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Home Student Essays ➞ Catherine The Great
Catherine The Great CATHERINE THE GREAT EMPRESS OF ALL RUSSIA Catherine II (a.k.a. Catherine the Great) Catherine II, or Catherine the Great, empress of all Russia, did much to continue the process of Westernization reforms began by Peter the Great. Catherine was devoted to art, literature, science, and politics. Many people say she had a great gift and was a great leader, thus she was awarded with the name "the Great" She helped develop schools, hospitals, and many other organizations for the country. She was a shrewd leader and autocrat and helped to continue and further reforms made by Peter the Great, finally making Russia a permanent European power. Originally named Sophie Frederick Augusta, Princess of Anholt-Zerbst, she was born in Stettin on May 2, 1729, the daughter of the German prince of Anholt-Zerbst .
At the age of fifteen she went to Russia and married Grand Duke Peter of Holstein, heir to the Russian throne. The marriage was despondent, but intelligent and ambitious Catherine soon managed to assemble up a liaison of supporters. On October 1, 1754, Catherine gave birth to her son, the future emperor, Paul Petrovich Romanov, and three years later on December 20, 1957, she gave birth to her daughter, Anna Petrovna Romanov. Elizabeth died on December 25, 1761, and Catherine's husband succeeded as Peter III. Erratic, unstable, and contemptuous of his Russian subjects, the new ruler soon made himself unpopular, especially with certain German officers.
Led by Alexei Orlov (whose brother Grigori was Catherine's lover) the officers staged a coup in June 1762. Peter was deposed (and subsequently murdered) and Catherine was placed on the throne in his place. Catherine was fascinated with the philosophies and theories of the Enlightenment, and was well acquainted with the literature of the French Enlightenment, which was an important influence on her own political influence. She corresponded extensively with Voltaire and Denis Diderot, gave financial support to them and a number of other French writers, and played host to Diderot at her court in 1773. Although, this gesticulation of hospitality was partially aimed at creating a favorable image in Western Europe, she was probably sincere in her interest and her hope to apply some of the ideas of the Enlightenment to rationalize and reform the administration of the Russian Empire. Imbued with the ideas of the Enlightenment, Catherine aimed at completing the job started by Peter the Great–westernizing Russia–but she had contradictory methods.
Rather then forcing society to reform, she encouraged individual initiative in pursuit of self-interest. In the early years of her reign, she sought to win the support of the Russian gentry, and, in particular Despite her interest in legal reform, the commission she appointed for that purpose failed to accomplish its goals. But eventually, she learned how to select capable assistants–for example, Nikita Panin in foreign affairs, Alexandre Suvorov in the military, and Grigori Potemkin in administration. Among Catherine's more benevolent achievements were the foundation of the first Russian school for girls and of a medical college to provide health care for her subjects. In the early years of her reign, Catherine sought to win the approval of the gentry, which was a small part of Russia's population. She succeeded to a degree with the upper class, but did nothing for the overwhelming majority of the population–the enserfed peasantry.
Conservatism Peasant unrest culminated in a great revolt (1773-75), led by Cossack Yemelyan Pugachov, that raged over much of the Volga River Basin and the Ural Mountains before it was finally ruthlessly crushed by military force. The revolt marked a turn toward more reactionary internal policy. The Cossack army was disbanded, and other Cossacks were granted special privileges in an effort to transform them into loyal supporters of the autocracy. The revolt alerted Catherine to the necessity for reform. In 1775, she reorganized the local administration, integrated the Cossacks into the regular army, and put the serfs belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church under the administration of the state. In 1785, she issued two charters–to the towns and to the nobility–to involve the educated classed in local administration in return for protection of their status and property rights.
In similar spirit, Catherine established the Free Economic Society to encourage the modernization of agriculture and industry. She promoted trade and the development of underpopulated regions by inviting foreign settlers such as the Volga Germans, and she founded new towns (Odessa, for example) and enterprises on the Black Sea. Herself a prolific writer, Catherine patronized arts and letters, permitted the establishment of private printing presses, and relaxed censorship rules. Under her guidance the University of Moscow and the Academy of Sciences became internationally recognized centers of learning; she also increased the number of state and private schools. As a result, the Russian nobility, and some townspeople, also began to organize associations for the promotion of schools and publications. Catherine, who did not want to surrender control over social and cultural policy, viewed these activities with suspicion. The outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 and the publication of Alexandre Radishchev's journey from St.
Petersburg to Moscow in 1790, in which the author denounced the evils of serfdom, the immorality of society, and the abuses of government, prompted Catherine to impose repressive measures, which in turn alienated many of the educated. Finally, Catherine vastly expanded the Russian empire. Following the two successful wars against Turkey (the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1768-74 and 1787-92), Russia secured the Crimea and thus realized a centuries-old dream of establishing itself on the north shore of the black Sea. The fertile lands of the Ukraine were also opened for settlement and soon became the granary of Europe. Catherine also participated in the partitions of Poland (1772,1792, and 1795) bringing a large part of that country under Russian rule.
Catherine had twenty-one lovers, and her spirit doctor inspected them all before they could be her lover..but Sergei Vasiljevits Saltykov (father of her first son) and Grigori Orlov (father of second son) were special to her. Upon the death of Catherine on November 17, 1796, modern Russian society was organized and its culture had struck firm roots. Russia was also playing a determining role in world affairs. Bibliography Bibliography 1. Scott, Robert, H., "Catherine the Great" Microsoft(R) Encarta, Microsoft Corp., 1995. 2. Http://www.guide.spb.ru/culture-n-history/history/ cathii/index.html.
3. Http://www.cityvision2000.com/history/catherine.ht m. 4. Http://taft.k14.ojgae.edu/~garrison.naomi.html. 5. Http://www.sptimes.com/Treasure/TC.2.3.13.html. 6. Http:/www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Rulers/romanov.html. History Reports.
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The Board of Directors of Carbiotix AB decides on a rights issue of units
The Board of Directors of Carbiotix AB ("Carbiotix" or "Bolaget") has today, the 6 th of May 2022, decided to execute an issue of units (shares and attached free-of-charge warrants) with preferential right for existing shareholders, where also the general public is able to participate ("the Rights Issue"). The decision on the Rights Issue was made with support by an authorization from the Annual General Meeting held on the 22nd of April 2022 in accordance with the proposal made by the Board, communicated through a press release on the 22nd of March 2022. The Rights Issue can initially provide the Company with approx. SEK 20.1 million before issue costs and thereafter an additional approx. SEK 20.1-40.1 million before issue costs referring to the exercise of attached warrants of series TO 1 approx. 14 months after initial issue. The Rights Issue is to approx. 80 percent secured in writing through pre-subscription- and guarantee commitment agreements. The memorandum, with a more detailed description of the offer will be published by the time of the commencement of the subscription period of the Rights Issue, at the latest. Sedermera Corporate Finance AB assists the Company as financial advisor in connection with the Rights Issue.
Background and Motive
Since the listing in 2019, Carbiotix has focused on scaling up and developing the business. In September 2021, Carbiotix presented a product launch plan for the next five years, which includes the launch of CarbiAXOS as a dietary supplement ingredient in the USA in 2022. To enable the launch of CarbiAXOS in the USA, market approval in the form of GRAS SA status is required. According to a GRAS consultant, this can be granted in October 2022. Thus, the Company plans to launch CarbiAXOS at a conference in Boston, USA, in early November 2022. Furthermore, Carbiotix announced at the end of April that the Company has entered into its first sales agreement regarding CarbiAXOS with a Swedish consumer product company focusing on dietary supplements containing prebiotic fibre. Carbiotix has also completed its first production facility at FoodHills in Bjuv, which marked the start of the commercialization of CarbiAXOS. During the first quarter of 2022, a type-2 diabetes clinical study was also initiated by Lund University, which is testing the co-treatment of CarbiAXOS as a medical food together with the drug metformin. This is done to evaluate whether the side effects of metformin can potentially be reduced in cointervention with CarbiAXOS.
