. He then hit a nice ball to the left field wall and tried to advance for a triple, but Bay got the ball into Green who gunned him down at third for the first out of the inning. Bartlett then came up and hit a single to left, but was stranded on base after Longoria and Burrell got quick outs.
At that point, the Rays were up 10-0 on the Red Sox. Jason Childers came on in relief for the Rays and got Youkilis to strikeout before giving up a towering foul ball down the right field line to Baldelli. He ended up walking Rocco and gave Boston a baserunner. But Bay hit a ball to Bartlett, who scooped it over to Johnson to start a 6-4-3 double play and get out of the inning. The Red Sox brought on Devern Hansack to face the Rays and the team went down 1-2-3 for the first time today. Hansack got two strikeouts in the inning.
The top of the fifth inning saw Rays 2008 Rule-5 draft pick Derek Rodriguez come on to pitch. Rodriguez did not have a lot of major league experience, and it showed as the Boston hitters took advantage of him quickly. Non-roster invitees Brad Wilkerson and Dusty Brown got on base quickly, with Brown putting ball over right fielder Gross's head. Then Green came up and hit a soft fly ball to center field that Perez could not get to before it fell to the grass . That scored Wilkerson and put the Red Sox finally on the board in the game. Chavez then got on base and Ellsbury hit a ball to rookie Tim Beckham at short that he could not handle to start a double play.
Beckham was given his first error as a Rays even before he took his first at bat for the team. Jed Lowrie then hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Brown and tacked another run on the board for the Red Sox. Youkilis then came up and hit a hard fly ball to center, but the runners did not advance on the play. Baldelli then came up and stroked a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Lars Anderson. Baldelli ended up scoring Green on the play and picked up his first RBI as a Red Sox. Bay then came out and got a quick out for the Red Sox before James Houser came on to pitch for the Rays. Houser got Wilkerson to commit on a bad pitch and the inning ended with the score Rays 10-4. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Red Sox got the Rays to go down 1-2-3 for the second consecutive inning.
The sixth inning saw Mark Wagner get on base with a lead-off walk, but the Red Sox did not take advantage of the situation as Houser closed down the team on three straight batters. Boston sent non-roster invitee Charlie Zink to the mound for the bottom of the sixth inning. Zink, a knuckleballer had the Rays guessing and quickly outs from Justin Ruggiano, Reid Brignac and Morgan Ensberg to again post a 1-2-3 inning against the Rays. The Rays sent Lance Cormier to the hill in the seventh inning and he got a quick strikeout from Zack Daeges. Then he got Chris Carter to hit a pop up to Ray Olmedo at third base. Anderson then came up and quickly was deposed of to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Rays took advantage of Zink to get a walk by Rays catcher John Jaso. Then Chris Richards came up and hit a towering homer out to right field that struck the murals on the side of the Rays offices for a two-run home run. Tim Beckham then came up and got an infield single in his first at bat as a Ray. Jon Weber then struck out, and Ray Sadler got the honor of getting plucked by Zink with a pitch. If you are ever going to be hit by a pitch, being hit by a knuckleballer might be the best gig in baseball. But the Rays could not capitalize with two men on base as Olmedo and Ruggiano both flied out to center to end the inning.
Jason Comier then came on to face Boston in the eighth inning and Got Daeges to strikeout before also getting Chris Ambres to commit to an out. With two outs in the inning, Wagner hit a nice ball into the center field gap over Ruggiano's head for a double. But he ended up stranded on second after a strikeout by Ivan Ochoa ended the inning. Boston sent a reliever named Green to the mound to start the bottom of the eight. You can tell this is Spring Training when a player is not even listed on the traveling roster and he gets to pitch in a game. Green got the Rays out quickly in the inning to again post a 1-2-3 inning for Boston pitching. With Neal Frontz now on the mound for the Rays, he got Ochoa, Gil Velazquez and minor league player Johnathan Van Every to go down to end the game for the Red Sox.
All in all it was a great day for baseball in Florida as the sun was extremely hot, around 79 degrees at first pitch, and a breeze did not hit the stadium until the fourth inning. It would have been a great day to come out to the ballpark and sit in the grass berm and suntan, or just relax ans watch some baseball. In the game, the Rays aw that Niemann is not going to make their decision easy as to what to do with the tall former pitcher from Rice University. Niemann was not perfect, but he did bounce back and showed some great off-speed pitches today to get some critical strikes on batters.
