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|The Council of Trent, Fresco
Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome
The cancellation of my planned visit to the University of San Diego continues to generate considerable media interest and expressions of support and concern. You can read all the details on my earlier post here.
Faculty and students at the University of San Diego continue to protest vigorously against the President's cancellation of my visit, and I have been inspired and encouraged by their passion, commitment and courage. Their struggle is by no means over, and I shall follow developments with great interest and support for their cause. However, I believe that this is now becoming a question of the internal politics and policies of the University of San Diego, and I want to step back from that in order to allow that process to continue.
I shall not be posting any further updates on this particular situation, unless there are significant new developments which directly involve me. Rather, I now want to deflect attention away from me personally, to focus on wider questions which this situation has raised. Thank you more than I can say for the astonishing number of messages of support and encouragement I have received, and to those who submitted comments to this blog. Here is the text of an address I was asked to submit to a forum on 'Academic Freedom in Catholic Universities' at the University of San Diego last night. You can also read a number of other reports and documents on the Facebook Community site, 'TorerosStandWithBeattie'. Please continue to support their campaign.
It is clear from the fine investigative journalism undertaken by Joshua J. McElwee of the National Catholic Reporter that there is a very murky world of Catholic politics and power underlying the decision to cancel my visit. It seems that the President of the University of San Diego may have been pressurised or supported (I'm not sure which) by influential conservative Catholic benefactors and watchdog groups with links to the local Catholic hierarchy and the Vatican. Some students and faculty at the University are making connections between this and a wider attempt by conservative American media barons to virtually take control of civic life in San Diego. Douglas Manchester and John Lynch, who recently bought the San Diego Union Tribune, have allied themselves to a highly conservative and militaristic agenda. In an interview with Associated Press, Lynch is reported to have said that they 'bought the newspaper in part to promote their views in editorials. He called those views pro-family, pro-military and pro-America, and said "anybody who isn't shouldn't be living here"'. Once again then, conservative Catholicism risks forming an unholy alliance with a far-right American political agenda which flies in the face of so much that is enshrined in Catholic social teaching and the Christian ethos. Barack Obama's victory might temporarily take the sting out of this situation and the lethal politics it engenders, but these are not people who give up easily.
This raises questions which are of fundamental concern to all Catholics who seek an intelligent and informed engagement with Church teaching, supported by academic theologians, and who wish to remain open to debate and challenge in the quest for truth in the context of modern society and the responsibilities of good citizenship. Church teachings on issues of social justice and sexual ethics belong within that aspect of Catholic theology which is contingent, contextual and open to interpretation and development in the light of new cultural, scientific and intellectual challenges. This is not relativism, and there will always be debates as to where the boundary between revealed doctrine and natural theology should be drawn. In an incarnational theology, the two cannot and should not be held apart, because what we believe of God inevitably shapes what we believe of humankind, and vice versa. Some argue that there is very little room for negotiation and change on any matter about which the official magisterium holds a position, others argue that there has always been considerable room for a plurality of interpretations and debate on matters of moral theology and social ethics which are not part of the deposit of faith or the infallible teachings of the Church.
Both positions are capable of being defended, but today there is a dangerous trend towards creeping infallibity which corrodes the boundaries of intellectual freedom and the authority of individual conscience in the life of faith. This means that those who have a more extensive and inclusive understanding of the authority of the magisterium can and do exercise considerable power to silence and harass the latter with the full weight of Rome behind them. The current climate of magisterial hostility to independent thought makes it impossible to work with integrity as a thinking, reasoning theologian in fidelity to the demands of conscience, academic freedom and Catholic identity.
The British academic system may be almost unique in the world today, insofar as it accommodates theology as a discipline capable of being taught from different confessional and non-confessional perspectives, within the secular, publicly-funded university system. For theologians like myself, this constitutes a space of enviable academic freedom insofar as our jobs are not vulnerable to pressure from Church authorities. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Roehampton has been an exemplary model of what this means during recent cancellations of my activities, when he has robustly defended my academic freedom. However, it also brings with it significant responsibilities to both the academic community and the Church, which sometimes make quite different demands upon theologians such as myself who seek to navigate the choppy waters between the Scylla of potentially unrestrained and irresponsible academic freedom (fuelled by demands for demonstrable 'impact') and the Charybdis of excessively zealous and narrow interpretations of Catholic doctrine (fuelled by demands for obedience and conformity).
Those of us who work in British universities are in an excellent position to begin a debate around these issues because of the protected environment within which we work. My own recent experiences are not typical. Indeed, they are unprecedented. For a lay theologian employed by a British university, it is unheard of to find oneself bullied and silenced by dark magisterial forces working invisibly through various masked intermediaries. This is not a world I want to be part of. I converted to Catholicism in 1987 because I was inspired by the beauty and mystery of Catholic sacramentality, by the strong ethos of social justice that motivates so many Catholics I know in their work with the poor and the marginalized, and by the marriage of faith and reason which enabled me to leave a narrowly biblical evangelical church and become, for the first time in my life, a person with the philosophical and theological resources to think and reason with honesty and integrity about my faith. I now feel that this great intellectual tradition is being abused and betrayed by those who claim to be its custodians.
In order to take the focus off me personally and open up a wider academic debate, we are setting up a forum on the website of the Digby Stuart Research Centre for Religion, Society and Human Flourishing, on which we shall post articles and contributions that we deem to be particularly well-argued or significant in terms of this debate, and we shall run a moderated discussion forum on these. We hope to arrange an international symposium some time during 2013 to address such issues. Once the forum has been set up, I shall post news of it here as well as sending round announcements to various e-mail distribution lists. In the meantime, if you are aware of articles or books that you think would be valuable to recommend for users of the forum, or if you would like to make a theological contribution to the debate, please contact Thomas Lynch of the Digby Stuart Research Centre for Religion, Society and Human Flourishing: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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It's hard for a New Yorker to see how many memorials of the Civil War fill and shape this city—to really take in the many things we pass by every day that were made to the memory of bloody battles that began down south, exactly a hundred and fifty years ago. Hard because they mostly slide right by our notice into the amnesia bin of a busy city long since occupied by immigrants and the children of immigrants, most of them indifferent to that war's ghosts and glories. Though the right to house Grant's Tomb in this city was dearly won, an informal office poll showed that not one in ten New Yorkers has actually visited it. Though the space across from the Fifth Avenue Apple Store contains the second-best big statue in the city—Saint-Gaudens's Sherman with the angel of victory—only half knew what that space is called (Grand Army Plaza) and only one which Army was so grand (Grant's, of the Potomac). Meanwhile, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument to Union veterans—it's the white temple over at Eighty-ninth and Riverside—is regularly confused with Grant's Tomb, up at 122nd Street, while nobody in our poll seemed to know where you could find a statue of the guy who designed the U.S.S. Monitor, with him holding a model of the first ironclad in his hand. (In Battery Park, as it happens.) And Union Square is confidently identified as being named for the Union cause when in fact its name long predates the war.
Fair enough. For a long time, the North built its statues and then left the strident exercise of memory to the losing side. As a result, right up until the nineteen-sixties the war was still being taught, even in Northern public schools, as a tragic battle between two noble sides, each with its own unfortunate extremists. The war was parsed and prettified until it became the gallant saga of the Blue and the Gray, with one great and vile movie ("The Birth of a Nation") and one less great but less noxious one ("Gone with the Wind") to reinforce the myth. As late as 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., called for freedom to ring out from Georgia's Stone Mountain, it was the site of a colossal bas-relief monument, still in progress, to the heroes of the Confederacy—and thus a regular meeting place for the Klan.
One legacy of the civil-rights movement that took hold around the time of the Civil War's centenary is that it has become harder and harder for untruths to be told uncurbed. The war was fought over slavery. The Southern states seceded because Abraham Lincoln had been elected President, and he was what we now call a single-issue candidate, who had been nominated by a single-issue party, and that issue was to prevent slavery from spreading and, ultimately, to make it extinct. As John Stuart Mill wrote from London in 1862, in "The Contest in America":
The world knows what the question between the North and South has been for many years, and still is. Slavery alone was thought of, alone talked of. Slavery was battled for and against on the floor of Congress and in the plains of Kansas; on the Slavery question exclusively was the party constituted which now rules the United States; on slavery Fremont was rejected, on slavery Lincoln was elected; the South separated on slavery, and proclaimed slavery as the one cause of separation.
Lincoln's Republican Party was divided between hard-liners, who thought that slavery had to end soon, and moderates, who thought that it would fall on its own sooner or later. But all understood that, as Mill added, with the succinct clarity of distance, "the day when slavery can no longer extend itself is the day of its doom. The slave-owners know this, and it is the cause of their fury."
Insularity is the chronic American illness. To get even a whiff of what it felt like to watch the Civil War from abroad, we have to recall our own fascination with the events of 1989, when the impossible—liberal rebellions toppling totalitarian states—took place. What got Mill (and Darwin, and a million others in Britain) so worked up was that the whole concept of democratic rule and the rights of man was on the line, much the way that it is now in those nations where it is just taking hold. What Mill gazed at in worry, and wonder, was the image of democracy, for almost the first time since antiquity, protecting itself from collapse into anarchy or tyranny. (He knew that the democracy was, in truth, a very undemocratic one, with more than half its citizens unable to vote, but that did not weaken the wonder.) The world saw the Union cause as a promissory note, to use Dr. King's image, of a republican movement yet to be fully cashed. It let freedom ring, or at least whisper hopefully, from the slums of Paris and the looms of Manchester. The British reform bill of 1867, which turned Parliament from an oligarchy with a complaint box into something closer to a real democratic institution, happened in significant part under the pressure of the Union victory. That's one reason that a statue of Lincoln looks directly at the Houses of Parliament.
So maybe it would be a good idea now to look abroad again, to the magnificently named French abolitionist Édouard René Lefèbvre de Laboulaye, who wrote relentlessly on behalf of the Union cause, knowing that taking a stand against slavery was also a way of fighting the petty tyranny of Napoleon III, Bonaparte's nephew. Laboulaye had the quixotic dream, in April of 1865, that, if government by the people was ever reëstablished in France, it might be nice for the two nations to build a statue to their shared ideals—maybe a female figure of freedom with a slave's broken shackles at her feet. Though all those immigrant eyes have made her their own, and though that amnesia, some of it induced, has worked to airbrush out the broken slave shackle that still lies at her feet—though we may not recognize it sufficiently or say so often enough—the biggest Civil War memorial of all is still the best big statue in the city. And she's hard to miss. ♦

