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Image: Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI
Mark Jankowski
Dundas Ontario
1st round (21st overall), 2012
2009-10: Mark Jankowski skated for the St. Catherine's Falcons midget AAA team in Ontario. In 33 games he scored 11 goals with 14 assists and had 14 penalty minutes.
2010-11: Jankowski transferred to Stanstead College in Quebec, which competes in the Midwest Prep and Canadian High School hockey leagues. In 78 games he scored 36 goals with 46 assists and had 32 penalty minutes. In two playoff games he scored 2 goals with 1 assist and 2 penalty minutes.
2011-12: Jankowski was the leading scorer for Stanstead College and committed to playing college hockey at Providence College in 2013-14. In 57 games for Stanstead College (39-18-6), he scored 53 goals with 40 assists and was plus-51 with 34 penalty minutes. The Saginaw Spirit drafted Jankowski in the seventh round (131st overall) of the 2012 OHL Priority Draft. He was invited to the NHL Draft Combine and ranked 43rd amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting's final rankings prior to the 2012 NHL Draft.
2012-13: Jankowski skated in 34 games for Providence College as a freshman as the Friars finished with a winning record for the first time since 2005-06. Frequently teamed with senior center Tim Schaller on the Friars' second line, he scored 7 goals with 11 assists and was +5 with 10 penalty minutes. Providence finished in a three-way tie for third in Hockey East and lost to regular season champion Massachusetts-Lowell, 2-1, in the Hockey East semifinals. Jankowski was invited to Hockey Canada's U20 camp for the 2014 World Junior Championship.
2013-14: Jankowski was the third-leading scorer for Providence College in his sophomore season. Frequently teamed with right wing Trevor Mingola on the Friars' third line, he scored 13 goals with 12 assists and was +15 with 14 penalty minutes in 39 games. The Friars finished third in Hockey East and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals, falling to New Hampshire, 3-1. Providence received an at-large bid to the NCAA East Regional and defeated Quinnipiac in the semifinals, 4-0, before falling to eventual national champion Union College, 3-1, in the regional final.
2014-15: Jankowski tied senior Shane Luke for second on national champion Providence College with 19 assists in his junior season. He scored 8 goals and was +7 with 14 penalty minutes in 37 games. The Friars finished second to Boston University in Hockey East, receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament after falling to New Hampshire in a best-of-three Hockey East quarterfinal series (all three games were decided by 2-1 scores with both Friars' losses coming in overtime). Providence defeated Miami (7-5) and Denver (4-1) to capture the NCAA East regional. After a 4-1 win over Nebraska-Omaha in the Frozen Four semifinal the Friars out-lasted Hockey East rival Boston University, 4-3, in the championship game.
Jankowski is a prospect with some NHL bloodlines whose size make him an intriguing center prospect. He can generate offense on his own or in concert with his linemates with his passing skills being nearly elite level. Jankowski plays a good two-way game and doesn't take many shifts off. He has steadily adapted to his growth and playing against better competition at the college level after dominating in prep school hockey.
Jankowski enters his senior season at Providence College in 2015-16 and is one of several key returnees for the Friars' national championship squad. With several talented center prospects now in the Flames' pipeline, Jankowski may need time at the AHL level once his college career is complete before cracking the lineup in Calgary. Long-term he may not match the high expectations that come from being a first-round draft pick but his size and playmaking skills suggest he can be a valuable two-way lower line center at the NHL level.
Calgary Flames Prospect Awards raise expectations for next season
by Jason Lewis
Photo: Calgary Flames 2012 first-rounder Mark Jankowski put up six points in his first eight games with the Stockton Heat after turning pro this season (courtesy of Jack Lima/Stockton Heat)
While the Calgary Flames' NHL season did not end on much of a positive note, and their AHL affiliate Stockton Heat also missed a playoff berth, it is still a franchise very much in transition and trending the right direction. Despite a difficult year as an organization in the standings, there are a number of young talents to be excited about at all levels. When you go over the list of prospects and young players the Flames currently have in the fold, the feeling is that these difficult years are being put behind them. It has been an altogether difficult season for some, but for others there is recognition that is deserved.
Harvard's Vesey takes home Hobey, Demko, Connor honored, All-Americans named
by DJ Powers
Photo: Harvard University forward Jimmy Vesey was named the recipient of the 2016 Hobey Baker Award signifying the top player in all of U.S. college hockey, his second consecutive year as a finalist for that award (courtesy of Elsa/Getty Images)
In the calm before the NCAA championship game storm that will take place on Saturday night in Tampa, U.S. college hockey handed out their top awards for the 2015-16 season. Those awards included the Tim Taylor Award, the Mike Richter Award, and the award designating the top player in all of NCAA hockey, the Hobey Baker Award. Read more»
Decision time looms for several key Calgary Flames NCAA prospects
Photo: Calgary Flames prospect John Gilmour and the Providence Friars won't get a chance to repeat as national champions but it was a solid development season for the two-way defenseman (courtesy of Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)
The Calgary Flames have five NCAA prospects. All five are eligible to be signed to pro contracts, but three of them have completed senior seasons that will force Brad Treliving and crew into decision-making time. While it remains to be seen what will happen with the likes of Mark Jankowski or John Gilmour, we are starting to see the blending of the old management's building plan with the potentially new and different blueprint of the current management.
2016 NCAA Tournament: Providence begins title defense, BC and Harvard renew acquaintances in Northeast Regional
Photo: Providence College forward and Calgary Flames prospect Mark Jankowski is one of the seniors on the Friars squad trying to guide his teammates to a second consecutive National Championship (courtesy of Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)
Down 3-2 with less than 10 minutes to go in last year's Frozen Four championship game, Providence College scored two third period goals to stun favored Boston University as the Friars went on to a 4-3 victory to take the National Championship. Almost a year later, the Friars embark on their quest to repeat as NCAA champions as they are one of four schools to compete in the Northeast Regional of the 2016 NCAA Hockey Tournament. Read more»
NCAA Prospects Notebook, February, 2016: "CCM" line continues tear, Roy finding game at right time
Photo: University of Denver forward and Boston Bruins prospect Danton Heinen is off his scoring pace of last season but has still produced 15 goals and 37 points in 34 games for the Pioneers in 2015-16 (courtesy of Patrick Green/Icon Sportswire)
With the 2015-16 NCAA hockey regular season now in the books, schools now turn their attention to conference postseason showdowns and NCAA Tournament bids. As always, a number of NHL prospects will play a big role in their school's quest for postseason success. Read more»


← The beauty of burl…..
And the winter wind is blowing. (Well not today, it is actually sunny and beautiful and supposed to be in the 40's.) But the ground is frozen and mostly snow covered. There is a warm summer breeze, packaged into convenient sized portions, slumbering in our freezer.
Tonight, we enjoy turkey and summer squash soup. Seasoned with oregano and chives, we close our eyes and feel the steam of the giant stock pot we kept at a rolling boil last summer.
Time to pull out the seeds and start all over again. We knew it would be like this.
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Miss Sony? VAIO PCs are Back in the U.S. and Looking Good
J.R. Nelson January 27, 2016
NewsNotebooksVAIO
The new Sony-free VAIO PCs are coming to the U.S., hoping to provide a premium, Windows alternative to Apple's MacBooks.
Sony surprised the world in 2014 when it sold off its VAIO division and completely exited the PC market. What would happen to the VAIO brand? Would another PC maker buy it, the way that Lenovo acquired the ThinkPad assets from IBM (although not quite the same, as Lenovo was already making the laptops for IBM)?
Not quite. Instead the division-turned-company found external backing in the form of Japan Industrial Partners (JIP). JIP set up a new company to administer the VAIO brand, and it's this new VAIO that is coming back to the States, free of any Sony influence.
Well, almost free of Sony influence. The new VAIO products hew closely to Sony's classic designs, and for a good reason – they're good. Sony has always been lauded, perhaps more than any other electronics manufacturer outside of Apple, for its design chops; in creating the original iPhone, Apple famously looked to Sony for inspiration.
The new VAIO laptops and hybrids are targeting business users, a segment of the market that can bear the higher premiums that VAIO wants to charge, and one that has traditionally resisted switching to Apple's MacBook lineup (although this, at least, is changing, with enterprises like IBM ironically switching over their entire workforce to MacBooks).
Of the three new products introduced today, the star of the show is VAIO's new VAIO Z Flip. As you might expect from the name, this premium laptop can turn into a tablet by folding the top of the notebook in half (that seam you might see running along the top cover is actually a secret hinge, held secure via the power of magnets.
The trackpad is made from stone. Stone! Mica, to be precise. Most of the machine has been milled from aluminum (the base is carbon fiber), and despite the 2-in-1 nature, it manages to be thinner than a MacBook Air. It weighs the same at 2.96 pounds, however, and manages a little under twelve hours of battery life (11.5, to be precise). There's also a touchscreen and rubberized stylus included.
The VAIO Z Clam is largely identical to the Flip, except it doesn't, well, Flip. You lose the 2-in-1 hybrid, the touchscreen, and the stylus support, but you also get a lighter laptop. The Clam comes in at just 2.58 pounds and can run for a promised 15 and a half hours on a single charge.
The third laptop introduced today by VAIO is the VAIO S, which has been out in Japan for a while – there, it's known as the Vaio Pro. It's offers customers a nice looking machine, with business-centric features like a VGA port, for much lower cost than the other models in VAIO's lineup. It also weighs just 2.34 pounds, with a promised 9-hour battery life.
VAIO is targeting Apple's MacBook Pro 13 with its Z Flip, putting in a 28-watt Skylake chip in a laptop with the same form factor as the much lighter MacBook Air. It'll also feature 8GB of RAM and a 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD, and start at $1799. The Clam drops down on the touchscreen and tablet hinge, but brings the price down to $1,499 in its place. The VAIO S, meanwhile, starts even lower, at $1099.
All three laptops come with Windows Signature Edition, which means they will be sold with clean Windows installations – no bloatware here. You can pick up the Z Flip from VAIO or the Microsoft Store starting on February 8th, while the other two models will go on sale in early March.
CES 2016 Excellence Awards: Best PCs & Accessories
The CES 2016 show in Las Vegas, Nevada marked a return of exciting notebooks as…
2-in-1hybridTouchscreenVAIOVAIO SVAIO ZVAIO Z ClamVAIO Z Flip
Sony VAIO VPCEB23FM/BI: $679.99 Intel Core i3 Mid-Range Notebook
MacBook Air Boot and Wake Times Compared to Windows Notebook and iPad
Sony Refreshes VAIO Notebooks For Springtime Fun
Sony VAIO Y and Z Laptops Act as Mobile Hotspots, Enable 5 Device Connection
iMo Monster 10-Inch USB Powered Touchscreen Monitor
Need a 50-Inch Display? There's an App That Allows You to Combine Multiple iPhones, iPads to Do So!
Sony VAIO Flip 11A 2-in-1 Announced for $799
MSI Wind U120H Touchscreen Gets Examined (CES 2009)
Lenovo IdeaPad 530S: Thin & Light Metal Notebook Under $800
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S: Power & Portability Under $500
$249 Windows 10 Laptop Arrives With Style & Choice
Best of CES 2018: The Tech You Need This Year
Razer Project Linda Turns Your Phone Into a Badass Laptop

