A listing of all the articles written by Ben Zani for the RotoWire Blog.
Kevin Durant is filthy good – A Google search for "LeBron James" yields 7.4 million hits. A similar search for "Kevin Durant" gives only 1.35 million mentions. Yet which player won the scoring title this year? Yes, Durant, the guy with spaghetti arms playing in the Dust Bowl, defeated the mighty LeBron and his 7.4 million hits. In fact Durant increased his scoring average by five points over last year, which was an improvement of five points over his rookie year. At this pace, Durant will be averaging a Wilt-like 50 points per game by 2014. Looking aside his 29-game streak of scoring 25 points or more, what really impressed me is Durant's performances over the last few weeks, with his team's playoff life on the line. In April, Durant has averaged 35.1 points and eight rebounds, while shooting 41|PERCENT| from three. That's a guy you do not want to see in the first round of the playoffs.
This was a great rookie class, but not necessarily from those that you'd expect – If you'd have told me that the No.1 pick would be hurt all season, the No. 2 pick would end up in the D-League and the No. 5 pick would spend the season tanning in Barcelona, I'd have assumed that 2009-2010 would have been a terrible rookie class. Not so fast my friend. Sacramento's Tyreke Evans immediately proved himself unguardable and will be on All-Star teams for years to come. Same with Stephen Curry, whose shooting prowess from college proved to carry over to the pros. But the real backbone of this year's rookie class was the unheralded guys. Reggie Williams came out of the D-League to average a 15-5 every night. Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton gave Hornets fans hope that their team could compete without Chris Paul. DeJuan Blair, Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Taj Gibson – none of them were high picks, and yet all were major contributors. Wesley Matthews wasn't even drafted, and now he's starting every night in Utah. And who would've thought that the Pistons' brightest hope this year would have been a Swedish guy that was picked in the second round? Aside from the Swedish Chef of course.
The old guys are still kickin' – Most of us do it. When a player reaches their mid-30s, we tend to write them off, especially from a fantasy basketball perspective. My grandmother would call it "ageist" and then hit me with a newspaper. Though in basketball, where running, jumping and quickness are involved, one is just more likely to trust 25-year-old legs than 35-year-old ones. In some cases, |STAR|coughShaqcough|STAR| those assumptions are completely right. But in many other cases, this year was the year of "that old dude's still got it." 36-year-old Steve Nash had his best season in years, leading the league in assists and having another 50-40-90 shooting season. 36-year old Marcus Camby finished second in the league in rebounding. Chauncey Billups and Tim Duncan, both 33, looked downright spry for most of the year, despite having logged heavy miles over their careers. Even 37-year-old Jason Kidd popped a triple-double last week, and led his team to a high seed in the playoffs. He even shot 42|PERCENT| from three, despite being older than Mario "A.C. Slater" Lopez.
It's been a great season and should be an even better playoffs. Can LeBron win a title before he starts his own franchise in Sheboygan? How many newspapers will check the spelling of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute while writing up their playoff capsules? Will Adam Morrison lead the Lakers to another title? Enjoy the playoffs folks, and try not to be the one who killed Kenny.
You have no idea how much it pained me to write that sentence. You have to understand – I was literally born with a Bird jersey in my crib. My first word was "b-ball." My mother said that the only person she'd leave my father for is Danny Ainge. So writing that sentence felt like ripping off a band-aid that covered my entire chest. Akin to getting a paper cut on your tongue. Almost as bad as being stuck in an elevator that had Nickelback songs on a loop. Painful. Excruciating. Troublesome. The admission that my beloved C's are done, cooked, kaput…well, let's just be glad I pay a therapist to help me deal with these issues.
Now, I know that the C's are currently ranked 4th in the East, and very well could end up at 3rd by the end of the next week. And yes, most of the team's core owns a championship ring, and nearly all of them have significant playoff experience. They even have all the ingredients for playoff success – strong guard play, a take-it-to-the-rim scorer, sound team defense – but it doesn't matter. The very short-lived dynasty will go out with a whimper this year. And it absolutely kills me to say that.
The C's started their season like championship contenders. After 28 games, the Celtics sat at 23-5, with wins over Cleveland, Utah and San Antonio. Rondo was playing like a top 5 point guard, Pierce was on, and Kendrick Perkins was grabbing rebounds at a strong rate. Still, you could see signs of an impeding fall, even then. Ray Allen shot 25|PERCENT| from three in the month of November. Garnett clearly looked broken down, even at the start of the season. 15 of those 23 wins came against teams that would not be in the playoffs as of today.
Since then? 26-24. Boston has lost 12 losses in games that they've led by at least five at halftime. " Allen has his worst three-point shooting, and consequently scoring, year since his rookie year. In fact, the C's Big Three of Allen, Pierce and Garnett are all averaging their worst scoring numbers since their respective rookie years. If that's not a giant red flag to fantasy owners, I don't know what is. And don't even get me started on Rasheed Wallace.
This day of reckoning may not come in the first round, especially with Andrew Bogut gruesomely dislocating his elbow and Miami serving as a decently favorable matchup. The second round, however, is an entirely different matter. Boston is 0-4 against Atlanta and 1-3 against Orlando. Even when they beat a top team, like the Celtics did Sunday against Cleveland, they do things like "blow 22-point leads in the fourth quarter, causing Celtics fans like myself to take up drinking combatively as a hobby. The team looks tired, old and listless more often than not, and especially last night against the hopeless Knicks. I sadly expect things to get absolutely ugly in the second round for the Celtics, and to look even worse next year.
Ah, next year. Frankly, there is very little in the way of encouraging signs for Celtics fans or fantasy owners. Garnett may have been fantasy's biggest bust this year, especially given his ESPN Average Draft Position of 21. Fantasy owners won't make that mistake next year. Unfortunately, the Celtics will, as he's on the hook for $40 million over the next two years. Ugh. Allen's contract is up at the end of this year however, and if he does return to Boston, it will almost assuredly be in a reduced role. Pierce averaged 11.7 points per game in February, and is looking as beaten down as he has his whole career. Fantasy owners have hope in Rondo, but are still maddened by his wildly inconsistent scoring numbers. Rasheed? Perkins? Bueller? This could get ugly.
I know, I know, I should be happy with my 17 championships and shut up. And don't get me wrong, I am. I wouldn't trade anything for that 2008 championship. But to watch players who so very recently brought me such joy go out with such a whimper…well…I'm glad I have that therapist on speed dial.
Manu Ginobili may be the most difficult player in the league to statistically quantify. The fact that he comes off the bench and plays in the Spurs' system makes him a fantasy outlier anyways, and the nature of his game, which I can only describe as "controlled chaos" doesn't help matters. But one thing has always been certain for Argentina's most famous basketball export: he wins games.
My impetus to write about Manu stemmed from an interesting piece on the blog My Expiring Contract. Its author looked at the career Win Share percentage throughout NBA history, trying to find the game's most productive players. Some of his findings were predictable – Jordan, Wilt, Kareem and Magic all scored high. Some of his findings were very interesting – David Robinson having the highest Win Share percentage of any big man in history being one. But what stuck out to me the most was the career Win Share percentage calculation for wing players. Jordan, as expected, ranked first, and LeBron, not surprisingly, was second. Third? Manu Ginobili. Yes, sixth man Manu, ahead of such players as Kobe Bryant, Jerry West and Larry Bird.
Now am I arguing that Manu is a better overall player than Kobe or Bird? No. But I will say that Manu certainly seems to use his on-court time more efficiently, both offensively and defensively. In fact he's the only active player to rank in the top 10 in Offensive and Defensive Rating. He's sixth among active players in True Shooting percentage as well. Ginobili plays smart and effectively, making his shots on the offensive end and picking up steals and stops on the defensive end. He's the type of player that advanced statistics seem to be made for.
Of course, advanced stats don't always translate as well to fantasy, where Manu has long been viewed as a good-but-not-great player. Fantasy players have long pointed at his lack of minutes (more than 30MPG only once in his career) as a reason for staying away from him. Even in limited minutes though, Ginobili has consistently put up solid across-the-board numbers. I'd personally rather have Manu's 17-4-4 with 2 steals and 85|PERCENT| free throw shooting every game than, say, Mo Williams, who went an average of 45 spots ahead of Ginobili in ESPN drafts. In fact, Manu, at age 33, entered the season at an average draft position of 87. As of now, he's ranked 27th in ESPN's Player Rater system, and with Tony Parker out, Manu's value should only go up.
Parker's injury, in fact, has made it abundantly clear how valuable Ginobili actually is this season. The Spurs, without Parker, won games over Oklahoma City, Cleveland and Boston, all in the same week. In the win over Cleveland, the league's best team, Ginobili had a 30-6-6 night with a 3-5 performance behind the three point line. More telling however was the fact that the Spurs, just off the heels of beating the Cavs and Celtics, lost to the lowly Nets on Monday night. Monday's game of course happened to be the one that Manu missed with a sore back. So far this month Ginobili is putting up 22.4 points and 5.5 assists per game, while shooting 44|PERCENT| from three. On the year, his three-point percentage is still at 38|PERCENT|, and he's at 87|PERCENT| from the free-throw line. He's averaging 1.4 steals and 16 points. Manu is doing this year what he's been doing his entire career – playing smart.