Johnson and Perez got long looks by the Rays coaching staff today. Both players also made their decisions a bit more difficult by going an identical 2-3, with 2 runs and 2 RBI for the Rays. The only difference in their box scores is a walk in the second inning by Perez. Johnson is hitting a robust .429 in the first three games of spring and might be making a name for himself this time around for a roster spot. The Rays also had another pair who went 2-3 on the Day. Willy Aybar and Jason Bartlett also were busy on the basepaths today, with Bartlett also getting 3 early RBI's in the game.
The only real disappointment for the Rays might be in the performance of Derek Rodriguez. But considering that this was his first real exposure to major league hitting, his one innings might not be as bad as the line score shows for him today. He did give up 3 hits and 4 runs, to post a 13.50 ERA this spring, but he got great experience today by facing a great hitting team that will help him in his pitching development. During the day, Rays Vice President of Baseball Operations, Andrew Friedman spoke about Rodriguez and basically said that he cost the team only $50,000, and to get a look at a guy for six weeks and maybe hold onto him all year, that is a small price to pay.
Tomorrow's game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Networks field in Clearwater, Florida will be shown on MLB.TV. If you have purchased the MLB.TV package, come on over and see one of the best looking ballparks in the minor leagues. I love the way this ballpark is set up, and I always have a great time when I come out here for a game.
I will be in left field at the game tomorrow, and hope I can make some type of catch in the game. But you can never expect things in baseball so here are the tentative pitching match ups for both teams: Starting for the Phillies tomorrow will be Kyle Kendricks ( RH ), who will be followed by Drew Taylor ( RH ), Clay Condrey ( RH ), Scott Eyre ( LH ) and then Brad Lidge ( RH ). The Rays will counter with Mitch Talbot ( RH ), J P Howell ( LH ), Dewon Day ( RH ), Jason Hammel ( RH ), Randy Choate ( LH ).
Photo credits for today's blog go to: www.stpetersburgtimes.com, RRCollections.
14 Comments
Congrats. Game well played. {We'll get you yet! ;-)} Hope you have a great dinner! Enjoy the wings & the "view"!
I always enjoy the view.
That is why I keep a ring off my finger. I am actually sitting in Hooter's right now as I am writing this is Sarasota, Florida.
Soda, but no beer. I still got about a 2 hour drive
Rays Renegade
Hi…gates open today 10:35am…I am in sec 105, not 106 (duh!)…row 13…see ya!
Thank you.
I had my own blonde moment. Must be all the great sunshine I am having hit my pointy head.
10:35 check……….camera check………..cowbell……….check!
Rays Renegade
Oh what to say now…All you guys are going to the game. You're probably there already. Sunshine, Soda, and Baseball…and I sit here freezing my tail off. Renegade are you watching the game or the…ahem "view" today? Oh wait that was last night wasn't it? :)
I really hope the guys win today. Just slaughter them Phillies! Run after run…yep that'll work! Wishful thinking I know…but a girl can dream!
If you watched the game, I was looking up a lot. the first homer was 12 feet above me, and the rest of them was not within a 50 foot height of me.
It was total B P for the first two innings, then it became a ballgame until the 8th inning.
Rays Renegade
I was doing both. That is why I have two eyes. I was watching the waitresses at the Tilted Kilt, then I was watching the balls sail over my head in left field.
77 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.
Rays Renegade
Thanks for the great recap. I feel like I'm missing out on all the fun!
Not today you were not. I got on MLB.TV twice, but you would not know it by my face lol
Drinks were cold, but so were our pitchers. Tomorrow is another day in paradise……………high 70's and no snow
Rays Renegade
Sure – you beat my Sox and NO SNOW! Yeah – snow is on its way here! Do you have a guest room? lol!
I live in a house as small as Pat Burrell's doghouse. But I can sleep in the car. lol
I heard that the snow is going to hit Philly, New York and Boston. We are getting rain tomorrow, but that is all.
Rays Renegade
Hey, sorry I missed ya! Wandered over your way before the game but did not see you…of course, there were like a million people there today! OMG…never seens it SO crowded…after the game started, I was afraid to move :O) Was a fun game though! Hope you had a great time!
