text:
Sabine Lisicki on Brad Pitt, Roger Federer and her Wimbledon Semifinals Run
After a resurgent 2011, German beauty Sabine Lisicki is sitting pretty in the WTA Tour rankings at a career-high number 13. I had the opportunity to sit down with Sabine at the Sony Ericsson Open and chat about her most memorable moments on court, Roger Federer, legends she has hit with, and the three famous people she would most want to have dinner with.
During the course of the interview, Lisicki could not have been more gracious and involved in the questions, laughing and/or giggling a total of eleven times. I would bet that her and Ana Ivanovic could compete in a "giggle-off" and see who the nicest WTA player is – it would be a tough call! But alas, I digress. On to the questions and get ready for some laughs!
What is your most memorable moment on court?
There are several. Obviously, my first grand slam in Australia [in 2008]. But from last year, a very emotional moment was winning the title in Birmingham and beating Na Li at Wimbledon, on center court, with a full house. That meant a lot to me, especially after coming back from an injury.
If you weren't a tennis player, what would you be?
(Laughs) I hate that question! (Laughs) I honestly don't know, because tennis was always what I loved and what I always wanted to do and I feel very lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I love.
Do you have any hobbies on the side that you enjoy?
There are things that I might do after tennis, because I'm interested in design/fashion, but also in the human body, so some medicine-type of thing, because we go through so many health issues and we learn a lot about our body and I'm just curious to learn more, so I'll see which direction I'll go. The human body is veryinteresting, so you can always discover more.
If you could play against any player in history, who would it be and why?
(Long pause) The ones I would love to play against, I've practiced with them already! (Laughs)
Is this like Steffi Graf?
Steffi and Andre, I've played with both and I've practiced with Mary Pierce and Martina Hingis, so all the idols. I would love to hit with Roger [Federer] one day.
What are two things that you couldn't live without?
Friends and family.
If you could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, who would they be and why?
Living or dead? (Laughs) Ok, a fun one, Brad Pitt. (Laughs) An interesting one would be the pilot who landed the plane on the Hudson River. I would love to hear from him what he thought in those moments, because he was so under pressure having so many passengers and landing the plane. And the third one, Drew Brees (NFL Quarterback).
Grand Slam Fallout, Henin Gone Again and WTA Rankings Record
Djokovic Keeps Murray Waiting:
Two good friends, two very different sets of emotions kick off a bumper Grand Slam edition of Tennis People. Melbourne Park saw Novak Djokovic repeat his 2008 triumph here to lift his second Grand Slam on Sunday which left Andy Murray staring defeat in the face for his third straight final. The Serbian continued the fearsome display which overcame Roger Federer in the semis to dismiss the Scot in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Murray simply had no answer to the explosive groundstrokes Djokovic continually fired over the net and his error count continued to rise as the match wore on. It follows Djokovic's excellent end to 2010 where he was ousted by Rafa Nadal in the US Open final before leading Serbia to its maiden Davis Cup win over France in December. "[Winning a] Davis Cup title and another Grand Slam title. I'm living the dream of a tennis player, definitely," declared Djokovic after the match. "I have been more focused and dedicated to the sport than I have ever been before. To be able to win in straight sets against a player like Andy Murray in the finals of Grand Slam, it makes my success even bigger." He added of his friend: "I really have big respect for him and his game, because I think he has everything what it takes to become a Grand Slam champion. I'm sure that very soon he will be. This was a great match. From the start to the last point, I did what I intended of doing tactically, what I talked with my coach, what I prepared for. It's the best way that I could ask for to start a season. Both of those guys [Federer and Murray] play their best tennis on the hard courts, as well as I do. But to be able to win against those players in straight sets is incredible." "It's better than it was last year," said Murray on suffering his second-straight Australian Open final defeat. "It was obviously tough, disappointing. I thought Novak played unbelievably well. It's tough, but got to deal with it. Anyone who played in three finals would have loved to have won one. But I haven't. I just need to keep working hard and try and do it. I would have liked to have played better," confessed Murray. "But I think he would have beaten every other player on the tour if he played like that tonight. He served well. He didn't make many mistakes from the back of the court. He moved really, really well. He hit the ball very clean." For more fallout hit the ATP website.
Clijsters Claims First Non-American Slam:
Kim Clijsters fully embraced her 'Aussie Kim' adopted moniker by finally lifting the hallowed trophy last weekend. The three-time US Open Champion hoisted her first Slam off of American soil by outlasting the Chinese star Li Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. It was a sad end to Na's historic showing which made her the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final (Michael Chang was affiliated to the United States). Na was more aggressive in the first set with her ten winners outnumbering three from Clijsters. But the Belgian steadied herself and her experience began to shine through as she slowly closed out the victory. "She did everything better than me in that first set," Clijsters told the gathered press. "Her ground strokes were heavier, deeper. She served better, she returned better. She was playing really, really well – probably the best she's ever played against me. I tried mixing it up, putting some slices in, hitting a few higher shots that drew some errors. I saw her get a little bit aggravated and I just tried to hang in there." Clijsters also praised her adopted home crowd in her on-court speech: "I finally feel like you guys can call me Aussie Kim, because I won the title. I've been coming here for many years and you guys have always been amazing. It helps so much." Li was philosophical following her defeat: "I take positives. I think I played great tennis. She played better than me. After the match, when I was going back to the locker room, I made a joke that a tennis match should only be one set. I'm still happy what I did today. Right now I'll just take total rest, because Chinese New Year is coming soon. I'll take time with the family and prepare for the next tournament." More can be seen by hitting the WTA website.
Bryans Make it Ten of the Best:
Bob and Mike Bryan denied the 'Indian Express' of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes the Career Grand Slam after cutting them down in the final of the men's doubles at the Australian Open. It was Slam number ten for the 32-year-olds who now stand just one behind the legendary Aussie duo of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde. "It never gets old," said Bob. "Especially to play those two guys, the 'Indian Express', who we have tons of respect for. We were jacked up for this match. These two guys are legends. It was an extra special feeling out there on the court playing two guys that have dominated the game 10 years ago." "We had a great couple of weeks," reflected Paes. "We had a tough draw. Pretty much played all the best teams in the world getting to the final. Today we lost to the best team on the planet who played lights out today. I thought they played the perfect match. As far as Mahesh and myself are concerned, a great two weeks." See more at the ATP website.
Crown Jewel for Flavia and Gisela:
They had a fantastic 2010 which saw them rise to the top of the doubles rankings on the back of seven team titles. But 2011 has exploded in to life for Flavia Pennetta and Gisela Dulko who lifted their first Grand Slam at Melbourne Park. Seeded No. 1 they faced a difficult test against the surprise package of the tournament; Victoria Azarenka/Maria Kirilenko. It looked evenly matched. Pennetta/Dulko had dropped only 26 games in five straight set wins en route to the final while Azarenka/Kirilenko had dropped only 25 games and one set. But the top seeds struggled early on and the underdogs rushed the first set 6-2. They even held match points in the second before the Italian and the Argentine rallied to take the match 2-6, 7-5, 6-1. "We were in shock," Dulko said. "At a set and 4-1 down, at the changeover, we were looking at each other saying, 'Come on, we have played less than an hour.' We went for it. We tried to play more aggressively and didn't wait for them to." She added: "I think Victoria started to get a little bit more nervous than in the beginning and missed more balls. I think her level started to go down a bit, then Maria maybe as well. But most importantly we just kept fighting. In the end we believed we could turn the match around. It was a good ending." "It's a Grand Slam. It's something really amazing for me," Pennetta added. "Last year we played so well. We won the WTA Championships and so many good tournaments, but we didn't make any finals at the Grand Slams or win one of them. We started this year really well and hope to do the same in the next one." The full fallout can be seen at the WTA website.
Nestor Still Defying Age:
Canadian doubles expert Daniel Nestor made it two Aussie Open mixed doubles titles by partnering Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia to overcome home-grown hero Paul Hanley and Chan Yung-Jan in the final at Melbourne Park. He previously lifted the title in 2007 with Elena Likhovtseva. "She played great [and] I played well, too," said Nestor. "That's some of the best mixed I played this week. I don't always play that well. In the first [set] we lost serve and then broke back. That was important to stay close there. I played a bad game to start the second, which kind of lost our momentum, but then we broke right back again. Then they played a pretty good game to break us to win the set." It was mixed doubles Slam number five for Srebotnik who won her last two with Nestor's long-term men's doubles partner Nenad Zimonjic.
Henin Calls It A Day (Again):
It was the 3am announcement that triggered a massive scramble as journalists leapt out of bed to gain coverage of the second retirement of Justine Henin from professional tennis. The Belgian who has seven Grand Slams to her name has struggled to overcome the elbow injury suffered at last year's Wimbledon and has decided to give up the ghost permanently rather than struggle towards her dream of that elusive grass-court Slam and suffer complications for the rest of her life. After her early comeback showed signs of promise her recent results have been less-so and she took the decision following her exit Down Under. "It's time now to turn an incredible page of my life…What a wonderful adventure! I'm sad to end with an injury but that's the life. I just want to thank you all for your support during all these years…I will never forget it," she announced via her Facebook and Twitter pages.
United Nations at the WTA:
This week the Top 10 of the Sony Ericsson WTA World Rankings features ten women of differing nationalities for the first time ever. A Dane, a Belgian, a Russian, an Italian, an Australian, an American, a Chinese, a Serbian, a Belarusian and a Pole make up the Top 10 with an Israeli at No. 11. It shows just how truly global the sport of tennis has become during the Open Era as globalization has truly brought tennis to the four corners of the globe. More on this later on in Rankings Watch.
Dream Doubles Pairing for Close Friends?