The purpose of the Rights Issue is to finance the Company's activities to achieve future objectives, primarily the start-up and upscaling of Carbiotix's first production facility in Bjuv, as well as the commencement and growth of product sales. The Company's goals for the upcoming years include the first sales agreement for CarbiAXOS in the USA and the launch of CarbiAXOS as a nutritional ingredient in the USA, which are expected during the current year. In 2022, the Company intends to carry out the first medical food study with CarbiAXOS (which was started at the end of March 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2023) and complete ISO 9000 certification. During the next year, the Company intends to conclude sales agreements in Europe, increase production capacity in the production facility and plan for the first 200-ton large-scale CarbiAXOS production module in Sweden through a joint venture structure. For 2024, the Company has goals such as building the first full-scale CarbiAXOS production facility for food and beverage ingredients in the US through a joint venture structure, concluding a first CarbiAXOS sales agreement outside the US and Europe, and achieving a positive operating profit (EBIT) of SEK 20 million on sales of SEK 70 million during the financial period, with a forecast of 10x EBIT for 2025, when the first CarbiAXOS production facility for the production of food and beverage ingredients in the USA is inaugurated.
With the capital from the initial part of the issue, at a maximum approx. SEK 20.1 million before issue costs, is intended to finance the following activities (arranged by priority):
• Start-up and scaling up of the Company's production facility in Bjuv (approx. 40 percent).
• Submission and approval of the first CarbiAXOS GRAS SA approval (approx. 10 percent).
• Sales, development and support of CarbiAXOS and LinkGut (30 percent).
• Carry out the first medical food study of CarbiAXOS (approx. 5 percent).
• Complete ISO 9000 certification (approx. 5 percent).
• Research and development related to therapeutic co-treatment products (approx. 5 percent).
• Development of new prebiotics from local raw materials and starting materials in collaboration with partners (approx. 5 percent).
With the capital from the exercise of warrants, at a maximum approx. SEK 20.1-40.1 million before issue costs, the Company intends to finance the following activities (arranged by priority):
• Expansion of the production capacity of the Company's production facility in Bjuv (30 percent).
• Planning of new production facilities in Sweden and abroad (approx. 15 percent).
• Submission and approval of Novel Foods approval (approx. 15 percent).
• Sales, development, and support of CarbiAXOS and LinkGut (approx. 30 percent).
• Complete the first medical food study of CarbiAXOS (approx. 5 percent).
• Development of new prebiotics from local raw materials and starting materials through collaboration (approx. 5 percent).
The Rights Issue
The Board of Directors of the Company has today, with the support by an authorization from the Annual General Meeting held on the 22nd of April 2022, decided on an issue of units (shares and attached free warrants of series TO 1) with preferential rights for existing shareholders. Those who on the record date of the 13th of May 2022 are registered as shareholders in Carbiotix have a preferential right to subscribe for units in the Rights Issue. For each existing share, one (1) unit right is received. Thirty-four (34) unit rights entitle the holder to subscribe for one (1) unit. One (1) unit consists of seven (7) shares and seven (7) warrants of series TO 1. The subscription price in the Rights Issue is set to SEK 55.30 per unit, which corresponds to SEK 7.90 per share, which corresponds to a discount of approx. 30 percent against the average volume-weighted share price over a period of ten to twenty trading days prior to the Board's decision. Warrants of series TO 1 have a planned exercise period from the 28th of June 2023 to the 19th of July 2023. The exercise price for the warrants will be determined in the range of SEK 7.90-15.80 per share and will be based on the average volume-weighted share price during a period of 20 trading days before the exercise period begins, with a discount of approx. 30 percent. The final exercise price will be communicated one to two days before the exercise period begins. One (1) warrant of series TO 1 gives the right to subscribe for one (1) new share in Carbiotix. The warrants are issued free of charge in connection with the Rights Issue.
Given a fully subscribed Rights Issue, Carbiotix will initially be provided with approx. SEK 20.1 million before issue costs, through an issue of a maximum of 362,735 units, which corresponds to 2,539,145 shares (the "initial issue"). A fully subscribed initial issue will result in an increase in the share capital of SEK 253,914.50. In addition to the initial issue, the Company, given full exercise of warrants of series TO 1, can be added an additional approx. SEK 20.1-40.1 million through the issue of 2,539,145 shares, which results in an increase in the share capital of SEK 253,914.50. Upon full subscription, the number of shares in Carbiotix, after initial issue, will amount to 14,872,145 shares and the share capital will amount to SEK 1,487,214.50. Upon full exercise of warrants of series TO 1, the number of shares in Carbiotix after the exercise period will amount to 17,411,290 shares and the share capital will amount to SEK 1,741,129.00. For existing shareholders who do not participate in the Rights Issue, a dilution effect arises corresponding to approx. 17 percent of the total number of shares and votes in the Company after the initial issue. The dilution is based on the number of issuing shares, assuming a fully subscribed initial issue.
The last day of trading in Carbiotix shares including the right to receive unit rights in the Rights Issue is the 11th of May 2022. The first day of trading in Carbiotix shares excluding the right to receive unit rights is the 12th of May 2022. Subscription of units takes place during the period from the 19th of May up to and including the 2nd of June 2022. Trading in BTU (paid subscribed unit) is ongoing from the 19th of 2022 until the Rights Issue has been registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office. This registration is expected to take place at the end of June 2022. The Board has the right to extend the subscription period and the last day for payment.
Complete terms and conditions for the Rights Issue and more information about the Company will be reported in a memorandum that is expected to be published on the Company's website no later than in connection with the commencement of the subscription period.
Pre-subscription- and guarantee commitments
Carbiotix has received pre-subscription- and guarantee commitments totalling approx. SEK 16 million, which corresponds to approx. 80 percent of the Rights Issue. Pre-subscription commitments from existing owners and external investors amount to approx. SEK 6.83 million, corresponding to approx. 34.2 percent of the initial issue. Pre-subscription commitments from the Company's Board and management constitute approx. SEK 1 million of the total pre-subscription commitment. Guarantee commitments from external investors amount to approx. SEK 9.15 million, corresponding to approx. 45.8 percent of the initial issue. For issued guarantee commitments, a cash premium payment of ten percent is paid.
Timeplan for the Rights Issue
• Last day of trading in shares, including the right to receive unit rights: 11th of May 2022.
• First day of trading excluding the right to unit rights: 12th of May 2022.
• Record date for participation in the Rights Issue: 13th of May 2022.
• Subscription period: 19th of May 2022 – 2 nd of June 2022.
• Trading in unit rights: 19th of May 2022 – 30th of May 2022.
• Trading with BTU: 19th of May 2022 until the Rights Issue has been registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.
• Announcement of outcome in the Rights Issue: around the 8th of June 2022.
Memorandum, teaser and subscription form
Memorandum, teaser and subscription form regarding the Rights Issue will be made available via the Company's (www.carbiotix.com), Spotlight Stock Market's (www.spotlightstockmarket.com), Sedermera Corporate Finance AB's (www.sedermera.se) and Nordic Issuing AB's (www.nordic-issuing.se) website by the time of the commencement of the subscription period, at the latest.
In connection with the Rights Issue, Carbiotix has assigned Sedermera Corporate Finance AB as financial advisor, Markets & Corporate Law Nordic AB as legal advisor and Nordic Issuing AB as issuing agent. Shark Communication AB has provided the Company with advice regarding communication.
For more information about the Rights Issue, please contact:
Sedermera Corporate Finance AB
E-mail: cf@sedermera.se
www.sedermera.se
Carbiotix AB
Kristofer Cook, CEO
E-mail: kristofer.cook@carbiotix.com
Carbiotix AB (CRBX) (www.carbiotix.com) is an award-winning biotechnology company pioneering microbiome healthcare through a range of cost-effective gut health testing services and a portfolio of microbiome modulators covering prebiotic ingredients, medical foods and therapeutics.
