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Nava sidelined with stiff neck
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- When the Red Sox start the exhibition season with Thursday's college doubleheader, there's a chance Daniel Nava won't be cleared to play.
Nava has been dealing with neck stiffness in recent days and is still trying to figure out exactly what the problem is.
"I've got problems with my neck. That's what I've got. That's a really good question. We're trying to get the bottom of that," Nava said. "I actually don't know. I just woke up one day and I'm having hard time looking at the pitcher, and even a harder time swinging. Those are two things I've got to do and I couldn't do them very well."
Nava is taking the positive out of the situation -- that it has happened early in Spring Training.
"It's just a minor little thing I'm working on," Nava said. "There's no point of going too fast and then all of a sudden we're set back two or three weeks. I've been out there for ground balls, throwing, shagging fly balls. The final step will be just getting swings down to make sure everything is good to go."
Nava's neck felt better Monday than it did a couple of days ago.
"He's making progress," said manager John Farrell. "We're hopeful he's going to be swinging a bat tomorrow. Whether or not he's going to be in the lineup on Thursday remains to be seen, but we're making progress."
Venezuelan players impacted by political unrest
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- While Spring Training is generally a time when players are at their most relaxed, things are a little different right now for those who hail from Venezuela, a country going through political unrest.
Felix Doubront, Edward Mujica and Jonathan Herrera are among the Venezuelans who inhabit the Red Sox's clubhouse.
Doubront tweeted a picture with his Venezuelan teammates on Monday, showing support of their country.
For the past several weeks, citizens across Venezuela have been protesting against the government, citing a shortage of goods, poor security and lack of freedom of speech for the media. The movement gained the world's attention when three student demonstrators were killed in Caracas on Feb. 12, and it has impacted players in clubhouses in the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues.
"There's nothing I can do, because I'm here," said Doubront. "I'm helping my family with money or whatever. That's my responsibility right now. Just call them and hear they're fine, that they went through their day with no problem. That made me be more here mentally."
Doubront and his Venezuelan teammates spend most of their time away from the ballpark these days worrying about their loved ones.
"Every day," Doubront said of his correspondence back home. "They're going to let me know if something happens. They text me and call me with what happened today, because every day is something different. In the afternoon, they text me -- my mom, my niece -- and told me what happened today."
Manager John Farrell informed the players who are affected that he is aware of their plight.
"We do have a good number of players that come from Venezuela," said Farrell. "And the pitchers we've already met with one on one, we're trying to get a feel if their families have been affected by it. It's unfortunate with what they're having to deal with there. But we're very sympathetic. And if there are ever any needs that we can help with there, we'll certainly take a look at those. It's unfortunate that their families have to contend with something that's out of their control."
Farrell, Red Sox preparing for rule changes
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- After spending time in Port Charlotte, Fla., on Sunday being instructed on the new rule banning home-plate collisions, manager John Farrell feels more up to speed. Therefore, he can start preparing his team to make adjustments.
Rule 7.13 was officially announced by Major League Baseball on Monday and will be used on an experimental basis this season.
The way Farrell understands it, the rule doesn't change the way his catchers do their job. They will still be able to block the plate like they have in the past.
It is the runners who are going to be challenged with adapting in that they can no longer initiate contact with the catcher.
"The runner obviously can't have any intent to run a catcher over, and that's defined by lowering the shoulder, extending the arms or elbows out in front of you," said Farrell. "They're may be some incidental contact if an errant throw takes a catcher up the line. The catcher also can't maliciously look to take the plate away or to block the plate that may be above and beyond the normal play or the normal aggressiveness in a play. Plays at the plate are reviewable. If you feel like the plate was blocked before the ball was had, that's a reviewable play."
How will Farrell and his staff instruct his players to handle the new rule?
"We're going to instruct them to slide," Farrell said. "The intent, which I agree with, is to protect catchers from getting injured. I think the common feel with this change or the adjustment to the rule is that there's much less protection for the baserunner. That's where a lot of the pushback is taking place right now. How do we protect the baserunner? If they have to slide feet first and they can't be aggressive, a catcher can be aggressive towards the baserunner. So that's where the interpretation and the intent on both sides, either by the baserunner or the catcher, is a reviewable play."
Worth noting
• Center fielder Grady Sizemore, who hasn't played in the Major Leagues the past two seasons, will be in the starting lineup when the Sox play their first exhibition game against Northeastern University on Thursday afternoon.
• Jake Peavy appears to be back on schedule after missing time earlier in camp with a right ring finger issue. Peavy threw batting practice for the first time on Monday.
"I hope the finger issue's getting behind me," Peavy said. "I'm still getting treatment, but I feel very good using all my pitches and able to work toward getting all those sharp now. Really fastball command today. I threw a couple of changeups, but really it was fastball command and trying to nail that down. Once that's in place, everything else works off it."
Peavy will again throw batting practice on Wednesday, and he thinks he can be right on schedule with Jon Lester, John Lackey and Clay Buchholz during the Grapefruit League schedule.
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brownie Points, and follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Lupe Fiasco Shows Off The Cool In Latest U.S. Alteration Lookbook
The often outspoken Lupe Fiasco decided to let the clothes do the talking in the new U.S. Alteration lookbook. The trendy, high quality yet subtle brand nabbed the Food and Liquor rapper to model an array of their latest threads – including several leather adorned pieces. Lupe also models a lightweight black crewneck, a flame bearing printed version and a few reflective metallic t-shirts. He is currently prepping his fifth studio album Tetsuo & Youth. Click through the gallery to check out U.S. Alteration's latest styles and shop here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Just a quick update before the wires start buzzing about the expected debut of Bryce Harper today.
Scottsdale fell 6-4 to the Surprise Rafters. Michael Burgess was the lone Nat to see game action, as Derek Norris was a late scratch (see link above for more details). Burgess went 1-for-3 with a sac-fly RBI while batting eighth and playing right field.


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Get certified - Transform your world of work today
See all CSM courses near HelsinkiSee all CSM courses within FI.
Tieturi/Management Institute of Finland, MIF
Pentti Virtanen
Date: 30 September - 1 October, 2013
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Regular Price: 1400 €
Two day course that introduces the concepts of agile project leadership using Scrum framework.
Jos vieraskielisiä osallistujia ei ole kurssi pidetään suomen kielellä. Kurssimateriaali on Englanninkielinen.
All CSM courses are taught by Trainers approved by the Scrum Alliance. Taking a CSM course, passing the CSM test, and accepting the license agreement designates you as a Certified ScrumMaster, which indicates that you have been introduced to and understand the basic concepts you need to perform as a ScrumMaster or team member on a Scrum team. This course also satisfies two elements of the CSD track: Scrum Introduction and Elective.
Venue:HTC Santa MariaTammasaarenkatu 5Helsinki, 00180 Finlandhttp://www.htc.fi/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=54Get Directions
ScrumMasters, Scrum team members and also everyone who needs information about Scrum, software developers, customers, managers, project managers and team leaders.


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There was a time when television networks deferred to their own in-house offices of standards, which kept bad language, questionable morals, and salacious behavior off the airwaves. Some might think that such self-imposed restrictions would dampen creativity, but those days even now are considered "the golden age" of television. That today's standards-free TV shows are obsessed with sex is obvious to the most casual viewer. But how bad has it gotten?
According to a major new study of sex on TV, over half (56 percent) of all programming contains sexual content. In prime time, over two-thirds (67 percent) of all shows deal with sex.
The research, sponsored by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and conducted by the University of California-Santa Barbara, is described as the most comprehensive study of sex on TV. Children's programming, sports, and newscasts were factored out of the calculations, but the other genres were shot through with sex talk and sex behavior.
Eighty-five percent of all soap opera episodes deal with sex. Of TV movies, 83 percent contain sexual content. Talk shows talk about sex more than three-quarters of the time.
Almost six in 10 of the dramas dramatize sex, the same percentage as the supposedly serious and straight-laced TV news magazines. Sitcoms, somewhat surprisingly, deal with sex only 56 percent of the time. "Reality shows"-with their footage of drug busts, car wrecks, and animal attacks-are the "chastest" genre, with only one out of four dealing with real sex.
The study also found that most of the sexual content is talk. About one-fourth of the shows (23 percent) actually depict sexual behavior-usually passionate kissing-and 3 percent show the characters having intercourse. Eight percent of the shows include sexual content involving teenagers.
Furthermore, fewer than one in 10 ever bring up any of the consequences of sex. Comedies score the lowest (3 percent) in mentioning the possibility of pregnancy or AIDS.
Such statistics of the scene-counters, of course, do not give the full picture. The study gave no details about marital, as opposed to extramarital, sex. Of course to most TV shows, there is no difference. And while it is well and good to exclude children's programming from the study, children do not just watch shows made for them. As Neil Postman has pointed out in his book The Disappearance of Childhood, television is the great equalizer of age groups. Children make up a major part of the audience of prime-time programming and take in their share of the 67 percent sexual fare.
If fewer than one in 10 shows depict teen sex, those are doubtless the ones many teens especially relish (such as Beverly Hills 90210 and Dawson's Creek). And South Park, the cartoon about foul-mouthed and gross-behaving sixth graders, is reportedly a big hit among sixth graders.
What difference does it make? Isn't it up to parents, not television, to teach their children sexual morality? But a society's moral norms are not established merely by conveying abstract ideas: Cultural pressure to regulate behavior is also vital. Some things used to be too embarrassing to do or to talk about in public-they were not, to use an old phrase, socially acceptable. But now extramarital sex-like profanity and smarting off to parents-is socially acceptable. Our society now clearly permits such behavior, since it is treated on television as no big deal. Behavior portrayed as normal, by definition, becomes the norm.
Why has TV become so sexually permissive? Cheryl Rhoden of the Writers Guild of America says the fault is not just with the writers, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "We know from our internal polling that writers are told [by production or network executives] to put sex scenes in twice as often as to take them out."
Although it is possible to go beyond the boundaries of what the public will accept-as in the lesbian chic of the soon-canceled Ellen-sex continues to sell, especially to the older adolescents and young adults coveted by advertisers.
The major networks have been steadily losing audiences to cable, which tends to be even more sexually explicit. One strategy would be to out-cable cable. Another would be to offer a more wholesome alternative. Having tried the first strategy and failed, networks may be considering the second strategy. NBC's new entertainment president, Scott Sassa, recently told the Television Critics Association that "we need to move the pendulum back a little more toward traditional families [and away from] an emphasis on sex."
Ironically, new statistical evidence is showing that traditional families and traditional morality are far superior to the swinging single lifestyle glamorized by TV-even when it comes to sex. About the same time the study on TV sex was released, the National Health and Social Life Survey completed what is being billed as the most comprehensive studies of Americans' sex lives since the (discredited) Kinsey Report over 50 years ago. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, are surprising to many observers, but not to those who believe what the Bible says about sex.
According to the study, sexually active single folk have the most sexual problems and get the least pleasure out of sex. Men with the most "liberal attitudes about sex" are 75 percent more likely to fail to satisfy their partners.
Married couples are by far the happiest with their sexual lives. And the most sexually fulfilled demographic group of them all turns out to be-confounding the TV fantasies of the young and the restless-married couples between the ages of 50 and 59.
Copyright 1998 World Magazine. Used by permission.


