Dutch firm MVRDV has unveiled images of a tennis clubhouse with seating on the roof, which is to begin construction later this month in Amsterdam (+ slideshow).
MVRDV's proposal for the clubhouse features stepped bleacher-style seating on the roof that rises to a height of seven metres on one side and cascades down to ground level on the other.
"This 'Couch' can seat up to 200 spectators," the architects said, describing the curving benches from which people will be able to watch the action taking place across the 10 courts.
The clubhouse is to be built on an artificial island in IJburg and its north facade will be glazed so members can look out across the water.
A sprayed-on polymer sealant will be used to coat the building "in the same colour and texture as the clay tennis courts."
Changing rooms, a kitchen, storage and toilets will be accommodated at either end of the clubhouse, with the open-plan main space being used for various events.
Concrete and wood will be the main construction materials, with timber used for the interior. Reducing the amount of glazing on the south facade and introducing natural ventilation will help to improve the building's energy efficiency.
The project was developed with fellow Dutch architects Studio Bouwkunde and structural engineers ABT. It is scheduled for completion by summer 2014.
Tennisclub IJburg and MVRDV announce that permission has been granted to start construction of The Couch, a new club house for the young tennis club, which was founded in 2010 on a new artificial island in the east of Amsterdam. The roof of the 322 square metre club house, designed by MVRDV, is folded upwards and downwards to act as an informal spectator tribune for the club. Construction will start this month, with completion expected before summer 2014.
The club house is a long open volume with services on either side such as dressing rooms, a kitchen, storage and toilets. The main space is multifunctional, so it can be used for the club's many events. The roof dips down towards the south side and is raised towards the north until a height of seven metres, creating an informal tribune for the club. This 'Couch' can seat up to 200 spectators. The wide glass front to the north side allows extensive natural lighting and provides a view out over the waters of the IJ-lake.
Inside the club house, the concrete construction is clad with fsc-certified wood, with the outside fully sealed with an epdm polymer hotspray in the same colour and texture as the clay tennis courts. The reduced glass surface to the south helps to cool the building. The thermal mass characteristics of the materialisation in concrete and wood are used to reach a high degree of energy efficiency. It will be heated with district heating made efficient by a heat exchange system. In summer there will be natural ventilation, adding to the ambitious sustainable profile of the structure.
Tennisclub IJburg is located on a manmade island in the East of Amsterdam and opened in 2010. The tennis club, currently with 1100 members, has 10 clay courts and a tennis school. The new club house will be the centre of the club's activities.
MVRDV developed the clubhouse together with co-architect Studio Bouwkunde and structural engineer ABT. Contractor Ballast Nedam Bouw will realise the building, which will be MVRDV's eighth building in Amsterdam.


text:
The Revenant – "A powerful experience that vividly realises a profound truth in humanity: our search for purpose."
In 1975, directing his seminal play Waiting for Godot, Beckett justified his non-naturalistic production as an interpretive game. "It is a game, everything is a game" he began, "It is a game in order to survive". Alejandro González Iñárritu's Oscar contender, The Revenant, has survival at its core.
Famously rooted in a brutal production, forcing it's actors to undergo a freezing climate and icy conditions, The Revenant is a powerful experience that vividly realises a profound truth in humanity: our search for purpose.
Hugh Glass (DiCapario), and his son (Forrest Goodluck), amongst an army of hunters and trappers, are desperate to find pelts amongst the treacherous conditions of Missouri. Set in the 1820's, Native Americans protect their land and the group are soon hunted themselves by the Arikara tribe, ambushed unexpectedly and losing two thirds of the group. Amongst the survivors is Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), a dangerous half-scalped racist whose only interest is himself. There's also Jim Bridger (Will Poulter), a young man still trying to understand his place in the world, challenged by the differing attitudes. The leader of the hunting group, Captain Henry James (Domhnall Gleeson), continues to lead knowing that Glass's expertise is vital to their survival. But plans are scuppered when an enormous grizzly bear mauls Glass within an inch of his life.
DiCaprio, in interviews, views The Revenant as an "epic art film". As the gruff men carry Glass on a hand-made stretcher, through the lush forest and challenging mountainsides, it recalls Aguirre, Wrath of God. While Aguirre deftly plots the slow loss of sanity amongst explorers in the 1500's, The Revenant acknowledges how Glass's drive to survive is simultaneously his loss of humanity: the beauty and perfection of nature contrasting with the flawed instincts of man. Using natural light, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki excels himself, as the perfectly captured freezing temperatures, prickly frost-covered trees and vast Missouri river runs parallel to Glass's journey as he traverses across the American landscape.
After Birdman last year, a cinematic experience refusing to cut away, The Revenant captures sequences that leave you out of breath. A shot in the opening ambush effortlessly chases a hunter before his death moves our attention to the Native responsible, who is killed himself, moving to his victor, and so forth. This may be a flashy manner to shoot an arrow-and-gun fight, but it is integral. These first twenty minutes establish themes that linger until the final haunting frame of the film. Godot's theme of our mortality and purpose is central to The Revenant, and this ongoing capture of life and death begs the question, what's the point?
While similarly brutal, The Passion of the Christ presents the Christian question (and answering) as to the purpose of Christ's death, The Revenant is more ambiguous placing man in the position of Christ. Hardy's hyper-masculine Fitzgerald represents the greed and dominance of our modern world, his actions controlled by his need for money. His ethics are clearly corrupt but not unfounded, or unheard of. And while young Jim Bridger is conflicted as to who to trust, the Captain knows to trust Glass but won't put his life on the line for it. Fitzgerald and Glass are two sides of the same coin, both experienced in the forest and survivors too. The Revenant reveals how experience shapes and dictates our actions, and when reborn, our will – and purpose – to survive can be rebuilt. We have to choose what foundations to build upon.
Originally written for Culturefly on January 17th 2016
Domhnall Glesson
Forrest Goodluck
Previous Room – "The child-like wonder, like the skylight, provides the shard of light that lifts this film entirely…"
Next Alphaville – "The man holding the camera was in love with the woman in front…"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In previous posts I've talked about the damage that poor training attendance can do to the status of L&D, the ongoing development of employees, and why L&D need a new approach.
In this post I'm going to introduce 3 steps to improve training attendance at your organization.
I developed these based on research of what the top trainers and speakers in the world do to get people to register and attend their courses, and then explored how to apply these within organizations for in-house training and development resources.
First you need to make sure you are creating and communicating an irresistible offering that employees would travel miles & pay vast amounts to attend (regardless of whether they need to or not!).
This will enable you to break down barriers of 'busy-ness', and reluctance to enroll. You also need to empower employees to act quickly, and defend their place on the course.
Getting attendance at training as an external provider is hard – the networks between people, and the ability to communicate with potential attendees is patchy. Within organizations this is a lot easier.
So next, set up the processes & mechanisms to ensure that spaces on your courses are filled and attended. This includes using referrals, encouragement from managers, endorsements from experts and email automation/reminders to get the word out.
This will enable you to get the message out quickly and (relatively) effortlessly. You will also help employees and managers commit to ensuring those that enroll, attend.
Finally, you need to deliver incredible value in a way that causes employees to share what they learn with others (resulting in what I call '110% attendance'), and gets them to register for other courses through their increased appetite for development.
Doing this helps you to capitalise on success, making the first two steps easier and easier. You'll also find that the skills you learn by carrying out the steps above enable you to further encourage everyone's quest for personal development.
I hope you found the steps above useful.
If you'd like to learn more, I'll be co-hosting a free webinar on "3 Steps to Improve Training Attendance" with Jon Kennard (Editor of TrainingZone) on the 25th June 2015. We'll cover these steps in more detail and provide you with tips and practical next steps for your organization. (Click here to find out more and register to attend).


text:
Conserveland
Contact Us | Get Updates
Welcome to Conserveland.org
Public Policy Accomplishments
Conservation Basics
Success Story Map
Stories of Land and People
Conservation Champions
2020 Western PA Summit
Trailability: DEI and Access on Recreational Trails in PA
2020 Trail Workshops
2020 WeConservePA Webinars
2020 EAC Network Conference
Gifford Pinchot Society
Planned Giving and Stock Donations
You are here: Home / Conservation Projects / Heritage Conservancy Sets Pioneering Example of Partnership and Preservation with Manoff Market Gardens
Heritage Conservancy Sets Pioneering Example of Partnership and Preservation with Manoff Market Gardens
Freda R. Savana for Heritage Conservancy
It could be said that Gary and Amy Manoff have farming in their blood. For more than three decades, the couple has lovingly labored to create one of the area's most bountiful farms in Solebury Township on land that they leased from Heritage Conservancy.
Manoff Market Gardens on Comfort Road is rich with acres and acres of sour cherries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apples and much more, including its own cidery. But it was not always the productive, picturesque landscape it is today.
While the 35-acre property's highly productive agricultural soils were well understood, the land had not been nurtured for some time when Harriett I. Roberts gifted it to Heritage Conservancy in the early 1980s.
With complete confidence in the property's potential to be a successful farm, the Conservancy entered into a long-term lease with the Manoffs, who were thrilled to take on the challenge of transforming this uniquely beautiful land into a viable farming enterprise.
The Manoffs set to work to incorporate many facets of environmentally sustainable business practices, including the adoption of a soil conservation plan to preserve the farm's rich soil as well as the creation of waterways and terraces to control and reuse rain water runoff. They also installed a water conservation irrigation system to hydrate crops while minimizing water waste.
"It has been a living example of a successful sustainable farming project between farmers and a land trust like Heritage Conservancy," said Jeffrey Marshall, Heritage Conservancy's President.
Thanks to the innovative vision of Heritage Conservancy, Solebury Township's commitment to land preservation, and 36 years of the Manoffs' hard work and unyielding devotion, the couple now owns the land they've skillfully tended after recently purchasing it from Heritage Conservancy.
"I have known the Manoffs for more than 40 years, and I was thrilled when they rented the former Roberts property that had been an old orchard in need of attention. Together, Gary and Amy transformed the property into the local treasure we have now," said Stephen Phillips, Heritage Conservancy's Chairman of the Board. "I am very pleased that Heritage Conservancy was able to work with Solebury Township to sell the land to the Manoffs and preserve it in perpetuity. I cannot think of better stewards of the property, and I'm confident they can continue to make the land productive and sustainable."
Solebury Township invested in acquiring the property's conservation easement, adding it to the municipality's considerable acreage of protected open space. "Approximately 40 percent of Solebury is classified as open space," said Edric Mason, Chair of the Land Preservation Committee.
"This conservation easement helps preserve a strong farming economy in the Township," said Mason, where agriculture is a primary industry. The preservation also protects Solebury's critical ground water resources by recharging aquifers, while its location in the Laurel Run watershed further enhances it value.
A very pleased Amy Manoff shared, "Heritage Conservancy made all this possible."
The result of this visionary partnership is a farm that produces some of the most sought after fruit in the area while the Manoffs continue to cultivate new techniques that ensure a steadfast commitment to soil conservation and sustainable agricultural practices. The couple's improvement of the land can't be overstated, as they made it possible to support the orchards.
"There's only so much investment you can make to improve someone else's property," said Amy Manoff. "Now that we own it, we can move forward and think of the next generation. It's a pretty cool thing."
Filed Under: Conservation Projects Tagged With: farmland, conservation easement
categories: Conservation Projects
About Hilary Hirtle
PALTA News
Conservation Learning
Conservation Organization
Conservation People
Archives Select Month October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 September 2013 August 2013 March 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 February 2012 January 2012 July 2011 April 2011 May 2010
Conserved Properties for Sale
WeConservePA envisions future generations enjoying—undiminished—Pennsylvania's natural areas and open spaces.
Thank you to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for supporting the Association's conservation efforts.
© 2021 · Pennsylvania Land Trust Association