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This FourTwenty Scientific Bong is a unique piece of glass art that will offer you an amazing hit! It comes with some green touches upon a sturdy heat proof borosilicate glass formed in the shape of a flat base tube. You can place your herbs onto the bowl coming with a handle for easily lifting it up and cleaning it at your convenience. The bowl connects to a built-in chillum through a sure ground of 18.8mm. Your smoke passes inside the tube through a drum diffuser that will break up your smoke. A double drum percolator will extra filter your smoke. With the FourTwenty logo featuring at the top of the tube, the whole set-up ends up in a cosy mouthpiece ring. The bong includes also oil accessories such as an oil adaptor, a nail and a bowl, as it is intended for both herb and oil lovers.


Der Hamburger Berg bedankt sich bei allen Sponsoren und Unterstützern.
Play soccer for free. Meet nice people and very good soccer players from over 15 different countries. Learn and share soccer skills. Enjoy the beauty of soccer.


The ADAA Foundation, a distinct but connected entity to the ADAA, was established in 1970 to encourage and promote the appreciation of art and art history through its support of vital scholarship and curatorial research. Generously funded by donations from ADAA member galleries, the Foundation has distributed grants to museums, archives, and arts organizations around the country to advance art historical research and exhibition development. The Foundation was also used to establish the ADAA Relief Fund to ensure that galleries and non-profit art institutions affected by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 would be able to recover and remain in business.
Following the Foundation's recent sale of Alexander Calder's The Clove, which was gifted to the Foundation upon its inception, the grants program was expanded to focus on the nation's art museum community. Art museums from around the country with annual operating budgets under five million dollars were invited to apply for grants to advance the development of new exhibitions and research.


CHRYSO®Optima 100 is formulated specifically to maintain high workability and decrease mix stickiness for superior placeability and finishing. CHRYSO®Optima 100 exclusive technology allows for extreme easiness of use and robustness. CHRYSO®Optima 100 is manufactured under rigid quality control measures to provide uniform, reliable results.


TASTE LIKE DQ CAKE .. KIDS LOVED IT !!! MIGHT WANNA MAKE MORE THAN 1 !!:) WAS GONE IN A FLASH !
POUR THE FUDGE TOPPING INTO A MEDIUM BOWL . STIR IN 1 C OF THE WHIPPED TOPPING WITH WIRE WHISK UNTIL WELL BLENDED. ADD DRY PUDDING MIX. , STIR 2 MIN, OR UNTIL WELL BLENDED.THE CONSISTENCY OF THE FUDGE TOPPING CAN VARY DEPENDING ON WHAT BRAND YOU BUY.IF IT IS TOO THICK TO SPREAD EASILY , STIR IN 1/4 C MILK.
CHOP COOKIES INTO PIECES , STIR INTO PUDDING MIXTURE .
TOP THE PUDDING MIXTURE WITH THE REMAINING 4 ICE CREAM SANDWICHES . THE LAYERS CREATE A NEAT STRIPED EFFECT WHEN SLICED .
BRING UP THE FOIL SIDES . DOUBLE FOLD TOP AND ENDS TO LOOSELY SEAL THE PACKET.
LET STAND AT ROOM TEMPERTURE TO SOFTEN SLIGHTLY BEFORE SERVING.
STORE LEFTOVER DESSERT IN THE FREEZER.


Unfortunately, as much as I love going to the theatre, my budget doesn't allow for top price tickets. It's not all bad news though, I have managed to find a way of going to the theatre for free (or very cheap)! Have a read of these 8 tips and start enjoying musicals, comedies and other live performances for a fraction of the price. If you want more suggestions then have a look at our post Cheap Theatre in London as well as Places to See Live Theatre for Free in London.
My Box Office is a seat filling service that is completely free to join. There are tickets available for a wide range of shows including opera, dance, comedy and sports. When you register you will be asked to select which genres interest you the most; you will be notified when these tickets are available.
Tickets are generally free (or highly discounted) – you will just need to pay a small administration fee. I have registered with the site and can see that these fees are only about £2-£3. Tickets are this cheap as they are for press nights, special screenings and previews. Once you book a ticket you must attend. Other conditions are that you be discrete, enthusiastic and go to as many shows as possible.
A similar concept to My Box Office, PlayByPlay is also a seat filling service. One of the major differences is that you need to pay £75 to register with them. This fee allows members to apply for up to 4 tickets rather than 2 tickets offered by other seat filling companies. You may also be asked to leave feedback about certain shows that you are attending – generally these will be bigger West End productions.
PlayByPlay are not accepting any new members at the moment but you can contact them to let them know you are interested and they will be in touch when they are looking for new members.
Some shows have their own way of selling reduced price tickets. The Book of Mormon runs a daily ticket lottery. For each performance there are 21 pairs of tickets sold at £20 per ticket – you can apply up to 2 ½ hours before the show but you must be there when the lottery is drawn. As well as this, there is an extra set of tickets per performance available via an online Twitter lottery.
There are a number of theatres in London who are making seeing there shows more accessible and budget friendly.
Theatre503: Pay What You Can Saturdays. Tickets for these productions are normally about £15 but on a Saturday you can turn up at the Box Office and try and get a Pay What You Can Ticket.
Arcola: Pay What You Can Tuesdays. Every Tuesday Arcola Theatre sells a limited number of pay as you can tickets for Studio 1 and 2 performances. The suggested admission is £5 per ticket.
If you aren't too worried about having the best seat in the house then you could consider getting a ticket with a restricted view. The tickets can cost as little as £15 and generally the view isn't as bad as what it sounds – you may even get lucky and be moved to a better seat if the theatre isn't full.
BARGAIN ALERT – The Royal Court has 4 tickets for the Jerwood Theatre available for only 10p! These are standing tickets with a restricted view and go on sale 1 hour before the performance.
Voucher sites like Groupon, Lastminute.com and Wowcher are a great way to save money on theatre and event tickets. The sites are free to register with – you just give them your email address and preferred location and they will send you daily emails letting you know which deals are available. There are a wide range of shows discounted so on any given day you could pick up tickets for live wrestling, magic shows or West End musicals. Through Lastminute.com you can also book show and your meal together and you'll save in comparison to ticket only prices.
There are a number of online retailers offering discount theatre tickets. I find that sometimes you have to scroll through these a bit to find the best deals but, if you are not fussy about dates then these are a great way of getting a discounted tickets. Three of the best sites are Theatre Tickets Direct and London Theatre Direct. Don't worry about them being in the worst seats – the websites have built up relationships with the theatres and generally get offered a wide range of seat choices. Whilst the offers vary across the sites you can sometimes get tickets for about half price!
Donmar Theatre: £10 front row seats and free ticket access scheme for 25 year olds and under.
By following these tips you'll be able to enjoy London theatre and keep your bank accounts full.
You may also want to check out how to get free cinema tickets.


John Tillman, chief executive officer of the Illinois Policy Institute. | Facebook.
Even if you think taxes are the root of all evil, you can't just flout federal tax laws.
We honestly don't know if John Tillman and his Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank that abhors almost all taxes, have broken any laws in the dizzying way they have steered millions of dollars from five interconnected nonprofits to for-profit ventures in which Tillman and his associates have a financial stake.
But the arrangements smell, and we urge state Sen. Chris Nybo, a Republican, to f0llow through on his threat to push for investigations by the FBI and the IRS.
If, as reported, money from Tillman's nonprofit Illinois Policy Institute was given to a second nonprofit, Tillman's Think Freely Media, which then lent money — including at no interest — to a for-profit venture that Tillman also controlled, Crowdskout, that sounds like cozy self-dealing.