Following his victory over long-term friend Andy Murray at the Aussie Open Novak Djokovic has announced that the 23-year-olds hope to team up for the doubles Championships at Indian Wells later this year. "We spoke in Melbourne of the possibility of playing doubles together in Indian Wells and I will raise the issue again with him," Djokovic told the Serbian sports daily Sportske Novosti. At last year's Rogers Cup in Toronto Djokovic teamed up with Rafa Nadal for a very high profile yet unsuccessful doubles campaign.
Nadal Confident of Swift Return:
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal expects to be fully recovered from the hamstring injury suffered in his quarterfinal defeat to David Ferrer by the end of next week. The Spaniard said in a statement on his official website on Tuesday: "Doctors estimate a recovery period of about 10 days from today."
Queensland Victims to Receive Aid:
The final totals are in from the ATP and WTA as to how much will be donated to the victims of the Queensland floods following the completion of play at the Australian portion of the 2011 tennis calendar. Both organisations pledged $10 for every ace hit by players in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles categories at the Brisbane International, Medibank Open Sydney and the Australian Open. The total raised was $51,700 which adds to the personal contributions by stars such as the $10,000 donated by American No. 1 Andy Roddick ($20 for every ace he hit) and that of Sam Stosur who donated $100 for every ace she hit. The Rally for Relief event organised by Roger Federer also raised over $1.5m.
Djokovic Fit for a Queen:
Novak Djokovic has announced he will return to the AEGON Championships at the Queen's Club alongside world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the run-up to this year's Wimbledon. Djokovic has never won a title on grass and lost an exceptional final to Nadal here in 2008. He hopes the experience of re-finding that Grand Slam touch in Australia will help him progress on other surfaces too. "The AEGON Championships is one of the nicest tournaments around," said Djokovic. "The Queen's Club has got great grass courts, it's a great atmosphere with always a packed house of spectators, and you just feel good there. Rafa and I had an incredible match in the Queen's final in 2008 and it was the closest I ever got to a grass court title. Wimbledon is the most important tournament (of the year) for me, and I really want to do well at Queen's and at Wimbledon this year."
Serena Sets Comeback Date:
Serena Williams is set to make her comeback at an exhibition event organised by Nike just two days before Indian Wells begins in Portland, Oregon. She hasn't played since cutting her foot after the completion of Wimbledon last year but is set to line-up alongside Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. She is yet to name her official comeback date on the WTA Tour.
Berankis in VMAN:
New Lithuanian star Richard Berankis has been featured in the latest edition of VMAN magazine after starring at this year's Australian Open. The 20-year-old is now the youngest man in the Top 75 players in the world after reaching the third round. "I used to follow my older sister to the club and I would hit against the wall by myself while she practiced," he says of his introduction to a sport. "I don't really remember when or how I picked up my first racket but my earliest memory was my first match, which I lost. I was really pissed off afterwards, but I didn't cry." He added about the pressures of being a professional: "I guess I don't really think about the pressure," Berankis says nonchalantly. "I'm usually too focused and into the match. When you are competing almost every week, you get in a mode that is very focused and determined. I'm always working to get stronger and better, I'm always looking to the future. Sure there are times I get tight and nervous, like every other player, but the greatest ones know how to handle those emotions and still play their best."
No Seeing Double for Bryans:
Bob Bryan will miss up to a month of the tennis calendar after hurting his left shoulder playing mixed doubles in Australia.
Fish out of Water:
Mardy Fish is still complaining of the thyroid infection that affected him at Melbourne Park so has pulled out of the upcoming tournament at San Jose. He hopes to return the following week at Memphis.
Coetzee/Schuettler Aim to Inspire Kids:
As the 2011 SA Open kicked off the No. 7 seeded German Rainer Schuettler joined Jeff Coetzee and wildcard Izak van der Merwe in hosting a tennis clinic for children from disadvantaged areas at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre in Jabavu, Soweto. "Development is the foundation stone on which we need to build the game of tennis in South Africa," SA Tennis Association CEO and SA Tennis Open Tournament Director Ian Smith said. "We are committed to development and firmly believe that out there somewhere is a breathtaking talent just waiting to be unearthed. These clinics not only promote tennis but create a level of enjoyment that hopefully will motivate these youngsters to continue playing the game."
Vigil for Mandela:
All South Africans competing at the SA Open joined tournament director Ian Smith for a candle-lit vigil in honour of ailing South African hero Nelson Mandela before the tournament began. Kevin Anderson, Rik de Voest and Jeff Coetzee led proceedings.
All Change in the Rankings Watch:
As mentioned above, the Sony Ericsson WTA World Rankings has seen drastic changes this week following the completion of the Australian Open. Kim Clijsters' victory at Melbourne Park makes her the new world No. 2 and leaves her only 140 points behind the No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki who remains Slam-less. Francesca Schiavone leaps to No. 4 in the world (a career high) while Na Li also finds herself a career high No. 7 in the world. Agnieszka Radwanska re-enters the Top 10 after her impressive run Down Under. The Italian Flavia Pennetta leaps from No. 25 to No. 16 and Petra Kvitova jumps 10 to No. 18. Andrea Petkovic enters the Top 25 at No. 24 and Iveta Benesova goes from No. 60 to No. 45. The biggest mover is South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers who takes a gargantuan leap from No. 107 to No. 80. In the South African Airwaves ATP World Rankings there are movers too. David Ferrer climbs to No. 6 on the back of his semifinals appearance but he is the only mover within the Top 10. The Swiss Stanlislas Wawrinka jumps five to No. 14 while surprise quarterfinalist Alex Dolgopolov jumps 14 to No. 32. Nikolay Davydenko's first-round exit sees him drop 10 to No. 35 in the world, a far cry from his No. 8 ranking of 2009. Spain's Tommy Robredo re-enters the Top 50 at No. 40 while new Lithuanian star Richard Berankis is up 22 to No. 73. Germany's Daniel Brands climbs 23 to No. 79 but the week's biggest climber is new Canadian prospect Milos Raonic who led the teenage charge by gaining 58 places to enter the Top 100 at No. 94.
R-Fed Surges Ahead in GOAT Race:
With Rafa Nadal limping out of the Aussie Open at the quarterfinal stage it opened up an opportunity to fly out ahead in the GOAT Race for Roger Federer. Yet he came up against an emphatic and resurgent Novak Djokovic at the semifinal stage and went down in straight sets. He therefore scores an extra 100 points to take open up a 200-point lead over his closest rival.
Roger: 330 Rafa: 130
Have Rod Laver be Part of Your Holiday Season
As the holiday season fast approaches, New Chapter Press recommends the newly-updated memoir of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver — "The Education of a Tennis Player" – as an ideal gift for tennis fans around the world.
Written with Hall of Fame journalist and historian Bud Collins, "The Education of a Tennis Player" is Laver's first-hand account of his famous 1969 Grand Slam season, capped off by his win over fellow Australian Tony Roche in the final of the U.S. Open. Laver also writes about his childhood and early days in tennis, his 1962 Grand Slam and offers tips on how players of all levels can improve their game. He also shares some of the strategies that helped him to unparalleled success on the tennis court.
Originally published in 1971, "The Education of a Tennis Player" ($19.95, www.NewChapterMedia.com) was updated by Laver and Collins with new content including his recovery from a near-fatal stroke in 1998 and helping Australia once again win the Davis Cup in 1973. The memoir features descriptions of Laver's most suspenseful matches and memorable portraits of his biggest rivals Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Tony Roche and Pancho Gonzalez.
"I am delighted that "The Education of a Tennis Player" is back in circulation and available for a new generation of tennis fans," said Laver of his newly updated memoir. "Winning the Grand Slam for a second time in 1969 seems just like yesterday and this book brings back a lot of memories of the great matches and exciting times. I hope people enjoy reading my story."
Laver captured 11 major singles titles during his career, including Wimbledon in 1961, 1962, 1968 and 1969. After joining Don Budge as the only man to win a Grand Slam by sweeping all four majors in 1962, Laver turned professional where he, along with fellow pros Hoad, Rosewall and Gonzalez, were banned from playing the "amateur-only" major tournaments. When the "Open Era" of tennis began in 1968, Laver netted another five major singles titles, including his Grand Slam sweep of all four in 1969. Laver won nearly 200 singles titles during his career and was inducted into the International Tennis of Fame in 1981.
Collins, himself a 1994 inductee in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, first met Laver in 1956 at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston during the U.S. National Doubles Championships. Thirteen years later, the two collaborated on the book that was only to be published if Laver won the Grand Slam. Collins is best known for his colorful television commentary – and his colorful wardrobe – as well as his columns in the Boston Globe.
"Rod Laver is one of the greatest treasures we have in tennis and "The Education of a Tennis Player" is one of our sports most important literary works," said Collins. "Rod was always so humble and gracious, but he could play tennis like a hurricane. He was as a great a champion as we have ever had in tennis and one of the all-time nicest guys."
New Chapter Press is also the publisher of the newly updated second edition of "The Bud Collins History of Tennis" by Bud Collins, "The Roger Federer Story: Quest for Perfection" by Rene Stauffer, "Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games" by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli, "Acing Depression" by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, "Tennis Made Easy" by Kelly Gunterman, "The Lennon Prophecy" by Joe Niezgoda, "Bone Appetit, Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog" by Susan Anson, "The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle" by Stewart Wolpin, "People's Choice Cancun – Travel Survey Guidebook" by Eric Rabinowitz and "Weekend Warriors: The Men of Professional Lacrosse" by Jack McDermott, among others. Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press is an independent publisher of books and part of the Independent Publishers Group. More information can be found at www.NewChapterMedia.com.
Will They Ever Win…Again?
A tennis player's career is defined by Grand Slam competition. Whether it's fair or not, even players who win tons of titles or attain the world number one ranking will go down in history beneath those who are talented or lucky enough to win one of the coveted Slam titles. This means that an entire year's worth of work usually boils down to just eight weeks of results.