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|Topic: JESUS:PRINCE OF PEACE?
Mahdi The Seeke
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| Topic: JESUS:PRINCE OF PEACE?
Posted: 03 November 2012 at 2:09pm
Matthew 10: 34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a mans enemies will be those of his own household.
Edited by Mahdi The Seeke - 03 November 2012 at 2:21pm
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|Posted: 23 November 2012 at 7:12am
Hi Mahdi,
Quote: Jesus, Prince of peace.
Matthew 10: 34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a mans enemies will be those of his own household.
Response: --- While this looks like a contradiction, to the peaceful nature of Jesus, --- His coming caused division. --- And that is just the way it is.
--- When Jesus came with the Message of the Gospel, it set the religious leaders against Him. Because of the hypocrisy and greed of the Pharisees, who were the religious leaders, --- Jesus said in Matthew 5:
20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
--- But lets go back to Abraham and his father in Surah 6:
74 (Remember) when Abraham said unto his father Azar: Takest thou idols for gods? Lo! I see thee and thy folk in error manifest.
And Muhammad was a well respected business man,who had gained the title of "The trustworthy" (From the intro to the Pickthall translation), --- and really, he was from the tribe of Qureysh, was he not? --- And later, the armies of the Qureysh wanted to kill him.
--- But God called him to a life of dedication, and used him to destroy idolatry in Arabia.
--- And his calling, set a sword between Muhammad and his relatives as well as bringing division and persecution against all who followed him, did it not?
When one member in a family decides to follow Gods will in their life, --- it brings a division, does it not? --- So the sword is not a weapon of war, but, in this case, a dividing of those who seek God, --- and those who dont.
--- This doesnt have to generate bad feelings, but it often does. --- The believer starts going to Church and develops new friendships, and they simply drop out of the old circles. --- (Often in trying to explain their faith, it creates more tension.)
--- Are there not also family divisions among Muslims?
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|Posted: 24 November 2012 at 1:25pm
Inevitably the battle between good and evil does cause the sword of division.
This saying of Jesus comes in the context of choosing Him over others, and telling His disciples to expect opposition and persecution.
Also, Jesus is quoting from the Prophet Micah. Micah warns of how untrustworthy people will be when God punishes the Jews (and this applies both to Babylonian and Roman times; Micah prohesying around 700 BC).
"Put no trust in a neighbour; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; for the son treats the father with contempt, and daughter rises up against her mother; the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." (Micah 7:5-7)
That's why it is wise to read the whole of Matthew 10. Then you won't make the error you are making, Mahdi.
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I predict that this will be the year of mineral makeup. The huge success of Bare Escentuals has prodded bigger cosmetics brands to launch their own mineral collections, but there are a few smaller ones worth noticing as well. I've recently discovered Mixology Makeup, a Phoenix-based brand that sells its goods on Etsy.
Mixology will appeal to the tree hugger in you: It's a vegan, organic line without synthetic dyes. Like most mineral-makeup lines, it's able to provide a natural look; unlike some others, the eye shadows are very fine and highly pigmented. They're also well priced at $8.50 each, or you can join the shadow of the month club to receive a surprise shade every four weeks.
To see some color swatches,
From left to right:
Pirate is a dark-matte eggplant shade.
Trench is a twiggy, not-too-chocolatey brown.
Fray is one of my favorite colors. The brown is slightly shimmery, but not in an over-the-top Donna Summers way.
Bones is my other big favorite. Although it's described as a matte highlighter, the color isn't flat, so it still catches light. It's a good choice for using on the brow bone.
Dune is a shimmery beige with a hint of moss green.


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This year's NAB delivered the usual mix of hype, new and nearly new technology, and exciting prototype products not quite ready for prime time. Even with four full days to roam the show floor, there is still too much for anyone to take in. That said, it's not too hard to catch the key trends and most exciting new products on display if you know what you're looking for. With the EventDV audience in mind, here's a list of 12 products I saw at NAB 2006 that I believe will make a major impact in our industry over the next year, and a brief explanation of why they belong here.
The criteria for getting on this list were fairly simple. The product had to be introduced or publicly shown for the first time at NAB 2006 and not available for sale previous to NAB 2006. For example, had Adobe waited until NAB to introduce its new Production Studio, it would have made the list, but since it's been on sale in use by thousands of editors, for the last three months we couldn't very well say it was introduced at NAB, even though last week constituted its trade show debut.
The items on this list are not all for sale right now, and some are not going to be for sale for another few months. This list doesn't endorse the operability of any of these items as none of them have yet been reviewed. How much can you really tell about how well a product will serve you day to day from a booth demo? This list is rewarding the potential benefit these products to the event video industry, if they live up to the promises at made at the booths. In the coming months, we hope to be looking at most of these products for in-depth reviews to see if they live up to their NAB introductions.
1. Matrox RT.X2 and MXO The Matrox RT.X2 accelerator card is the next step up from one of the favorite cards of the video industry, the RT.X100. The RT.X2 adds real-time HDV editing to the RT.X100's acclaimed real-time DV editing. It also supports a new breakout box that now includes analog component as well as a 1394 port, so you no longer need to reach around to the back of the computer. In truth, it bears more similarity to Matrox's Axio famiy of products than the older RTX100, sharing the Axio's core engine, and new integration with Adobe Premiere Pro for adjusting transitions and effects. The RT.X2 lists for $1,995, and includes Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0.
The MXO is Matrox's first foray into the Mac platform since the company launched its RTMac several years ago. Apple itself is big on the MXO. The MXO is an external device that you connect to the DVI port of a Mac in order to output broadcast quality from Final simultaneous SDI and Component outputs in HD or SD for monitoring or recording. SDI has up to 8 channels of embedded audio and has stereo monitoring. All for $995!
2. Nnovia QCDeck The Nnovia QC (Quick Capture) Deck is a direct-to-disk recorder that attaches via FireWire, and to camcorders to record into a number of DV codecs. What sets QCDeck apart from others such as the Firestore or Citidisk, is the ability to remove the disk from the enclosure when full and put in an empty one. The FireStore FS-4 and CitiDISK require a whole new system. The same disks are used in Hitachi's disk-based camcorder. Many options are available for remote control, including a motion sensor and even a simple cable that allows you to hook a cartridge up to a computer and start editing. The MSRP for a QCDeck with a 100GB (7.5-hour) disk is $2200. Additional 120 GB disk cartridges are $399; 40GB cartridges go for $149.
3. Sony HVR-M15U HDV VTR Sony's new HVR-M15U VTR, the HDV equivalent of Sony's trusty DV/DVCAM DSR-11, was announced in February, and made its first public appearance at NAB. It is expected to ship in June. It accepts both full-size and MiniDV cassettes--a big step up from Sony's awkward HVR-M10U, which took only MiniDV. Now adherents to Sony's HDV 1080i can record more than one hour to a cassette. The deck will record and play back NTSC and PAL HDV 1080i, DVCAM, and DV, and also downconvert 1080i to 720p. The deck also plays back HDV 720p/30 via analog component and HDMI only. The HVR-M15U lists for $2,640.
4. Bella Catapult Bella's Catapult is a small device that allows you to capture video footage from any DV or HDV video camera with a FireWire connection directly to an iPod or virtually any USB drive, and begin editing immediately. The Catapult includes features such as time lapse, remote trigger, and a pre-record buffer in case you hit the record trigger late. It is also capable of powering un-powered USB drives. This could be the most affordable "direct to disk" option available by a long shot. MSRP will be under $300, and Catapult will be available in the 2nd half of this year.
5. JVC GY-HD200U Building on the success of last year's hit ProHD camera, the GY-HD100U, JVC introduced the GY-HD200U as its latest step-up model. While many users are just fine with working in 30p or 24p on the 100U, many shooters have clamored for the more fluid look of the interlaced cameras. To accomplish this, JVC introduced 60p recording in the HD200 to give the video it captures a more fluid look. The camcorder also features a number of cine-gamma adjustments. Its MSRP is $7,995 with lens.
6. Apple MacBook Pro 17" With Apple moving to Intel's speedy Core Duo processors, and the ability to use their Bootcamp application to make a Windows XP partition and run Windows-only applications on the Mac, you get the best of both worlds. If you are a PC guy who can't justify buying a Mac for the few times a year you may need it, this may be your justification. This laptop has a top-of-the-line 2.16GHz Core Duo CPU, 1GB RAM, PCI Express-based ATI Radeon X1600 with 256MB of dedicated video memory, a double-layer DVD burner, two USB 2.0 ports, and support for both FireWire 400 and 800. The MacBook Pro 17" lists for $2,799.
7. Anton/Bauer ElipZ The introduction of Anton/Bauer's ElipZ battery system marks the first time the company has offered a battery system specifically for the 7.2-volt world of the smaller pro and prosumer camcorders such as the Panasonic AG-DVX100B, Sony HVR-Z1U, and Canon GL2. About the size of one of Anton/Bauer's Dionic 90 batteries, the ElipZ attaches to the bottom of the camcorder with its own tripod-like shoe that connects to the battery. There are holes one the bottom of the ElipZ to attach to a tripod. When ordering, you need to specify the camcorder you use in order to get the appropriate power adapter cable. With a 10-watt camera load, the ElipZ can run for 7.5 hours on a single charge. It ships with a standard overnight charger. Additional options include the ElightZ 6-volt camera lights in 5, 10, or 15-watt configurations and EgripZ bendable camera support handles. The battery and charger sell for $299.95.
8. SmartSound: Sonicfire Pro 4 With the new Sonicfire Pro 4, Smart Sound now gives users even more choices for creating custom audio tracks. With the new version, once you decide on the type of music and the length, you can refine the mood of the music by adjusting the intensity of the particular musical element. SmartSound calls this feature "mood mapping." Sonicfire Pro 4's $199 MSRP includes two Mood Mapping-capable CDs. Other bundles with more discs are available at additional cost.
9. Tapco (Mackie) Link USB Tapco's new Link USB box will come in handy if you need a compact device for recording narration or other audio directly into your computer. It can connect two mic or line-level devices and record them directly into programs like Sony Sound Forge or Adobe Audition. It features combo XLR and 1/4" input jacks, 1/4 stereo monitor outs, headphone outs, phantom power on both channels, separate input gain controls, and a USB 2 connector for interfacing with a computer. The unit powers off of the USB port, so no additional power is needed. It also includes Mackie's Traction 2.0 audio production software. MSRP is $199.
10. Zaxcom TRX900 Digital Wireless Microphone System Innovative, but more expensive than many event video camcorders, these are the first wireless microphones to provide integrated audio recording, up to 12 hours of audio directly to a 2GB flash memory card and then transfer the files to either a PC or Macintosh for postproduction. While a lot of videographers are using iRivers (mic input models now discontinued) and the like instead of wireless mics, I prefer to know I'm recording something, and have the flash memory as a backup in case I get signal breakup. The TRX900 Lavaliere system with built-in recorder and 128MB flash memory lists for $1,960. The transmitter (no mic included) has an MSRP of $250 for the flash recorder option, and the receiver costs $2,000.
11. Azden FMX-32 3-Channel Field Mixer This new product from Azden was released a month before NAB, but still qualifies as new in my book. This may be just the answer to anyone who needs more mic inputs on their camera, or in the field. The mixer features three XLR inputs, rotary gain on each channel, five segment LED VU meters, and balanced and unbalanced stereo out, and it's compact enough to mount on large camcorder or tripod. Six AA batteries will run it for 15 hours. And it's very reasonably priced at MSRP $450.
12. Sony PDW-F330 XDCAM HD Camcorder The DW-F330 offers HD recording in 1080/59.94i, 50i, 29.97p, 25p, and native 23.98p, and the operator can also select the desired bit rate to record in either 35, 25, or 18 Mbps depending on the desired picture quality and recording length. Being a dual-format camcorder, it can also record in SD mode at 25Mbps (DV) on inexpensive ($30) reusable, blue laser-based 23GB Professional Discs. The camera uses newly developed 1/2-inch HD CCDs and lenses. At $17,000 without the lens, it may be a little steep for most event videographers, but it is in the ballpark for higher-end producers.