subset: commoncrawl


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Product Description
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Made from fine china mug it's great to drink from too.
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Mary draws and paints her designs onto paper in her fun font and bright colours . Each colour is then individually screen printed on a special transfer paper which once dry we carefully apply to the mug. We only use the best quality fine bone china because its the best to drink from and looks great. The mug is fired in our kilns overnight to 800 degrees centigrade and slowly cooled the next day. Our mugs are packed in gorgeous new boxes which you can reuse to send or give the mug safely and stylishly to the final recipient. There's now a huge range of Mary Fellows mug designs for just about every member of the family from Brilliant Dads and Awesome Aunties to Super Sisters and Top Teachers. Look out for new designs as we add them and do get in touch with ideas, we are always pleased to hear from you even if we can't promise to get every one into production. Don't forget our personalised mugs. If you have an 'Aunty Jane' or an 'Grandma Moomoo' we can make the mug for you. There are lots of styles and all made in fine china in the most durable way for a lasting strong image without the use of digital prints or sublimation printing.
Dishwasher and microwave safe of course.


text:
Use the form on the right to contact us.
You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
Stallion Mountain
Las Vegas, Nevada 89122
United States
A Site devoted to XingYi (hsingi), BaGua (pakua) and Tai Chi (taiji).
Instructional DVDs on Xingyi (hsingi) Weaponry.


text:
Jays non-tender Raul Chavez
The Blue Jays did not tender a contract to catcher Raul Chavez before Saturday's midnight ET deadline, making him a free agent this offseason.
This seems to make it pretty clear that the Jays have some things working on the catching front, though general manager Alex Anthopoulos was not immediately available for comment.
Toronto does not have a catcher currently on the 40-man roster. Rod Barajas — last year's starter — is a free agent as well and he is not expected to re-sign with the club. Catching prospect J.P. Arencibia likely needs more time on the farm.
On the trade front, the Jays have been linked to Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit. Toronto is also believed to have interest in Angels catcher Mike Napoli. Coincidence or not, the Angels are pegged as the front-runners to land ace Roy Halladay from the Jays in a trade as things currently stack up.
All other arb-eligibles were offered a contract before Saturday's deadline. That list includes Jose Bautista, Shawn Camp, Jason Frasor, Brandon League, Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Brian Tallet. Oh, and Jeremy Accardo, whose agent said on Friday night that the pitcher hoped to be non-tendered.
My guess here is that the Blue Jays will try to find a match for Accardo in a trade, or maybe try to package him in a larger deal. Accardo could also come back to the Jays for the 2010 season, but it sounds like he wants a fresh start with a new organization.
Stay tuned for more…
1 Comment
The non-tendering of Chavez obviously means more shoes to drop, either in FA signings or trades, so I'm not surprised he was non tendered.
However, what is a surprise is an offering of contract to Bautista which might or might not be a major concern. He was already overpaid at $2.4 million, and I believe the maximum discount from previous salary is 20% which would still put him at about $2 million-assuming he's agreeable to that.
That doesn't bother me, although it's a waste of money, what bothers me, is signing him could be a signal of either platooning Snider or sending him down to AAA, either of which, IMO, would be disastrous for fan relations and Snider himself. If he's signed strictly as a 4th outfielder, no problem.
But Cito likes Bautista and I have a bad feeling Bautista was tendered because Cito wants him and will platoon him with Snider which would be a huge mistake.
If the Jays do sign another OF, then the direction is clear and imo, we should trade Snider instead of screwing him around and forget about this building with kids, cause it isn't about to happen until we play these kids and let them get the experience needed.


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"A-people always told me, 'Be careful what you do, and don't go around breaking young girls' hearts.' A-but she came and stood right by me, and just the smell of sweet ______, And this happened much too soon, and she called me to her room"
It was that smell of sweet perfume that left MJ's head spinning in "Billie Jean." The tune was the second single from Jackson's 1982 album, "Thriller," which has since become one of the bestselling albums of all time. It was during a performance of "Billie Jean" in 1983 that Jackson debuted his moon walk.