All things considered, Ana Ivanovic and Dinara Safina have enjoyed similar careers. They're only two years apart in age. Both have achieved the world number 1 ranking. Both have competed in three Grand Slam finals. Recently, both women have shared a similar dive in the rankings. However, with all of these similarities, one huge difference defines the careers of these two women. They faced each other in the 2008 French Open final and Ana scored her first and only Grand Slam victory. Regardless of what turns her career took after Roland Garros '08, Ana Ivanovic will go down in the history books as a Grand Slam champion while Dinara Safina will be dragged out as a sad statistic for underachievers. Now, before I get a deluge of angry comments from both Ana and Dinara fans, I fully realize that both of these women are still young and active on the tour. It's certainly possible that one of them could score another Slam victory before they retire; however, as it stands, this is the situation.
Because Slams are so important for a player's career, it's only natural to speculate on which players will win and which will come up short. I've compiled a list of some of the most talked about cases and answered the all important question, 'will they ever win?' or 'will they ever win again?'
First up, let's look at some players who've come awfully close to taking home one of those coveted trophies, but in the end came up second best. Will they ever win?
Andy Murray
Will he win? Yes.
Frankly the whole Andy Murray argument is what spurred me to write this article. Murray's been as high as number 2 in the world and has been camped out in the top 4 for the better part of the last two years. He's made the finals at both the US Open and the Australian Open, falling easily to Roger Federer both times. Even after his defeat at this year's Aussie Open, journalists were asking "When will Andy Murray win a Slam?" Lately, journalists have been asking "Will Andy Murray win a Slam?" Those are two very different questions. Andy Murray certainly hasn't gotten worse in the past two years, in fact his fitness and conditioning has made him stronger than ever. Lately, he just doesn't seem to have 'it,' whatever illusive factor makes Federer and Nadal so incredible at Grand Slams. Murray's proved capable at beating both of them, just not on tennis' biggest stages. Well, I disagree with the commentators. Andy's only 23 and while he may have battle past Rafael Nadal for the entirety of his career, at some point Nadal will falter and Murray will win a major.
Robin Soderling
Will he win? Yes.
I wavered a lot of this one. Robin was a fairly unheard of commodity before the 2009 French Open, where he beat 4 time defending champion Rafael Nadal and made his first Grand Slam final. Everyone was convinced this was one of those one time dream runs, but then he did it again. French Open 2010 rolled around and for the second year he beat the defending champion, this time Roger Federer, before making his second consecutive French Open final. Since then, Soderling also made the quarter finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Robin's had the misfortune of meeting Roger Federer at almost every turn when it comes to Grand Slams. Frankly, only Andy Roddick has been less lucky in this respect. However, one day, Roger Federer isn't going to be on the other side of the net and Robin will get lucky. Probably.
Vera Zvonareva
Will she win? No.
Bepa's great and she's had an amazing breakout year, making two consecutive Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. Pre-Wimbledon, I wouldn't even have considered putting her name on this list, so she's definitely doing something right. However, no matter how well she played leading up to the final, it didn't seem to stop her from self destructing. Mentally, I'm just not sure that Bepa has the strength to make it through all seven matches en route to a Grand Slam title.
Caroline Wozniacki
Will she win? Yes.
Caroline's only 20 years old. She's already made one Grand Slam final and she's about to take over the world number 1 ranking, and while that certainly doesn't guarantee Caro will win a Grand Slam, her resume's pretty strong. She made the semifinals at this year's US Open as the number one seed and I was very impressed with her return game. Overtime, I think Caroline's game will continue to improve and best of all, she's got youth on her side. The eight year age gap with Serena Williams means that she'll have plenty of Slam opportunities with a Serena-less draw.
While one Slam is plenty impressive, when it comes to winning, more is better. So, will these former champions be able to add to their totals?
Novak Djokovic
Will he win again? Yes.
From the 2005 French Open to Wimbledon 2009 (18 Slams,) Novak Djokovic was the only man aside from Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to win a Grand Slam title. He played an incredible match against Roger Federer at this year's US Open and took Nadal to four sets in the final. At 23, he's got plenty more opportunities to win. Let's just hope that one of the Slams is unseasonably cool.
Roger Federer
Will he win again? Yes.
This is probably the biggest debate in tennis right now. Roger Federer is 29. His amazing semifinal streak ended at this year's French Open and he only won two titles so far this year, although one of them was the Australian Open. Well, Fed's doubters are fools. Even if he only plays for another 2 years (he definitely wants to compete in the 2012 Olympics,) that's 8 more chances at a 17th Grand Slam title. He's won 16 on the last 30 Grand Slams. Do you really want to bet against him?
Andy Roddick
Will he win again? No.
It kills me to write this. I still tear up watching footage of the 2009 Wimbledon final. Just kidding, kind of. However, I've come to the realization that, at 28, it's likely that Roddick will never win that illusive second major title. Last year, I would've given him a chance, but I think Wimbledon was the straw that broke the camel's back. That was potentially the best match Andy ever played and the defeat was clearly and understandably crushing. Andy has been unlucky enough to play the most matches against Roger Federer of any guy on tour with a lopsided head to head of 2 to 19, including four major finals, all won by Federer. When he finally decides to call it a day, I think Roddick will still be known as a one Slam winner, the 2003 US Open champion. Here's hoping I'm wrong.
Maria Sharapova
Will she win again? No.
I started tossing around ideas for this article a week ago and I originally had Maria down as a yes. She's three time major champion and just 23 years old, even though it seems like she's been around forever. At that age, with that resume, it's hard to believe that she won't win again. I really thought that this year's US Open was her chance. Her serve looked slightly more consistent and she had a pretty good draw. But then she lost to Caroline Wozniacki. I was still optimistic. However, Masha crashed out of Tokyo to Kimiko Date Krumm, who's 40, yes 40. Since then, Maria's decided to end her 2010 season. I'm just not sure that physically or mentally she's ever going to get back to her old form. Maria's titles came at Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006, and the Australian Open in 2008. By virtue of the pattern, she really should have won this year's French Open. I'm kidding, but that would've been awesome.
Venus Williams
Will she win again? No.
This one should be fairly obvious. She's 30 and she has knee problems. She'll wow us with crazy outfits for another couple years and eventually call it quits.
I'm sure you've realized I've left some pretty famous names off the list. There's no question in my mind that Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal will both win more majors, so I didn't even bother including them. Did I miss out on your favorite? Feel free to let me know who you think will win, or who won't. Comment below, or tweet me @achangeofends.
The ATP's Aging, Like a Fine Wine
Tennis has been and always will be a sport for the young. Not only is the sport physically grueling, but 12-15 years of bouncing around from hotel room to hotel room can really take a toll on a player. Doubles players can usually eek out a few extra years, but it's still extremely rare to see any player pushing 35, no less 40. However, lately I've noticed that players seem to be getting older. I know, this is not a strange phenomenon. We all get older, but for tennis, there's a twist. Not only are the players getting older, but they also seem to be getting better or at least playing well for longer.
I spent some time pouring over ATP ranking stats this week and came up with some interesting results. Let's assume the average tennis player turns pro at 18 and plays until 30. While 25 may seem young to the rest of us, a tennis player has officially entered the second half of their career. Let's look at the numbers. First off, this week's Top 20 includes 15 players who are 25 and older, 75%. This same week 20 years ago, the Top 20 included just six players 25+, only 30%. This could easily be a coincidence, right? My thoughts exactly. So, I looked at the same week of rankings every five years from 1990 to the present. The answer was pretty striking. The current average age of Top 20 players is 26.1 and there's not a single teenager in the bunch. In 2005 and 2000, the average age was 24.9, 24.1 in 1995, and just 22.35 in 1990, including three teenagers. You may say there's not that much difference between these numbers. However, this means that in the last 20 years, the best players, on average, have gotten four years older, approximately on third of a player's career.
Ok, so I'm done boring you with the numbers, but I wanted more than just anecdotal evidence to back up my claim. Now I can jump into the fun part. Let's look at some specific cases.
Roger Federer (ranked No. 3, age 29): I don't care what you're stance is on the Federer debate. If you want my personal opinion, he's the GOAT and he'll take another major or two. Even if you disagree with me, you have to admit that he's still a contender in any tournament he plays. While he may be entering the twilight years of his career, he's still ranked No. 3 in the world and he's the oldest player in the Top 10. He was the second to qualify for the year-end finals in London and won the only Grand Slam this year not won by a man named Rafael Nadal. He may not be getting better, because let's face it, it's hard to beat perfection, but even on the decline, Federer provides a pretty convincing case for players continuing to play well, even when their pushing 30.
Mikhail Youzhny (ranked No. 9, age 28): Youzhny's bounced in and out of the Top 10 for several years now, but the 28-year-old landed the No. 9 spot after equaling his career-best performance by making the semifinals at this year's US Open. Youzhny had only made the semifinals of a major once before in his career, at age 24. This year, he had the misfortune of meeting Rafael Nadal in the semis, but Mikhail proved he still has the skills to win tough matches.
Jurgen Melzer (ranked No. 13, age 29): Honestly, I think Jurgen is one of the best cases to prove my point. At 29, he achieved a career-high ranking of 13 after this year's US Open. Prior to 2010, Melzer had never made it past the third round of any Grand Slam tournament. This year he made the semifinals of the French Open and the fourth round at both Wimbledon and the US Open. He also won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon. Overall, Jurgen's been playing some of his best tennis, at an age where most players are starting to consider retirement.
Ivan Ljubicic (ranked No. 17, age 31): Ivan may not have reached a career-high ranking this year, but he did become the oldest man to win his first Masters 1000 event. In March 2010, Ljubicic won Indian Wells, one of the premier ATP events outside of the Grand Slams. This alone is not the impressive story. To win Indian Wells, Ljubicic took down Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, beat defending champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, and defeated Andy Roddick to take home the trophy. I don't care if the guy's faded back into obscurity. That result will remain pretty damn impressive for a very long time.
