text:
ALI NEEDS TO STEP UP
Posted on March 25, 2015 by isport
A few people reckon that Moeen Ali should not open the batting for England as he is vulnerable to moving balls and is not a good back foot player either.
But, the Worcestershire left hander gave a strong answer to those people with his knock against Scotland earlier today in Christchurch. He made a beautiful hundred and gave the Poms a huge start along with Ian Bell.
The situation which Moeen had left England in, they could have got to 340 from there if not for some quick lower order wickets.
Nevertheless, England's score reached 300 and that was enough for the minnow opposition.
As far as Moeen is concerned, there was nobody with express pace in that Scotland bowling line up to test him with the short stuff, but, there was surely a bit of movement early on and he showed good application during that phase.
Lofted cover drive is Moeen's favourite shot and it's hard for him to resist the temptation of playing that shot whenever the ball is pitched up.
But, when the ball swings, it's important for even the stroke makers to leave a few at the start. The white new ball doesn't move for long durations. It's just about the first 15-20 minutes or so and then, it gets easy.
Moeen will have to make sure he remains watchful in the early overs in the coming games – though titanbet are currently running a market on him getting out within his first 6 bowls. He is such a gifted player that he can play long innings if he gets past the tough starting period.
Moeen did his job with the ball too against Scotland. He got a couple of wickets which would only add to his confidence.
With 2 points in 3 games, England is at the 6th position in Pool A right now.
Alastair Cook removal from Captancy didnt Hampered anyone
Posted on February 13, 2015 by content
Not too many people would have been taken aback when the news flashed that Alastair Cook was removed as the captain of the England One Day International team.
But, there's one guy who was surprised when being told that the Essex opening batsman was no longer in charge of England as far as 50-over cricket is concerned. It's Luke Wright.
The all rounder could not quite believe his ears when he heard the big news.
Because of the World Cup being so near, Wright had not expected something like this.
The 29-year old is in Australia right now featuring in the Green outfit for the Melbourne Stars in the 4th edition of Big Bash League.
When asked if he had seen Cook's sacking coming, Wright said, "Not at all. It's quite surprising for me. He had a lot of support back home and I also thought the same that he should be carrying on. To have it taken away so close to the World Cup, it would have hurt him for sure, but, whatever happens, it happens for the good. I hope Alastair starts enjoying the game again and scores heaps of runs in test match cricket in the coming months."
Wright himself is not in the scheme of things either for England at this point of time. He had been with the team on the Caribbean tour in the earlier part of last year, but, then, over the summer, he was sidelined.
When asked if he is satisfied with the amount of Cricket that he has been able to play for England so far in his career or if he thinks he should have played more, Wright said, "You always want to play more, but, I will have no regrets if I don't make the team ever again. I have represented my country more than 100 times at the international stage and that is quite satisfactory."
Moeen Ali reckons that risking Wickets is a good Tactic
Posted on January 21, 2015 by content
Moeen Ali reckons that he and the other top order English players must throw caution to the wind and get prepared to risk their wickets in the initial phase of the innings.
England's approach in the power play has been very different from the other teams in the recent times.
While, the other teams look to take advantage of fielding restrictions and get as many runs on the board as possible before the field gets spread, the Three Lions focus on building the innings and they have taken a lot of criticism for that.
The English bosses, be it the selectors or the head coach, have also been very hesitant to slot the attacking players in there at 1 and 2 and give them the licence.
However, this winter, there have been some bold decisions taken. The change in the captaincy is one of them.
Alastair Cook has been shown the door. He is not in the World Cup team. It's somebody else who would be opening with Moeen for England in Australia/New Zealand.
Whoever is going to be the second opener for England, Moeen wants him to be free flowing and not think about getting out.
Speaking to the press yesterday in Australia, the Worcestershire player said, "I am an instinctive stroke-maker. I go for it from the word go."
"Obviously, when you play that way, you are always at risk. You might look ungainly while getting dismissed and you might get criticized for your choice of shot, but, when you go well, you would win the game for your team."
"That should be the mindset of the other top order guys too.
It's the top order which you expect to set it up for the guys coming lower down. Some intent must be shown at the start."
Kieswetter could be back up wicketkeeper
Posted on October 23, 2014 by content
Craig Kieswetter might be England's back up wicketkeeper for the World Cup. He was pretty good behind the wicket for Somerset last season and with the bat too, he did enough to keep himself in contention for the showpiece tournament down under.
Kieswetter's glove work had always been an issue during his first run with England. But, after having been left out, he seems to have got it sorted out and he is looking pretty efficient even while keeping against the spinners.
The thing because of which the England selectors might opt to prefer Kieswetter over the other names in county cricket for that second keeper role is his batting ability.
The 27-year old is good enough to claim a place in the XI as a specialist batsman. And, he is an opener. So, if he is there in the squad for Australia-New Zealand, England doesn't need to pick any reserve opener.
Kieswetter has won England matches bating aggressively at the top of the order and that too in big tournaments. In the World T20 Championship final in 2010, he had scored a half century against the arch rivals Australia. So, he has been at big stages before. That's another positive that he has.
And, Kieswetter is a player of bouncy tracks. He is somebody who relies on playing his shots from the back foot rather than leaning on to the deliveries. So, he can be supposed not to find the Australian conditions as difficult as some of the other players.
Kieswetter has not made appearance in an ODI World Cup so far. He had a chance to be selected last time around in 2011, but, the selectors went with the experienced Matt Prior at the very last minute which had surprised a few former cricketers.
Cook Under Fire, Again
Posted on September 3, 2014 by content
The fingers have started getting pointed towards Alastair Cook again, this time not on his captaincy, but, on his batting in One Day International Cricket.
Even before the start of the 2nd match against India, some of the former England players had said that Cook is not a player for 50-over format and the sooner he leaves that format, the better it would be for him as well for as England cricket and it seems that they were right in their opinions.
Cook again took quite a bit of time at the top of the order yesterday in Cardiff. He ended up with a strike rate of about 67 which could have been much lower if he had not got two boundaries towards the end of his innings.
However, Alex Hales was scoring so freely at the other end that Cook could afford that time, but, definitely, the England selectors need to think about it.
Because, on days, when Hales get out early, England will get stuck with Ian Bell at no. 3 who is also a defensive player like Cook.
Also, Cook's low strike rate can put unnecessary pressure on Hales who, even if he is not having a great day, will have to go for his shots and he might end up giving his wicket away in that process.
England can afford to play only one out of Cook and Bell in One Day Cricket. Some of the English fans might not agree to it, but, that's the bitter truth.
In modern day cricket, a-run-a-ball is the minimum that one should score even in the middle overs, forget about the slog overs during which the batsmen tend to go nuts these days. But, the current England set up finds hard to do it because of their conservative approach.
Flintoff Impressed By Buttler
Posted on August 6, 2014 by content
Andrew Flintoff has said that he has seen very few players in his career who can hit the cricket ball harder than Jos Buttler.
Buttler used to play for the Somerset County Cricket Club until the last season, but, this season, he has taken a transfer to Flintoff's club Lancashire and he has started making impact at Old Trafford straightaway. He has won the club a couple of games with his thundering stroke play.
Buttler has already become a certainty for the Three Lions in 50-over cricket and he is very close to making it to the England test squad as well. He was on the stand-by ahead of the Trent Bridge test match against India. If Matt Prior had not been able to pass the fitness test on the morning of that match, Buttler would have made his test debut there.
Talking about the young wicketkeeper batsman yesterday, Flintoff said, "Jos is phenomenal as far as playing the big hits is concerned. I've seen quite a few belligerent hitters over the years and he is as good as any one of them if not better."
"The thing which impresses me about Jos is that despite having tasted success at a young age, he doesn't take things for granted. He never misses practice sessions. He is at it all the time. He's a keen learner."
When asked if he reckons Buttler can be a good test match wicketkeeper batsman for England, Freddie said, "Yes, off course. Having watched him bat in quite a few innings this season, I do believe that he can succeed at the test level as well."
Flintoff has recently made a comeback in competitive cricket after being out for a few years. Just a couple of days back, he featured for Lancashire in a match of the Natwest T20 Blast competition.
Root Scores One Hundred On First Day
Posted on July 2, 2014 by content
The young Yorkshire batsman, Joe Root, scored a superb hundred on the first day of the first test match against Sri Lanka which is being played at Lord's. He came to bat at his new position of 5 and looked extremely comfortably there.
Root had come out in a bit of a tricky situation with England 74 for 3 on a grassy surface, but, he showed a lot of composure and soundness and by building three consecutive big partnerships, he put England into a great position when the play stopped on the first day.
Root had to suffer a lot of criticism for his performances in Australia. The experts were saying that he had flaws in his technique and he needed to go back to domestic circuit and work on them.
In Australia, Root was found wanting on slightly back of length deliveries by Mitchell Johnson.
Johnson used to push the 21 years old back and back by bowling short and then he used to bowl one slightly up to make him edge into the slip cordon or to the keeper. The problem basically for Root there in Australia was that he was not able to transfer his weight from back foot to front foot smoothly.
But, in the inning that he played yesterday, he did that quite well. He handled both short of length and back of length deliveries beautifully and hit some wonderful fours.
He is still unbeaten on 102. He has faced 190 deliveries for that and has sent the ball outside the boundary line 8 times. He has the chance to convert this inning into a big one.
This is the second time that Root has scored a hundred at Lord's. He had done that against Australia as well last year. He had got 180 at that time.
England Plans For Veteran Returns
Posted on June 22, 2014 by content
The English selectors are planning to recall two of the old foxes i.e. Ian Bell and Jimmy Anderson for the one off T20 game against Sri Lanka.
Bell and Anderson have not been featuring for England in the shortest format of the game for quite some time, but, considering the team's mediocre performances in the recent times, the new selection committee reckons that it's important to bring in some experience into the set up now.
If Bell gets called back, he would surely be opening the batting along with either Alex Hales or Michael Lumb.
As far as Anderson is concerned, he is a swing bowler and likes to deliver at good length most of the times and that's why he goes for a lot of runs in the death. In T20 cricket, you need the bowlers to try and bowl yorkers, but, Anderson is not that good at that. But, when it comes to experience, the Lancashire quick is right up there.
The last time that Anderson was seen representing England in the slam bang format was 5 years back in 2009. It was a game against South Africa and despite being his team's most economical bowler that day, Anderson was left out thereafter and he has been on the sidelines since then in the T20s.
There have been a lot of young bowlers tried by the English selectors in the last few years in the T20s, but, they haven't got repaid that much and that's why they are now forced to look back to Anderson.
Anderson has taken a lot of wickets for England in test cricket. He is close to taking his tally past 350 in that format, but, test cricket is a different ball game altogether. You need different skills for different formats.
ENGLAND WIN IN WEST INDIES
The England Cricket Team has been defeated by West Indies in the first ODI match played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium yesterday. The hosts won the match by 15 runs.
Batting first on a sluggish surface, West Indies lost wickets quickly and was not looking like positing a reasonable total half way through their innings, but, a 100-run partnership between Sammy and Bravo for the 5th wicket helped them get to 269 which proved to be sufficient.
England's new opening pair started well and added 96 runs to push the opposition on the back foot, but, once the first wicket fell, the momentum shifted in the favour of West Indies.
Although Joe Root hung in there with Michael Lumb but, he couldn't score the runs as quickly as needed and that made the required run rate go higher and higher.
However, with some big hitters waiting in the dressing room, the situation was still in the control of the visitors. They needed to score at just more than 8 per over in the last 7 overs, but, they eventually didn't manage to do that.
The West Indies bowlers kept things simple in the death. They bowled full and straight and didn't give the batsmen any room whatsoever.
Ravi Bopara who is renowned for his ability to clear boundaries couldn't hit even 1 boundary during his 36-minute stay at the crease and that's enough to suggest how tight the Caribbean bowling was.
Dwayne Bravo who had scored 86 runs for West Indies was declared man of the match. He played his part with the ball too as he dismissed England's most lethal player Jos Buttler in the 43rd over.
The second match of the series will be played at the same venue on Sunday.
EXPECT CHANGES
Posted on December 17, 2013 by isport
The England team management is expected to make some changes in the playing XI for the third Ashes test match which is going to be played at Perth.
England has performed awfully in the ongoing Ashes series so far. They have suffered two huge loses and are on the verge of losing the Ashes after a while.
The wicket at Perth is known to be the quickest in Australia. So, the Poms would certainly not be naming two spinners in the XI there. That means Monty Panesar will be sidelined and the man who is the strongest contender to replace him is Tim Bresnan.
Bresnan had a fantastic Ashes series back home in England and if he had not had fitness problems, he would have been the third fast bowler for England in the Brisbane test match.
However, he is completely recovered from his injury now and there are good chances of him making his way back into the playing XI.
Another change that England might make is to bring Jonny Bairstow in place of Ben Stokes who had made his debut at Adelaide Oval. But, the England team management should keep one thing in mind that the weather in Perth is going to be extremely hot. So, going with only 4 bowlers in that test match might not be a good decision.
If they persist with Stokes, he can give the main bowlers a bit of a breather and he will be quite handy with the bat too. And, that will boost the youngster's confidence as well.
Stokes hadn't done poorly in that Adelaide test match anyway. He had shown good fighting spirit while batting in the second innings and he had grabbed a few important wickets too. The young man needs one more go.