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Plattsburgh State women's basketball team has an important weekend as it faces the Cortland Red Dragons tonight at 5:30 in Memorial Hall with three spots remaining in the SUNYAC tournament. Tomorrow, against Oswego State, is Senior Day.
"[This weekend] is our last hoorah," head coach Cheryl Cole said.
The Cardinals (5-9) sit in seventh place in the SUNYAC standings. A win in tonight's match against Cortland (7-6) could continue PSUC's playoff hopes, but a loss could give Brockport (6-8), a comfortable lead for the sixth and final spot in the tournament.
Cole sees the team's rebounding and free throw struggles as the most important issues to address if the team is to make an appearance in the SUNYAC tournament.
The Cards are out-rebounded by almost eight rebounds a game and have been out-rebounded by 164 in total so far this season.
"It's been an achilles heel for us," Cole said.
While PSUC's smaller lineups have played a role in the rebounding disparity, Cole says her players can, at times, lack an attention to detail and focus, an issue she finds is a byproduct of the team's youth.
Free throws, meanwhile, are another challenge for the Cards who rank last in the SUNYAC with 57.3 percent of free throws made.
"We've had an adventure [at the freethrow line] this season," Cole said.
In a three-game home stand earlier this season, PSUC won each matchup with its largest margin of victory being seven points. In that same stretch, the Cards missed 43 free throws.
"[Those games] shouldn't have even been close," Cole said.
Senior Bella DePasquale agreed with her coach on the little parts of the game affecting the team.
PSUC went 5-7 in SUNYAC play over the winter break.
One close loss against Potsdam in particular may come back and spoil the Cards' postseason hopes.
PSUC lost to the Bears in Potsdam 67-66. The game was determined with two seconds left by two free throws by the Bears on a controversial call.
The Cards look to move past the losses and focus on getting into the tournament for the first time in four years.
PSUC has four games left this season.
"It's crunch time," DePasquale said.


BASF has inaugurated its expanded US research facilities in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina. The $33 million extension includes 80,000 sq ft (7,430 m) of office, laboratory and greenhouse facilities. An environmentally controlled insect rearing facility will allow expanded insecticide research. "A significant share of BASF's insecticide research is conducted at RTP. These larger facilities will enable us to evaluate our promising insecticide candidates faster," says Nevin McDougall, senior vice-president of BASF's North American crop protection business. The company unveiled plans for the expansion last year (Agrow No 634, p 2).


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Facilities (Campus Spaces)
Spring Preventive Maintenance: Achieving Excellence
By Ellen Kollie
PHOTO COURTESY OF DHESTER
Spring will be here before you know it, and with it a fresh round of preventive maintenance. While following through on checklists is critical to saving energy dollars, extending the life of equipment and saving on repair costs (more thoughts on that later), high-quality preventive maintenance is part of a facilities department mindset that insists on excellence in four different areas.
In 2013, the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson was awarded APPA's highest institutional honor: the 2013 Award for Excellence, which highlights the essential role of facilities operations in an institution's overall mission and vision. Christopher Kopach, CEFP, assistant vice president of Facilities Management, attributes that excellence to teamwork. "We changed the overall culture of our department," he says. "We started with key leaders, getting everyone trained and on the same page. Then we worked with staff. We created a new common vision to succeed in a difficult financial time, and teamwork is critical to that success."
2. CUSTOMER SERVICE
To boost the teamwork focus, the department has had a key saying every year. In 2011, it was "running the department like a business," which was intended to promote cost effectiveness, and that leads to the second area of excellence: customer service. "There's always a concern of outsourcing versus in-house staffing," Kopach reminds. "I've always said no one can do the job better than we can, provided we're working together to produce a cost-effective product. To that end, we focus quite a bit of staff training and focus on customer service. We want to be the provider of choice for services we offer our campus community."
3. COMMUNICATION
"I've been in facilities for 32 years," says Kopach, "and the trick to success is communication. We're communicating all the time." He notes that routine meetings with different employee groups are essential for idea gathering. "Who better to ask how to improve our services than the men and women who perform the work on a daily basis?" he asks. "In doing so, we eliminate barriers and perfect the use of the latest techniques, technology and equipment."
Similarly related to communication, UA employs PDCA: Plan, Do, Check and Adjust, a project management tool that assists with change. Plus, the team measures and reports on an ongoing basis: "If you don't measure it, you can't improve it," Kopach says succinctly.
Strong leadership starts with leadership development, which UA values. "If we have good leaders," says Kopach, "we will have good employees." He explains that his department will lose 60 percent of employees in the next 10 years because of retirement, and that includes 40 out of 90 leaders. This makes a solid training program imperative.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TOOLSTOP
An ounce of prevention. By forming a clear and focused understanding of an institution's mission and goals, facility managers can build a solid foundation on which to develop a realistic maintenance program. Only through such a focused understanding can a program be developed that will support the broader goals of the institution. Managers must then work to gain an honest and objective understanding of the current status of their respective operations. Lastly, managers must continually monitor and compare actual progress to projected progress. It is not a simple matter of putting a plan or program together and letting it rip.
Do more with less: UA administrators are doing more with less. For example, they're purchasing higher-quality filters that require changing every six months, as opposed to lowerquality filters that require changing every three months.
Prepare for your climate: Arizona experiences heavy rain in July and August. Knowing this, Kopach ensures that all roofs have been maintained before July. More, all roofs are recoated on a four-year cycle, and 10-year spreadsheets provide analyses of what areas need work. Similarly, cooling plants are preventively maintained in the winter. "This allows them to run from Memorial Day to Labor Day without a hiccup," says Mark St. Onge, EFP, UA's assistant director of Facilities Management.
Clean from the outside in: "We believe in an outside in philosophy," Kopach says. "Our buildings are cleaner on the inside if we keep the dirt on the outside." In Arizona, that means keeping sand and its oil out so that it doesn't work its way into carpet or wear down finishes on hard floors. At UA, every day the campus's 6.5 miles of street are swept.
Make stewardship a priority: Of course preventive maintenance is important, but building stewardship is more so. Monte Kugley, a maintenance manager with University of Iowa (UI) in Iowa City, phrases it this way: "There are a lot of things that are important, but our thinking is that stewardship is first. Everything else regarding day-to-day workings in the buildings falls in line after that."
Establish standard operating procedures (SOPs): Administrators at UI have refined processes in order to streamline the number of steps needed to complete the spring changeover process and are establishing SOPs per piece of equipment per building. "The SOPs are a direction dictionary, if you will, as to how each piece of equipment should operate and what needs to be done to maintain it," Kugley says. "Its value comes when a person must work with a piece of equipment with which he or she is not familiar, such as when the usual technician is on vacation."
Show the team the numbers: UI administrators have been working toward a two-part, 2020 energy goal. Recognizing the value of proactive preventive maintenance as a means of meeting one goal of reducing energy consumption by 10 percent, the team realized a need to look at steam trap maintenance.
"We hadn't done steam trap maintenance for a few years and, before that, it wasn't a well-defined process, reports Mike Lee, senior manager of Maintenance Services. "We did an inventory and found steam traps we didn't know we had. Then we started making repairs. In the first year, we identified $300,000 steam-loss savings and 6,000 tons of emissions on the generating end, and we only did a little more than one-third of our buildings." He acknowledges that developing a program is helping them reach their goal but, more important, informing the entire team of the savings makes it easier to achieve buy in and build teamwork.
Focus on continued efficiency: "Preventive maintenance schedules are living documents," says Kugley, "and we're always trying to define new or fewer steps to streamline maintenance." Therefore, if someone comes up with a more efficient way to service equipment, he's open to hearing about it, trying it and updating schedules as changes are applied.
High-quality spring — and yearround — preventive maintenance is part of a facilities department mindset that insists on excellence in the areas of teamwork, customer service, communication and leadership. That mindset also insists on simplifying systems and projects in order to save energy, extend equipment life and save on repair costs.
This article originally appeared in the January 2014 issue of College Planning & Management.
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First Spiritual Temple of Royal Oak can be found at 3224 Greenfield Rd . The following is offered: Religious Organizations . In Royal Oak there are 12 other Religious Organizations. An overview can be found here.