text:
Cyber and Artificial Intelligence Boot Camp
Monday, August 26, 2019 to Thursday, August 29, 2019
Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Please note that this program is open to accepted congressional staff only.
Threats in cyberspace, innovations in emerging technology, complex digital interdependence and challenges for security, governance, privacy and safety capture headlines across the globe each day. Nations, companies and individuals are increasingly dependent on information and information technology for societal functions. Ensuring the security of information and information technology — cybersecurity — against a broad spectrum of hackers, criminals, terrorists, propagandists and state actors is a critical task for the nation. Cybersecurity and emerging technology challenges are evolving rapidly, with threats facing the nation changing by the day.
Artificial intelligence developments and are likewise being documented all over the world, with advances for medicine, automation, mobile apps, IoT devices, robotics, and more. In collaboration with the Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence hub recently launched at Stanford, the Boot Camp will introduce fundamentals of machine learning and AI. As their mission states, the development of AI should be paired with an ongoing study of its impact on human society and guided accordingly.
Cybersecurity is not solely a technical matter, although it is easy for policy analysts and others to get lost in the technical details. Improving cybersecurity is a multi-faceted enterprise that requires drawing on knowledge from computer science, economics, law, political science, psychology, international relations, and a host of other disciplines. This Boot Camp draws upon the expertise of cyber and artificial intelligence scholars in academia as well as senior business leaders and security professionals in Silicon Valley and beyond to provide perspectives on the many dimensions of this dynamic set of issues.
This year's Boot Camp will incorporate multiple viewpoints and interactive sessions to provide an understanding of the fundamentals of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, the nature of international security challenges and threats, various approaches to addressing these threats, and the development and use of capabilities to advance national interests. The Stanford Cyber and Artificial Intelligence Policy Boot Camp seeks to give congressional staffers a conceptual framework to understand the threat environment of today and how it might evolve so that they are better able to anticipate and manage the converging technology and policy issues of tomorrow.
To request more information, click here.
Day 1: Cyber Offense and Defense
Day 2: Technical & Nontechnical Approaches
Day 3: Industry Voices, and the Future of Artificial Intelligence
11:30 pm - 12:00 pm: Introduction And Program Overview
Andrew Grotto, William J. Perry International Security Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Research Fellow, Hoover Institution
Dr. Herb Lin, Senior Research Scholar, CISAC; Hank J. Holland Fellow, Hoover Institution
9:00 am - 9:30 am: Breakfast and Day 1 Debrief
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm: Lunch Keynote and Welcome
H.R. McMaster, Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Former assistant to the president for National Security Affairs; Retired Lieutenant General, U.S. Army
9:30 am - 11:30 am: Hands on Hack Lab
Alex Stamos, Stanford University
9:30 am - 11:00 am: Industry Perspectives Panel
Dr. Sameer Bhalotra (Chair), Co-Founder and CEO, StackRox; Affiliate, CISAC; Senior Associate of the Strategic Technologies Program, CSIS; former Senior Director for Cybersecurity, National Security Council
Frank Chen, Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
Michelle Finneran Dennedy, Vice President, Chief Privacy Officer, Cisco
Rick Howard, Chief Security Officer, Palo Alto Networks
Dr. Mark Rosekind, Chief Safety Innovation Officer, Zoox
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm: Thinking Like An Attacker
Greg Conti, Senior Security Strategist, IronNet Cybersecurity
Dr. Herb Lin, Stanford University
Andrew Grotto, Stanford University (Moderator)
11:30 am - 11:45 am: Break
11:00 am - 12:00 pm: Fundamentals Of AI And Machine Learning
Dr. Emma Brunskill, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Stanford University; Stanford AI for Human Impact Lab
Dr. Jeff Clune, Harris Associate Professor, Computer Science, University of Wyoming; Senior Research Manager, Uber AI Labs
Andrew Grotto, Stanford University, (Moderator)
1:30 pm - 1:45 pm: Break
11:45 am - 12:45 pm: Lunch - Cyber Risk, Economics, And Organizational Dimensions Of Cyberspace
Dr. Greg Falco, Security Researcher, Stanford CISAC
Dr. Tyler Moore, Tandy Assistant Professor of Cyber Security and Information Assurance, University of Tulsa
Dr. Herb Lin, Stanford University (Moderator)
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm: Keynote Lunch
Dr. Fei Fei Li, Co-Director, Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Initiative, Stanford University; Professor, Computer Science, Stanford University
Mykel Kochenderfer, Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University; Director, Stanford Intelligent Systems Laboratory
1:45 pm - 3:00 pm: Current Threat Landscape
Kevin Mandia, CEO, FireEye
Sean Kanuck, CISAC Affiliate and Hoover Institution Visiting Fellow; Former National Intelligence Officer for Cyber Issues, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
12:45 pm - 1:00 pm: Break
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Fundamentals Of Defense For Cybersecurity
Dr. Irving Lachow, Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution; Affiliate, CISAC; Portfolio Manager, International Cybersecurity, MITRE
Andrew Grotto, Stanford University
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Ethics And Governance Questions For AI
Dr. Heather Roff, TBC
John Villasenor, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Law, Public Policy, and Management, University of California Los Angeles
3:15 pm - 4:15 pm: Threats To Cybersecurity
Carey Nachenberg, Principal Engineer, Google X; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Computer Science, UCLA
Dr. Tom Berson, Visiting Scholar, Stanford CISAC; Advisory Board Member, Salesforce; Founder, Anagram Laboratories
2:40 pm - 3:50 pm: Hoover Tower And Archives Tour
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm: International Law And Cybersecurity
Tess Bridgeman, Senior Fellow, Center on Law and Security, NYU
4:15 pm - 5:30 pm: Visit To Stanford Dynamic Design Lab
Dr. Stephen Zoepf, Executive Director, Center for Automotive Research, Stanford University
Bryan Casey, Lecturer in Law, Stanford University
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Dinner: Offensive Dimensions Of Cybersecurity
Jason Kichen, Vice President, Advanced Security Concepts, eSentire
3:15 pm - 4:15 pm: Privacy & Security For Consumers And Critical Infrastructure
Robert Chesney, Associate Dean and Charles l. Francis Professor, University of Texas School of Law; Director, Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law
Lindsey Finch, Executive Vice President, Global Privacy & Product Legal, Salesforce
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Dinner And Reflections
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm: Hospital Ransomware Attack Simulation
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Psychological Impacts Of Information Operations
Dr. Rosanna Guadagno, Director, Information Warfare Working Group, Stanford University
5:30 pm: Break
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm: Keynote Reception/Dinner – Artificial Intelligence
Dr. John Etchemendy, Co-Director, Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Initiative; Provost Emeritus, and Patrick Suppes Family Professor in the School of Humanities, Stanford University
Reid Hoffman, Partner, Greylock Partners; Co-founder and former Executive Chairman, LinkedIn
Ambassador Michael McFaul, Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University (Moderator)
SUBMISSION OF INTEREST »
Andrew Grotto
Research Fellow, Hoover Institution
William J. Perry International Security Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC)
Dr. Herb Lin
Hank J. Holland Fellow in Cyber Policy and Security, Hoover Institution
Senior Research Scholar for Cyber Policy and Security, Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC)
Chief Scientist Emeritus, Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, National Academies
djablanski [at] stanford.edu (Danielle Jablanski)
Cyber Program Manager, Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC)
rwald [at] stanford.edu (Russell Wald)
Senior Manager for External Affairs
A Century Of Ideas: The Big Three: Roosevelt, Stalin, And Churchill During The Second World War
Jul. 18, 2019 / Hauck Auditorium, Stanford University
A Century of Ideas: Changing the Education Debate
Aug. 20, 2019 / Hauck Auditorium, Stanford University
A Century of Ideas: New Regional Orders and New Ways of War: Europe, the Middle East, and Asia
Sep. 24, 2019 / Hauck Auditorium, Stanford University
A Century of Ideas: Tax and Monetary Reform: From Ideas to Actions over One Hundred Years
Oct. 2, 2019 / Hauck Auditorium, Stanford University
A Century of Ideas: Hoover's One Hundred Years of War, Revolution, and Peace
Nov. 4, 2019 / Hauck Auditorium, Stanford University
A Century of Ideas: Labor and Capital Market Policy: From Ideas to Actions over One Hundred Years
Nov. 19, 2019 / Hauck Auditorium, Stanford University


