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Bridging the gap at the new WTA 125 Tournaments
November 13, 2012 by David Kane
By David Kane
For a tour that rose to its peak in the late 90s on the talented backs of young players like Martina Hingis and Venus Williams, the WTA has had a difficult time grooming its young ingénues in the last few years. The age eligibility rule named for famed burnout victim Jennifer Capriati has done well to keep players from the depression and drug use she suffered, but has also seemed to curb the number of prodigies making early breakthroughs on the senior tour.
With Maria Sharapova being the last teenager to win a major title and compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova the last teenaged Slam debutante in 2004, the Tour's biggest tournaments appear to be checking for ID at the door. That does not mean, however, that the WTA is averse to successful teens. The Tournament of Champions, albeit a Year-End Championships with the volume turned all the way down, was founded as a way to reward top 30 players who take home International (formerly Tier III and IV) titles throughout the year.
But if veterans have been dominating the higher-end events in the last decade, they have been equally successful in the ostensibly more accessible ones as well. The average age for the Sofia semifinalists 26.5, with 30-year-old Nadia Petrova taking the title. It has been a good time to be a fan of sentimental favorites, to be sure, but much tougher to pick out up-and-comers as they make the transition from the juniors.
Enter the WTA125, the ultimate tournament category for the "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman" subset of players. Bridging the gap between the ITF 100Ks and the lowest level International WTA events, the WTA125 debuted in the two weeks following the two Year-End Championships. With most of the big names finished for the season, players who would have dropped down to the lower level ITFs have one last chance to rack up big points and prize money in 2012.
Two players to take advantage of the opportunity were those thought to be extinct prodigies, Kristina Mladenovic and Elina Svitolina. Each have a junior Roland Garros title to their name (Mladenovic in 2009, Svitolina in 2010). The two are feisty competitors with big forehands and bigger personalities. Despite success among their peers, competing in the big leagues has been a more challenging endeavor.
After relatively quiet fall seasons, the two entered the WTA125 events, one in Chinese Taipei and the other in Pune, India, as under the radar as any former junior champion. Proven up-and-comers like Donna Vekic and dangerous veterans like Kimiko Date-Krumm were abound in each event, yet Mladenovic and Svitolina took home the titles with as little fanfare at the end of the week as the beginning.
At the first WTA125 event in Taipei, Mladenovic blew away Chang Kai-Chen, the Taiwanese player who was edged out of the Osaka final by Heather Watson a few weeks earlier. The Frenchwoman was equally dominant in the doubles, completing the sweep and undoubtedly sealing her spot as an answer on a WTA trivia question.
Andrea Petkovic in Pune, India
The tournament in Pune started out as another chapter of the beleaguered Andrea Petkovic's comeback tour. The German had spent most of 2012 sidelined with various and sundry injuries before having a good run in Luxembourg and cruising into the semifinals this week. The run, however, came to an abrupt end against none other than Svitolina, who advanced to the biggest final of her career.
Even in the final, Svitolina read like the supporting act when paired with the illustrious veteran, 42-year-old final Kimiko Date-Krumm. Despite a tough year, the Japaneswoman had been solid all week, and was looking for the second title in her "second" career. Playing against a style that she was hardly old enough to watch on television, Svitolina had no letdown and gamely silenced the veteran in straight sets.
Is this an awful lot of fanfare for two events that barely count as WTA titles? Perhaps. But if this trend continues, the WTA may have finally found a formula to allow up-and-comers to smoothly transition onto the senior tour without sacrificing the abundant confidence they took with them from the juniors. In other words, the WTA125's potential lies in helping the prodigies, young guns, whatever you want to call them, to begin realizing their potential, and if that succeeds, these podunk post-season tournaments could become the real tournaments of champions.
Filed Under: David Kane, Lead Story Tagged With: Andrea Petkovic, donna vekic, elina svitolina, Kristina Mladenovic, wta 125 tournaments, wta pune, WTA Tour News
Back to the Future on the WTA Tour
November 6, 2012 by David Kane
Weeks like the one the WTA Tour had at its Tournament of Champions in Sofia, Bulgaria are a blatant mockery to the act of making predictions before they even begin.
First of all, who predicted that Caroline Wozniacki, who started 2012 at No. 1, would find herself at a Year-End Championships for the Tour's B-squad? The Dane, who now has more singles than Slam titles (a charity song "Oxygen" and a campy music video to go with it) has endured a fall from grace that felt oddly symmetrical as she played her semifinal against hometown favorite Tsvetana Pironkova. After all, Wozniacki played the Bulgarian floater at the first tournament of the year, the usually star-studded Hopman Cup in Perth. Ten months that feel like an eternity later, Wozniacki is the one looking decidedly out of place.
Subtext aside, it would have then appeared easy to predict a rebound victory for the Dane. Playing a tournament comprised of players that the former No. 1 had beat handily during her rise to the game's elite, "Karolina" could not have felt too intimidated to take on names like Su-Wei Hsieh or Roberta Vinci. Furthermore, she had recently won tournaments in Seoul and Moscow, taking out tough opponents like Kaia Kanepi and Sam Stosur en route. The Dane was not a celebrity wildcard; she had earned her place into this event with her first titles since August of last year.
Nadia Petrova finishes her season with the WTA title in Sofia.
Who, then, would have predicted that No. 2 seed Nadia Petrova would turn the tables on Wozniacki and decisively beat her in a 6-2, 6-1 final?
Yes, the Russian is a dangerous opponent, and with a title in Tokyo that saw her claim the scalps of top ten stalwarts Sara Errani, Stosur and Agnieszka Radwanska, she has obviously played well of late. But for a player for whom much must be perfect, a tournament full of tricky opponents a mere days after winning the Istanbul Championships doubles title sounded like a big ask. Indeed, she played the role of the tired veteran, trudging through three tight matches on her way to the final. Combine that with Petrova's pitiful 1-4 head-to-head against Wozniacki (one win coming when the Dane retired in 2008), who wasn't predicting victory for the woman who had clinched a year-end top 10 ranking just by reaching the final?
Seemingly out of nowhere, Petrova recalled the game plan that saw her take out Radwanska in Tokyo, but unlike that three-set final, there was no lapse from the Russian. For about 90 minutes, Wozniacki had no answer to Petrova's laser-like groundstrokes, flawless serving and inspiring net prowess, and was forced into her fair share of uncharacteristic errors as a result.
During the Russian's extended slump, her formerly reliable serve was often the cause of her worse losses; her first serve percentage would drop, and she would get broken too often for a perennial Tour ace leader. That she didn't lose serve in either match played this weekend speaks volumes to explain her recent success, and spells bad news for future rivals should she maintain this form. When her serve is working, the rest of her game loosens up, and even the most expert retrievers and returners are driven to fits under the pressure of the Russian's powerful game.
Beyond that, not enough can be said about her newfound positivity on the court. After being fired by Wozniacki herself, Ricardo Sanchez began working with Petrova and has been a great influence on her on-court demeanor, striking an encouraging figure from the stands. There will be no Serena-esque shrieks or Sharapova-style fist pumps from Petrova, but quietly celebrating a well-struck ball illustrates her marked emotional growth.
Petrova mentioned that the promise of a rapidly approaching off-season got her through these tough matches, so the question remains as to whether she will be able to dig as deep when the 2013 season begins, and she will have to figuratively start over again.
At the risk of making any wild predictions, it might be best to end this article sooner rather than later.
Filed Under: David Kane, Lead Story Tagged With: Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Nadia Petrova, wta champs sofia, WTA Tour News
Laura Robson: It's all about the climb
September 25, 2012 by TennisGrandstand
While young and talented Donna Vekic made a run to the Taskent final last week surprising virtually everyone, equally young and talented Laura Robson made her own mark this week by reaching the Guangzhou final, bringing many to mutter sighs of "Finally!" or the plaintive "What took her so long?"
While Vekic shocked even the most well-read tennis insiders, Robson is a name many aficionados have come to recognize. The Brit has the junior credentials Vekic lacks, with a hometown triumph at Wimbledon in 2008 and two Australian Open finals to boot.
Beyond that, Robson made the most of her time in relative obscurity by becoming a minor internet celebrity. For a while, @laurarobson5 the twitter user had more far reaching effects with her insightful and humorous tweets than Laura Robson the tennis player with the big lefty swing.
Even without those clues, however, many knew Robson was coming. She had pushed Maria Sharapova to tiebreakers at this year's Olympics. She took silver with compatriot Andy Murray in mixed doubles. She handed Kim Clijsters the final loss of her career at the US Open, parlayed the momentum into a decisive three-set victory over the streaking Li Na before losing an overthought, overcooked match against defending champion Sam Stosur.
These results, especially her most recent success at Flushing Meadows, seemed to suggest that she had already arrived. Yet, this run to the Guangzhou final feels like the missing piece. Fans and pundits knew Robson could play well for one or two matches, and at the US Open she proved she could play well for about three and a half.
But was the teenager's body ready for the week in, week out grind of the WTA Tour? The last few years would certainly suggest a resounding "no," as physical and/or mental issues have often gotten in the way of potentially earlier breakthroughs.
Where Donna Vekic matched middling promise with exponential results, Robson has managed to pair obvious talent with steady improvement, along with the idea that all this time, she's known exactly what she was doing. For example, many fans groaned at the news that she had hired Zeljko Krajan as a new coach.
The former ATP pro brought Dinara Safina to world No. 1, and Dominika Cibulkova to her first WTA title through the use of an ostensibly infallible dogma of hyperaggression. It sounded like the last thing the already aggressive-minded Robson needed, and while Cibulkova parted with Krajan when she began to question the dogma, Safina's sticky end still rings in the minds of many.
Oddly enough, however, Krajan has brought a sense of balance to Robson's game; in fact, it was when she reverted to blind aggression that she lost her US Open round of 16 to Stosur. Overall, the young girl who famously asked Marat Safin to accompany her to the Wimbledon Ball as a junior is beginning to play a more intelligent game and, like Vekic, like a woman.
Does all this praise seem irrelevant because neither woman won their final match? No, because even with this new maturity those big wins and career high rankings, we can still expect a few growing pains. To paraphrase another famous teenager, it's all about the climb.
Filed Under: David Kane, Lead Story Tagged With: donna vekic, it's all about the climb, Laura Robson, robson's coach, teenagers in tennis, WTA Tour News, zeljko krajan
Donna Vekic: All grown up and searching for her tennis destiny
Donna Vekic en route to her first WTA Tour final in Uzbekistan.`
Sometimes on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tennis Tour, fans find that their favorite rising stars really grow up fast. One minute, they're teenagers struggling to qualify for major tournaments; the next, they're making tour finals in countries like Uzbekistan and you're left wondering where the time went.
Such is the case for the young 16-year-old Croatian, Donna Vekic. If you have never heard of her, fear not. Although she has competed on the junior circuit, the descriptors "prodigy" or "junior champion" are withheld because, to be fair, her junior results have been quite middling in a division where success and failure is simply foreshadowing.
Before this summer, I had only known of Vekic in passing as the player against whom controversial fireball Yulia Putintseva had audibly and turbulently fought back at during the 2011 Junior Wimbledon.
Despite Vekic's relative anonymity, when I posited to my twitter followers which players I should be on the lookout for during the US Open qualies, many were quick to point me towards the promising talent.
When I got to Court 6, I could see why; the tall blonde in the flowing Nike dress cut an impressive figure for a 16-year-old. While most of the top junior girls look like girls, Vekic already looked the part of a woman looking to break through on the woman's tour. More importantly, she played like a woman; with a big serve and equally ferocious groundstrokes, this ready-for-primetime player looked decidedly out of place on such a small outer court.
Unseeded in qualifying, the Croat had a good week in Flushing before her age and inexperience reared at a most unfortunate time; two games from the US Open main draw, Vekic wilted in the New York heat and veteran Edina Gallovits-Hall took care of the rest, winning the last 10 games and making the youngster look out of place all over again.
What could have been a disappointing end became that crucially aforementioned foreshadowing when she arrived in Tashkent a week later, again as a qualifier. In seven matches, she only dropped one set, and claimed decisive victories against No. 4 seed Magdelena Rybarikova and No. 6 seed Bojana Jovanovski en route to her first WTA tour final. Despite losing to Caroline Wozniacki's US Open conqueror Irina Camelia Begu at week's end, Donna Vekic had arrived, in fairly emphatic style given the dearth of prior results pointing to said arrival. It just over one year, Vekic has risen over 700 ranking spots and hit a career-high No. 121 this past Monday.
Given how past players have made the junior to WTA transition over the last few years, Vekic's run has many scratching their heads. Junior results aren't a fluke; a look at the last 10 US Open girls' singles champions reads like a "Who's Who" of the WTA (both today and tomorrow). Her talent cannot be denied, and the main (albeit bizarre) question that seems to be at hand is how Vekic's WTA-friendly game failed to translate in the junior ranks.
One need only look to the Williams sisters for the answer; the two had abstained entirely from junior tournaments and their father had been heavily criticized at the time for doing so. Venus turned pro the year Meilin Tu won the girls' US Open, and Tara Snyder the next when Serena entered the pro ranks. With that perspective, suddenly an aberration looks like destiny.
Follow Donna Vekic on Facebook or Twitter for her WTA Tour updates!
Filed Under: David Kane, Lead Story Tagged With: donna vekic, junior tennis, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, WTA Tour News, yulia putintseva
Roger Federer heavy favorite for US Open, Na Li's new partnership — The Friday Five
August 24, 2012 by TennisGrandstand
By Maud Watson
The (Swiss) Cheese Stands Alone
After a week of sublime tennis in which his serve wasn't broken once, Roger Federer won the Masters Cincinnati title to become the first player to win that prestigious crown on five occasions. He also tied rival Rafael Nadal for most overall Masters titles. It's obvious the grass court season has once again infused confidence in the Maestro. His forehand has been a thing of beauty, and he's doing an excellent job of protecting his backhand. In short, he hardly looks 31 and instead appears closer to the man who dominated the game from 2004-2007. He's not a lone heavy favorite in New York with both Murray and Djokovic posting strong results earlier this summer, but don't be surprised if he leaves Flushing with major number 18.
Beautiful Partnership
Li Na had been without a title since Roland Garros last year. Struggling to find any consistency in her game, she recently hired Carlos Rodriguez (the man who coached Justine Henin to so much success) to help her out, and suffice it to say, their partnership has started off with a bang. After reaching the final the previous week in Montreal, she went one better in Cincinnati to claim her first tournament win of 2012. Cincy also marked the first time that Li and Rodriguez met face-to-face, and the Argentine coach must have liked what he saw. With any luck, his input will mean more consistent results for Li. She is a deceptively quick mover with penetrating ground strokes off of both wings. If she can learn to better harness that aggression, there's no reason she can't pick up more big titles, including another major. Keep an eye on this new partnership, because that combo already looks likely to pay dividends.
For Rafael Nadal, an answer is what's in a name. In a press conference last Friday, Nadal announced that he is suffering from Hoffa's Syndrome. While it's unfortunate one of the game's greatest is sidelined with this condition, it might have also come as a relief to the Spaniard. His doctor has said it is not significant, and being able to specifically pin down the problem means being able to provide more appropriate treatments. Of course, all of the treatment in the world will not make up for Nadal's style of play, which is apt to continue to cause problems, so it will be interesting to see if this diagnosis alters his approach to the game and/or his schedule. But for now, here's to wishing Rafa a speedy recovery and a happy return to the game.
In recent years, Serena Williams has certainly made headlines at the US Open – and not because of her tennis. This year, she's getting a head start stirring the pot as she complains about the "bad things" that have happened to her at the US Open. She definitely got robbed on a poor line call in 2004, but her gripes about incidents in 2009 and for sure in 2011 are dubious. Her defense in 2009 (besides suggesting that she definitely didn't foot fault) is that she looked at the lineswoman after the first foot fault call to try and "warn" her not to do it again, and that the lineswoman just shouldn't make that call at that stage of the match and at that stage of the tournament. So basically, she threatened the lineswoman who should have known that late in a Grand Slam she needs to throw the rulebook out the window. As for 2011, Serena said she got a bogus hindrance call for grunting. She needs to go back and watch the tape. She didn't grunt – she loudly and intentionally yelled "c'mon!" Yes, plenty of other shriekers are louder, but Serena's actions made it clear as day that applying the hindrance rule was warranted. In both instances, more fans might have been behind her had she not gone on completely inappropriate tirades and showed a complete lack of remorse for doing so. And she wonders why people don't give her enough credit for being nice…
Missing the Boat
The WTA has started a celebrity campaign to bring more fans to the game. They're featuring celebrities like Donald Trump, Aretha Franklin, and Susan Sarandon among others. In a nutshell, the hope is that fans of the featured celebs will follow those celebs to tennis, and in turn, become tennis fans themselves. I applaud the WTA's creativity, but I wonder if they aren't glossing over one of the more real issues when it comes to fans of the WTA. I don't care how many celebs you have in your corner, if you want to bring fans to the game and more importantly, keep them, then they've got to do something about the awful screeching. The WTA is to be coming out with further info on a grunt policy in the very near future, so fingers crossed that they're actually going to be doing something concrete instead of just blowing smoke. After all, no amount of glitz and glamour can mask the ugly sound of someone who sounds like a shrieking banshee.
Filed Under: Lead Story, The Friday Five Tagged With: Na Li, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Tennis, US Open, women's tennis grunting, WTA Tour News
Sam Stosur: the highs and lows since the U.S. Open
May 26, 2012 by TennisGrandstand
By Melinda Samson, Special for Tennis Grandstand
Sam Stosur had quite a year in 2011 by acheiving a career-high singles ranking of four in February and defeating Serena Williams to win the US Open in September. Since then, Stosur has struggled reaching only one semifinal and two finals since her maiden slam title. Does she have it in her to mount a surprise run at this year's French Open?
Stosur's maiden Grand Slam title was a massive achievement, making her the first Australian woman to win the US Open final since Margaret Court Smith in 1973, and the first Australian woman to win a Grand Slam final since Evonne Goolagong Cawley won Wimbledon in 1980.
And it wasn't a straightforward ride to victory. Stosur proved her strength and stamina by defeating Nadia Petrova in a third round match that turned out to be the longest ever US Open women's match in the open era, lasting 3 hours and 16 minutes.
Then, during the final, Stosur calmly played on after Serena's rant against the chair umpire, un-rattled by the incident that later cost Serena a $2000 fine.
There's something special about Sam
Sam Stosur (REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
As well as being an elite tennis player and Grand Slam champion, Stosur is also a great Australian. She is supremely fit, works incredibly hard, is tanned, smiley, humble and let's face it, she can pull off cool sunnies on court like not many other players can.
Scott Draper, Manager of Developmental Tennis for Tennis Australia, who partnered with Stosur to win the 2005 Australian Open Mixed Doubles final, summed up what makes Sam's style of play special:
"Sam works extremely hard and is physically strong, which gives her an incredible advantage in being able to overpower her counterparts.
Sam's point of difference is that she's not the typical female tennis player. She has angular swings, a heavy forehand, one of the best serves in the women's game and she can slice. This style of play takes her opponents out of their comfort zone and away from what they typically see."
An early loss at the 2012 Australian Open
A great Australian trait is that we love sport and we love an Aussie winner. So when Stosur played in Australia this January, the burden of expectation from the home crowd was enormous, and ultimately proved to be too big for Stosur to bear.