Ginobili's contract is up at the end of the season, and while most expect the Spurs to re-sign him, he has stated publicly that he doesn't foresee San Antonio offering him an extension. The Spurs, of course, have remained silent, and for good reason. With Manu, they can beat the Cavs. Without him? They lose to the Nets. Maybe Win Share percentage does matter after all.
Is it Time to Give Up on Andrew Bynum?
It has become an annual rite of spring, like the azaleas at Augusta or the Undertaker winning a Wrestlemania match. Yes, for the third straight year, Lakers center Andrew Bynum is missing late-season time with an injury. These injuries, combined with the nagging aches and strains that have plagued Bynum throughout his career bring to mind the question: is it time to give up on Andrew Bynum?
Bynum has been labeled as the "next great center" since his high school prom. At 7-0 and 285 pounds, Bynum has the size and athleticism to be at least a reasonable facsimile of Dwight Howard. And Bynum has shown flashes, starting with an 18-9 against Phoenix just days after his 19th birthday, and regular double-doubles before he was old enough to drink. While the Lakers have dangled everyone and anyone, Kobe included, in trades over the past few years, Bynum has always been the team's untouchable player in trade rumors. He is potential personified.
That potential, however, has been dwarfed by Bynum's propensity to suffer major injuries over the last few years. His injury problems started in January of 2008 with a left patella subluxation, followed that up with a torn right MCL in 2009, and now he's out with an Achilles' issue. On top of those, Bynum has missed time this year with elbow, ankle and hip problems. Over the last three years, Bynum has missed a total of 84 regular season games, with more expected through the rest of this season. That's not even including the playoffs, which have been affected the last two years by Bynum injuries, and figure to do so this year as well. He simply can't stay on the court.
But has Bynum even been that good when he has been healthy? This year has possibly been his best year, with only the injury-shortened 2007-2008 year comparing. Bynum's numbers this year: 15 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 57|PERCENT| field goal shooting. Good, but not "late-90s Shaq" by any means. Bynum had nine double-doubles in his last 30 games, again good, but not blow-away great. Bynum has a career 69|PERCENT| free throw average, and only gets to the line three times per game. Stats-wise among centers he's slightly behind Brook Lopez, and about even with Marc Gasol. Emeka Okafor is beating him in blocks and rebounds, Kendrick Perkins shoots better from the field and has more blocks. Lopez-Gasol-Okafor-Perkins. No All-Stars among them, and certainly not the company that most expected Bynum to keep. More importantly, all of these centers make significantly less than Bynum, and could have been had much later in fantasy drafts.
Granted, Bynum is the second low-post option for the Lakers, but with Pau Gasol's recent contract extension, that situation doesn't look to change any time soon. Lamar Odom was recently extended as well, so the idea of Bynum as a growth stock or as someone who will suddenly see an influx of offensive touches seems to be wishful thinking for his fantasy owners. 15-8 seems to be Bynum's healthy ceiling, at least for the next two or three years. Of course the operative word in that sentence is "healthy," as knee, ankle and Achilles' problems on a 285 pound man are never exactly a good sign for future success. So make this latest Bynum injury be a sign for next year's draft, and let someone else in your league take a risk on Bynum. Let that guy worry about him while you're watching the Undertaker.
Ahh March Madness. Or as it's known around my house, "Basketball Christmas." Don't get me wrong, I love the NBA, but the NCAA Tournament (and really the entire month of March in college basketball) hold a greater sense of urgency, importance and permanence than the NBA Playoffs. Yeah I said it. I like the NCAA Tournament more than the NBA Playoffs. Maybe it's because of Gus Johnson's screaming, or the phrase "Bracketology," or the fact that, as the commercial with the kid balancing a soccer ball on his foot while playing violin, most of these people will be going pro in something other than basketball. Also, in a related story, if I saw a college in a New York City subway station balancing a soccer ball on his foot while playing violin, I'd totally give him money. But I digress.
Part of the reason I like the NCAA Tournament so much is because I've always been fascinated with potential. I spent all of last year drooling over Ricky Rubio Youtube clips. I still think Tyrus Thomas can become an All-Star big man. I thought Harold Miner was awesome, and I don't fault the Celtics for drafting Kedrick Brown. Does this make me an idiot? Probably. But there's just something about players with unlimited athletic potential that leaves me speechless.
Which is why I am not picking Kansas this year. Every talking head you see is telling you why Kansas' experience and fundamentals and intangibles and (insert vague adjective here) will win them the tournament in the name of PROPER BASKETBALL. To me? They're bland, and not just because I saw them get smoked in person by a Tennessee team with only six scholarship players. Sherron Collins? Blah. He's Kyle Lowry at best and Mateen Cleaves at worst. Cole Aldrich? Hate him. Why a team would waste a top-5 pick on Joel Pryzbilla 2.0 is beyond me. Xavier Henry? A bit better, though it's telling that NBADraft.net's closest comparison to him is Jimmy Jackson. I never had any Jimmy Jackson posters on my wall.
John Wall, PG: Simply put, John Wall is the best athlete heading into the NBA since LeBron James. He reportedly has a 40″ vertical leap. He runs the break quicker than Rajon Rondo. His wingspan is ridiculous for a 6'4″ guard. He plays defense. He shoots (kinda). Every time John Wall steps on the court, there's a chance of something you've never seen before happening. How many players can you say that about? Yes, he's inconsistent and isn't wonderful in the clutch, but nobody in this tournament (and very few players in the NBA, if any) possesses the tools that Wall has. I'd be absolutely terrified to bet against someone like that. In fact, I should probably stop writing about Wall, for fear of bringing on a restraining order.
Eric Bledsoe, PG: On an unpredictable team, Bledsoe may be the biggest wild card of all. Sure, he's not as temperamental as Cousins or as brazen as Wall, but Bledsoe defines the old basketball archetype of the bombs-away shooter. Granted, teams will try to make him a point guard due to his 6'1″ size and the lack of quality point guards in this year's draft (should he declare), but make no mistake: Bledsoe is a shooter first, second and third. And the man is streaky, shooting 4-22 from three in the seven games before Sunday's 5-8 long-distance day. He hasn't had more than three assists in his last eight games, and will need to temper his shoot-first mentality to become a true point guard. He does have speed and defensive skill in his favor however, which should attract NBA scouts.
DeMarcus Cousins, C: Cousins is insanely talented. Cousins is also insanely insane. He was #1 in PER for all of college basketball this season, and generally looked like a man among boys in the low post all season. His size and frame translate immediately to NBA production, and nobody would be shocked if he averaged a double-double from Day 1 in the League. He blocks shots and has a strong low-post offensive game. Talent-wise, he's everything you could ask for in an NBA center. Off the court? That's another story entirely. The fact that most compare Cousins' character to Derrick Coleman is a giant, massive, blaring, humongous red flag. Google "demarcus cousins crazy" and you get 123,000 hits. If you look up "demarcus cousins sane" there's only 8,700. The masses have spoken. But he's also crazy good.
Patrick Patterson, PF: Unlike his teammates, Patterson has been wildly consistent on a team where he often doesn't see as many touches as a player of his talent should. Patterson is the definition of a solid post player – like a slightly shorter Al Jefferson. He's also shown an ability to improve, as evidenced by his development of a jump shot and even a perimeter game over the last year. Patterson's overshadowing in Kentucky may actually also bode well for him in the NBA, as he's now used to playing with immensely talented players and can still adapt accordingly.
I'm reminded of those commercials for Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal from when I was a kid. In the ads, adults talked about how they loved the wheat side of the cereal, while kids proclaimed their joy for the frosted side. In this analogy, Kansas is the wholesome shredded wheat side, where Kentucky is the sugar and frosting side. Whole grains are all well and good, but which side was more fun to eat?
Allen Iverson is a Hall of Famer. This much is certain, both due to the on-and-off court impact that Iverson had in his 14-year career, and the Basketball Hall of Fame's comparatively low standards of induction. He won an MVP, led the league in scoring four times, he carried the 2000-2001 Sixers on his back to the Finals, and more importantly, he may have been the league's most culturally relevant player in the post-Jordan, pre-LeBron era. Iverson played the game with the reckless abandon of a special teams gunner, and his efforts will be rewarded with enshrinement in the Hall, probably on the first ballot.
But was Iverson one of the greatest fantasy players to ever live? Obviously the man could score, but did he provide the all-around production that is necessary from an elite fantasy player? When looking at his career body of work, there are a few glaring aspects that prove that AI was not as elite in the fantasy realm as one would originally consider him to be.