text:
anandkumarrs
Random expressions of a Wannabe
Nationalistic Congress Sena!
Indian politics in the past seven decades has seen bizarre things. But nothing more bizarre than this. It must be the first time that a pre-poll alliance, after emerging victorious with a clear majority is not forming the government in a show of one-upmanship! When the wrangling between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena was going on a week ago over the Chief Minister's post essentially, there was a post which was going viral on social media which said that it is Shiv Sena's "Grim Trigger Strategy" at play. As per that post, this concept is explained as a special case of non-cooperative strategy in Game Theory, in which co-operation will leave everyone better off and non-cooperation will leave everyone worse off. Back in 2014 after the Maharashtra state elections, I had alluded to Game theory at play again between BJP and Shiv Sena in my post titled "The Maha Gam(e)ble"! (read here).
The bottom line is, one of the oldest allies in the NDA namely the BJP and Shiv Sena, in the past 6 years, have contested together and stayed together (2014 LS polls), have contested separately but formed government together in a post poll alliance (2014 State polls) and have contested together and not forming the government together (2019 State polls)! This clearly indicates the fragile nature of the relationship between the two allies! Even while being an ally of the BJP, Shiv Sena has been the most non-cooperative and virulent critic of the Modi government since 2014!
It is not clear what the understanding was between the two parties when they sat together and decided to contest the Lok Sabha and then later the state elections together. Notwithstanding the same, having gone to the electorate and sought votes in an alliance and now not honouring the mandate, after the winning a fairly clear verdict in favour of the alliance is a mockery of the elections! It is taking the voters who voted in favour of the alliance for a wonderful ride.
If one looks back at the performance of Shiv Sena in the past many years, it is obvious that the Sena is on a slide. It terms of vote share, in the recently concluded elections, it is back to the 16.4% levels which it had way back in 1995! On the contrary, BJP's vote share has grown to 25.75 % levels from under 13% in the same period. Even in the last BMC elections, BJP stormed the citadel of Shiv Sena and got almost the same number of seats as Shiv Sena. This explains the nervousness in its belly!
As per me, the performance of BJP in the BMC polls should have rung the warning bells for Shiv Sena. Between BJP and Shiv Sena, there is a clear overlap of the vote bank. In the past, BJP was more concerned about the centre and hence was okay to accede more space to Shiv Sena in the state polls while pitching for a larger space in the Lok Sabha polls. While BJP has been growing its presence in the centre, the problem is, Shiv Sena did not do much to improve its presence within the state in the last 10 years! This is where the crux of the problem lies for Shiv Sena.
Here, ideally the Sena could have taken a leaf out of the books of a similar regional parties like the DMK or ADMK. These parties would always strike alliances with parties in the centre for the Lok Sabha polls essentially based on their strength within the state. While remaining in an alliance, they never let the so called "National party" grow beyond them in the state at any point in time. This means that the National parties, whether it is the Congress or the BJP had to play subservient to the regional parties in the alliance.
In the case of Shiv Sena, due to its own follies, it never grew its presence beyond its conventional vote bank. And in that, it let the BJP erode its core base as well! When Shiv Sena got their first opportunity to form a government way back in 1994 in alliance with the BJP, it messed it up royally. The Chief Minister was openly dubbed as a puppet in the hands of the then Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray, who took glee in letting everybody know that the remote was always in his hands. The Chief Minister was changed interim and it was not long before that the government was thrown out of power. The backlash was so high that even during the emergence of the NDA and Vajpayee at the Centre could not help the NDA in Maharashtra!
In the past, when parties after having fought against during the elections came together to form the government in a post poll alliance, I have called it a blot on democracy. And we found such similar instances very often in the last 5 years when both BJP, Congress and regional parties were all involved in such post poll alliance arrangements just to be in power! As we saw in Jammu and Kashmir first and later in Karnataka such opportunistic tie-ups remained such and never lasted too long. At the end of the day, the contrasting world views, ideologies, pulls and pressures among these parties cut short the life of such governments. The voters have been repeatedly left high and dry with Maximum filibuster and Minimum Governance in such spells!
It is extremely unfortunate for the voters of Maharashtra who were presented with a pre-poll alliance and voted for the same. I don't think that this act of betrayal by Shiv Sena will go un-noticed and un-punished by the electorate in the future. As we speak, Shiv Sena is in extensive talks with the NCP and the Congress to cobble together an alliance. One can imagine the machinations which will be at play in those meeting rooms!
It is funny to see the Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray citing the example of BJP and PDP who are ideologically poles apart coming together. That the experiment failed miserably is there for all to see! Why would one take so much pains to emulate a failed experiment??? Similarly, it is also funny hearing some experts citing the instance of Bal Thackeray supporting Indira Gandhi's emergency to justify this coming together of the Sena and the Congress! That happened way back in 1977 almost 40 years ago!
Coming back to Game theory and the players involved, BJP has emerged with its stature and image enhanced. It would rue the day it decided to go along with Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha and state polls! Shiv Sena is now being seen as a party which would do anything to just have its Chief Minister! As of now, it seems that it may not be a Sena Chief Minister but a Nationalistic Congress Sena Chief Minister! Irony just put its head into a Tiger's mouth!
November 16, 2019 anandkumarrs	Aditya Thackeray, Amit Shah, Bal Thackeray, BJP, Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Elections, Narendra Modi, NCP, NDA, Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena, Sonia Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray	12 Comments
Bahubali, Kattappa and some political lessons!!!
With over an estimated 30 mill. people having reportedly watched the film Bahubali 2: The Conclusion, I can safely conclude that most of those who are reading this blog by now would have! This post is not a review of the film or about how the film has broken all collection records in the country either. But about a character called Kattappa and the political lessons it holds for the principal opposition party in India namely the Congress. In the film, apart from the lead characters, Kattappa is the one who evokes much recall and sympathy – a situation very similar to what Congress (which has its own few Kattappas) finds itself today in India. Kattappa in Bahubali and Kattappas in Congress??? Let me attempt to join the dots.
In the Bahubali series, Kattappa is an able warrior and sort of a leader of the forces of the Kingdom of Mahishmati. In terms of characterisation, Kattappa is shown as an extremely loyal, most faithful and a trustworthy soul who will do anything to protect his master – the ruler of Mahishmati in this case. He doesn't mind others alluding him to a dog scornfully – a creature known for being utmost loyal to its master among all pets. At the same time, repeatedly he is depicted to be a prisoner of his own choice he has made in terms of being loyal at any cost. In the film there are 2 crucial mistakes he commits as a result of putting his loyalty ahead of being truthful. First, he lets the Queen announce Bhallaladeva as the King setting aside the earlier announcement of Amarendra Bahubali without making any attempt to clear the air in the Queen's mind about the right and good intentions of Amarendra in wanting to marry Devasena. He makes no attempt to let the Queen know that Devasena likes and prefers only Amarendra to be her life partner. Second, he carries out the order of the Queen to kill Amarendra though he knew very well of the conspiracy of the Bhallaladeva camp to create misunderstanding and confusion in the Queen's mind. These crucial mistakes deprived the people of Mahishmati the governance of a benevolent leader like Amarendra and instead were at the mercy of an unkind and autocratic ruler like Bhallaladeva.
Well, that's what happened in the 2 part film that helped the Director weave an interesting story of palace intrigues in a huge canvas unseen so far in Indian films and create history! But what has Congress to do with this?
Today in India, the Congress party is in crossroads and may be at its lowest ebb. The climb has been downhill since 2014 when it was reduced to an all-time low in the Lok Sabha. The string of defeats in most of the state elections since then have been catastrophic. The principal ruling party in India namely the BJP is systematically moving forward on its slogan of making Bharat – Congress Mukt. Apart from Congress there is no other party which can be called truly a Pan Indian political outfit. Under these circumstances for a democracy to be one, a truly credible opposition party with an alternate narrative is a must. Any ruling party must have at least one if not few other parties breathing down its neck any point in time for its own checks and balances. Not to mention of the country's. And that's why a revival of the Congress party from where it is today is a must.
Congress led UPA had their chances in changing and developing India for 10 years since 2004. I am for the moment ignoring the 50 years they had, prior to 1998. Congress had and in fact has quite a few Kattappas in their ranks. Experienced, Able politicians and administrators who I believe had answers and solutions to the many ills the country faced when they came back to power rather providentially in 2004. However all of them ended up being true Kattappas who only put loyalty to the rulers (Gandhi family in this case) as their priority and did what served the family well rather than the country more often than not. The result – in spite of the benefit of global tailwinds helping the economy till 2010, UPA couldn't change things much on the ground in their 2nd term and lost the elections to BJP in 2014. The many new ideas their leaders had, got intertwined in turf battles between ministries and never were implemented with rigour. Coming back to the present, the Kattappas of the Congress continue their old ways the string of bad news at the hustings for the Congress notwithstanding. The able leaders still remain so loyal to the Gandhi family that even today they are reluctant to come out with their honest prescriptions to revive the Congress. They all make the "right" noises in public but being "right" is seldom being "honest"! The Congress today suffers from a uninspirational leadership in the Gandhi family. However the very able and even intelligent Kattappas of the Congress party continue to labour paeans on the Sonia-Rahul leadership without ever being critical of some of their moves since 2014.
My view is that unless the Congress party's leaders come out of their loyalty web and challenge the strategy and some of the decisions of the party's leadership thereby leading to some churn in the thinking of the party, the drive may continue to remain downhill for some time.
Coming to think of it, it took us 2 full years since Bahubali 1: The Beginning for us to comprehend the ill effect of Kattappa's mindless loyalty to the rulers. It's already 3 years now for the leaders of Congress to realise the ills of theirs. And if they are among the 30 million to have watched the film, it may be good to take some political lessons from the on screen Kattappa!!!
P.S: In the above piece, one can "find" Congress and "replace" with AAP and I guess most of it will hold good as well!!!
May 7, 2017 anandkumarrs	Bahubali, Bahubali 2 The Conclusion, BJP, Bollywood, Congress, Kattappa, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, UPA	19 Comments
Winner of The Indian Blogger Awards 2017
Please visit and follow my other blogs
https://anandkumarrsonfilms.com – My take on films and everything around films.
https://tambrahmism.wordpress.com – My light- hearted takes on Tambrahm quirks!
best blogs/span
India Political Landscape
Follow anandkumarrs on WordPress.com
Rajini and Modi - The Twain meets, again! Where I claim that both are in the same rocking boat. Please read & leave… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 4 hours ago
Darbar - My Flash review wp.me/p9IgXk-3g #DarbarReview @baradwajrangan @sudhirsrinivasn 1 week ago
Darbar - My Flash Review anandkumarrsonfilms.com/2020/01/11/dar… https://t.co/rm3WaVpwIm 1 week ago
#DarbarThiruvizha #DarbarFromTomorrow On the eve of the release, re-plug of my piece on what has the Director Murug… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 week ago
On #ARRahman's Birthday, replug of my old piece - 25 years since the Roja blosomed wp.me/p9IgXk-R Pls read. #HappyBirthdayARR 1 week ago
Advertising Bollywood Business Cricket Culture Economics Economy Emerging Markets films Holiday Ideas India Indian Politics India Political Landscape Infrastructure Management Marketing Media Music Musings News Opinion Reforms Satire Social Social Media Tamil Films Tourism Travel TV
Copyright ©2019 Anand Kumar R.S.