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Alumnus Matthew Gregorowski has been named as one of the four winners of the Fundació Mies van der Rohe and Creative Europe Young Talent Architecture Award (YTAA) 2018
last modified Jul 16, 2018 11:15 AM
Set in the Peak District National Park the proposal reimagines monocultural forestry commission landscape at a range of scales in response to current national housing, elderly care and landscape management crises. As human intervention becomes legible, impressions of nature are emancipated from naïve conceptions of beauty. The jury was impressed by Matthew's sophisticated response to the complexity of the post Brexit situation realized through beautiful drawings, illustrations and writings.
Submissions for the prestigious award came from registered schools in Europe and, for the first time this year, from China and South Korea: 334 nominated diploma projects from schools in 34 countries.
The work will be on exhibition at Palazzo Mora and will remain open to the public until November 25th as a Collateral Event of the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
The four winners of the Young Talent Architecture Award 2018 are:
Hendrik Brinkmann, College of Architecture, Media and Design Berlin University of the Arts
Matthew Gregorowski, The Cass Faculty of Art Architecture & Design London Metropolitan University
Loed Stolte, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment Delft University of Technology
Julio Gotor Valcárcel, Madrid School of Architecture Polytechnic University of Madrid
The Awards Ceremony will take place in Venice on September 20th and will include debates with the YTAA winners, directors of the schools, jury members, EU Mies Award advisory committee members, organisers, sponsors and four participants of the Future Architecture Platform (http://futurearchitectureplatform.org/).
To find out more about the Young Talent Architecture Award visit: https://www.ytaaward.com/
Deplorable Framework: The National Park Settlement Trust - Matthew Gregorowski


Greg Wallace became head of Woodberry Down Community Primary School in 2001 when it was in serious trouble. Now part of a successful federation with London Fields, it has been rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted.
As the new head at a failing school in 2001, what did you prioritise?
I faced pressure to focus on operational problems, such as governance and HR. My main concern was the core areas such as the appallingly low literacy levels.
How did you rectify the situation?
After my first year, with HR issues down to a minimum, a new governing body in place and unnecessary building works out of the way, I removed focus away from operational concerns and on to our core problems and started a new literacy programme. I received an increasing amount of criticism for not being strategic, for not delegating and was often told that as a head I should not be teaching. The programme also received a lot of negative responses from outside the school. But I was able to witness it making progress. I became obsessed with the idea that every child could and would learn to read.
How are Woodberry Down and London Fields schools structured?
Both schools have different leadership structures. At Woodberry Down, we use a form of distributed leadership - there are five assistant headteachers and then myself as executive principal. At London Fields, we have a more traditional hierarchical structure often found in federations: a head of school, deputy and assistant heads.
In both, lines of responsibility are clear so people in the leadership teams are doing some tasks that traditionally a head or deputy would do. That means I need a close working relationship with all of them. They are stunning people who have really risen to the challenges posed by federation. My job is almost to make myself not needed.
What is the best thing about your job now?
Seeing people achieve and develop. Be it children or staff and whether they are achieving academically or personally - that is the best thing about my job.
I really did want to be a teacher to make the world a better place. I have actively chosen to be the head of schools with high levels of deprivation as they need the best teachers. The teachers and support staff who work at Woodberry Down or London Fields need to be extra special - and they are.
When you retire, what will stay with you?
I will remember those children who have conquered difficult circumstances to achieve the best they can. And I know there will be teachers who I will never forget. I used to read Flour Babies by Anne Fine with my classes and there is a wonderful part in the book when Simon Martin, the disaffected boy who is undergoing something of a transformation, reflects on teachers: "Suddenly it all meant something to Simon. He was struck by the sheer grit of teachers. Their stout hearts. Their unflagging fixity of purpose." The teachers I will remember do the above - with a smile and positive attitude.
Are you worried about the youth of today?
Each generation is different and face different challenges. I think that people have always been worried about the young, and I am often worried too. But I also see hundreds of children every week who are capable of growing up to become adults who will make a positive contribution - and that is what I focus on. The first part of this is about ensuring good core skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT. These are essential.
I think significant parts of the curriculum need a strong focus on ethics. Not by making morality a separate subject, but by choosing books and topics that will help children prepare to live in a diverse, changing world.
Would you encourage others into teaching?
Yes - if they were going into it for the right reasons. But we should not need to persuade or coerce people into being teachers. We need to get to a stage where it is highly competitive to become a teacher.
I'd work all 24 hours as there would be a lot to change. I'd focus on three main things. With Ofsted, I'd start by making sure that every report contained a perceptive, informed comment about the teaching of synthetic phonics and the effectiveness of teachers' marking. I'd also want to know what children were reading independently and how much they were reading.
Second, I would establish an ambitious judgment table to be used by inspectors for evaluating the curriculum in terms of the promotion of clear, ethical values.
Finally, I would visit some great schools. So many parents do not have an understanding of what makes a school good and what makes it bad. My message to everyone would be: "Look, it can be done. Expect more and make sure you help your school to become as good as the best."
I got a "satisfactory with good elements" in Ofsted. It can't be that bad or they would have said so.
2008: Woodberry Down federates with another Hackney school and Mr Wallace becomes executive principal of the London FieldsWoodberry Down Federation.


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Maciej Michalski posiada opanowaną do perfekcji trudną sztukę dzielenia czasu między ?życie codzienne? oraz aż dwie grupy historyczne: GRH 130. Panzer Lehr Division oraz SH Kotwica, gdzie wciela się skrajnie różne postacie, stojące po ?dwóch stronach barykady? w II Wojnie Światowej. W odtwarzaniu historii wymagający dla siebie i dla innych, jednak wymagania te poparte są bogatą wiedzą o odtwarzanych przez niego formacjach. W redakcji ma funkcję Szarej Eminencji i Głosu Rozsądku Ściągającego Na Ziemię Bujających W Obłokach. ?Prywatnie? studiuje historię wojskowości.