Shooting: Iverson led the league in shots attempted four times during his career. His shooting percentages during those years? 41, 42, 41 and 42 percent. Yes, I know he wasn't exactly taking layups all the time. But Kobe Bryant has also led the league in shots attempted four times in his career, and averaged 45, 46, 46 and 46 percent from the field in those years. Iverson's been even worse from three – in only six of his 14 years has he averaged more than 30|PERCENT| from long range. And it's not like he hesitated from shooting downtown either. Iverson ranks 31st in career three-point attempts, but only 49th in made three-pointers. Iverson's career shooting (42.5|PERCENT|) and three-point (31.3|PERCENT|) numbers leave a significant amount to be desired from a fantasy perspective.
Durability: Iverson was long lauded for his toughness and durability, and given how he played the game, he certainly deserves much of those accolades. For a guy who was generally listed at 6'0," Iverson sacrificed his body more ECW's Sabu. But his efforts may have done more harm than good. Iverson played in 60 or more games in only eight of his 14 seasons, and only once in the last four. And this isn't even taking into account the fact that Iverson was a constant risk for suspensions due to his off-court behavior, which certainly had his fantasy owners on edge every time they heard his name on the news.
Scoring: This was obviously Iverson's greatest strength, as he led the league in scoring four times, behind only guys named "Jordan" and "Chamberlain" in total number of scoring titles. His 24, 368 points rank him third among active (well, sorta active) players and 17th alltime. Great numbers obviously, and his scoring should be the thing above all else that gets him into the Hall. But at what expense? When looking at Usage Percentage, or the percentage of a team's plays used by one player, we see why he was able to score so much. A staggering 31.8|PERCENT| of all the plays in Iverson's career were used by him. That's fourth alltime, and ahead of such players as Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving and Larry Bird. So yes, Iverson scored a ton, but he took up a hugely disproportionate number of his teams' plays while doing so, negatively affecting the fantasy numbers for his teammates.
Turnovers: Fantasy players always know that they're taking a risk when they pick a player who carries the ball up the court every play, but Iverson was a much bigger risk than most. He led the league in turnovers twice, and averaged 3.6 per game for his career. He was among the league's top ten in coughing the ball up in seven different seasons. Among active players, he ranks second in career turnovers, ahead of even Shaquille O'Neal. If AI was your fantasy team's starting point guard, you were probably towards the bottom of your league in turnover ranking.
Now obviously Iverson was a great player, and I don't mean this column as a hit piece. His assist and steal numbers were exemplary, and we may never see a player of Iverson's size again able to put up the type of scoring numbers that Iverson provided throughout his career. But from a fantasy perspective, Iverson was always a huge risk, contributing greatly in one category while hurting your team in many others.
When Chris Paul tore his left meniscus at the end of January, most people figured that the Hornets were doomed, especially when it was revealed that CP3 would miss up to two months after surgery. And it was with good reason; for the last five seasons, Paul has been the heart, soul and engine of the Hornets. This year was even turning out to be Paul's best shooting season, as he made 50|PERCENT| of his shots from the field and 42|PERCENT| of his threes. On top of that, Paul leads the league with 11.2 assists per game and is second in the league in steals. Fantasy owners and Hornets fans alike had to wonder the same thing: who would step up in Paul's absence?
The answer, interestingly enough, has come in the form of two rookies: Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton, neither of whom went in the top 20 of last year's draft. In fact Thornton's drafting was more seen as a "Hornets grab local boy" public relations move than anything, as he hails from Baton Rouge and went to LSU. But it's been these two rookies, more than anyone else on the New Orleans roster, who have stepped up in Paul's absence. Collison won the Rookie of the Month award for February by posting 21.6 points and 8.3 assists per game. The only other rookie over the last 25 years to post scoring and assist numbers that high in the same month was Allen Iverson. Thornton was no slouch, averaging 18.8 points and shooting 43|PERCENT| from three, even while missing a few games with a back injury. Thornton even broke the team record for points in a quarter in last week's loss to Cleveland.
Both players have also put up secondary numbers that make each of them strong fantasy pickups. Collison averaged 1.8 steals per game in February, and shot 82|PERCENT| from the free throw line. Thornton shot 83|PERCENT| from the stripe, and is at 40|PERCENT| from three on the year. Both players certainly have their flaws – Collison's 4.8 turnovers per game in February and Thornton's low assist and rebound numbers – but for two late-drafted rookies seeing some of the first significant minutes of their careers, it's certainly an encouraging start.
The looming question, of course, is whether this strong play will end when Paul returns. Paul's return should affect Collison the most. Collision has a similar skill set as Paul, plays the same position, and his size (6'0″) doesn't translate well to anywhere but the point guard spot. Still, I wouldn't be shocked to see Collison still get 20-25 minutes per game once Paul returns, if only as a reward for his strong February and to help ease Paul back into the lineup. Moreover, Collison's excellent play last month could open the door for New Orleans to shop Paul before he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2011, allowing the Hornets to get something for Paul before he leaves town.
Thornton however may end up being the backcourt complement that Paul has always wanted. Thornton's predecessors – Desmond Mason, Bobby Jackson, Jannero Pargo, Morris Peterson – haven't exactly been massive offensive threats that draw defensive attention away from Paul. Thornton however, with his ability to score in bursts, is just what the Hornets, and Paul, have long needed. Even in his role off the bench, Thornton has put up two 30-point games in the last week, and against Cleveland and San Antonio no less. It only seems a matter of time until he wrests the starting role away from Peterson and is allowed to really let his talents fly while playing next to Paul.
Given these circumstances, I'd say that Thornton may actually be the better fantasy investment for the long run. He shoots well, will have more open looks when Paul returns, and his rebound (and possibly assist) numbers should increase with a starting role. Collison had a great February, and I don't doubt that he'll continue to play well when Paul returns. But Thornton has the talent and plays just the right position to become even more of a breakout star when Paul returns. Not too bad for a local kid.


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From 2040 you'll take your voice-activated AI steering wheel with you everywhere
By John McCann
And it could be the only part of the car you own
Jaguar has given us a vision of driving in 2040 with its Future Type concept car at its annual Tech Fest in London, but it's not the car itself which is drawing attention, but the steering wheel inside it.
Dubbed 'Sayer', the heart of the wheel is its smart AI and advanced speech recognition, which takes the technology we currently have in the likes of the Amazon Echo and Google Home and makes it smarter, more responsive and reactive, and more important to our daily lives.
But this isn't just a smart speaker that you talk to in your car; Jaguar wants you to take it everywhere with you. The wheel can be removed from vehicles – such as the firm's Future Type concept – and taken with you, be it to sit in your home and work as a smart speaker, or as a travel companion in your bag.
Jaguar says it'll also be linked to your other connected devices, including your kitchen white goods and smart home controls, and to the outside world, to keep you up to date and even perform chores and tedious tasks without you having to ask.
Sayer wheel gallery
The Sayer wheel could be the hub of your life
The hole in the middle of the wheel fits around the digital cockpit display in the car
There are soft grip sides to the Sayer, ready for you to take control if you want to drive
Round the back there are a couple of slender buttons, plus an extra key on top
The wheel is surprisingly lightweight
It has its own displays on the right and left of the hole, to show info such as time and weather
The Jaguar Future Type concept autonomous car
The only wheel you own
The Future Type concept car for 2040 is fully autonomous – and the clever steering wheel may be the only part of it you own. It'll essentially be the key to the car, but that car may be a vehicle that's used by others in your community.
With the wheel storing your personal profile, the car will adapt automatically to your needs as soon as you engage it, giving you a personalized experience even if it's being used by many different people.
But while the car industry is working towards an autonomous future, Jaguar says its Sayer wheel will provide a traditional driving experience when required, for those who love being behind the wheel and in control.
Jaguar's all-electric E-Type shows classic cars have a place in the future
John McCann
Global Managing Editor
John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In 1977, NBC broadcast nationally and in prime time the one and only Japanese Godzilla film ever shown this way, Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). Since the film had a goofy reputation, bumpers were filmed featuring Saturday Night Live actor and comedian John Belushi in a Godzilla suit, starting with his snarky (though played straight for the character) remarks about the film and franchise, and ending with him trashing his chair and then biting down on the movie reels. Belushi had previously played Godzilla in an SNL skit with Gilda Radner as "Baba Wawa" (a broad parody of Barbara Walters), treated as though the fictional monster were an actor in his own films. Given the amount of classic horror/monster parodies on the first five years of SNL, it seems possible that Belushi was a Godzilla fan. These bumpers were only shown with that original broadcast, which was only rerun once or twice soon after the first one, and have not been seen since. It is not known if they even exist any longer.
In the course of the promos/bumpers, Belushi ends up repeating a common Godzilla film fallacy, promising that Godzilla vs. Megalon will not be like his other films. Among the ones he cites is "Godzilla Vs. Rodan." While the pteranodon-like Kaiju and Godzilla have fought several times, there has never been a film by this title, making it seem like a "lost Godzilla film" all by itself.