And if this sort of insider funneling of funds from nonprofits to for-profits occurred repeatedly, also as reported, we have to wonder why the Illinois Policy Institute and the others nonprofits still qualify for tax-exempt status. Intentional or not, this looks like tax-dodging.
The complicated dealings of the Illinois Policy Institute, which held great sway in Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration until a falling out last year, were detailed this weekend in an investigative report by Tina Sfondeles of the Sun-Times and ProPublica.
Sfondeles and ProPublica revealed the questionable shuffling of funds between various Tillman-connected nonprofits and for-profits, which tax experts say is, at the very least, frowned upon. They also report that Tillman's compensation for his work for the five nonprofits — $366,631 in 2015 — exceeds the top pay of executives in similar organizations. And that pay does not include whatever money he's received from the for-profit entities in which he has a stake.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is reviewing the revelations in the Sun-Times/ProPublica story, but she's in a compromised position on this one. Her father, House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, has often been the target of Tillman's conservative wrath.
But we definitely look forward to seeing what the FBI and IRS make of all this.


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Full EpisodeOwl Power
S33 Ep9 | Premiere date: Feb 18, 2015 | 00:53:10
For centuries, owls have been featured in children's books and folk tales capturing imaginations the world over. With their haunting calls and charismatic faces, these birds remain popular but mysterious because it's rare to catch more than a glimpse of one in the wild. Unlike their cousins, the hawks, eagles and falcons, owls are the only bird of prey able to also hunt effectively at night when they have the skies to themselves. This has helped them become one of the most successful birds on earth, but the chief reason is due to their extraordinary super powers. To examine these special skills, filmmakers enlisted the help of veteran bird handlers, experts and technology to demonstrate and test the owl's amazing abilities.
Transcript Print
NARRATOR: They can find prey without ever seeing it.
They can fly as silently as ghosts... and they are powerful predators, both night... and day.
Owls possess genuine superpowers.
To understand their amazing abilities, we're going to get closer than ever before.
Meet Luna and Lily.
Through the eyes of these fluffy little barn owl chicks -- and their unusual family -- we'll delve into the magical abilities of these mysterious birds.
MAN: You wouldn't want to be a vole, nah.
No, no, life as a vole would be brief.
NARRATOR: Technology will reveal how they do it.
MAN: There's not a sound!
That is really impressive, isn't it?
NARRATOR: We're about to find out what makes owls special.
What gives these birds of prey such a powerful edge?
NARRATOR: Owls live all over the world, from the frozen north to scorched deserts.
With their familiar faces, these charismatic birds have captured our imagination.
There are about 240 different species.
And they appear to have conquered our planet.
They live on every continent except Antarctica.
So, what are the secrets of their success?
Owls are birds of prey.
Like their cousins the hawks, eagles, and falcons, they have sharp talons, a curved beak, and a taste for small mammals.
But they also have unique skills that set them apart -- their superpowers.
[Owl screeches] To find out more, we need to go beneath the surface... And start at the very beginning -- when all of the potential for this remarkable bird is held in one tiny egg.
After 30 days of incubation, the chick inside is ready to make an appearance... but it's a tough task.
It can take 48 hours for an owlet to break out of its protective shell.
MAN: What're you up to in there?
You coming out yet, little one, eh?
NARRATOR: Anxiously waiting in the incubation room is an unusual father... for a bird.
MAN: I saw you move then -- I saw the egg move [Laughs] You moved!
[Projector whirring] NARRATOR: Lloyd Buck has been fascinated with owls since he was young.
Now, he and his wife, Rose, have a whole family of birds, including a barn owl called Kensa.
[Screeches] Johanna, the tawny owl.
LLOYD: That's a good girl!
NARRATOR: Arnie, Brann, Moses, PJ, and Sasha, the tawny eagle.
Lloyd and Rose love and care for their birds like their own children.
They also train them to star in films.
[Laughter] ROSE: We've got a little pellet... NARRATOR: They have a passion for educating others about birds and the importance of protecting them in the wild.
[Children laughing] Through the eyes of this special family, we're going to learn more about the owls' mysterious world.
Lloyd and Rose are going to put their own birds to the test.
And this year they're expecting some new arrivals.
Two barn owl chicks.
The first of them is ready to hatch.
LLOYD: One more big push and you're out!
[Chuckling] Oh! There you are!
Yeah, you've done well, little one, eh?
[Chirps] That must've been a huge effort, wasn't it, to get out of there?
See, it's easy to take it for granted when you're here, but actually, it's a really wondrous thing -- to see new life come into the world, there's something really special about that, really special.
Mind you, saying that, they're not the prettiest of owlets, are they?
NARRATOR: This chick and her younger sibling have come from a pair of captive barn owls.
As they grow, they'll give us a rare and incredible opportunity to learn more about these secretive birds.
LLOYD: We've already thought of a name.
Well, she's Luna.
We always tend to give our birds names 'cause they become part of the family.
NARRATOR: With Lloyd's love and care, Luna grows quickly.
And just six days later she meets her younger sister.
Lloyd and Rose call her Lily.
ROSE: Come on, then!
NARRATOR: During these early days and weeks, Lloyd and Rose need to give Luna and Lily round-the-clock attention.
ROSE: Delicious!
When they hatch, they're blind, completely helpless, they can't even regulate their own body temperature, and they need four feeds a day.
Aww, look!
It's just like babies, really!
But you've taken on a responsibility, so you just have to get on with it.
NARRATOR: The owlets have a long way to go before they transform into magnificent, superpowered owls.
Well, should we write down that you pooped today?
NARRATOR: Nature will play its part, but right now they're entirely dependent on Lloyd and Rose.
By the evening everyone's exhausted.
But in the wild this is the time when most owls are waking up.
[Owls hooting] The tawny owl haunts our nights.
But why choose to live in this dark and difficult time of day?
[Screeches] With the help of a special heat-seeking camera, we can enter this hidden nocturnal world.
It's springtime in the highlands of Scotland.
At this time of year male owls are feeling the pressure.
This one has a family of hungry mouths to feed in a nearby nest box.
The thermal camera reveals something else... Many mammals are active at night.
So, despite the dark, it's an ideal time to go hunting.
[Bleating] Success.
The female comes right over to collect the catch.
Her owlets are a month old with a growing appetite.
One mouse won't be enough.
But luckily, there's plenty more where that came from.
No other bird of prey can hunt in such darkness.
So, at night, owls have the skies to themselves.
It's one of the keys to their success.
But how are they able to see in the dark?
This is where owls deploy the first of their unique powers.
Owls have characteristically big eyes.
A tawny owl's eyes take up a staggering 70% of its skull.
For us, it's only 5%. These large eyes enable the owl to gather as much of the available light as possible.
At the back of the eye, the retina has a particularly high density of rod cells.
These cells are extremely sensitive in low light, capable of resolving an extra layer of detail, which is sent to the brain via the optic nerve.
These special adaptations mean a tawny owl can see an image 2.5 times brighter than the one we see.
Which helps it target small mammals lurking in dark undergrowth.
But tawny owls have another incredible skill.
They're territorial birds, and as they fly around their home range they create a mental map.
This means they can find their way in the dark avoiding unseen obstacles.
So, it's the owl's formidable memory combined with their sensitive vision that helps them take advantage of the nighttime world.
At two weeks old, Luna and Lily open their eyes.
But it's another few days before they can focus on anything.
Now, at three and four weeks old, they're starting to take in their surroundings.
Good night vision is probably the owl's best-known superpower.
But Luna was developing another one of her senses, even before she hatched.
-What do you think? -Yeah.
-Should we check on his progress? -Let's have a look.
On occasions, if you call to 'em, if you chip to 'em, they'll actually, uh, call back to you.
[Whooshing] [Chick responding] Amazing!
NARRATOR: Remarkably, owlets recognize the calls of their parents even from inside the egg.
It's amazing! That tiny little 'chip!'