Q: What is mindful leadership?
Hal: Mindful leadership is a practice that allows leaders to recognize what it means to be aligned to their highest and best good, and to understand the place where their personal alignment can resonate with and support what's in the highest and best good of an organization and its people. Leading mindfully is a skill set that can be developed over time.
Q: Who is the Mindful Leadership workshop designed for?
Hal: The workshop is designed to be helpful for anyone who has a position of leadership in their life, in any capacity. You could be running a family, teach Sunday school, lead a Girl Scout troop, or be in one of hundreds of other positions of leadership.
The workshop will especially benefit people leading teams, and it applies most directly to leaders working inside organizations. Those organizations can be any shape, size or structure— not-for-profit, for-profit, a thousand people, one hundred thousand people, and in any industry.
Q: Why is it important to bring mindfulness into leadership?
Hal: We get tossed around inside of our organizations. The workplace can be very tumultuous, highly volatile, and constantly changing— not just week-to-week or month-to-month, but day-to-day and meeting-to-meeting. It is stacked with unexpected changes, which can be tiny or system-wide. While we like to think of work as a place that can bring the best out of people, it can actually do the opposite. It can bring out insecurities, jealousy, unhealthy competition, and anxiety. Mindfulness allows us to recognize when we are in alignment, what it feels like when we're out of alignment, and most importantly, what tools we can apply in the moment to regain alignment.
I sometimes think about the workplace as a Petri dish for suffering. Of course work can be satisfying, fun and incredibly rewarding. But when we're not mindful and present as we interact with others, all of that tumult can take us into a place of emotional volatility. Mindfulness creates an opportunity to be thoughtful about what you're saying and how you're saying it, how you're listening and interpreting and how you are separating what you're hearing from your own triggers.
That's what happens a lot at work— we hear things that trigger us, and we start responding from a place of reactivity. Our fears and vulnerabilities are triggered, and it can be hard to recognize when we're saying things from a place of reactivity instead of being clear and intentional. Then the person you're talking with can take their turn to respond "unmindfully" or out of reactivity, which then triggers you further.
At work, that can happen ten times a day. Or, we can be mindful and understand what it means to be in connection with our highest and best good and move through the day with that kind of clarity. All the energy that gets wasted in reactive situations could instead be channeled toward positive and productive things.
From an organizational perspective, it's hugely beneficial for people to be in relationship with one another in a mindful way because focus, attention and energy are directed towards productivity. From an individual perspective, it just feels better.
Q: In the workplace, how can you use mindfulness as a tool to be less reactive in your communications with others?
Hal: A tool you can use to practice responding instead of reacting is to notice any places where you have strong feelings, as well as noticing the strong feelings of others. As you notice these triggers and reactions, do your best to hold all that is happening compassionately and kindly. Notice that what the person said or how they said it may have evoked a vulnerable response in you, and just be aware of this. The awareness itself shines a light on the vulnerability and gives it space. Giving it space can often be enough to not be hijacked by any emotion you may be feeling.
Mindfulness is a skill set that you can develop, but you do need to work to develop it. It's not a notion you can just intellectualize and therefore internalize and use every moment. It is something you have to practice. When you are in a situation at work where someone comes at you in person, or even over email/voicemail, it is easy to react. The reaction could be a snarky remark, a raised voice, a shut down or something else. With the tools of mindfulness, instead of reacting in an unhelpful way, you can learn to respond in a way that is helpful and of service to all involved.
If what's coming at you evokes a fearful or panic response in you, with mindfulness you may be able to recognize and name that panic or fear so you have the capacity to respond without being consumed by your emotional reaction. I think a primary part of the practice is to create space for it all to happen. When we react, we react from a constricted place, and when we are constricted, the space we have to respond from is very small. But if we can remain open, we can remain calm. It literally can create a larger space of containment from which you can be more thoughtful and deliberate. We're talking about this in a work context, but it's actually the same practice with any relationship you have. It's a practice you can embrace when you are working to be less reactive to anything or any person.
Q: What is one mindfulness practice you feel is essential for people in leadership positions?
Hal: I think the ability to reset is an incredibly important practice in general. Having a meditation practice in the morning to align to intentionality and taking brief meditative moments to return back to that place of clarity throughout the day is very important. These mindful moments might be noticing your breath for thirty seconds, taking a mindful walk, getting fresh air, reconnecting to nature, or closing your eyes when possible. Setting your intention at the start of the day and making time to reset throughout the day is an essential practice.
For people who say they have no time, one way to think about this is to think about the times of transition throughout your day as your reset times. Even if you have fifteen meetings in a day, there is a transition time between all of them. If you're in an office environment where you're moving from meeting to meeting, it's that walk in the hall, to the elevator, or that quick run up the stairs that are your transition times.
Q: What message do you want students to take away from this workshop?
Hal: One important message for leaders to take away is that it is necessary to tune in to their own needs as well as the needs of others around them. The role of the leader in most environments is no longer simply a matter of their individual contribution and how much they can give to the company, but rather to focus on how they can support their people in contributing to the organization. It's not about how great the leader is at what they do, it's about how they can create a culture where every person can be their best. They let go of the idea that their individual goal is most important and think inclusively about how they can help others.
However, sometimes what happens is that leaders who are focusing externally forget that all of the power and wisdom they can offer comes from an internal source. One thing leaders can suffer from is a reluctance to focus inwardly, because they've been asked to focus outwardly and they know they are being held accountable by achieving results. That's all true, but to be aligned to your own highest good requires an internal focus and a conversation with inner wisdom.
The message I hope people leave with is that being a mindful leader requires a balance between internal and external focus. It isn't selfish or narcissistic to focus inwardly— it's absolutely necessary.


text:
import { CMDS, DEF_CONCURRENCY } from 'src/options/imports/constants'
import ProgressManager from './progress-manager'
import getImportStateManager from './state-manager'
import { browser } from 'webextension-polyfill-ts'
import TagsBackground from 'src/tags/background'
import CustomListBackground from 'src/custom-lists/background'
import { PageIndexingBackground } from 'src/page-indexing/background'
import BookmarksBackground from 'src/bookmarks/background'

export default class ImportConnectionHandler {
    static IMPORTS_PROGRESS_KEY = 'is-imports-in-progress'