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Your medical history is an important tool
for your doctor in determining whether you have
premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Your medical history
includes your:
Based on the length and regularity of your
menstrual cycles, your doctor will try to determine whether you are
releasing an egg from the
ovaries each month (ovulation).
Your doctor may
also ask you about your mental health history, including:
PMS can cause emotional and behavioral symptoms similar to
those of depression or ADHD, so it's important to find out whether you have one
of these problems. Some of these problems can get worse during the premenstrual
phase. If you have PMS as well as another disorder, you may need treatment for
both conditions.
Your doctor will take
your medical history if you are having any symptoms of PMS. If your symptoms
affect your mood or behavior, a mental health history is important.
A diagnosis of PMS is indicated when:
No single test can diagnose PMS.
A diagnosis of PMS is usually based on your symptoms and medical history. Tests
to check for other medical conditions that might be causing symptoms should be
done only as needed.
Complete the medical test information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you prepare for this test.
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text:
Swiss Franc Daily Hedged Copper
|Fund Overview
|Base Currency
|Leverage Factor
|Underlying Exposure
|Replication method
|Synthetic - fully funded collateralised swap
|Legal form
|Debt security
|Legal structure
|Legal Tax
|Sharia compliant
|Securities regulator
|Financial Conduct Authority (FCA UK)
|UCITS Eligible
|Key Service Providers
|The Law Debenture Trust Corporation p.l.c.
|Computershare Investor Services (Jersey) Ltd
|Collateral manager
|The Bank of New York Mellon
|Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Merrill Lynch Commodities Inc.
|Capital Adjustment Factor
|Passported Countries
Listings & Codes
|Listings & Codes
i The above chart presents information about the difference between the daily market price for shares of the Fund and the Fund's net asset value. The market price is determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the listing exchange, as of the time that the Fund's NAV is calculated (usually 4:00 p.m. eastern time for most Funds). The vertical axis of the chart shows the premium or discount expressed as a percentage of mid-point.
Live Prices
|Live Prices
† Source: Bloomberg, all data delayed at least 15 minutes.
Note: Volume is the number of securities traded on the relevant Exchange. Estimated value of securities traded (volume x Last price). For the purposes of showing the total turnover, we convert the turnover for each product from its trading currency into USD using a standard end-of-day benchmark exchange rate.
|Index Details
Bloomberg Copper Subindex Swiss Franc Hedged Daily Total Return
The Index is designed to reflect the movement in the price of the Copper futures contracts (that are continuously rolled on a pre-determined rolling schedule) used in the Bloomberg Commodity IndexSM as well as incorporating a currency hedge against movements in the CHF/USD exchange rate. The currency hedge is rebalanced daily. A futures contract is an agreement to purchase a commodity at an agreed price, with delivery and payment to take place at a specified point in the future. Futures contracts are generally disposed of just before the term of the contract expires and new contracts entered into in order to avoid taking actual delivery of the commodity in question (a process known as 'rolling'), so that continuous exposure to the commodity is maintained. The contracts being purchased may be more expensive than the contracts being sold which would cause an investor in commodity futures to make an additional loss. This market trend is known as 'contango'. Alternatively the contracts being purchased may be cheaper than the ones being sold which would result in an additional gain, known as 'backwardation'. This price difference is commonly referred to as "roll yield" . As the roll yield is incorporated into the calculation of the value of the Index, it may therefore have a positive or negative impact on the value of the Index depending on whether there is contango or backwardation. The ETC will also be affected as its value is based upon the value of the Index.
Index Details
|Index Details
|Index Name
|Bloomberg Copper Subindex Swiss Franc Hedged Daily Total Return
|Index Provider
|Index Constituent Count
|Index Type
|Bloomberg Ticker
|Reuters Index Ticker
|Index Website
|No Data To Display
Collateral Details
|Currency (weighting)
|No Data To Display
|Country (weighting)
|No Data To Display
|Constituents Top 20
|No Data To Display
This financial promotion has been issued and approved for the purpose of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by WisdomTree UK Limited ("WTUK") which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority. Any performance data displayed on this site is denominated in the trading currency (unless stated otherwise) and does not reflect movements in the exchange rate between the trading currency and any other currency. Adverse exchange rates can significantly affect the value of your investment if your investment is not denominated in the trading currency. Exchange rate risk should always be considered when analysing performance denominated in another currency. Any benchmark performance information does not illustrate the effect of fees and expenses. This information is historical information. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Certain information may have been prepared by persons other than WTUK or its affiliates. WTUK (and its directors, employees, officers, agents and affiliates) is not responsible in any way for the content of any such information. Investments may go up or down in value and you may lose some or all of the amount invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. You should consult an independent investment adviser prior to making any investment in order to determine its suitability to your circumstances. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant product which includes information on certain risks associated with an investment. None of the index providers referred to herein nor their licensors make any warranty or representation whatsoever either as to the results obtained from use of the relevant indices and/or the figures at which such indices stand at any particular day or otherwise. None of the index providers shall be liable to any person for any errors or significant delays in the relevant indices nor shall be under any obligation to advise any person of any error or significant delay therein. Securities or shares referred to on this page are not obligations of or guaranteed by any of the counterparties referred to herein or any of their affiliates. Each of the counterparties disclaims all and any liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise which it might have in respect of this document or its contents otherwise arising in connection herewith.


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text:
Carnival Street Parties – Blocos
The Carnival street parties in Rio de Janeiro deserve attention. If you come to Rio before or during Carnival and don't experience one you definitely missed out on something. It is here you will experience that crazy atmosphere you've heard about; it is here where rhytms and drink stimulate erotic encounters of the third degree. The happiness and euphoria is impossible too describe. So what are they then?
A Group of Friends
In Rio groups of friends meet up to play Samba, dance and socialize, if they grow in popularity they can turn in to so called blocos. These have meetings/street parties on a more regular basis, during Carnival they all have ensaios when they parade around a designated street block (hence the name bloco). Everyone can of course join these street parties.
With some exceptions these blocos start to meet from November all the way until Carnival. There is no official forum with information how and where these parties are held, it's all more ore less on a mouth-to-mouth basis. Just before Carnival, as the ensaios start to take place, the newspaper O Globo list all of importance and in their Friday magazine Veja Rio the week before Carnival have all info for the Carnival week.
Growing in Popularity
The last couple of years the interest for these street parties has grown and this can make some of the more famous ones very crowded. It could therefor be a good idea to try a less famous bloco.
You Have to Go!
Maybe you don´t have to do like my good friends Phil & Sarah who went for 16 blocos in 14 days!! But you definitely should give it a try, the Carnival street parties is a must!
Go from Carnival Street Parties to Home for www.gringo-rio.com