Mardy Fish (ranked No. 19, age 28): I think we've all read this story a hundred times by now. Fish is in the best shape of his life and arguably playing his best tennis. He's just two spots away from equaling his career high ranking, which I think he'll have by the end of the year. Fish won two tournaments back to back this summer in Newport and Atlanta and he also made the finals at the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, nearly scoring a win over Roger Federer. Also to be noted, as late as July, Fish was ranked No. 79 in the world…and now he's 19. It's amazing for any player to jump 60 spots in just three months, but almost unheard of for a 28-year-old.
Michael Llodra (ranked No. 28, age 30): Ok, so I'm leaving my Top 20 bubble, but I couldn't create this list without including Mika. He's got a throwback serve-and-volley game that I just can't get enough of and the personality to match. Llodra won two titles this year in Marseille and Eastbourne and is currently at a career-high ranking, seemingly still on the rise. Until recently, Llodra was known mainly as a doubles specialist, having won two men's doubles titles at the Australian Open and one at Wimbledon. Llodra has successfully reinvented himself as a great singles player and doubles player. In this year's Davis Cup semifinals, Llodra clinched both the first singles match and the tie-winning doubles match against Argentina to secure France a spot in the Davis Cup finals this December.
Alright, so I've given you my best info on men in the ATP, but I would be wrong not to mention that this effect seems to be occurring in the WTA as well. Just this week, Kimiko Date Krumm turned 40 and beat Maria Sharapova. In June, Francesca Schiavone won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open at the age of 29. Serena Williams may have been taken down by a beer bottle after Wimbledon, but at 28 she still managed to win two majors this year and is just as fearsome as ever.
I could go on and on, but let's just say that age isn't the restriction it used to be when it comes to tennis. However, on a side-note, Thomas Muster should really pack it in. I'm all for older guys sticking it out (I'm talking to you Marat Safin, why would you leave us at 29? I could've watched you for many years to come), but it's just embarrassing for a former No. 1 to be losing in the first round of challenger events at 42.
Confessions of Tennis Players: The WTA Interviews Players About Life on the Tour
Ever saw how uncannily accurate some players serve? We all saw the Roger Federer video and like he says a magician never reveals his tricks (right back at ya!). I got a video of Agnieszka Radwanska who is doing a little target practice who deserves equally as much credit for being so incredibly accurate.
The WTA Tour's video collection doesn't stop there. Next video we have is an interview of Flavia Pennetta with a colorful description that matches her personality:
One of the most stylish players on the Tour, Flavia Pennetta, lives a glamorous life traveling the world. Or does she? We caught up with one of the brightest stars of women's tennis to find out what life is like for Flavia off court. We found out how she relaxes, who she hangs out with, and most important of all: where she likes to go shopping.
Jarmila Groth is an emerging player who recently switched nationality from Slovakian to Australian. And that switch is what the next video is all about .
Jarka Groth – winner of the Landsky Lighting Guangzhou International Women's Open – became an Australian citizen at the end of 2009. But how much does she really know about Australia? We thought we'd test her knowledge in our Unofficial Australian Citizenship Test. How do you think she did?
And yes do let us know how you think she did. I am always interested in people's opinions so don't hold back.
Next up is Akgul Amanmuradova.
Akgul Amanmuradova is a talented athlete. The Uzbek star is currently enjoying one of her best seasons on the WTA Tour to date, but it could have been very different. Because Akgul is also a talented basketball player, as we found out.
Not only is she a talented tennis player but she is 1.90 meters tall or as you Americans say 6 ft 3 inch. She can always try out for the WNBA if tennis doesn't work out.
Another player who seems to have a second calling in this lifetime is none other than US Open 2010 winner Kim Clijsters. She took time out from US Open training and did one of the most honorable things in sports; Throw the first pitch in a baseball game.
What made Kim Clijsters take time out of training for the US Open to throw out the first pitch at the Mets Game? Was she nervous? Did she practice beforehand? Watch as WTA takes you behind the scenes at Citi Field Stadium.
Now for something different. Yesterday I wrote an article about Anna Kournikova being the poster girl for goodlooking Eastern European girls I have received not only five comments but also an incredibly insightful one.
Well apparently my mental health is just isn't what it used to be. Neither are my eyes. But I did check out the other countries having been to all the countries, except Venezuela, you mention. And how can I forget Brazil when my ex fiancee hails from Brazil.
Very interesting comments you have there but in my article I did not exclude any of the other countries you mention. I never said that that Brazil, Venezuela, Spain and Mexico did not have goodlooking women. I merely pointed out that the Eastern European women on the tennis tour are incredibly goodlooking. That is all.
And just to once again confirm the myth; Here is another video of the FHM shoot with Victoria Azarenka and Anna Chakvetadze.
And to bug you even more with Anna Kournikova I have added an extra bonus in the form of a gallery of Anna Kournikova and Martina Hingis playing an exhibition match at the US Open 2010.
[nggallery id=83]
Please take a vote in our poll on the hottest Eastern European tennis player.
[polldaddy poll=3807026]
Arthur Ashe: A Remembrance of Things Past
The largest tennis stadium in the world is named after him. The last major of the year is decided on his surface. Nothing could be more appropriate than to commend the efforts of a man, who not only changed the game, but changed the way we see things. One book does it better than the rest.
Mr. Ashe was low key, mild mannered, a shy man you could say, but his game and presence stood tall, brash, and personified individualism like none other. In Mike Towle's book, I Remember Arthur Ashe: Memories of a True Tennis Pioneer and Champion of Social Causes by the People Who Knew Him by Cumberland House, we get a candid glance into the life of someone who hardly showed any emotions on the court, carried himself with the utmost class and dignity, and seemed impervious to the spotlight. Unlike most biographies, which typically consist of a laborious bulk of exposition and pastoral beginnings, Towle's book is a narrative not of his own, but of the people that knew Arthur Ashe well, and some not so well, but relay an experience they had encountering the great tennis legend revealing a more human side of Ashe, one that has never been unveiled before.
The structure of the book is linear following Ashe's career from its auspicious beginnings to the tragic end of losing a bout with AIDS, all told through personal friends and colleagues alike, and even at times the very subject himself. My favorite passage from the book, one that I think reveals his human side the most, is when Ashe recalls a match he had against tennis great John Newcombe in Sydney where he lost due to some good old fashioned day dreaming. 'I remember I won the first set,' Ashe recalls, 'Then all of a sudden I started thinking about this stewardess, Bella, I had met. She was Miss Trinidad of 1962. I just kept seeing her – this gorgeous face, this beautiful creature – and the next thing I know the match is over and Newcombe won.'
This book is more than a book about a tennis player. It's a book about being human, and few stories mirror Arthur Ashe's journey. Here's to you Arthur, and to you too Mr. Towle for a great idea.
Breast-Reduction Surgery Gains Simona Halep New Followers
The best match so far today at the US Open is the one between Simona Halep and Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic barely won and survived a major scare in the first round of the final major of the year versus the 18 year old Romanian.
I recalled hearing the name Simona Halep before. I just couldn't figure out where I got that name from. So I asked my big friend Google and I remembered fairly quicky who Simona was: Simona is the girl who had breast-reduction surgery a few months back.
In an interview with Belgian newspaper "De Pers" she told that she felt better after the surgery and that she didn't care what others thought of it.
Halep also didn't care much about the fact that her breasts often drew more attention than her qualities as a tennis player. She complained that breasts would often get in the way of her game, were the cause of a serious backache and made it hard for her to serve. She would have also performed surgery even if she wasn't a tennis player.
Halep may have disappointed her fans by reducing her breastsize but gained a new bunch of followers who like her for her tennis qualities.
Check the photos of Simona Halep before and after the breast-reduction surgery:
Before the surgery:
After the surgery:
Federer Defeats Djokovic to Advance to Rogers Cup Final
While it wasn't quite as dramatic as his match last night against Tomas Berdych, Roger Federer still required three sets to narrowly dispose of Novak Djokovic tonight at the Rogers Cup. Federer defeated Djokovic 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 to advance to the finals where he will meet defending champion Andy Murray.
To say that one player is more deserving of another is perhaps not a fair statement – but in this case Federer was clearly the more consistent player despite the close margin on the scoreboard.
The first set was an embarrassment for Djokovic as he barely looked like a top-hundred player, let alone top five. He kept spraying his forehand long and his backhand into the net while Federer looked like his vintage self. His errors were not just a little off the mark, as his shots were hitting the bottom of the net and about one to two feet long at the baseline. The tennis player inside of me cringed multiple times watching him fumble around the court.
Roger won the first set in a mere 25 minutes, causing one fan to yell out, "That's the Roger we know!" It certainly does seem like he is starting to round into form.
At the start of the second set the crowd broke into a cheer for the defeated Rafael Nadal who was standing courtside. Other than that outburst it had been fairly quiet on Centre Court with the throng of Serbian fans silenced as their star player slept-walked through the match to that point.
Federer continued to control the match by breaking in the opening game of the set. Djokovic at this stage was even shrugging his shoulders after winning a point. At this stage I could not comprehend how this guy ever hoped to seriously compete for another Grand Slam to add to the one he holds from 2008. There was no evidence of a killer instinct at all from Djokovic.
Things began to change when Djokovic barely held his second service game of the set to avoid going down by two breaks. He chuckled as he walked back to his chair and emerged playing a much different type of tennis. He broke Federer to tie things up at 2-2 and the rallies between the two resembled what you would expect from two high-level players such as these.
The crowd livened up and the chants of "Go Roger" and "Go Nole" became indistinguishable as the fans were clearly divided in their allegiances. Part of me felt sorry that Tomas Berdych could not enjoy any such support last night.