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Meet the Boston Symphony Orchestra's New Principal Cellist, Blaise Déjardin
It's rare that at CelloBello we have contributors undergoing major professional shifts, so we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the recent Boston Symphony Orchestra Principal audition that was won by Blaise Déjardin, a long-time CB blogger. For our readers, we wanted to bring light to Blaise's motivations, aspirations, and perceptions of the audition process, directly from him to you. Thank you for your candidness, Blaise! Blogmaster: Why did you decide to audition for the principal chair? Blaise: There are many reasons, but I think the biggest is that I saw it as an opportunity for growth. After 10 years in the section, of exploring and trying to improve, this seemed like a great chance to keep doing that and to keep challenging myself. So, I thought it [...]
By Blogmaster|2018-08-05T06:28:50+00:00June 25th, 2018|Categories: Auditions, Interviews, Orchestra|Tags: orchestra, motivation, challenge, Shostakovich, musicianship, Audition, BSO, perception, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jules Eskin|
Practicing, Some Practice Advice (Part 2) — by Michael Haber
Frustration and Discouragement, Orchestra Auditions, Some Final Thoughts, a Final Comment FRUSTRATION AND DISCOURAGEMENT: Now is the time to talk about our number one enemy. When I look back over all my teaching, one observation stands out above all others. It has not been a lack of talent or intelligence which stood in the way of progress for most students. It has rather been the fact that many people become both frustrated and discouraged by the amount of work and the unwavering discipline and persistence it usually takes to become an excellent musician. I have something simple to say on this subject: frustration and discouragement have been the common lot of most of the musicians I've known, born of the eternal gap between our dreams of how we want [...]
By Michael Haber|2018-12-19T18:27:54+00:00September 3rd, 2017|Categories: Auditions, In the Practice Room, Orchestra, Playing Healthy, Self Discovery, Videos|Tags: Auditions, Experience, self, personality, frustration, Coordination, soul, Michael Haber|
Preparing for Cello Auditions as a High School Senior — by Drew Cone
Applying and auditioning for schools can be really scary at times, but it doesn't have to be. I've been working on my repertoire for auditions for well over a couple of months now and throughout that time, I've learned a few things when it comes to preparing for college. Now, just to clarify, I'm no expert on this stuff; I just thought that maybe if someone if my position had any questions needing answering, it might be nice to hear from another person in the same situation, especially since I've already recorded most of my prescreenings and have that experience under my belt. Even if it's a tiny tip that helps, I hope that this could help out people my age with the same aspirations! Prescreenings The nice thing about [...]
By Guest Blogger|2018-08-23T16:49:12+00:00October 31st, 2016|Categories: Auditions, High School Blogs|Tags: cellobello, Auditions, CelloBlog|
What if We All Did That? — by Martha Baldwin
OK, not to blog-rant (is that a thing?) but I'm often surprised by basic behaviors I see in music students (and professionals) and it reminds me of a saying we have in our cello section: "What if we all did that?" Here are my top 3: 1. STAY!!!!!! seriously, just stay to the end people. I realize that many student recitals seem endless but leaving as soon as you're done playing is, simply put, rude. I've seen entire rows of extended family get up and leave noisily after the first performer (their kid) is finished and I'm shocked. Really? No one else matters? Your child is so special that this entire recital is there just for his/her 4 minutes of glory? People notice these things. As a side benefit - [...]
By Martha Baldwin|2017-10-30T04:58:04+00:00March 9th, 2015|Categories: Artistic Vision, Auditions, Chamber Music, Competition, Orchestra, Performance, Playing Healthy|Tags: cellobello, effort, Cleveland Orchestra, CelloBlog, Martha Baldwin, restless|
Beneath the Surface of Brahms — by Brant Taylor
Brahms' 3rd Symphony Cello Excerpt A successful audition performance involves showing many different sides of yourself, musically, in a condensed period of time. Therefore, it is useful if not imperative to conceive each excerpt on a list in its own distinct world of character and color. Despite being works from the same composer, the well-known cello audition excerpt from Brahms' Second Symphony, which we previously discussed, and the cello audition excerpt from Brahms' Third Symphony, which is the subject of this post, present quite different opportunities. While these suggestions are not the only solutions to the challenges presented by this excerpt, they are a starting point for practice and discussion and illustrate some of the details that must be carefully considered in any successful performance. Sound Production In thinking about [...]
By Brant Taylor|2017-12-25T20:04:55+00:00March 4th, 2015|Categories: Auditions, In the Practice Room, Orchestra, Repertoire|Tags: Brahms, cellobello, Brant Taylor, audition excerpt, CelloBlog, 3rd symphony|
Cello and Marathon Training — by Jonathan Thomson
Rule #1 and Rule #2 focus on the mental aspect of training: about setting your intention before working on a passage. This is necessary to practice effectively, and ultimately leads to better performances. Our experience playing the cello is a delicate interplay between mind and body, which is a balance that must be cultivated again and again as age, circumstances, and stakes change. Athletes face many of the same experiences in training and competition. Throughout my education, I found that my attitudes about the cello and the way I practiced stemmed from my experiences playing sports. Particularly during my graduate studies, running became a counterpoint to music. Running and cello both informed the other. Running helped relieve the stresses of performances, auditions, competitions, juries, and the ones made up by [...]
By Jonathan Thomson|2017-10-30T05:09:28+00:00February 1st, 2015|Categories: Auditions, In the Practice Room, Playing Healthy, Self Discovery|Tags: cellobello, training, CelloBlog, Jonathan Thomson, Marathon|
Exploring Beethoven's Fifth: Second Variation — by Jonathan Pegis
Picking up where we left off last time, at the conclusion of variation 1 it is a good idea to keep counting in between the two variations. You want to play this second variation in the exact tempo as the theme and first variation. I will say right at the outset that there is no ideal fingering for this excerpt! It just doesn't lie well on the cello. My fingering is a bit unusual in that I do not use the thumb at all, or any open A strings. I do, however, use the A string for some of the notes. I highly recommend not playing the open A just because it tends to really stick out. Many cellists don't use the A string at all which is also fine [...]
By Jonathan Pegis|2017-07-15T05:25:33+00:00January 9th, 2013|Categories: Artistic Vision, Auditions, In the Practice Room, Orchestra, Performance, Repertoire|Tags: Beethoven, bowings, vibrato, cello, cellobello, Auditions, control, intonation, experiment, fingerings, phrasing, tempo, effortless, Symphony, breathing, bow control, variations, Beethoven Symphonies, Beethoven's 5th Symphony, cello excerpt, Jonathan, Pegis, audition excerpt, experimentation, Northwestern, pacing, slow breathing, string crossings, variations on a theme|
Exploring Beethoven 5th, Variation One — by Jonathan Pegis
Continuing our discussion of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, let us examine the first variation. As I did with the theme, I will first talk about the technical challenges of this excerpt and then look at the musical challenges. First of all, it is very important that you play this excerpt in the exact same tempo that you played the theme. A common mistake is to play this variation much faster than the theme simply because of that long first down bow. One trick that helps is when you finish the theme keep counting the quarter note rests at the end of measure 10, and then count off the two quarter note rests in measure 49. (Almost like you were making a cut!) You can do the same thing at the end [...]
By Jonathan Pegis|2017-07-15T05:25:50+00:00December 11th, 2012|Categories: Artistic Vision, Auditions, In the Practice Room, Orchestra, Performance, Repertoire|Tags: shifting, Beethoven, Rhythm, vibrato, cello, cellobello, Excerpts, Preparation, intonation, Sound, sound production, phrasing, tempo, dynamics, singing, melody, details, legato, continuous vibrato, bow technique, bow control, technical challenges, attention to detail, Beethoven Symphonies, Beethoven's 5th Symphony, cello excerpt, Jonathan, musicality, Pegis, practice tips|
Exploring Beethoven's Fifth Symphony — by Jonathan Pegis
Here in just a few measures is an excerpt that has confused, befuddled, and downright scared more cellists than just about any other excerpt (please click image to enlarge): The theme from the second movement of Beethoven's fifth, along with the first two variations, shows up on the vast majority of cello audition lists. I thought it would be educational to spend some time exploring this theme, and future blogs will explore the first and second variations. To begin with, this excerpt is one of a handful that I have coached for many years where I am actually LESS confident than I used to be. Why? Because every teacher, every coach, and every conductor has had radically different ideas about all the different aspects of this theme. Temp, color, dynamic, [...]
By Jonathan Pegis|2017-07-15T05:12:25+00:00October 19th, 2012|Categories: Auditions, In the Practice Room, Orchestra, Performance, Repertoire|Tags: Teaching, inflection, release, Beethoven, bow speed, Rhythm, vibrato, cello, cellobello, teacher, Excerpts, nerves, orchestra, Preparation, control, phrasing, practicing, confidence, pressure, dynamics, recording, singing, sustain, Symphony, legato, markings, education, Audition, coaching, mistakes, orchestral excerpts, accents, blog, bow changes, technical challenges, variations|
Playing Audition Excerpts: Yes, the Devil's in Them — by Brant Taylor
Although the collection of excerpts on an audition repertoire list may seem arbitrary, each one has a purpose: giving the audition candidate an opportunity to demonstrate certain things about his or her playing and artistry. Audition success involves showing a command of certain basic elements—such as rhythm, dynamics, intonation and articulations—as well as conveying a nuanced understanding of the music and the composer. A well crafted audition list will include excerpts that emphasize each of these elements, and a candidate's ability to demonstrate control and understanding of them will determine his or her chance for success. Let's put these goals into concrete terms using a common cello audition excerpt as an illustration—the opening of the second movement of Brahms' Symphony No. 2: Brahms Second Symphony, 2nd Mvt. [...]
By Brant Taylor|2017-10-17T01:55:31+00:00May 2nd, 2012|Categories: Auditions, In the Practice Room, Orchestra, Repertoire|Tags: Brahms, nuance, artistry, inflection, shifting, color, cello, cellobello, Auditions, Brant, Excerpts, Taylor, control, goals, fingerings, success, tempo, understanding, dynamics, exploration, legato|
Myth Busters — by Brant Taylor
Instrumentalists often prepare for an orchestra audition by seeking feedback on their preparation from a teacher or colleague. Perhaps because my career includes both orchestral playing and teaching, I am frequently asked to coach players who are preparing solo work(s) and orchestral excerpts for a given audition. Some players I hear are very new to the audition game, while others are already seasoned professionals looking to step up to another ensemble or for a promotion in their current group. After years of talking with these musicians about auditions in general and about the specifics of their preparation, I've noticed several assumptions that players sometimes make about auditions. While some of these assumptions are true, and made with good reason, many others are best described as myths. Some of these are half-truths, and [...]
By Brant Taylor|2017-11-09T02:42:34+00:00November 16th, 2011|Categories: Auditions, Orchestra, Performance, Repertoire|Tags: expression, cello, Brant, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, CSO, orchestra, Preparation, Taylor, fingerings, tempo, repertoire, Conductors, potential, assumptions, Instruments, musicianship, recordings, Audition, coaching, mistakes|
Defining the Intangible — by Melissa Kraut
Several years ago I was asked to contribute to an article for Strings Magazine on "what teachers look for in an incoming student." I was excited about the article—what a fantastic idea—a compilation of suggestions from teachers who listen to 100+ cellists a year auditioning for music schools! Despite my best intentions, I still haven't crafted a contribution. (Here is where I should publicly apologize to the cellist, who is no doubt reading this entry, for the 3 year delay in responding to your request). My neglect was not for lack of interest, or lack of knowledge or experience on the subject. It came down to the difficulty in putting words to something that is so nebulous—defining the intangible. The title for this entry popped into my head during audition [...]
By Melissa Kraut|2017-10-17T02:03:57+00:00April 11th, 2011|Categories: Auditions, Teaching|Tags: expression, Concerto, career, bow, bow speed, tone, vibrato, cello, cellobello, students, Auditions, Experience, clarity, intonation, sound production, imagination, success, Technique, Kraut, Melissa, suggestions, commitment, connection, intentions, potential, passion, musicianship, articulation, Development, knowledge, possibility, quality, reflection, skill, Strings Magazine|
Putting Your Best Foot Forward in Auditions — by Yeesun Kim
Let's face it. A musicians life is full of auditions. Even when you might not be taking a formal audition, each concert may turn out to be an audition for your next project. For many students, February in particular is a busy, stressful month filled with college auditions, summer festival auditions, recital juries and so forth. When you are a beginner, auditions generally represent a relatively encouraging nudge of "Do your best." Later, they have greater consequences, and dealing with the pressure can become quite torturous. Some are more at ease than others, but I believe it is safe to say that auditions are not activities anyone particularly enjoys doing. Of course listening to auditions is not so easy either. One is asked to sit through 7-8 hours per day [...]
By Yeesun Kim|2019-11-18T15:04:45+00:00March 22nd, 2011|Categories: Featured, Auditions, Performance|Tags: Interpretation, anxiety, cello, cellobello, Auditions, control, clarity, energy, confidence, Kim, Yeesun, commitment, communication, connection, intentions, personality, potential, pressure, stress, tuning|
Two Minutes of Your Time — by Brant Taylor
Early in 2011, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will hold auditions hoping to fill two vacancies in our cello section. In my twelve years of hearing auditions as a member of this ensemble, hundreds of cellists have presented themselves on our stage. Some have done so several times. Their audience is a committee of nine members of the orchestra who sit behind a screen in our otherwise-empty hall. Some of us take notes during the performances, but the only thing that matters to the process is the simple "yes" or "no" each committee member marks on a blank index card after every player has finished. If a candidate receives at least six "yes" votes in a preliminary audition, he or she advances to the final round. To those unfamiliar with the [...]
By Brant Taylor|2017-08-04T03:27:35+00:00March 14th, 2011|Categories: Auditions, Orchestra|Tags: Concerto, artistry, cello, cellobello, Auditions, beauty, Brant, cello section, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, CSO, ensembles, Excerpts, Experience, honesty, nerves, numbers, orchestra, Practice, Preparation, process, Taylor, Time, trends|
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Remembering George Neikrug (March 7, 1919 – March 9, 2019)
A Conversation with George Neikrug
Remembering Anner Bylsma (1934 – 2019)
Finding Purpose and Growth as an Adult Amateur Cellist
Shifting from Judging to Observation During Practice
How to Find the Right Instrument: The Pitfalls of Cello Shopping
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Q: Solve a system of nonlinear equations ${x}^{2}+{y}^{2}+{z}^{2}={a}^{2}+{b}^{2}+{c}^{2},\, ax+by+cz+a^2+b^2+c^2=0$ Solve the system for unknowns  $x,y,z$ and parameters $a,b,c$
\begin{cases}
{x}^{2}+{y}^{2}+{z}^{2}={a}^{2}+{b}^{2}+{c}^{2},\\
ax+by+cz+a^2+b^2+c^2=0.
\end{cases}
We have two equations and three unknowns. I can solve it  for two unknowns only.
Any ideas?