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- "You talk about wands like they've got feelings... like they can think for themselves."
- —Harry Potter to Mr. Ollivander[src]
Wandlore is an ancient, complex, and mysterious branch of magic dealing with the history, abilities, and actions of wands, quasi-sentient magical tools used by wizards and witches to cast spells. This particular branch of magic is carefully studied by wandmakers such as Garrick Ollivander and Gregorovitch.
The Study of WandloreEdit
Wandlore may have been explored first by ancient wizards more than two thousand years ago. This can be deduced from the peeling sign outside of Mr. Ollivander's Wand Shop which reads "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C."[1] In the beginning of wizarding history, the magical forces of the wand may have been experimented upon and explored through the ages, with all its findings written down, as with many other mysteries of the world, each with its dedicated and brilliant explorers. And like those fields, it is further comprehended as time goes on.
Study of the loreEdit
After magical education, a person seeking to become a wandmaker must become the apprentice of a skilled wandmaker. From there, they may undergo the study of wandlore. There is also a possibility that there are gatherings where wandlore lessons are taught. Even so, it is clear that wandlore must be understood clearly in order to become a skilled wandmaker.
Mr. Ollivander revealed to Harry Potter in 1998 that wandlore is "complex and mysterious"; even the most skilled do not fully comprehend it. Ollivander himself confessed that he did not fully understand Priori Incantatem, a reaction between two wands with cores from the same source, or why Harry's wand destroyed the wand of Lucius Malfoy when Harry faced Lord Voldemort during the Battle of the Seven Potters.[2]
Wands choose the wizard or witch in a way that is neither random, nor serendipitous. There is much ancient mythology and botanical knowledge regarding the powers and natures of wood and other natural elements.
Harry Potter and Voldemort's wandsEdit
Harry Potter's wand is made of holly, with a phoenix feather core.[1] In numerous ancient and modern historical references, the holly tree, an evergreen, represents life and is deemed a guardian and protection against poison, lightning and witchcraft. The phoenix feather represents renewal of life, which Harry accomplishes on more than one occasion when others thought he should be dead. His wand wood is also the same as his birth month's wood in the Celtic calendar, which associated holly with courage and a battle between kings.[3]
In contrast, Voldemort's wand is yew and phoenix feather. Yew is associated with some of the oldest legends of Great Britain, for it was revered by the Druids. It is poisonous and is known to kill cattle. The phoenix feather may represent Voldemort's obsession with preserving his own life; he created Horcruxes so that he may be reborn each time he is killed.
Other examplesEdit
- Draco Malfoy's wand is made of hawthorn. According to botanical and historical references, hawthorn flowers have the smell of death or decomposing meat, and are fertilised by carrion insects. Hawthorn is also Draco's Celtic birth month wood.
- Hermione Granger's wand is made from vine wood, which is the wood attributed to her birth month on the Celtic calendar. The Celts associated vine with the autumn equinox, and with looking inward.
- Ron Weasley's wand of ash also corresponds to his birth month on the Celtic calendar, which associated ash with balance.[3]
- The Elder Wand is made of elder. From ancient tradition, elder is the emblem of sorrow and death. Some of the mythology surrounding elder assigns it the power to drive away evil spirits and protect against witches. In the Celtic calendar, the Elder Moon contains the darkest days of the year and was associated with death and regeneration, transformation, and the underworld.[3]
Other properties of wands can also reveal aspects of their owners' characters. For example, Ollivander described Bellatrix Lestrange's wand as "unyielding", Peter Pettigrew's wand as "brittle"[2] and Draco Malfoy's wand as "reasonably pliant". Another example is the length of the wand; Rubeus Hagrid's wand is one of the longest noted wand, at 16". It is representative of his half-giant blood, and Dolores Umbridge's wand is particularly short, as she was described.
Certain wands can also be predisposed to skill at a particular magical discipline. For instance, the wand of James Potter was particularly good for Transfiguration[1].This may be due to the various flexibilities of the wand, which accomadate different wand motions.
Through wandlore, a future wandmaker learns the ancient secrets of creating a wand, each having three components:
Wand woodEdit
Bowtruckles, tree-guardians, opt to live in wand-trees whose wood is of wand quality - wand wood. Therefore, it can be assumed that one can not simply walk into a forest, retrieve a twig, and create a wand. Wand wood may already be magical or merely be the only type of wood strong enough to sustain the power of magic within.
Magical coresEdit
Wands contain magical cores, possibly magically inserted once the wand has been carved. These magical cores enhance the wand magic or give the wand wood magical abilities. The only cores able to produce magic are from magical species. Mr. Ollivander opts to only use phoenix feathers, unicorn hairs, and dragon heartstrings, which may be the most powerful and best of magical cores, as Ollivander's wands have been praised for being the best. Other materials, such as Veela hair, or even Thestral hair, have also been used by other wandmakers.
Wand lengthEdit
All wands have their individual lengths and may also be some correlation between a person's size and the lengths of their wands. Rubeus Hagrid, who is half-giant, owned one of the longest known wand; it was sixteen inches long and made of oak. It was snapped in half after he was blamed for the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. The shortest known wand once belonged to Dolores Umbridge, who is described as being squat and toad-like. Her "unusually short" and stubby wand was dropped in the Forbidden Forest and snapped in half by a centaur's hoof.
According to Garrick Ollivander, matching a wand to a wizard solely by height is a crude measure. Long wands tend to suit those with big personalities, of a more spacious and dramatic style of magic. Neater wands favour elegant and refined spell-casting. Particularly short wands will choose wizards whose character lacks something.[4]
Usually, wands are only described in terms of the source tree, its core and its length. However, occasionally, the firmness of the wand wood has also been described. For example, on inspection of the wands of Harry Potter, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy and Rubeus Hagrid, Garrick Ollivander described them as "nice and supple", "unyielding", "reasonably springy", and "brittle", respectively. Rigidity or flexibility of a wand characterises the willingness to change and adapt of the wand-and-wizard pair.[4]
The creation of the Elder WandEdit
The creation of the Deathly Hallow Elder Wand is highly unusual. In the book The Tales of Beedle the Bard, there is the legend of the Deathly Hallows called The Tale of the Three Brothers. In the story, Death is asked by the oldest of the Peverell brothers to be given a wand that would win duels. Death approaches an Elder tree, retrieves a branch, and creates the Elder Wand.
It is not said if this tree bore wand wood and likewise the nature of the core was never disclosed in the original tale. However, Albus Dumbledore and many others who chased after the Deathly Hallows believe that it was actually created by Antioch Peverell himself, instead of by Death. The wand is known to be made of Elder with a core of Thestral hair, both materials which have strong cultural connotations of death.[5]
Wand death and wiltingEdit
"Wilting" of a wand occurs when the wand expels all magic, inhibiting its further magical use. This phenomenon is only known to occur with hazel wands, which often bond so strongly with their true masters that after their owners' death those wands lose all magic in this way. This is curable by replacing the wand core, unless the core was originally of unicorn hair, in which case there is no hope and the wand will have actually "died" as opposed to simply wilted.[6]
The subtle laws of wandsEdit
- "The wand chooses the wizard. That much has always been clear to those of us who have studied wandlore...if you are any wizard at all you will be able to channel your magic through almost any instrument. The best results, however, must always come where there is the strongest affinity between wizard and wand. These connections are complex. An initial attraction, and then a mutual quest for experience, the wand learning from the wizard, the wizard from the wand."
- —Mr. Ollivander[src]
Wands possess a force of magic that itself has its own boundaries where none can go beyond. This is similar to Newton's laws of motion and other forces, and are known as the subtle laws of wands[7].
The fundamental lawsEdit
Mr. Ollivander states that a wand chooses a wizard. It is not clear why, but certain wands seem to have a natural affinity for certain wizards or witches; this is the most fundamental law. The second states the connections made between both wizard and wand are complex, and will grow with experience, the wand learning from the wizard, the wizard from the wand. Thirdly, a wizard may channel his energy with any wand, whether his or not. However, the best results come where there is a great likeness between a wizard and a wand.
Lastly, a wand may be won from its master, and only then will its allegiance bend towards the new master. This does not apply in situations such as practice duels, in which being disarmed or defeated will not affect a wand's loyalty. Wands develop an affinity to their owners that they will not give up easily; even when won, they will often retain some loyalty to the original owner. The only exception to this is the Elder Wand, which is "completely unsentimental" and will only be loyal to strength. In other words, when won, it switches its allegiance entirely.[8] When a wand has not been won, it will not work as well for its new owner, as when Harry Potter was forced to use a blackthorn wand and when Hermione Granger used Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, neither of which they had won.[2]
- Hermione: "I hate that thing. I really hate it. It feels all wrong, it doesn't work properly for me… It's like a bit of her."
- Ron: "It'll probably help you get in character, though. Think what that wand's done!"
- Hermione: "But that's my point! This is the wand that tortured Neville's mum and dad, and who knows how many other people? This is the wand that killed Sirius! I miss my wand."
- — Hermione on using Bellatrix Lestrange's wand[src]
In some families, wands may be inherited, such as Neville Longbottom using his father's wand and Ron Weasley using his brother Charlie's old wand. However, each of these cases ended with the wands being snapped in half, and both Neville and Ron were more successful using other wands, therefore making it questionable that one can fully master a wand gained in this way. This is especially true in Neville's case, as his magical aptitude was almost non-existant before the loss of his father's wand during The Battle of the Department of Mysteries his fifth year, with him only being able to accomplish usefull spells with tremendous effort and focus. During his sixth and seventh year, however, Neville's magical talents become evidently powerful with a wand that chose him. It may have actually been his father's wand which supressed his talents so much.
Priori IncantatemEdit
Two wands with cores coming from the same magical creature, referred to as "brothers", cannot be forced to duel against one another. Should two such wands ever come in the way of one another, a rare connection is formed, called Priori Incantatem. When the connection is formed, the wands battle to merge a golden orb into the other's shaft; the one that succeeds to force the orb in the other is the winning wand. Because of its rarity, most wizards never learn that such a connection is possible - this is the first law of Priori Incantatem.
After two brother wands connect through means of Priori Incantatem, both wands come to know one another and may react towards each other without the consent of their owners, or the winning wand only reacts towards the losing wand - this is the second law of Priori Incantatem[9]. Also, under special conditions it is possible for one wand to recognise its "brother's" master, even when a different wand is used. For example, during the Battle of the Seven Potters, Harry's wand recognised Voldemort and spurted "golden flames" at him, even though Voldemort was using Lucius Malfoy's wand at the time.[2]
Damaged wandsEdit
Wands that have suffered an immense degree of damage can not be fixed by any means most wandmakers know, except with help from the Elder Wand, as seen when Harry Potter's wand was broken from a reflected Blasting Curse and Hermione Granger was unable to repair it. Harry later fixed it with the Elder Wand.[2]
Accomplished wandmakersEdit
Two of the most accomplished wandmakers were Garrick Ollivander and Gregorovitch. Ollivander was widely considered the best in Britain, while Gregorovitch was the best in his land which has remained unknown. Ollivander was kidnapped by Death Eaters for information on the connection between Harry Potter's wand and Voldemort's wand, but later escaped with the assistance of Dobby, while Gregorovitch was killed by Voldemort for not telling him who the thief of the Elder Wand was.[2] Ollivander also had an associate in Hogsmeade, who was learned in wandlore. It is unknown whether he also manufactured wands.
Apart from those, there were other lesser known wandmakers living and working in Britain, though not in the same vein as Ollivander, such as Jimmy Kiddell.
Behind the scenesEdit
- Both the shortest wand (Dolores Umbridge's wand) and one of the longest wands (Rubeus Hagrid's wand) known in the series were snapped in half.
- In The Tales of Beedle the Bard commentary, Albus Dumbledore mentions that he is knowledgeable in wandlore.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Mentioned only)
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
See alsoEdit
Notes and referencesEdit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Celtic Tree Calendar
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wand length and flexibility information from Pottermore
- ↑ http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=25
- ↑ Wand wood information from Pottermore
- ↑ Deathly Hallows, chapter 24
- ↑ [http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/1224-pottercast-anelli.html PotterCast 131
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire


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Who are they?
Magistrates (also known as justices of the peace) are 21,500 volunteer judicial office holders who serve in magistrates' courts throughout England and Wales.
Magistrates can be appointed from the age of 18 and retire at 70. Magistrates do not require legal training or qualifications. Candidates must demonstrate six 'key qualities' – Good Character; Commitment and Reliability; Social Awareness; Sound Judgement; Understanding and Communication; Maturity and Sound Temperament. Once appointed, magistrates undertake mandatory training and are always supported in court by a trained legal advisor to guide them on points of law and procedure.
What do they do?
All magistrates begin their magisterial career in the adult court where they deal with crimes which, while not necessarily very serious in nature, can have the most widespread impact on communities; for example, anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related incidents. Magistrates' courts are also the first stage in dealing with more serious crimes such as rape and murder, which are then referred on to the Crown Court.
As they gain experience, some magistrates go on to deal with cases involving defendants aged between 10 and 18 in the youth court. Experienced magistrates can also undertake specialist training to deal with cases involving the welfare of children in the family court. Magistrates may also sit with a judge in the Crown Court when an appeal is heard against a sentence handed down in the magistrates' court.
All panels sitting in the Magistrates' Court have one magistrate who is approved to sit as the chairman and he/she will be the member of the panel who speaks in open court. The chairman is flanked by magistrates who are known as "wingers". All three magistrates carry equal weight in the decision-making process and play a full part in the discussions had in the magistrates' retiring room
Magistrates are required to sit for at least 13 days/26 half-days each year (or 35 half-days if they also sit in the youth or family courts.)
How are they appointed?
Magistrates are recruited and selected by a network of 47 local advisory committees made up of serving magistrates and local non-magistrates. Members of the public can find out about non-magistrate vacancies by enquiring direct to committees (contact details can be found online at GOV.UK) or looking out for public adverts of vacancies (these are often to be found in local free press publications and on community notice boards in civic buildings including libraries). The advisory committees are Non-Departmental Public Bodies, membership of which is treated as a public appointment that is regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Prior to October 2013, the Lord Chancellor appointed magistrates. Under the Crime and Courts Act 2013, and from 1 October 2013, the statutory power to appoint magistrates transferred to the Lord Chief Justice, who delegates the function to the Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales.
When applying to become a magistrate an application form is required, character references are sought, and two interviews are held before a recommendation to appoint an individual is made to the Senior Presiding Judge. The role is sought after and the selection process is rigorous, which means that not everyone who applies is recommended for appointment.
The role of bench chairmen
Once appointed, magistrates are assigned to a local justice area (also known as a bench). Every year benches elect one of their magistrates to the role of bench chairman. Bench chairmen act as ambassadors for their bench, maintaining effective relationships with the agencies which support the bench. They also act on behalf of the Lord Chief Justice by providing support and guidance to their magistrates and helping to maintain the high standards of conduct and service expected of magistrates.


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Open Code: Honor trial gives behind-curtain peek
UVA's vaunted Honor Code came under national scrutiny this summer after several stories revealed that two non-UVA students were thrown of the UVA-run Semester at Sea cruise ship, thus forfeiting academic credits and thousands of tuition dollars, after a faculty tribunal found that they'd plagiarized. A case closer to home offers another revealing view of the controversial Code.–editor
At UVA's School of Architecture, being in the wrong place at the wrong time can certainly be costly.
That's what third-year Emily Bauer found Sunday, July 20 as her seven-month ordeal drew to a close inside the trial room of Newcomb Hall. There, a panel of 12 randomly selected student jurors (including three from the "A-school") and a trial chair sat facing three student lawyers representing Bauer, and three representing the community.
Ticket-holding observers sat in the back of the room. Thanks to Bauer's decision to go public, this was UVA's first open honor trial since 2005.
Bauer was accused of lying and cheating, an incident spurred by the A-school's only firm deadline, when they construct "site models." While due dates are fluid because of the evolving nature of work throughout the semester, the A-school has a firm "pencils down" policy the day of the final review. In Bauer's case, the the Architecture 201 deadline fell on December 6, 2007.
"It's pretty easy to tell what is cheating in other classes," Bauer, who hails from Fredericksburg, told the Hook before her trial, "but in the A-school, it's less clear. If your model breaks after the deadline and then you fix it, that's cheating."
Sitting before the jury with trembling hands, Bauer told them she would prove that she was on trial because of "an unfortunate series of misunderstandings backed by honorable intentions."
She contended that based on the three elements that decide whether an act qualifies as an Honor offense– act, intent, and seriousness– she was innocent.
Heather Fischer, the student who reported the possible Honor offense, testified via telephone link call that she saw Bauer at her desk working on something around 1am, seven hours after the Final Review deadline.
Fischer testified that she asked Bauer if she was working on something for the studio, and Bauer said no.
Jen Siomacco, chair of the Architectural Design Committee, a student group in the A-school, with whom Bauer was acquainted, testified that later that night she asked the same question, and Bauer said yes.
Every A-school student who testified characterized the time period before the 6pm final review deadline as "very taxing," and that's why some said Bauer's late-night work on an architecture project on deadline day seemed suspicious.
Bauer, however, testified that she was in the A-school building that night to help a friend. Her friend– fellow undergraduate architecture student Lauren Rybinski– had cut her finger but refused to go to the hospital for fear she would not be able to finish her project. As her friend was feeling weak, Bauer testified, she urged her to seek permission to get dinner and then pin up her work later.
A student lawyer for the community stressed in her closing remarks, "Bauer cheated by working past deadline and lied in more than one way to more than one person."
A student lawyer for the accused maintained, however, in his closing remarks, "The purpose of an Honor trial is not for a student to prove her innocence."
After the trial– which lasted from 10am to 3:30pm– the jury deliberated for another hour before deciding that the evidence against Bauer was not enough to prove her guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt."
Bauer criticized the die-hard mentality of the architecture school. "In the A-school, you are seen as weak if you are sick," she said. "And the medical policies they do have in place are not well advertised."
"I think she did the right thing," says her mother, Mary Bauer. "At the architecture school, there's a very individual mentality; they want you to leave others hanging."
Under UVA's single-sanction policy, if Bauer had been found guilty of either lying or cheating, she certainly would have been left hanging. UVA's one-strike-you're-out honor code would have dictated expulsion.
–last updated September 11
1 comment
Dear Miss D'Oraizo,To start with I'm Emily dad,which puts me at byis. My Emily has given me a life time of pride. Not just with her school work,but as a compassionate human being. Prior to the hearing she asked my opinion on what to say that would to bring the event into focus. I said Em,you going to a school that was founded by one of the wrighters of the Decliration of Independents,the Bill of Rights. I want to belive the if he was in any way off kilter from to many hours of open sewage smells,sweltering heat,the dawnting task at hand.If he reached out for any help (AND HE DID) His friend Ben Franklin would drop everything to help his fellow"classmate"(IN THE SENCE THEY WERE ON A LEARNING CURVE TO FORM THE FIRST MODERN REPUBLIC).In a way my Em,and Tomas Jefferson were and are,hopefully will be shapers of an even greater REPUBLIC,Of The Peaple, Buy the Peaple,and for the Peaple. Thank you for takeing the time to cover My Emily's hearing. You show a real conviction to your work,and it is my hope that,you will never sell out,as most of the mainstream miedia has in this Country.Truth may sometimes hurt,but the hurt makes you wiser for the next time.Thank you and I bid you Peace,Walt Bauer