I actually spent the last half hour before the game chatting with a friend on the Bullpen staff and his girlfriend, and with pitcher J P Howell.
10,000 plus is a new attendance record for the Phillies, and we were happy to give them the record. I had a great time except my neck is osre from looking up at all those homers over my head. I thought Miguel Cairo would be nice since he was an ex-Ray. He hit farther than Howard and Mayberry.
Rays Renegade


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Discussion in 'Odds & Ends' started by TennisLovaLova, Sep 12, 2012.
Perfection was already before Enjoy the Silence
I enjoy driving over 110mph in my Mini Cooper S at 3AM in the CA desert on I-15, headed to Vegas listening to 'Switch On'. Also a good pre-tennis match tune.
I'm a big fan of EDM as well actually. I used to work quite a few gigs as a sound engineer for some smaller DJ's that came threw clubs here. (Even though I was well under 18... hahahaha!) It's pretty interesting how big it's gotten in the last 4-5 years though. (It also amazes me that there are other people in the same vein as me on this forum!)
That being said I don't do much writing for it any more since I'm in a full time grindcore band... :razz:
I did really enjoy using Reason though, that program was really cool and super versatile. I did eventually move on to Logic about 2 years ago which I haven't played around with too much.
Awesome band, but nothing to do with Techno (in the pure sense)
It's really weird how music tastes evolve. From EDM to grindcore!!!
Me for example: I started playing piano at 5 (classic stuff).
Then I randomly picked CD's from my parent collection when I was around 10 yo: dire straits, led zeppelin, Pink Floyd.
At 14 I was a die hard Nirvana and Pearl Jam fan.
At 15 It was all about Metallica, Sepultura and Machinehead
At 16, well Prodigy took over everything.
Then at 17 Cherry Moon trax and techno won the game.
Of course I still listen to the floyd's and other stuff, but the evolution was really weird and funny I guess
THE glory days of Techno
Awesome post and glorious track
Hahaha definitely! You have a pretty cool "evolution" of music!
You guys looking for music know about beatport right?
beatport is the devil IMO
Bearport is great to buy online
You can basically find any hot track on that site
But soulseek is free and you have tons and tons of old tracks also on it
Yup, 2nd that on Beatport. All my traxx have come from Beatport for any of the home mixes I make. The fact they give you key, bpm and sort by Genre make the site a pleasure plus the sample bit of each song having a chorus and drop is great for any aspiring DJ out there.
One of my Fav's
0:35 ---> war
Hey! I already posted this!!!
Glad to see we have the same tastes
In 1996, I was in SFO. We guys used to drive quite a bit and there was some radio channel which had some very nice instrumental music. We all liked it. Soothing, uplifting...
After returning home, I forgot about it for many years. But in the last year or so, I've grown tired of everything I've been hearing all these years. I've been searching for new stuff, mostly instrumental and relaxing. I've tried umpteen YT's and channels on iTunes, but never found that music i heard in SFO.
Some of it is close but it's not the same. Anyone have any idea how i can find this out. e.g. how can i find out what radio channels the Bay Area (SFO/Redwood City) had in 1996 ?
The genres that seem close could be chillout/smooth jazz but it's not quite the same.
Search for the Mushroom Jazz comps. Mark Farina compiled them and they're legendary in that sort of style (by the way you explain it at least).
I could not find any play options in your links. I am checking out Mark Farina on YT and its vocal stuff, whereas what I am talking about is purely instrumental. MF is a bit like rap. And no that did not have saxophones.
Those links were to the release info - not audio clips unfortunately.
You said the stuff you liked was sort of chillout/smooth jazz. The Mushroom Jazz comps personify that exactly. Don't be misled by stuff you hear when you google Mark Farina - most of that will be is clubby stuff which is nothing like the comps I mention which helped make him famous.
Any mentions for Art of NOISE etc (ya know Max headroom and company)
also..I was 13 in 1991..so defintiely listening to KLF and FSOL(Future sound of LOndon)...here's papua new guinea>
and the underated Landmass...off the PS WipeOut Game>
KLF's whiteroom still pretty fresh.
also SEAL's "killer" has a huge techno element to it.
Robert Miles Children from 96 was pretty much regarded as a benchmark techno track,
Is Enigma techno? not really? Alternative more like it
No, it was not. It's not even techno and it never was.