A: Rewrite the first equation as: $$a^2+b^2+c^2=\frac{x^2+y^2+z^2+a^2+b^2+c^2}{2}$$ Substitute in the second equation, then double it, and you get:
$$(a+x)^2+(b+y)^2+(c+z)^2=0$$

A: The algebraic explanation of Thomas Andrews is very straightforward.
Nevertheless, it can be interesting to have a geometric interpretation of this issue.
Let $V=\pmatrix{a\\b\\c}$ and $v=\|V\|=\sqrt{a^2+b^2+c^2}$
The first equation represents a sphere centered in the origin with radius $v$.
The 2nd equation represents a plane which is at distance
$$\dfrac{a0+b0+c0+(a^2+b^2+c^2)}{\sqrt{a^2+b^2+c^2}}=\sqrt{a^2+b^2+c^2}=v$$
from the origin (see formula for [Distance from a point to a plane] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plane_(geometry))).
Thus it is a tangent plane to the sphere.
Therefore there is a unique point of contact which is clearly

$$(x,y,z)=(-a,-b,-c)$$

A: By Cauchy-Schwartz
$$a^2+b^2+c^2\overset{(2)}{=}-(ax+by+cz)\overset{C.S.}{\leq} (a^2+b^2+c^2)^{1/2}(x^2+y^2+z^2)^{1/2}\overset{(1)}{=}a^2+b^2+c^2$$
therefore they are all equalities. Now, the equality in C.S. holds iff $(a,b,c)=\lambda (x,y,z)$ with $\lambda\in\mathbb R$. Substituting in the second equation you get $\lambda+\lambda^2=0$, which has solutions $0$ and $-1$. If $\lambda=0$ then $a=b=c=x=y=z=0$, otherwise $a=-x,b=-y,c=-z$ (which actually includes the former).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Azizbek Abdugofurov set to return in February!
Earlier today our good friend Jalol Akhmedov revealed that unbeaten Uzbek hopeful Azizbek Abdugofurov (13-0, 5) is now set to return to the ring in late February, for a fight against a yet to be named opponent.
The world ranked Super Middleweight, who is still only 28, was supposed to have a major fight in 2020, after signing with Fran Warren and Queensberry Promotion. Sadly 2020 happened and as a result "AAA" never actually fought, and he's now been out of the ring since August 2019, when he beat Gasan Gasanov.
After that win he was very highly ranked by the WBC and seemed destined for a shot at a belt. Sadly he has started to slip down the rankings, but it still well within their top 10 and could well climb into a potential mandatory position by the end of the year.
Unbeaten world-ranked super middleweight Azizbek Abdugofurov (13-0, 5 KOs) of Uzbekistan will return to the ring on February 29th against an opponent to be announced. Abdugofurov scored a big win over former world champion Dmitry Chudinov in 2018. ( https://t.co/8m2woUSmk9 ) pic.twitter.com/y2dteI3KDo
— Jalol Akhmedov (@JalolAkhmedov) January 8, 2021
Jalol has also reported that Abdugofurov has now left Queensberry Promotions, and is currently a free agent. The plan is to sign with Vladimir Promotions, and it seems clear that the hope is to get some momentum back in his career after what has been a year wasted of his prime.
Given no opponent has been named for the February bout we're not expecting that to be a tough one, but hopefully a busy year will see Abdugofurov face off with at least one or two notable opponents and build on his 2018 win over Dmitrii Chudinov, and his 2017 wins over Martin Fidel Rios and Sirimongkol Singwancha.
Note - The date in Jalol's tweet is assumed to be wrong, as 2021 isn't a leap year and there will be a February 29th this year.
Abdugofurov give up significant weight against Gasanov
Tomorrow in Russia we'll see unbeaten Uzbek hopeful Azizbek Abdugofurov (12-0, 4) compete in his next bout, and on paper it's his toughest test yet. By quite a bit.
The unbeaten, and well regarded, Uzbek Super Middleweight, who currently holds the WBC Silver Super Middleweight champion, will be stepping up to face Russian fighter Gasan Gasanov (16-8-1, 13), in what is essentially a Cruiserweight bout.
From what we understand Abdugofurov was originally lined up to face Andrey Sirotkin (16-1, 5) but at late notice Sirotkin was replaced by Gasanov, who typically fights at Light Heavyweight.
On the scales earlier today Abdugofurov was 175¾lbs, well above his typical fighting weight of 168lbs. Even though he came in "over" his typical weight he was still dwarfed by Gasanov, who towered over him. The Russian hit the scales at a career high of 184½lbs.
Although Abdugofurov will still be strongly favoured giving away so much weight could be a problem here, and it certainly seems like a dangerous bout to take, regardless of how little note Gasonov had for the bout.
(Image courtesy of Olamsport)
Abdugofurov retains WBC silver title!
Earlier today fight fans in the Philippines saw the unbeaten Uzbek hopeful Azizbek Abdugofurov (12-0, 4) successfully retain the WBC Silver Super Middleweight title, as he defeated Chinese puncher Wuzhati Nuerlang (11-2, 9).
Details of the bout are scarce however our Uzbek sources have informed us that the unbeaten Uzbek was comfortably in control of the bout, as he ran out the clear decision winner. That was despite a brave performance from the Chinese youngster.
After 12 rounds Abdugofurov took the decision with scores of 117-111, 118-111 and 117-110.
In theory the win moves Abdugofurov a step closer to a world title fight, though in reality he's relatively far down the queue for a WBC title fight, and we'd be very surprised to see him getting a shot in 2019. As for Nuerlang we suspect he'll return to China and eventually work his way back into a fight around this level, and at 22 years old he still has a bright future.
(Image courtesy of Sports.uz)
Azizbek Abdugofurov to defend silver title against Wuzhati Nuerlang
On November 18th in Pasay City, Philippines fans will get an international treat as unbeaten Uzbek hopeful Azizbek Abdugofurov (11-0, 4) defends his WBC Silver Super Midddleweight title against Chinese puncher Wuzhati Nuerlang (11-1, 9), in what looks like a thrilling match up.
The unbeaten Uzbek was tipped by some as a future star when he turned professional, and within months of his debut he had left an impression. In just his third bout he had stopped Chaloemporn Singwancha and in his 5th bout he defeated Sirimongkol Singwancha, to really stamp his name as one to watch. Sadly after the impressive start things slowdown for a year, though he did defeated Dmitrii Chudinov this past May in a career best win, to claim the Silver title.
Nuerland on the other hand is a bit of a divisional dark horse, the 22 year old lost on his debut, back in November 2015, but has strung together 11 straight wins, and claimed the WBO Greater China Zone Light Heavyweight title along with the WBO Asia Pacific Youth Super Middleweight title. He'll be the under-dog, but should be regarded as a live one, given his own hunger and desire.
The supporting card is set to have a number of title bouts though they aren't really that notable. The one, possible, exception to that is the contest between Thai Phannaluk Kongsang (4-7-1, 2) and Indian Urvashi Singh (3-0, 3), who battle in the inaugural contest for the WBC Asian Boxing Council female Bantamweight title.
Uzbek's pick up wins in Malaysia
Earlier today in Malaysia fight fans had the chance tosee a small, but notable, card at the "One City Grand Ballroom". Although the card wasn't a big one it did feature 4 very promising and unbeaten Uzbek fighters, who all picked up wins and all moved one step closer to bigger, and better, things.
The youngest was 19 year old Ulugbek Sobirov (4-0, 2), who needed just 74 seconds to see off Tanzania's Hamis Mwakinyo (12-7-1, 9). Coming in to this Mwakinyo had been stopped 4 times, including by a debutant in 2013, to this result doesn't really us much about Sobirov, but at 19 years old he is a promising youngster and, on paper at least, this was a step up for him.
Another youngster picking up a quick win was 21 year old Jasur Akhmadjanov (4-0, 3), who took a huge step up in class to defeat former world title challenger Roy Mukhlis (29-8-3, 22). The Uzbek was fighting outside of Tashkent for the first time and scored a 2nd round KO over the Indonesian veteran, who has now been stopped 7 times in 40 bouts. Mukhlis was one of man who challenged Takashi Uchiyama during "KO Dynamite's" WBA world title reign, since losing in 5 to Uchiyama we've seen Mukhlis go 6-5-1, with this being the quickest of those defeats.
Talented Super Middleweight hopeful Azizbek Abdugofurov (10-0, 4) continued his rise here as he out-pointed Alfonso Tissen (10-2-2, 5) in an 8 rounder. The score cards for this bout were 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 for Abdugofurov who we would expect to see fighting in bigger and better fights shortly, especially given that he scored better wins than this one last year, when he defeated Sirimongkol Singwancha and Martin Fidel Rios.
The other Uzbek was Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (14-0, 9), who retained the World Boxing Council Silver Welterweight Title with a 12 round decision win over Laszlo Toth (25-4-1, 17). The 24 year old Abdukakhorov was deducted a point under the WBC's accidental foul rule, but was still the clear winner, with scores of 118-109, 117-110 and 116-111 to record his second defense of the title and move towards a potential world title fight.