We'll put him back in there.
NARRATOR: Which suggests sound must be an important part of their world.
But just how important is hearing to adult owls in the wild?
Among the derelict buildings of an old airfield, this barn owl is on the lookout for her next meal.
Cold weather and a blanket of snow have left her short of food.
So, she's been forced to hunt in the day.
And now, she's got competition... A kestrel.
It's one of the downsides of hunting during the daylight hours.
And even worse, the snow means she can't see her prey.
So, how do you find your food when it's hiding out of sight?
Hunger forces the kestrel to take a chance.
But his razor-sharp eyesight isn't enough in these conditions.
Luckily for the barn owl, she has another weapon in her armory.
Flying blind won't stop her eating.
Because although she can't see it, she can hear her prey -- even under the snow.
The kestrel simply doesn't have what it takes.
How does an owl's extraordinary hearing work?
Some owls have ear tufts, but these feathers aren't used for hearing.
They're more about communicating mood.
In fact, the owl's whole head is designed for listening.
Its distinctive round face is shaped like a satellite dish specifically to detect sound.
A ring of stiff feathers channels the sound towards the true ears -- which are hidden at the side of the face.
Some species of owl have one ear opening higher than the other.
This unique adaptation allows the owl to work out what height a sound is coming from, as well as the direction.
Sound arriving at the left ear before it reaches the right tells the owl it's coming from below.
At certain frequencies, an owl's hearing is ten times more sensitive than ours.
This extraordinary ability means this great grey owl can locate its prey even when it's out of sight.
But the owl's highly tuned hearing is made even more effective by yet another anatomical gift.
They can turn their heads through an incredible 270°. If we did that we'd cut off the blood supply to our brains and pass out.
But owls have evolved special adaptations in their necks.
As their head turns, wide spaces in the neck vertebrae make sure the blood vessels don't get crushed.
And enlarged arteries at the top of the neck create a reservoir which supplies a constant flow of blood to the brain.
This astonishing flexibility allows the owl to focus its super-sensitive vision and hearing directly at its prey.
In just two months there's been an amazing transformation.
Luna and Lily have grown from helpless little chicks... to near adult barn owls.
Now, they're fluffy down is being pushed out by real flight feathers.
Which marks the arrival of the biggest milestone in their young lives.
ROSE: Luna, come get weighed!
NARRATOR: Now that Luna has started using her wings, she's being slightly less cooperative about her daily weigh-in.
ROSE: I know you're hungry.
Good girl! Now, stay.
Don't go mad.
Steady, steady.
Good girl! That's it!
Wha-hey-hey! [Laughs] Luna, you can fly!
NARRATOR: Luna's very first flight starts with a leap of faith from the scales.
And now she's hop-flying every chance she can get.
Leaving her younger sister to stare in wonder.
Mastering this new skill doesn't happen overnight.
ROSE: She might have another go, though.
NARRATOR: But it's something she must get right -- her ability to hunt depends on it.
LLOYD: Luna... Don't fall in the bucket of water!
[Chuckling] I told you not to go in the bucket of water.
ROSE: Oh, poor thing!
LLOYD: You'll get very wet.
I don't think you'll do that again in a hurry.
NARRATOR: Luna and Lily are still spending the night in the house.
Now Luna can fly, nowhere is out-of-bounds.
And her enthusiastic flight practice is getting her into trouble.
LLOYD: Oi, that's a picture, Luna.
[Both laughing] NARRATOR: But Luna is lucky -- a house is a relatively safe place to practice this vital skill.
In the wild, some owls face a monumental challenge.
California Redwoods are giants of the forest -- the tallest trees in the world.
And perched precariously at the top of this one is a family of great grey owls.
It's a wonderfully safe place for a nest.
But when it comes to learning to fly, there are some obvious challenges.
Launching yourself off the equivalent of a 30-story building takes some courage.
Until they get the hang of it, the owlets rely on being able to...get a grip.
This is less flying, more... 'falling with style.'
He makes it safely to the ground.
But they must keep practicing, so, now, it's a long, hard climb back to the top.
And it's not long before they have liftoff.
Although Lily is a week younger than Luna, like any younger sibling, she's not going to be left behind.
Oh, you're a clever, clever, clever girl!
I know you're hungry.
NARRATOR: Before long, she's progressed from flapping to flying.
ROSE: Oh, that is so clever!
NARRATOR: The power of flight is something that sets birds apart.
ROSE: Lily! Ooh!
NARRATOR: And owls have refined their technique with some incredible adaptations.
LLOYD: Ready?
-ROSE: You ready? -LLOYD: Yep.
Lily! Come on!
NARRATOR: To fully understand how owls are different, we need to go back to basics.
What does it take for Lily to get airborne?
To find out, Lloyd and Rose have enlisted the help of bird expert Professor Graham Martin and high-speed cameraman Mark Payne-Gill.
For a bird to take to the air it has to overcome two forces... gravity, the invisible pull that keeps us grounded... and drag, which is the resistance we experience as we move through the air.
Bird use their wings to create lift and thrust.
But how do they do it?
Birds' wings are the shape of an aerofoil.
Air traveling over the top of the wing has to travel faster than air traveling beneath.
This creates a difference in air pressure, which generates lift.
To gain forward momentum birds flap their wings.
This makes the air flowing over them spiral off the trailing edge... creating vortices that thrust the bird forwards and upwards.
These are the basic principles of all flight.
But what's so unique about the way owls fly?
We fly quite a few different types of bird, vary in sizes.
But the one thing I notice about the owls is they always appear to be a lot slower in their flying than the other birds.
MARTIN: Well, all birds have got different wing shapes and they can fly at different speeds -- it's just like aircraft.
So, if you look at the wing size of a barn owl, it's actually got a very big wing, and so, they can fly very slow, very controlled.
NARRATOR: To really understand the barn owls' slow flight, Lloyd is putting Lily to the test against two of his other birds.
Maisie, the grey lag goose -- a long-distance endurance flier.
And Moses, the peregrine falcon -- one of the fastest birds on Earth.
The peregrine takes the lead.
Its long and pointed wings are quite flat, designed for speed and maneuverability which it needs to hunt.
The goose is next.
At six pounds, its relatively short and narrow wings work hard to get it airborne.
The barn owl has the largest wings in relation to its body.
And its aerofoil is very curved, which generates a huge amount of lift.
So, the barn owl can fly slower and with fewer wingbeats than most other birds ROSE: Whoo! Good girl!
NARRATOR: But why is that important?
Sometimes when you're watching the owls fly, they go so slowly it looks as if they're not going to be able to maintain flight.
That's right, they are actually flying so slow that they're very, very close to stalling.
But, of course, that's what they need to do.
Because when they're doing that very, very slow flight, they're hunting.
It may be just a little rustle in the grass, so they've got to be in the position to drop out of the sky and investigate it.
-And get a nice, tasty vole. -Absolutely, yeah.
NARRATOR: Owls have evolved a wing design perfectly suited for their aerial hunting strategy -- slow, yet deadly.
But the refinements don't stop there.
These birds have fine-tuned their flight so each species has subtle adaptations for the environment it lives in.
Like the barn owl, these short-eared owls have very large, broad wings, ideal for flying slowly while hunting over open ground.
Owls that live in woodland, like tawny owls, have shorter, more rounded wings, to help them maneuver between trees.
Wherever they live, all owls have an amazing aerial agility.
They're even able to take off vertically from a standstill.
It's a great defensive move, especially when you've got young to protect.
A dive-bombing arctic skua is no match for the snowy owl.
Such mastery of the skies seems to make these owls fearless, even against one of the arctic's largest predators.
Her supreme courage and skill drive the wolves away.
And her family is safe.
Owls have one more amazing superpower.
And this one is totally unique.
Something Lloyd and Rose have noticed with their 11-year-old barn owl Kensa.
When she flies across the meadow, she's mysteriously quiet.