text:
results tonight
by BenE on Tue Feb 09, 2016 9:39 pm
....mean that BCFC are one place off the relegation places. Could have been worse Hayes were winning in injury time.
Re: results tonight
by comrade powell on Tue Feb 09, 2016 10:52 pm
Well it doesn't look like we're heading for one of those boring ends to the season. The game at Havant a fortnight tonight is looking a tad important...
by Luton Roman on Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:19 pm
Well 2 places off the relegation zone, we've dropped a place.
And Bognor beat Sutton in the replay to get to the last 8. City could be in the Wembley programme again !
by LB on Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:25 pm
Seems rather ironic that both Weston and Havant got games on this evening as both have had postponements when the weather has been better than this.
Shame the Bognor v Sutton game didn't go to extra time and penalties - hopefully we won't feel the backlash at Sutton on Saturday.
Bognor went to extra time I believe.
by comrade powell on Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:46 am
I can't decide what is more impressive, Weston's thrashing of the best team I've seen this season or the fact that they got the game on.
by marquess of weston on Wed Feb 10, 2016 10:21 am
comrade powell wrote: I can't decide what is more impressive, Weston's thrashing of the best team I've seen this season or the fact that they got the game on.
Oxford are not the team they were when they played us, a lot has changed at that club since then
marquess of weston
by Roman Mike on Wed Feb 10, 2016 10:34 am
marquess of weston wrote:
The owner going to jail hasn't helped
Roman Mike
by comrade powell on Wed Feb 10, 2016 10:36 am
And presumably the same can be said of Weston. (on the pitch, not in the nick!)
by turnstyle13 on Wed Feb 10, 2016 1:16 pm
According to the BBC the second of WSM goals was scored by 'Withey'.
The great man must be in his mid 50's by now but still capable of knocking them in. Just proves that some people never loose it.
turnstyle13
by comrade powell on Wed Feb 10, 2016 1:24 pm
I must admit that part of me hoped that Rikko would get the manager's job and no doubt he would have brought the great man back for yet another reincarnation...
by stillmanjunior on Wed Feb 10, 2016 5:33 pm
The start of Owers' second spell has something in common with Ricketts - both began with an away match at Sutton.
by Luton Roman on Wed Feb 10, 2016 5:40 pm
I do believe I was there. 1-1 on a cool Tuesday night and Withey equalised.
by Roman Mike on Wed Feb 10, 2016 7:45 pm
stillmanjunior wrote: The start of Owers' second spell has something in common with Ricketts - both began with an away match at Sutton.
Assumes their errrr.... 3G pitch survives the weather and the obvious pounding it got last night...
http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/New-Bath-City-boss-Gary-Owers-fumes-attitude/story-28709899-detail/story.html
Like the attitude from the boss.
by stillmanjunior on Wed Feb 10, 2016 11:06 pm
Luton Roman wrote: I do believe I was there. 1-1 on a cool Tuesday night and Withey equalised.
Correct. Perhaps a worse omen is the match will be played nearly 22 years to the day that we lost 6-1 there in the FA Trophy (12th February 1994).
by comrade powell on Thu Feb 11, 2016 4:36 pm
Luton Roman wrote: http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/New-Bath-City-boss-Gary-Owers-fumes-attitude/story-28709899-detail/story.html
Me too. And in the sequel to the fiasco, Truro have included the following on their website...
"In any case, as the referee himself pointed out, the forecast last Tuesday did not predict the downpours and hailstorms that took place in the late afternoon."
Well I don't know which forecast they were using, but the BBC had been saying since early Tuesday morning that Cornwall would get heavy rain that afternoon.
Of course, they might not have been able to play on it again before Easter! Here's Havant's pitch on Tuesday - I'm sure it will be in pristine condition when we visit very soon...
by kermit on Thu Feb 11, 2016 5:09 pm
Derby County in the 70's!!
Location : Rostrenen, Brittany, France.
by Ashley on Thu Feb 11, 2016 6:17 pm
We play well on pitches like that, remember the win at Hayes a couple of years ago
by Luton Roman on Thu Feb 11, 2016 6:26 pm
Truro sounding defensive as they are getting a reputation.
by yuffie on Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:47 pm
Luton Roman wrote: Truro sounding defensive as they are getting a reputation.
I guess that comes from the fact the away team will always have traveled a long way so not be happy at a late postponement.
Like Pinky I am sure the forecast I saw on Tuesday said heavy rain was forecast for late afternoon in Cornwall.
And while Saturday should be fine it is interesting to see that Merthyr had their game last Saturday postponed because of a waterlogged (3G) pitch.
And according to their website, a new date for this blessed match has been fixed for 15 March. Presumably our club has agreed or maybe they just found what was convenient for them!
Yes, I have just been told that that is the new date.
by the demon headmaster on Sat Feb 13, 2016 8:32 pm
It's an omen!!!


text:
Poems and Sketches from later years
by Kenneth Grant
The author has described the poems in this book as the "songs in my heart" since they reflect the many varied experiences life has offered and the colorful variety of people he has been privileged to know. They also reflect the profound impression the natural world has left upon him. Through his poetry he seeks to share these experiences with others. Through his sketches he shares his keen observation of people and nature as seen through the eyes of a mature and sensitive soul.
Ken Grant, a retired Presbyterian minister, lives with his wife, Beverly, in Pasadena, California. Born in Los Angeles and raised in nearby Glendale, he was a "movie moppet" (bit player and extra) during his teen years, then served with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific during World War Two. Returning afterward, he completed his education at the University of Southern California. Following seminary training, he spent nearly forty years pastoring churches in California and the Midwest, including parishes in Iowa, Arizona, Missouri, and Colorado. Ken's interests are broad, and his sympathies wide as his poems written over many years suggest. Some reflect his experience overseas, others a brief time in the business world. Many others, however, were born of his years spent pastoring various churches and the fascinating people met along the way. Ken's previously published books include Ponderings (1986), a collection of stories about country folk and their relationship with "The Almighty" as told by an old cowboy. The second book, Thunderhead (2014), takes its title from the first poem in the book and is followed by several subjects, then ends with a poem from the old cowboy. The present volume, From Where I Sit, embraces five sections of poetry: the product of a long life and richly varied experience of a sensitive soul who continues to write and stay very much alive in his senior years. The sketches that conclude this book are by the author, whose hobbies include sketching and painting scenes and faces.