    /**
     * @type {runtime.Port} Runtime connection port to afford message communication with UI script
     */
    port

    /**
     * @type {ImportProgressManager} Importer instance
     */
    importer

    /**
     * @type {boolean} Used to flag special quick imports on first install.
     */
    _quickMode

    _includeErrs = false

    constructor(options: {
        port: any
        quick?: boolean
        tagsModule: TagsBackground
        customListsModule: CustomListBackground
        bookmarks: BookmarksBackground
        pages: PageIndexingBackground
    }) {
        // Main `runtime.Port` that this class hides away to handle connection with the imports UI script
        this.port = options.port

        // Quick mode used to quickly import recent history for onboarding; some functionality differs
        this._quickMode = options.quick

        // Initialize the `ProgressManager` to run the import processing logic on import items state
        this.importer = new ProgressManager({
            concurrency: DEF_CONCURRENCY,
            observer: this.itemObserver,
            stateManager: getImportStateManager(),
            tagsModule: options.tagsModule,
            customListsModule: options.customListsModule,
            bookmarks: options.bookmarks,
            pages: options.pages,
        })

        // Handle any incoming UI messages to control the importer
        options.port.onMessage.addListener(this.messageListener)

        // Handle UI disconnection by stopping (pausing) progress
        options.port.onDisconnect.addListener(() => this.importer.stop())

        this.attemptRehydrate()
    }

    async attemptRehydrate() {
        // If import isn't already running, get estimates and set view state to init...
        const importInProgress = await this.getImportInProgressFlag()

        if (!importInProgress) {
            // Make sure estimates view init'd with count data
            const estimateCounts = await getImportStateManager().fetchEsts(
                [],
                this._quickMode,
            )
            this.port.postMessage({ cmd: CMDS.INIT, ...estimateCounts })
        } else {
            // ... else make sure to start UI in paused state
            this.port.postMessage({ cmd: CMDS.PAUSE })
        }
    }

    /**
     * Object containing `next` and `complete` methods for the `ProgressManager` to
     * pass messages back along the connection as it observes import items finishing
     * (currently used to send item data for display in the UI).
     */
    itemObserver = {
        next: (msg) => this.port.postMessage({ cmd: CMDS.NEXT, ...msg }),
        complete: () => {
            this.port.postMessage({ cmd: CMDS.COMPLETE })
            this.setImportInProgressFlag(false)
        },
    }

    /**
     * Main message listener that handles any messages sent from the UI script.
     */
    messageListener = ({ cmd, payload }) => {
        switch (cmd) {
            case CMDS.START:
                return this.startImport(
                    payload.allowTypes,
                    payload.blobUrl,
                    payload.options,
                )
            case CMDS.RESUME:
                return this.importer.start()
            case CMDS.PAUSE:
                return this.importer.stop()
            case CMDS.CANCEL:
                return this.cancelImport()
            case CMDS.FINISH:
                return this.finishImport()
            case CMDS.RECALC:
                return this.recalcState(payload.allowTypes, payload.blobUrl)
            case CMDS.SET_CONCURRENCY:
                return (this.importer.concurrency = payload)
            case CMDS.SET_PROCESS_ERRS:
                return this.setProcessErrs(payload)
            default:
                return console.error(`unknown command: ${cmd}`)
        }
    }

    async setProcessErrs(includeErrs) {
        this._includeErrs = includeErrs
        await this.recalcState()
    }

    async recalcState(allowTypes?, blobUrl = null) {
        getImportStateManager().dirtyEstsCache()
        getImportStateManager().allowTypes = allowTypes

        const estimateCounts = await getImportStateManager().fetchEsts(
            blobUrl,
            this._quickMode,
            this._includeErrs,
        )

        this.port.postMessage({ cmd: CMDS.INIT, ...estimateCounts })
    }

    /**
     * @param {any} allowTypes Object with keys as valid import types pointing to bool values denoting whether
     * or not to process that given type of imports.
     */
    async startImport(allowTypes, blobUrl = null, options = {}) {
        getImportStateManager().allowTypes = allowTypes
        getImportStateManager().options = options

        if (!(await this.getImportInProgressFlag())) {
            await getImportStateManager().fetchEsts(blobUrl, this._quickMode)
        }

        this.port.postMessage({ cmd: CMDS.START }) // Tell UI to finish loading state and move into progress view

        this.setImportInProgressFlag(true)
        this.importer.start()
    }

    /**
     * The cleanup logic that happens when user chooses to finish an import
     * (either after completion or cancellation).
     */
    async finishImport() {
        this.setImportInProgressFlag(false)

        // Re-init the estimates view with updated estimates data
        const estimateCounts = await getImportStateManager().fetchEsts(
            null,
            this._quickMode,
        )
        this.port.postMessage({ cmd: CMDS.INIT, ...estimateCounts })
    }

    async cancelImport() {
        this.importer.stop()
        this.setImportInProgressFlag(false)

        // Resume UI at complete state
        this.port.postMessage({ cmd: CMDS.COMPLETE })
    }

    async getImportInProgressFlag() {
        const storage = await browser.storage.local.get({
            [ImportConnectionHandler.IMPORTS_PROGRESS_KEY]: false,
        })