How quiet is a hunting barn owl?
LLOYD: Kensa! [Whistles] NARRATOR: To find out, Lloyd has taken Kensa to a special studio... where Graham and sound recordist Gary Moore are going to put her to the test.
Against Smudge, the pigeon.
And Moses, the peregrine.
The birds' challenge?
To fly over a series of super sensitive microphones.
[Rose calling birds] [Pigeon squawking] Good girl.
[Lloyd calling bird] LLOYD: Moses? Mo?
NARRATOR: And now it's Kensa's turn.
[Lloyd calling] Kensa!
LLOYD: Did you hear anything?
Wow! No, nothing at all, absolutely quiet.
It was amazing.
NARRATOR: But what have the microphones picked up?
The decibel wave forms show the sound being generated by the birds in flight.
Each spike is an individual wingbeat.
But with the barn owl... there's almost nothing.
Even our array of super sensitive microphones fails to pick up any sound of Kensa in flight.
Nothing. Nothing at all.
I'll play it again.
LLOYD: There's not a sound!
It shows that they really are silent fliers.
NARRATOR: How does a barn owl fly so silently?
When air moves it generates sound.
The more movement, the greater the sound.
The pigeon's large body and small wings mean it can't stay airborne without a lot of fast flapping.
This creates turbulence in the feathers below.
The peregrine has much larger wings, which it uses to build up speed and chase down its prey.
The barn owl is far more graceful.
Kensa's large wings and small body make it easier for her to generate lift.
Just one gentle wingbeat sees her gliding effortlessly through the air... creating little more than a whisper in the feathers below.
But that's not the only thing that helps the barn owl achieve near-silent flight.
It has an amazing adaptation which reduces air movement even further.
Its flight feathers have noise-reducing fringes on the leading and trailing edges.
And they have a velvet-like top to them.
These soft surfaces absorb air movement, reducing any turbulence and minimizing sound.
Silent flight is a crucial part of the barn owl's hunting strategy... allowing them to approach their prey unheard.
But like every superpowered creature, owls have their Kryptonite... [Thunder rolling] Rain.
This male short-eared owl has a young family back at the nest.
When it rains they're all at risk.
[Thunder rolling] Because there's a price to pay for having silent feathers.
They can't also be waterproof.
The female hunkers down.
She can't move or her chicks will be at risk of hypothermia.
The male is struggling, too.
He can't hear his prey over the driving rain.
So, today, his family will go hungry.
Wet weather can be fatal for owls.
It's one of the reasons some don't make it through their first winter.
Learning to hunt for themselves is a challenge all young owls face if they're going to survive.
Little owls fledge between four and five weeks.
After this, their parents encourage them to fend for themselves.
The adults usually hunt voles and other small mammals.
But these youngsters don't have the experience to take on such tricky prey.
So, they start by practicing on something a bit easier.
Earthworms won't be enough to see them through the winter.
But they're great for honing their hunting technique.
As birds of prey, owls are defined by their habit for hunting small animals.
Mastering the kill is a critical survival skill.
But it's clearly not easy.
So, what exactly is it youngsters need to learn?
[Screeching] To find out, Lloyd has brought Kensa to meet animal locomotion scientist, Dr. Jim Usherwood.
Together, they'll try to deconstruct the moment she pounces on her prey.
In Jim's laboratory, they've created a mini hunting ground.
Concealed beneath the turf are special plates that will enable Jim to measure the forces at play.
Lloyd has taught Kensa to associate food with a beeping sound.
When Rose presses the button, the box emits a beep.
And Kensa knows where to find her food.
[Beeping] LLOYD: You clever old barn owl.
How much force, then, does she exert on the pounce?
USHERWOOD: So, here we have the vertical forces of the owl.
And so, there's the force of taking off, and then you see some fairly powerful flaps, and then she eases off the gas, uses gravity to come back down at speed, hits the ground at about five meters per second, with a force that's something like 12 times body weight.
NARRATOR: This is the moment an owl must bring all its unique powers together.
Hanging silently in the air, Kensa uses her hearing and eyesight to find her target She angles her face to pinpoint the sound.
Once she's locked on, she positions her entire body for the pounce.
And then what I find really interesting, look, when she comes down, basically she's going head-first towards the ground.
USHERWOOD: And it's only now the legs come forwards, but the legs are still very, very bent.
And then it's right at the very end the legs extend, and then you get that thump.
LLOYD: So, she's coming down at five meters a second, she's hitting the ground at around 12 times her body weight.
Which would make sense, because primarily she's hunting small mammals, so she wants to hit them with as much force as possible to disable it and kill it.
USHERWOOD: What I was thinking was that those long legs would be useful to ease off the force.
But she's not easing off at all -- she's actually extending the legs just as she hits the ground.
Then gives it a good old thump.
NARRATOR: To put this in perspective, the force of Kensa's pounce is the equivalent of an eight-ton truck hitting a 170 pound man.
It's unlikely her prey would survive the impact.
You wouldn't want to be a vole, would you, now?
NARRATOR: The journey to mastering such finely tuned superpowers starts early.
It's three months since Luna and Lily entered the world.
Now, it's time to see if their skills are coming together.
LLOYD: Come on, Luna. [Beep] Luna.
ROSE [laughing]: Mind your feet!
-Lily, come here. -LLOYD: Luna.
NARRATOR: Luna and Lily have grown up in an extraordinary family and become bold and confident birds.
ROSE: Yep!
[Rose laughing] LLOYD: Luna! You're not supposed to be on the camera.
ROSE: Lily!
Good girl! Good girl.
NARRATOR: But despite their unusual upbringing, out in the meadow their natural instincts kick in.
They're hunting just like adult barn owls, using all their superpowers -- keen eyesight, extraordinary hearing, and slow-and-silent flight.
[Lloyd calling] Good girl, come on.
NARRATOR: Nature has played its part... [Beeping] And Lloyd and Rose have done everything they can to get both birds to this moment.
But while Lily continues to hone her skills living alongside them, there's been an unexpected twist to her sister's story.
One evening, Luna flew off... and she didn't come back.
For Lloyd, it's a natural step from owlet to adult, reassuring him that he's equipped her with everything she needs for an independent life.
LLOYD: I've given her all the skills that she needs to survive.
I've been her parent, she's chosen to go.
It's her choice, and we always say they've got that choice to stay or go.
It's sad for me because you get really attached to them, but they don't have those trappings of human sentiment.
She's just gone on to the wild to do her own thing.
NARRATOR: Now more than ever, Luna will rely on those special skills that set owls apart.
For centuries, these enchanting birds have captured our imagination.
With their haunting calls and ghostly appearance, owls add a magic and mystery to our landscapes.
Their charismatic faces are so familiar, perhaps because they look so much more human than other birds.
But it's all their owl powers that make them one of the most successful and best loved birds on our planet.
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A Modest (Moot) Proposal
So Adrian Beltre is going to cost the Texas Rangers $16 million a year for six years, and Derek Jeter is going to cost the New York Yankees $17 million a year for three years (maybe more).
Did the Yankees ever consider the financial madness, or the lack of quality control, that represents? Or, to phrase it more correctly, how many times will they be forced to think about it in the next three years, as Jeter continues his descent from impact player to easily-jammed to liability to living statue?
If it seems asinine to consider asking Alex Rodriguez to move back to shortstop after seven years at third base, it certainly isn't much more so than is expecting Jeter to suddenly regain the range that deteriorated so noticeably last year, or to do that and be a productive shortstop on his 40th birthday.
All greatness comes to an end, and usually a year or two later, so does all sentimentality. The Yankees released Babe Ruth in 1934. They forced Yogi Berra into the manager's office in 1963 and fired him in 1964. They dumped Casey Stengel days after his 10th World Series in a dozen years in the uniform. They let Reggie walk. They cut The Scooter on Old Timers' Day. They marginalized and then released Bernie Williams in 2006. They cashiered Joe Torre.