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$3 a gallon for gas? In some areas, it's already here
Here's a spring break we can all enjoy: lower gas prices.
At a time when gas prices traditionally rise, they continue to slide, even as the nation heads into peak summer driving season.
Nationally, prices now average $3.61 a gallon. That's a 12-cent drop from early March and 33 cents below $3.94 a year ago, when prices were close to a 2012 peak. And despite record-high averages in February, motorists paid an average $3.54 a gallon in the first quarter, vs. $3.58 in the first quarter of 2012.
Consumers in some regions of the Rocky Mountains — close to relatively cheap North American crude oil near refiners — are filling up on sub-$3-a-gallon gas. In Montana, which averages $3.37 a gallon, prices in some cities, such as Great Falls, are in the $2.90s. Casper and Cheyenne, Wyo., had average prices below $3 for the entire quarter.
"We'll probably see more markets with $3-a-gallon gas next week,'' says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service and GasBuddy. Among the likely areas: South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
GasBuddy analyst Patrick DeHaan estimates that each penny per gallon saved means savings of about $108 million a day over year-ago prices. The price-tracking Internet app tracks prices at more than 140,000 gas stations.
Crude oil prices continue to slide. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude fell to a two-week low of $92.70 a barrel Friday, ending the week down nearly 5%. Meanwhile, the Energy Information Administration says U.S. inventories were at a 22-year high last week.
Still, prices at the pump could be prone to spikes — as they did last year when refinery disruptions caused supply issues in California and the Midwest. But DeHaan and Kloza expect continued price weakness for the next few weeks.
"The coast is not yet clear for a 2013 top, but it was always nonsense to suggest that prices might vary from $4.25 to $5 a gallon,'' Kloza says. "That won't happen unless there is a disruption in the Mideast."
And despite the year-over-year price drop, there is still pain at the pump, based on historical trends. During 2009's first quarter, gas averaged less than $1.90 a gallon and averaged less than $1.60 a gallon in the first quarter of 2003.
Highest current prices in the continental U.S.: California, averaging $4.03, vs. $4.28 a year ago. Price ranges in some markets have never been wider. GasBuddy says drivers in Washington, D.C., can save $1.14 a gallon shopping for the cheapest price available.


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Longtime Mets broadcaster Ralph Kiner dies at 91
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — The baseball Hall of Fame says slugger Ralph Kiner has died. He was 91.
The Hall says Kiner died Thursday at his home in Rancho Mirage.
Kiner hit 369 home runs during his 10-year career, mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won or tied for the National League lead in homers in each of his first seven seasons.
After finishing up as a player, Kiner became a popular broadcaster with the New York Mets for more than a half-century. He worked a handful of games last year.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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To climb a vertical ladder takes more physical effort than using a treadmill or a rowing machine. It uses the whole body. Some in the industry suggest that a wind technician should not be expected to undertake more than three or four climbs to 80 metres a day, but the number of climbs and the accumulated height could still present a real challenge to the industry.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the most prevalent occupational health issues across the globe, according to the International Labour Organisation, affecting the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and joints, typically in the upper or lower limbs and the back.
With the pool of skilled labour decreasing, the wind industry should be working to avoid risk of MSDs.
In Europe, there are fewer young people entering the job market to meet the future demands for skilled labour in this area, so competition between employers will increase. The EU, through its 2020 strategy, recognises that to offset the challenges presented by an ageing demographic, lower birth rates and a lower skills base, employers must look at retaining employees for longer.
All ages
MSDs can pose a threat to all ages. While the effects can be more severe for older staff, they tend to work more within their physical limits. Their younger colleagues may push themselves to their limits or beyond.
Climbers also need to maintain a healthy weight and deal with psychological and environmental stressors from working in extreme temperatures and weather conditions. There can be perceived poor supervisory support — particularly relevant for peripatetic workers - high workload demands, and low job control. Other physical difficulties can come from the design of ladders and hatches and from working within a confined space.
There should be a more holistic approach to workplace adjustments in order to address the issue of MSDs experienced by wind technicians. Research needs to be carried out specifically for the wind industry.
RenewableUK recently commissioned Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to review the available literature on the potential effects of vertical ladder-climbing on the musculoskeletal system. Not surprisingly, they found very little published evidence relating to the occupational health of wind technicians. However, they did suggest potential areas for further research, which will help the industry to identify appropriate workplace designs and solutions for wind technicians.
Health tips
In the meantime, to retain your current wind technicians, consider the advice for employers from other industries that require ladder climbing:
- Keep up to date with research into risk factors and how to reduce them, and feed this through to regular reviews of procedures, access methods and equipment
- Ensure wind technicians remain a healthy weight and minimise the loads carried. Carry out regular occupational health checks
- Carry out a workplace survey to identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders
- Ensure wind technicians understand how to use their body correctly during climbing
- Ensure wind technicians always have access to water to remain hydrated
- Wind technicians should work as a team and structure the work to allow each the best opportunity to recover after each descent.
Jennifer Webster is a chartered psychologist working for the Health and Safety Laboratory's Human Science Unit (HSL), an agency of the UK government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
This article is the opinion of the author and its contents do not necessarily reflect policy or views of either the HSL or the HSE.


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All iPad Pro models, iPad (6th generation), iPad (5th generation), iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, and iPad mini 3 models with Wi-Fi + Cellular can use either the Apple SIM card with an activated account or a carrier-supported nano-SIM card. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation), 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and 9.7-inch iPad Pro include an embedded Apple SIM. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation) and 11-inch iPad Pro support eSIM. iPad Air, iPad mini 2, and iPad mini models with Wi-Fi + Cellular use a carrier-supported nano-SIM card.
More information on iPad support for LTE networks by carrier and country or region
There are two Apple Pencil models. The original Apple Pencil is compatible with the 12.9‑inch iPad Pro (1st and 2nd generations), 10.5‑inch iPad Pro, 9.7‑inch iPad Pro, and iPad (6th generation). Apple Pencil (2nd generation) is compatible with the 12.9‑inch iPad Pro (3rd generation) and 11‑inch iPad Pro.
Trade in your eligible iPad at an Apple Store or online, and we'll give you an Apple Store Gift Card.2 If your iPad doesn't have trade-in value, we can recycle it responsibly for you for free.
Available space is less and varies due to many factors. A standard configuration uses approximately 10GB to 12GB of space (including iOS and preinstalled apps) depending on the model and settings. Preinstalled apps use about 4GB, and you can delete these apps and restore them.