After a 15 minute game that contained 8 deuces, Djokovic would hold for 4-3. As has been so often the case here in Toronto this week, the player who was almost broken then broke his opponents serve and suddenly Novak was up 5-3. He would hold his serve in the next game and even things up at one set apiece.
I said hello to tournament Media and Communications Head Mike Cvitkovic just prior to the start of the third set and asked him his thoughts on the match, to which he replied, "Roger Federer is going to cost me my marriage!" It was certainly starting to look like another long, dramatic evening match at the Rexall Centre.
Instead of falling behind 1-4 tonight in the third, Federer raced out to a 4-1 lead. Later while serving at 4-2, Roger double faulted for 40-A and then a poor drop shot attempt allowed Djokovic to put it away and break serve to get back into the match.
At 5-5 Federer would flirt with disaster by falling behind 15-40 on his serve. Fortunately he could count on Djokovic to continue with his somewhat puzzling inconsistencies and got the game to deuce. A point later at Djokovic's advantage and the Serb netted a return of serve to negate his third break opportunity. Federer let out an exuberant scream of, "Come on" while Djokovic busted up his racquet for – surprisingly – the first time all night.
At this point I've got no idea whatsoever of what will happen next. Isn't that the beauty of tennis?
The pressure got to Djokovic as he served a 5-6 and after another deuce, two bad backhand errors handed Federer the victory.
When the two player shook hands after the final point, Djokovic appeared to take an extra moment with Roger and share a laugh. Federer was asked in his post-match press conference about these comments and revealed that Djokovic told him that he should have won the match earlier and therefore deserved the victory.Federer had the press room laughing as he followed that up by saying, "I was like, yeah, I kind of agreed!"
Despite the tense nature of his past two wins, Federer is on the cusp of his first tournament title since the Aussie Open in January. One immediate benefit to winning today is the fact that he will leap-frog Djokovic in the rankings and return to a somewhat more familiar position of number two in the world.
The forecast calls for rain and thundershowers on Sunday, but all things being equal we will have the Federer-Murray final beginning at 1:30pm ET.
Murray leads their head-to-head 6-5 although Federer has won all the big-money matches that occurred in tournament finals. Two of those victories were Grand Slam finals when the outcome mattered the most.
Federer revealed the respect he has for his next opponent by stating that Murray was, "…very good at a very young age. I knew that the very first time I played him in Bangkok in the final that he was one who was going to fight for the world No. 1 and for Grand Slam titles."
Regardless of the outcome, this is the best tennis that both players have shown us in quite some time. In fact the pinnacle of 2010 for Murray and Federer came back at the Australian Open when they met in the final. Both are working hard towards coming full-circle with a potentially strong bookmark ending at Flushing Meadows in two weeks time.
The LA Open Preview
The Farmers Classic LA Open starts Monday July 26, one of the many US Open Series hard court tournaments lined up, touted as a 'tune up' event, one of many, preceding the Big Show at the end of the month in New York. Yours truly, the ubiquitous hooligan/tennis junkie/prominent writer for the ages (I'll let you decide which one of those is not a cold hard fact) will be in attendance giving you the low down on every quirk, forehand, sigh, up the T ace, blistering hallway gossip, who's who and who's what, who's doing this and who's doing that, and a whole lot more…
The tournament boasts some hot talent attending with a couple of top ten players and a few rising to the occasion. British upstart Andy Murray, the no. 1 seed, and hungry as ever, will be playing the long standing event for the first time. Murray reached two slam finals losing both times to Roger Federer and seems ready to hoist a trophy on Super Sunday. Entering the LA Open confirms his will and desire to be at utmost preparedom for the pressure of getting there. But we all know getting there is only half the feat. Murray may face a tough first round opener if Russian Schizo Teymuraz Gabashvili wins his first match. The Russian may look like a typical plebian tennis player, making his way through some lower tier events into the second week, but lately has put together a potent all around game with gusto showing good runs at recent Grand Slams. Joining Murray in the top half of the draw is Ernest Gulbis, the eccentric Latvian, who looks like a grassy knoll hippie at times, but has put together an impressive resume of victims including Roger Federer this past clay court season in Rome.
The American contigent will be represented well with Sam Querry who has won the event prior, posing as the second seed, and Mardy Fish, who looks more like a top ten player lately than even Andy Roddick, who handed Roddick a straight sets defeat this past week in Alanta in the semis. James Blake enters as an all time low 14 seed who may be able to muster some momentum, but being placed on Murray's side of the draw, less than likely. Some other notables include the most inconsistent tennis player in history, much to the chagrin of myself and others, Marcos Baghdatis, who has garnererd great results in the past on hard courts; Mr. Beautiful: Feliciano Lopez, and Argentinian high flyer Horacio Zeballos, who has been gaining some momentum as being the next big thing out of that land of tennis gold, which has produced the likes of the ever under achieving David Nalbandian, and 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro, who is still ailing from a wrist injury. Stay tuned everybody for it may be a rockstar gala event as only LA can conjure, and with yours truly carousing the aisles in the thick of it all, stands not to dissapoint.


text:
Exports as a strategy
Exporting should be part of your business plan and it isn't for most companies. Last week I found out
the full story on international trade from the Undersecretary of International
Trade for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Francisco Sanchez.
One of the crown jewels of Southeast Floridas economy, Port
Everglades, is positioning for expansion in exports with the addition of the U.S. Commercial Services Export Assistance Center
and Sanchez was in town to cut the ribbon with other notables.
South Florida ranks seventh in the United States for exports
at $58 billion, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Yet only one percent of U.S. companies actively
export goods or services, and of that number 58 percent export to only one
About ten years ago Richard Ticktin, president and CEO of Synergy Labs, a Fort Lauderdale animal
health product manufacturer, was exhibiting at a domestic trade show when he
was approached by several foreign companies wanting to do business with
him. Now, exports represent over 25 percent
of his annual sales.
We have the advantage of Made in America on our label which
allows us to add a premium to our products, Ticktin said. My advice to Chamber members is to contact
the US Commercial Services Export Assistance
Center for fantastic free information and help.
Through the Center you can receive customized market and
industry briefings along with timely and relevant market research. The Center will even help with appointments
with prospective trade partners in key industry sectors.
In an effort to increase international trade and jobs, we
will be partnering with our strategic alliances to double exports over the next
five years.
But attracting more American exports is only part of the
equation. We also must continue to
reduce trade barriers by enacting more free trade agreements. We have patiently requested adoption of these
agreements for many years. According to Undersecretary
Sanchez, we are moving forward with an agreement in Colombia.
You currently may not be in a position to export, however, including
exports in future expansion plans makes sense.
View Archive
2017 copyright by Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. Website by Accrisoft

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Transworld Travel Services Sdn. Bhd.
Website: www.twtmiri.com/portal
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Taiwan is a small island nation 180km east of China with modern cities, traditional Chinese temples, hot springs resorts and dramatic mountainous terrain. Taipei, the country's capital in the north, is known for its busy night markets, Chinese Imperial art at the National Palace Museum and Taipei 101, a 509m-tall, bamboo-shaped skyscraper with an observation deck.
Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is a modern metropolis with Japanese colonial lanes, busy shopping streets and contemporary buildings. The skyline is crowned by the 509m-tall, bamboo-shaped Taipei 101 skyscraper, with upscale shops at the base and a rapid elevator to an observatory near the top. Taipei is also known for its lively street-food scene and many night markets, including expansive Shilin market.
National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum is located in Shilin, Taipei, Taiwan. It has a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest of its type in the world.
Longshan Temple of Manka
Lungshan Temple of Manka is a temple in Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan. The temple was built in Taipei in 1738 by settlers from Fujian during Qing rule. It served as a place of worship and a gathering place for the Chinese settlers. Built for Guan Yu.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a national monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan.
Taipei 101
|Taipei 101 – stylized as TAIPEI 101 and formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center – is a landmark supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan.
|Yangmingshan National Park is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan, located between Taipei and New Taipei City.
|Ximending is a neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. It was the first pedestrian zone in Taiwan.
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
|The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is a memorial to the Republic of China's National Father, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and was completed on 1972.
Shilin Night Market
|Shilin Night Market is a night market in the Shilin District of Taipei, Taiwan, and is often considered to be the largest and most famous night market in the city.
Daan Forest Park
|Daan Forest Park or Da'an Park is a public park located near the centre of the Da'an District of Taipei, Taiwan.
Hsing Tian Kong
|Hsing Tian Kong is a popular temple in Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. This temple is devoted to Guan Yu, the patron god of businessmen, and is relatively recent in origin. This temple is situated on a street corner near the center of the city.
Songshan Cultural Cultural and Creative Park
|The Songshan Cultural and Creative Park is a multifunctional park in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan.
Huashan 1914 Creative Park
|The Huashan 1914 Creative Park is a multi-purpose park in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan.
Taipei Railway Station
Taipei Station, also called Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station, refers to the old downtown region in Taipei, Taiwan, where different modes of public transport systems converge; the station is at the center of this region.
Dihua Street
|Dihua Street is a street located in the Dadaocheng area of Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan winding from the south of the district to close to the north in the old village of Dalongdong.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum
|The Taipei Fine Arts Museum is a museum in Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is in the Taipei Expo Park. The museum first opened on August 8, 1983, at the former site of the United States Taiwan Defense Command.
Taipei Children's Amusement Park
|The Taipei Children's Amusement Park is a theme park in Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan.
Miniatures Museum of Taiwan
|The Miniatures Museum of Taiwan is the first museum to collect miniatures in Asia. The museum was founded on March 28, 1997 by Mr Lin Wen-ren and his wife. It is located in Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.
Shung Ye Museum
|The Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines is a museum located just 200 metres diagonally across from the National Palace Museum in Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan.
National Taiwan Museum
|The National Taiwan Museum, established in 1908, is the oldest museum in Taiwan. It was founded by the colonial government during Taiwan's period of Japanese rule. The museum is located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei.