Playing in Australia was Stosur's kryptonite. What should have been her home ground advantage turned into a bonus for her opponents.
A second round loss at the Brisbane International was followed by first round losses at the APIA International inSydneyand the Australian Open in Melbourne.
After the Australian Open loss Stosur said on her blog:
"There's nothing probably more than my expectation. I really, really wanted to do well here and over the summer…… I did everything I could to try and give myself a good opportunity. It obviously didn't happen."
Stosur's results since the Australian Open
Then February came, WTA tennis moved to other parts of the world and the kryptonite of the Australian public's expectations lost its power.
Stosur played Fed Cup for Australia against Switzerland where two wins boosted her confidence. After the wins, Stosur said on her blog:
"You want to win as many matches as possible to erase anything negative and it does not matter the opposition, it is always good to win."
Here's a summary of Stosur's singles results since the Australian Open:
Qatar: reached the final of the WTA Qatar Total Open and was defeated by Victoria Azarenka
Dubai: made it to the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and was defeated by Jelena Jankovic
Indian Wells: defeated by Nadia Petrova in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open
Miami: defeated by Serena Williams in the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open
Charleston: made the semi final of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston and was defeated by Serena Williams
Stuttgart: made the quarter finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and was defeated by Maria Sharapova
Madrid: made the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open and was defeated by Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka
Rome: was defeated by Venus Williams in the third round of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
Next up, the French Open
The French Open starts on Sunday, May 27th. It will be two slams after the highest of Stosur's highs and one slam after what is probably amongst the lowest of her lows.
We know Stosur can play incredible tennis and after making the French Open final in 2010 we've seen what she is capable of at Roland Garros.
Stosur recently displayed her clay "A" game with two cracker Fed Cup wins against Germany in Stuttgart in April, helping Australia get back into the 2013 World Group.
I have high hopes for Stosur at the French Open, while at the same time I'm doing my best not to have expectations! She is seeded sixth and will play her first round match against Elena Baltacha. If Sam progresses through the draw she will potentially play her Round 3 match against Nadia Petrova, Round 4 against Sabine Lisicki and quarter final versus world No.1 Victoria Azarenka.
Follow Tennis Grandstand for updates on Sam Stosur's progress, as well as other Australian players in the main draw, all throughout the French Open.
Melinda Samson is attending Roland Garros and will be writing updates on Australian players through their trek of the tennis world's second slam. She also manages the website Grand Slam Gal and is attempting to do the fan version of a tennis grand slam in 2012. Follow her on Twitter for further live updates @GrandSlamGal.
Filed Under: Lead Story, Live Coverage Tagged With: Australian Open, australian tennis, female tennis player, French Open, grand slam champion, grand slam title, Roland Garros, sam stosur, Scott Draper, Tennis Australia, US Open, WTA Tour News
WTA Spotlight on American Tennis Player Vania King
March 23, 2012 by TennisGrandstand
Vania King at the Sony Ericsson Open (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
American Vania King may seem like a veteran on the WTA Tour but at only 23-years-old, she is one of the more experienced younger players in women's tennis. Currently sitting at a steady world number 54, she will soon best her career-high of #50 from back in 2006. I had a chance to chat with Vania after her first-round win about her Wimbledon title, her education, and the players she would most want to party with.
What is your most memorable moment on court?
Winning Wimbledon with my doubles partner [Yaroslava Shvedova]. I think I screamed for like twenty minutes straight — I couldn't believe it. It took me like two weeks for it to settle in, so that was pretty incredible.
If you weren't a tennis palyer, what would you be?
I think I would be like a guidance counselor for kids; that's something that I want to pursue. I haven't declared my major yet, but I'm studying it online right now. I would like to work in elementary education or psychology.
How long have you been studying?
For about half a year.
Do you have any superstitions on court?
I try not to. I know girls that don't like to step on the line. Sometimes I make it a point to step on the line to make sure that I don't have a superstition. Some players want to stay on one side if they keep winning. But eventually, you're going to lose on any side you're on and eventually you're going to lose if you didn't step on the line. So I think superstitions shouldn't affect you. The only thing they can do is harm you.
If you were hosting a party, what three tennis players would you invite?
(Laughs) Obviously, everyone wants to see Rafa [Nadal]. And then one of my good friends is Anna-Lena Groenefeld and we've gone out and partied before and she's really fun. And the third one, I would say one of my best friends is my doubles partner, Yaroslava Shvedova. I would have to invite her or she would be really mad at me! (Laughs)
What is your biggest indulgence?
I try not to let tennis consume me, so I try to be good with food. But sometimes I'm not good with food — I just figure that I'm really hungry and I want to east what I want to eat. (Laughs)
Is there a sweet that you tend to go for?
Cupcakes and French macaroons.
What are two things you can't live without?
Music and books.
Any type of music in particular that you like?
It varies on the mood. I can't pick just one because when I'm in an upbeat mood or if I need to have some energy, then I'll listen to some club music. If I need to calm down, I'll listen to classical or cinematic music.
Filed Under: Lead Story, Live Coverage, Romi Cvitkovic Tagged With: Anna-Lena Groenefeld, elementary education, getty images, good friends, guidance counselor, memorable moment, Sony Ericsson Open, superstition, tennis players, Vania King, Wimbledon, wimbledon title, wta tennis, WTA Tour News, Yaroslava Shvedova
Serena Williams and Tennis: Unrequited Love
January 4, 2012 by TennisGrandstand
No one in tennis draws as much attention as Serena Williams.
The often-controversial superstar has brought a unique flair to the game ever since she won her first Grand Slam title in 1999. Williams, along with her older sister, Venus, have been the dominant force on the WTA Tour for the majority of the 21st century and are recognized by just their first names.
The younger Williams is currently the most followed tennis player on Twitter, with more than two million followers. Here she allows fans a glimpse into her busy life outside of tennis and often posts cryptic tweets that only her inner-circle would understand.
Fans capture Serena Williams' every move during a Washington Kastles match.
Williams is charming and charismatic, but also unapologetic and tempestuous. She is one of the fittest athletes in the world, but claims she loathes working out. She has won 13 Grand Slams singles titles, but recently said that she does not love tennis.
"I mean, I don't love tennis today, but I'm here, and I can't live without it," Williams said after her first-round win at the Brisbane International. "So I'm still here and I don't want to go anywhere anytime soon."
In the just one match at the U.S. Open last year, Williams showed why she is such a polarizing figure. Less than an hour after berating the chair umpire for what she perceived as an unfair call, Williams sat next to and congratulated the champion, Sam Stosur.
Asked about the gesture during the post-match press conference, Stosur replied, "I thought [it] was pretty classy."
In these situations and paradoxes, we find what makes Serena Williams so compelling. Her presence demands attention. The 2011 U.S. Open may not of even registered on the casual sports fan's mind had it not been for another "Serena meltdown."
Williams has been criticized for focusing too much on outside interests, such as fashion and acting, but continues to be a favorite in any tournament she enters.
She may not love tennis, but the sport can't seem to get enough of her.
Filed Under: Kelyn Soong, Lead Story Tagged With: Brisbane International, sam stosur, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, WTA Tour News
Mondays With Bob Greene: Roger generates pressure just by being in front of you
October 20, 2008 by Bob Greene
Andy Murray beat Gilles Simon 6-4 7-6 (6) to win the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid in Madrid, Spain
Venus William won the Zurich Open, beating Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (1) 6-2 in Zurich, Switzerland
Lu Yen-Hsun won the Tashkent Challenger by beating Mathieu Montcourt 6-3 6-2 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Mara Santiago won the Internazionali Tennis Val Gardena in Ortisei, Italy, when Kristina Barrois lost the first set 6-3, then retired.
"The serve is the reason I won the tournament because today Gilles was hitting the ball better than me from the back of the court. He was obviously more tired than me. I didn't play my best, but I'm really happy I won." – Andy Murray, after beating Gilles Simon to win the Madrid Masters.
"I was really tired today. I didn't move like I usually do and Andy knew it. He just wanted to kill me, just wanted to make me run." – Gilles Simon, after losing to Andy Murray.
"I love the pressure. I need it in my life." – Venus Williams, after winning the Zurich Open.
"It is tough to play against someone who serves like she did today." – Flavia Pennetta, after losing to Venus Williams, who won one game with four straight aces.
"I was a little unlucky today. I had some mistakes with the backhand, which didn't help. But I'm not surprised. He's playing very well and with great confidence." – Rafael Nadal, after losing to Gilles Simon in the semifinals at Madrid.
"Roger generates pressure just by being in front of you." – Juan Martin del Potro, who lost to Roger Federer at Madrid.
"I didn't play tennis because of money, that was never my drive, but I have been very successful. I've had an incredible run in slams lately that racks up the money and also the Masters Cup. There is a lot of money involved there." – Roger Federer, after becoming the ATP career leader in earnings.
"I had no gas left in the tank. I am not a robot and after winning three titles in different time zones and climates I felt mentally and physically tired." – Jelena Jankovic, after her second-round loss to Flavia Pennetta 5-7 6-3 6-3 at the Zurich Open.
"I think maybe mentally she might have been tired from all the tennis she played recently, but I also served better in the second and third sets than she did." – Flavia Pennetta, after upsetting top-seeded Jelena Jankovic.
"The mental ability that I have at the moment is one of my advantages. What divides top players from the rest is mental calmness and an ability to cope with pressure in certain moments. … If you are mentally able to play the right shots at the right time, then your place is at the top. That's the key of this game." – Novak Djokovic.
"I have to do my things, but in Davis Cup he is the leader and he is the one that counts above everyone else. We don't compete to see who is the best from Argentina." – Juan Martin del Potro, after beating compatriot and seventh-seeded David Nalbandian 6-4 6-2 at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Masters.
"For the last two months, I've been very serious. It's all changing for me." – Gael Monfils, saying his new approach to his career is paying off with victories on the court.
"We are going to deliver on our contract at Melbourne. We've had a great run, massive growth in Melbourne. Australia is really behind the event as a Grand Slam. It's a good event in Melbourne." – Steve Wood, Tennis Australia chief executive, explaining that the Australian Open will not move from Melbourne to Sydney.
"In my career I've stood here on the final day like this nine times now. Not a lot of weeks go by where everything goes right like this." – Vince Spadea, after winning a Challenger tournament in Calabasas, California, his ninth tournament title in his 15-year professional career, eight of them coming on the Challenger tour.
STOPPING AT THE TOP
Rafael Nadal will finish the year as the number one player in the ATP rankings, ending Roger Federer's four-year reign. The Spaniard was guaranteed to claim the top spot at the end of the year when Federer lost in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid. Nadal becomes the first left-hander to finish the year at number one since John McEnroe in 1984 and only the third lefty in the 36-year history of the ATP Rankings. McEnroe was number one from 1981-84 and Jimmy Connors finished number one from 1974-78. The first Spaniard to finish the year as number one, Nadal has won an ATP-leading eight titles in 2008, including Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
SVETLANA'S IN
Svetlana Kuznetsova has clinched a spot in the season-ending WTA Championships in Doha. The Russian is the sixth player to qualify for the eight-woman field, joining Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, Ana Ivanovic and Elena Dementieva. The tournament will be held November 4-9.
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SO IS NIKOLAY
Nikolay Davydenko is the fifth player to qualify for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, China. The Russian joins Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in the elite eight-player field for the November 9-16 tournament. Also qualifying for the doubles competition at the Tennis Masters were Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Mark Knowles of the Bahamas, along with Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay and Luis Horna of Peru. Cuevas and Horna qualified by winning the title at Roland Garros.
SPECIAL BRIT
When Andy Murray beat Gilles Simon 6-4 7-6 (6) to win the Madrid Masters, he gained a spot into a pretty select group. Murray is the first Briton to win four ATP titles in a season and will be the first from Great Britain since Fred Perry in 1936 to finish the year as the fourth-ranked man. Both Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski reached number four in the rankings, but neither finished the year there nor won four titles and played in a Grand Slam final in one season.
SUPER FRENCH
For the first time in ATP ranking history there are four Frenchmen in the top 20 in the world: Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils.
SERBIAN STOP
If Novak Djokovic has his way, an ATP tournament will be held in his home country of Serbia. The reigning Australian Open champion said his family has bought the license to the ABM Amro Open, which has been held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Djokovic hopes to move the tournament to Belgrade next May.
SURPRISE, NOT
Roger Federer has another title in his trophy case. The Swiss superstar has become the all-time leader in career prize money earnings in men's tennis, surpassing Pete Sampras. Federer, who has won the U.S. Open five times, has earned more than USD $43.3 million. Sampras has won 14 Grand Slam tournament titles, one more than Federer. Andre Agassi is third in career earnings with USD $31.1 million, with Boris Becker in fourth place on the career money list.
SPONSOR OUT
The United States Davis Cup team is losing its main sponsor. The Associated Press reported that insurance giant American International Group Inc. (AIG) will not renew its contract when it expires at year's end. One of the world's largest insurance companies, AIG was on the brink of failure last month when the U.S. government offered it a USD $85 billion loan. On October 8, the Federal Reserve agreed to provide AIG with another loan of up to USD $37.8 billion.
SWITCHING COACHES
A former player will be Svetlana Kuznetsova's new coach. The Russian star, who has been ranked as high as number two in the world, has hired world-renowned coach Olga Morozova. Kuznetsova had been working with Stefan Ortega from the Sánchez-Casal Academy in Spain. As a player, Morozova was runner-up at both the French Open and Wimbledon in 1974. She has coached the Russian Fed Cup squad and a number of other Russian players, including Elena Dementieva.
The Australian Open is staying in Melbourne. Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam tournament said they will spurn an offer to move the event to Sydney when the current contract with Melbourne expires in 2016. New South Wales recently announced it was building a world-class tennis facility in Sydney and would attempt to get the Australian Open moved there. Although the tournament has been played in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and even New Zealand since it's inception in 1905, it has been played continually at Melbourne Park since 1988.
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour is the recipient of the Women's Sports Foundation's Billie Jean King Contribution Award for its 35-year history of supporting equal opportunity for women on the courts. The award honors an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the development and advancement of women's sports. When the WTA Tour secured equal prize money for players at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2007, it fulfilled a 30-year goal of parity.
SPADEA A WINNER
When veteran Vince Spadea won a USD $50,000 USTA Challenger tournament in Calabasas, California, he moon walked to the net following the final point. Spadea's 7-6 (5) 6-4 win over Sam Warburg was his eighth career singles Challenger title. Spadea has won once on the ATP tour in his 15-year pro career.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Madrid: Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski beat Mahesh Bupathi and Mark Knowles 6-4 6-2
Zurich: Cara Black and Liezel Huber beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Patty Schnyder 6-1 7-6 (3)
Tashkent: Flavio Cipolla and Pavel Snobel beat Michail Elgin and Alexandre Kudryavtsev 6-3 6-4
Ortisei: Mariya Koryttseva and Yaroslava Shvedova beat Maret Ani and Galina Voskoboeva 6-2 6-1
SITES TO SURF
Budapest: www.tennisclassics.hu/
Linz: www.generali-ladies.at
Lyon: www.gptennis.com/
Basel: http://www.davidoffswissindoors.ch/
Luxembourg: www.fortis-championships.lu
Seoul: www.kortennis.co.kr
Paris: www.fft.fr/bnpparibasmasters//
Quebec: www.challengebell.com
Bratislava: www.stz.sk
Busan: www.busanopen.org/
Cali: www.tennissegurosbolivar.com/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
$1,000,000 Davidoff Swiss Indoors, Basel, Switzerland, carpet
$1,000,000 St. Petersburg Open, St. Petersburg, Russia, hard
$800,000 Grand Prix de Tennis De Lyon, Lyon, France, carpet
$125,000 Samsung Securities Cup Challenger, Seoul, Korea, hard
$600,000 Generali Ladies Linz, Linz, Austria, hard
$225,000 FORTIS Championships Luxembourg
$100,000 Internationaux Feminins de la Vienne, Poitiers, France, hard
$100,000 2008 OEC Taipei Ladies Open, Taipei, Taiwan, carpet
Stanford Championships, Outback Champions, Dallas, Texas
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
$2,450,000 BNP Paribas Masters, Paris, France, carpet
$125,000 Seguros Bolivar Open, Cali, Colombia, clay
$100,000 Busan Open Challenger, Busan, South Korea, hard
$175,000 Bell Challenge, Quebec City, Quebec, hard
$100,000 Ritro Slovak Open, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, hard
Filed Under: Lead Story Tagged With: Ana Ivanovic, Andy Murray, ATP Tour News, Australian Open, David Nalbandian, Davis Cup, Dinara Safina, Doha, Elena Dementieva, elena Jankovic, Fed Cup, Flavia Pennetta, Gaels Monfils, Gilles Simon, Internazionali Tennis Val Gardena, Jimmy Connors, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, John McEnroe, Juan Martin del Potro, Kristina Barrois, Lu Yen-Hsun, Luis Horna, Mahesh Bhupathi, Mara Santiago, Mark Knowles, Mathieu Montcourt, Mutua Madrilena Madrid, Nikolay Davydenko, Novak Djokovic, Olga Morozova, Pablo Cuevas, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Sanchez-Casal Academy, Serena Williams, Stefan Ortega, Steve Wood, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Tashkent Challenger, Venus Williams, Vince Spadea, Wimbledon, WTA Tour News, Zurich Open
Tennis as Usual: Don't Forget About the WTA
October 15, 2008 by Ricky Dimon
With ATP Tour action really taking off this week at the Masters Series Madrid, the women are getting thoroughly overshadowed. It should not go unnoticed, however, that this week's WTA event in Zurich, Switzerland boasts an outstanding field, especially considering the draw size is just 28.
World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic is the top seed and she is joined as a first-round bye recipient by Ana Ivanovic, Venus Williams, and Vera Zvonareva. The top four seeds are surely not taking their free pass to the second round for granted, either, after what has transpired throughout the first few days of play. To say the Zurich Open has seen its fair share of surprises so far would be an understatement.
Little-known Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu stunned seventh-seeded Anna Chakvetadze 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday. In the second round she will take on Victoria Azarenka, a 6-2, 6-1 winner over Amelie Mauresmo. That Azarenka got the best of Mauresmo is not a shock, but the fashion in which she did it has to come as no small surprise.
Niculescu was not the only qualifier to move safely though round one. Petra Kvitova stunned No. 6 seed Patty Schnyder 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 much to the chagrin of the Switzerland faithful. Other first-round upsets included Maria Kirilenko over No. 8 seed and fellow Russian Daniela Hantuchova, and Francesca Schiavone over a previously in-form Caroline Wozniacki. Kirilenko and Schiavone will now do battle for a quarterfinal spot in Zurich.
Several of the top men's players in Madrid will be looking to fend off the upset bug on Wednesday. Rafael Nadal already escaped a scare from Ernests Gulbis in a grueling three-set triumph, and now it's time for Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick, and David Nalbandian to get their Madrid campaigns started. Federer meets Radek Stepanek, Nikolay Davydenko faces Robby Ginepri, Roddick tussles with Tommy Robredo, and Nalbandian-who has a brutal draw the whole way through-battles Tomas Berdych, champion in Tokyo two weeks ago.
Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: Amelie Mauresmo, Ana Ivanovic, Andy Roddick, Anna Chakvetadze, ATP Tour News, Caroline Wozniacki, Daniela Hantuchova, David Nalbandian, Francesca Schiavone, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Kirilenko, Masters Series Madrid, Monica Nuclescu, Nikolay Davydenko, Novak Djokovic, Patty Schnyder, Petra Kvitova, Roger Federer, Venus Williams, Vera Zvonareva, Victoria Azarenka, WTA Tour News, Zurich