text:
2017 Real Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping From China Factory
Cheap Hockey Jerseys For Sale March 30, 2018 | March 6, 2018
Cheap NFL Jerseys Nike Authentic NFL Cheap Jerseys, Cheap Official Jerseys	Leave a Comment on 2017 Real Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping From China Factory
Kyrie Irving's 'Uncle Drew' experience: Trade rumors, life lessons and beard conspiracies
Irving is not quite sure how much acting he will have left in him. The schedule last summer was grinding and, at one point, his strength and conditioning coach politely said, Next movie you're doing, you're going to be retired.
But he took the job seriously. He studied his lines and was active in making changes in front of the camera.
I was trying to come in every single day, he said, remembering my lines so that I would not be like, 'Line! Please?' I did not want to be that person.
The most plausible way the Heat deal Whiteside, then, would be for another dominant defensive big man, and the most prominent on the market is Clippers center DeAndre Jordan. But Jordan can be a free agent this summer, and with the Clippers looking to keep cap space clear, they'd likely only want to be included in a Whiteside deal if there was a third team to take Whiteside's contract.
The advanced numbers already paint Ball as an impact defender, which is unusual for a 20-year-old rookie. The Lakers' defense improves by 5.4 points per 100 possessions when he's on the court, and he's currently ranked third among point guards in ESPN's Defensive Real Plus-Minus (plus-1.93). There can be some noise with those stats, so it'll be interesting to see how sustainable they are.
The feeling among executives around the league is that James will choose between bolting for the Lakers and sticking with the Cavaliers next summer. The Lakers would offer him what he is looking for down the stretch of his career �� a good place to move his family, a ready-made winning situation (if he could bring another top-tier star with him) and an opportunity to be connected with the entertainment industry. From a lifestyle standpoint, LA would be hard to beat.
But James remains connected to his home in Ohio, too, and has shown that he can get himself involved in all aspects of industry �� from talent management to acting and movie production �� even when playing in Cleveland. The Internet is wondrous that way. The challenge for the Cavs was to show that the team had a future beyond the cobbled-together group of misfits it trotted out this year.
The two captains selected from some of the league's brightest stars, including Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and James Harden.
Players that have never been in the same conference were put together, and of course, some guys who might not be so fond of one another ended up on the same team. Though the order of picks was not made public, selections did not disappoint.
Best Place To Get Cheap Gaa Jerseys Free Shipping And Accept Paypal
Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Online Jerseys, Philadelphia Eagles Cheap Jerseys	Leave a Comment on Best Place To Get Cheap Gaa Jerseys Free Shipping And Accept Paypal
In this scenario, there is also the outside chance of a sign-and-trade deal that would cause a larger disruption to the Warriors' roster, and simply moving other players off the books would ruin Golden State's depth.
This isn't jumping over a gap in the map to reach the flag like Super Mario Bros. This is like going back through every level of Banjo-Kazooie looking for the Jinjos you haven't found yet. Put a less nerdy way, bringing James' immense talents to Oakland, Calif., would be a challenge.
As you can see from the above scenarios, the Warriors would remain a dominant team with James in the starting lineup but also lose contributors who have made them the annual title favorites.
Everybody eats, All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal said after the win against Toronto. That's our motto when we move the ball.
This should be seen as good news for Wall. There will be less of a workload he'll have to carry upon his return, his teammates will have gotten more scoring reps, and Beal will have more confidence as a leader in the locker room. Most importantly, he'll actually have a clean bill of health and return to full strength, and not the form that allows 49 points from Russell Westbrook.
After following the Hayward signing with using two of the league's best veteran contracts (Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder) as key pieces in the Irving trade, the Celtics have a strange salary distribution: Hayward and Horford make between $27.5 and $30 million this season, Irving makes a little under $19 million and no one else makes more than Jayson Tatum's $5.6 million.
For a stable team, that structure can work very well. Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier and Semi Ojeleye are all on cheap contracts for multiple seasons with the prospect of restricted free agency afterward, and Marcus Morris is on a bargain deal for this year and next.
In playoff moments when spacing gets tight and rebounding is brutish, the Bucks will have to think hard about sliding Antetokounmpo or Jabari Parker to center.
Best Place To Get Top Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping
Cheap NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys USA, Cheap Jerseys Zoom	Leave a Comment on Best Place To Get Top Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping
Average Joe Ingles is anything but for the Utah Jazz
That's part of the package of intangibles with Ingles. He doesn't take too much seriously, but on that short list are his responsibilities as one of the Jazz's leaders along with Gobert.
Ingles considers it important that he displays a certain kind of positive energy when he's on the bench, and his wife will let him hear about it on the rare occasions when that energy is lacking. (It pisses me off sometimes, but it's good, he says of Renae's constructive criticism.) Teammates respect that Ingles takes as much pride in making an extra pass or the proper defensive rotation as he does in his 3-point percentage.
Boston Celtics: After shooting at least 48.0 percent in each of the first three months of the season, rookie Jayson Tatum's efficiency has plummeted. The third overall pick last June shot 41.9 percent in January and is shooting 42.0 percent in February while adding very little else (2.7 RPG, 1.8 APG and 0.8 3PG) in 10 games this month. It's time to pump the brakes on Tatum.
Brooklyn Nets: While some first-year players such as Tatum appear to have hit the rookie wall, Brooklyn big man Jarrett Allen is picking up steam as we get ready to enter March. The No. 22 pick in 2017 is averaging 12.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 1.0 BPG the past 10 games while shooting a torrid 61.6 percent during that stretch.
Charlotte Hornets: Dwight Howard fell short of a double-double against Chicago on Tuesday night, but he has three in his past five games and ranks fourth in the league with 38 double-doubles on the season. Howard isn't the big-name player he once was in fantasy, but his scoring, rebound and block numbers have remained very consistent the past four seasons, and he hasn't slowed down yet
I don't think we sit here and say, 'Oh, she's racist or that's racial tension,' I'm surprised. We know that was going on. I'm just trying to shed a greater light and a positive light on the bad aura or the energy that some of the people are trying to give to the people of America and to the world.
I'm not the negative side. Me having this platform, I'm just trying to shed a positive light on what I feel like is right. Am I always right? Can I have everybody follow me? I don't think so, James added. But I'm looking at my boys right here, teaching them what's right and what's wrong, and we see what happens after that.
The Brow and Simmons dialed inZach Lowe details a few of the 10 things he likes and doesn't like, including Anthony Davis outsmarting his opponents and Ben Simmons channeling his inner Manu Ginobili. For the rest of the list, check out Lowe's column on ESPN.com.
Paypal Cheap Jerseys Supply Online Free Shipping And Accept Paypal
Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Red Wings Jerseys, Trade Cheap Jerseys	Leave a Comment on Paypal Cheap Jerseys Supply Online Free Shipping And Accept Paypal
It was late August in Atlanta, and Kyrie Irving was in a decidedly different environment. Normally, his summer would be planned to the day, between vacations and working out, depending on how far into the postseason his team went, how his commitments to Team USA shaped up and what he wanted to work on to improve his game that offseason.
But 2017 was no ordinary summer. Two months earlier, after the Cavaliers �� the only professional franchise Irving had known in his six years in the NBA �� had been ousted from the NBA Finals by the Warriors, Irving asked Cleveland for a trade out of town. Shortly thereafter, Irving headed to Georgia to begin work on the first feature film of his career, starring his ornery, youngblood-trashing, fundamentals-loving basketball guru of a character, Uncle Drew. Amid all the turmoil, the elderly Uncle Drew was getting his own movie.
And there's always the ultimate Laker wish: signing Cavs star LeBron James. It is unlikely James will leave Cleveland, but speculation around the league is that if he were to go anywhere, it would be to LA, where he owns a home.
That is a full-blown life right there, being a professional basketball player and acting in the summer.
The movie will hit theaters at the end of June. For Irving, it will be an odd next step for a character he created years ago, one that rose to prominence in a series of advertisements for Pepsi Max. That was strange enough for Irving. But to have Uncle Drew memorialized in celluloid?
Think about the journey that it took to get here and thinking where it started in Jersey, said Irving, who grew up in New Jersey, starring at St. Patrick High School alongside Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. It started with internet shorts, inspiration coming from an old dude taking a skateboard out of a briefcase, and turned into Uncle Drew schooling youngbloods and now it turned into a full-blown movie. Man, it's awesome.
Z-Bo is also one of the most charitable individuals in the league, and he really spread the love in Memphis. A quick Google search of Zach Randolph charity will bring up at least one profile a year since 2011. Any player whose contributions on and off the court warrant a jersey retirement while that player is still in the league deserves a long tribute at the very least.
Best Place To Buy AC Milan Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping And Accept Paypal
Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys NFL Jerseys, Cheap NFL Jerseys China	Leave a Comment on Best Place To Buy AC Milan Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping And Accept Paypal
Irving did his best to keep his basketball life separate from his new foray in thespianism. But it was impossible to keep them entirely apart. He could only chuckle, for example, when pictures of him late last summer began circulating, without his well-known beard. There was speculation that the removal of the beard represented some kind of clean break from the Cavs, celebrating his new life in Boston.
Denver is always tough to beat on their home court. The Nuggets showed that this week with wins over both the Warriors and Thunder. No one dominated against Golden State on Saturday, but the complete team effort was more than enough to win. Will Barton had 25 points and five rebounds.
As for the Jazz, Ricky Rubio was a perfect 9 for 9 from the floor through three quarters and finished the night 11 for 14 with a season-high 34 points. Utah has a way to go before they fully recover from losing Gordon Hayward, but they have shown some good things this season especially with the addition of Rookie of the Year candidate Donovan Mitchell.
It was a night of duels Saturday as Pistons center Andre Drummond won the matchup with Heat guard Goran Dragic in a 111-107 win. Dragic was great with 33 points and six assists, but Drummond was historic with 23 points, 20 rebounds, four steals and four blocks. This was the first 20-20-4-4 performance since 1989 when Hakeem Olajuwon did it for the Rockets.
The midrange jumper in the video below comes from a game against the Warriors in November. Ball shows a lack of confidence in his shot and hesitates in attacking an opening. He doesn't want to take the open 3-pointer once Andre Iguodala goes under the screen set by Julius Randle and chooses to settle for a shot he knows will not end in two points for his team. That's why he instantly attacks the offensive glass.
Saturday was a virtual blood-bath as several of the proverbial top teams in both conferences were saddled with losses. The Warriors, who have not played well at all this week, fell to the Nuggets 115-108, the Spurs lost to the Jazz 120-111, and the Cavaliers were outclassed by the Rockets in a 120-88 thumping.
Despite Saturday's results, one thing is still likely: the Warriors, Cavaliers and Spurs will factor into the NBA Finals this season and there is a good chance they will all be in their prospective conference finals at the end of the season. However, the Rockets are clearly good enough to crash the party and the Nuggets are a formidable opponent who can hand even the best teams big losses.
Best Place To Get Cheap Kids NBA Jerseys Paypal From China – Free Shipping
Cheap Hockey Jerseys For Sale March 6, 2018 | March 6, 2018
Cheap NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Blank Hockey Jerseys, Cheap Jarome Iginla Jerseys	Leave a Comment on Best Place To Get Cheap Kids NBA Jerseys Paypal From China – Free Shipping
We can be calm and rational about this whole LeBron James-to-the-Warriors thing, right? Nah, we're probably already past that point.
The wildfire started after ESPN's Chris Haynes reported early Thursday morning that James could meet with the Warriors this summer during free agency if Golden State is able to create a slot for a max salary. Twitter lit up like a Christmas tree, and the usual ranting and raving came from the professional loud people.
But here's what the report actually said if you break it down: the Warriors could secure a sit-down conversation with James if they had a max salary available for him, and James would listen out of respect for the Warriors' winning culture, per Haynes. All of that information is extremely far from a reality in which James is wearing a Warriors jersey.
For that reason, all eyes should be on how Ball improves as a scorer for the remainder of this season. His play since the Knicks game on Dec. 12 has been a step in the right direction, but being sidelined since Jan. 15 with an MCL sprain could impact some of the momentum he's built up when he returns to the lineup. It'll also be worth monitoring his on-ball defense when he returns, particularly when it comes to how he matches up with the best point guards in the NBA. As valuable as his switchability is to a team like the Lakers, he has to prove that he can match up with his own position in order to reach his full potential as a defender.
Unless ownership is far more frugal than expected, the Celtics would be willing to become a luxury tax team for a few seasons if they could add an elite talent on top of their current team. Even if that is true, trade rules are constraining for teams at or over the salary cap, and even more stringent for teams over the luxury tax because of situations like this one.
Kemba Walker, Hornets: This might be a longshot, but any time an All-Star caliber point guard is on the market, it's a big deal. It was reported last month the Hornets had made Walker available in trade talks, but they want to attach one of their less desirable contracts (like Nic Batum, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams or Dwight Howard). Keep an eye on Walker, but don't count on a trade.
With Ersan Ilyasova gone, the Hawks now have (basically) four centers, and they've dabbled a bit with the biggest, least rangy combination of them: Dewayne Dedmon and Former Inexplicable Starter Miles Plumlee. I wrote about the Knicks' bastardized lineups last week.


GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Minnesota United today acquired midfielder Osvaldo Alonso after selecting him off waivers. In a separate earlier transaction, the Loons traded for the top spot in the waiver order as well as two fourth-round picks in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft while sending a second-round pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft and the fourth spot in the waiver order to Orlando City SC.
Alonso is joining the Loons after 10 years with the Sounders. Throughout his 10 seasons in Seattle, Alonso played a total of 23,380 minutes across 277 games with 24 assists, and won the MLS Cup in 2016, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014 and the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2014.
"We've just added a great leader and a warrior to our roster," said MNUFC Sporting Director Manny Lagos. "It'll be nice to have him on the field playing for us rather than against us. He's going to come in and complement and develop our midfield core. He has high expectations for this club and this season. We believe he will add leadership, steel and grit, and will continue to mold a winning mentality on and off the field."
Last season, he started 21 games in 25 game appearances, and for the sixth time in his 10-year career, recorded three assists during the regular season. During the 2016 championship season, Alonso matched a career high with three goals while setting a personal best of four assists. For his efforts, Alonso was voted Team MVP for the fifth time in nine seasons. As the Sounders' all-time leader in minutes both in the regular and postseason, Alonso started all six of the Sounders' matches in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Alonso also led MLS with 2,795 touches (more than 400 ahead of second place), 2,214 passes (more than 250 ahead of second place), 2,012 passes completed (nearly 300 ahead of second place) and a 93.33% passing accuracy.
"We are bringing in one of the best, most competitive and tenacious defensive midfielders in the league," said MNUFC Head Coach Adrian Heath. "The first thing we heard when speaking with players, front office staff and coaches about Ozzie was that he is a leader, he won't accept losing. As we move into Allianz Field we know we need to be better and we are bringing in a player that can help us achieve our goals on the field and someone who can help develop a mentality with our players in the locker room. "
Prior to joining the Sounders in 2009, Alonso played with the Charleston Battery in 2008, where he earned 2008 first team All-USL First Division honors and was voted the league's Rookie of the Year. Previously, he played three seasons (2005-07) for FC Pinar del Rio, winning the Cuban championship in 2006. He also represented Cuba 17 times at the senior level, making his debut for the senior Cuban National Team in a Caribbean Nations Cup match against the Turks & Caicos Islands in September 2006. He left the Cuban National Team in June of 2007 during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Houston prior to a match against Honduras. He gained full U.S citizenship on June 16, 2012.
Previous Experience: Charleston Battery (USL-1, 2008); FC Pinar del Rio (Cuba, 2005-2007), Seattle Sounders (2009-2018).


text:
Articles, Recruiting
author: Adam Zagoria
Michigan State Offers Quentin Snider
Michigan State is the latest school to offer former Louisville commit Quentin Snider.
"Coach [Tom] Izzo called Q and offered," Scott Snider, Quentin's father, told SNY.tv Sunday.
Scott added that they "will visit" Michigan State at some point.
The 6-foot-1 point guard from Louisville Ballard High will take a visit to UCLA next weekend that could be an official or unofficial.
He will then take an unofficial to Memphis Sept. 6, an official to UConn Sept. 20 and an unofficial to Illinois Sept. 27.
Michigan State is also focusing on Chicago Marian Heights point guard Tyler Ulis, but he recently picked up an offer from Kentucky and could end up there.
Written by Adam Zagoria
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Abu, Terrell to Announce at Sept. 7 Presser
Johnson, Winslow Latest to Talk College Package


In this appendix we list all the elements of EJB 3 descriptors. The appendix is designed to be a quick reference you can consult when you plan to use a descriptor in your enterprise application. Each descriptor is defined by an XML schema, and we describe the elements of the schema.
As we have explained throughout the book, you have a choice of using annotations, XML descriptors, or both, to define these elements. We have mainly used annotations throughout this book, so here we also list what annotation is overridden by the descriptor, when applicable.


text:
Lewis Hamilton equals Michael Schumacher's record with win in Italy
September 3, 2018 — 1.50am
Monza: Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher's record of five Italian Grand Prix wins on Sunday and left Ferrari feeling the pain once again in their own backyard.
Lewis Hamilton takes the chequered flag for Mercedes to win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday. Credit:AP
The Briton and Sebastian Vettel – his closest title rival now 30 points behind – collided on the opening lap, with the German Ferrari driver sent spinning down to 18th place before recovering to fourth.
Hamilton then twice overtook Kimi Raikkonen, who had started on pole, to dampen the spirits of the Ferrari fans who had turned out in droves in the hope of celebrating a first home win in eight years.
The thrilling victory was a fifth in a row for Mercedes at Monza, spiritual home of the sport's most glamorous and successful team, and one of Hamilton's most satisfying.
"Today was so difficult. Whilst the negativity is never great, that's what powered me along. I actually accept it," Hamilton said as the crowd booed him on the podium.
Lewis Hamilton celebrates extending his championship lead at Monza on Sunday. Credit:AP
"I love being here in Italy ... the track is incredible, and it's a such an honour to win here in front of such a great crowd."
Hamilton's sixth win of the season lifted him to 256 points, to his German rival's 226, with seven races left in what remains a fierce battle between the four times world champions.
Mercedes have 415 points to Ferrari's 390 in the constructors' standings.
Raikkonen had looked to be in with a chance of his first win in 108 races but the Finn, who seized back the lead after Hamilton passed him on lap four, was unable to hold off the Briton.
Hamilton passed him again eight laps from the end and never looked back.
"I think it (the car) was quick enough but unfortunately our rear tyres went," said Raikkonen, who was hardly in the mood to celebrate his 100th podium in Formula One.
"It was a losing battle from that point. We did our maximum," said the 2007 world champion. "For sure we tried but the rear tyres gave up before the race ended."
The winner was also helped considerably by teammate Valtteri Bottas, who led after Hamilton pitted and managed to hold up Raikkonen long enough for the other Mercedes to close the gap.
"I was really trying to do everything I can to get to the podium. First my mission was to hold off Kimi, and then I was challenging with Max," said Bottas.
Vettel, who made two stops including a first one to replace a damaged front wing, and Bottas both moved up a place at the finish after Red Bull's Max Verstappen was handed a five-second penalty for pushing the Finn off track on lap 44. Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, the Australian Daniel Ricciardo, failed to finished.
Verstappen was fifth with Romain Grosjean sixth for Haas and Esteban Ocon seventh for Force India ahead of team mate Sergio Perez.
Renault's Carlos Sainz was ninth and Canadian Lance Stroll took a point for struggling Williams in 10th.