Taipei Zoo
|The Taipei Zoo, sometimes referred to as the "Muzha Zoo", is a public zoological garden in Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is the most famous zoological garden in Taiwan and a leader in conservation, research and education, and recreation.
National Museum of History
|The National Museum of History is located in the Nanhai Academy in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan and exhibits Taiwanese historical items.
Miramar Entertainment Park
|The Miramar Entertainment Park is a shopping mall in the Dazhi area in Zhongshan District of Taipei, Taiwan. The department store also contains an IMAX theatre.
Chunghwa Postal Museum
|The Postal Museum is a museum located on Nanhai Street in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The museum encompasses four floors and covers the history of Chunghwa Post, the modern postal service, philately, and special exhibitions.
Republic of China Armed Forces Museum
|The Republic of China Armed Forces Museum is a museum located on Guiyang Street Zhongzheng District, Taipei in the Republic of China.
Chinese Culture and Movie
|The Chinese Culture and Movie Center is a former movie studio and tourist attraction located in the Shilin District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is owned by the Republic of China Central Motion Pictures Company.
Museum of Drinking Water
|The Museum of Drinking Water is a museum about drinking water in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The museum is located at Taipei Water Park.
Museum of Anthropology
|The Museum of Anthropology is a museum in Da'an District, Taipei, Taiwan. The museum is located at National Taiwan University.
Tianmu Baseball Stadium
|The Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Tianmu Sport Park in Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan. It was built in 1999, and mostly hosts baseball games.
Kaohsiung is a massive port city in southern Taiwan. It's home to many skyscrapers, such as the 248m-tall Tuntex Sky Tower, and is known for its diversity of parks. Its focal point is the Love River, with walking paths and cafes along its banks, and cruise boats navigating its waters. Shopping options range from high-end malls to the Liuhe and Ruifeng night markets.
Love River
|The Love River or Ai River or DPP river is a river in southern Taiwan. It originates in Renwu District, Kaohsiung City, and flows 12 kilometers through Kaohsiung to Kaohsiung Harbor.
Liuhe Night Market
|The Liuhe Night Market is a tourist night market in Sinsing District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is one of the most popular markets in Taiwan where seafood, handicrafts, clothing, knives, cameras and live animals are sold.
Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
|The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas is a temple located at Lotus Lake in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. The temple was built in 1976. One of the towers is the Tiger Tower, the other one being the Dragon tower.
Cijin - Gushan Ferry
|The Cijin–Gushan ferry connects the Cijin and Gushan Districts of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is popular with tourists visiting the attractions of Cijin Island.
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum
|The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, previously known as the Buddha Memorial Center, is a Mahayana Buddhist cultural, religious and educational museum located in Taiwan's Kaohsiung City, Dashu District.
Tuntex Sky Tower
|Tuntex Sky Tower, or the T & C Tower or 85 Sky Tower, is an 82-story skyscraper located in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The structure is 347.5 m high. An antenna increases the building height to 378 m.
Dream Mall
|Dream Mall, located in Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, is the largest shopping mall in Taiwan and the largest in East Asia.
Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
|The Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts is located in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It was founded by the Kaohsiung City Government and has been administrated by the Kaohsiung Bureau of Cultural Affairs since 2003.
Spring and Autumn Pavilions
|The Spring and Autumn Pavilions are a Taoist temple complex located on Lotus Lake in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Like the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, the temple is special and unique.
National Science and Technology Museum
|The National Science and Technology Museum is a museum of applied science and technology in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Shou Shan Zoo
|Shou Shan Zoo is a zoo in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is located on the northern border of Shoushan Park in Gushan District and houses animals from Asia, Africa, Americas and Australia, such as lions, tigers, elephants, black bears and kangaroos.
Kaohsiung Museum of History
|Kaohsiung Museum of History is a museum located in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is administered by the Kaohsiung City Government.
Kenting National Park
|Kenting National Park occupies the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of the island of Taiwan. It's known for its white-sand beaches, caves, coral reefs & northern mountains. The park's main resort, Kenting Town, is home to restaurants, street-food stalls, bars and nightlife. The Frog Rock outcrop and the jagged, 318m Dajianshan peak overlook the resort.
Cihou Fort
|Cihou Fort or Cihou Battery is a historic fort in Cijin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, formerly guarding northern entrance to Kaohsiung Harbor.
Central Park
|Central Park is a park in Cianjin District at the heart of the city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The park is an oasis of greenery in the midst of a heavily built-up urban area.
Chengcing Lake
|Chengcing Lake, also known as the Cheng Ching Lake, Dabei Lake, or Toapi Lake in Taiwanese, is an artificial lake located in Niaosong, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The lake is not far from downtown Kaohsiung and the major suburban district of Fengshan.
Lotus Pond
|Lotus Pond is a man-made lake and popular tourist destination on the east side of Zuoying District in Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan.
Taichung is an industrial city on the western side of central Taiwan. It's a gateway for exploring the island's mountainous interior, including nature areas like Sun Moon Lake, popular for boating and hiking. In the bustling city center are museums, temples and the ornate brick Taichung Station, a legacy of the Japanese colonial period (1895–1945).
Feng Chia Night Market
|Fengjia Night Market, also called Fengjia Shopping Town, is a night market in Xitun District, Taichung, Taiwan. The market is located next to Feng Chia University. It was claimed to be the largest night market in Taiwan.
National Museum of Natural Science
|The National Museum of Natural Science is a national museum in North District, Taichung, Taiwan.
921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan
|The 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan is a national museum in Wufeng District, Taichung, Taiwan. The museum is dedicated to the 7.3 earthquake that struck the center of Taiwan at 01:47:12.6 TST on Tuesday, 21 September 1999.
Lihpao Island
|Lihpao Land is a theme park located in Houli District, Taichung, Taiwan. It currently has two roller coasters, including Gravity Max, the world's first coaster to feature a true 90-degree drop and the world's only tilt coaster.
Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden
|Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden is the general name for the former residence and grounds of the Wufeng Lin family at its ancestral home in Wufeng District, Taichung, Taiwan.
Luce Memorial Chapel
|The Luce Memorial Chapel is a Christian chapel on the campus of Tunghai University in Xitun District, Taichung, Taiwan.
|Dakeng is the area that contains most of the mountain region of Beitun District, Taichung, Taiwan. Within these mountains is the Guguan Hot Spring, a famous recreational spot.
Taroko National Park
|Taroko National Park is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan and was named after the Taroko Gorge, the landmark gorge of the park carved by the Liwu River. The park spans Taichung Municipality, Nantou County, and Hualien County.
Shei-Pa National Park
|Shei-Pa National Park is a national park located in the central part of Taiwan around the peaks of Hsuehshan and Dabajian Mountain, with an area of 768.5 km², covering the area of Hsinchu County, Miaoli County and Taichung City
Fulfillment Amphitheater
|The Fulfillment Amphitheater is a large-scale outdoor Amphitheatre in Wen-Hsin Forest Park on Wenxin Road, Nantun District, Taichung, Taiwan. Every year, Taichung City Government holds "MidTaiwan Lantern Festival" here.
|Xueshan or Hsuehshan a mountain in Heping District, Taichung, Taiwan. It is the second highest mountain in Taiwan and in East Asia, at 3,886 m above sea level.
Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
|Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium is a stadium in Beitun District, Taichung, Taiwan. The stadium officially opened on November 9, 2006 replacing the antiquated Taichung Baseball Field.
Maple Garden
Tainan, a city on Taiwan's southwest coast, was the island's capital from 1683–1887 under the Qing dynasty. Today it's known for its centuries-old fortresses and temples. One of its most famous sites is Chihkan Tower, an 18th-century Chinese complex with gardens, intricately carved towers and a temple erected on the foundations of Fort Provintia, a Dutch outpost dating to the mid-1600s.
Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)
|Fort Provintia or Providentia was a Dutch outpost on Formosa at a site now located in the West Central District of Tainan in Taiwan. It was built in 1653 during the Dutch colonization of Taiwan.
Fort Zeelandia
|Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built over ten years from 1624 to 1634 by the Dutch East India Company, in the town of Anping on the island of Formosa, during their 38-year rule over the western part of that island.
Guanziling Hot Spring
|Guanziling in Tainan is one of the most famous hot spring sites in Taiwan. This rare spring releases methane, which has been burning constantly for around three centuries.
National Museum of Taiwan Literature
|The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is a museum located in Tainan, Taiwan. It opened in 2003. The museum researches, catalogs, preserves, and exhibits literary artifacts.
Chimei Museum
|The Chimei Museum is a private museum established in 1992 by the Chi Mei Corporation in Rende District, Tainan, Taiwan.
National Museum of Taiwan History
|The National Museum of Taiwan History is a museum in Annan District, Tainan, Taiwan, covering the history of the island nation of Taiwan and its associated islands.
Taijiang National Park
|Taijiang National Park, located in the southwest coast of Taiwan, is a national park of Taiwan. Taijiang National Park was established in 2009. The majority of the park is within the city of Tainan.
Taiwan Confucian temple
|The Taiwan Confucian Temple, also called Tainan Confucian Temple or Quan Tai Shou Xue is a Confucian temple on Nanmen Road in Tainan, Taiwan.
Tainan Flower Night Market
|The Tainan Flower Night Market is a tourism night market in North District, Tainan, Taiwan. It is often considered to be the largest and most famous night market in the city. It is said "South is Flower, Middle is Fengjia, North is Shihlin".
Great South Gate
|The Great South Gate is a historical gate in West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan.
Koxinga Ancestral Shrine
|Koxinga Ancestral Shrine is a family shrine built in West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan in 1663 by Zheng Jing, to worship his father Koxinga.
Other places to visit in Taiwan.