If you are horrified by the thought of the Yankees simply throwing away Jeter, how horrified are you by the image of seeing him benched for Ramiro Pena or Cesar Izturis or somebody while the 2012 Yankees are chasing Toronto for third place behind the Sox and Rays, and you're sitting there thinking "they could've had Adrian Beltre for a million less?"
Tags: Adrian Beltre, Alex Rodriguez, Babe Ruth, Bernie Williams, Casey Stengel, Cesar Izturis, Derek Jeter, Joe Torre, New York Yankees, Phil Rizzuto, Ramiro Pena, Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra
Such A Strange Day At Yankee Stadium
Alex Rodriguez: DNP – Broadcast-related injury.
There are two versions of how A-Rod came to miss this afternoon's second game of the Yankees-Red Sox series. In the first version, with Rodriguez standing near third base while teammate Lance Berkman took his batting practice cuts, my former Fox Baseball colleague Joe Buck shouted out to him. Rodriguez, in his 17th professional season, inexplicably turned to answer him, and while not keeping his eye on what was happening at the plate, got nailed in the shin by a Berkman liner.
In the second version, Buck was minding his own business in foul territory behind third base, when Rodriguez, in his 17th professional season, inexplicably turned to yell "Hi, Joe!," and while not keeping his eye on what was happening at the plate, got nailed in the shin by a Berkman liner.
Both versions then converge with Rodriguez then doing the Elizabeth-Elizabeth-This-Is-The-Big-One-I'm-Comin-To-See-You-Elizabeth bit, trying to shake off the pain, finally collapsing to the turf behind a protective screen in centerfield, not far behind second base ("I just remember getting hit and started jumping around like a rabbit," he told The New York Times, "It looked like a scene from 'Platoon.'"). Several of his teammates, who have long found Mr. Rodriguez to be a kind of dramatic figure, laughed uproariously as they surrounded him, assuming he was overdoing it. The Times includes Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira in this list.
After being attended to by Yankee trainer Gene Monahan and a couple of Yankee Stadium paramedics Rodriguez limped off. We are told he personally told utilityman Ramiro Pena something like "You'll have to play kid, I'm not going to make it." It is believed the Yankee team laughter ended before the pronouncement but this has not been verified.
X-Rays of Rodriguez's leg showed no damage and, to date, no nomination for a Tony, Emmy, or Oscar.
MEANWHILE, IN A HOLE IN THE GROUND:
Since the new Stadium opened a year ago, media have noticed this odd scene — just to the visitors' side of the area behind home plate — in the giant aqueduct-sized main tunnel that connects the clubhouses and runs from one end of the park to the other (forgive the eerie green colors, that's pretty much what it looks like back there):
My assumption all this time – and my fairly good sense of direction/location from my tours of the park while still under construction in 2008 – was that this was the exact spot from which the contractors pulled the David Ortiz shirt which had been buried by a mischievous Red Sox fan (I was told the guy also buried a scorecard from the 2004 ALCS in which Boston rallied from down oh-three, but the Yanks have always denied this). But why the railing?
The answer is below:
The hole was never filled back in!
The seemingly solid surface shown in the first photo is in fact a large piece of plexiglas, clouded with dust, which can be lifted up by an alert uniformed attendant, for the benefit of fans in the Suites Club. They can then stand around and take pictures of an attempted Reverse Curse (or, for the less dramatically-inclined, a hole in the ground).
The front edge of a new age. Heard, for the first time, before the Yanks and Sox met, from a fan, to one of the swarming Stadium employees, outside the home plate entrance: "And where did you say the old stadium was?"
Posted on August 7, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Tags: Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Joe Buck, Lance Berkman, Mark Teixeira, Ramiro Pena, Reverse Curse, Yankee Stadium, Yankees-Red Sox
Swinging At The Future; Whiffing At The Past
Two books to address today, one brand new, one kinda.
BASEBALL PROSPECTUS 2010
Edited by Steven Goldman and Christina Kahrl
John Wiley, $25.95
Two caveats: the publisher is putting out my next book, and this really isn't a review, because by now if you're a baseball fan and you don't know what BP is, you're working in a mine without one of those helmets with the lights on it.
This is more about the headlines from the annual phone-book-sized tub of prophecies these figure filberts put out, than it is any kind of assessment of the publication as a hole, because we don't really know how good each year's edition is until after the season is over. But for once, there shouldn't be much argument about what is the Statistical Reduction crowd's biggest forecast for the season ahead: The collapse of Derek Jeter.
OK, "collapse" is a little strong. The actuarial tables of the game again prompt the editors to call Jeter's team "still the class of MLB," but they pummel the Captain personally. He finished 2009 at 18-66-.334-.406-.465 with 107 runs and 30 steals. BP sees 2010 as 11-58-.286-.359-.401 with 67 runs and 10 steals.
As I understand the formulas with which the BP numbers are calculated, there is room for a dollop of common sense and/or extenuating circumstances. But mostly the stats-to-come are generated, in Jeter's case, by comparing him to what happened to every 14-year veteran going into his 15th season, and what happened to every 35-year-old shortstop as he turned 36, and employing every other demographic comparison in baseball history. And the loss of 48 points of batting average and 40 runs and 64 points of slugging percentage, is the evident result.
It actually gets worse. The one BP number that gives you the best overall sense of a player's total worth to his team is VORP (Value Over Replacement Player). In short, it measures in net runs (how many more do you score, how many fewer does the other team score) what were to happen if the player in question was suddenly reduced by the average bench guy. Last year, Derek Jeter's VORP was 71.2 (Albert Pujols' was 100.1), meaning if he had quit on Opening Day 2009 to be replaced full-time by Ramiro Pena, the number of fewer runs the Yankees would've scored, plus the number of more runs they would have allowed, would've been 71.
Jeter's predicted 2010 VORP is just 20 – a loss of 51.2 when nobody else in the majors is predicted to lose more than 37.2 (and that's Joe Mauer, by the way. The BP folks readily admit that their formulae tend to punish spectacular seasons). Merging the topics of catching and the Yankees, BP sees Jorge Posada dropping from 22-81-.285-.522 to 12-49-.263-.445 (and losing 21 VORP points in the process).
If BP is right, there are similar harrowing declines ahead for Ryan Howard (to hit .249 this year), and Michael Young (.297), and Kevin Youkilis (22-86-.283), and David Aardsma (15 saves). On the other hand, it sees Nick Johnson emerging to lead the AL in On Base Pecentage, Kelly Johnson to rebound in Arizona, Jeremy Hermida to blossom in Boston, and Geovany Soto to comeback in Chicago. Certainly two of the stranger computer-generated forecasts: Chris Davis with 33 homers, and your 2010 Major League Saves leader: Joakim Soria with 43 in Kansas City.
There's also something in here about Rickie Weeks blossoming, but I think that may have been accidentally left over from the 2009 edition. Or the 2008. Or the 2007. Or the 2006…
THE FIRST FALL CLASSIC
THE RED SOX, THE GIANTS, AND THE CAST OF PLAYERS, PUGS, AND POLITICOS WHO REINVENTED THE WORLD SERIES IN 1912
By Mike Vaccaro
Doubleday, $26.95
More than 30 years ago I made an enemy for life of a baseball writer named Maury Allen. I panned his biography of Casey Stengel because I felt he had forfeited the credibility of the book's essence – exclusive, heretofore unpublished anecdotes and quotes – because he had made so many simple historical mistakes. Allen had the Polo Grounds in which Stengel played and managed off-and-on for 50 years overlooking the Hudson River, when it in fact overlooked the Harlem River, a no-brainer mistake that nobody who had lived in New York for more than three weeks would make.