The only people who thought it was techno were fuddy duddy's who were new to electronic music or who were coming over from Whitney Houston and Garth Brooks.
It was marketed as "dream" music
A tiesto 1.0 I might say
Nothing to do with techno apart from his tracks constructions maybe
Jeff Mills and Robert Miles do NOT boxe in the same category
Try his track called Dream Machine (downtempo mix if I remember)
Ok. I have another query or puzzle for older music lovers. In the 70's I had an album. It was African music, and instrumental NOT vocal. It had a black cover from what I remember.
I cannot remember the name of the album or anything, but it was great music, like jungle music, and sort of made me think I was on a safari in Africa.
A few years back I hunted through all the African hits of the 70's but didn't see anything that looked familiar. And it is NOT Osibisa, or Soul Makosa or Shaft in Africa. I believe if i hear the name or see the cover, and see the song titles, I'll be able to recognize it. It was not Jazz, no saxophones.
Does the first track go:
Dum dum dumdumdum
Dadadada boumboum chakchak
sorry couldnt help myself
Darn, that is obscure ha ha...
Fela Kuti may have done some instrumental albums back then... very African/tribal rhythm type stuff. He was prolific so possibly did some instrumental only productions in his huge catalogue.
^ I don't think it's Fela Kuti. I asked my older bro if he could remember and he said No. And he has lots of Fela Kuti on his iPod.
But yes, it did have that jungle tribal sound to it. Some nice grunts and such noises placed musically. My parents got that LP for me. If they got it from Europe then it must have been very popular.
Once or twice they did go to Africa so that complicates matters. However, i doubt they got it from Africa, since I remember the music my dad got from there. Some hit album called Elongi and other boring stuff. Therefore, this must be something that sold pretty well in Europe.
some weird sounds too...
Experimental Products > Depeche Mode imo
And this...
if anyone wants to know what's happening and what tracks are trending, you should check residentadvisor.net
they have monthly charts to let you know what dj's are endorsing at the moment
and THE best track ever made
Definetly in my top10
Nice pick ramos
Burning man
Pachanga Boys : TIME
Great vid of a great event I dream about goinf there
One of the great techno tracks from the 90s is up on Beatport as a remix contest now. Never thought I'd see the day a track this good ended up there. > Black Odyssey 'Sweat' on youtube
Contest > http://play.beatport.com/contests/stacey-pullen-presents-black-odyssey-sweat/
Omg I love this track
Souvenirs souvenirs!
Btw, I was at an Art Department gig 1 month ago. Do you know/like their sound?
I always find good trance/techno music here
^^^ nice link mate
I will raise you a Ricky Gervaise
This song was massive with college kids in the Philippines back in the 80's............although Seona Dancing is prob the last thing Ricky wants to talk about
What about Bewitched- Blood on the Dance Floor?
I dont really like this
Try this instead
From Norway with love
I really like this Delirium song feat. Sarah Maclachlan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLN4iwkEKxg&list=PLYaLFF7J7IEbqO-6mT22zec7jrTE_6A2r&index=19
and this Paul Van Dyk Song
If you want to post rubbish like that please start a commercial house or candy trance thread. Don't post them in a thread called I Love Techno.
paul van dyk isn't rubbish, lol
The overwhelming consensus in the techno world is that Paul Van Dyk is rubbish.
He makes and plays music for candy ravers. Feel free to start a trance thread for PvD or similar music which has nothing to do with techno.
Sorry, I was kidding actually...
Actually, PVD before what we can call the EDM boom after 2000, used to produce really interesting trance techno live sets.
But Bobby Jr is right, now he's like Tiesto, filling arenas with his cheesy trance sound. His production just sucks.
And IMO, Paul Kalkbrenner is the new PVD!
On another subject, it's funny to notice that now in 2013, most popular "underground" dj's (cause they're not really undeground!) such as jamie jones, art department or even Tale of Us make crowds vibe to 117-124 bpm tunes. Very downtempo. Before it was >140 bpm and more or nothing. Interesting change in the EDM sound.
I like it personnally, it's slower and deeper, a mix of detroit techno and chicago house to today's tastes...
And some dj's even started singing live (kenny glasgow of art department, maceo plex/maetrik, etc.)
Some say it's just an old trend that is today's new tendance and that it's gonna be forgotten 3 years from now. Who knows?