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How To Make Chow Meain Sauce
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About recipes search engine. Our website searches for recipes from food blogs, this time we are presenting the result of searching for the phrase how to make chow mein white sauce. scanf how to provide hex c Add the broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until slightly reduced and thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
About recipes search engine. Our website searches for recipes from food blogs, this time we are presenting the result of searching for the phrase how to make chow mein white sauce. how to make a flying saucer for kids Add the broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until slightly reduced and thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Chow Mein ingredients can include almost any combination of meat, fish, vegetables, and sauce. In fact, it's a great way to use up leftovers. If you're not ready to plunge in on your own just yet, though, make your noodles according to this recipe and then make �
About recipes search engine. Our website searches for recipes from food blogs, this time we are presenting the result of searching for the phrase how to make chow mein white sauce.
For this supreme soy sauce chow mein recipe, it�s important to use a pair of long chopsticks to �stir fry� the noodles as they are more versatile than spatula; the motion of tossing the noodles with the chopsticks will loosen up the noodles so they don�t clump �
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Futures Movers
Oil slips as investors await OPEC data
Carla Mozee
Jenny W. Hsu
CLG27
Oil prices edged lower Monday, with investors set to digest key numbers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries this week that will give further clues on supply and demand.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in February CLG27, slipped 12 cents, or 0.2%, to $52.25 a barrel. March Brent crude UK:LCOH7 on London's ICE Futures exchange shed 11 cents to $55.40 a barrel.
The primary driver in oil markets remains the deal struck by OPEC members and several other large producers to cut output. So far, the accord has been adhered to, as energy giants like Saudi Arabia and Russia ease back their output.
OPEC is likely to wrap up production cuts by the middle of the year, Saudi Minister of Energy and Industry Khalid Al-Falih said Monday in Abu Dhabi, according to Bloomberg. But some are worried that such actions would only ensure the rebuilding of surpluses, and an oil glut will remain.
OPEC releases its monthly production data Wednesday, offering early clues on the deal signed late in 2016.
SEB Markets expects prices to linger around the $55 a barrel-mark for the first quarter of 2017, until the true effect of the cuts are felt.
The surge in OPEC's output toward the end of 2016 pushed up global inventories by 55 million barrels, meaning there is plenty of oil around, according to SEB analyst, Bjarne Schieldrop.
Donald Trump's presidential inauguration Friday will shift focus to the U.S.
Trump supports relaxing regulatory rules on U.S. oil drilling and talked in his campaign of accelerating U.S. energy independence. That could mean higher production and lower imports, boding badly for foreign producers competing for market share in the U.S., which is the world's biggest consumer of crude.
The U.S. oil drilling sector got off to a slow start in 2017. Oil-field services company Baker Hughes released its regular rig-count data Friday, which showed rigs had fallen by seven in the last week.
Also last week, the U.S. Department of Energy said domestic oil production would likely rise to an average of 9.3 million barrels a day by 2018. The changes "largely reflect increase in federal offshore Gulf of Mexico production," it said.
Goldman Sachs predicts that U.S. oil production will increase by 235,000 barrels a day on the year in 2017, taking into account the backlog of oil wells that have or will be brought back to active drilling between the last quarter of 2016 and the first half of 2017.
Nymex reformulated gasoline blendstock for February US:RBH7 — the benchmark gasoline contract — fell 0.14% to $1.610 a gallon.
ICE gasoil for February changed hands at $485.00 a metric ton, down $2.50 from Friday's settlement.
— Barbara Kollmeyer and Carla Mozee contributed to this report
Tesla stock powered through its 50-day moving average. Here's where it could go next.
S&P 500 rallies to close at nearly 2-month high, Nasdaq advances 1.8% as investors digest GDP report, earnings
This recession indicator is close to the point of no return. But stocks historically rally if the Fed cuts and the economy still grows.
Carla Mozée is a reporter for MarketWatch, based in London. Follow her on Twitter @MWMozee.


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why are you making me leave?
I have a restaurant who does oktoberfest parties. You used to have lots of templates now you have significantly less. I need to keep things interesting but am pretty broke, so I don't have a ton of money for custom templates. So I need either recycle old templates or go to another service. Since being old is bad I need to look to another service with some fresh templates. BTW I'd have stayed forever if you had just given me a few new templates a month. Hire a couple college interns please.
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The best deals to rent in the Dominican Republic! My reservation online was super simple and quick to place, and the people at the counter were super friendly! If I'm ever back in the great Island of the Dominican Republic, I'll be sure to exclusively use AmeriRent!


This past fall, in conjunction with the NFL's Superbowl Honor Roll Program, TCHS won a grant for the football team in the amount of $1,500. The grant will be used to upgrade the team's safety equipment.
TCHS Rams football is sponsoring a golf tournament originally scheduled for July 28th at Brookside GC to raise funds for the program. The new date is now Thursday, September 29th. Come join us! More information can be found here.


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In October, this year's edition of FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars program conclueded the Shoot-Out and Training Camps stages. Both categories have now reached its final stage. Four drivers in the Senior category went to Maranello for the Formula 4 Scouting Camp earlier this month. Four drivers in the Junior category is currently battling it out in the FDA Kart Scouting Camp Two this week.
Our Rising Stars profile series is still ongoing. Today, we give you Emma Wigroth in the Senior category and Skye Parker in the Junior category.
Emma Wigroth
Emma Wigroth is 16 years old from Sweden. She currently competes in the Formula Nordic Cup and finished the season in 7th with a best result of 4th in the race. Prior to this season, she competed in the Swedish Karting Championship.
Photos © Emma Wigroth
Paddock Sorority (PS): Can you tell us about your first exposure to motorsport and how you started karting? How was your first experience in a go-kart?
Emma Wigroth (EW): Yeah, I was actually brought up on the Swedishracing tracks because my dad has a team. So I have always been around and been at the racing tracks and I have always seen these big stars here in Sweden. They have always been like idols. And then one day like 9 years ago, when I was about 7 I think, we had a thing called grid kids instead of grid girls, and then they asked me about the go-karts. Then I went to my dad and I was like, dad, I haven't been trying out go-karts, and then within like a week, I was testing a kart. It was really, really fun. I love this since the start, obviously. I really liked it, and now I'm here.
PS: What made you decide you want a career as a professional driver?
EW: I really got passionate about the sport. I really wanted to go professional because I had seen all the big idols I have here in Sweden. They are so professional and I really looked up for them. When I started, it was a hobby, then when I got the results, and I got more passionate for every race, I then I said to myself 'let's do this. We are going professional.'
PS: You mentioned there are many drivers in Sweden that you look up to. Is there one specific racing idol for you? How have they impacted you and your racing?
EW: There is many, but I would say especially two persons – Richard Göransson and Fredrik Ekblom. They have been driving for my father's team. They have always been like role models for me. Of course my dad is also an idol for me.
I've seen them since I was at a very young age. When I started with karting, they would always encourage me.If I ask them for tips, for example now I'm racing single-seaters, they would always help me out. I will always have these people that I really look up to.
PS: Has there been a very difficult time in your career? How did you get through it?
EW: I had a really difficult time about 3 years ago, because I had a really bad crash and accident in karting. I got injured and couldn't drive for eight months. It was really hard for me mentally because I got quite bad injuries, I lost feelings in my leg from time to time. It was really bad not knowing if I could go back to racing. My parents, my family, my mechanics and my friends all helped me out. They helped a lot on my mindset, and I could really focus on training. I really wanted to get back in the karts, so I just said to myself, if you want it, you will make it.
PS: That was a low point in your career, what about a career highlight that you would like to share with us?
EW: This Rising Stars program is one of the best things that ever happened in my career. This is such an opportunity. It's great to be part of this program. Then I would also say when I won the district championship here, that was also great.
PS: Do you think racing Formula Nordic might give you some more advantage in the selection since you already have experience in single seaters?
EW: I think it would help me if I got selected for the next step, but for the shoot-out that's just karting. I think the other girls might have an advantage because I haven't been racing karts for a really long time. I did one race in OK this year to try it out because I haven't driven an OK before.
PS: What are your strengths as a driver? If you want to keep going up the ladder, what do you need to still work on?
EW: I would say it's my mental strength that I really push hard for the things that I want. I think I need to work a lot on my driving and to develop my driving skills.
PS: How are you juggling school work, training, and racing?
EW: It's actually quite difficult for me to get enough time for each. Since I'm actually in ordinary school. I go to school from 8am to 4:30pm. If school starts early, I go directly to school. If school starts a bit later, I go to the gym and then to school. After school, I go to the gym, then I go home and study. If there is more time I might have some time with my family, watching a movie, but that doesn't happen so often. For a race weekend, I watch a lot of on board or work on the simulator to make sure I get to know the track if I haven't been there. I prepare myself physically and mentally, because going into a race weekend are always difficult.