My point was not that it was fatal to make a few dozen such flubs, but that if I as the presumably less-expert reader could spot such obvious mistakes, how many more of them were in there that I wasn't smart enough to catch? And why would I trust the accuracy of the quotes and the stories as offered by a writer who couldn't keep his basic geography straight? If you could switch the Hudson for the Harlem, you could – I don't know – switch Hugh Casey for Casey Stengel.
Sadly, this dynamic is reproduced in Vaccaro's book about the epic eight-game World Series of 1912 between the Giants and Red Sox. The Series – and the topic – had everything: a dubious tie game, the first year of Fenway Park, Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, President John F. Kennedy's grandfather, and the year Smoky Joe Wood won 37 of the 120 games (regular season and World Series) he would win in his lifetime.
For an obsessive historian with a gift for composition, like my friend Josh Prager of The Echoing Green fame, the 1912 Series would basically sing itself and he would write down the notes as quickly as he could. I truly hoped this book would be like this (I went out and bought it retail – the ultimate sign of respect by somebody in the same business) and given the volume of startling stories and the in-the-clubhouse quotes from men dead half a century and more, Mike Vaccaro certainly seems to have tried to make it like that.
But I can't trust him. The book is riddled with historical mistakes, most of them seemingly trivial, some of them hilarious. One of them is particularly embarrassing. Vaccaro writes of the Giants' second year in their gigantic stadium, the Polo Grounds:
…to left field, the official measurement was 277 feet, but the second deck extended about twenty feet over the lower grandstand, meaning if you could get a little air under the ball you could get yourself a tidy 250-foot home run…
Unfortunately this wasn't true until 1923. Any photograph of the 1912 World Series showing left field, indeed any photo of the new Polo Grounds in its first twelve years of use, clearly
shows that the second deck ends thirty or forty feet to the left of the foul pole, and the seats in fair territory are the bleachers.
There are, in fact, actually at least two photos showing Joe Wood, with the Red Sox in the Polo Grounds, which show, in the background behind him, either the left field foul line leading directly to the bleachers, not a double deck, or, the left field foul pole standing like a lone tree with no "extended" deck even close to it.
One of him, warming up, is included in Vaccaro's book, right after page 146.
That's it, on the right. The white stripe next to
his glove, is the left field foul line.
The other photograph – the background largely washed out but with the undecked left field corner still vaguely visible – shows him shaking hands with the Giants' Jeff Tesreau, and it was chosen for publication on the cover of Vaccaro's book, below.
The most often-repeated of the mess-ups, and thus both the most annoying and the most damaging, is Vaccaro's insistence about Boston Mayor John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, arch Sox fan and grandfather of the future president, around whom Vaccaro tries to develop a political thread to the book and who gets nearly as much attention from him as Tris Speaker or Mathewson. Four times in the book, Vaccaro notes that Fitzgerald liked to sing, or was singing, or was about to sing, his theme song "Sweet Adelaide." There may have been such a song, but it wasn't a favorite of Honey Fitz (or presumably of anybody else). The Mayor, as any political historian, or adult over 65, or anyone who's ever encountered a Barbershop Quartet, or any Marx Brothers buff, could tell you, sang "Sweet Adeline," an incredibly popular song published in 1903 that Groucho and company later performed in "Monkey Business."
Of the remaining twenty or so that I caught, most have clearer connections to the sport itself. Hall of Famer Eppa Rixey becomes Rixley, 1912 Red Sox infielder Steve Yerkes becomes Sam, Redland Field in Cincinnati becomes "brand-new Crosley Field" (it wasn't renamed Crosley Field until 1934 and the radio baron who did it was still a 20-something developing automobiles in Muncie, Indiana, when Redland Field was brand-new in 1912).
There is a lot of historical tone-deafness – particularly distressing considering Mr. Vaccaro often covers the Yankees. He recounts a conversation among McGraw and New York sportswriters about the Giants taking in the American League New York Highlanders as tenants at the Polo Grounds for the 1913 season. Vaccaro quotes the famed Damon Runyon telling McGraw that his paper's headline writers have a new name intended for the team: The Yankees. McGraw is quoted as wondering if it will catch on in 1913. Even if the mistake originates elsewhere, it should've rung untrue to Vaccaro: The name "Yankees" had been used on the baseball cards as early as 1911, and on a team picture issued by one of the New York papers in 1907. If McGraw and Runyon hadn't heard the name "Yankees" by the time of the 1912 World Series, they'd both had undiagnosed hearing problems for five years.
Vaccaro also has a lot of trouble with geography. He indicates that Giants' owner John Brush had a mansion in "upstate Pelham Manor" even though the town is essentially parallel to 241st Street in Northern Manhattan. He mocks the nickname "Swede" for Danish-born Boston outfielder Olaf Henriksen as an indication that baseball didn't worry about geography in assigning monickers. But until 1905 Denmark was part of a union with Norway, and as late as the early 1800's, those two countries were trying to reestablish a medieval tripartite union with Sweden. For all we know, Henriksen might have considered himself Swedish.
There are also mistakes so convoluted as to be baffling. Vaccaro writes of the fabulous game-saving catch by the Giants' Josh Devore in Game Three:
"I took it over my left shoulder and with my bare hand although I clapped my glove on it right away and hung on like a bulldog in a tramp," Evans would soon tell the mountain of reporters…
Evans? The catch was by Josh Devore. Evans – Billy Evans – was the umpire who confirmed the out. Later, there is the inexplicable observation that during the tense eighth game, so much of Manhattan was at the then-popular newspaper scoreboards that "Schoolrooms were scarce." While this was doubtless as true in the New York of 1912 as it is in the city of 2010, it wouldn't seem to have anything to do with baseball. Students in schoolrooms, yes. The rooms themselves?
The mistakes – and there are probably a dozen more – matter only in this context. When I read Vaccaro's account of a supposed conversation, after the Red Sox took a 3-1 lead in games, between Boston's owner and manager that clearly implies that the owner ordered the manager to hold back his ace pitcher in hopes Boston might lose the next game and thus gain the income from one more game in Fenway, I'm not inclined to take Vaccaro's word for it. Because, lastly and most damningly, this may be how he researched the book. Years after retirement, Boston's Hall of Fame centerfielder Tris Speaker went back to the minors as an executive. Vaccaro writes he would:
…become a part owner of the American Association, a top Triple-A-level minor league…"
In fact, Speaker would become a part owner not of the league, but of one of the teams in the league, the Kansas City Blues.
You know where else this mistake turns up?
Post professional career
In 1929 Speaker replaced Walter Johnson as the manager of the Newark Bears of the International League, a post he held for two years. He became a part owner of the American Association. The announcement of Speaker's election to the Baseball Hall of Fame was made in January, 1937.
Yep. Tris Speaker's Wikipedia page.
Posted on February 21, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Tags: 1912 World Series, 2010 Predictions, Albert Pujols, American Association, Barbershop Quartets, Baseball Prospectus, Billy Evans, Casey Stengel, Chris Davis, Christina Kahrl, Christy Mathewson, Crosley Field, Damon Runyon, David Aardsma, Derek Jeter, Eppa Rixey, Fenway Park, Geovany Soto, Harlem River, Historical Errors, Hudson River, Hugh Casey, Jeff Tesreau, Jeremy Hermida, Joakim Soria, Joe Mauer, John Brush, John Fitzgerald, John McGraw, Jorge Posada, Josh Devore, Joshua Prager, Kansas City Blues, Kelly Johnson, Kevin Youkilis, Marx Brothers, Maury Allen, Michael Young, Mike Vaccaro, Monkey Business, New York Highlanders, Nick Johnson, Olaf Henriksen, Origins of Yankee Nickname, Pelham Manor, Polo Grounds, Poor Research, President John F. Kennedy, Ramiro Pena, Redland Field, Rickie Weeks, Ryan Howard, Smoky Joe Wood, Steve Yerkes, Steven Goldman, Sweet Adelaide, Sweet Adeline, The First Fall Classic, Tris Speaker, VORP, Wikipedia