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Visitors to Hilton Head Island, SC use IPhones or smartphones when exploring the destination while on vacation
This fall the Lowcountry and Resort Islands Tourism Institute (LRITI) at University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) collaborated with the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Visitor and Convention Bureau in collecting and analyzing data from attendees at various festivals on Hilton Head Island, SC. Students enrolled in USCB's Hospitality Management program assisted in collecting over 2,000 usable surveys at the following 2012 fall festivals:
(1) Hilton Head Island Italian Heritage Festival,
(2) Hilton Head Island Burgers and Brew Festival,
(3) Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d'Elegance, and
(4) Hilton Head Island Oyster Festival.
While LRITI will closely examine the data for patterns for each event, one pattern is becoming clearer that resembles trends cited in the EyeforTravel article titled "The Rising Mobile Tide: Five Trends for 2012-2013" and comScore's article titled "Smart Travel: Majority of Smartphone Owners Now Access Travel Information on Their Devices." Both articles identify the growing use of smartphones while traveling. More specifically the comScore article reports "… that 51 percent of smartphone owners accessed travel content on their devices during the three month period ending February 2012, with nearly 1 in every 5 smartphone owners using their device to book air travel or hotel reservations."
The LRITI surveys collected at the four fall festivals showed that almost 38% of 928 out of town visitors in attendance at the events mostly used IPhones or smartphones when gathering information about the destination they're currently visiting. Twelve percent used an IPad or tablet, 19% used a laptop computer, and 18% used a GPS device. Almost 5% used non smartphones/mobile phones, and 6% of the visitors to the Hilton Head Island festivals didn't use mobile technology when traveling. Consequently, 89% of the visitors used some sort of mobile technology when traveling and the prevailing choice was the IPhone or smartphone.
So what does all this mean? It means that over 1 in 3 visitors (who attend Hilton Head Island festivals) use IPhones or smartphones while vacationing in our community and that 89% of our visitors look to be digitally engaged with Hilton Head Island tourism businesses while they are here. Therefore, it indicates that tourism organizations interested in attracting these visitors to their business should have internet mobile sites catering to IPhone and smartphone users. Having that information available and updated accurately will help your business drive visitor volume as we move into our offseason.
Below are links to the articles from EyeforTravel and comScore. The graph depicting the mobile technology use of visitors attending Hilton Head Island festivals can be found at the LRITI website indicated below.
This blog is focused on advancing the efforts of the Lowcountry hospitality and tourism industry. John Salazar, Ph.D. is a Professor of Hospitality Management at University of South Carolina Beaufort and Director of the LRITI. The Institute's website can be found at www.lriti.org. The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual author and do not reflect any official policy or statement by the University of South Carolina Beaufort.