I've written so much tonight that Blogger's broken and now only speaks German. Nevermind, this is the last one!
Any hopes of a early night were shattered when I popped out to clean my teeth just after midnight to be greeted by an awesome aurora dancing over the tents! It started in a small letterbox poking through the clouds, but as I brushed it grew, eventually leaping over the whole sky. I pocketed my toothbrush and kicked the tents to wake the sleepers, then rummaged for the camera.
*Not including Llangenith on a hot bank holiday!
We stood and watched, spell bound, for about an hour. There was enough moonlight to see clearly, but the aurora was strong enough to be distinct. With the equinox gone and 24h daylight fast returning, I think each aurora will be my last. Even if the light allows another display, I doubt there'll be one to stick in my mind more than this.
After a hour or so, we snatched some sleep ready for an early start, filling flasks and hydrating before packing up and heading out. Packing camp takes as much time as setting up - three hours without faffing, but clear and still weather helped no end. The skidoos had all survived and started on the key, but were still idled for half an hour and rocked vigorously to free their tracks before moving off. Once on the move, the fresh snow allowed excellent progress. We un-linked on leaving the crevassed area and bounced over the powder mounds with big grins inside our helmets.
The ride covered about 40km, bringing us to Windy Bay, home of the emperor penguins. As we were staying in the Antarctic equivalent of a mountain hut - a caboose, unpacking was a lot easier: I just grabbed my sleeping bag, covered the doos and went inside.
A caboose is exactly what it looks like - a shipping container with windows and a door. Thankfully it also has a stonking kerosene stove, cooker, 4 beds and a roof hatch incase snow builds up blocking the door. There was only enough room for two people to stand at once, but compared with camping it was the Ritz!
Excited about being so close to the penguins, we threw our bags in, grabbed a quick brew and headed to the cliffs, hoping for a visit before dinner. The light was excellent so I shoved an extra camera battery in my inside pocket to warm, but sadly high winds meant we could go no further than the clifftops that night.
Snow drifted off the cliff tops making spectacular eddies of spindrift and though we couldn't go any further, the sunset made the walk worthwhile. When the sun and temperatures dropped, we headed back, agreeing to get up at dawn to catch the best light.
After a cracking night's sleep (it's amazing how much better sleep is without the ground creaking and cracking below), I woke with my alarm at 6am, only to hear the wind howling round the chimney. A radio call to base confirmed what we already knew - it was over the limit and we were going nowhere. Feeling gutted at the prospect of a third failed penguin trip, I drifted back to sleep.
Three hours later, things had changed. The wind had dropped, the sun was out and we could go! Back at the edge of the icecliffs, we banged in an anchor, set the abseil, crossed a crevasse and dropped onto the sea ice.
A handful of penguins had seen us coming and waddled over importantly to give a noisy welcome. Looking and acting like doormen, they sqwarked and stared as we passed the roamers and headed to the main colony.
It was fantastic! As they have no land-based predators, the Emperors had no fear of humans and wandered up to investigate the strange coloured incomers to their home.
The colony was split into two groups on either side of the headland, perhaps with a few hundred per group. Within the group, a few adults still sat on eggs, but the majority had fast growing fluffy chicks at their feet.
They were great fun to watch. Very human-like, not only in their stance, but also in interactions. Some neighbours were best of friends, others sworn enemies. And it seemed to all be down to petty boundary disputes!
The ride home was a brief 18km, but long enough to reflect on an absolutely wicked trip.
Awesome pics there Mr. Evans, I'm sure my resident Penguin Expert will be incredibly jealous!
Are there set limits to going out depending on the met conditions, eg if the wind is above 10 knots nobody goes out?
Dave: There's a windspeed limit on sea-ice travel, but the main dictator on travel is contrast. If you cant see the ground conditions, you can't move.
This can be particularly frustrating when the horizon is clearly visible 20km away, but the snow surface is totally, uniformly white. It's caused by sunlight reflecting from the snow to the cloud and back again, so light comes from all directions.
Great photos, blog entries and videos - I'm on my way to Antarctica via S. America in a month - can't wait to experience some small portion of this amazing location - hope to blog, photograph and video as much as possible. Any suggestions, advice?
1. Antarctica wrecks cameras. Make sure you've got a waterproof bag, not only for the rainy islands but also to leave the camera in when you bring it in from the cold to stop condensation forming inside it.
2. Press all the buttons! Know your kit and what you want to achieve.
3. Composition rules. Don't just strafe with the lens!
4. Let the wildlife come to you. If you sit back and relax, they'll come right up close.
5. Mind the fur seals. They bite.
6. With video, pan loads slower than you think is necessary.
7. Put the cameras away. Give yourself time to simply take it all in.
Hope you have a great trip. Send me a link when you get blogging!