Sun Moon Lake
|Sun Moon Lake is the largest body of water in Taiwan as well as a tourist attraction. Located in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, the area around the Sun Moon Lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of aboriginal tribes of Taiwan.
|The Alishan National Scenic Area is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Chiayi County in Taiwan. It is 415 km² in area.
|Hehuanshan is a 3,416-metre-high mountain in Central Taiwan. The peak lies on the boundaries of Nantou and Hualien counties and is within the Taroko Gorge National Park. Hehuanshan is a popular destination for the local people of central Taiwan.
Qingshui Cliff
|Qingshui Cliff is a 21 kilometer length of coastal cliffs averaging 800 meters above sea level in Xiulin Township, Hualien County, Taiwan. The tallest peak, Qingshui Mountain, rises 2408 meters directly from the Pacific Ocean.
Fulong Beach
|Fulong Beach, also known as Fulong Bathing Beach, is located at Fulong Village, Gongliao District, New Taipei City at Northeastern Taiwan. It is the outlet of the Shuang River. The sands there are golden, which is rare in Taiwan.
Farglory Ocean Park
|The Farglory Ocean Park or Hualien Ocean Park is a water theme park in Shoufeng Township, Hualien, Taiwan.
Leofoo Village Theme Park
|The Leofoo Village Theme Park is a theme park and a safari located in Guanxi Township, Hsinchu County, Taiwan.
Janfusun Fancyworld
|Janfusun Fancyworld is an amusement park in Gukeng Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan. The park features Sky Wheel, which is Taiwan's tallest Ferris wheel.
Shishmen Dam
|Shihmen Dam is a major rock fill dam across the Dahan River in northern Taoyuan City. It forms the Shihmen Reservoir, Taiwan's third largest reservoir or artificial lake.
Guishan Island
|Guishan Island or Steep Island or Turtle Island, also known as Kueishan Island, is an island in the Pacific Ocean currently administered under Toucheng Township, Yilan County, Taiwan and located 9.1 km east of port of Gengfang Fishery Harbor.
|Sanxiantai is an area containing a beach and several islands located on the coast of Chenggong Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. The beach stretches for ten kilometers in length. It is situated at the 112-kilometer mark.
Cape Eluanbi
|The Cape Eluanbi is a cape in Hengchun Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan.
Chaotian Temple
|The Chaotian Temple is a temple in Beigang Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan. The temple is dedicated to the deity Mazu, the goddess of the sea.
South Bay
|The South Bay, also called Nanwan or Blue Bay is a beach in Hengchun Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan. The beach is part of Kenting National Park.
Jhiben Hot Spring
|The Jhiben Hot Spring is a hot spring in Beinan, Taitung County, Taiwan. It is one of the most famous Taiwanese hot springs. In its literature the local Taitung tourism authorities spell the name of the area Chihben
Fort San Domingo
|The Fort San Domingo was originally a wooden fort built by the Spanish in 1629 at Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is located near Hobe Fort, which was built during Qing rule.
Taiping Mountain
|Taiping Mountain or Taipingshan is located Datong Township in northern Taiwan's Yilan County. It is one of Taiwan's three major forest recreation areas.
Liyu Lake
|The Liyu Lake or Carp Lake is a lake in Shoufeng Township, Hualien County, Taiwan.


text:
Category: Spiritual
Broken Streak
There are no pictures today. It was raining this morning and continued to rain off and on the rest of the day. I had planned to walk on my treadmill but with the weather came a migraine. I spent a good chunk of the day in bed. We will try it again tomorrow.
Day Four–Heading Towards a Habit!
Today I had nine out of 12 people wave today. I also unintentionally walked a 5K (3.14 miles) and in 50 minutes! Here are today's pictures:
Making The Bed
This is my bed. It is a black metal futon frame with a Full size mattress on it. The futon came with a typical futon mattress and for over two years I slept on the futon mattress (though I added a foam eggshell mattress topper). Realized several years ago my mental health is going down … Continue reading Making The Bed
Welcome Day Three
Some notes about my daily walks. One it is really hard not to take a bunch of pictures and cheat, posting them on days I don't walk. This would be self defeating. I have set a limit on myself: three to six pictures a day. Two I love where I live. I wave at every … Continue reading Welcome Day Three
Day Two of Walking
Here are some pictures from today's walk outside. It wasn't raining so yay nature!!
A New Stab at Self Motivation
Another hiatus. I apologize. However, I am going to try some new techniques for self motivation and being consistent in my blogging/social media. So I present the first of Daily Walks. These will be pictures from my morning walks. Since I live on a Country Road they may get interesting. One note: it has been … Continue reading A New Stab at Self Motivation
Daily Prayer — Witches Of The Craft® REBLOG
via Daily Prayer — Witches Of The Craft®
Finding Focus for Writing–for Life
https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days My mind has been spastic. Thoughts going every which way. I have all of these to do list. I have all of these plans to change. And I am treading water. A little over a year ago I found the above TED talk. It was inspiring and for a while I was able … Continue reading Finding Focus for Writing–for Life
Running to Write
This has been my inspiration the last couple of days. I found myself walking on the treadmill yesterday. Today I went outside and walked. Running is not too far in the future. On my walk on the treadmill I played music on my phone. Today it was nothing. No phone. No music of any kind. … Continue reading Running to Write


text:
When you need a quick (and cheap) update of your shoe collection, Primark is the place to hit up! I set myself the challenge to get to and from the Tottenham Court Road store in my lunch hour…
As you can see from the photo, a theme occurred…I ended up with lots of loafers! I wanted some flat pumps that had a bit of detail, meaning that they would look a bit more expensive than a pair of Primark shoes and that would be cute for everyday work wear. I also got me some new boots. Because, well, why not? It is practically winter now.
And it's worth noting that in total, four pairs of shoes and a pair of boots only set me back £46. Absolute bargain for a quick wardrobe update!
Primark, Grey Metal Detail Moccasin Pump, £8
Primark, Black Quilted Chain Detail Ballerina, £6
Primark, Tan Metal Detail Moccasin Slipper, £8
Primark, Black and Gold Detail Pumps, £6
Primark, Black Mid Heel Ankle Boot, £18
I'd also just like to point out that I was successful in my mission – in, out, five pairs of shoes and beat the crowds, all within my lunch hour. Mission achieved.
Sammy x


text:
Whilst speaking to MovieWeb about the impending release of The Hateful Eight on DVD and Blu-Ray, Demian Bichir talks Alien: Covenant. As is to be expected at this point in production, Bichir doesn't reveal much in regards to the upcoming Prometheus sequel but he does talk about working with Sir Ridley Scott and the expected duration of the shoot:
"We don't know exact dates yet, all I know is it's going to be a long shoot, almost like The Hateful Eight. It took five months to shoot The Hateful Eight. We spent a couple of months in the mountains, and a couple of months in a studio in Los Angeles, and this will go for about another four months or so. I have very little details at this point, but we will get there. I'm sure we will get together and read, rehearse, everything."
MovieWeb are saying that Alien: Covenant will have a four month shoot. However, the way Bichir was talking makes this a little unclear as to the actual duration.
Bichir isn't the only actor on Alien: Covenant to have spoken about the film. Earlier this month, Benjamin Rigby also spoke a little about his role in Alien: Covenant: "I've read the whole script, and it's great, I really like it. I have a great character. I'd say it's a sizable role. It's a good plot device. My favourite roles to play are plot devices."
Keep checking back with Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for your Alien: Covenant news!


text:
Since I pretty much prepare some type of grain on a daily basis, you would think I'd have all the cooking methods committed to memory by now.
Instead, I am always second guessing myself on how much water to use, how long to boil it, etc. I'll be making brown rice and think, "I need a one-to-two ratio. Or, wait, is that that quinoa? Maybe it's one to one. No, that's oatmeal." And so on and so on.
And then there are times when I get the water amount correct, only to find out that I've accidentally made enough servings to feed an army rather than a family of two.
To keep the details straight, I created a note on my phone listing all of the water-to-grain ratios along with (roughly) how long to cook each one and approximate serving sizes. It has come in handy on so many occasions! I find myself referring to it all the time, so I thought I would create a better-looking version to share with you all.
I plan to get this list printed in color so I can post it on the little cork square I just added to the inside of my spice cabinet. It's a perfect place for recipes and cooking notes just like this.
Now I won't ever have to second guess myself again (at least when it comes to cooking grains, that is!).


text:
Your hotel in South Tyrol's natural paradise
4-star holidays in the Alps
Are you looking for a hotel in South Tyrol to make your holidays in the Alps even more memorable? Then come visit us at Hotel Stroblhof in San Leonardo in Passiria/ St. Leonhard in Passeier to enjoy 24/7 pampering!
To give you a concrete idea of what we mean, here is an example of what your day at the Stroblhof could look like.
In the morning, you find a vitality breakfast buffet waiting for you with a lush range of nourishing delicacies, including freshly baked temptations from our own patisserie, fresh fruit- and vegetable juices, aromatic teas and infusions, organic foods, and more.
This is our way to give you a great start to your day and plenty of energy to explore the many attractions in the area.
From cultural jaunts to exciting treks through the region's unspoilt landscapes and leisurely walks to South Tyrol's most idyllic corners, there is to suit every taste, all year round.
If you are spending a winter holiday at Hotel Stroblhof, for instance, you can relax with a romantic snowshoe hike through snowy woods or hit the pistes in the nearby Merano 2000/Meran 2000 ski area. In autumn, you might feel your jaw drop before an impressive interplay of bright colours – our generous nature's parting gift before her wintry beauty sleep.
In the summer time, the surroundings offer an endless choice of outdoor opportunities.
In spring, there is no place like this to behold and become part of nature's spectacular awakening, hiking through its blooming fruit orchards and on its buzzing footpaths.
Every day, you can live a whole new experience and enjoy nature's rich offerings from a new perspective.