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Blue Jays tab Canadian righty Robson
By Arden Zwelling / MLB.com
Robson was at home with friends watching The Price is Right with the Draft on in the background when the group decided to turn down the volume on the game show for the Blue Jays' fourth-round pick. It turned out to be good timing on Robson's part.
"They picked my name and everyone started jumping up and down and screaming. It was pretty good -- I was pretty excited," Robson said. "The Blue Jays were my favorite team for my whole life. ... I was hoping they would pick me and finally they did."
The 17-year-old was the first Canadian taken in the Draft out of Delta Secondary School in British Columbia.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder works quickly and has impressed scouts with his command and mound presence, especially during his time with Canada's Junior National Team.
He made two starts against a tough Cuban team at last year's World Junior Championship, including a six-inning scoreless performance in the round robin. Cuba won the tournament.
During his time with the National Team, Robson worked closely with team director Greg Hamilton who asked him to back off on his power and try to pitch with more finesse. Robson attributes much of his success to making that transition.
"When I joined the junior national team I kind of just threw as hard as I could and didn't worry about anything else," Robson said. "I realized I couldn't do that and I learned how to throw two other pitches.
"That's when I kind of figured this is going pretty well, so I stuck with it and it has done nothing but good things for me."
Robson features a high-80s to low-90s fastball with late movement and a plus changeup which tails off at the end. Still more than two years from his 20th birthday, many scouts believe Robson can increase his arm strength and ramp his fastball up to the mid-90s as he matures. He also throws a sweeping curveball.
That makeup sounds a lot like a current member of the Blue Jays' rotation whose footsteps Robson would eagerly like to follow -- former first-rounder Ricky Romero.
"He has three pitches that he throws for strikes and I want to be able to do that pretty soon," Robson said of the Blue Jays' ace. "I've got three pitches, but I want to become more consistent with them. Once they become more consistent I can maybe compare myself to Romero."
Robson actually faced the Blue Jays this spring when the Canadian Junior National Team squared off against Toronto in an exhibition game. He gave up three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two in a game the Blue Jays won, 9-0.
Robson is committed to pitch for Central Arizona Community College next season, but is holding out hope he can work out a deal to pitch in his favorite Major League team's Minor League system.
"Obviously I'd rather be playing for the Blue Jays, but if we can't come to terms that's where I'll be going," Robson said of Central Arizona. "Just to get drafted is an accomplishment. ... It was the best day of my life."
Arden Zwelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: There are several ways to define "the mean" of two positive real numbers a,c with a>c. The three most common "means" are a + c Arithmetic mean: A(a,c) = ------- 2 Geometric mean: G(a,c) = sqrt(ac) 2 Harmonic mean: H(a,c) = ------------- (1/a) + (1/c) In their usual thorough fashion the ancient Greeks articulated TEN distinct "means", including the three above. They did this by equating various ratios that can be formed from three positive real values a,b,c with a > b > c (where b is said to be the "mean" of a and c). The first six "means" can be defined by setting the ratio (a-b)/(b-c) equal to one of the nine possible ratios between two of the values, as shown below: a - b ------- = a/a a/b a/c b - c b/a b/b b/c c/a c/b c/c If (a-b)/(b-c) is set to any ratio on the main diagonal, the result is just the arithmetic mean. If it is set to either a/b or b/c the result is the geometric mean. If it is set to a/c, the result is the harmonic mean. This leaves just the three ratios below the diagonal. The case c/a gives the "subcontrary to the harmonic mean" a^2 + c^2 K(a,c) = ----------- a + c whereas the cases b/a and c/b give the peculiar "means" _______________________ / a-c \ | / a-c \ 2 T(a,c) = (-------) + | ( --- ) + c^2 \ 2 / \| \ 2 / _______________________ / c-a \ | / c-a \ 2 C(a,c) = (-------) + | ( --- ) + a^2 \ 2 / \| \ 2 / Suppose we select two of these "means", say, A and G, and iterate beginning with initial values a[0],c[0] as follows a[n+1] = A(a[n],c[n]) c[n+1] = G(a[n],c[n]) The two sequences converge very rapidly on a common value, which we can denote by AG(a,c). This is the well known arithmetic-geometric mean, which is extremely useful when dealing with eliptic integrals because, as Gauss showed / pi/2 | du pi | ----------------- = ------------------- | /---------------- 2 AG(1,sqrt(1-k^2)) / 0 \/ 1 - k^2 sin^2(u) More recently the connection between the AG mean and modular equations has been exploited to compute millions of digits of pi. Interestingly, in the 1660s James Gregory showed that a different combination of means, the geometric-harmonic mean GH, could be used to compute pi, as well as various logarithms. (This is described in Stillwell's "Mathematics and Its History".) However, in this case the indices are skewed, e.g., he set a[0]=2 and c[0]=4 and then iterated the geometric and harmonic means as follows a[n+1] = G(a[n],c[n]) c[n+1] = H(a[n+1],c[n]) Notice that a[n+1] rather than a[n] is used in the expression for c[n+1]. This iteration converges fairly rapidly on the value of pi. Since the AG and GH iterated means are so interesting, it seems that it might be worthwhile to investigate the other iterated means. It turns out that AH = G, meaning that iterating the arithmetic and harmonic means on the initial values a,c leads (very rapidly) to sqrt(ac). Similarly, we find that HK = A. It might be nice if the iterated combination of any two of the six means was equivalent to one of the other means, but in fact the only two such identities are AH=G and HK=A. (I haven't looked at the remaining four "means" that the Greeks defined, so it's possible there is more "closure" in the total set.) Just to give a general idea of the hierarchy of these six means, here's a matrix giving all 21 possible iterated means of a=5,c=1. H G A C T K H 1.666666 G 1.920117 2.236068 A 2.236068 2.604008 3.000000 C 2.478335 2.817266 3.195671 3.385165 T 2.752647 3.215031 3.640492 3.834589 4.236068 K 3.000000 3.370920 3.727765 3.901347 4.285116 4.333333 (Of course, this list could be expanded by including "skewed" iterations such as the one used by Gregory.) We could define a certain kind of "constructibility" based on the application of some finite sequence of iterated means based on two given initial values. This raises the question of which real numbers on the interval (1,5) CANNOT be produced by a finite sequence of iterated means based on the initial values 1,5. For a discussion of all ten of the ancient means, see the article The Ten Means of Ancient Greece. Also, for a generalizations of "iterated means", see Supersymmetric Mean.


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Hometown prospect Biddle ranks in Top 10
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
It can be an inspiring story: Hometown product gets taken by his team, rises up through the Minors and returns home as a big league hero.
It also can be a recipe for disaster: Hometown product gets taken by his team, struggles with the added expectations of returning home a hero and never fulfills his potential.
The Phillies' first-round pick from the 2010 Draft, Jesse Biddle, plans on following the first script. Philadelphia born and raised and a graduate of Germantown Friends School, the No. 27 overall pick is beyond excited to be a part of the team he's rooted for growing up.
"Playing for your hometown team is kind of a dream come true," Biddle said. "Every day I get to go out wearing the Phillies P. It means a lot to me. It means a lot to my family and it means a lot to my friends. That's why I play this game."
Intentions are all well and good. But with everyone back home waiting for him to live out that dream, it can force a young player to try to do too much, too soon. Biddle, after all, is just 19 and there's been more than one teenager -- in baseball and out -- to crumble under such scrutiny. "A lot of people believe that will put extra pressure on me," Biddle said. "But when you think about it, hopefully, whenever I play in Lakewood, I'll only be an hour and a half away from my house. I'll only be an hour and a half away from my friends and family who I've been around my whole life. When they're in the stands cheering me on, when they can come see me whenever I need to and I can go see them, I don't see how that can be any pressure.
"There are people down in Spring Training who just came to see the Phillies, but I'm also here. It's pretty awesome when you have such a great support system around you. It makes you feel a lot less pressure. I don't know what I would do without it."
Lakewood is Lakewood, New Jersey, home of the Phillies' first full-season stop, in the South Atlantic League. No assignments have been announced yet, but Biddle's solid debut last summer, when he got in 43 2/3 pro innings, along with his poise and maturity, puts him in a good position to break camp with that team.
It's a pattern the Phillies have followed before. Last year, they sent Brody Colvin to Lakewood; in 2009, Trevor May had success there. If Biddle follows suit, he'll get the opportunity to experience the challenge of the long Minor League season right away.
"There's really no way to prepare yourself for that," Biddle said. "It's such a long season and there's so many innings I'm going to have to throw that there's really no way to be able to say whether you're going to be able to handle it until you're in the middle of it. But the Phillies do a great job [with] a lot of shoulder stretches, a lot of conditioning and a lot of preparing you for something that... as a player I've never been through it, but they've been through it with thousands of players."
Phillies' Top 10 Prospects
1. Domonic Brown, OF: There was no guarantee that Brown would be the Phillies' right fielder on Opening Day, but the Phillies were looking forward to watching him compete. That ended before it started as he broke his right hand. The No. 4 overall prospect on MLB.com's Top 50 prospect list -- and No. 3 on the outfield top 10 -- will be back. While it might take a little more time, his tools -- power, speed, plus throwing arm -- should find a place in right field, soon after he's healthy.
2. Jonathan Singleton, 1B/OF: The 2009 high school draftee had an extremely productive first full season, being named the South Atlantic League's Most Outstanding Major League prospect. He should hit for average and power and has a good approach at the plate. Although he was ranked No. 4 among first base prospects, the Phillies have moved Singleton to the outfield to avoid the Ryan Howard roadblock. He's taken to it better than expected. He'll man left field in Clearwater to start the 2011 season.
3. Jarred Cosart, RHP: When healthy, the 2008 Draft pick has electric stuff, with one of the better fastballs in the Minors and a very good curve. He's lean and projectable with good command of his stuff, though his changeup, as with many young pitchers, is behind the other offerings. The bigger issue has been staying injury-free. In 2009, it was his back and shoulder. Last year, his season ended at the end of June with a bad elbow. He's healthy now and could move up to Clearwater.
|Domonic Brown
|Jonathan Singleton
|Jarred Cosart
|Brody Colvin
|Sebastian Valle
|Jesse Biddle
|Trevor May
|Aaron Altherr
|Cesar Hernandez
|Justin De Fratus
4. Brody Colvin, RHP: Another of the intriguing young arms in this system, Colvin shook off a rough start to his first full season and finished with the fourth lowest ERA and fourth highest strikeout total in the organization. He has a plus fastball, a very good curve and a changeup better than most at his stage. His delivery is a bit unusual, but improving. He should be a part of a pretty good rotation in Clearwater to start the season.
5. Sebastian Valle, C: The Lakewood BlueClaws had the best team ERA in the South Atlantic League and won the title. Valle played an integral part, handling the pitching staff well and hitting a big three-run home run in the final game of the championship series. He's got good bat speed and should hit for power, though he needs to get a little more selective as he advances. He's got a strong arm and moves well behind the plate. He'll get to continue working with those young arms in Clearwater.
6. Jesse Biddle, LHP: The hometown kid with the big left arm had a solid pro debut, even pitching well in a few New York-Penn League starts before the end of the summer. Big and strong, he's got the chance to have a plus fastball and changeup and has the makings of a very good curve as well. He might have a ways to go, but his work ethic and makeup should allow Biddle to start figuring it out fairly quickly, starting in full-season Lakewood.
7. Trevor May, RHP: The 2008 fourth-round pick took a little step backward in 2010, having to go back down to Lakewood after struggling in Clearwater. The good news is he got straightened out and helped the BlueClaws win their second straight title. He's got a terrific three-pitch mix that led to 182 strikeouts, tops in the system and third in the Minors. He also walked 81, though he improved his command after his demotion. He'll pitch all year, giving Clearwater another try, at age 21.
8. Aaron Altherr, OF: The Phillies have long liked toolsy athletes such as Altherr. The 2009 ninth rounder has moved slowly, but performed well in the Gulf Coast and NY-Penn Leagues in 2010. He showed an ability to make hard, consistent contact, and most feel he'll grow into more power. He's got good raw speed and is learning how to use it. At 6-foot-5 he looks like he'll best be suited for an outfield corner as he plays full-season ball for the first time in 2011.
9. Cesar Hernandez, 2B: Signed out of Venezuela back in 2006, Hernandez spent his first two summers playing in his home country. He made a solid, if unspectacular, United States debut in 2009, but really jumped on the prospect map last year, when he was a NY-Penn League All-Star. The No. 7 second base prospect finished sixth in the batting race and second in steals. He's now ready to join yet another talented Lakewood squad.
10. Justin De Fratus, RHP: The 2007 draftee began his pro career as a starter, but a move to the bullpen in 2009 has put him on a faster track and he pitched at two levels in 2010. He's got good command of a lively fastball and a slider which is inconsistent, but has the chance to be a good offering. He goes right after hitters and likes getting the ball in big situations. After pitching for Team USA and then in the Arizona Fall League, he was put on the 40-man roster and should get the chance to help the big club out at some point in 2011.
Under the Radar
Austin Hyatt, RHP: A 15th round pick in 2009 out of the University of Alabama, Hyatt doesn't get as much attention with all the young power arms in the system. All he did in his first full season, though, was win Florida State League Most Valuable Pitcher honors while tying for the system lead in wins and finishing second in strikeouts and ERA. He's got a good changeup and excellent command, but his pure stuff doesn't grade out that highly. Let's see how his pitchability plays in Double-A.
Matt Rizzotti, 1B: A 23rd round pick in 2007 out of Manhattan College, Rizzotti looked more like an organizational filler than anything heading into 2010. Then he played at three levels, reaching Triple-A and winning the organization's batting title with his .343 average. He knows how to get on base (.430 OBP) and even went on to hit .333 in the AFL. He's blocked by Howard, but his bat was added to the 40-man roster this offseason.
Hitter of the Year -- Singleton
With his strong approach at the plate, Singleton will continue to have productive at-bats, hit for average and start tapping into his power even more. Look for him to be among the system's leaders in all three triple crown categories.
Pitcher of the Year -- Cosart
He'll put the injuries behind him in 2011 and lead that talented Clearwater staff -- and the system -- in strikeouts and ERA.
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com and writes a blog, B3. Follow @JonathanMayoB3 on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Miss Beautifully Curved is Crowned at Cheyney University
February 28, 2014
Freshman Egypt Bailey is the first Miss Beautifully Curved at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. The reigning Miss Cheyney, India Cross, came up with the idea, organized and hosted the pageant on February 26 in the Marcus Foster Student Center. The event was part of her platform which is to unite the women on campus by helping them all find the beauty that is within them.
"Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes," Miss Cheyney insists. "Women who are full-figured can be beautiful, too."
More than 100 people came to watch the four contestants vie for the crown as they competed in the talent, business attire and formal gown competitions. In addition, the young ladies were judged on how well they did during the introduction and question portions of the show.
Bailey, who performed a modern dance to Maxwell's "This Woman's Worth," told the crowd that she enjoys dancing and is very passionate about science. The biology major wore a power red business suit for the question segment, then strutted out in a gorgeous black and grey formal gown that was a real crowd pleaser.
Freshman Kiana Jackson told the audience that she wants to write books for kids living in South America who are less fortunate. Passionate about dancing, she performed a hip hop dance to "Back to Black" by Beyonce and wore a stunning red gown during the formal segment.
Sophomore Patrice Rohlc, a communication arts major who wants to open up a makeup line for African Americans, did an interpretation dance to a Beyonce song and received high praise for wearing a spectacular white gown for formal attire.
Freshman Teneya Bryant, a liberal arts major, told the judges that she lives by the scriptures in the Bible. She performed a gospel dance to Jekalyn Carr's "Greater is Coming" and stepped out in a blue and silver shimmering gown for the formal wear portion of the show.
While the judges, Theater Professor Dessia Seck, College Success Advisor Karen Dyke and Jasmine Mudda, a 2013 CU graduate who modeled with Mature Addiction when she was a student, tallied their scores, Alpha Phi Alphas William Walker and Rashaad Washington, Mr. Cheyney, entertained those in attendance with a 10-minute step show.
When the votes were counted, Bailey was crowned Miss Beautifully Curved, Jackson was runner-up, followed by Bryant and Rohlec.
"They showed poise, dedication and they all brought stiff competition," said the 21-year-old Cross. "It's not your size that matters—it's what's inside that really counts. By doing the pageant, I feel that I've empowered women of all shapes and sizes to be proud and confident." Cross, a dual theater/communication arts major from Waldorf, MD said she used her theater expertise to direct the pageant, meeting with the contestants for a month to practice. Cross aspires to be an actress and to use her fame to uplift and support black communities.