This entry was posted in Toronto Mad Pride and tagged art, bed push, mad pride 2016, mad pride parade, mad pride vision, volunteer.
Toronto Mad Pride – 2016 Get Mad!
Toronto Mad Pride has a new Madweb site where you can find out about volunteering, events, madness, cool people and ways to celebrate. This year is going to be better than ever with people committed to learning, sharing, forming community and fun.
Mad Pride is about activism and celebration. We invite you to join in building something together with enthusiastic and supportive nnpeople. We are not experts. We are not a hierarchical team. Planning is based on input from people like you and driven by your energy. So joing us and invite your coolest friends, neighbours and acquaintances.
This entry was posted in Toronto Mad Pride and tagged new toronto mad pride, Toronto Mad Pride.
What does Mad Pride mean to you? What is your vision for Mad Pride 2016?
Mad pride is a chance to bring together people from across the GTA. Mad is an inclusive term. We need to celebrate and embrace people who are familiar with the Mad movement and people who are interested in learning more.
At events, we heard a lot about the importance of publicity. We know we need to have more people involved in the early planning and at the events. This is a great volunteer opportunity to meet, learn and get involved in healthy-dynamic team! We hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you for your commitment to Mad Pride. Looking forward to seeing you in 2016.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged help us, mad pride 2016, mad pride vision, volunteer.
Mad T-Shirts and Mad organizers!
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged art, mad gallery, mad market, mad photos.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged art, comedy, music.