That's why guys like Hawtin, villalobos, Digweed, steve bug or even sven vath will last longer imo, because they built their own sound, not very time sensitive.
Some name dropping of the current leading dj's of the real EDM scene for those interested in listening to fresh EDM:
Michael Mayer
Tale of Us
Art Department
Eats Everything
Marcel Dettmann
Also, there's one crazy superstar dj called Seth Troxler, insane track selection...
Separate names with a comma.


text: The marketing guy, sadly, does have a point about customers not having the infrastructure to use dual power supplies as they are intended. I've been in a lot of data centers and countless numbers of them had both power supplies plugged into the same PDU and often the same power strip. This is not to say that anything in a server class box shouldn't have them but they are 90% of the time used improperly. There's always a lot of handwaving about redundancy but it's a really rare system that actually has it. M


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"Music is not solely for our entertainment. I think it's a divine instrument for healing in the body, mind, soul, spirit. I sincerely, truly believe that."Bobby McFerrin
"Ever since he emerged from a family of singers to become the most creative (andno small thingmost entertaining) jazz singer of the past two decades, his charm has been total and his appeal has seemed utterly universal
. The freshness he brings to that modern spiritual, Bob Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released' as well as 'Wade in the Water' helps epitomize the joyful virtuosity of what he does at his best. Wait until you year him alternate his falsetto and his ordinary voice on every other word of 'Wade's' outchorus. 'The reverent vaudeville' of 'When I Lay My Burden Down' is a little bit gospel choir, a little bit Grand Old Opry, a little bit 52nd Street bebop and all American, a joyous feast for the ears."Buffalo News


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Some of the demonstrators rearranged furniture in the office, to dramatize how marketing carbon is "like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic."
Others held signs reading "Keep the cap, ditch the trade" and "Carbon trading is an environmental offense." They strung yellow tape around the office to simulate a crime scene and pasted corporate logos on the walls and glass doors.
Dr. Smolker of Global Justice Ecology Project and Global Forest Coalition read a statement, saying, "My father was one of the founders of this organization, which sadly I am now ashamed of."
"The Kyoto Protocol, the European Emissions Trading Scheme and virtually every other initiative for reducing emissions have adopted their market approaches. So far they have utterly failed, serving only to provide huge profits to the world's most polluting industries," she said. "Instead of protecting the environment, ED now seems primarily concerned with protecting corporate bottom lines. I can hear my father rolling over in his grave."
The protest was timed to coincide with the opening of the United Nations annual climate change conference in Poznan, Poland, which is negotiating a successor agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions after the current Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
The activists represent four groups - Global Justice Ecology Project, Global Forest Coalition, Rising Tide North America and Rising Tide Ecuador.
In a statement, the protesters said that they had targeted Environmental Defense, one of the largest environmental organizations in the world, "because of the organization's key role in promoting the discredited approach of carbon trading as a solution to climate change."
Protesters demonstrate at the Washington, DC office of Environmental Defense. December 1, 2008 (Photo courtesy Rising Tide North America)
Environmental Defense has been instrumental in establishing the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a business consortium including Duke Energy, Shell, BP, DuPont, and Dow Chemical, which advocates for a cap and trade system with what the activists call "extremely weak emissions reductions."
They awarded Environmental Defense the "Corporate Greenwash Award," a three foot tall green paintbrush.
"We think this award is appropriate since Environmental Defense spends more time painting polluters green than actually defending the environment," said Matt Wallace of Rising Tide North America.
Leo Cerda, an indigenous activist with Rising Tide Ecuador said, "ED wants to turn the atmosphere and forests into private property, and then give it away to the most polluting industries in the form of pollution allowances that can be bought and sold. Not only is this an ineffective way to control emissions, it is also a disaster for the poor and indigenous peoples who are not party to these markets and are most impacted by climate change."
Tony Kreindler, a spokesman for Environmental Defense downplayed the protest action. "The folks that were here and weren't otherwise working sat and listened to their statement in a conference room. They came in, they delivered a statement, they left," he said.
"Everyone has their own opinions on the best way to deal with climate change," said Kreindler. "We believe that trading makes sense because you're meeting the cap at the lowest cost possible. It's a commonsense approach. It's always been our position, and it won't change because of this incident."