        return storage[ImportConnectionHandler.IMPORTS_PROGRESS_KEY]
    }

    async setImportInProgressFlag(value) {
        return browser.storage.local.set({
            [ImportConnectionHandler.IMPORTS_PROGRESS_KEY]: value,
        })
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
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Home/Nationals News
Series Preview: Washington Nationals (7-5) at Miami Marlins (2-10)
By Andrew Flax
After a beating at the hands of the Braves, the Nationals will welcome a trip to Miami. The hapless Marlins have scored twelve fewer runs than any other team in baseball, and when they played the Nats in their season-opening series, scored one total run in three games. After allowing 18 runs to Atlanta in three games, Miami will be a well-needed break from facing incredible offensive prowess. The Nationals only scored 11 runs against Miami in the season-opening series, but will be looking for even more to recoup for scoring only five runs against Atlanta.
Apr 4, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Marlins third baseman Placido Polanco (30) at bat against the Washington Nationals during the game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
To preview the series, I exchanged a few questions with Ehsan Kassim, editor over at Fansided's Marlin Maniac. For Nats fans wanting to learn what it's like in Miami, these answers should be invaluable. I also answered a few of Ehsan's questions over on Marlin Maniac, so be sure to check those out as well.
AF: Jose Fernandez has been a revelation, jumping from High A to the MLB. What has been the key to his success, and do you think he can maintain it against such great opposition?
EK: The key to Jose Fernandez's success has no doubt been his unflappable demeanor. While he is just a 20-year old making his first starts in the big leagues, he looks like a seasoned veteran on the mound. Being through what he has been through has been a key part in making him the pitcher he is today. Being jailed, shot at, and finally escaping Cuba at the age of 14 gives him a lot more life experience. All those things make him fearless when he takes the mound. Of course, none of that would matter, if Jose did not have a great arsenal of pitches. His fastball has blown major league hitters away, hitting 96-97 at times. His curveball (nicknamed the defector) has thrown hitters off in fastball counts, and he has a work in progress changeup that has actually been successful against lefties. I believe he can maintain this sort of success as he faces better competition, but there will sure be games that he labors through. My bold prediction before the season was he would win Rookie of the Year, I am looking smart early on.
AF: Rumors have flown about Giancarlo Stanton and a potential trade to the Texas Rangers. What are the odds of a Stanton trade happening anytime this season, and is Texas the frontrunner?
Apr 8, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) reacts on opening night against the Atlanta Braves at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
EK: There are not much to these rumors, as the team currently has no interest in trading Stanton. And they have no reason to. Stanton is still making the league minimum in 2013 and won't be arbitration eligible until this offseason. I really want to say that the Marlins will find a way to sign Stanton longterm, but there is a lot of work left to be done for that to happen. If and when the Marlins do decide to trade Stanton, I expect the Rangers to be heavily involved. A package from the Rangers would have to start with top overall prospect, Jurickson Profar.
AF: Speaking of Stanton, what is his health situation? He has a left shoulder contusion and isn't on the DL, which makes it sound fairly minor. When will he be back in action?
EK: Stanton sustained his shoulder contusion diving for a ball in New York. After experiencing some discomfort in batting practice Friday, the Marlins scratched Stanton from the lineup and he had an MRI done on his shoulder on Saturday. The good news for the Marlins, those results came back negative. He missed all three games of the series against the Mets and Marlins beat writer Juan Rodrigueznoted Stanton could be out for the Nats series as well. At this point, I think the Marlins should just let Stanton have a stint on the DL and heal up 100% before getting him back on the field.
April 14, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria before a game against the Houston Astros at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
AF: As evidenced by the protesters removed from Marlins Park for decrying owner Jeffrey Loria, Marlins fans are upset with the ownership. What exactly is the mood among fans? Are they happy with the prospects they received in the trade from Toronto?
EK: Marlins fans are fed up with owner Jeffery Loria. As Miami mayor Carlos Gimenez pointed out on yesterday's Outside the Lines, Loria is slightly ahead of Fidel Castro in popularity. After one offseason of heavy spending, Loria went back on his word and is going to make a profit off the Marlins without even fielding a competitive team. As for the prospects the Marlins got from the Jays, the fans felt the team could have gotten a bigger haul in return for what they traded. I for one am excited about the prospects the Marlins got back.
AF: To say the Marlins' offense is struggling would be an understatement. They have scored 20 runs through 12 games, less than two thirds of the total of the 29th place team, Tampa Bay. Is the issue just a lack of talent, are players not performing to their ability, or is it something else altogether?
Apr 13, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins third baseman Placido Polanco (30) heads to third base in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Marlins Park. The Marlins won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
EK: It's a combination of both. Placido Polanco is the only Marlin hitting over .300 currently. The rest of the Marlins lineup is hitting well under .250. Is this trend going to continue all season? No. Juan Pierre, Giancarlo Stanton, and Justin Ruggiano should hit for better average and Rugg and Stanton should find their power soon enough. Logan Morrison will return at the end of May for the Marlins. With that said, Solano, Dobbs, and Kearns should not be seeing as many at bats as they are. They are at best bench players that have been thrown into the Marlins starting lineup at times.
No doubt in my mind that the Marlins lineup will improve, but I doubt they will ever be better than a bottom 5 offense in 2013.
AF: The pitching staff has been a pleasant surprise, with four of your five starters with ERAs under 3.30. Can they sustain this success?
EK: Honestly, no. On the surface the teams current 2.87 ERA is quite impressive for the starters. However, if you start digging deeper into the numbers, the Marlins FIP sits at a pedestrian 4.19. This is a result of the team allowing way too many base runners. Because none of the pitchers outside of Fernandez are overpowering, it often leads them to be hit around. For example, the Kevin Slowey allowed 10 base runners in his 5.1 innings of work, but he only allowed one run. A baffling line, but the truth is if he had a little different luck, the opponent could have easily hung a crooked number on him.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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From The Editors Science
ESA Orbiter 'Mars Express' Beams Back Stunning Images of Ice-Filled Korolev Crater
Post author By Syed Waseem
No Comments on ESA Orbiter 'Mars Express' Beams Back Stunning Images of Ice-Filled Korolev Crater
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While scientists may not have conclusive evidence of the presence of liquid water on Mars today, they do have ample proof of ice, suggesting that water in a liquid form likely existed on the red planet at some point in its past.
The latest images beamed back by the ESA-operated Mars Express orbiter, showing an ice-filled Korolev Crater, only adds to that growing pile of data that indicates there are ice bodies aplenty on the planet.
The ESA-released images are stunning composites of five separate strips of photos snapped by the orbiter's High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) over the course of five orbits around the planet.
The 52-mile-across impact crater, filled almost to the brim with solid white ice, can be seen in all its Martian glory in the awe-inspiring images below.
It is named after Sergei Korolev, the Moscow-born lead rocket- engineer and spacecraft designer during the space race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. in the fifties and sixties
Regarded by many as the "father of practical astronautics," the Soviet-era rocket man played a significant part in the development of Sputnik 1 and the R-7 Rocket, as well as launching Laika and the first human being into space.
So important was Korolev to the Soviet scheme of things that only a selected few knew his real name.
To protect him from possible assassination attempts by the United States during the cold war, he was known simply as Glavny Konstruktor – Russian for Chief Designer.
It wasn't until after his death in 1966 that his full identity was made public and he was awarded due recognition for his immense contributions to the Soviet cause.
Coming back to the point, the ice is more than 1.2-mile-thick in the middle of the crater and stays frozen all through the Martian year (nearly 23 Earth months) – thanks to a phenomenon called "cold trap."
As the Martian air flows over the rim and across the icy surface of the crater, it cools down and sinks, forming a protective layer of permanently cold air that insulates the ice from warmer influences.
According to ESA estimates, there's about 528 cubic miles, or 2,200 cubic kilometers, of water ice inside the crater, which is roughly the same volume as Canada's Great Bear Lake.
(ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)
A topographic map of Korolev crater. (ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)
Part of the ESA-managed Mars Express mission, the Mars Express spacecraft was launched atop a Russian-built Soyuz-FG/Fregat rocket way back in June 2003.
The two-part Mars Express, consisting of the Mars Express orbiter and the Beagle 2 lander, entered Mars' orbit on Christmas Day the same year.
The lander's mission to perform exobiology and geochemistry research failed due to post-landing glitches.
The orbiter, however, continued on and has since been at it, doing everything from imaging and mapping the planet, to radar sounding its subsurface and performing a host of other studies – not to mention sending back gorgeous images we saw above.
As recently as earlier this year, researchers at the Italian Space Agency also discovered evidence of liquid water under the red planet – thanks again to the Mars Express orbiter.
Published in the journal Science in July, the study suggested the possible existence of a lake of liquid water beneath the red planet's south polar ice cap.
The evidence, however, cannot be called conclusive by any stretch of the imagination until further research clears all doubts about the discovery.
The data was collected by an instrument called MARSIS (Mars Express Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) onboard the orbiter.
Probing the Planum Australe – the southern polar plain on Mars – between May 2012 and December 2015, MARSIS was able to compile radar profiles that were found to contain evidence of a body of liquid water trapped less than a mile below the ice-capped surface.
While the MARSIS data didn't help in determining the depth of the subsurface water layer, the researchers do estimate it to be at least one meter thick.
The MARSIS modus operandi was to send out low-frequency radar signals to the surface and immediate subsurface of the Planum Australe region of the planet, thereby enabling the research team to study the signals that were bounced back to Mars Express.
Speaking about his team's findings, Italian National Institute for Astrophysics professor and lead author of the research paper, Roberto Orosei, had said:
"This really qualifies this as a body of water. A lake, not some kind of meltwater filling some space between rock and ice, as happens in certain glaciers on Earth."
The researchers said there was a strong possibility of more such water bodies lying hidden beneath the Martian surface, based on a somewhat weird logic that they haven't found any evidence that suggests otherwise.
"There is no reason to conclude that the presence of subsurface water on Mars is limited to a single location," they wrote.
Orsei was also upbeat about the possible presence of more such subsurface water reservoirs on the plain.
"This is just one small study area," Orosei said in a statement at the time.
"It is an exciting prospect to think there could be more of these underground pockets of water elsewhere, yet to be discovered," he said.
For water to remain in liquid form in temperatures that researchers estimate is somewhere between -10 and -30 Celsius, the water is likely to be highly saline, which basically means it was, probably, never conducive to any kind of life form.
"It's plausible that the water may be an extremely cold, concentrated brine, which would be pretty challenging for life," Dr. Claire Cousins, an astrobiologist from the University of St Andrews, UK – was quoted by BBC as saying.
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Boko Haram Update: Female Suicide Attack, Police Station Bombing Herald More Violence Ahead of Nigeria Elections
By Kathleen Caulderwood @kcaulderwood
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau threatened a new regional force in a video released Monday. Above, militia hunters helping to fight the militant group are pictured in Yola, Nigeria, on Jan. 14, 2015. Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde
A female suicide bomber reportedly killed herself and at least seven people at a crowded market in northeast Nigeria on Thursday. It was the latest in a series of attacks attributed to the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which has been getting increasingly violent in the face of military efforts from neighboring Chad, Cameroon and Niger and an upcoming national election in Nigeria.
The suicide attack occurred in the northeastern city of Biu. Witnesses told Agence France-Presse that they saw at least one woman sitting in a van that drove through the crowded market and exploded on Thursday afternoon, killing at least seven and injuring 20 others.
The attack was just one of many carried out by Boko Haram this week, and is part of a new, varied strategy, analysts say.
"We should not forget that Boko Haram is both an insurgency which has achieved at least loose territorial dominion over wide swaths of northeastern Nigeria and parts of neighboring countries as well as a terrorist group," said Peter Pham, head of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center.
In the past few days, the insurgents bombed a police station, and two female suicide bombers attacked the town of Diffa, Niger, after Chad's security forces said they killed 13 Boko Haram fighters, according to Reuters.
"It is not surprising, since it has come under conventional military pressure in recent weeks, especially from Chadian and Nigerian forces, that it would resort to terrorist and other asymmetric tactics, both against military and civilian targets," Pham said.
Biu is the largest city in southern Borno and has been targeted by insurgents before. Boko Haram fighters tried to attack the same market last month, but were held back by Nigerian military. Biu is 110 miles from the state capital, Maiduguri, where the Boko Haram movement was founded, and has been a target for some time.
In its current form, the Boko Haram group, whose name translates roughly as "Western Education Is Forbidden," has been carrying out increasingly violent attacks around northeast Nigeria for five years, and gained international notoriety when it kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls last year, and later killed as many as 2,000 people during a Jan. 3 attack on the strategic border city of Baga. Its attacks have left thousands dead and more than a million people displaced.
West African Troops Kill Boko Haram Fighters
Beyond Boko Haram, Nigeria Fights Another Battle
Cameroon Niger Nigeria Terrorism
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"My favorite dress of this season is my Zara Tulip Dress," Jen writes on her blog, Red Soles and Red Wine. "Fitted on top with a structured poufy skirt, it's elegant, fun and chic." It's also a great way to make the tailored dress trend--ushered in by Victoria Beckham, but of course!--a little more youthful, thanks to the bold blue hue (doesn't it remind you of the Roksanda Ilincic dress Dianna Agron wore to the Emmys?). And once chillier weather rolls around, you can toss a cardigan or blazer on top (emerald green or bright pink if you're feeling adventurous, slate gray if you're not) and add a pair of tights!
What do you think, gals? Are you loving Jen's colorful take on ladylike dressing as much as we are? Do you look good in tulip-style dresses? Are you inspired to find one now? Discuss!
AND...don't forget...we're always on the lookout for our next Best Dressed Reader! Send us a head-to-toe photo of your favorite outfit, and the next one could just be YOU!