Links of London sterling silver Letter C Alphabet Charm. With over 300 charms to choose from in the shapes of animals, fashion accessories and food charms, you can create your own story. And why not spell your name from alphabet Links of London charms, for a truly unique look that's individual to you!


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Steelers No. 1 Draft Pick Cameron Heyward On Football, NFL Lockout
Filed Under:Brett Keisel, Cameron Heyward, Casey Hampton, Chris Hoke, Jim Tressel, Ohio State University, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Picks, Terrelle Pryor
COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 05: Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward #97 of the Ohio State Buckeyes takes off from the line of scrimmage against the Navy Midshipmen at Ohio Stadium on September 5, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH (Sportsradio 93-7 The FAN) — Steelers first-round draft pick Cameron Heyward joined Seibel, Starkey and Miller on Sportsradio 93-7 The FAN to talk about becoming a Steeler.
Heyward talked about his off-season workouts this summer with the current lockout in place, saying he has been conditioning and staying in shape. He talked of veterans such as Chris Hoke, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel who have already made a name for themselves whereas he is the young guy who needs to prove himself.
When asked about his anticipation of becoming a Steeler, Heyward said he is thrilled to join such an elite squad and cannot wait to meet the guys. Heyward's family is from the Pittsburgh area and Cameron talked about getting Steelers gear ever since he was little. He touched on the story of being by his father's side during his time of bone cancer saying part of the reason he chose OSU over PITT was the fact PITT was his Dad's school and he did not want to overshadow his legacy.
Heyward talked about the mess in Columbus saying people want to put it behind them and move forward. He said Jim Tressel is someone who only wants the best for his players, but acknowledged the fact he made mistakes. Terrelle Pryor was also brought up in the Ohio State University conversation saying Pryor feels bad for letting his team down and wishes him the best.
Cameron Heyward ended the conversation saying his expectations for the upcoming football season is to do all the Steelers ask of him and grasp the playbook.
https://cbspittsburgh.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/cameron-heyward-6-22.mp3

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home Tags New Zealand National Party
Tag: New Zealand National Party
Todd Muller Won't Say How He Would Have Voted on Same-Sex Marriage
express Magazine - May 24, 2020 0
In a recent interview, the new National party leader Todd Muller refused to say if he supported same-sex marriage or not. Newly elected National Party leader Todd Muller has refused to say whether he would have supported Louisa Wall's Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment bill or not. The bill's passage...
Simon Bridges' First (& Last?) LGBT+ Interview
Newly deposed National Party leader Simon Bridges speaks to Levi Joule about past mistakes, making amends with the LGBT+ community and his ambitions for the future. Simon Bridges arrives for the express interview in an upbeat mood. It's February 2020, the COVID 19 pandemic has yet to sweep the...


Hearing Disorders and Tinnitus - David J. Hoyt, M.D.
Hearing loss can be a frustrating problem both for individuals as well as their loved ones. While hearing loss can affect people of any age, hearing dysfunction has been shown to affect 25% of those between the ages of 65 and 74; while 50% of those over 75 years of age have some degree of hearing loss. A variety of disorders can affect hearing. Some involve structural changes in the ear itself such as perforations of the ear drum, growths (such as cholesteatomas), or scar tissue formation as a sequelae of repeated infections. Systemic diseases such as hypothyroidism, Paget's disease and congenital syndromes can also affect hearing. Finally, various medications and environmental factors such as exposure to loud noise can damage hearing as well.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound when there is no external source and it affects 10-15% of adults in the United States. It can be described variously as ringing, chirping, clicking, or pulsations. Treatment options include hearing aids, sound therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Antidepressants, anticonvulsant and anxiolytic medications have been used with various degrees of success. Dietary supplements such as ginko biloba have both antioxidant and antihypoxic properties. Ginko, as well as zinc, and melatonin have shown variable effects on tinnitus. Some studies have shown a benefit, while others have shown little change in symptoms with these medications.
If you suffer from tinnitus or another hearing disorder, please call your doctor or contact us to request a hearing evaluation.


Which car company, in 1986, comissioned "Cars", a series of artworks to track the evolution of its designs, from Andy Warhol?
Which honour was conferred by James II on John Dryden in 1630?
The national flag of which country features a map of it in a copper-yellow colour, symbolising large deposits of copper ore, with, to symbolise peace, two olive branches below on white?
What is a word for the living content of a cell that is surrounded by a plasma membrane?
Who wrote "A Brief History Of Time" and "Black Holes and Baby Universes"?
Which of these is used in the film industry?
With what sport is Frank Bruno associated?


Inspired by the Thai massage, the yoga massage uses passive stretching and gentle pressure. Along the body's energy lines to increase flexibility, relieve muscle and joint tension, and Balance the body's energy system. Yoga massage is deeply relaxing yet also uplifting and Energizing.