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Here's What We Know About The 2024 Ford Ranger
The all-new, next-generation Ford Ranger debuted early last year and has since launched in a number of markets, though it won't arrive in the U.S. until later this year for the 2024 model year, as Ford Authority previously reported. Since then, the new Ranger has aced safety testing conducted by the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) and also received a five star rating from Euro NCAP, while the new and luxurious Platinum trim was recently added to the lineup as customers face wait times of up to a year to take delivery of certain variants. Regardless, we do know some things about the U.S. version of the 2024 Ford Ranger, which will share many similarities with its international brethren.
As Ford Authority reported back in September 2021, the 2024 Ford Ranger is expected to enter production at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in May of 2023. In terms of styling, the U.S.-spec pickup will largely mimic the mid-sizer that's already launched in other parts of the world, with a new, edgier design and familiar C-clamp headlights.
The same goes for inside the cabin, where the next-gen Ranger features a standard 10.1-inch or optional 12-inch infotainment screen, Sync 4 (rather than Sync 3, as is the case with the current model), and a digital instrument cluster in other parts of the world, also ditching its traditional owner's manual for a digital version. The new Ranger continues to ride on the Ford T6 platform shared with the sixth-generation Ford Bronco – though it has received some updates. It's unclear what engines might be available in the 2024 Ford Ranger at this time, but it's likely that the new pickup will retain the turbocharged Ford 2.3L I-4 EcoBoost as its base powerplant.
Meanwhile, the high-performance Ford Ranger Raptor will also be making its debut in the U.S. this year as well, most likely getting the more powerful Australian version of the twin-turbocharged Ford 3.0L V6 EcoBoost engine, which produces 392 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, while the European variant makes substantially less – 284 horsepower and 362 pound-feet. It's also possible that the American Ranger Raptor may wind up with a version of that same engine that's closer to the 418 horsepower and 440 pound-feet generated in the Ford Bronco Raptor, too.
We'll have more on the new Ranger very soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Ranger news and ongoing Ford news coverage.
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Ford should engineer a commercial-focused truck off this platform, similar to the Toyota IMV 0. Single cab, long bed set up for upfitting and/or reconfiguration, no frills.
David Pickford
America and Australia are quite different vehicles in some areas but it was of interest to note some local stories that Ford Australia have been testing both left and right hand versions of long bed Rangers so you may get your wish. Personally I'd like to see a AWD or RWD Raptor type vehicle but as a low rider to replace the loved Holden Commodore V8 and Ford Falcon T6 and V8 utes that are now 5+ years old. Us Aussies have always loved HiPo street sedans and utes but now we're limited to hi revving screaming buzz boxes or the high flying Raptor or the Mustang. Great cars but they don't fill the gap left by the old utes.
jeff sproul
Based on a story on Ford Authority on August 22, 2022 "the 2024 Ford Ranger to be offered in the SuperCrew cab (the one with four full-size doors) and an option of a five-foot or six-foot bed."
Mike TowpathTraveler
With it's Maverick-like looks, I expect alot of disgruntled wannabe Maverick buyers who have been shut out from buying that truck, will migrate over to the Ranger.
Loyd Salyer
I will call BS on when it will be available in the US market. I placed an order for a 2023 on 8/12/2022 and it has yet to be built. Ford just pushed the projected build date out yet another week to the week of 02/13/2023. Tack on 4-6 weeks (Ford's estimate) for delivery to the dealer and total order to delivery time will be close to 8 months. Terrible! Time to cancel the order and buy something that is not a Ford.
It's not just Ford. Just yesterday a friend of mine said Camry orders are about eight months out.
Joe Lawhead
I went in to place my order 8/6/22 and as of today because of some option combination I picked Ford wont even let my dealer place the order so mine is not even on order yet. I am convinced they are not even building 2023 models unless they are low optioned vehicles. i am in Kansas City and there is not a new Ranger on the lot at any of our dealers.
Null98115
No EV or hybrid option announced. SMH.
Why would you even want an EV or Hybrid model?
Keep it Real with a Fully gas engine! Working in a Service Dept of a Auto Dealership (Unfortunately Not a Ford Dealer) Those Hybrids in age become nothing but Money Pits, Problems, and Rodents absolutely Love them! I will Never own a EV or Hybrid run vehicle!
Brad Barefoot
And with the ready to blow 2.3 ecoboost engine … Ford, abandon this turbo charged nonsense, and put an engine in place that will last … like you used to do. And Ford, you're going down the same Rabbit hole GM has … bring back cars like the Fusion, Thinderbird, and a real old fashioned Station Wagon like the Fairmont Squire.
Mrx19
Unfortunately, the cars you long for are history. The current 2.3 ecoboost head gasket issue has been corrected. Hopefully Ford will extend the power train warranty for the 2.3 with the poor head gasket design, but I doubt it. Small displacement, high stressed, turbo engines are the shortt term future, for all manufacturers, until the sad transition to all EV occurs.
Don Te
Does anyone know what is going on with the f150 Rattler? Some say it's not available yet some say Ford stopped taking orders because of the demand. Can't find where it has even been available to make an order for it. What is the truth? Can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone.
blksn8k
I have had my name on the list for the 2024 Ranger Raptor with one of the local Ford dealers for a few months now. Although I can't confirm it they said I was the first person to inquire about it which means I will be the first person they contact whenever they have ordering info. My guess is that won't be for at least another year. However, I also learned long ago to take anything most dealers tell me with a grain of salt.
Bill Byrne
the CRAZY thing is the current Ranger gets no better mileage than the
F150?
the ONLY reason we ordered a Maverick over 14 months ago was the GAS MILEAGE !!
of course WE NEVER RECEIVED THE MAVERICK !!! YET !!??
After buying Fords for 40 years , IM about done with them, funny thing is they dont even give a $HIT either!
william davis
Ford has been dragging their feet for years on newer products, can't seem to get it together, Oh has anyone checked out Autotrader, went out 500 miles from my zipcode and found over 750 Mavericks for sale, most have a price 5,000 over MSRP, their excuse is they're rare and so they jack up the price and just sit on their show room floor, some are as high as 10,000 over the sticker price, Toyota will probably make ford dealers eat those Mavericks when their competitive model comes out.
Glad to see Ford putting more effort into this truck. Would be very nice to see full-size truck features in this. Cool if we could have a King Ranch Ranger with a mini-powerboost and all the other luxuries of the F-150, blue cruise, massage seats, panoramic sunroof, Pro Power on board. I know that people wanting these features would just purchase the F-150, but having them, or some of these features, in a more compact truck would be great especially for those that work in congested areas (construction,pipeline,etc.,) and even being able to fit the truck with a good amount of clearance in a standard garage!
What really be nice build the maverick or ranger out of aluminum – you can hear them rust on a quiet night those iron rust buckets
Does anyone know the exterior color choices for the 2024 Ranger? I have a 2019 Ranger in gray, but I've been hoping for one in the ruby red that is available in the F-150. Thanks.
Waiting to buy a 2024 Ranger Lariat and would greatly prefer the 2.7l ecoboost. Will this be an option?


This is one of the most enjoyable discs of the two Prokofiev violin sonatas to have appeared in some time. Moldavian violinist Alexandra Conunova (one has to search online to find anything about her – the booklet doesn't say a word about her or pianist Michail Lifits) is a Borletti-Buitoni Trust beneficiary who won the third prize at the 2015 Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition.
Her new recording impresses from the start, with a meticulous attention to detail in her colouring of the mysterious opening phrases of the First Sonata. And it's her impressive range of colour that is the most striking characteristic of her playing as a whole, whether in the ghostly 'wind through the graveyard' passages of the same work or the sunny aura she brings to the opening of the Second Sonata.
Technique sounds faultless, too, and even in the roughest patches of music, such as the First Sonata's Allegro brusco, Conunova maintains bow control and never has recourse to an ugly slide or snatched passagework. With Lifits's piano playing every bit as resourceful as her violin, and a warm, generous recording made at an undisclosed venue in Bremen, this is already a candidate for one of the best discs of the year.