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Goodbye, Indianapolis
Much like previous Winter Meetings, I am now know the layout of this hotel like the back of my hand. For all the walking and talking, though, there was not much noise to be made here in Indianapolis. The Yankees made the biggest move with the three-team swap to land Curtis Granderson. The righ get richer.
Your Blue Jays?
Well, Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos — hoarse voice and all — did a ton of talking without revealing much of what is going on behind the scenes. The Jays bolted town with no moves completed with the exception of grabbing righty Zech Zinicola from the Nationals in the Rule 5 Draft.
Anthopoulos did at least acknowledge that there is indeed a big "elephant in the room." That, of course, is the future of ace Roy Halladay. Over the course of four days here, Anthopoulos began to open up slightly when asked about trade talks involving Doc. The young GM still made sure never to refer to Halladay by name in his answer, sticking to generalities.
What have we learned? Dending on who you talk to or which story you read, he Angels might have made an offer for Halladay that includes Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Pter Bourjos. Along with the Halos, the Phillies, even after the big Cliff Lee deal, appear to be the favorites now to land Halladay.
The Yankees and Red Sox are monitoring the situation, but are basically holding off until the Jays lower their asking price. New York might be hesitant to move more prospects after just pulling off the Granderson deal and Boston does not want to part with prized pitching prospect Casey Kelly, making a match with Toronto unlikely right now.
The Rays? They are very unlikely to land Doc, but they have the pieces to pull off such a move and the pitcher would likely approve a one-year stop in Tampa Bay before hitting free agency next winter. The Dodgers have talked to the Jays, but they don't seem to be a fit. The Cubs have payroll issues and think Toronto's asking price is a bit steep as well.
Will Halladay be moved? It never seemed likely that he was going to be shipped off during these Meetings and he's still a Jay. It is still highly probable that he is dealt this winter, and the club knows it is in Doc's best interest to swing a trade before Spring Training, if one is going to be completed.
Beyond Halladay, there's still the search for a starting catcher and maybe some outfield and mound help. Free agency might net some short-term solutions for 2010 and 2011, but Anthopoulos is also poring over a pile of trade proposals and scenarios in order to potentially obtain some long-term pieces.
Not much was accomplished on the surface here in Indy. Behind closed doors, talks are definitely gainin in momentum.
I'll leave you with some links from today before I hit the road…
Phils, Angels said to lead pack for Doc
More work for Anthopoulos after Meetings
Blue Jays pluck Zinicola in Rule 5 Draft
Gathright catches Blue Jays' interest
11 Comments
Jordan, you do a great job of updating Jays content during the offseason. I look forward to your tweets daily. Keep up the great work.
sub Weaver for Saunders and i'd make that deal if it were up to me.
At times, the Jays mystify me. There is absolutely no way that they contend or emerge from the East next year. Therefore, why do we need to acquire a catcher? We have Chavez with some experience. Now let Arencebia take a shot at catching at the major-league level. Give the kid a chance. If things don't work out, you can find a million defensive catchers via trade. We don't need a catcher that can hit — at least not next year. Let the kids play; finish last overall, then draft first overall. The truth is that we need a 3rd baseman, short stop, first baseman, and catcher. Let's get Dopriak/Ruiz/Arencebia in there.
To whomever is responsible for hiring Buck Martinez as the new play by play Jays announcer instead of Jamie Campbell I only have one thing to say to you and I'm sure I speak for hundreds of thousand Blue Jay fans across Canada: thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Burt-I'd like to see EE get a chance to prove himself at 3rd base over a year when he's healthy. He's got great power, great hands and only needs help in his throws. I do agree on Dopirak, Arencibia and Ruiz, as you know.
Wow i'm so happy that Buck is back but I had no idea it would be to replace Jamie Campbell. I thought he'd be the colour commentator. Either way it's a good day for Jays fans but it's even better that he is replacing Jamie. I echo the many thanks that GS has already given. I heard that Paul Beeston was responsible. Buck had an interview on the fan which I have yet to listen to.
Great deal for sportsnet on hiring Buck.Ive listened to him on xm the past few years and have always enjoyed his insights!
I like the package that the Angels have put together for Doc.I agree with Enigma that subbing Weaver for Saunders would be better but I doubt the Angels would do that.Saunders is not a bad option though.Maybe if the Jays added something to the deal,the Angels could be swayed to send Weaver.
Just a pipe dream I know….but wouldn't it be great if the Jays traded Doc, let the kids play and develop.Then, in a few years become contenders then trade or re-sign Doc as that final piece to put them over the top.Alot would have to go right for sure,but not impossible.Roy would jump at the chance to finish his career a Jay and headin to the playoffs too.
I think that the key to getting the type of package Antho wants likely lies in trading some of our own, young pitching talent. It seems that no one wants to give up top-prospects, even for Doc. So, we may have to ship Doc along with a young arm, like Purcey. (Don't get me wrong, I would keep Purcey. If that huge left-hander ever finds his control, he will be dominant.) Somehow, the team acquiring Doc needs to believe and feel that it is not mortgaging its own future. A young prospect or two going back the other way may help in this regard. (Of course, if this happens, then the deal will be a true blockbuster, and these, as you know, are rare. Even the Granderson deal would pale in comparison.)


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CHICAGO, Ill. – In their first University Athletic Association road contest of the season, the Brandeis University men's basketball team defeated the host University of Chicago, 59-55, by holding the Maroons to just 21 points in the second half. The Judges overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to improve to 13-2, 4-0 in the UAA, matching their entire win total for 2011-12. The Maroons fall to 7-8, 1-3 UAA.
Trailing 34-24 at the break, the Judges opened the second on a 12-3 run, with seven of the points coming from junior guard Gabriel Moton (St. Petersburg, Fla./St. Petersburg). His jumper with 5:21 gone in the second half got the Judges within one at 37-36. UC's Jordan Smith stopped the bleeding, but Brandeis senior Jay Freeman (Dorchester, Mass./Taft School) answered with a put-back. Freeman did it again on the Judges' next possession, hitting a 3-pointer shortly after the Maroons' Charlie Hughes had done the same, making the score 42-41, Chicago with 12:16 left.
The next eight minute saw three ties and five lead changes. A Derek Retos (No. Attleboro, Mass./Brimmer and May School) jumper at the 10:15 mark gave Brandeis its first lead since 12:15 in the first half at 43-42. Just over five minutes later, the game was tied at 48-all after Hughes hit a pair of free throws. After both teams missed on their next possession, a nifty fast-break bucket gave Brandeis the lead for good. Senior center Wouter van der Eng (Alphen aun der Rijn, Netherlands/Kimball Union Acad.) pulled in a rebound, sent the outlet pass to Retos, who fired a ball to junior Alex Stoyle (Goffstown, N.H./Taft School) for the lay-up who was fouled in the process. He hit the free throw to put Brandeis ahead, 51-48.
Chicago's Sam Gage – who had fouled Stoyle - got two points back on the other end and drew a foul as well. Gage failed to convert, and Retos made the Maroons pay with long 3-pointer from straight away to make it a two-possession game. After both teams came up with stops, Stoyle hit two foul shots to make it a six-point game with 2:17 left. Chicago's Royce Muskeyvalley connected on a quick 3-pointer just 14 seconds later to make it 56-53, Brandeis. On the Judges' next possession, however, they were able to bleed more than a minute off the clock thanks to a van der Eng offensive rebound. A Stoyle 3-pointer as the shot clock expired and 51 seconds left in regulation made it a 59-53 game, with a late Wayne Simon jumper for UC accounting for the final 59-55 tally.
Brandeis had three players score in double figures, led by Moton, who topped all players with 14 points, 10 in the second half, including his seven early points that got the Judges back into it. Stoyle finished with 12 points, including eight in the final five minutes of the contest. Retos had 11 points off the bench – a team-high six in the first half – as he hit 3-of-5 from downtown. Moton also led all players with five assists and tied with a team-high eight rebounds. Van der Eng also had eight, establishing a new career high, six coming in the second half, helping the Judges to a 38-37 edge on the glass. Brandeis shot 42.3% (22-52) to just 36.2% (21-58) for Chicago. After UC held the shooting advantage in the first half, the Judges held the hosts to just 6-of-26 (23.1%) in the second.
Chicago built its 10-point first-half lead on the strength of seven points each from Muskeyvalley, Jordan Smith and Ian Joyce, but the three combined for only nine points total in the second. Smith led the Maroons with 11 points off the bench, while Muskeyvalley had 10 to lead his team's starters. Gage just missed a double-double with eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Hughes and Simon each had two assists for the hosts, who had just seven assists on 21 baskets.
Brandeis, which kept pace with second-ranked Rochester atop the UAA at 4-0, returns to action on Sunday afternoon at 1 pm Eastern/12 Central, when they take on 13th-ranked Washington University. The Judges will be trying for their first Midwest sweep since 2010. Chicago hosts NYU at the same time.