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Hacksaw (2020)
Watch Hacksaw (2020) Online
A young couple on a road trip takes a detour to the site where a notorious murderer, Ed "Hacksaw" Crowe, became an urban legend on the day he was killed many years before, but they quickly find the legend may not be quite as dead as they were counting on.
Director: Anthony Leone
Actors: Amy Cay, Brian Patrick Butler, Christine Wawira, Cortney Palm, Kylie Young-Harper, Luke Anthony Pensabene, Michael C. Burgess
Roger Cobb is a author who has just separated from his wife. He moves into a new house and tries to work on a novel based on his experiences in…
Edge of the Axe (1988)
An axe murderer terrorizes a small Northern California mountain community, while two young computer-obsessed adults attempt to solve the killings.
Country: Spain, USA
John Constantine has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with a policewoman to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through…
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Mosquito (1994)
An alien starship crashes in a swamp in a U.S. National Park. Some mosquitos begin to feed from the alien's corpses, causing them to grow to the size of a…
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
Escape from Tomorrow (2013)
In a world of fake castles and anthropomorphic rodents, an epic battle begins when an unemployed father's sanity is challenged by a chance encounter with two underage girls on holiday.
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction
The Great Alligator (1979)
A tourist resort in Africa finds itself at the mercy of a huge man-eating crocodile from a local native legend which the croc is the incarnation of a native god…
Time Walker (1982)
From deep within the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, Professor Douglas McCadden ships the coffin of Ankh-Vanharis to the California Institute of Sciences where X-rays reveal five diamond-like crystals…
The Beast Within (1982)
In the beginning of the movie you see a woman getting raped by a man-creature of some sort. The movie takes place years later when the child that was a…
A couple of college students decide to sign up for pharmaceutical testing of a new allergy drug to make some extra cash for their spring break trip. They quickly discover…
The Ascent (2019)
Special ops squad "Hell's Bastards" are sent to infiltrate a civil war to retrieve intel. The unit soon find themselves trapped on a never-ending stairwell forced to climb or die….
Making Contact (1985)
A nine year old boy named Joey, who after the tragic death of his father, begins to experience psychic powers such as allowing him to move inanimate objects with his…
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction
Reawakened (2020)
When Michele Chadwick's best friend Sophia accidentally awakens the spirit of a malevolent witch that died centuries ago, Michele has to find a way to save her soul from eternal…
Trailer: Hacksaw (2020)


Back last year, I wrote a column on how Greensboro and Guildford County were the most written-about locations in North Carolina during the war. With five books on the subject, I still hold to that. But New Bern, I believe, is the most-illustrated part of North Carolina during the war.
Harper's Weekly, April 19, 1862.
Following a battle just south of the town, Federal forces captured New Bern in March 1862. They held it for the remainder of the war, and often used it as a staging area for raids toward the east. Even though parts of New Bern were burned during the Confederate retreat, large portions of the colonial capital survived.
New Bern, Craven Street, ca. 1863 in the North Carolina County Photographic Collection #P0001, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Masonic Hall, New Bern, ca. 1863 in the North Carolina County Photographic Collection #P0001, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Middle Street, New Bern, ca. 1863 in the North Carolina County Photographic Collection #P0001, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Harper's Weekly, July 19, 1862.
There were wood-cut illustrations of the battle of New Bern, along with scenes of the city itself, over the next few years in various newspapers from the North. And, there were photographs as well. Photographer E. J. Smith visited the two in 1863. The North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives at UNC-Chapel Hill has 27 carte-de-visite prints attributed to Smith taken in New Bern. These, coupled with the newspaper illustrations, make New Bern the most illustrated place during the 1860s.
At the recent Emerging Civil War symposium, I was chatting with Gettysburg Guide Matt Atkinson, and he told me of an account of generals squabbling over who should lead the Light Division after Pender's wounding on day 2 of Gettysburg.
So I tracked down the source: Writing and Fighting the Confederate War: The Letters of Peter Wellington Alexander, Confederate War Correspondent. Alexander was born in Georgia, a graduate of the University of Georgia, a lawyer and newspaper reporter. He was the war correspondent for the Savannah Republican. The book was edited by William B. Styple and contains 200 letters that Alexander wrote for various newspapers.
Lane would write that he observed Pender riding to his right late in the day on July 2.
The Light division consisted of Lane's North Carolina brigade, Brig. Gen. Edward L. Thomas's Georgia brigade, McGowan's brigade, under Col. Abner M. Perrin, and Scales's brigade, under Brig. Gen. Alfred M. Scales. At the time, right to command was based upon seniority of rank, or, who had held that rank the longest. Lane's promotion to brigadier general dated to November 1, 1862. Alfred Scale's promotion was dated June 13, 1863. He was also wounded on day 1 and replaced by Col. William J. Lowrance. Now to Edward Thomas, whose promotion to brigadier general also dated to November 1, 1862.
So, if there is an argument, it is between Lane and Thomas. If I understand the ranking question, next, the generals would have looked at who was at the previous grade the earliest. Thomas was promoted colonel of the 35th Georgia Infantry on October 15, 1861. It was his first command of the war. Lane served as major and then lieutenant colonel of the 1st North Carolina volunteers, and was promoted to colonel of the 28th North Carolina Troops on September 15, 1861. Lane was clearly senior to Thomas.
There is a lot of discussion about the Light Division not coming to support of the troops doing battle on the evening of July 2. Was that Lane's fault? What we really lack is a timeline. When was Pender wounded? When did Lane learn that he was in command? Just how aware was he of where the other brigades were posted, and of the plan for the day?
There are two things that throw the whole debate over seniority into question. Lane writes in his official report of the battle of Gettysburg that "Capt. Norwood, of Genl. Thomas's Staff, that Genl. Pender had been wounded & that I must take command of the division..." If Lane and Thomas had been arguing over who had seniority, then there was no need for a staff officer to inform Lane of who was in command.
This past weekend, I had the chance to attend the Emerging Civil War conference in Spotsylvania, Virginia. The theme for the event was "Great Attacks of the Civil War," and that got me to thinking: what were the great attacks in the Civil War in North Carolina?
Now it would be easy to put the assault of Hardee's and Stewart's men at Bentonville, or Ames' Division at Fort Fisher. But what came to mind are two much smaller affairs, that had greater repercussions.
The first of my two "Great Attacks" takes place in 1861. Forts Clark and Hatteras were constructed either side of Hatteras Inlet not long after North Carolina left the Union. They were meant to keep the Federals out of the Pamlico Sound. On August 28, 1861, Federal naval ships bombarded Fort Clark. Unable to return fire due to the range, Confederate forces fled to Fort Hatteras. Fort Clark was captured, and the Union naval vessels turned their attention toward Fort Hatteras. After several hours of intense bombardment, the fort surrendered, and 700 Confederates became prisoners of war. The loss of these two installations opened the Pamlico Sound to the Union navy and army. Roanoke Island fell in February 1862, the battle of New Bern was fought in March 1862, and Fort Macon fell on April 26, 1862. Later, Federal soldiers set out on raids against Kinston, and battles were fought at Wyse's Fork (this is a short list), all because these two small forts fell in August 1861.
My second pick is on the other end of the state. In June 1864, then Capt. George W. Kirk led a small band of men, about 120, mostly from the 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry (US), on a raid against Camp Vance just east of Morganton in Burke County. The capture of the camp and the skirmishes (maybe three or four), fought between Kirk and various home guard elements as the Federals attempted to flee back to east Tennessee, are minor in the grand pantheon of Civil War battles. However, Kirk's Raid showed many that with the Confederate abandonment of east Tennessee, the back door to the heart of the Confederacy was wide open. Federal raiding parties could move through the area, and even into upstate South Carolina and the mountains of north Georgia. More importantly, family began to write their loved ones in the army in earnest, imploring them to come home and offer some level of protection against the murdering parties stripping the countryside blind. Kirk's Raid kicked into high gear a war-within-a war in western North Carolina, and caused further desertions among the Tar Heel Confederate soldiers in the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee.
So there you have it: the loss of Forts Clark and Hatteras and Kirk's Raid, my two "Great attacks" in North Carolina in terms of effectiveness. What would your great attacks be?
I really don't like unanswered questions. However, delving into the murky past provides me with scores, nay, hundreds of unanswered questions. Writing the book on the Branch-Lane brigade is no exception. I would still like to know what flag was issued to the brigade on the eve of the Seven Days campaign. I'd still like to know just how far to the left the 33rd NC was at the battle of Second Manassas. Just why did Lane and some of his lieutenants go into the fight on the afternoon of May 12, 1864, unarmed? Maybe in time, I will find these answers. Nevertheless, this project is just about finished for me.
Of course, there are several instances where I have made some pretty good finds - like information on the role of the brigade on day two at Gettysburg, and Lane's personal observation about Appomattox. Some really good stuff you will not find in other places.
There is, however, one piece I am still seeking: James H. Lane's pardon.
Lane wrote his letter on July 10, 1865, from Matthews County, Virginia, the home of his parents. The letter is short, just one page.
"I respectfully make application for pardon under your amnesty proclamation of May 29, 1863, and ask to be restored to all the rights of a citizen of the United States. I entered the Confederate service from the State of North Carolina, and served as a Brigadier General in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States from the 1st of November 1862 to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. I am without property and without money. My address is Norfolk, Va Care of Mr. William R. Hudgins."
There is just one other piece - on July 11, 1865, Lane went before the provost marshal and took the Oath of Allegiance. Missing is the date Lane was granted his pardon.
Lane, post-war, with cloth covering the buttons on his Confederate coat.
In trying to find Lane's pardon, I came across an article entitled "The Soldier's Burden: A Study of North Carolina Confederate Officer Request for Amnesty." According to the article, US President Andrew Johnson issued a Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction on May 29, 1865. Former Confederate soldiers were all pardoned, unless they fell into one of fourteen classes. Lane, serving as a brigadier general, was excluded and had to write the president, through the governor, asking to be pardoned. Lane should have sent his letter to North Carolina governor W. W. Holden, although nothing in the file indicates this.
There were thousands of applications that flooded into Washington City. Johnson was slow on pardoning Confederate officers. While there does not appear to be evidence that Lane ever did, other former Confederate officers frequently wrote friends in Washington City, inquiring about their application and asking for intervention.
President Johnson, in an attempt to speed up Reconstruction, pardoned all but men who fell into three classes on September 7, 1867. Men who had served as Confederate brigadier generals were still in the unpardoned class. On July 4, 1868, Johnson granted amnesty to all former Confederates, except a group of 300, who were under indictment in United States courts under the charge of treason or other felonies. Johnson issued his final mass pardon on December 25, 1868.
As far as I can tell, James H. Lane should have been pardoned on July 4, 1868. I've not found where he was under indictment, although he was once arrested and imprisoned at Fortress Monroe for incendiary speech. He was later released when it was discovered it was another man named Lane making the remarks.