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, August 21, 2007, 10:49 AM
Town Square
Palo Alto students score well on STAR exams
Original post made on Aug 21, 2007
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, August 21, 2007, 10:49 AM
Comments (6)
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 21, 2007 at 12:46 pm
These results can only, at best, be a very rough estimate or guide.
My son's math teacher fairly admitted that he had not taught the trig part of the syllabus until after the STAR test had been given and his students would not have been able to do the trig questions at the time of the test but would if the test had been administered a few weeks later.
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 21, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Palo Alto among the top five K-12 districts in California-- what are the other four?
a resident of Mountain View
on Aug 21, 2007 at 2:37 pm
I'd be impressed if PAUSD's numbers for economically disadvantaged kids were stronger
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on Aug 21, 2007 at 3:24 pm
I agree with Paly Parent in that my freshman child had not been taught Trig nor had she pre-learned it via advanced tutoring like some students, for that matter, but there was Trig on the test. That section was therefore a problem.
a resident of another community
on Aug 22, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Unless there is a way to give a STAR test at the VERY end of the school year, there will most likely be something left on the test that is "untaught". The state gives districts a window to give the test in and it is up to the school/district to pick the timing that works best.
As a math teacher, I would not greatly rearrange my curriculum to teach trig (or other subject matters) prior to the STAR test. Certain things do not make sense to teach out of sequence. The sequence is sometimes determined by the individual teacher, but often is guided by the department or even the text book in use.
It brings up a familiar question... is our goal to educate kids simply to perform well on tests? As an educator and parent, my answer is no.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 22, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Ret Teach
My post was not a criticism, just a statement of fact. I do realise that the timing of the STAR tests reflects what is currently taught and not the whole curriculum of the school year.
It brings to mind what I always tell my kids. STAR tests is not a test to test them, but a test of what the teachers and schools are doing. Personally, I do not put any weight on these tests unless my child is well below the norm. It has shown up from time to time that my students have done extremely well on STAR tests and got a poor grade at the end of the semester, which begs me to ask which I should take more notice of. Personally speaking, when they get into high school grades, it is the SATs that give the best overall indication of how the student is doing rather than STAR tests. After all, colleges take note of grades and SATs but I do not believe the STAR tests are reported to the colleges at all. This proves that they are only a test of school and not the student.
This time we're not lying. HONEST! No, really!
By Douglas Moran | 11 comments | 938 views
Couples: When Wrong Admit It; When Right; Shut Up
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 826 views
One-on-one time
By Cheryl Bac | 0 comments | 600 views


text:
There's little in life that can prepare a teenager for the moment she spots her father wearing a dress, chain-link belt and platform boots with six-inch heels — especially when it's not Halloween. As soon as Phil DeNiro entered the room, his daughter, Teri, burst into such an uncontrollable fit of laughter it nearly led to tears.
For 23 years, DeNiro has guarded Sarasota streets dressed in a different uniform — a police uniform.
During a volunteer party at Venice Theatre, the local patrol sergeant reignited a passion from his youth and proved that it's never too late to get discovered. Last May, DeNiro, while belting out Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" during karaoke, caught the attention of everyone in attendance. So much so, in fact, that he was offered a lead role in "Jesus Christ Superstar" without auditioning.
Although DeNiro may not have prior acting experience, he is no rookie to the performing arts. In his younger days, he dominated the stage as the front man for several rock bands.
"I've been to the theater countless times watching my kids in plays, but I never considered acting at all," DeNiro said. "I love music and that's a leg-up for this play, because it's a rock opera. It's been a fantastic learning experience to see firsthand what it takes to put on a play and to see all of the extra efforts my kids have been doing for the past years."
What could be more fun than watching your dad take center stage in a crazy costume? Performing along with him, of course. The DeNiro family has been rehearsing together for the past six weeks: Teri dances in the musical; her brother, Tony, plays Judas; and DeNiro plays Caiaphas.
"I'm so proud of him," Teri said. "I never saw him doing this, and now that he is, it's just amazing. My dad always plays the good guy, but I think they found in him, though, that he can be dark and scary. Performing with Tony (my brother) is fun because we are super close, and we just always talk about everything. He's always there for me."
Every day when DeNiro enters the theater, he drops his good guy morals at the door and transitions into the dark and evil high priest, Caiaphas, who sees Jesus as a threat to the Roman Empire and plots to arrange his death.
"I love playing the villain," DeNiro said. "It's very refreshing after being a police officer for 23 years. By the time my 12-hour shift ends and I come in, there are usually cookies on the table, so I get to have whatever I want."
Because this is his first show, DeNiro refuses to let the actors or the audience down. He's doing everything he can to come out on top — not only memorizing his own lines, but also the lines of every actor in the play. He's embraced the role so completely that when he drives through town, you're likely to catch him singing along to every song on the soundtrack.
"You have to want to learn the part," DeNiro said. "I see how hard the kids are working and am investing the same amount of time. It's a real eye-opener to see young people act so responsible."
When asked how he felt about his chunky platform boots required for the role, DeNiro said, "I fell down like three or four times when I first put them on. I started practicing running up and down the stairs as many times as I could. I sympathize with our heel-wearing population — this will be the last time I wear these."
Tony DeNiro was impressed with his father's acting skills from the beginning. He remembers sitting in the audience the first time he watched his father on stage.
"It's an interesting feeling, because I'm always up on stage and my family comes and watches," he says. "I love doing this with him. He came in modest and did what he had to do. He wasn't trying to show anyone up. But in the process, people came up to me and told me he's amazing. It was a natural thing for him."
Tony DeNiro on "Jesus Christ Superstar"
"We've gone to church our entire lives. Most people just go through the motions of being Catholic or Christian. When you actually have to try to get into the characters' minds, it takes it a step beyond just listening to the Bible. It opens up a new door. Especially as Judas, when I actually portray him and think about it, it helps me get to know him and helps me to build a better relationship with those in the Bible."
Contact Loren Mayo at [email protected].
WHAT: "Jesus Christ Superstar"
WHERE: Venice Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave.
WHEN: Performances start at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 28 and run through Saturday, Aug. 6.
COST: $24 for adults and $12 for students
INFO: Call 488-1115 or visit www.venicestage.com