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The Barn Dog and the Show Girl
On January 13, 2020 By Jenny-LynnIn humor8 Comments
I was never, ever going to have two dogs. Two dogs is a pack of dogs, not a pair of dogs. And I was absolutely, positively never going to live with a shedding canine. Of course, life being the unrelenting teacher that it is, I am now living with two dogs, one an epic shedder. Our grown son has been staying with us and brought his dog along. The idyllic retirement of our adored standard poodle–hypoallergenic, dignified, and mellow–has been disrupted by a border collie—hyper-driven, ill-mannered, and needy. The only things these two have in common are four legs and a water bowl.
Our poodle's name is Nyx, in honor of the goddess of primordial mystery. The border collie is named Ptera, short for Pteradactyl, a flying reptile. When my son brought her home to Denver from the cattle ranch where she spent her first ten months, Ptera had to learn about glass doors: they are invisible things that hurt when you walk into them. Stairs also took some getting used to, as did leashes, men in hats, and magpies. In the early days of her new life, Ptera looked at us befuddled, as if to say, You people seem really nice, but where are the cows, and when do I start? In her eight years, Nyx has never slept in a barn or thought much about livestock. Her first language is play, not work, and if she spoke, she'd have a slightly patrician accent.
Post-bath, trying to figure out what she did wrong.
Our sweet poodle hates getting her feet wet—she steps delicately around water whenever possible. But the energizer collie has never met a dank puddle that she didn't want to jump into, then drink from. Ptera is a groupie, a black and white ball of let's-be-friends. She loves the cool kids, and Nyx is not only a cool kid, she's a goddess. When Ptera isn't in over-achiever mode, neatly arranging extracted shoe insoles, she likes to snuggle close. Very, very close. Early on, this involved walking over and plopping down on top of Nyx. Appalled, Nyx would stand up, shake her head, and move to another nap zone. Eventually, she tolerated a bit more togetherness—poodle and collie hindquarters almost touching. I might have taken a picture the first time that happened.
Post-groomer, expecting attention.
Nyx has taught Ptera the fine art of eating snow, grazing cold white crystals off the chairs in the back yard. Ptera has taught Nyx a few new wrestling moves, including what I call the "under-over", in which the younger dog ducks under the older, then jumps up as high as possible. When they play together, Ptera bows and dances until Nyx decides to give chase for a moment. Then the dignified poodle watches as the collie leaps and twirls, then becomes momentarily distracted by the scent of squirrel.
A dog trainer told us, I had a border collie once. I'll never have another border collie. She explained that they are bred to work, not to be social. Despite her sweet temper and eagerness to please, Ptera was anxious with strangers and almost impossible to tire out. The trainer said, Forget this idea of the more exercise, the better. Too much intense exercise just puts more cortisol in her system and makes her more reactive. The anxious over-exerciser in me could relate.
She recommended more intellectual stimulation, including puzzle feeding, which involves a few gadgets. There is the snuffle mat, a felt shag square that you tuck kibble into so the dogs can forage. A rolling plastic tube that drops one piece of food at a time also entertains while feeding. Finally, we have a wobble Kong, an eight-inch, rounded plastic pyramid with a hole in its side, like a food-dispensing bobble head. Border collies are technically smarter than standard poodles, but Nyx is more strategic, standing by to nibble food that Ptera puzzles free.
The little collie has come a long way, and taken me along for the ride. As I write, she is fast asleep on the living room couch, almost hip to hip with the show girl. Ptera is absolutely never allowed on the couch—it is a designated poodle sanctuary. But there she sleeps, shedding all over my never's and my absolutes. The neurotic little love-ball is family now, curled up in her own messy corner of my baffled heart. When she's back at my son's place, we return to our quiet habits with relief. But after a couple of days, even Nyx starts to yearn for more barn girl shenanigans.
Love fest.
Wilma and Lupe
On June 13, 2019 June 13, 2019 By Jenny-LynnIn humor4 Comments
Sometimes it takes the loss of those who live close-by to really appreciate what great neighbors we have. Demographics have changed in my old Denver neighborhood since I moved here in 1989. Take Wilma and Lupe, for instance, who moved in next door about five years ago. They were colorful friends who loved to wake up early and roam in their garden, especially after a summer rain. They would pull at a weed or two, then yank up juicy earth worms. And devour them.
Wilma and Lupe were chickens, good layers and sweet cluckers whom I came to love. I was chicken-sitting on the night an owl swooped into Wilma and Lupe's narrow enclosure, and—not without a fight—took them up, one at a time, to another neighbor's porch roof for a midnight snack. There was a lot to explain to the kids that morning, as that neighbor taped a net to a broom handle to pull down the feathered empties.
On the opposite side-yard, other neighbors also have a coop, with hens whose names I never learned– not after I'd let myself get so attached to Wilma and Lupe. I enjoyed their eggs that were so kindly passed to us, and the sounds the chickens made while laying. Imagine a dog yelp tethered to a crow caw, with a bit of a sigh at the finish. But those hens, too, met a violent end. Recently, a racoon broke into their coop and absconded with two of its three residents. That masked bandit enjoyed its meal on the transparent roof of our bike shed, where dark feathers and faint blood stains will remain for a while.
So, remember to count your blessings, neighbors! And you might also want to count your chickens. Stay safe out there, feathered and other friends.


Blossom Blast Saga Level 220 Last Lvl Jan-Feb 2016 | Pre-views, level help, tips and videos for ALL Facebook King levels!
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Ropalidia brevita är en getingart som beskrevs av Das och Gupta 1989. Ropalidia brevita ingår i släktet Ropalidia och familjen getingar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Getingar
brevita

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: Copy a file to multiple folders with specific name (Automator or script) I want to replace a specific file eg. file.js which is located in different folderstructures but always in the same folder named "core" by another file with the same name.
Example: copy "file.js" to all "core" folders which are in different subfolders of a folder
Example:
from:
x1 / file.js

to:
x / a / a1 / a3 / core /file.js

x / b / b1 / core / file.js

I tried a solution in automator on osx, but I didn't manage to store a filepath of the core folders or to copy the file to a path variable.
Does anyone know a solution?
shell script or automator or any other automated solution

A: This should do it as a bash script but test it on a copy of temporary data first:
find . -name core -type d -execdir bash -c 'cd core && [ -f file.js ] && cp SOMENEWFILE .' \;

Replace the cp SOMENEWFILE . with pwd to test and see which directories it would copy to.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother: A Woman of Her Century
Former Kings & Queens • 58m
Born on August 4th 1900, one of nine children, the extraordinary life of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - known around the world as "The Queen Mother" - spanned the 20th Century. When she died in 2002 she was 102 years old. From British Pathé TV's Royalty Collection.
History Television International distributor
Up Next in Former Kings & Queens
Time to Remember - 1936: The Time of ...
Good documentary about events of the year of the abdication crisis. Narrated by Sir Michael Redgrave.
British Royal Weddings of the 20th Ce...
Throughout the 20th century, royal weddings were events of majestic splendour. People would camp out in the streets of London to get a prime location for the procession. They would gather for a glimpse of the newly-married couple on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. In this film, we relive the ma...
British Royal Children of the 20th Ce...
Relive the formative years of Britain's most famous 20th-century princes and princesses – including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry – in this comprehensive and nostalgic overview of public appearances by young royals. From British Pathé TV's Royalty Collection.