text:
All Franchise Categories » Delivery Franchises » InXpress » News
InXpress News
With SMEs accounting for around 99% of the UK's business population, being listed as one of 1,000 companies inspiring Britain, is a huge achievement. For InXpress UK, it's also a powerful indication of the important role our franchisees play in our national success
BFA Membership StatusFull
UK Years Established19 years
Current UK Coverage50%
Franchisee Support Staff18
Personal Investment Req.£15,000
Total Startup Cost£33,500
Home-based business locationYes
Office-based business locationYes
Business to business servicesYes
Part of a collaborative networkYes
Request Further InformationBook Discovery MeetingVisit Franchise Website
ProfileNewsCase StudiesFeaturesEventsVideosResalesRequest
InXpress is one of 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain
It is estimated there are somewhere between 5 and 6 million small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the UK. According to the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), SME's "account for around 60% of employment and over 50% of turnover in the UK private sector" and are the "backbone of the UK economy".
Which is why the LSEG annually looks for the most inspirational companies in the UK, so together, we can celebrate their growth and champion the impact they are having. The 2020 list of 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain feels even more important, given the current challenge SMEs are facing. As David Schwimmer, CEO of LSEG says, "On behalf of LSEG, I congratulate all of the companies selected for inclusion in the 2020 edition... they have inspired us with their stories of resilience, growth and entrepreneurship."
For InXpress to find itself listed amongst 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain for a second year, is a massive accomplishment. "Given the challenges we have faced, head-on," explains Jon White, InXpress UK Country Manager, "I am incredibly proud of our network of franchise owners, both here in the UK, and globally. Their commitment to providing customers with the best service, has meant they've supported many businesses who had to suddenly pivot, and work hard to meet increased E-Commerce demands."
As a franchise, InXpress offers customers essential express, freight and solutions using world-class carriers they already know and trust. They have become one of the world's largest franchisors of express parcel delivery and transportation services, with over 380+ locally-owned offices, in 14 countries. This is what customers valued when the pandemic caused them to quickly adapt to what was happening, knowing the calm expertise of InXpress owners gave them the assurances it could be done.
"We definitely don't take being listed as one of 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain for granted," Jon continues. "We have been inspired by so many of our customers, and how they adapted to the current situation. To be able to support them, and help other SMEs remain open through these challenges, is one of the reasons why our franchisees often go the extra mile. As a UK-wide network, and as regional businesses owners, we truly are in this together."
Find out more about the InXpress Franchise and running your own successful home-based business. Click below now!
Request InformationBook Meeting
InXpress welcomes our 100th franchisee!
Over lockdown, InXpress has continued to grow, and are currently, leading our 100th and 101st franchisees through our training programme
InXpress Experts in E-Commerce
InXpress support franchisees with new business productivity guide.
InXpress Gives Back
InXpress gives back: Providing crucial education to the next generation.
What Our Franchisees Say
I've known about franchising for quite a while and I'm reassured by the fact that 95% of franchisees are still in business after 5 years. New businesses often fail before the initial five years.Bill Carter, Liverpool franchisee since 2008
InXpress gives you a business concept and plan that you can run with. All you need is the right work ethic to deliver and make the business successful. There's a model in place so you don't have to reinvent the wheel – that was the biggest attraction for me.Lendy Mazur, Salisbury franchisee since February 2013
With InXpress you don't buy or sell stock so the business has low overheads and you don't lose money on damaged stock. You're selling the services of world branded products and it's much easier to sell DHL services than white van. E-commerce is booming at the moment because more and more people are now buying online.Craig Atkins, Reading franchisee since 2007
No inventory, no warehousing, minimum overheads
Low entry cost
Related Franchise Categories
Business To Business Franchises
Delivery Franchises
Business Services Franchises
Business Opportunities Franchises
Sales and Marketing Franchises
Related Franchise Types
Office Based Franchises
Franchises For Couples Franchises
Management Franchises
Premises-Based Franchises
Sole Operator Franchises
Home-based Franchises


You can reach us by phone at (410) 869-TRAX or email us at traxonwaxrecords@gmail.com.
Become a friend on Facebook at www.facebook.com/traxonwax!
Trax on Wax is a record store in Catonsville, Maryland serving surrounding areas like Frederick, Westminster, Bel Air, Glen Burnie, Ellicott City, Columbia, Takoma Park, Gaithersburg, MD and Washington, DC.
Let us help you find the LP you're looking for! Contact us for used LPs, record albums, music accessories like turntables, record players, vinyl records, vintage LPs and more!


text:
PSP Slim sells 300k in Japan
Big numbers for little handheld.
News by	Tom Bramwell, Contributor
Updated on 26 September 2007
Weekly Famitsu publisher Enterbrain has revealed that the new model PSP sold more than 300,000 units in Japan since launch.
PSP Slim & Lite launched in Japan in limited quantities on 13th September as part of a special collaborative promotion with Square Enix. 77,777 bundles featuring Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII were produced, and Enterbrain says 75,943 are tracked as sold.
The full launch of the handheld followed on 20th September, with 250,702 units bought up in the game's first few days on sale.
That gives the Slim & Lite a total installed base in the region of 326,645 in Japan. The handheld console is also on sale in both Europe and the USA.
Worldwide sales of the original PSP are thought to be in excess of 25 million.
Tom Bramwell
Contributor	| tombramwell
Tom worked at Eurogamer from early 2000 to late 2014, including seven years as Editor-in-Chief.


text:
> Home > Event calendar > launch3rd > Re-energising Europe, Pact, Package deal, EU27
Re-energising Europe: A pact to move forward
Globsec
Crowne Plaza, Bratislava
https://goo.gl/maps/Hbc7k8CbHQt
How will the European Union move forward in the upcoming years? Can prosperity, fairness and security be achieved and advance the Union from the danger of a more regressive and closed Europe? Re-energising Europe: A package deal for the EU27, the third Report of New Pact for Europe initiative is out. After more than 120 national and international multi-stakeholder debates on the state and future of the European Union, a win-win package deal for the EU27 has been drafted. What are the concrete proposals and what is the role of Slovakia in the process?
Martin Klus, Vice Chair of the European Affairs Committee, National Council of the Slovak Republic
Martina Kobilicova, Director General at the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic
Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Director of Studies, European Policy Centre
Jakub Wiśniewski, Vice President and Research Director, GLOBSEC, Slovakia
Vladislava Gubalova, Research Fellow, GLOBSEC, Slovakia


Let's Get Your Savings Started!
Our new and improved Online Home Energy Analyzer makes that easy. It's quick, it's free and there's no obligation.
Uncover the savings in your home.
Answer some basic questions about your home and you'll receive a detailed report containing personalized energy savings tips and recommendations..
By starting here, basic information about your home will already be filled in and your Home Profile will be updated for a better experience when using MyEnergy in the future. Not yet registered? Register today.
You will still receive a customized report, but with every guest login, you will need to re-enter all of the information required in the analyzer and your Home Profile will not be saved or updated.
Is the Online Home Energy Analyzer available to all residential customers?
Yes! We'd like to help every customer save energy and money.
Can I use the Online Home Energy Analyzer more than once?
We encourage it. Start by completing the survey with the "as-is" information about your home. Then try "what-if" scenarios, like if you were to implement recommendations from your report. You'll get to see the estimated impact on your bills.
What's the difference between the two ways to start the analyzer?
You can start the analyzer as a "guest" or by first logging in with your My Account registration. By logging in first, basic information about your home will be pre-filled and the information from the analyzer will update your Home Profile used in our MyEnergy suite of online energy management tools. As a guest, there's no pre-filled information and your Home Profile will not be updated.
How does the Online Home Energy Analyzer calculate my results?
The simple answer: hard science. The analyzer uses a physics-based home energy simulation model that accounts for home construction materials, the number and types of equipment and appliances, the household's unique energy use patterns and weather conditions. This model uses continually updated data to validate how each home uses energy and how energy usage and costs will change when different savings actions are taken.
Why do the analyzer results seem to differ from my bills?
Even with a fairly in-depth survey like the Online Home Energy Analyzer, it's not always possible to account for all of the energy habits in a particular household, like how often things are turned on and off, or electronics not captured in the survey.


text:
FILES - GENERAL [1]
FILES - GOLDFIELDS AND AGRICULTURAL REGION
FILES - PLANNING BRANCH
FILES - SOUTH WEST REGION
FILES - WASTERWATER TREATMENT
AU WA A110 - METROPOLITAN WATER AUTHORITY
METROPOLITAN WATER AUTHORITY
The Authority came into existence as from the 1 July 1982 pursuant to Statute 36 of 1982. This Act was the result of a legislative review conducted since 1978 with the intention of gradual replacement of obsolete provisions of the 1909 legislation (No. 43 of 1909).
The new legislation provided that "subject to the Minister, the Authority shall be administered by a Board of Management to be known as the Metropolitan Water Board". The Board consisted of seven viceregal appointees three of whom were Authority employees, and four, external appointees. The Chairman was appointed by the Governor for five years. The property, powers, functions (etc) of the former Board were transferred to the Authority by the new Act.
Following the election of a Labor Government in February 1983, a steering committee was appointed to oversee the merger of the Authority and related water activities of the Public Works Department. The new omnibus organisation (i.e. the Water Authority of Western Australia) received legislative basis through the Water Authority Act of 1984. The new Authority commenced operations as from 1 July 1985.
Creation: Metropolitan Water Authority Act No. 36, 1982
AU WA A8 - WATER AUTHORITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (1985-07-01 - 1996-01-01)
AU WA A8
AU WA A109 - METROPOLITAN WATER SUPPLY SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE BOARD (1964-07-01 - 1982-07-01)
AU WA A108 - METROPOLITAN WATER SUPPLY, SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT (1910-01-01 - 1964-07-01)
AU WA A106 - METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE (1909-04-01 - 1910-01-01)
AU WA A105 - METROPOLITAN WATER WORKS BOARD (1896-10-01 - 1909-04-01)
AU WA A107 - WATER SUPPLY, SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT (1912-01-01 - 1921-01-01)
INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATIONS
Series S406 - FILES - GENERAL [2]
Series S2996 - FILES - SOUTH WEST REGION
Series S3080 - FILES - PLANNING BRANCH
Series S3081 - FILES - GOLDFIELDS AND AGRICULTURAL REGION
Series S3090 - FILES - WASTERWATER TREATMENT
Series S2842 - MINUTES
Series S83 - FILES - GENERAL [1]
AN Cross Reference = 134


Lazy Gramophone | Journal - Liz Adams' Five Things.
Liz Adams is a poet and writer. Her first collection of poems, Green Dobermans, was published in 2011 by Lazy Gramophone Press. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, and her work has been published or is forthcoming in Iota Fiction, The Frogmore Papers, morphrog and Stand. Liz completed the MRes in Humanities and Cultural Studies at the London Consortium in 2011; her work there considered the emotion of envy in William Blake's Vala or The Four Zoas through an application of colour theory. She was part of the Voiceworks project 2010-2011 which comprises of poets from Birkbeck's Contemporary Poetics Research Centre, and musicians from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. For the project she wrote the lyrics to a protest song against the government's spending cuts which was sung at the Wigmore Hall. She has also worked in collaboration with dancers at The Place (London).
1. Fernando Pessoa's The Book of Disquiet; I read this six years ago and loved it. It's written as a diary and feels like a poem.
2. Wallace Stevens 'The Man with the Blue Guitar.' I love this poem by Wallace Stevens. His use of colour and the musicality of the poem lights up as you read it.
3. The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso. Wallace Stevens was inspired by this painting in the writing of 'The Man with the Blue Guitar.' I remember seeing some of the paintings from Picasso's Blue Period (though not the mentioned painting) when I was visiting Barcelona some years ago and was really entranced by them.
4. Tigers Are Better-Looking by Jean Rhys. I admire all of Jean Rhys' work but read this collection of short stories most recently.
5. Moving about. Having recently landed in Devon I notice again the new things that a change of location can bring to writing: new landscapes, voices, people, and light.
Tags for this post: Liz Adams, Time, Five Things, Lazy Gramophone, Green Dobermans.