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Telcos plan to build trans-Tasman cable
Telecom, Vodafone and Telstra today announced a joint plan to build a trans-tasman, submarine internet cable.
Siobhan Keogh on 17 February, 2013 22:00
Telecom, Vodafone and Australian telco Telstra today announced a joint plan to build a trans-tasman, submarine internet cable.
The cable, which will stretch from Auckland to Sydney, is tentatively called the Tasman Global Access cable.
The cable is projected to cost less than US$60 million (NZ$71 million).
In a joint press release, the companies said the cable would "significantly improve New Zealand's international telecommunications connectivity as well as strengthen links into fast-growing Asian markets".
The cable will three fibre pairs with a capacity of 30Tbit/second, which the companies say is about 300 times New Zealand's current data demand.
Currently, the Southern Cross cable (B) is New Zealand's primary route to the outside world. The TGA (A) is the proposed cable that Telecom, Vodafone and Telstra say will improve connectivity for Kiwis.
The design of the cable is set to be finalised "within the next few months", and the project is set to be completed in mid to late 2014.
Telecom chief executive Simon Moutter and Vodafone chief executive Russell Stanners said in a joint statement that the business case for a new cable was "compelling".
"Around 40% of both Telecom and Vodafone's international internet traffic is now Australia to New Zealand, versus just 10% in 2000," they said.
"The Tasman Global Access cable will also enable New Zealand to better leverage the four additional international cable systems currently serving Australia (with several more proposed or in development), providing important redundancy for New Zealand."
"This cable will enable New Zealand to better leverage Australia's much stronger internet connectivity," managing director of Telstra Global, Martijn Blanken, said.
"It will also achieve significant international connectivity benefits for New Zealand to link withAustralia, and also onwards to the USA and into Asia."
The three companies are not the first to plan a trans-tasman cable - Pacific Fibre, which was headed by TradeMe founder Sam Morgan, had formed to build the cable but folded in August after it failed to attract the necessary funding.
We'll update this story as we have more information.
Tags VodafoneTelstrafibrefibre optictelecomtrans-tasman cable


text:
BBC Home > BBC News > World
Osama Bin Laden's death: How it happened
Reports of the operation to find al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden paint a picture of high tension, with White House officials watching the operation unfold on a live video feed.
At the climax, at the end of a 40-minute firefight, one of the soldiers uttered the words: "Geronimo EKIA" - meaning a man visually identified by a code word for Bin Laden had been killed in action, officials said.
A high-risk operation given the green light by President Barack Obama in what his counter-terrorism adviser, John Brennan, termed "one of the gutsiest calls by any president in recent memory" had achieved its aim, the death of Washington's most wanted man.
Both US and Pakistani officials assert Pakistan was kept completely in the dark about the operation and reports suggest the tension lingered as the team led by US Navy Seals made a high-speed dash to Afghanistan at the end of it.
A suspicious Pakistani air force started scrambling jets, Mr Brennan said, leading to last-minute worries the US team could still be in danger.
The operation took place at a fortified compound on the outskirts of Abbottabad in north-west Pakistan.
It happened at some time between 0000 and 0130 local time on Monday morning (1900-2030 GMT on Sunday), dozens of local residents told a BBC reporter. The two US helicopters were seen flying low over the area, causing panic among some residents.
Residents describe hearing three explosions several minutes apart, followed by a huge explosion that shook their houses and knocked crockery from shelves. Most residents said they then also heard gunshots, but that the firing was brief, just a couple of minutes or so.
As the explosions started, they say, the lights in the area went off, going on and off again shortly afterwards. One report quotes some residents as saying they were commanded in Pashto - not the common language of the area - to turn their lights off, but this is unconfirmed.
It is believed that people inside the house fired at the helicopters, but eventually they were able to land or hover outside the compound, and the US commandos emerged from them.
US officials said that at some point in the operation one of the two helicopters developed a technical fault - witnesses said it might have been hit by gunfire from the ground. Rather than let it fall into the wrong hands, the commandos blew it up.
One report of the operation emerged in real-time: Sohaib Athar, an IT consultant living in Abbottabad, posted on Twitter at about 0100 (2100 GMT) that a helicopter was hovering above the city.
He continued tweeting as the operation unfolded before eventually realising: "Uh oh, now I'm the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it."
There are contradictory reports about which base the helicopters took off from, with some saying the US air bases at Jalalabad or Bagram in Afghanistan, but others suggesting it was the nearby Ghazi air base inside Pakistan.
The target of the operation was the compound, which had at its centre a large three-storey building with 12ft high concrete high walls, barbed wire and CCTV cameras - and few windows.
The compound - valued at about $1m (£600,000) - had two security gates but no phone or internet lines running into the building.
Its occupants were so concerned about security that they were reported to burn their rubbish rather than leave it out for collection as other residents in the area did.
Mr Brennan told reporters that the commando team had been "able and prepared" to take Bin Laden alive "if he didn't present any threat".
"The concern was that Bin Laden would oppose any type of capture operation. Indeed, he did. It was a firefight. He, therefore, was killed in that firefight, and that's when the remains were removed," said Mr Brennan.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Tuesday Bin Laden was unarmed when he was killed, but that he did resist capture.
The al-Qaeda leader was in his bedroom when he was shot twice, officials said - once in the head and once in the chest.
Footage purporting to be of the bedroom appears to show a round gaping hole in the wall, suggesting US forces blasted their way into the building.
US officials described the operation as a "surgical raid" and said that as well as Bin Laden, three adult males - thought to comprise Bin Laden's trusted courier, his brother and Bin Laden's adult son, Khaled - were killed.
A woman was also killed in crossfire on the first floor of the building. There were conflicting reports as to whether the woman who died was being used as a human shield.
One of Bin Laden's wives - believed to be his fourth wife, Amal al-Ahmed Sadah from Yemen - was shot in the leg when she "rushed" one of the US commandos when he entered the room the al-Qaeda leader was in, Mr Carney said.
A senior intelligence official told reporters at a US Department of Defense briefing that Bin Laden's body was identified visually on the scene by operatives, by name by a woman at the scene believed to be his wife, by CIA specialists using photos and finally later on Monday by experts who found "virtually a 100% DNA match of the body against DNA of several Bin Laden family members".
The team left the compound carrying documents, hard drives and DVDs which it is hoped could yield further valuable intelligence data, officials said.
According to an official from Pakistan's main intelligence agency, the ISI, there were 17 or 18 people in the compound at the time of the attack, while US officials say those who survived the attack included one of Bin Laden's wives and a daughter, and eight to nine other children who were not apparently Bin Laden's.
The ISI and US officials contradict each other as to whether a detainee was taken away alive.
Bin Laden's body was flown to Afghanistan and later to the US aircraft carrier, the Carl Vinson, in the north Arabian Sea.
Mr Carney said the body was prepared for burial "in conformance with Islamic precepts and practice", then placed in a weighted bag and dropped into the water from the vessel's deck. Officials said this was to avoid his grave becoming a shrine.
'Trusted' courier
The compound is in a residential district of Abbottabad's suburbs called Bilal Town, which is home to a number of retired military officers from the area.
The compound is just 1km from the Pakistan Military Academy, an elite military training centre which is being described as Pakistan's equivalent to Britain's Sandhurst or the West Point academy in the US.
Pakistan's army chief is a regular visitor to the academy, where he attends graduation parades, and it is likely the area would have had a constant and significant military presence and checkpoints.
As details of the raid emerged it became clear that the operation had been long in the planning. US officials said they had received intelligence that Bin Laden might be in that compound as long ago as last summer.
CIA experts found significant circumstantial evidence that the "high value target" living at the compound was Bin Laden, but US satellites were not able to photograph Bin Laden or any members of his family. In the end, they were only 60-80% confident that the al-Qaeda leader was there.
US intelligence agents focussed in particular on one of Bin Laden's couriers - a man identified as a protege of captured al-Qaeda commander Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
The Kuwait-born courier's nom de guerre - Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti - was reportedly given to US interrogators by detainees at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, US media reported. It took years of work to identify his true name, Sheikh Abu Ahmed.
He appeared to be one of the few couriers completely trusted by Bin Laden, who helped keep the al-Qaeda figurehead in touch with the rest of the world.
In July, Pakistani agents working for the CIA spotted him driving a vehicle near the northern city of Peshawar. After weeks of surveillance, in August he led them to the sprawling compound in Abbottabad.
The order to carry out the mission was finally given by President Obama last Friday, after he had held five National Security Council meetings in March and April.
The director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, said during one meeting: "We have the best evidence since [the 2001 battle of] Tora Bora, and that then makes it clear that we have an obligation to act."
Mr Panetta said Mr Obama ruled out a high-altitude bombing raid by a B-2 bombers, or cruise-missile strike because of the possibility of too much collateral damage. There was also a concern that such options might obliterate evidence of Bin Laden's death , as well as cause big diplomatic fallout if he was found not to be in the compound.
Instead, a helicopter assault emerged as the favoured option and the Navy Seals began rehearsing at training facilities on both US coasts, where replicas of the compound were built. They were not told who their target might be until later.
Mr Panetta said the Pakistani government was also not informed of the operation in advance because the CIA feared that word of it might have been leaked.
"It was decided that any effort to work with the Pakistanis could jeopardise the mission. They might alert the targets," he told Time magazine.
CIA officials turned a windowless seventh-floor conference room at Langley into a command centre for the operation, from where Mr Panetta passed on details to the president and his advisers in the White House.
"We have a visual on Geronimo," Mr Panetta said after troops entered the compound, according to the New York Times.
Minutes later, he told them: "Geronimo EKIA [Enemy Killed In Action]."
President Obama added: "We got him."
Related to this story:
Special report: Death of Bin Laden
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Below is the finale of the ever-comprehensive list of ALL the arguments against veganism as compiled by César from The Vegan Speak. If you missed Part I, Part II, or Part III be sure to check them out.
If you're really serious about this and no amount of scientific evidence will sway you, then it comes down to numbers. If a blade of grass is of the same moral value to you as a dog, pig or chicken, then it makes no sense to feed livestock on with plants, and then kill the animals to eat. This would result in far more plant and animal casualties than if you ate plants directly. If you truly care about plants not feeling pain, it is better to minimise those plant deaths by feeding yourself on them, rather than feeding many more plants to animals.
But let's be reasonable. Plants lack brains, a Central Nervous System, and anything else that neuroscientists know to cause sentience. Some studies show plants to have input / output reactions to certain stimulation, but no study suggests sentience or an ability to feel emotions or pain. You can clearly understand the difference between a blade of grass and a pig. Comparisons between the two are completely absurd.
This is true, and no vegan claims to cause no harm to animals. Vegans try to avoid animal deaths with practical solutions i.e. boycotting these industries. But an argument against veganism that uses this fact is an argument several times stronger against eating meat. Why? Because you require about 10 times more crops to feed 56 billion farmed animals per year than if 7 billion humans ate the crops directly. So if you're truly concerned with minimising animal deaths from crop harvesting, you should be vegan. That way you minimise the torture and abuse in the meat, dairy and egg industries and you also minimise the accidental deaths in crop harvesting.
You might argue that we could eat exclusively grass-fed animals who do not require grain, but this is impractical. Firstly, most "grass-fed" animals are not fed 100% grass anyway, and secondly, it's not sustainable at all to try to feed 7 billion people exclusively on grass-fed beef. There isn't the space available for such a thing, and good luck living exclusively off beef and nothing else.
The definition of veganism is: "Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose".
It is not practicable and possible to die or get ill because you don't take a medication you need. It is the law in the US, the UK and Europe that all medicine must be tested on animals before being released to the market, so as vegans we cannot practically avoid this since there aren't any non-tested medicines.
But this is entirely different to eating meat, dairy and eggs for pleasure and convenience when there are thousands of other options available in the supermarket, many times in the next shelf. If the option is between dying or taking medicine tested on animals, you take the medicine. You're not in this situation when you buy animal products and this argument is a complete cop-out. Also it is worth mentioning that buying the medicine is not actually increasing demand for animal testing, since the medicine was tested before entering the market and never again, whereas animal products require animal deaths every time.
Historians are still unsure about this, and there is evidence to suggest that he wasn't. But let's assume he was for this argument. The argument suggests that everything that Hitler did, we must do the opposite. This makes no sense. Hitler liked dogs, and brushed his teeth and ate and showered. Should we avoid doing all these things because he did? Of course not!
Also, why are we singling out Hitler? If you look at all dictators, serial killers, rapists, and tyrants throughout history, you can be sure that the vast majority are actually meat-eaters. So if the behaviour of heinous criminals dictates that you do the opposite, then why are you ignoring all of them and only talking about Hitler?
You can get calcium on a plant-based diet, it is in no way exclusive to animal products. Indeed, there are cultures who never had cow's milk, and there isn't a wave of osteoporosis. Cow's milk production requires domestication of animals, so by definition could only be achieved relatively recently in human history. Prior to that, did we all have osteoporosis?
Milk is is not for adults. Mammals consume it during infancy, and after the weaning process, adult mammals do not require their mother's milk. If we really needed milk, don't you think we'd keep on drinking it from our mothers? If that sounds weird, consider that you're drinking milk from someone else's mother, and not even from your own species.
Good vegan sources of calcium include: dried herbs, sesame seeds, figs, tofu, almonds, flax seeds, Brazil nuts and kale. Most vegan milks are fortified with calcium, so you could just consume those as you would do any cow milk.
In table 3 of the same study, you can see vegans get 31.6mg of iron per day, and meat-eaters get 32.9mg, both way above the minimum daily requirement of 8-15mg.
Good sources of plant based iron are nuts, beans and dark leafy green vegetables. Vegans generally have a better intake of vitamin C than meat-eaters, which aids iron absorption. The type of iron found in meat (heme-iron) is the type your body cannot regulate properly, and forces its way into the bloodstream. This encourages production of free radicals, which can damage DNA and increase cancer risk. So it is safer as humans that we consume plant-based sources of iron (non-heme iron).
It is a common misconception that animals produce B12. In reality, it is bacteria found in animals, excrement, unwashed vegetables and dirty water that produces it. So B12 isn't exclusive to animal products.
Vegans have to supplement B12 by an oral supplement or by eating fortified foods, but this doesn't invalidate veganism. If the argument is "you can't get B12 naturally as a vegan, therefore veganism is bad", then this is a logical fallacy called "appeal to nature". Not only this, but 99% of people that live in modern society supplement in one way or another.
The bread you eat is fortified with vitamins, juices are fortified, cows milk has vitamins added to it during the manufacturing process, table salt often has iodine added to it and breakfast cereals are fortified. All these foods are fortified because the vast majority of people (i.e. non-vegans) fail to get adequate nutrition without them. In addition, a B12 supplement is injected into livestock before slaughter to keep their levels up due to soil being too intensively used and lacking in certain nutrients.
So the question becomes: would you rather take a B12 supplement yourself and be vegan, or supplement animals with B12, and then kill them to obtain B12? The former choice is clearly more desirable.
You can get omega-3 fatty acids from ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds, canola oil, walnuts, algae and other plant-based sources. If you think you can't get enough omega-3 or your body can't absorb it, an algae-based DHA supplement will have you covered. Eating plant sources of omega-3 is actually superior to eating fish to get DHA. This is because fish is riddled with heavy metals such as mercury and PCBs, which damage the brain and counteract the positive effects of eating the omega-3 in fish.
A study that looked at 33 fish species and its impact on brain development concluded that, "for most fish species the adverse effect of MeHg on the IQ score exceeded the beneficial effect of DHA." You can read more about why it is preferable to get omega-3 from plants here.
Our body produces vitamin D, which is actually a hormone, when exposed to sunlight. You need about 20 minutes of sunlight exposure per day to get your daily amount of vitamin D. Most people don't get this, which is why the UK government recommends that everyone should take a vitamin D supplement. This is because "limited amounts of the vitamin are found in foods such as oily fish, eggs and fortified cereals".
The best sources of iodine are sea vegetables (seaweed, kelp, and dulse). Be careful not to eat too much, though, as your iodine levels might be too high if you do. If you don't like or can't find sea vegetables, you can consume iodised salt or take a supplement.
"The United Nations has been urging for years that people move to a plant-based diet because "lesser consumption of animal products is necessary to save the world from the worst impacts of climate change."