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March declared international 'Fraud Prevention Month'
Zoomer | March 9th, 2006
According to Industry Canada, billions of dollars are lost every year to white collar crime, including fraudulent financial, telemarketing and advertising schemes.
As an indication of just how far reaching the problem is, March has been officially declared "Fraud Prevention Month" in Canada and around the world.
This month, law enforcement agencies from Canada and the United States joined forces in Ottawa to explain how partnerships are key in fighting the global threat of fraud — particularly as criminals increasingly use international borders in an attempt to escape consequences of their actions.
"Fraud is a serious problem that undermines consumer confidence and drains billions from legitimate markets around the world. It cannot be solved by law enforcement alone," said Sheridan Scott, Commissioner of Competition. "As Chair of the Fraud Prevention Forum (FPF), we work closely with partners in law enforcement, consumer and volunteer groups, government and the private sector to fight fraud aimed at consumers and business."
During March, in conjunction with FPF, over 24 countries who form the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network ll attempt to raise awareness of the dangers of fraud by educating the public on how to recognize, report and stop it.
All Canadians are vulnerable to fraud, including the well-educated and well-informed, but older Canadians are particularly so. According to a report prepared by Canada's Association for the Fifty-Plus (CARP), CARP's Fight Against Scams and Frauds: 2005 Report and Recommendations:
60 per cent of those who lose money in telemarketing scams are older Canadians
Victims over the age of 60 account for over 84 per cent of the approximate $3 billion lost in Canada each year
"Today's seniors face scams and frauds that are more complex and sophisticated than ever," said Lillian Morgenthau, founder and president of CARP. "Modern scam artists are technologically savvy, using computers, the Internet, and websites to take over individual's identities and steal their money. Then they quickly move this money out of the country so it can't be traced."
And in far too many cases, this type of crime does pay. Conviction for fraud in Canada rarely acts as a deterrent, with the pay-off for a crime far outweighing the sentence –often a mere slap on the wrist.
To reduce the risk associated with fraudulent activity, CARP has compiled the following Scam Watch List to warn people of potential scams and frauds:
1.The Shoulder Surfer. A lurking stranger sees and memorizes your PIN number. At the first possible opportunity, he pickpockets your wallet and makes his way to the nearest bank machine to withdraw money from your account. Advice: Always protect your PIN by ensuring no one sees you enter it.
2.The Disreputable Home Repairman. You respond to a flyer left in your mailbox, offering a good price on home repair. The repairman asks for a down payment to buy materials, but then he disappears with your money. Or he may do a shoddy job, overcharging in the process, and leaving you to pay someone else to repair the work. Advice: Ask friends or family to refer you to a trustworthy repair company.
3.The Imposter Bank Inspector. A caller, claiming to be an inspector or official from your bank informs you an audit is being done on your account. The caller then asks for specific banking information, including account numbers, credit card expiry dates and passwords. Having collected this personal data, the con artist then withdraws all your money. Advice: Remember, if the caller is a bank official, he or she would already have this information. If in doubt, ask for the caller's number and say you'll call back. Ensure the phone number is the same as your financial institution. If not, alert your bank immediately.
4.The "Phish-erman." Your bank purportedly sends an email asking you to click on a link to the bank website to verify personal information, including bank account numbers and passwords. In the typical phishing scheme, you are directed not to a legitimate website, but to a replicate site created by thieves to collect your sensitive information. Advice: Delete the email. If in doubt, type in a phony number or password. A legitimate site will not accept it, but a phishing site will.
5. The fake fundraiser. You are contacted by phone, fax or email by a charity that sounds familiar, thanking you for your previous gift and asking you to be generous again by contributing regularly. Advice: Check whether the organization is legitimate by visiting www.cra.arc.gc.ca or call 1-800-267-2384.
6.The overfriendly lender. A "lending company" guarantees a loan for people with poor credit ratings. But before proceeding, the company requests an upfront fee, which may range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Once you pay, it's doubtful you'll receive the promised loan. Advice: Only borrow from reputable financial institutions, and never pay an upfront fee for a loan.
7.The affinity fraudster. A new member of your church, ethnic or social group offers to handle your investment affairs. Because this person is associated with your organization, you feel he is trustworthy. The worst case scenario: your life savings will disappear into his fraudulent hands. Advice: Check credentials and references before allowing anyone to invest your money.
8.The 'Pump and Dump' investment broker. A 'broker' contacts you, promising massive returns on a penny stock. By promoting or pumping the stock aggressively, the broker convinces enough people to invest, thereby causing the price to rise. And this encourages investors to invest even more. Once enough people have been duped and the stock has been driven as high as it will go, the brokerage will suddenly dump it. Subsequently, the price plummets, and you can find no buyers for your shares – and the broker is not returning your calls. Advice: Don't invest with anyone who guarantees a high rate of return. Check to see if the brokerage you are dealing with has been certified by provincial securities regulators.
9.The identity thief. By stealing your mail, rooting through your trash, pinching your wallet or capturing your personal banking information online, thieves can assume your personal identity. Once this information is attained, a number of fraudulent activities can be carried out, such as establishing a bank account and writing bad cheques, obtaining credit and applying for mortgages. Advice: Shred financial correspondence. Deal only with reputable online businesses. Monitor your accounts regularly and contact the bank at the first indication of anything suspicious.
10.The big (bad) banker. A seemingly credible businessperson encourages you to invest in an international loan fund, operated by the world's largest banks. The fund is supposedly used to provide short-term financing to major companies and clients; and because the cash is needed immediately, you're told they will pay high rates of interest over a short period of time. However, once money is invested in this non-existent pool, it does not resurface. Advice: Always investigate before signing on to an investment scheme.
11.The lottery scammer. You receive email or junk mail informing you that you've won a substantial sum of money in an international lottery, but to claim your prize you need to contact the organization and give them the special code contained in the mail. This involves three possible scams: you'll be asked to pay a fee to access your nonexistent prize; you'll be asked for bank account information so the prize can be "deposited directly"; or you'll be asked to phone a 1-900 number, which will bill you at an exorbitant rate for each minute you're on the phone waiting to claim your prize. Advice: No legitimate lottery requests money in order to claim your prize. To do so is a clear signal that you are being scammed.
12. The Nigerian letter. You receive a letter or email requesting that you help the sender transfer a large amount of money out of Nigeria or some other African state. (Often the sender claims that government persecution is the reason for such clandestine transactions.) In return for your help, you'll receive one-third of the cash once it's safely out of the country. You are then told to pay transfer fees to expedite the transaction. Advice: If you receive one of these letters, forward it to [email protected] to help a joint force of the RCMP and OPP catch the scammers.
13.The free or low-cost vacation. You've completed a ballot for a chance to win a free or low cost holiday. A few days later, you receive a call to say you've won, but to hold your prize, you need to send your credit card number or money in advance to cover the tax. Advice: Only fill out ballots for organizations your recognize.
14.The pyramid selling scheme. This is based on the theory that investors make their money from investors recruited after them. Once no more investors can be found, the last investors at the bottom of the pyramid loses their investment. Participants also risk prosecution since pyramid selling is illegal. Advice: Talk to a lawyer or accountant before investing in any multi-level selling opportunity to confirm it is not a pyramid.
15.The work-at-home scam. You're asked to send in money (anywhere between $29.99 to $199) to receive a home business "start up" package which is guaranteed to generate huge dollars. After that you may receive a request for more money, or you may receive instructions on how you can place similar ads or notices thereby replicating the scheme. Or you may receive nothing at all and your money will go missing. Advice: If the business promoted really did generate megabucks, it wouldn't be advertised in the paper or glued to a telephone pole.