Dr. Rachel Smolker's father, the late Robert E. Smolker, was a professor at New York's Stony Brook University, an ornithologist, an environmentalist involved in local government, and one of the founders of Environmental Defense Fund.
The group is headquartered in New York City, with offices nationwide, and scientists and policy specialists working worldwide. It is directed by Fred Krupp who has served as its president since 1984.
Krupp has said that he supports a carbon cap, with steep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and a system that allows trading in permits to emit carbon dioxide.
Krupp, author of the book "Earth: The Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming," said the model for the cap-and-trade system should be based on the Clean Air Act of 1990.
"I think that will transform the economic opportunities out there and I think the Clean Air Act provides the model," Krupp said in March. "And states that want to have a deeper cut should be allowed to, just like in the Clean Air Act where California is able to set a deeper reduction and other states can go along if they want."
The Clean Air Act set up an emissions trading program to limit several pollutants, primarily sulfur dioxide - a main pollutant blamed for acid rain.
Carbon dioxide emissions are traded under the European Union Emission Trading Scheme, a legally binding system, and voluntarily in the United States on the Chicago Climate Exchange.
Several regional organizations of U.S. states are in various stages of establishing mandatory carbon markets. The farthest along is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, under which 10 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states will cap and then reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector 10 percent by 2018. The first RGGI CO2 allowance auction was held in September and the second auction is scheduled for December 17. Rachel: I felt it was necessary because I feel very strongly that market-based approaches to dealing with climate change are misguided and damaging. Arnold Sch. last week had global climate summit, rally conveneing against AB32 In Poznzn a growing group of people opposing these issues - market based approaches - the idea that you can offset emissions by making biodiversity protection as an offset - can purchase protection in another place - by planting trees in an offset. What that often means for people in the global south is that there are tree plantation planted on their lands - their lands are occupied by an offset. ?Feeling in general that CC must be dealt with by putting justice and equity as a center piece. problem created by industrialized countries in the north overconsuming and over polluting - we need to address Favored solution: Discussions ongoing about REDD - finance forest protection - many people have talked about, when land rights are secured indigenous people most reliable stewards of those forests. Many people feed the most fundamental thing that can happen. Without that, concern money that's funneled into a REDD type of mechanism will benefit those who do illegal logging, and forest products traders. With EDF, USCAP these companies love a cliamte trading approach to deal with climate change. The reason that they love it, where it's been tried as in the EU it's been profited to the most polluting industries. Must shift subsidies out of fossil fuel industry to renewable energy industries. World Bank serves as a broker for forest protection Would favor a carbon tax over carbon marketing. Rachel: email@example.com
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2008. All rights reserved.


text:
The film, "Homegrown Revolution," looks at a Pasadena, Calif., family's urban homestead and how it produced three tons of organic food in a garden that takes up just one-tenth of an acre.
Afterward, Ken Meter will present on "The Role of Local Foods in Economic Recovery." Meter is a leading U.S. food system analyst who specializes in integrating market analysis, business development, systems thinking and social concerns.
The event, part of the Food for Thought Film and Speaker Series, is free and open to the public.
As president of Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, Meter has 41 years of experience. His "Finding Food in Farm Country" studies have promoted local food networks in 95 regions, 32 states and one Canadian province.
As coordinator of public process for the Minneapolis Sustainability Initiative, he guided more than 85 residents in creating a 50-year vision for the city, including sustainability measures. He served as an adviser for the USDA Community Food Projects and serves as a contributing editor to the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development. Meter taught economics at the University of Minnesota and at the Harvard Kennedy School.
The Film for Thought series is co-sponsored by UW-Stout's Ally Initiatives, Center for Applied Ethics, University Library, Menomonie Market Food Co-op, Tainter Menomin Lake Improvement Association, UW-Stout Parking and Transportation, Organic Valley, Xcel Energy, Dunn County Energy Cooperative, Cedar Corp, Lucette Brewery, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, Dunn County Environmental Services, Raw Deal and Waterfront Bar & Grill.
For the complete Food for Thought schedule, go to the website.


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SHADYXV Tracklist Revealed + New Merch Colorways Released
Shady Records just unveiled the official track list for SHADYXV! The two-CD collection of greatest hits and compilation of all new music will be out Nov 24. Pre-order and more info coming soon.