text:
Cole Tucker's AFL Success and His Path to the Starting Shortstop Job in Pittsburgh
BRADENTON, Fla. – Cole Tucker is in big league camp with the Pirates, but don't expect him to make the Opening Day roster.
The Pirates are going with one of Kevin Newman or Erik Gonzalez for their starting shortstop position. Meanwhile, Tucker is expected to make the jump to Triple-A at the start of the season, with hopes that he can carry over his success from the Arizona Fall League at the end of 2018.
Tucker was one of the leaders in the AFL last year, hitting for a .370/.442/.457 line in 81 at-bats. The numbers in the AFL come with a disclaimer that it's a very hitting friendly atmosphere, and a small sample size. But any time you see success, the hope is that it stems from a change, or is a sign of what is to come the following year.
The numbers weren't a result of a change for Tucker. Instead, they were a continuation of an approach he had in the second half of the regular season.
"I didn't really add anything crazy in the fall league," Tucker said. "I was basically carrying over what I was doing and having success with in the second half during the season in Altoona."
Tucker's approach at the plate has been focused on standing tall and tapping into his athletic frame to have consistent hard contact. He hasn't seen much consistency throughout his career, including in Altoona last year. He chalks his AFL success up to pitch recognition.
"I was hitting the ball hard all over the place, both sides," Tucker said. "Just feeling really confident, and just swinging at good pitches. That's what I want to carry over from the fall. Having that really strong Arizona Fall League, I just want to come here and continue to swing at good pitches and do damage and drive the ball like I was in the fall league and just have that be who I am going forward. I think I'm a really special player when I do that."
It's not very inspiring to hear that swinging at good pitches is the change that led to Tucker's success. That raises questions. What led to the change, and the sudden avoidance of swinging at pitches that the pitcher wants you to swing at? How can this be carried over to the upper levels, where you have fewer mistakes to take advantage of? Tucker didn't have a good response to those questions, just reiterating his focus at the plate, and keeping his hitting approach simple.
He did reference better numbers in Altoona in the second half with that approach. His numbers did improve over the first half numbers, with an .811 OPS in July and a .737 OPS in August and September. That's an improvement over a .620 OPS in the first three months of the season.
Looking beyond OPS, Tucker did display a similar trend in Altoona and the AFL. He hit for a .273 average with a .360 OBP in the final months with Altoona. His AFL numbers were heavy on the average and OBP. The power was better in Altoona, with a .138 ISO, but lower in the AFL at .087.
If Tucker can be a guy who can hit for average and get on base at a high rate, then that would be enough to make him a starter in the majors at shortstop. He has the defensive skills at short to provide value on that side of the ball, and even acknowledges that this part of his game is ahead of the offense.
"I played really well defensively," Tucker said of his AFL performance. "I feel like I was still making strides in that. Everyone wants to talk about the offense, because that's the thing that has been catching up to my defense. I feel like I got way better defensively."
The Pirates have Tucker locked in at shortstop. They've never moved him off the position, even in practice. That's a move they use with guys who they project to be regular starters at a position. It's justified with Tucker, as his defense is strong at the position.
The problem here is that good defense plus average and OBP wouldn't make Tucker a high upside starter. The Pirates had a below-average to average starter in Jordy Mercer. They're replacing him with either Newman or Gonzalez, and both guys profile with a similar upside. Tucker is the best bet of the group to be above-average, but would need to tap into his power potential, along with the defense, average, and OBP, to reach that level.
Tucker will have time in Indianapolis to show that his approach from the second half of last year can lead to results at a higher level. He's reached the point in his development where the results on the field now matter more than his skills and potential. That means he will need to start tapping into his big frame, and at the least make good enough contact to maintain a high average and OBP.
Tucker is preparing to play the longest season he's ever played, meaning he's hoping to end up in the majors by the end of the year. He will need to carry over his results from the second half and the AFL to make that happen. If he can add some power to his game, that would be a nice bonus.
I've been high on Tucker's potential, just based on the frame, the contact skills, and the hard hits I've seen that have come far too infrequently so far. But as we enter a point in his career where it's time to show results, I can't say that I'm confident those results will come in a consistent way. That's mostly due to a lack of a strong reason or change for the results and a small sample with the success that he's had. This isn't saying that he can't be successful and reach his potential as a starting shortstop. But it's time for him to consistently show that potential on the field, with little reason to expect the results before they happen.
Cole Tucker
Previous articlePirates Notes: Back Home to Face the Blue Jays Today
Next articlePirates Notes: Dickerson Gets His First Start of the Spring; Pirates Face Happ in Tampa


text:
Home / News Articles / Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly retires at 28, calls it 'right time'
Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly retires at 28, calls it 'right time'
Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly is retiring from the NFL after eight seasons with the team.
"It's never the right time to step away, but now is the right time for me," Kuechly, 28, said Tuesday in a video announcing his decision.
Kuechly expressed doubt that he could still play as physically as he'd like.
"There's only one way to play this game … to play fast and play physical and play strong. And at this point, I don't know if I'm able to do that anymore," he said. "And that's the part that is most difficult, is — I still want to play, but I don't think it's the right decision."
"In my heart, I know it's the right thing to do," he said. "It's hard, but that's why you play this game, to form relationships, and if you've formed strong relationships, they never go away."
Kuechly suffered three concussions during his career and was in tears when he was carted off the field with a concussion during the 2016 season, The Associated Press reported, but he made no reference to that in his video announcement, which was posted to the team's Twitter account.
Kuechly was credited with 1,092 tackles, 12 sacks and 18 interceptions during his career with the Panthers. He was selected for the Pro Bowl seven times and was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. This season, he had 144 tackles and two interceptions.
The Panthers credited him with helping to get the team to the Super Bowl after the 2015 season, citing interceptions returned for touchdowns in the playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks and in the NFC championship game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Panthers lost Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos.
The Panthers said Kuechly was one of the best linebackers the game has ever seen and one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news
The team, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently reached an agreement to bring on Matt Rhule as head coach. Kuechly said that had nothing to do with his decision, adding: "He's going to do a fantastic job. His track record's proven."
Kuechly "has had a tremendous impact on this organization and region," and "his presence can't be replicated," Panthers owner David Tepper said in a statement.
Kuechly thanked the players, the coaches, the staff and everyone in the organization and said he felt fortunate to have played with the team. "It's hard, but I hope to still be involved in some way," he said.
Phil Helsel
Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.
Previous 5 climbers attempt to scale Everest during harsh winter
Next Spike Lee is first black filmmaker to lead Cannes festival jury


The margalefturisme.com website belongs to Ajuntament de Margalef and is financed partly by Departament d'empresa i coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya, on Pla de foment del Turisme 2016 de Margalef.
When you register to receive our services, voluntarily provided personal information that you seek in every case.
The purpose of town hall Margalef to gather personal information about you is to offer a more personalized service possible. With this information Margalef of municipalities will be able to offer better service, with content that are suited to your needs and interests.
Municipality of Margalef not disclose personal details which may serve to identificaros on an individual basis, except when he was required by court order or legal or protect rights of .
may disclose aggregate statistics of users to describe our services to potential partners, advertisers and other third parties, or for other legitimate purposes.
Protection against third has taken security measures to protect data and has installed all the technical tools to have at their disposal to prevent the loss, misuse, alteration, no access authorized or theft of personal details to be provided. This does not obstando, the user should be aware that Internet security measures are not foolproof. You agree that is not liable for damages of any kind which may arise for himself or others, directly or indirectly derived from the use of the site.
Also, places and Internet services to which is accessed through information may call upon you pidiéndoosla directly and have procedures for gathering information and privacy of their own, independent of the .
has no responsibility for these actions or political independents.
registered IP addresses. IP addresses are important for tracking a user's session. This gives an idea of what parts of our Web site users are visiting. Do not we establish links between IP addresses and any data enabling make a personal identification of users. This means that even when it monitor your meeting, this will remain totally anonymous.
The Website uses a technology called "cookies" in order to collect information about the use of the Website.
The information collected through cookies may include the date and time of visits to the Website, the pages viewed, the time that has been on the Website and the sites visited just before and after it.
Description: Not used in ga.js. It is configured to interact with urchin.js. Previously, this cookie acted together with the cookie __ utmb to determine if the user was in a new session or visit.
Description: Used to limit the percentage of requests.
Description: This cookie is used for the WordPress content manager to check if the browser has cookies enabled.
Description: These cookies are used by WordPress to customize the User Interface.
Description: These cookies are used by WordPress to customize the User Interface. Save the individual user ID of the table in the user database. It is used to customize the administration interface view and the main interface of the site.
By browsing and continuing on the Website you will be consenting to the use of the aforementioned cookies, for the periods indicated and in the conditions contained in this Cookies Policy.
In any case, we inform you that since cookies are not necessary for the use of the Website, you can block or disable them by activating the configuration of your browser that allows you to refuse the installation of all cookies or some of them.
Unless you have adjusted the settings of your browser, our system will create cookies as soon as you visit the Website.
We may update the Cookies Policy of the Website, so we recommend you review this policy each time you access the Website.