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Culture / Formation
The Power of Truth-Telling and Lament
Written by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
Written by Lisa Rodriguez-Watson
Editor's Note: We sat down with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, editor of the new book Voices of Lament, and Missio Alliance national director, Lisa Rodriguez-Watson, a contributor to the book, to gain understanding on the importance for both truth-telling and lament. Enjoy their dialogue.
Why did you write Voices of Lament now? How can this book be a needed balm in our land?
Lisa: Lament is so critical in the process of healing. As we live in a quasi-postpandemic moment, we need to grapple with the essential nature of lament in healing. There is no shortcut to healing when living through injustice, harm, and ongoing grief. Certainly, there are ways to suppress or deny our pain, but that doesn't bring about our healing. Failure to lament only leads to apathy and the perpetuation of injustice. The gift of lament is that it allows us to name the truth, to grieve, to hope, and then to heal.
Certainly, there are ways to suppress or deny our pain, but that doesn't bring about our healing. Failure to lament only leads to apathy and the perpetuation of injustice. Click To Tweet
Why are women of color uniquely gifted/burdened with the ability to lament? What can people of privilege and power—in particular, white Christian men—learn from women of color?
Natasha: What I have found amongst women of color—and I am a Black woman, specifically an African-American woman who is a descendant of the trans-Atlantic slave trade—is that faith has been an anchor for us. The lived theology of Black women in our country is one that leans toward: "Trust the Lord in spite of our suffering. God is the anchor for our soul, a very present help in time of trouble." The church misses out when our theology is centered on how well we can debate. Women of color remind us of the reality that our theology ultimately includes what we do—how well we love and treat our neighbors.
The church misses out when our theology is centered on how well we can debate. Women of color remind us of the reality that our theology ultimately includes what we do—how well we love and treat our neighbors. Click To Tweet
Women of color have shown that we have a deep and rich faith that has been refined because of our perseverance, our suffering, and our character, which has grown in light of those things. We are able to lead particularly when times are hard because it is not foreign to us. We don't overlook suffering or run from it. We know we can't escape it—we are vulnerable simply because of our gender and, of course, due to our ethnic identity. Thus, there are ways we can uniquely lead people who are experiencing darkness, vulnerability, or death for the first time. This is just a part of our existence.
Women of color have shown that they have a deep and rich faith that has been refined because of their perseverance, their suffering, and their character, which has grown in light of those things. Click To Tweet
Latasha Morrison, founder of Be the Bridge and author of the New York Times best-selling book of the same name, writes the following in her forward to Voices of Lament:
"From first contact to the current racial climate in the United States, Women of Color have been victims of suppression and oppression. As a result, we have been long-suffering. Through the generations, our existence has been the source of disdain. Our bodies and our minds have suffered through the centuries, but despite generational suffering, we have held onto hope and belief that we are more than our oppressors' opinion of us."[1]
Why is it it that holding onto hope and the belief that you are more than the opinion of oppressors is so critical for survival?
Natasha: The historical reality is, that in the United States of America, white men with power, position, and wealth (landowners originally) had the power to name and to define where, how, and if one belongs. We are then socialized into thinking about how to define other people (women, people of color, immigrants) by how the people with power, money, privilege, and land have named them. The naming happens first, and then the narratives are crafted. Out of those narratives we get myths, and we get stereotyped. A lot of these narratives are lies, but because they are told so explicitly, intentionally, and consistently, we all start to believe them. The narratives become the norm in how we see others.
The historical reality is, that in the United States of America, white men with power, position, and wealth (landowners originally) had the power to name and to define where, how, and if one belongs. Click To Tweet
The flip side is to raise the bar. In this book we are defining the terms, telling the truth, naming the realities, and speaking out against these narratives because we are using our own voices—voices of lament—to tell the truth about ourselves and our own people. We are doing that with dignity, honor, and respect. We are saying, "This is the truth I am going to tell you about myself."
Lisa: My journey is very different than yours, Natasha. I am biracial and "White-passing."[2] And so, as a woman often mistaken as White, I want to note that my experience is different than my African American sisters, and I stand in awe of the strength of the African American women in my life who have endured the worst of the oppression and suppression.
Though our ethnicities are different, we have in common that we are women. The oppression (suppression) for women comes at times in being overlooked in the context of men. For example, on numerous occasions I've not been introduced or greeted when in a circle of men. Other times, being overlooked is experienced as being seen as helpers to our male colleagues rather than the leaders of projects, churches, or organizations. When we are overlooked whether literally or figuratively, the end result is loss. What could serve as building up the body of faith instead becomes a barrier to flourishing.
Holding onto hope is our form of resistance. We resist the oppression and suppression by believing the truth about ourselves, by holding out hope and belief that we are women made in God's image and that God has a uniquely designed, powerful future—and present—for us that we are courageous enough to live into. The role of hope and belief reminds me of Resurrection—this is part and parcel for us as women of faith.
Holding onto hope is our form of resistance. We resist by believing the truth about ourselves, holding out hope and belief that we are women made in God's image and that God has a uniquely designed, powerful future—and present—for us. Click To Tweet
What was the genesis of this project's inception? What provoked you to gather a community of women of color to contribute to a shared, communal lament? How has this community impacted you?
Lisa: The unique thing about this project is that it is not just a compilation of content; it is a community of women that you, Natasha, have cultivated so that we can together experience the sisterhood that sustains us. This has happened through a global pandemic; the summer of 2020 with the murders of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery; and everything that followed.
Natasha: Add into this the continued hatred of and violence against Asian Americans, the immigration crisis at our border, the historical reality of countless Indigenous children buried under boarding schools, and the debate over CRT—we have a lot to lament!
Lisa: There can be a disconnectedness that happens between women of color as a result of power and patriarchy. I can feel like I don't know where to belong in primarily male, white spaces. The gift of this book has been re-engaging community with women of color who are in very similar circumstances to the ones I am in. The spiritual community that you, Natasha, have cultivated over the last two years is a sustaining force.
Natasha: Let the church say "Amen!"
How has the white American evangelical church contributed to the violence and oppression that women of color feel in their own land?
Lisa: Our stories are often not believed. We will tell the truth about our stories and many times they will be dismissed. From a more theological perspective, the White Evangelical church for decades taught and lived a partial gospel that bifurcated the spiritual from the social dimensions of faith. I've witnessed a shifting in more recent years, and there is now a greater understanding in some spaces that the spiritual and the social are not separate, but integrated deeply.
When we are marching and protesting, we are praying. When we are advocating in the halls of Congress, we are praying. This is as much of a spiritual practice as when we are on our faces before the Lord or in the Word of God. One is as formative spiritually as the other if we are surrendered to Christ in the process. But believing that what I do out in the public square for the common good is not Christian or spiritual has done women of color wrong, contributing to our oppression.
When we are marching and protesting, we are praying. When we are advocating in the halls of Congress, we are praying. This is as much of a spiritual practice as when we are on our faces before the Lord or in the Word of God. Click To Tweet
What did you learn personally while editing this project?
Natasha: There is a lot of hard content in this book. I am learning that people are not a monolith. I learned about the historical reality of things like the continued exploitation of the Hmong people of Vietnam as a result of our government's and military's wicked actions. As an American who has served in the Marine Corps, this is grievous to me—I found myself repenting to our author, Ka Richards, in my editorial comments to her work. I had no idea of this exploitation. The justification given to our nation when we exploit others is that this is for the "benefit of all Americans," but people have sacrificed their lives in ways that we don't even know! People in other countries—toward whom we are violent when they immigrate to our land—those same people have sacrificed and fought for our nation's behalf, and we don't even know this truth! This makes me sad and angry.
Lisa: That is the right response.
People in other countries—toward whom we are violent when they immigrate to our land—those same people have sacrificed and fought for our nation's behalf, and we don't even know this truth! Click To Tweet
In your introduction, you write:
"I know what it feels like when the thief of death uninvitedly climbs in through my window. I am a Black woman who is the daughter of a Black man, the wife of a Black man, the sister to my mother's Black son. From poor education to mass incarceration, Black women know what it is like for our men to be taken out of the public square. When a Black man is shot in the streets, I don't care who pulled the trigger—that is cause for our wailing. As a collective, Women of Color know that we are vulnerable, and the people whom we love are vulnerable too. We know that there is no fortress, no police, no policy, no president, no government that fights for us. God is our Strong Tower!"[3]
How can we listen, internalize, and bear witness to the generational pain and systemic injustice that have suppressed/oppressed women of color since America's inception?
Natasha: This project is not only a multiethnic, multicultural work—it is an intergenerational work. Particularly for the elders among us, I asked for them to speak from a position of authority and certainty, because of the life they have lived. God is our refuge and strength—our very present help in times of trouble. This is a central way I want to anchor people.
God is our refuge and strength—our very present help in times of trouble. This is a central way I want to anchor people. Click To Tweet
Listening and acting are both important, in particular, regarding systemic injustices. But some people in their privilege can choose to remain ignorant. We, as women of color, do not have that luxury—that is dangerous for us. As Christians, we have to take action to respond to systemic injustice as righteous truth-tellers. As women of color, we have born witness to what it means to be blameless (but not perfect!), living in the truth that can set us free. Truth-telling is an important Christian ethic that we have lost. We must recover it.
As Christians, we have to take action to respond systemic injustices as righteous truth-tellers. Truth-telling is an important Christian ethic that we have lost. We must recover it. Click To Tweet
[1] Latasha Morrison, forward of Voices of Lament (Natasha Sistrunk-Robinson, editor), p. 9
[2] "White-passing is when someone perceives a BIPOC person (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) as a white person, for whatever reason." (PureWow, "What Is White-Passing (and Is It Actually An Offensive Term?)" Chelsea Candelario, Dec 4, 2020)
[3] Natasha Sistrunk-Robinson, Voices of Lament, p. 17
Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
More by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
Juneteenth: A Day for Joy and Truth-Telling
What the Collision Between Covington Catholic School Boys and Nathan Phillips Reveals About White Supremacy
Choosing Freedom from Our Stories Despite "The Hate U Give"
All Our Children: How Churches Can Respond to the Crisis at the Border
A Clear Vision for the Future: The Corrective Lens of Black Theology (Pt. 2)Gino Curcuruto
Our Need for Lament
A Pentecost Sunday to Ponder: The Church Finds its Breath to Lament, Grieve, Repent
A Prayer of Lament for These Troubled Times
A Lament to God for Christ the Immigrant
Burning Away Barriers and Blowing Down Walls
Contemplative Spirituality Provides a Trauma-Informed Approach to Growing Healthier Churches
Three Steps to Developing a Multicultural Liturgy in Your Church
How Our Ignorance Slows Racial Justice and What We Can Do About It


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Final Details Emerge About Alabama Prison Guard Vicky White's Escape With Felon Inmate
Almost two weeks ago, a capital murder suspect escaped from an Alabama jail with the help of a female corrections officer. The pair was finally captured in Indiana after a vehicle chase that ended in a wreck.
Casey White, 38, and Vicky White, 56, are not related despite having the same last name. Vicky was a corrections officer at the prison where Casey was being held. The pair have known each other since 2020 and are assumed to have been romantically involved.
On the day of the escape, Vicky claimed she was taking Casey for a mental health evaluation at the courthouse. It was later discovered that there was no evaluation scheduled for that day, but due to Vicky's good standing among her coworkers, no one thought to doubt her.
In fact, Vicky had the reputation of being an "exemplary employee" with an "unblemished record.
"If she did this willingly, and all indications are that she did. I guess we're trying to hold on to that last straw of hope that maybe for some reason she was threatened and did this under coercion… but absolutely you'd feel betrayed," said Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton.
Singleton added that when news broke of the escape, Vicky's co-workers were "devastated." "We've never had any situation like this with Vicky White. She was a model employee," Singleton said.
The couple was on the run for about two weeks and were finally apprehended Monday afternoon in Evansville, Indiana, where they reportedly hid out for six days.
After the manager of a car wash in Indiana spotted Casey, US Marshals obtained the surveillance footage and saw someone who looked like Casey washing a Ford F-150 truck. After the agency confirmed that it was, in fact, the fugitive Casey White, law enforcement officers descended on the town.
Vanderburgh County, Indiana, Sheriff Dave Wedding reported that shortly after discovering the fugitive couple, they fled in a Cadillac. The police chased after them until the suspects drove through a grassy field. Wedding said the police "intercepted then actually collided with them, to try to end the pursuit."
"When this occurred, the female driver of the vehicle shot herself and the passenger was injured, not too seriously," added Wedding. "They've both been taken to local hospitals to be examined for their injuries."
In a press conference following their capture, Singleton said, "This has ended a very long and stressful and challenging week-and-a-half. It ended the way that we knew it would. They are in custody."
"We got a dangerous man off the streets today. He's never gonna see the light of day again. That's a good thing."
Regarding Vicky, who was being given emergency treatment in the hospital for her self-inflicted gunshot wound, Singleton said, "I hope she survives this. She has some answers to give."
Shortly after this, around 7 pm, Vicky died from her injuries.
This article originally appeared at 100PercentFedUp. Republished with permission.