Also, by popular demand, Shady Records has made available SHADYXV merch in new colorways on t-shirts and sweatshirts. Get yours below.


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Phlower Power and the Return of the Bats
The calendar says that Opening Day is only a little over a month away. But you wouldn't know it if you looked out my window this morning. This was the lovely view from my blogging chair:
Blechh! Snow – and lots of it.
I've discovered that with each passing year, I'm less and less tolerant of things like snow and cold weather. In fact, I fantasize about the day when my children are out of the house, or at least in college, and my husband and I become "snowbirds". We'll get a condo in Clearwater Beach, be a couple of retirees working at the ballpark during Spring Training, and not have to deal with those evil white flakes from the sky.
Okay, that's not happening any time soon, as our youngest is only in second grade. But one can dream! 🙂
Another sure sign that spring is on the way, in addition to the Phillies' annual migration south, is the Philadelphia Flower Show. Or, as you'll see in a moment, maybe I should call it the Phlower Show.
Every March, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society puts on what is one of the oldest and largest flower shows in the country. The past few years I have been a volunteer photographer at the show – in exchange for spending a couple hours photographing the blue-ribbon winners in the horticultural society's competitive classes, I get free admission to the show, a savings of $28! Not a bad deal – after I'm done with the prize winners, I can spend the rest of the day wandering around the show, taking in the sights and smells of spring.
Every year, the show has a different theme. This year's theme was Bella Italia, so all the major exhibits had a definite Italian flavor. As you can see, they did a great job of transforming the cavernous interior of the Pennsylvania Convention Center into beautiful Roman-style gardens.
One of the exhibitors, though, must be a baseball fan. As I was about to call it a day, I spied this well-attired statue:
Go Phils!
Speaking of the Phils, they must have read my plea last Friday to wake up their bats from their winter slumber. They jumped all over the Rays on Saturday to win 12-5, with homers from Ryan Howard, John Mayberry, Jr., and Miguel Cairo. Yesterday, they beat the Braves 7-3 for their second exhibition victory.
Saturday's game against the Rays was televised, the first one so far this spring. It was kind of weird to see Pat Burrell in another team's uniform, but it was nice to see him get such a warm welcome from the fans in Clearwater. Burrell got an ovation from the crowd before his first at-bat, and tipped his helmet to the fans. Good luck, Pat, with the Rays this year!
Also of note over the weekend was the signing of Adam Eaton to a minor-league deal by the Baltimore Orioles. I suppose I could say that the Orioles must be really, really desperate for pitching, but I'll refrain. On second thought, I guess I just said it after all. 😉


text:
Chipper watches video with buddy LaRoche
By Jon Cooper / Special to MLB.com
ATLANTA -- During the course of his 19-year career, former Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones hit .299 with 41 homers and 161 RBIs against the Expos/Nationals.
The thought of Jones' retirement at the end of the 2012 season probably gave the Nats a feeling of relief, just knowing they wouldn't have to see him ever again when they go to Turner Field.
After Monday afternoon, the Nats and their faithful may need to reconsider.
Jones, a close friend of first baseman Adam LaRoche, stopped by the clubhouse to see his buddy and to chat.
LaRoche, in the midst of an 0-for-26 slump which had dropped his average to .135 entering play Monday, and Jones -- always one to share his knowledge, something they frequently did when the two were teammates from 2004 through 2006 and again in 2009 -- went to go watch video.
Nationals manager Davey Johnson was not concerned about LaRoche's slump and was all for the session with Jones.
"He's a veteran player, he's been through it. He's a quality hitter and I'm not worried that much about it," said Johnson about LaRoche's slump. "I saw Chipper earlier, and he was going to talk with his good buddy. I said, 'Yeah. Get him feeling good, and I have a couple more guys you can talk to, too.'
"Just talking to a great hitter, after you leave the conversation, you feel like you're better," Johnson added making reference to similar chats he had with Al Kaline and Ted Williams. "Every conversation I ever had with Ted Williams, when he was managing the Senators, I'd go out and get two or three hits. I think it's great. I think more today, more players do talk because of the phones and the texts. I think it's good."
He probably thought it was even better after LaRoche snapped out of his slump in the second inning, lining a 1-2 pitch from Atlanta starter Julio Teheran into center field, starting the Nats' two-run rally to take the lead.