PS: How did you prepare for the selection in October?
EW: I prepared myself as good as I can. I've been working out a lot. I train 1-2 hours each day in the gym, then I go for a run for about half an hour to an hour. I've watched all the videos from last year to try to get an inside look of what the girls did last year. I prepared myself mentally, because it's going to be very tough mentally going there. I got myself a diet advisor, because the food is a really important point in this.
Skye Parker
Skye Parker is 11 years old from the UK. She currently competes in the Ultimate Karting Championship and is the runner-up in the IAME Cadet class this season. Last year, she was the runner-up in the Northern Karting Federation IAME Cadet Championship.
Photos © Skye Parker
Skye Parker (SP): My first experience in a go-kart was at my Nana's (Grandmother's) house when I was 4 years old. I actually had my first crash on my first time in a go-kart and bent the axle. From then I progressed to weekend sessions, and after school in the summer, at Glan-y-Gors in Wales (the GYG team were nice enough to let me go out when it was quiet). I started racing as a Bambino at Three Sisters Circuit when I was 5 and had my first race as an MSA (now Motorsport UK) licensed driver when I was 6 years old (also as a Bambino).
I loved it… it was excellent fun. When I first started racing with other kids… it was so much better and it just spiralled from there to me now being 11 years old and pretty much in a go-kart every single weekend.
SP: I was given the opportunity to be an F1 "Grid Kid", when I was 8, at Silverstone and up to that point, go-karting was really just a weekend activity that we did, I didn't really watch motorsport. Going to Silverstone and just the sheer scale of an F1 event was like "wow"… I want to do this!
PS: How are your family supporting you in your career?
SP: My Dad actually is my mechanic at the track and my mum is starting to be the mechanic for my baby sister Alex (5) whom is starting to get into a kart. Both my parents take my everywhere and virtually all the circuits we race at, nationally, are at least 3hrs away so it's a lot of travelling at the weekends to keep me in a kart… and they both have day jobs during the week! Karting is pretty much their second job and they are at it pretty much 24/7 and I have two sisters they need take care of. They actually don't really stop. In a word they are amazing!
PS: Is there a racing idol for you? How have they impacted you and your racing?
SP: Niki Lauda. After his big crash he showed determination by getting back in a car even though he was in pain. He actually came second in the championship that year and won it the year after which is really inspirational.
PS: From whom did you learn the most about racing and driving?
SP: I've learnt most actually with my Dad as we started this together with neither of us having a clue what we were doing.
PS: What has been your best memory in your career so far?
SP: My first race win. It was me and my dad at the race. I had two DNFs and a 2nd in the heats. I started the final at the back of the grid but said to my dad "don't worry Daddy I got this" AND THEN I WON.
SP: I'm juggling it ok. I recently moved up to high school so things are a little different, and more difficult, but it seems to be going smoothly and my school is very supportive.
PS: What do you think are your strengths as a driver? What do you need to work on at this point?
SP: My strength is racing in the wet and I'm doing really well there. I struggle more in the dry as I tend to try to carry too much corner speed – which I need to fix by working on my braking to get the kart stopped.
PS: What are your takeaways from the selection process? How does it help you improve in the future?
SP: I need more strength and experience to be competitive. I'm still in the cadet class, my kart is a lot smaller and lighter than the karts being run in the selection process. Mine is 103KG weight with roughly 8HP, whereas an OK Junior was around 140KG and 30hp. I had no experience of such a kart prior to the selection. It's not a class that I can compete within in the UK for at least a few more years. However it was amazing fun and so much faster than what I am used to and I think I did really well in spite of the difficulties.
English, Formula 1, Formula 3, Formula E, Girls on Track, Interviews, Rising Stars
Formula 1, GirlsonTrack
国际汽联Girls on Track – Rising Stars项目车手专访(十一)


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America Can't Risk Surrendering Intellectual Property Supremacy
By Timothy H. Lee
Today, the total estimated value of American IP measures approximately $5 trillion. That's higher than the entire gross domestic product (GDP) of every other nation in the world, with the single exception of China.
For over two centuries, America's unique emphasis on protecting intellectual property (IP) rights - patent, copyright, trademark and trade secrets - largely explains how we became and remain the most inventive, creative and prosperous nation in history.
Our Founding Fathers considered IP rights so important that they deliberately protected them in the text of the Constitution. Article I, Section 8 reads, "The Congress shall have the Power ... [t]o promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."
During the ratification debate, James Madison wrote in The Federalist No. 43, "The copyright of authors has been solemnly adjudged, in Great Britain, to be a right of common law." Madison's position reflected the natural rights philosophy of John Locke, who had observed, "Our handiwork becomes our property because our hands - and the energy, consciousness, and control that fuel their labor - are our property."
Later, with regard to patent rights, Abraham Lincoln noted that, "The patent system added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius," as IP rights serve both a utilitarian purpose in incentivizing innovation, and natural rights by allowing innovators to enjoy the rightful fruits of their labor.
The payoff from our IP tradition is manifest.
What nation even approaches our legacy of patented inventions, from the telephone to today's lifesaving pharmaceuticals, approximately two-thirds of which are developed in the U.S.? Whose copyrighted artistic legacy matches America's, from our motion picture industry to our recording industry? And who can match our famed trademarks, from the script Coca-Cola label to the Apple icon?
Today, the total estimated value of American IP measures approximately $5 trillion. That's higher than the entire gross domestic product (GDP) of every other nation in the world, with the single exception of China. Our IP industries also account for over half of all U.S. exports, and employ nearly 55 million workers whose average annual earnings exceed non-IP workers' wages by nearly 30%.
If we allow our worldwide lead to slip, however, we'll pay a heavy price.
That's particularly salient in an increasingly knowledge-based economy, and amid an increasingly competitive global market.
Alarmingly, however, a new global IP survey released this week by the Property Rights Alliance (PRA) reveals that we're beginning to tempt precisely that fate by surrendering our leadership position.
Although the U.S. placed just 14th globally in overall property rights protection in last year's PRA Index, and a disturbing 20th in terms of legal and political ranking, we retained our traditional first-place ranking in the IP category, placing atop the global list in both patent protection and copyright protection. This year, however, we fell to second behind Finland.
"Alarmingly," the Index notes, "for the first time the United States fell from being 1st in the world for intellectual property protections to 2nd, yielding to Finland, which also passed New Zealand to become 1st in the Index overall."
That parallels a similarly disturbing slippage in the latest U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) IP Index. Although the U.S. retained its number one worldwide ranking in overall IP protection, we slipped all the way to 16th in patent protection.
That decline is largely attributable to patent system changes that occurred during the Obama Administration, including the creation of a Patent and Trademark Appeals Board (PTAB) that eliminates at least one existing patent in nearly 80% of petitions before it. Judicial decisions interpreting federal laws in a way that weakened patent enforcement and substantive protections also played a role.
Fortunately, the Trump Administration appears to understand the importance of IP to America's economy, including its focus on protecting IP from foreign theft.
Additionally, bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sen. Tom Cotton (R - Arkansas) and Chris Coons (D - Delaware) in the Senate, and Steve Stivers (R - Ohio) in the House of Representatives, entitled the Support Technology and Research for Our Nation's Growth and Economic Resilience (STRONGER) Patents Act, would help return us to our preeminent worldwide position. It would guarantee that patents receive the same protection as other types of property, permit patent owners to seek injunction against infringement during litigation, improve and clarify the process by which patents are granted and enforced, bring greater balance to PTAB reviews and reform the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) fee process.
Just as important, Congress must reject a misguided proposal by Sen. Richard Durbin (D - Illinois) that would compel biopharmaceutical companies to include list prices in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements. That not only violates the First Amendment, it would confuse patients and misdirect federal public health resources in an era of increasingly unsustainable healthcare costs.
Along with other legislation now before Congress, we can interrupt our alarming recent decline in IP protection, and ensure continued American prosperity and global dominance in innovation. The alternative of continued decay is simply unacceptable.
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The optical transceiver market was valued at USD 2.71 Billion in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 6.87 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 13.5% between 2016 and 2022. The growth of the optical transceiver market is driven by the factors such as increasing Internet penetration and data traffic. In almost all the regions, the consumer's pattern is changing with the emergence of connected life in the form of connected infrastructures and machineries. Similarly, the increasing use of smartphones, deployment of networks would generate an explosion of data traffic.
Optical transceiver uses different form factors for various applications. Form factors include SFF and SFP, SFP+ and SFP28, QSFP, QSFP+, QSFP14, and QSFP28, CFP, CFP2, and CFP4, XFP, CXP, and others. Among all these, QSFP, QSFP+, QSFP14, and QSFP28 form factors collectively expected to account for the largest share in terms of value in 2016.