You can use java.util.text.NumberFormat class and its method setGroupingUsed(true) and setGroupingSize(3) to group numbers and add a comma between them. Mostly numbers which are used to represent monetary value e.g. price, amount etc requires a comma to be added to improve readability and follow conventions. For example, if your variable is storing 1 million dollars then you would like to see it as 1,000,000 rather than 1000000. Clearly the first one is more readable the second one. Of course, you can further format to add currency based upon locale, but this tutorial is not about that. In this tutorial, we are just looking to format numbers and group them. Its second part of my number formatting article, in the first part you have learned how to format floating point numbers in Java and in this article shows step by step example to group numbers and add commas between them.
There are mainly two ways to group numbers in Java, first by using NumberFormat class and second by using DecimalFormat class. Actually DecimalFormat is sub class of NumbeFormat and method used to enable grouping e.g. setGroupingUsed() is define there, but you cannot specify grouping size there.
Grouping size is the number of digits between grouping separators in the integer portion of a number and by default NumberFormat use group size of three. So if grouping is your need and you are happy with grouping size of three then go for NumberFormat but if you want advanced formatting and custom grouping size then go for DecimalFormat class.
If you are a beginner in Java and interested in learning essential features e.g. text formatting, I suggest to take a look at Java: A Beginner's Guide by Herbert Schildt, a must read the book for Java beginners.
Here is our complete Java example to format numbers and add commas into them. All code is inside the main method to make it easy to run and understand. In order to add commas to a number, we first need to create an instance of NumberFormat class. Since NumberFormat is a singleton in Java, instead of creating we get the instance by calling NumberFormat.getInstance() method.
Now to enable grouping, we call setGroupingUsed() method and pass true, this will enable grouping, all done now. In order to print numbers with a comma, just call format() method of NumbeFormat class and it will print it accordingly.
By default, NumberFormat uses grouping size of three, so you will see comma (grouping separator) after every three digits on integer portion of number starting from the right. If you want to use a custom grouping size, you need to use DecimalFormat class. It provides a method called setGroupingSize(int size) which can customize grouping size.
* Java Program to show how to add comma to numbers in Java e.g. integers.
* Normally numbers which is used to represent monetary value e.g.
* commas to be added to improve readability and follow conventions.
* step example to add commas on numbers.
1) You can use NumberFormat class or DecimalFormat class to enable grouping and introduce comma between digits.
2) You can enable grouping by calling NumberFormat.setGroupingUsed(true) method, passing true argument enable the grouping.
3) Default grouping size is three, which means comma will be inserted after 3 digits from the right and only on integer portion of a number.
4) You can increase grouping size by calling a setGroupingSize(size) method of DecimalFormat class e.g. setGroupingSize(4) will add a comma after every four digits starting from a decimal point towards left.
That's all about how to add commas to a number in Java. It's just a small part of a bigger feature of formatting numbers in Java. I also suggest taking a look at a couple of beginner's Java guide to understanding more about these useful features. If you like you can follow either Head First Java 2nd Edition by Kathy Sierra or Core Java Volume 1 and 2 by Cay S. Horstmann. Both are good books and has chapters to explain text and number formatting in Java.
Can you Overload or Override main method in Java?
What is fail safe and fail fast Iterator in Java?


text:
Tailz from Bluehorses
A series of recollections and stories from the diaries of band and crew
Tour Tailz
Andy's Festival Diary - Black Horse Festival
It was a first time for the band appearing at this festival, and so cool to be asked to headline the Sunday night slot. It was also great to have Shooglenifty on the same bill who put on a great set.
The weather was perfect for a festival, warm and sunny. Having picked up Mike on the way, we got to the festival around 5pm, the others had beaten us to it, so the gear had already been unloaded.
It wasn't a big festival site, no more than the large marquee behind the pub, with one food stand, one merchandise stand at the entrance, and a bar at the rear of the marquee. It was still however, a well organised, successful set up. This was the festivals 19th year, so its not surprising that it was done well.
The stage was very impressive, loads of room, looooads of lights. Infact, more lights than at a regular venue. Really impressive looking.
A sound check was done late afternoon, then a mad rush to clear the stage so Shoogenifty could do get on the stage and do a sound check as well. During this time, we chilled out and made the most of the down time.
The change over time between bands was very short, so the moment Shooglenifty finished it was all hands on deck. I was walking back into the back stage area with both hands full with platic cups with very hot coffee, when i heard a shout from Nic that we were ready to go......really bad timing on my behalf, i had a 20 second headless chicken moment looking for somwhere to dump the coffee that wasnt anywhere near anything electrical, or on something that wasnt about to be launched on to the stage in the next 60 seconds....not as easy as it sounds when you have a small backstage area, 2 bands equipment and all the electrical stuff for the lights n sound
so, after scolding myself several times, the coffee was dumped and off we went like men/women possessed. The drum kit had only been partly taken apart from the sound check, so, most of it was still attached to the frame, and was lifted straight onto the stage behind the riser. Nic, Lizzy, Jay and Nath didn't take long to get themselves sorted. Myself and Mike then jumped into the safety area at the front of the stage, one at each end so we could film it from both angles.
The set was going to be slightly shorter than normal due to timings, but it wasnt a major problem.
Lizzy looked stunning in her new outfit, a full length....extremely tight fitting sort of bottle green, crushed velvet kinda thing. Really smart, and she as always looked amazing.
Cabbage train opened up, and you could see it had taken the crowd by suprise. All day thay had been listening to easy going chilled out stuff, but now their ear drums were being hammered by a full on rock band.....and they just loved it.
Witch in Wedlock next, and the band still giving it 100%. The crowd were just floored, many people who this was their first experience of seeing the band were catching on to the chorus and singing along
Gravel Walk, Mad Tom, Ostara all followed. The Fender Mandolin came on for Billy Boy. I overheard a bloke saying something on the lines of.....is there anything she CANT play
Barbara Allen, Sitting Pretty, Night Visit and Skyclad finished off the main part of the set.
Twmbarlwm then finished off the gig. It was a huge success, and many a new fan walked away from the festival veeeery impressed. One bloke came up to Lizzy and shouted up to her, that they were the band he had been wanting to discover for years.....he was totally converted.
It was a great festival, the staff were lovely, and the crowd were a pleasure to play to. It would be great to go back there sometime in the future.
Gear was packed away in record time, then the usual nattering and socialising went on for some time before we all piled into the vehicles, and drove off in convoy to the Sussex countryside to crash out at Mikes.
A class weekend and i personally think that their claim of the biggest little festival are well justified.
Bluehorses
Bluehorses Memorabilia
Links to other Bluehorses Material
Main Bluehorses website
Bluehorses on YouTube
Bluehorses News
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How Net Income Is Calculated
Posted on January 9, 2021 By John In Uncategorized
A company's or business's net income is one of the most critical line items on its Income Statement. It is a favourite figure for most stakeholders. Through net income, stakeholders can establish a company's profitability. Similarly, companies may also use the net income figure for various purposes, such as decision-making or technical analysis.
What is Net Income?
How is the Net Income of a company calculated?
If companies can't generate revenues, they can't stay in business. It is because they are crucial in keeping a company successful and running. However, even if a company generates significant revenues, it may still fail. It is because a company's success primarily comes down to its profitability. If a company generates revenues while its expenses exceed them, it cannot be profitable.
Mostly, the success of a company comes down to its net income. A company's net income is an indicator of its profitability. In short, it is the difference between the revenues and expenses of a company. The higher the net income of a company is, the better it is for long-term success. It is, therefore, necessary to use the net income formula to calculate the figure.
Balance Sheet vs Income Statement
What is a Financial Report
Profit vs Cash Flow
The net income of a company represents the residual amount after deducting its expenses from its revenues. For profit-making businesses, the net income will always be positive. Similarly, the higher the net income of a company is, the more profitable it is. Usually, companies present their net income at the bottom of their Income Statement.
The formula to calculate the net income figure is as follows.
Net Income = Revenues – Expenses
In the above formula, revenues represent all the sales proceeds a company receives from selling its products or services. Similarly, expenses denote all those expenses incurred by a company. Usually, the net income of a company represents its profitability for a single period. Mostly, companies calculate their net income annually. However, companies may also use the above formula to calculate the net income for shorter or longer periods.
Similarly, there's another formula used in calculating the net income of a company, as below.
Net Income = Revenues – Cost of Goods Sold – Operating Expenses – Non-operating Expenses
The above formula is an expansion of the previous one. However, through this formula, companies can also further expand the net income formula. Firstly, companies can calculate net income using their gross income.
Net income = Gross Income – Operating Expenses – Non-operating Expenses
Similarly, companies may also use the above formula to calculate net income using operating income.
Net Income = Operating Income – Non-operating Expenses
All these formulas can help the net income of a company. However, all of these formulas will produce the same result.
A company, Blue Co., generated revenues of $75,000 in the previous accounting period. It had the following expenses during the year.
Expense Amount
Cost of goods sold $ 25,000
Rent $ 5,000
Utilities $ 3,000
Salaries and wages $ 8,000
Repair and maintenance $ 4,000
Interest expense $ 2,000
Taxes $ 3,000
Therefore, the company's net income will be as follows.
Net Income = Revenues – Cost of Sales – Operating Expenses – Non-operating Expenses
Net Income = $75,000 – $25,000 – $20,000 – $5,000
Net Income = $25,000
A company's revenues play a crucial role in its success. However, it is even more vital that the company's expenses don't exceed its revenues. It is, therefore, necessary to calculate a company's net income to ensure that. The net income is the residual amount after deducting a company's expenses from its revenues.
Operating Income: Definition, Formula, Examples, vs Net Income Understanding business fundamentals are not as simple as it may first seem. If we only consider income there are different types that we must take into account when trying to...
Net Income on Balance Sheet Table of Contents What is Net Income?What is the Net Income formula?Why is the Net Income critical?Does the Net Income appear on the Balance Sheet?ConclusionFurther questions What is Net Income?...
Cost to Income Ratio: Definition, Formula, Calculation, Example Financial ratios are a relative measure of a financial metric to another. These ratios fall under different categories and are essential to evaluating a company. However, some are more relevant...
Operating Costs, Expenses: Definition, Formula, Examples, Calculation, vs. COGS Table of Contents What are Operating Costs?What is the formula for Operating Costs?Why are the Operating Costs critical?ConclusionFurther questions What are Operating Costs? Operating costs are the expenses that relate...
Cost of Goods Sold: Definition, Calculation, Formula, Examples Companies incur various expenses throughout their operations. Usually, companies must categorize each of them based on several factors. Among these, the most common classification is by nature. Companies may aggregate...
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Grewe Gunther CPA