Davey expects Werth to rest hamstring, ankle
ATLANTA -- With concern centering around Stephen Strasburg following Monday's 3-2 loss to the Braves, the offense also may not have come out unscathed.
Right fielder Jayson Werth, the team's second-leading home run hitter and run producer, injured his right hamstring. He came up in the eighth inning but told manager Davey Johnson that he would be unable to get around the bases.
"He had a tight [hamstring] going up," said Johnson. "He said, 'Maybe I can hit one out, but if I get on, you'll have to run for me.'"
As if to reinforce that he wasn't going to do any running, Werth fouled a 2-1 pitch off his left ankle. He'd strike out swinging two pitches later.
Johnson said afterward that he expected Werth to get a couple of days off to rest.
Ramos returns from DL, but sits for opener
ATLANTA -- The Nationals like what they see when Wilson Ramos is in the lineup.
They're about to get another look, although they'll probably have to wait another 24 hours.
Ramos, who has been out of the lineup since injuring his left hamstring on April 13, rejoined the team in Atlanta on Monday after being activated from the 15-day DL and was in the clubhouse at Turner Field as the Nats prepared to kick off their four-game series with the Braves.
"I'm excited to be with the team again," said Ramos, who was hitting .300 with two homers and six RBIs prior to injuring his hamstring, and was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run scored in two rehab games with Double-A Harrisburg. "I'm a little bit sad because I lost two weeks. But I'm happy now to be here with the team and try to help the team win games."
Barring a pinch-hitting opportunity, Ramos will rest one more day, as manager Davey Johnson chose to start Kurt Suzuki behind the plate.
"I don't treat hamstrings anything but lightly," said Johnson. "I worry about him re-injuring it. He didn't do anything yesterday. He took the day completely off, which told me he might have been a little sore from catching, and we traveled. I'm just being overly cautious. I'd rather be safe than sorry."
Ramos has hit 21 homers and driven in 69 runs, with a .775 OPS in 159 games over three-plus years since being acquired from Minnesota, but he had his 2012 season derailed after only 25 games when he tore his right ACL and meniscus on May 12. The injury required a pair of surgeries.
He's kept a sense of humor about having to sit due to a left leg injury now that he's about to return.
"That's even," he said, with a laugh. "That's even now."
In order to activate Ramos, the Nationals returned catcher Jhonatan Solano to Triple-A Syracuse. Solano hit .167 (1-for-6) in three games.
Nats not worried about slow start on defense
ATLANTA -- The Nationals pride themselves on their pitching and their defense.
That's why their current defensive standing is so puzzling.
Heading into the four-game series with the Atlanta Braves, the Nationals ranked 30th in the Majors in the number of errors made (23) and fielding percentage (.976). That's a drastic departure from 2012, when they committed only 94 errors all season, eighth in baseball, and fielded .985, tied for sixth.
First baseman Adam LaRoche believes that their troubles are just a blip on the radar.
"I'm thinking it was just a fluke stretch, where there were a couple of bad hops, a couple of bad throws, whatever it is. You look up and we're leading the league in errors," said LaRoche, a career .995 fielder, who is right at that mark thus far in 2013, having committed but one error entering the series opener. "It's obviously not where you want to be, but no need to worry. I don't think anybody's worried about the error situation, because I think everybody looks at it the same way I'm talking about, it's just being kind of a fluke and some bad timing.
"I can almost guarantee you that we're not going to finish anywhere near the bottom, as far as errors go, at the end of the year," he added. "For whatever reason, the first month, we had a ton of them. It seemed like every time we kicked a ball, they would come back and score a couple of runs and make the most of it. So that got magnified a little bit. I'm not worried about it. Guys are too good. We've got proven guys that have done this for a few years that are great defenders and are just having some bad breaks."
Shortstop Ian Desmond agrees.
"We're not playing our best baseball, but we've still got our foot in the door," said Desmond, a career .958 fielder, who stood at an uncharacteristically low .939 in April entering play Monday, with an even more uncharacteristic NL-high seven miscues. "We haven't dug ourselves into a hole. So it's only going to get better. If we start playing our best baseball, expect more wins."
Heading into action Monday night, Washington was 7-2 when they played errorless baseball, 6-10 when they committed an error.
Jon Cooper is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.