The optical transceivers market based on the greater than 100 Gbps data rates is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecasted period. The data rate segment is classified as less than 10 Gbps, greater than 10 Gbps; and less than 40 Gbps, greater than 40 Gbps; and less than 100 Gbps and greater than 100 Gbps.
Furthermore, the transceivers support various distance ranges among which greater than 1 km to less than 10km distance range transceiver is expected to grow at the highest rate between 2016 and 2022. Covered classification of distance include less than 1km, greater than 1km to less than 10km, greater than 10km to less than 100km, and greater than 100km.
Transceiver uses different wavelengths such as 850nm, 1310nm, 1550nm, and others. The optical transceiver market based on 1,310nm wavelength expected to account for the largest share of the optical transceiver market in 2016 due to the growing data center applicability.
The fastest-growing applications and the major consumers of the optical transceivers are telecom, data centers, and enterprises. The increasing number of data centers, in turn, is driving the optical transceiver market. The modules used in data centers would experience a huge growth in the near future as it provides connectivity with up to 400 Gbps transmission rate. The increasing network connectivity toward the high-speed interconnections in all the three major application of the optical transceiver is generating more demand for optical transceiver market.
The Americas region accounted for the largest share of the total optical transceiver market in 2016 though APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2022. The APAC region has emerged as a major manufacturing hub for the consumer electronic industry and deployed large number of networks; this has led to account for second-largest market share in terms of the optical transceiver market. The market in this region has evolved into the largest producer of smartphones, laptops, and various other applications and consequently the largest consumer of optical transceiver and is expected to continue the same trend throughout the forecast period.
Increasing network complexity is the factor inhibiting the growth of this market. Furthermore, for the optical transceiver market, continuous optimization of component size is not only a challenge but expected to make a huge impact on the market in the near future. However, factors such as introduction of smaller, cheaper, and energy-efficient transceivers; commercialization of IoT, and deployment of VoIP, 5G, and LTE network can generate huge opportunities for this market in the near future.
The key players in the optical transceiver market are Finisar Corp. (U.S.), Accelink Technologies Co., Ltd. (China), Lumentum Holdings Inc. (U.S.), Oclaro, Inc. (U.S.), Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (Japan), Foxconn Electronics Inc. (Taiwan), NeoPhotonics Corp. (U.S.), Fujitsu Optical Components Ltd. (Japan), Reflex Photonics Inc. (Canada), and Source Photonics Inc. (U.S.), among others.
14.4 Accelink Technologies Co. Ltd.
14.6 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
14.9 Fujitsu Optical Components Ltd.


We would like to express what an absolute delight it was to work with Phoebe and Sephr from the very beginning of their planning. It was an absolute pleasure helping them to create the day they had always dreamed of. Phoebe and Sephr confirmed their wedding date in June 2016, with only a year to go we got straight on with the planning process! They chose to get married in a church, although quite a rarity nowadays it is always that little bit exciting for us and keeps us on our toes. It means the most important element of the day is out of our hands. It's always so lovely to hear how our couples are arriving to their chosen church, and their plans in the morning. Phoebe spent the morning with her sisters who were her beautiful bridesmaids for the day at her parent's house, which we have to say after seeing the photos, was the most idyllic house for the morning of their country wedding. The new Mr and Mrs Nowrouz chose a 12pm ceremony at St Mary's Church in Car Colston which is around a 20 minute drive away from The Old Vicarage so we anticipated their arrival around 1.30pm.
We were completely blown away by Phoebe's bouquet; it was so organic in the way it looked, completely overflowing with an English garden feel, which I know Phoebe wanted. Fiona from Daisy works spent the whole morning at The Old Vicarage perfecting the flowers that draped around our venue. Its always really refreshing to see new ideas at our venue and Fiona and Phoebe definitely did that, dressing the front steps which lead you to the front door with an array of carefully chosen flowers. With Phoebe and Sephr getting married in a church, when they arrived at The Old Vicarage as husband and wife, it meant that their wedding breakfast room was already set up and the look on Phoebe's face was an absolute picture! It looked truly stunning.
The bridal party arrived in two VW vans, which was a delight to see driving up the drive on a beautiful sunny day. Phoebe had chosen light blue pastel bridesmaid dresses which all of the bridesmaids looking stunning in as they hopped out of their pale green VW. Arriving in style as any bride and groom should, Phoebe and Sephr had chosen a pale cream version for their transport. It was lovely to see Sephora helping his new wife onto the pebbled driveway of The Old Vicarage… Now it was down to us to make sure the rest of their day went just as they had always imagined.
It always is a delight to see two families become one, the most amazing aspect of our jobs is seeing people who are now family meet for the first time. It's always even more exciting when two families are from two completely different cultures. Sephr and Phoebe's wedding had half of our garden set up with shisha pipes and half dressed as an English country feel and both families seemed to thoroughly enjoy getting to know one another on a hot summers afternoon!
There were so many personal touches to their wedding, so many details were thought about which added to the intimacy to our venue… Making the day very special to not only the bride and groom but their guests as well. Doing timings board isn't essential and some of our couples want their guests to have the element of surprise however if you are going to do it, make it fit your theme. Pheobe and Sephr chose a pallet style timings board for their big day and we absolutely loved it! The contrast of the modern front decking at The Old Vicarage and their kitsch wedding pieces really came together to create the perfect sunny afternoon wedding.
Ruth from Southwell Cakery excelled herself with such a delicate pastel-coloured three-tiered wedding cake. We often use Ruth for our open days; so it is lovely to see our brides and grooms choosing one of our favourite suppliers to create what some may say is the most important meal of the wedding day. It tasted absolutely divine, the perfect treat whilst people sat and enjoyed the last of the sun in our garden. Although there is always a lot of cake left at the end of the day, it is such an important element in bringing your theme together and it is fair to say that Ruth did this perfectly! What more do you need in a three tiered cake… Lemon top tier, red velvet middle, and chocolate mud lower tier… It was to die for!
It was a pleasure having Louise play the harp as guests arrived and trickled into the garden. Sephr and Phoebe couldn't have chosen a nicer day to marry; the atmosphere in the garden really was very special. Louise stayed for both the reception drinks and the wedding breakfast. So many guests couldn't wait for her to take a break to compliment her on simply just how beautiful the sound was. The love that Phoebe and Sephr had for each other was extremely apparent throughout the entire day, all of their guests could not be happier to be a part of such a special day and neither could we.
Glazed lemon tart with raspberry meringue and coulis.
Phoebe and Sephr chose Martin Makowski as their wedding photographer and as always, he truly captured every element of their day. We cannot praise Martin enough for the work that he does. He is very close friend of all of us at The Old Vicarage and we would 100% recommend him every single time. We are always so delighted when our couples choose to work with Martin because not only do we know they are going to get the most incredible pictures that are going to last a lifetime but he makes sure not to miss a trick! He gets the venue from every angle and guests enjoying every part of the wedding venue we have worked so hard to create.
It's always full of emotion for us to wave our couples off as husband and wife. We were so excited for Phoebe and Sephr when we heard that the reason Phoebe's parents hadn't stayed at The Old Vicarage the night of the wedding was because they were throwing them both a huge wedding party at their farmhouse! The perfect way to continue the celebrations and keep those wedding blues at bay for at least one more evening! As we waved off the new Mr & Mrs Nowrouz we knew they were off to what would definitely be a spectacular party!
We want to congratulate the new Mr and Mrs Nowrouz, thank you for being so wonderful to work with! We wish you all the luck and love in the world!


For every runner interval training will be a beneficial way to build speed and help you become a better runner. If you don't already have a coach that sets your interval training workouts then here is a way to keep it very simple and progress as your running improves.
A simple definition of interval training is periods of work followed by periods of rest repeated. In a running sense it means periods of hard running followed by rest.
There are only two parts to an interval session that need to be decided, the length of each interval and the ratio of work to rest. The length of the interval should be decided by the distance of the goal race, for a longer race use a longer interval and vice versa. Alternatively you can change the interval length through a training program and do shorter intervals with more repetitions at times and add variety to your running to keep it fun.
A very simple guide for interval training is to use a ratio of work to rest and as your running progresses change the ratio to include shorter rest periods to make the session more challenging. For instance a 2 min interval with a 1 min rest has a 2:1 work to rest ratio. As I move through a training program I change the ratio as my training progresses. Near the end of a race preparation when I am nearing peak fitness I use a 4:1 ratio such as 8 min interval and 2 min rest.
Overall a 56 min session that will help you build your speed. This is using a 2:1 work:rest ratio. As the runner progresses they could continue to use this session but get down to 4 min hard 1 min rest which would be more challenging. Goal of interval training is to be able to run the last effort as quick as the first, when you are able to do this then you should be ready to make the session more challenging.
The speed at which you run your interval will also be determined by the length of the interval and goal race. If you are training for a marathon run longer intervals at 5km pace if you are training for a 5km run shorter intervals at faster then 5km pace is a basic rule of thumb.