text:
Prayers To Sell A House
The visual effects artist and a recent graduate from the prestigious Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia.
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, center, speaks after offering Eid al-Adha prayers at the presidential palace in Kabul.
"I pray to big-screen TVs," he would joke. I had to singlehandedly negotiate the sale of his business, sell our house, get rid of the stuff we had accumulated over 36 years of marriage, and then.
Every day, people work, live and pray inside Pietro Belluschi's light-filled. who owns the Belluschi-designed 1980.
Wow Gospel 2008 Songs ESSENCE: Wow, you know everybody. Love it! Also, Missy Elliott is performing this year. Oh, for real?! Oh my God!
The opening prayer is often the least controversial part of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives' ceremonial routine on a session day but Monday's prayer was different. On the same day that the.
Religion Originating In Persia The Lord Is Faithful Verse But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and keep you safe from
The prayer. for it to sell. If you die in the process of the abortion, they bury you on the compound. The girl who.
(Photo: Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger) After days of mindful consideration, prayer and soul searching. I didn't become one.
Gabriel Salguero has served on a White House advisory council and led prayers at the Democratic National Convention. The.
Winter is an atheist but was raised Catholic, and that fall, she says, "all I could think was, 'I wish I could pray to someone. (No less than nine Trump White House officials have violated it.) A.G.
When President Uhuru Kenyatta made a historic address to Nakuru County Assembly on August 14, surviving members of Kiambogo Nyakinyua dance troupe were holding a prayer meeting under a tree at.
United Church Of Canada Statement Of Faith Immanuel is a congregation of the United Church of Canada. The United Church uses various statements of faith, including "A
Mike Huckabee (R) on Monday suggested that a lack of thoughts and prayers is "the single biggest. I will walk out of the.
A handful of North Dakota Republican lawmakers abstained from a Hindu prayer that opened the House's floor session Tuesday, with one legislator describing his actions as a form of quiet protest. Rep.
In the federal appeals court Friday, the atheist didn't have a prayer. A U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with Father Patrick Conroy, the House chaplain, in ruling that he could not be.
Sean Duffy announces that he will resign House seat Trump denies suggesting U.S. "nuke" hurricanes. hurricane strength.
Andrew Wommack Faith Builders Andrew addresses the two most important events that will ever take place in a person's life: first, receiving salvation through
He says, 'Pray, hope, and don't worry,' " Baldassari explained. In the mornings, he works at Union Oyster House as a.
"Because owners of these shops and also shoppers should cease selling and buying and go to pray in mosques with other Muslims.
The auction, hosted by Madonna's former art advisor Darlene Lutz and the auction house Gotta Have Rock & Roll. "recorded the day they were written," from her 1989 album Like a Prayer. Stereogum.
But the owner of the retail chain Gun City, David Tipple, said his store did not sell Tarrant any semi-automatic weapons. Authorities searched a house in Sandy Beach near Coffs Harbor that is.
The house has been on the market for almost three months now, and we have lowered the price twice. No offers, no interest. So she buries a St. Joseph statue in the yard, and we say a prayer to St.
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text:
Caratteristiche tecniche
È un centrocampista difensivo.

Carriera
Cresciuto nel settore giovanile del , ha esordito in prima squadra l'11 settembre 2018 in occasione dell'incontro di Coppa del Re perso 2-1 contro l'. Il 23 settembre 2020 è stato acquistato a titolo definitivo dal .

Statistiche
Statistiche aggiornate al 7 novembre 2020.

Presenze e reti nei club

Note

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Keys to mobile health security: Risk analysis, dual authentication
Effective mobile health security strategies must protect data without compromising mobility -- and vice versa. Simple, sound policies work best, early adopters say.
Despite their upsides, mobile health projects present a whole new set of security and privacy problems, ones that differ from those associated with wired hospital networks. These issues include smartphones running lightweight applications (with lightweight security to go with them) and Web apps transmitting data over the public Internet (which can't be locked down like a closed hospital network).
More mobile health security news and analysis
Addressing HIPAA privacy compliance on hospital wireless networks
Bluetooth 4.0 standard could advance use of wireless medical devices
Yet health care CIOs are beholden to the same Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations for wireless, Web and mobile communications as they are with their wired networks. (The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health, or HITECH Act strengthened several provisions of HIPAA enforcement and significantly increased fines for data breaches of personal health information [PHI].)
At last month's Foundation for the National Institutes of Health's mHealth Summit, three speakers discussed the issue of mobile health security and privacy: Col. Ronald Poropatich, MD, deputy director of the U.S. Army Medical Research & Material Command; Herbert Lin, chief scientist at the National Research Council's Computer Science and Telecommunications Board; and Adam Greene, senior health IT and privacy specialist at the Office for Civil Rights, the agency overseeing HIPAA enforcement.
Health care providers tuning up their HIPAA compliance programs should focus on the biggest known vulnerabilities first, Greene advised. He broke down the first year of health care data-breach statistics since the HITECH Act's updates to HIPAA went into effect in September 2009: The biggest culprits are laptops (24%), paper records (22%), desktop computers (16%) and portable computer workstations (14%). Electronic medical record systems, servers and email messages also are vulnerabilities, but they are less statistically significant, he said.
In breaking down the same health care data-breach stats by the processes involved, Greene said that hackers are indeed a problem, but they are not as significant to health care CIOs as their portrayal in the media might lead executives to believe: Hackers account for only 5% of data breaches, while thieves account for 52%.
Following thieves are non-hackers who somehow are exposed without authorization to HIPAA-protected patient data. Those incidents account for 20% of data breaches. (This type of breach could happen any number of ways. One scenario is that a doctor intends to send PHI to patient A but has the email system prepopulate the "To:" field with patient B's name.) Finally, outright loss of data accounted for 16% of breaches, with improper disposal of data checking in at 6%.
"What this highlights is [that] in the race to have top-notch technical safeguards, it's very important to not underestimate the importance of both administrative and physical safeguards, because those are going to be the tools, oftentimes, for fighting theft and loss," Greene said.
Most health care data breaches can be prevented with one simple technology fix, said Greene, who summarized his No. 1 HIPAA compliance tip in three words: "Encrypt, encrypt, encrypt."
Best practices for mobile health security
As mobile health technology advances, such devices as smartphones and tablet PCs, many of which fit into coat pockets, will create more -- and more attractive -- targets for thieves. When these devices store patient data locally, theft equals data breach.
To that end, Greene, Lin and Poropatich offered several tips to CIOs creating or tuning up their security schemes for mobile health patient interactions:
Perform a risk analysis before implementing mobile technology. Ferret out weak points and buttress them with security. For example, if you are distributing protected health information on smartphones, imagine the scenario of a physician or patient losing the phone, and determine how to protect the data stored on it well in advance of a breach.
Create and enforce sound employee policies that prevent improper sharing of information. Privacy and security are separate things, and require different maintenance methods. Patient privacy typically is maintained by an organization's written policies, which cover everything from password-sharing to data disposal and also need provisions for enforcement when errors are made. Security, meanwhile, is technology, such as encryption, that keeps the bad guys from accessing HIPAA-protected data.
Make security simple. If a password is too hard to remember -- or figure out in the first place -- employees and patients either will not use it or will create workarounds. The same goes for routines built around security policies. One example would be a portable, wireless-enabled emergency-room computer workstation set up to log out the most recent user automatically after the computer has been idle a minute or two, keeping unauthorized parties from viewing open medical records. Automated logouts are usually effective, but in this case the frequency is such that it interrupts the workflow of physicians and nurses in a typically bustling environment, Lin said.
Privacy is what you're trying to achieve; security is what you do to get that.
Herbert Lin, chief scientist, National Research Council's Computer Science and Telecommunications Board
Tell them what you're going to tell them with an open messaging system. Phones and their networks can be less secure than laptop and desktop computers. If you're texting or emailing patients reminders about routine care matters (upcoming appointments, tests or prescription refills, for example) perhaps the most secure HIPAA-compliant method is to make the message itself free of protected health information. One way to do this is to write something along the lines of "Your doctor has an important message for you at …", and refer them to a secure Web link where they have to log on with a password to get specifics. This method keeps sensitive information stored in the cloud, not locally on a phone that can be hacked or lost, Poropatich said
Use two-factor, bidirectional authentication. An example of this type of authentication would be checking a password and token at both the device level and the server level. Doing this confirms that the person trying to log onto that Web link to retrieve a message is the actual patient. This authentication method also offers an additional safeguard before HIPAA-protected information is pushed to a smartphone.
"Privacy is what you're trying to achieve," Lin said. "Security is what you do to get that."
Let us know what you think about the story; email Don Fluckinger, Features Writer.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
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