text:
The Boston Bruins' game on Saturday will start at 7 p.m., not 1 p.m., because of the snow storm about to hit the Northeast, the team and NHL announced on Friday afternoon.
The Boston area is expected to get about two feet of snow, starting Friday afternoon. The worst of the storm is expected to be over by Saturday, but the extra time will help fans arrive safely at TD Garden, where the Bruins will play the Tampa Bay Lightning six hours later than scheduled.
The Lightning played in Newark, N.J., on Thursday night, so travel for them wasn't an issue—which is good news, because the storm forced the cancellation of more than 3,700 flights through Saturday.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on Friday declared a state of emergency and ordered all cars to be off the roads by 4 p.m. The storm, which will bring winds of about 70 mph and cause major waves along the coast, will hit its peak at about 9 p.m. on Friday, according to Boston.com. Boston could get 2 to 3 feet of snow, while New York City was expecting 10 to 14 inches.
Blizzard warnings were posted for parts of New Jersey and New York's Long Island, as well as portions of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, including Hartford, New Haven, Conn., and Providence. The warnings extended into New Hampshire and Maine.
In New England, it could prove to be among the top 10 snowstorms in history, and perhaps even break Boston's record of 27.6 inches, set in 2003, the National Weather Service said. The last major snowfall in southern New England was well over a year ago — the Halloween storm of 2011.
With The Associated Press.


text:
Algerian opposition parties cried foul over the North African country's municipal elections Thursday, citing the government's practice of mobilizing security forces to vote for the ruling parties.
Two hours after polls closed, Interior Minister Dahou Ould Kablia announced the turnout was around 43 percent, with participation light in the capital, but heavier in the more rural provinces.
Algerians voted for 1,541 district councils and 48 provincial councils for a new 5-year term. Although dozens of political parties are running, the councils have limited power in the face of officials appointed by the central government. The month-long electoral campaign was marked by a general lack of interest.
The ruling National Liberation Front, the party that won independence from France in 1962 and won May's elections, predicted it will do well, while opposition parties expressed fears of fraud.
"Special voting stations have been opened for members of the security forces who have received orders to vote for the FLN," said Louisa Hanoun, head of the Workers' Party.
Her complaint was echoed by several other opposition parties that said Algeria's million-strong army, police and civil defense services had all been ordered to vote for the government parties.
The turnout announced by the government was similar to that of the May parliamentary elections, figures which opposition parties at the time said were inflated.
The oil-rich North African nation has held elections for 20 years, but real power lies with the president and powerful military generals. Unlike the rest of North Africa, the 2011 protests of the Arab Spring had little impact on Algeria, which used increased spending and harsh repression to snuff out demonstrations.
In May's legislative election, the FLN and its coalition partner, the National Democratic Rally, took a majority of seats while Islamist parties did poorly, a sharp contrast with the results of elections elsewhere in North Africa.


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"Whatever you are, be a good one." Abraham Lincoln
What is an "MFWalkoff?"
Well i'm glad that Dmitri won. When the Season started I thought Dmitri, Ven and Sonji will be the top 3. Then after seeing Ven being a one trick pony, I thought Christopher will take his place in the top 3. I think the judges got it right, including the order. Christopher definitely had the least cohesive collection. Maybe if he used his print on the evening gown it would be different and if he made those prints with just not black but different colors, using them in more than just 3 of his outfits. As for Melissa, her work was definitely young and cool but there was really no wow factor as she has designed similar clothes during the show. Nice jackets though and the 'blood orange' outfit which probably her wow moment. I knew it was between Fabio and Dmitri. Fabio had the most cohesive collection but ultimately the judges selected Dimitri because he has been the most consistent and driven throughout the whole competition.
Anyhow, can someone post the dummy collections? I want to see what the other designers presented on the runway.
Last edited by jammyjoe; 10-19-2012 at 04:28 AM.
Maybe it is just a matter of personal taste, but I was stunned it came down to Fabio and Dmitri. I thought most of Fabio's collection was hideous. I was in LOVE with Dmitri's black one shoulder dress. OMG.
I loved Fabio's line the most. It was fresh cool and different. It was a spring line they were showing so I get it. I love Dmitry for his attention to details, but that was not a spring line but more doom and gloom. That one dress he made was cute in the front, but low and behold that big silver zipper in the back. I think it would have looked more refine with a black zipper. I didn't like any of Melissa's designs, way too goth for me. But I loved Christopher's. That sleeveless printed dress was beautiful. Though I was hoping for Fabio to win, I'm okay with Dmitry. Heck anybody but Melissa for the win was okay with me.
Fabio and Christopher you rock!
Dmitry, nice job
Melissa, sorry but no!
I don't like All Star shows because I've seen what they can do but I might watch this one, only because I love Emillo's work. Don't know why that brought back Ivy. I hope they bring in Anthony for the commentary because I know he is going to be hilarious
Well, I tried to post the pictures and it said it needs a moderator's approval. Hopefully the pictures will show up while I'm at lunch. If not, I'll try again later.
Yearbook Title, Spring 2016: Consummate Overachiever Whos Most Likely Reminiscing About The Florida Keys
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pikachuFL
Well to be honest, iliked Fabio's collection the best but can see why they let Dmitir win. (although I still thought it appeared very old fashioned and for older ladies)
So good to see Christopher being the first one to get the boot. I really liked him at first but then i noticed how arrogant he was.
He really thought he would win and that is why I think he showed those 3 basic pieces. He knew he was the judge's favourite.
Whats the name of the other gay guy who left a few weeks ago. At first I couldn't stand him and liked Christopher but then I ended up liking him and disliking Christopher.
Personality wise I liked Elena best but to be honest, none of the designers of this season rocked my boat.
It's weird because I think I was rooting for Christopher (even though I liked all 4), but when they gave him the criticism of it wasn't cohesive I definitely understood that and wasn't mad about it.
HOWEVER, I personally liked it the best because the more "cohesive" collections got repetitive. For example, Fabio and Melissa both did well but their looks got repetitive. I enjoyed that Christopher's was a different look each model (save the printed pieces). All that being said, Dmitri's was the next favorite of mine because, though it was all very architectural and cohesive, he kept a freshness for each look.
I was thrilled at Dimitry's win and was rooting for him the entire season. His work is outstanding and his attention to detail is off the charts. He was smart to listen to the judges and make his collection a bit more youthful after hearing their remarks. Smart man! I'm so happy for him! Tim was just gushing....
Fabio totally surprised me. I didn't like what he created throughout the season and was mystified as to how he made it to the finals. However, I will admit his finale pieces were a vast improvement. That said, in the end I wouldn't wear any of them because the styling wasn't something I'd ever consider putting on my body. Last night's editing did have me thinking he just could pull out a win. Funny how that works! heh
I thought Jennifer Hudson's rational as to why Fabio should be given the title of "winner" of Project Runway was totally unfair to Dimitry and I didn't agree with her at all. I think she was wearing her Amerian Idol hat and using her own experience as a guide.
Melissa didn't show anything new at all. Same old same old.... Her third place finish was the correct placement, IMO.
Christopher was a hot mess! He crumbled under the pressure of it all. Very sad when you consider how well he did during the season.
Since I can't put all the pictures in one post, I'll post the collections separately.
Yearbook Title, Spring 2016: Consummate Overachiever Whos Most Likely Reminiscing About The Florida Keys
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pikachuFL
Yearbook Title, Spring 2016: Consummate Overachiever Whos Most Likely Reminiscing About The Florida Keys
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pikachuFL


text:
Thanks for your feedback. I'll be working on this. You'll have to talk to Schwern, the maintainer of Test::Simple [cpan.org], for the 'TODO line number' feature. I have no control over that since the TODO information is TAP and I merely parse the TAP.
I should have another release out soon.