An interval session should be done once a week to build speed and speed endurance. Intervals teach the body to run faster and also how to run fast when fatigued.
How do you currently do intervals?
This entry was posted in Running and tagged Barefoot Running., marathon running, marathon training, run, runner, runners world, running. Bookmark the permalink.
I'm going to start doing intervals. Let's see how is goes.


text:
Q: delete lines from text file (line after line) I have this code to delete lines but the problem when the script comes to sleep after delete one line I found out the text file empty!!
my_file= open('test.txt', 'r+')
lines = my_file.readlines()
for i in range(len(lines)):
del lines[0]
my_file.seek(0)
my_file.truncate()
my_file.writelines(lines)
time.sleep(20)

A: #it will delete line number 5th from file.
sed -e '5' filename

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Note that my suggestions relate to high school, not elementary school.
a) We've really only had one true snow day where the school was closed. I can't give you the exact numbers for our current school, but I know at the O.S.C.V.I., about 75% of our students did NOT take a bus. That means on days that the school buses are cancelled, we should still have a relatively full school. This is how it was in the "old days" that everyone likes to talk about. Of course, we were a little less worried about insurance companies back then.
b) In the past, I have suggested that instead of pretending, like we do now, that everything is running regularly at school on snow days (teachers are expected to be in their classes, etc.) that we, instead, announce that buses are canceled and that there will be an alternative school day for those who can get there.
Students who can get to school could choose to go play basketball or volleyball in the gym, work out in the weight room, play board games in the library, get extra help in rooms designated for each subject, etc.. We used to do this informally at the O.S.C.V.I. and it was always lots of fun - for both the students and the teachers.
I'm not sure why they wouldn't do this, but I suspect it has to do with contracts, legislation and money, which is sad as days like this could go a long way in making our schools much more welcoming to our students. Our schools would act more like a community centre, which is what they should be, in my humble opinion, anyway.
Enjoy the upcoming blizzard. Hope everyone stays safe and warm. As expected, I'm on my way to school soon. I just hope I'll be able get home:).


text:
Frontiers in Physiology
The FGF and FGFR Families
Roles of FGF2 in Cardiac Remodeling
Roles of FGF16 in Cardiac Remodeling
Mini Review ARTICLE
Front. Physiol., 06 September 2013 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00247
Pathophysiological roles of FGF signaling in the heart
Nobuyuki Itoh* and Hiroya Ohta
Department of Genetic Biochemistry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
Cardiac remodeling progresses to heart failure, which represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Cardiomyokines, cardiac secreted proteins, may play roles in cardiac remodeling. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are secreted proteins with diverse functions, mainly in development and metabolism. However, some FGFs play pathophysiological roles in cardiac remodeling as cardiomyokines. FGF2 promotes cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis by activating MAPK signaling through the activation of FGF receptor (FGFR) 1c. In contrast, FGF16 may prevent these by competing with FGF2 for the binding site of FGFR1c. FGF21 prevents cardiac hypertrophy by activating MAPK signaling through the activation of FGFR1c with β-Klotho as a co-receptor. In contrast, FGF23 induces cardiac hypertrophy by activating calcineurin/NFAT signaling without αKlotho. These FGFs play crucial roles in cardiac remodeling via distinct action mechanisms. These findings provide new insights into the pathophysiological roles of FGFs in the heart and may provide potential therapeutic strategies for heart failure.
Heart failure represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality and remains a critical health problem. Cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis subsequently progress to heart failure. Proteins secreted from the heart with functions crucial for its function have been referred to as cardiomyokines. Cardiomyokines may play roles in cardiac remodeling and heart failure. Identifying the underlying molecular targets and novel protective agents of cardiac remodeling is important for improving preventive and therapeutic strategies. Cardiomyokines may be therapeutic targets and/or agents (Fredj et al., 2005; Doroudgar and Glembotski, 2011).
Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are signaling proteins of ~150–300 amino acids with diverse functions, mainly in development and metabolism. The mammalian FGF family comprises twenty-two members. FGFs can be classified to as intracellular FGFs (iFGFs), canonical FGFs, and hormone-like FGFs (hFGFs) by their action mechanisms. Intracellular, canonical, and hFGFs are also referred to as intracrine, paracirne, and endocrine FGFs, respectively. Paracrine and endocrine FGFs are secreted signals, mainly in paracrine and endocrine manners, respectively (Itoh and Ornitz, 2011).
Among these FGFs, FGF2, FGF16, FGF21, and FGF23 have been shown to play pathophysiological roles in the heart. These FGFs play distinct roles in cardiac remodeling via unique action mechanisms. Although their action mechanisms remain unclear, these findings provide new insights into the pathophysiological roles of FGFs in the heart and may provide potential therapeutic strategies for heart failure. In this article, we provide a succinct review of the pathophysiological roles of these FGFs in the heart revealed by recent studies using gene-targeted mouse models.
The human/mouse Fgf gene family comprises twenty-two members, Fgf1-Fgf23. Fgf15, and Fgf19 are orthologous genes in mice and humans, respectively. These genes are also referred to as Fgf15/19. FGFs are proteins of ~150–300 amino acids with a conserved core of ~120 amino acids with ~30–60% identity. Phylogenetic analysis of the Fgf gene family has identified seven subfamilies; Fgf/1/2, Fgf4/5/6, Fgf3/7/10/22, Fgf8/17/18, Fgf9/16/20, Fgf11/12/13/14, and Fgf15/19/21/23 (Figure 1) (Itoh and Ornitz, 2011).
Figure 1. Evolutionary relationships within the human/mouse Fgf gene family by phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that twenty-two Fgf genes can be arranged into seven subfamilies containing two to four members each. Branch lengths are proportional to the evolutionary distance between each gene (Itoh and Ornitz, 2011).
Paracrine FGFs, which comprise fifteen members belonging to the FGF/1/2, FGF4/5/6, FGF3/7/10/22, FGF8/17/18, and FGF9/16/20 subfamilies, mediate biological responses by binding to and activating cell surface tyrosine kinase FGF receptors (FGFRs) with heparin/heparan sulfate as a cofactor. They function as paracrine signaling molecules, of which functions have been mostly studied in development. Endocrine FGFs, FGF15/19, FGF21, and FGF23, also mediate their biological responses in an FGFR-dependent manner. However, they bind to FGFRs with heparin/heparan sulfate with very low affinity. This reduced heparin-binding affinity enables endocrine FGFs to function over long distances in an endocrine manner. They require either αKlotho or βKlotho, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein with a short cytoplasmic domain, as a cofactor instead of heparin/heparan sulfate. They function as hormone-like signaling molecules, mainly in metabolism (Itoh, 2010; Itoh and Ornitz, 2011; Long and Kharitonenkov, 2011; Goetz and Mohammadi, 2013). Intracrine FGFs, FGF11-FGF14, are intracellular proteins that regulate the function of voltage-gated sodium channels in an intracrine manner (Goldfarb, 2012).
Four Fgfr genes, Fgfr1–Fgfr4, have been identified in mammals. These genes encode receptor tyrosine kinases that contain an extracellular ligand-binding domain, transmembrane domain, and split intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. Fgfr1–Fgfr3 encode two major variants generated by alternative splicing. Thus, seven FGFR proteins (FGFRs 1b, 1c, 2b, 2c, 3b, 3c, and 4) with differing ligand-binding specificities have been generated (Zhang et al., 2006).
Paracrine and endocrine FGFs induce the phosphorylation of specific cytoplasmic tyrosine residues in FGFRs. The phosphorylation triggers the activation of cytoplasmic signal transduction pathways, which elicits different cell responses. The activated FGFRs first activate their intracellular substrates, FGFR substrate 2α (FRS2α) and/or phospholipase Cγ1 (PLCγ1). Activated FRS2α initiates downstream signaling through the RAS–MAPK or PI3K–AKT pathway. Although cell responses depend on FGFs and their targeted cells, the RAS–MAPK pathway mainly generates a mitogenic cell response, while the PI3K–AKT pathway mainly promotes cell survival. The activation of PLCγ1 leads to the release of calcium ions from intracellular stores and activation of calcium-dependent signaling. The PLCγ1 pathway is thought to play a role in mediating cell motility (Goetz and Mohammadi, 2013).
FGF2 is a paracrine FGF. Although most paracrine FGFs are secreted proteins with N-terminal signal sequences, FGF2 with no signal sequence is not a typical secreted protein. FGF2 may be released from damaged cells or by an exocytotic mechanism that is independent of the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi pathway (Nickel, 2010). However, FGF2 as well as other paracrine FGFs mediates biological responses as extracellular proteins by binding to and activating FGFRs with heparin/heparan sulfate as a cofactor (Itoh and Ornitz, 2011).