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Valentine and Simmons clash in debate for mayor in Connecticut's second-largest city
By Christopher Keating
State Rep. Caroline Simmons, a Stamford Democrat, and former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine at Thursday's Stamford mayoral debate. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) (Mary Altaffer/AP)
DARIEN — Former baseball manager Bobby Valentine and state Rep. Caroline Simmons clashed Thursday in their increasingly bitter battle to become Stamford's next mayor. In their final debate before the Nov. 2 vote, the candidates battled over affordable housing in the fast-growing community that has become the state's second-largest city.
In front of about 200 business and civic leaders at a catering hall on the Darien-Stamford border, Valentine was asked about a recent video that has generated controversy because Valentine said that "if you're not owning, you're not caring." The comments have set off a pitched back-and-forth between the candidates regarding renters and homeowners.
"That was a 28-second clip that was taken out of context," Valentine said, adding that other clips had been similarly shortened during his long baseball career. "I was just trying to support the idea that we need more housing in our community that people can own. … We owe a lot to the development of the apartment complexes that have been built and all of the residents that live in them. But there's a great desire for home, condominium and town-home ownership. ... That 28 seconds regretfully got out there."
But Simmons countered that the clip was reflective of Valentine's views about housing.
"My opponent has consistently said that if you don't own in this city that you don't care about our city," Simmons said. "I think that's extremely offensive to the 50% of our city that is renting. Most of them can't afford to own homes. ... Why would we demonize half of our population that can't afford to [own]? It's insulting to suggest that they don't care about our city."
The candidates have clashed for weeks in a generational battle between a 35-year-old Democratic woman and a 71-year-old baseball celebrity. The candidates have accused each other of being negative — with Simmons implying that Valentine is too old and from the "old boys' network" as she represents the thousands of newcomers in the fast-growing city that is now bigger than Hartford and New Haven.
Despite the clashes, the candidates largely agree on the problems facing the city that need to be solved. Those include improving the public schools, attracting businesses, improving transportation, creating jobs, holding the line on taxes and removing mold from old school buildings.
Compared to previous debates, Simmons said Thursday's battle was less contentious in some ways because of the short-answer format and multiple breaks for television commercials because the debate was taped for later broadcast on News12, a major local cable station.
Another issue between the candidates has been how long they have lived in Stamford. Simmons, a Greenwich native, moved to the city eight years ago, while Valentine often mentions that his family has been in the city for more than a century.
"My grandparents came here 110 years ago," Valentine said, adding that his Italian-speaking grandmother and other ancestors did not speak English.
Valentine said he will be in Stamford for the long haul.
"I'm not going to Hartford from here, and I'm not going to D.C. from here," he said. "I'm staying here until the end."
Simmons said, "I couldn't be more proud to be raising my two sons in Stamford. That's why I'm in this race."
The Simmons campaign countered Valentine's talking points in a mailer recently saying, "Caroline will be the mayor who represents all of Stamford and will work to build a more inclusive, equitable, and thriving city — not just for the people who own a home or were born here — but for everyone," the campaign said in a fundraising email to supporters. "Caroline is the only candidate who will be ready on day 1 to fix our infrastructure and invest in our schools and small businesses, reduce racial inequities, and work with the Stamford delegation to secure federal and state funding for our city.''
Concerning diversity, Valentine said that his cabinet would be as diverse as the transition team that he has already announced.
"I've lived diversity through my entire life. I've lived in Japan," he said. "I've had teams with people from all over the country, speaking different languages."
Simmons said that Stamford residents speak 65 different languages, adding that she would work to hire more women in city government.
The city is politically split in many ways as reflected by the police union and teachers' union endorsing Valentine, while the firefighters' union has endorsed Simmons.
Get exclusive coverage of decisions made by state and local government officials and how they impact you from the Courant's political reporters
In a city where Democrats hold the advantage in voter registration, Democrats are trying to paint Valentine as politically inexperienced and too conservative. Democrats currently have about 31,000 registered voters, compared to 27,000 unaffiliated voters and only 13,000 registered Republicans.
A longtime Republican, Valentine is running as an unaffiliated candidate and refuses to be pigeonholed politically. He volunteers that the first candidate he ever voted for was liberal icon George McGovern.
A key wild card is how thousands of newcomers who have moved into Stamford will vote — or whether they will vote at all. Many of them are young, single professionals who have no immediate stake in the city's public schools.
Both construction and population are exploding in Stamford, which is Connecticut's fastest-growing city with more than 135,000 residents — larger than New Haven and Hartford. Once a commuter town with fewer than 75,000 residents when Valentine was born in 1950, Stamford has surpassed Hartford, the capital city that had peaked with 177,000 residents in 1950.
Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com.


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Newman Battles Loose Race Car, Finishes 21st at Charlotte
Photo Courtesy of Steven Rose
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 11, 2008) - Ryan Newman and the Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel Dodge team battled a loose-handling race car for most of the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Despite leading 10 laps and running in the top 15 for a large majority of the night, the team could never quite tame the loose race car.
An untimely caution with 80 laps remaining in the race led to Newman falling one lap down, which he could not make up. Newman ended the night in 21st place, one lap down to the leaders.
Newman is currently 15th in the NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings, 392 points out of 13th spot, with five races remaining in the 2008 NASCAR Cup season.
"It was not the night we had hoped for with our Alltel Dodge," Newman said after the race. "The car started out loose and it got looser and looser throughout the night. We just never got the handle on it that we needed to in order to get a good finish tonight."
Due to inclement weather at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Thursday night, the field was set according to 2008 NASCAR Cup Series owner point standings, and Newman started 16th.
Early in the 334-lap race, Newman radioed his crew that the Alltel Dodge was loose, which was the same problem that he had fought in two practices on Friday night at the 1.5-mile oval. Newman also told his crew that the car was very sensitive on the right rear spring especially when braking, which made it difficult to get into the turns.
The Alltel pit crew had their first opportunity to help Newman's handling problems when the caution flag waved at lap 43. Newman, then in 15th spot, pitted for four tires, fuel, a track bar adjustment and a wedge adjustment. Newman returned to the track in 21st place, as many cars in front of him had opted to take just two tires.
Within just a handful of laps, Newman came back on the radio to tell his crew that the car was still too loose. Newman was able to gain some ground, and by lap 100, he had moved back into the top 15, but he was still not happy with the handling of his car.
The yellow flag waved again at lap 102, and Newman pitted for significant adjustments in hopes of tightening up the No. 12 Dodge. The pit crew changed four tires, added fuel and removed the spring rubbers from the right rear of the car. Newman returned to pit road a second time for a wedge adjustment. When the race restarted at lap 108, Newman was in 24th place.
"We took a hit there in track position on that stop, but we needed to do it while we had the chance," crew chief Roy McCauley radioed Newman after the stop.
At lap 121, the caution flag waved again. Newman told the Alltel crew that the car was "definitely more driveable, but it was still loose." Since it had only been a handful of laps since the last pit stop, the 12 team opted to stay on the track.
Newman took over the race lead at lap 123 under the caution flag, and he was able to hang on to the lead under the green flag until lap 132. Even out front and in cleaner air, Newman told his crew that the car "was still a good bit loose."
By lap 160, Newman had fallen to seventh place. Because the team was about 14 laps off pit stop sequence from the other lead lap cars, Newman was forced to pit early. The pit crew changed four tires, added fuel and made a track bar adjustment. The green flag stop put Newman a lap down, but the No. 12 Alltel Dodge cycled back onto the lead lap at lap 180 in seventh place after the other lead lap cars completed their pit stops. Again, Newman relayed to the Alltel crew that the car was still too loose.
Another caution period on lap 186 gave the Alltel pit crew the opportunity to work on alleviating the No. 12's loose-handling condition. The team changed four tires, added fuel and made another track bar adjustment. Newman restarted the race in 20th place.
Over the course of the next 20 laps, Newman narrowly avoided two multi-car wrecks that happened around him. During the ensuing caution periods, Newman, like the other lead lap cars stayed on track.
Newman pitted under the green flag at lap 257 for four tires, fuel, a track bar adjustment and an air pressure adjustment to the left rear tire. An untimely caution just seven laps later put Newman and several other cars on the tail-end of the lead lap, in 14th place.
Newman was able to hang onto his lead lap spot for several laps, but at lap 285, he was overtaken by the leaders to go one lap down. Newman radioed his crew that the car was "the loosest it had been the entire race."
The team had one more opportunity to work on the car when the caution waved another time at lap 297. However, following the pit stop, Newman said the change had not helped. Newman fell back to 21st place, where he finished the event.
"We were too loose all day," McCauley after the race. "We struggled trying to get it tightened. The last set of tires we put on were scuffs and it still didn't tighten it up enough."
Penske Racing teammates Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. finished third and 22nd, respectively.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action next Sunday, October 19 for the Tums QuikPak at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. The race can be seen live on ABC at 1 p.m. EDT and coverage on MRN Radio begins at 12:45 p.m. EDT.
Ryan Newman, Driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge
Laps Completed/
Laps Led
Driver Point
Race Winner: Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Chevrolet)


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Q: android writing to sdcard I am not able to write to the SDCARD.  I can not create a Directory or a File, what am I missing  I have this in the manifest
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"></uses-permission>

And this in my code
btnSave.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener()
        {
            public void onClick(View arg0)
            {
                // Create a directory; all ancestor directories must exist
                    boolean success = (new File("/sdcard/Methods/")).mkdirs();
                //create file
                    try{
                    File myFile = new File("/sdcard/Methods/Method 1 Square.xml");
                    File file = myFile;
                        // Create file if it does not exist
                        boolean success1 = file.createNewFile();}
                    catch (IOException e)
                        {}
                //write to file
                    try {
                        BufferedWriter out = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter("/sdcard/Methods/Method 1 Square.xml"));
                        out.write ("<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>");
                        out.write ("<?mso-application progid=\"Excel.Sheet\"?>");
                        out.write ("Workbook xmlns=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet\"");
                        out.close();
                    } // end try
                    catch (IOException e)
                    {
                    } // end catch

            } // end public

        }); // end SAVE Button

A: 1st Thing:
Just check the 'success' variable, whether it returns really true.
2nd Thing:
As you have hard coded the /sdcard, Instead i suggest you get the directory using: Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() because in some devices the sd-card root directory is /mnt/sdcard so the above method to get root directory.
3rd Thing:
You should first check whether the SD-card is mounted or not.
Example:
File sdCard = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory();
File dir = new File (sdcard.getAbsolutePath() + "/dir/subdir");  // in your case, just give /Methods

dir.mkdirs();
File file = new File(dir, "filename");  // in your case, just give "Method 1 Square.xml"

FileOutputStream f = new FileOutputStream(file);

A: The problem may be that the directories in the path do not exist. With that FileWriter constructor, if the file does not exist it is created but that doesn't include the directories.