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Hard Core.
In the sacred inner circles of Japanese-inspired geekdom lurks the undefeated, undisputed king of giant robots. Many have tried to take control of its thousands of slobbering, Dorito-inhaling, Mountain Dew-guzzling converts, but none have been able to compete with the complexity and depth that is the Armored Core series.
Yep, Armored Core 3 from Agetec has arrived, and GR's resident championship pilot is front and center with the skinny. This is the second 'official' sequel to a six game series (figure that one out) of solid yet incredibly similar titles.
Unfortunately, the AC street runs two ways. Complexity and depth have pushed away as many potential pilots as it has ensnared. In this sequel, several new gameplay options, cleaner graphics, and an improved framerate hope to tempt the leery. Plus, Armored Core 3 serves up a full course of new streamlined features to crack that "armor" of complexity...yet even a crack doesn't draw much new blood.
It's been twenty years since the events of the last Armored Core (Another Age). Corporations hold the world in an iron grip but must still enlist your aid as an ace pilot and eventually, a high-priced merc. But yours isn't the only mech-for-hire, and the competition is fierce. Moreover, a whole new nemesis is on the rise. Your only way to keep your belly full and your mech lubed is to complete the game's 50+ missions, work your way through the ranks of the 1-on-1 Arena, take your earnings and apply it to some kick-ass upgrades.
I can't list all the new goodies but there are plenty, from new hover leg units to left-hand ballistic weapons and even "Exceed Orbit" cores, which release offensive drones to add support fire to your arsenal. Plus, the number of cool Extension intercept missiles, handy system-augmenting Optional Parts, Inside countermeasures and bomb dispensers have all been increased.
You can easily spend as much time building as you do battling because Armored Core 3 offers hundreds of parts for endless combinations. Additional parts are awarded by corporations pleased with your work as outright gifts and/or can be found during missions. Use these new ordinances or sell them for profit.
Armored Core 3 has tried to address the lengthy build times by streamlining the menu screens. The Shop can now be accessed in the garage and you can sell parts from the Assembly screen. This saves time by cutting out a lot screen and menu shuffling...
...so you can get back to the fast and frantic dogfights that are in the Arena and the mission sections. Another Age expanded on the half-implemented branching mission structure of the PSX versions, and Armored Core 3 continues with this. As you complete missions for cash you will open new areas in which you can bounce around. Don't like hanging out in one area? Then check out the mission in another. It really helps break up the linearity.
The missions themselves again run the gamut of incredibly easy to just plain hard. One cool new addition is the option to purchase a computer-controlled wingman. You can't give him any orders, but if you check his stats before you buy and choose a skilled wingman (preferably a full mech), you won't be disappointed. They can be fierce fighters and provide much-needed backup.
The overall aesthetics, while notably polished with cleaner textures, is not quite up to today's standards of excellence. Background textures could be much more detailed, lighting effects are old hat, edges lack needed contours and you still don't get a good sense of scale. "Is this water-retention or am I really just 40 feet tall?" Plus, the world is devoid of life and atmosphere, with few ambient sounds and little in the way of traffic or pedestrians to flesh out the environments.
However, the mech design has been improved. A combination of older style parts and more futuristic style parts really baffle the player with building options. All the moving pieces for boosters, extension parts, fans and the like are still impressive. The sound has gone through an overhaul as well, with many more realistic explosions, machine gun fire and other mech noises.
But before you can relish the symphony of raining bullets and hot plasma, you must first become adept with the finicky control. This game is a true test of hand eye coordination. Every single button is used - all the way down to the L3 and R3 buttons. General movement is handled with the Left analog stick or D-pad, while strafing is done with L1 & R1. Now throw in L2 & R2 for looking up and down. Oh, you haven't fire a single shot yet, so more buttons! This is easily the game's biggest hurdle - a Mt. Everest of learning curves.
Fight through it and the rewards are countless hours of building and battling the computer controlled mechs in the Arena or on the missions...and/or with friends via the split screen or with the Sony Firewire cable. This allows up to 4 PS2s to be linked together. Great if you're filthy rich like this guy, but this feature is almost unusable by the average gamer. Each player needs 2 TVs, 2 copies of the game, a firewire cable and one hub between them (for 4-player).
How they missed this one for Sony's new online play is beyond me. It seems like a no-brainer. You can play Deathmatch, 2-on-2 and NPC bot support is included, but the lack of online play is a letdown.
Armored Core 3 is a good, solid title with loads of replayability, fun and intensity. It plays smoother with the improved framerate and it's much easier to hop right in and quickly build an effective mech. The tough control won't convert the blasphemers and the look needs a facelift, but the action, longevity, depth and style still make this the Liege Lord of mech games on the Playstation and Playstation 2.


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Last night, Nyjah Huston, Johnny Schillereff, Donny Barley, and a bunch of our friends from Element came down to the TWS Skatepark to give us an exclusive viewing of Rise & Shine, The Nyjah Huston Video. After a couple hours of skating the park, we brought down our 25-foot movie screen, fired up our new HD projector, and were treated to a trailer for the forthcoming Element am video and Nyjah's 60 Minutes In The Park before the main event. Nyjah's mom got up and spoke to the crowd about the incredible journey her 16-year-old son has been through. Johnny got up next, explained the long relationship he and his brand have had with Nyjah, and then surprised him with a framed Rise & Shine poster. Then it was on! To say this part is gnarly would be a gross understatement--it's going to shock the skate world. You can see the part with its unbelievable ender(s) this Friday when it's released for download on iTunes. Below are a few photos from last night, and we've got a video in the works so stay tuned. Big thanks to the Element crew!
Photos by Blair Alley


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Smoak doubling up in '14
By Greg Johns / MLB.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- New Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon raised some eyebrows in Spring Training when he said his goal for Justin Smoak was to try to lead the American League in doubles.
McClendon's push was for his first baseman to be a better overall hitter rather than just looking to pull balls for home runs, but that seemed a tough task for a guy whose career high for doubles was 24, and who had hit just 19 in the previous season.
But Smoak latched onto the idea, acknowledging that he hits better when he goes to all fields, and he laced his team-leading 10th double on Saturday in his 42nd game of the year, putting him on pace for 39 for the season. If that pace continues, he would double his total of doubles from a year ago.
The switch-hitter has hit five doubles from each side of the plate, further adding to the improved balance he's trying to provide to the lineup.
Smoak is on pace to hit 23 home runs with 100 RBIs and his .243 batting average and .428 slugging percentage are both career bests, though he's taken fewer walks this season and his on-base percentage of .308 is behind last year's .334.
Trevor Plouffe of the Twins currently leads the American League in doubles with 17.
McClendon preaching patience with Miller
MINNEAPOLIS -- Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon has a simple answer for the many people who figure they have solutions for slumping shortstop Brad Miller. Just leave the youngster alone, says McClendon, and he'll work his way through things and return to the productive player that debuted last season.
Miller was hitting .157 going into Sunday's series finale with the Twins, and that average is just .100 (7-for-70) over his last 23 games. But Miller hit .265 last season as a rookie and was a .334 hitter in three Minor League seasons with the Mariners after being drafted in the second round out of Clemson in 2011, and McClendon is giving him time to work through his struggles.
"Is he better than what he's shown? Absolutely," McClendon said. "Is he as good as his Minor League numbers? Probably not. But he's somewhere in between there and we have to get him to that point. Right now I think it's more mental than physical. And the one thing he'll get when this is all over -- and it will be over -- he'll be battle tested. He's going to be a big leaguer.
"Because it happens to the best of us. I played with Barry Bonds, and at the end of May he was hitting .163. But he came through it and was MVP. You have to become battle tested. Nobody likes it. I don't like it. Fans don't like it. I'm 'an idiot for playing him.' All that stuff. I get it. But in the end, we'll see."
McClendon is trying to get the 24-year-old to clear his mind at this point and focus on looking for pitches in the strike zone, while letting his natural instincts return at the plate. The manager said he's received calls from various scouts saying Miller is standing too erect, or crouching too much or various things. And he's having none of it.
"Everybody talks about where your hands are or 'is he standing straight?'" McClendon said. "Good hitters make adjustments and fight through it. That's what he's doing. He's fighting through a slump. Some days he's up, other days he's spread out. Some days his hands are high, other days they're low. I went through it. I did it. I know exactly what he's going through.
"I know people care. But back off and let us do our job, because the worst thing that can happen to this kid is a thousand voices start getting in his head. Everybody means well and I get it. But if you want him to do well and you want to help him, leave him alone."
The Mariners seem intent on giving Miller every opportunity. Shortstop Chris Taylor, who was hitting .372 at Triple-A Tacoma, just went on the seven-day disabled list this week with a broken finger on his left hand. Nick Franklin, who was beaten out in spring by Miller for the shortstop job, is hitting .376 with Tacoma, but has played in the outfield the past two games.
McClendon said Franklin has been hampered by a back injury in recent days.
"Hopefully his back is healthy, and then we'll see where we are," McClendon said. "Obviously we need offense, and he's certainly an option. [General manager] Jack [Zduriencik] and I have talked about it. We'll see where we are in the next few days. But for him to be able to play a lot of different positions, as I've said before, is important. Because if he's going to be here right now, he's going to have to move around."
Bats have gone silent during skid
MINNEAPOLIS -- After erupting for their highest scoring game of the season in Monday's 12-5 runaway win over the Rays, Seattle's bats have gone silent in four straight losses.
In the final two games of the Rays series in Seattle and first two of the Twins set at Target Field, the Mariners averaged just two runs a game while batting .181 with 10 walks and 32 strikeouts.
Most troublesome of all, the club went 1-for-26 (.038) with runners in scoring position, which spelled all the difference in four games when their opponents won 2-1, 2-0, 5-4 and 4-3.
Timely hitting is crucial for any team, and the Mariners batted .302 (45-for-149) with runners in scoring position during the stretch where they went 13-5 from April 23 to May 12.
"It's a matter of relaxing and understanding the pressure is on the pitcher, and the most important thing you have to do is get a pitch to hit and then put a good swing on it," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "Then whatever happens after that, happens. A lot of times, young hitters have no plan and they expand [their strike zone] and they put all the pressure on themselves. And it should be just the opposite."
The common theme among the Mariners players is that hitting is contagious, and they just need a big hit or two in key situations to get everyone to relax again.
"I feel like everyone is on the verge of contributing like we should be doing, but all we can do is keep working hard, keep grinding and stay confident out there," said rookie center fielder James Jones, who has been one of the few consistent players in the recent stretch with an eight-game hitting streak.
For the season, the Mariners were hitting .248 with runners in scoring position entering Sunday, which is actually better than their .231 overall batting average. With their recent slump, the Mariners have fallen below the Astros and now rank last in the American League in batting average and on-base percentage (.293). They're 14th in slugging percentage at .370, one spot above the Royals (.356).
Worth noting
• Robinson Cano entered Sunday's game tied for fourth in the AL in hits with 50, and tied for fifth in multi-hit games with 15.
• Mariners right-hander Chris Young is fourth among AL starters in opponents batting average against with a .210 average. Young has a career batting average against of .224 over 167 Major League games.
Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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A line passes through the point (1,2). What's the slope of the line passing through this point that would create a triangle of the least area. The x and y axis being the legs of a right triangle.
I went through what has to be done in my head but I don't know how to do it on paper.
I need to make a function that gives the area of the traingles based off m, find when the derivative equals 0 and find which gives a smaller output.
Start with the basics.
y = mx + b
We know this has to pass through the point (x, y) = (1, 2), so lets plug those in:
2 = m + b, or, m = 2 - b
That didn't seem to get us very far, did it? But at least we have a relationship for m and b, this might come in handy later.
So lets go back. What we want is a general equation for the area of the triangle. Well, we know of the formula 1/2 * base * height. So lets try to find those variables.
The height of the triangle is going to be the y-intercept, b. Easy enough.
The base of the triangle is going to be the x intercept. Since y = mx + b, and y must be 0 (definition of the x-intercept) 0 = mx + b. We want to solve this for x, so that would be x = -b / m.
So the area of the triangle is 1/2 * b * -b/m, or -b^2 / 2m. But wait, isn't this going to be negative? Negative area? Nope, remember the line that we are drawing has a negative slope, so m is negative, making -b^2 / m positive.
So we want to find the least area of the function -b^2 / 2m. Huh, two variables, that's going to be pretty tricky without multi variable calculus. But wait, doesn't m = 2 - b? Told you that would come in handy. So -b^2 / 2 * (2 - b) is the area, or -b^2 / (4 - 2b).
Try to find the minimum for that function. This will tell you what b is, then you can find m because m = 2 - b.
And for extra credit, what kind of triangle does this make?
Last edited by Ricky (2005-12-15 16:39:47)
"In the real world, this would be a problem. But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist. So we'll go ahead and do that now..."
The x intercept must be greater than one.
Call x intercept J.
Here is the equation for the area.
Just find the J above one that makes the expression the smallest:
Last edited by John E. Franklin (2005-12-15 17:21:55)
igloo myrtilles fourmis
Thank you both for helping.
Slope = -2
X intercept = 2
Y intercept = 4
Last edited by John E. Franklin (2005-12-15 17:30:58)
igloo myrtilles fourmis
John, I'm curious how you came up with that. Think you could show more work? I can't seem to find where that equation is coming from.
"In the real world, this would be a problem. But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist. So we'll go ahead and do that now..."
I think what he may have done is made a triangle by drawing a line from the origin to the point and making a right triangle.
What I'm most curious is if this congruency is true at all points.
Click on picture to see it bigger.
igloo myrtilles fourmis
Add 2 to both sides to solve for Yintercept.
Multiply both sides of equation by Xintercept so as to
solve for the area; you can divide by 2, if you want to
be exact.
igloo myrtilles fourmis
Ah, I see now. Guess no calculus is needed.
"In the real world, this would be a problem. But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist. So we'll go ahead and do that now..."
Wow thats really ingenious. Thats cool.
I'll show my teacher your method.
Well I cheated after that and plotted the points with a tiny BASIC program.
And noted the minimum area was 4 at x=2
I'm rusty at calculus, but I want to learn it again years later.
So this is a product, so there is a rule for that.
What is the derivative of this?
Last edited by John E. Franklin (2005-12-15 18:19:26)
igloo myrtilles fourmis
The derivative of...
would use the product rule.
+ J*(-1/(x+1)^2)
I don't know how to use th math script..
Okay, I get the product rule.
But what is that last equation you wrote?
Also, the math script isn't necessary unless you
like to type even more to get it to look cool.
As long as your understood.
But [m a t h]\frac{3}{4}[/m a t h] makes a 3/4 fraction.
You can google on LaTeX Math to learn it.
\int is integrate
_{x=0} makes x=0 a subscript, the underscore does that.
^{I'm tiny north east} makes writing a superscript.
I'm going to bed now, it's 1:45 am here. Bye.
Last edited by John E. Franklin (2005-12-15 18:46:32)
igloo myrtilles fourmis
Last equation was the derivative after being simplified.
oh. I'll examine tomorrow. bye.
igloo myrtilles fourmis