Although Fgf2 is broadly expressed in mice, Fgf2 knockout mice are viable. However, cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis were less developed in Fgf2 knockout mice with myocardial infarcts (Virag et al., 2007). Isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy was shown to be protected in Fgf2 knockout mice (House et al., 2010). The two-kidney one-clip (2K1C) model increased blood renin and angiotensin II levels, leading to a chronic elevation in blood pressure and compensatory cardiac hypertrophy. However, 2K1C-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis did not develop in Fgf2 knockout mice (Pellieux et al., 2001).
FGF2 caused hypertrophy by inducing MAPK signaling in cultured cardiomyocytes (Bogoyevitch et al., 1994; Kaye et al., 1996). The cardiac-specific Fgf2-overexpression in transgenic mice exacerbated hypertrophy and the effect was blunted in the presence of a pharmacological ERK inhibitor, which also indicated the involvement of FGF2-induced MAPK signaling (House et al., 2010). The heart was shown to predominantly express Fgfr1c among Fgfrs (Fon Tacer et al., 2010). FGF2 effectively activates FGFR1c with heparin/heparin sulfate in non-cardiac cell types (Zhang et al., 2006). Although these findings do not necessary mean that FGFR1c is a FGF2 receptor in the heart, FGF2 might act on cardiac cells in a paracrine manner and promotes cardiac remodeling by activating MAPK signaling through the activation of FGFR1c (Table 1).
Table 1. Roles of FGFs 2, 16, 21, and 23 in cardiac remodeling.
FGF16 is also a paracrine FGF. Fgf16 gene is predominantly expressed in the heart (Fon Tacer et al., 2010). However, heart function is essentially normal in Fgf16 knockout mice (Hotta et al., 2008). Angiotensin II induces cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Transforming growth factor- β1 (Tgf- β1) acts downstream of angiotensin II and promotes cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis (Rosenkranz, 2004). Angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis were shown to be significantly promoted by enhancing Tgf- β1 expression in Fgf16 knockout mice (Matsumoto et al., 2013). The response to cardiac remodeling was apparently opposite to that in Fgf2 knockout mice, as described above.
The biochemical properties of FGF16 are distinct from those of FGF2. Fgf16 is expressed mainly in cardiomyocytes. FGF16 is efficiently secreted and acts as a paracrine signaling molecule (Hotta et al., 2008). In contrast, FGF2, which is mainly expressed in non-cardiomyocytes, is not a typical secretory protein. FGF2, which is stored in these cells, is released in response to hemodynamic stress (Kaye et al., 1996). FGF2 showed significant proliferative activity in cultured cardiomyocytes, where as FGF16 did not. However, FGF16 antagonized the activity of FGF2 (Lu et al., 2008). FGF16 competed with FGF2 for the binding site of FGFR1c, which is predominantly expressed in the heart (Lu et al., 2008). In addition, FGF2 significantly induced Tgf- β1 expression in cultured cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes, where as FGF16 did not. However, FGF16 inhibited FGF2-induced Tgf- β1 expression, indicating that FGF16 antagonizes FGF2-induced Tgf-β1 expression. Cardiac Fgf16 expression was induced after the induction of Fgf2 expression by angiotensin II. In cultured cardiomyocytes, Fgf16 expression was promoted by FGF2. These findings indicate a possible mechanism in which FGF16 may prevent cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis by competing with FGF2 for the binding site of FGFR1c (Table 1) (Matsumoto et al., 2013).
FGF21 is an endocrine FGF. FGF21 also mediates its biological responses in an FGFR-dependent manner. However, FGF21 binds to FGFRs with heparin/heparan sulfate with very low affinity. FGF21 efficiently binds to and activates FGFR1c, FGFR2c, and FGFR3c with βKlotho, which is crucial for FGF21 signaling as a cofactor (Kharitonenkov et al., 2008; Suzuki et al., 2008). Fgf21 is expressed mainly in the liver. Fgf21 knockout and transgenic mice suggest the diverse metabolic actions of FGF21 in glucose and lipid metabolism (Itoh, 2010; Long and Kharitonenkov, 2011).
Fgf21 knockout mice also exhibited an increased relative heart weight and develop enhanced signs of dilatation. In response to isoproterenol infusion, cardiac hypertrophy was more enhanced in Fgf21 knockout mice. FGF21 reversed cardiac hypertrophy in Fgf21 knockout mice and cultured cardiomyocytes. FGF21 is also produced by cardiomyocytes. Although cardiac FGF21 secretion is lower than hepatic FGF21 secretion, FGF21 is markedly secreted by cardiac cells in response to cardiac stress, and cardiac FGF21 secretion is able to inhibit isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophic damage. Thus, the heart appears to be a target of locally generated FGF21, even though FGF21 is an endocrine FGF. Both Fgfr1c and β-Klotho are predominantly expressed in cardiomyocytes. These findings indicate that FGF21 acts on cardiomyocytes possibly in a paracrine manner and prevents cardiac hypertrophy by activating MAPK signaling through the activation of FGFR1c with β-Klotho (Table 1) (Planavila et al., 2013).
FGF23 is also an endocrine FGF. Fgf23 knockout mice, which gradually died 4–13 weeks after birth, indicate that FGF23 regulates phosphate and vitamin D metabolism as a bone-derived hormone. FGF23 also mediates its biological responses in an Fgfr-dependent manner. However, FGF23 as well as FGF21 binds to FGFRs with heparin/heparan sulfate with very low affinity. FGF23 was shown to efficiently bind to and activate FGFR1c with αKlotho, which is crucial for FGF23 signaling as a cofactor (Hu et al., 2013).
Chronic kidney disease progression results in elevated serum levels of FGF23, which are associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, a major contributor to cardiovascular disease (Gutiérrez et al., 2009). As αKlotho is not expressed in the heart and FGF23 did not activate MAPK signaling in the heart, it has been assumed that FGF23 cannot act directly on the heart to induce injury. However, FGF23 induced hypertrophic growth in cultured cardiomyocytes expressing Fgfr1c, but not αKlotho. This result suggests αKlotho-independent FGF23 signaling in cardiomyocytes. FGF23 injected directly into the left ventricular myocardium in mice led to the development of left ventricular hypertrophy. FGF23 activated calcineurin/NFAT signaling in cultured cardiomyocytes. These findings indicate that FGF23 promotes cardiac hypertrophy by activating calcineurin/NFAT signaling in an endocrine manner (Table 1) (Faul et al., 2011; Faul, 2012; Touchberry et al., 2013). However, the mechanism of αKlotho-independent FGF23 signaling remains unclear. In contrast, a monoclonal FGF23 neutralizing antibody did not protect rats with chronic kidney disease from cardiovascular injury, indicating that FGF23 might not have direct effects on the heart (Shalhoub et al., 2012).
FGF2 promotes cardiac remodeling by activating MAPK signaling through the activation of FGFR1c in a paracrine manner. In contrast, FGF16 does not directly act on cardiac cells. FGF16 may prevent cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis by competing with FGF2 for the binding site of FGFR1c in a paracrine manner. The action mechanism of FGF16 in the heart is unique. In contrast, FGF21 is mainly a liver-derived hormone that regulates glucose and lipid metabolism in an endocrine manner. However, Fgf21 is also expressed in cardiac cells, although this expression is lower than that in the liver. FGF21 prevents cardiac hypertrophy by activating MAPK signaling through the activation of FGFR1c with β-Klotho. Although FGF21 is essentially an endocrine FGF, FGF21 produced in cardiac cells may act in a paracrine manner. Although both FGF2 and FGF21 activate MAPK signaling in cardiomyocytes, their effects are opposite. The reason for these opposite effects remains unclear. FGF23 is a bone-derived hormone that mainly regulates phosphate and vitamin D metabolism. FGF23 also induces cardiac hypertrophy by activating calcineurin/NFAT signaling. In general, FGF23 signaling is αKlotho/FGFR1c-dependent. However, cardiomyocytes does not express αKlotho. It remains unclear what precise FGFR isoform is activated by FGF23 in cardiomyocytes. These FGFs play crucial roles in cardiac remodeling via unique action mechanisms. However, some effects of FGF signaling on cardiac remodeling by these FGFs appear to be contradictory. In addition, it remains unclear which cell types really express Fgfr1c, or how cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes talk to each other by FGF signaling. However, these findings provide new insights into the pathophysiological roles of FGFs in the heart and may provide potential therapeutic strategies for heart failure.
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Keywords: FGF, heart, hypertrophy, fibrosis, heart failure, cardiomyokine
Citation: Itoh N and Ohta H (2013) Pathophysiological roles of FGF signaling in the heart. Front. Physiol. 4:247. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00247
Received: 17 July 2013; Accepted: 21 August 2013;
Published online: 06 September 2013.
Marcel van der Heyden, University Medical Center, Netherlands
Christian Faul, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
Copyright © 2013 Itoh and Ohta. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Nobuyuki Itoh, Department of Genetic Biochemistry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yoshida-Shimoadachi, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan e-mail: itohnobu@pharm.kyoto-u.ac.jp