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NAIA Men's Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week - No. 5
By: Chad Waller, Director of Communications & Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — John Broaden of Indiana Tech has been named the NAIA National Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week and Darien Moore of Concordia (Ore.) has been selected as the NAIA National Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week, the national office announced Wednesday. Broaden and Moore were selected based on their performances from Feb. 10 – 16.
Broaden, a junior from Indianapolis, Ind., broke his own school record in the 200-meters, while finishing first at the NCAA Division II Grand Valley State University (Mich.) Big Meet on Feb. 14. He medaled in front of numerous NCAA Division I athletes from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette (Wis.) and Detroit Mercy (Mich.). His clocking of 21.23 is the current top mark in the NAIA and a championship qualifying post. In addition, he hit a qualifying time in the 60-meters (6.90) as he took fifth overall and was part of the fifth-place 4x400-meter relay team that hit the provisional mark in 3:14.38.
Moore, a junior from Bakersfield, Calif., finished in the top-two spots in the Weight Throw and Shot Put at the NCAA Division I Boise State Team Challenge on Feb. 15. He bettered his No. 1 NAIA mark with a toss of 15-10 1/2 (20.08 meter) in the Weight Throw to take first place. That mark is more than a foot farther than his previous NAIA-leading effort. Then, Moore launched the shot a distance of 60-2 (18.34 meters) to take second overall and now leads the NAIA by three feet.
The final Athletes of the Week will be announced on Feb. 26. For the complete Athlete of the Week calendar, click here.
Track Nominees: Nick Zink , William Woods (Mo.); Stephen Emere, Missouri Baptist; Hans Roelle, Eastern Oregon; Nick Hampton, College of Idaho; Eric Avila, Southern Oregon; Matthew Clowes, Concordia (Ore.); Ka'imi Scott, Warner Pacific (Ore.); Ethan Gallagher, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Andy Reidmsa, Trinity Christian (Ill.); Jonathan Rex, Grace (Ind.); Mitchell Brickson, Goshen (Ind.); Tommy Grant, Bethel (Ind.); Kyle Anderson, Northwestern (Iowa); Garrett Teel, Nebraska Wesleyan; Ben Sievert, Concordia (Neb.); Sam Housh, Doane (Neb.); Erin Francis, Dordt (Iowa); Garret Ehlers, Morningside (Iowa); Phillip Cheriyout, Missouri Valley; Nickola Shingles, Central Methodist (Mo.); Akim Muhammad, McPherson (Kan.); Donnie Whyte, Cumberlands (Ky.); Alex Edwards, William Penn (Iowa); Seth Boomsma, Dakota State (S.D.); Connor Doppler, Jamestown (N.D.); Malik Jackson, Valley City State (N.D.); Pierre Banks, Wayland Baptist (Texas); Csaba Matko, Oklahoma City; Vivien Majorel, St. Gregory's (Okla.); Adam Godwin, Oklahoma Baptist; Zach Widner, Siena Heights (Mich.); Alex Blehm, Davenport (Mich.); Louis Falland, Cornerstone (Mich.).
Field Nominees: Stephen Emere, Missouri Baptist; Brian Wickham, Eastern Oregon; Ryan Njegovan, St. Francis (Ill.); Zach Gordon, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Michael Ponce, Bethel (Ind.); Kale Wolken, Doane (Neb.); Cody Boellstorff, Concordia (Neb.); Cody Jackson, Hastings (Neb.); Rusty Muncy, Briar Cliff (Iowa); Markell Strickland, Missouri Valley; Marlon Clayton, McPherson (Kan.); Cameron Smoak, Cumberlands (Ky.); Ian Stand, Haskell (Kan.); Lance Maxwell, Grand View (Iowa); Michael Brousseau, Jamestown (N.D.); Ryan Gimbel, Dakota State (S.D.); Evan Doremus, Oklahoma City; Tj Williams, Indiana Tech; Gauge Aebersold, Siena Heights (Mich.).
2014 Men's Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week (Field; Track)
Week 1 (Jan. 22): Raheem Cowan, Briar Cliff (Iowa); Matthew Clowes, Concordia (Ore.)
Week 2 (Jan. 29): Anthony Stockton, William Woods (Mo.); Damian Flores, Eastern Oregon
Week 3 (Feb. 5): Austin Basterrechea, College of Idaho; Clay Shepperson, Oklahoma Baptist
Week 4 (Feb. 12): Calvin Sullins, Siena Heights (Mich.); Mike Malone, Ashford (Iowa)
Week 5 (Feb. 19): Darien Moore, Concordia (Ore.); John Broaden, Indiana Tech


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by Scott Boyle
Eighty-eight is this week's number of the week. That's the number of awards (all-state, academic all-state, and individual state championships, seconds, and thirds), won by students at San Juan and Monticello high schools in this just completed 2012-13 school year. San Juan High garnered 39 individual awards, while the Buckaroos earned 49.
The Broncos saw 17 athletes earn all-state accolades during the year. Logan Meyer and Barkley Christensen were each named all-state in three different sports.
Meyer was first team in football and baseball and honorable mention (HM) in basketball. Christensen was first team football, second team baseball and HM in basketball.
Six more Bronco gridironers were named all-state for the football runners-up in 2A; Bobby Bowring and Bogh Bayles, 1st team; Ammon Mitchell and Brett Laws, 2nd team; Justin Nielson and Mason Shumway, HM. Freshman Bronz Eldredge is HM in baseball.
For the Lady Broncos, Brooke Lyman made two all-state 2nd teams in basketball and volleyball. Tatianna Sue'Sue also made 2nd team in volleyball, while McKale Simpson was HM in volleyball.
All-state awards numbered 21 for the Buckaroos. Junior Austin Maloy made three teams, baseball (2nd), football (2nd), and basketball (HM).
Jake Duncan and Gunnar Hollingsworth played their way onto two teams each. Duncan was first team in basketball and second in football, while Hollingsworth was first team in football and 3rd team in basketball.
PJ Leiataua was a first teamer in football while Austin Wilcox and Jake Giles were 2nd team in football.
Tanner Eardley made the all-state golf team for the second year in a row.
Collin Hatch and Justin Wright were all-state in cross country, placing in the top ten at the state cross country meet.
Of note, the next five finishers, 11th through 15th were all Buckaroos, too, Easton Nielson, Jens Brewer, Sheldon Black, Tyler Bird, and Kyler LaRose. All five will be back for the 2013 cross-country season for the Buckaroos.
Three Lady Buckaroos were HM in basketball this past season, senior Brittany Keith and sophomores Zoe Chadwick and Shania DeAnda.
Devin Dalton, Shaylyn Black, Jessica Ewart and Stevee Wilcox all made all-state in volleyball for the state champion Lady Buckaroo team.
Sophomore Bailey Goodwine made all-state in cross country by finishing in the top ten at the state cross-country meet for the second year in a row
Academic All-State
Twenty nine scholar athletes earned Academic All-State honors with 18 awards from SJH and 11 from MHS. Cole Einerson and Brooke Lyman of San Juan were both named to three teams, in basketball, golf and baseball for Einerson and volleyball, basketball and softball for Lyman.
Logan Meyer, Maverik Shumway, Lexus Latham and McKale Simpson all made two academic teams each, baseball and football for Meyer, football and track for Shumway, tennis and softball for Latham, and volleyball and track for Simpson.
Katrisa Ward was academic all-state in cross-country. So was Jonathan Pugh. Finally, Bree Hosler was named to the volleyball team and Erin Hurst the basketball team.
Four Buckaroos were named to two academic teams each. Zach Johnson made the track and football teams, Justin Wright was academic all-state in cross-country and track, Devin Dalton made the volleyball and track teams and Mikaela Hughes was named to the track and basketball teams.
Nash Freestone was named in cross-country and Toni Torres and Shaylyn Black made the drill team team.
State Champions
Seven local athletes earned individual state championships in 2012-13, led by five Buckaroo wrestling state champions.
Brian Robinson became just the fifth Buckaroo to be a three time state champion with his championship this year. Junior Austin Wilcox became a two time state champion as did Cole Eldredge, just a sophomore.
Hunter Bowring, a junior, won his first state wrestling title after finishing second two years in a row and Nephi Barlow won his first state championship his senior year.
Brandon Mussleman finished second for the second year in a row and PJ Leiataua placed third for the Bucks.
Speaking of wrestling, Monticello's junior high wrestling team took third in 1A, 2A, 3A with Shandon Bradford and Zac Mussleman both taking state, both for the second time in a row. Brayson Wilcox and McKayd LaRose were both third and Gage Wilcox was fourth.
The 2013 track season produced two state champions for SJH and MHS.
Ammon Mitchell captured the 110 meter hurdle championship for the third year in a row. Mitchell finished fourth in the 110 as a freshman.
This season, Mitchell also set the new 2A state record for the 110 hurdles, to break one of the older high school records on record. The Bronco senior, who has signed to run track for Weber State next year, also finished second in the long jump.
Monticello's lone state champion is Kaitlin Clark, a recent graduate of MHS. Clark took top honors in the 100 hurdles this season, after finishing second as a junior and third as a sophomore.
Also in track, a trio of runners and jumpers placed second in state. Max Morley of San Juan was second in the 400 meter, Lady Bronco Samantha Giddings was second in the shot put, Buckaroo PJ Leiataua was second in the discus, and Buckaroo Arianna Reay was second in long jump.
Three Buckaroos were third in their events in track, Reay in the high jump, Makayla Leiataua in the shot put and Devin Dalton in discus.
Finally, two athletes were named MVP in their sports this past season.
Devin Dalton, a member of the two-time 1A state volleyball champ Buckaroos, was chosen MVP for her role in the Buckaroo's championships.
And Barkley Christensen was named the MVP in 2A football, after leading the Broncos to the championship game, tying the game on a last second touchdown pass, only to see Manti win on a state record 54 yard field goal.
Congratulations to all these student athletes and thank you for representing us all wherever you go. Good luck in the future.


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