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Homer Happy
After a depressing 4 game slide against the Astros, the Phillies bats came out swinging last night against the Nationals. Five home runs later, and it looked like this team may be finding its stride again. Raul Ibanez busted out of his slump with 2 of the 5 homers plus a single. The other 3 home runs came courtesy of Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley. The Phillies became only the 12th team in history last night to have at least 4 players with 30 or more home runs in a season: those 4 are Utley, Werth, Ibanez and Ryan Howard.
Although the forecast called for rain last night, Pedro Martinez got a break from Mother Nature and was able to pitch 6 2/3 innings uninterrupted. Martinez gave up 3 runs on 7 hits and a walk and did a good job keeping the Phillies in the game. He even showed some attitude when he signaled to a Nationals player that he had his eye on him.
Here are a few shots from the game:
Despite the 5-3 lead going into the 9th inning, the drama was not yet over for the Phillies. As usual and despite his struggles, Brad Lidge was sent in for the save and proceeded to self-destruct once again. A hit, then a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases. With only one out and the game on the line, Charlie Manuel emerged from the dugout, angrily tossed his gum across the dirt and took Lidge out of the game. Ryan Madson bailed him out by retiring the Nationals best hitters in order; Ryan Zimmerman struck out and Adam Dunn grounded out.
It seems to be crystal clear to everyone except Charlie Manuel that Lidge is DONE. He should be removed from the closer role immediately. This has gone on long enough and has turned into a major problem. I respect Lidge as a person and as the guy who got it done for this team in 2008, but this has gone too far. Put him on ice and try it again next year. If Manuel refuses to do what is necessary, then I believe GM Ruben Amaro Jr. needs to step in and take the decision out of his hands. I have never been a fan of GM's interfering with the manager, but in this case, it appears that Manuel just cannot muster the courage to do the right thing.
I feel for Charlie, really I do. I would not want to be in his shoes, but the manager needs to put personal feelings aside and get this team back on track. Brett Myers has experience closing and he wants to do the job. Right now, Lidge looks like he is dreading having to step on the mound every time out. Myers is capable, he is healthy and last night, he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings; it was his third straight scoreless outing since returning from hip surgery. Clearly, he is ready, willing and able to do the job.
I understand that Manuel does not want to crush the confidence of his closer, who is going to be with the Phillies for the next two years. However, Lidge will have an entire off-season to get over it. And yes, the Phillies have a lead in the division, but watch how fast that lead disappears when the Phillies do things like get swept in a four game series by the Astros and then nearly blow the next game against the Nationals because Manuel is worried about hurting feelings. No lead is safe when your closer cannot perform.
Here is the full Photo Album from the game….enjoy!
Photos by Jenn
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*


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Judge OKs lawsuit challenging stop and frisks
The judge said the city had taken remedial steps to improve its stop-and-frisk policies
By Larry Neumeister
Associated Press
NEW YORK — A federal judge gave the green light Wednesday to a lawsuit accusing the New York Police Department of discriminating against blacks and Hispanics with its stop-and-frisk policies aimed at reducing crime, citing evidence that officers are pressured to meet quotas and are punished if they do not.
U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in Manhattan let proceed a 2008 class-action lawsuit seeking to hold the city and the Police Department liable for any failures to carry out the crime reduction program in an unbiased manner. The lawsuit alleged that the Police Department purposefully engaged in a widespread practice of concentrating its stop-and-frisk activity on black and Hispanic neighborhoods based on their racial composition rather than legitimate non-racial factors.
Scheindlin noted that police officers had testified about quotas and plaintiffs submitted audio recordings of roll call meetings in which instructions regarding stop and frisks and summons and arrest activity were given.
"Plaintiffs have presented the smoking gun of the roll call recordings, which, considered together with the statistical evidence, is sufficient circumstantial evidence for this claim to survive summary judgment," the judge said. Parties sometimes succeed with a summary judgment motion to have a case tossed out prior to trial. But Scheindlin rejected many of the city's arguments, saying the plaintiffs had presented enough facts to let the case proceed to trial.
The judge said a jury could determine whether the Police Department has engaged in a widespread practice of suspicion-less stops and frisks and whether the city could be liable if the practice was "so manifest as to imply the constructive acquiescence of senior policy-making officials." She said a trial can also determine whether police leadership has failed to adequately train officers.
City attorney Heidi Grossman noted that the judge made clear in her written ruling that the city does not have a policy of stopping minorities based on race.
"While the Court has left it for the jury to determine whether the city has taken adequate action to ensure that stops of New Yorkers are handled appropriately, we are confident the jury will find in the City's favor," she said.
The Police Department said it made 601,055 street stops of potential suspects last year, with about 10 percent of the stops resulting in arrests. In 2009, there were 575,304 stops.
The RAND Corp. research organization, in a study commissioned by the NYPD and released in 2007, concluded the raw data "distorts the magnitude and, at times, the existence of racially biased policing."
The study acknowledged that "black pedestrians were stopped at a rate that is 50 percent greater than their representation in the residential census." But it said using the census as a benchmark was unreliable because it failed to factor in variables such as a higher arrest rate and more crime-suspect descriptions involving minorities.
Scheindlin said the city may have been too dismissive of a report offered by plaintiffs that concluded that 24 percent of recorded stops and frisks from 2004 through 2009 "lack sufficiently detailed documentation to assess their legality," while 6 percent of stops "lack legal justification."
The judge said the city had taken remedial steps to improve its stop-and-frisk policies, but she could not say that corrective actions were sufficient to ensure intentional discrimination was not occurring.
She said it should be left for trial to decide whether police officials had been "deliberately indifferent to the need to train, monitor, supervise, and discipline its officers adequately in order to prevent a widespread pattern of suspicion-less and race-based stops."
Copyright 2011 Associated Press


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