Fans of rapper Nipsey Hussle gather and pay their respects at a makeshift memorial in the parking lot of his Marathon Clothing store April 1, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
To many, Nipsey Hussle was the first rapper in a while to wholeheartedly, fearlessly practice what he preached. He didn't just send a representative on his behalf – he showed and proved in his community. He didn't think twice about showing up last Sunday (March 31) to give a recently released friend some new clothes after their release from jail. No security in tow, just him and his heart with good intentions. His deed became part of his demise, but he died doing what he was placed on this earth to do: give back.
On this sunny Friday afternoon days after Nipsey was shot and killed, a line of fans and loved ones snaked into the backend alleyway — behind the small strip mall nestled on Crenshaw and Slauson Avenue — and spilled onto the block opposite of Slauson. This strip mall is where Neighborhood Nip had hustled and sold his music out of the trunk before earning enough to open his retail store, The Marathon, in June of 2017. He owned the whole mall and had announced plans to develop affordable housing above its stores. And today, we're all here to pay our respects, a few feet away from where he lost his life.
At the entrance of the alleyway, men clad in black suits are distributing copies of The Final Call, a local free newspaper from The Nation of Islam that circulates through the streets of South Central. The cover of the paper features Nipsey, born Ermias Asghedom, in a black tuxedo the night of 2019's Grammy Awards. He was nominated that night for Best Rap Album for 2018's stellar Victory Lap.
The air is thick with despair and heartbreak. And in spite of the masses of people outside in this area, right in this very moment, everyone in this line is relatively quiet except for a few side chatters here and there, mere decibels above a whisper. All other noise is coming from Nipsey, his bars pouring out of each car that cruises by. I've heard his brash, motivational rhymes about life in the hood and his endless hustle every day all over Los Angeles since his untimely death.
In front of the strip mall, Nipsey's childhood friend Adrena Hodge is behind a table opening a pack of tortillas and other ingredients. She's here all day preparing free tacos and hot dogs for the community. Hodge grew up riding bikes with the future rap legend in the Hyde Park area.
At just 33 years old, Nipsey had already become a beacon of hope for his community. He made it his lifelong mission to give back to the maligned streets that birthed and raised him. He was a man for the people and believed in rehabilitating his crime-ridden hometown (or The 60's, as locals call it) neighborhood. Instead of risking the loss of the Crenshaw district to gentrification, he made it a point to buy parts of the neighborhood himself for the community's own benefit. He hired felons and aspiring artists and gave them a second chance.
A second chance that in the real world, outside of the beautiful bubble Nipsey created, comes as frequently as seeing a solar eclipse. Nipsey didn't just talk about the hood and the corrupt politics that enslaved its constituents— he created a tangible stimulus package for local residents to benefit from.
Last year, he launched a STEM-inspired community space called Vector 90 in the Crenshaw district, in efforts to serve as a vehicle to promote diversity in the tech world and help the youth engage in science and mathematics.
"In our culture, there's a narrative that says, 'Follow the athletes, follow the entertainers,'" he told The Los Angeles Times. "And that's cool, but there should be something that says, 'Follow Elon Musk, follow [Mark] Zuckerberg.' I think that with me being influential as an artist and young and coming from the inner city, it makes sense for me to be one of the people that's waving that flag."
Five years later, the father of two's hard work earned him mainstream superstardom after years of grinding on the mixtape circuit. His star was rising and reached the pages of GQ in a gorgeous spread with his partner, Lauren London. It made the internet swoon and yearn for that same hood fairytale love story. Days after his murder, London revealed she felt "lost" without him.
Ermias, the "Dedication" rapper's first name, means "God will rise," which is tatted beside his left eye. Born to an Eritrean father and African-American mother, his parents believe he was put on Earth to fulfill a mission put in place by a higher power.
Before we're let inside the parking lot of the mall to pay our condolences, at the alleyway, a caramel-skinned young lady with honey brown locs and a gold hoop hooked on her left nostril, kneels down on the concrete to write something for Nipsey on a cement block wall that sits across from a heavenly, airbrushed painting of him.
The wall is inundated with graffiti and beautiful messages for him. With a black marker she writes, "Thank You For Your Light. WE STILL SHINING 4 U." How can we keep shining?