In the afternoon, when you get back to the hotel with a satisfied smile on your face, you can reward yourself with the delicacies from our vitality buffet: Tasty sandwiches, home-made cakes, delicious ice cream, soups, cold dishes and fresh salads, as well a selection of juices and coffee- and tea blends are there to refill your energy tanks.
At dinner, we treat you to a 5-course menu with traditional recipes and scrumptious specialities from the Alpine and Mediterranean cuisine, prepared with fresh produce from local farms or grown in our own vegetable garden.
Once per week we surprise you with our gala dinner – the crowning highlight of the Stroblhof's culinary experience.
And before retreating to your comfy room or suite, why not indulge with a nightcap? Our stylish wine & cocktail bar offers the perfect ambiance for a sociable night, and an interesting selection of cocktails, fine grappas, whiskies, and wines.
Our comfortable and finely scented beds guarantee a good night's sleep so that wake up the next morning brimming with new energies and ready for new adventures!


text:
Report card: Spill response well short of a 4.0
WASHINGTON - Investigators who probed the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill blasted Congress on Tuesday for failing to pass substantive changes in laws governing offshore drilling that could help prevent a repeat of the disaster.
Although the Interior Department and the oil industry have made progress to prevent and contain spills, Congress has failed to act, said members of the presidential commission that investigated the well blowout that destroyed the Deepwater Horizon rig, killed 11 workers and launched the nation's worst oil spill on April 20, 2010.
"Congress has yet to enact one piece of legislation to make drilling safer," said Bob Graham, a commission co-chairman and former Democratic governor of Florida.
The former presidential commission members leveled the criticism at Capitol Hill in a 16-page scorecard grading how well government and industry heeded the presidential panel's recommendations to prevent another oil spill. Congress got a "D," while the Obama administration landed a "B" and industry got a "C+."
"We are encouraged by the progress being made, particularly by the Department of Interior and industry in adopting our recommendations to improve safety and environmental protection," said William Reilly, a commission co-chairman and former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. "Significant progress has also been made in industry's ability to respond to spills that do occur."
The former commissioners applauded the oil and gas industry's creation of two containment systems that could be deployed to trap crude and gas from damaged wells in the Gulf. The industry also has established a new Center for Offshore Safety that will guide companies developing federally required programs for identifying and managing risks.
At the same time, the Interior Department imposed new standards for the construction of subsea wells and the emergency equipment that guards them. Federal regulators also now require companies to have access to well containment systems.
More Information
How they've done
Members of the presidential commission that probed the 2010 Gulf oil spill on Tuesday released a report card grading how well industry and the government heeded its recommendations for averting a similar disaster, and scoring progress in five key areas:
Obama Administration - B
Industry - C+
Congress - D
Safety and environmental protection - B
Industry and most federal agencies have made significant improvements in the way offshore oil operations are developed, carried out and overseen - but the commission members said more improvements are required and Congress has done nothing to make the improvements permanent.
Spill response and containment - B-
The ability to contain and respond to offshore oil spills has improved but Congress has provided little support for these efforts and the effectiveness of some changes still is unproven.
Gulf restoration - C
Commission members said they were discouraged by steps taken so far to initiate a comprehensive Gulf restoration program.
Ensuring adequate resources - D
The administration and Congress have delivered more funding to the Interior Department to operate offshore drilling oversight programs, but Congress has done nothing to make those initiatives self-funding or to adjust limits on liability and response funding.
The Arctic - C
The commission members said additional work is needed to understand the Arctic's ecosystems and establish protective infrastructure as exploration expands there.
How they've done
Members of the presidential commission that probed the 2010 Gulf oil spill on Tuesday released a report card grading how well industry and the government heeded its recommendations for averting a similar disaster, and scoring progress in five key areas:
Report card
Obama Administration
Safety & environmental protection
Spill response & containment
Gulf restoration
Ensuring adequate resources
The Arctic
After the spill, the administration overhauled the agencies that oversee offshore drilling, addressing potential conflicts of interest by separating agencies responsible for collection of royalties from oil production and those that monitor the safety of those operations.
More funding urged
The former panel members, who formally ended their work in 2011, said federal regulators still need more money - and a dedicated stream of funding, with industry bearing the cost - to hire new inspectors and improve offshore drilling oversight. The group also said it was "discouraged by the modest steps that have been taken" to develop a comprehensive program for restoring the Gulf and its coastal regions.
A proposal to dedicate 80 percent of the fines associated with the spill to the five Gulf coast states has passed the Senate as part of a broader, unrelated transportation bill, but it has since bogged down.
The former commissioners also said more preparation is needed for oil drilling in Arctic waters, as Shell prepares to launch work there this summer. Federal regulators have shortened the allowable drilling season in the Chukchi Sea near Alaska, to protect against the hazards of a spill when ice is encroaching. Government agencies also have approved Shell's plans for dealing with an oil spill in the region.
But the Coast Guard is still not prepared to deal with a serious drilling incident in the Arctic, the commission members said, and the federal government still needs to do baseline research documenting the region's environmental characteristics.
Climate has changed
The group leveled its ire at Congress and what Graham described as an anti-regulatory agenda that has stalled even the most non-controversial legislation prompted by the 2010 spill.
The appetite for action has dipped even lower as the November election approaches. Amid high gasoline prices, lawmakers are reluctant to appear as if they are putting up roadblocks to domestic energy production.
For instance, Congress has yet to lift the existing liability limit for damages from offshore spills, which remains capped at $75 million - a 22-year-old ceiling established after the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground near Alaska. Nor have lawmakers passed legislation that would codify the reorganization of federal agencies that oversee offshore drilling.
Former commissioner Donald Boesch said the attitude of lawmakers contrasts with how industry executives are approaching regulation.
"It's in their best interest to have government oversight and some regulations in place to guard against bad actors," Boesch said. "They want predictable regulation. They want it to go smoothly and quickly, but I think they are all solidly behind having some uniformity and having some high standards."


text:
My mantra right now: Step through the doors that the Lord is opening (to write, do public speaking, and take photos). And when I get nervous and rather bury my talent, or completely doubt that I have any talent, then I need to prepare and practice as best I can.
Every new opportunity scares me. For instance, I had a wedding to photograph last weekend. It made me very nervous, even though I've shot weddings before. I tried to calm myself by giving myself a pep talk, but I finally realized that instead of positive self-talk, I should prepare, prepare. So, I reviewed the bride's photo request list, wrote down poses I'd like to take, and looked at others' photos in the Orange County Bride Magazine. Yes, I hated to spend so very much time prepping for a job, because then my hourly rate went down, down, but the alternative was to break out in a stress rash!
So, I've come to realize that for me, the only way to manage my stress is to practice and practice some more, whether the activity is a photo shoot or a speech.
Here are the results of the wedding photo shoot:
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Preparation Beats Back Fear
Posted by Judy Alexander at 11:34 AM
1 comment:
- Rubys & Purls said...
Those photos are amazing! I'm an amateur photographer. I love doing portraits and outdoor stuff, but wedding photography scares me to death. Your work is beautiful!!
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
My car has been starting on the 2nd crank / try for a while and its getting worse. I have taken it in many times with no solution. The issue is only present after the first morning start which fires up normally, after that it requires 2-3 cranks if you let it sit for more than 10-15mins. I do not want to replace the fuel regulator as I don't think its losing pressure, else it wouldn't fire right up after sitting overnight.
I have had the valve cover & oil filter housing gaskets replaced, also replaced vacuum hoses, no vacuum leaks. Changed plugs recently and it still persists. What other items should I be looking at?
My car has 115000 miles.
Hello there, many common faults will cause your 2004 BMW X3 to have a hard time starting. You have done great in diagnosis and replacing parts that will typically cause this condition. Common causes of a hard start are the fuel pump, ignition switch, starer relay, fuel filter, starter, or a wiring harness fault. Before any more parts are replaced your vehicle will need diagnosed to get to the root cause of the hard starting. A qualified Technician such as one from YourMechanic will be able to diagnose your hard start condition and make any repairs required to resolve the issue.
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


text:
Gorgeous Ways
Gorgeous Ways to Use Bold Colors in Serene and Calm Bedrooms Inspired by the Designs of Amy Troute
When it comes to bedroom decorating, you should use clean and fresh elements to enhance the relaxing and peaceful look of the place. However, you may need to add a pop of color to enhance a certain theme or refresh the look of the room without affecting the serenity of the place. The gold and platinum colors can enhance the serenity and calmness of your bedroom greatly, especially if the original color is brown. In one of their renovation projects, Amy Troute Inspire Interior Design team members use golden lampshades and pillow patterns in a cream and grey bedroom to enhance it's luxurious and calm look. In their Best Blue Bedroom decor, the team of Amy Troute Inspired Designs uses…Read More »


text:
Capitol Alert
American leaders rip Trump, pledge to do Paris climate accord without him
American leaders pledged their allegiance to the Paris climate accord Saturday, pummeling President Donald Trump's promised retreat from the global coalition as a temporary diversion that won't impede their progress toward keeping global temperatures below catastrophic levels.
"It is important for the world to know the American government may have pulled out of the Paris agreement, but the American people are committed to its goals and there is nothing Washington can do to stop it," Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, said at a launch for America's Pledge in Bonn, where talks are continuing at the 23rd "conference of the parties," or COP 23.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said while Trump wants to "cop out" on climate action, "we know that C.O.P. really stands for 'can't obstruct progress, that climate outlasts presidents.' That's what C.O.P. stands for.
"President Trump has called global warming a 'hoax,' he has assembled a cabinet of Big Oil all-stars, fear is rampant across the federal government in terms of the scientists who work there every day, but on our side we have 100 years of science and nearly 100 percent of the scientists on the planet."
They spoke as representatives of nearly 200 signatories to the 2015 agreement gathered for the United Nations conference, where the Trump administration was set to hold a presentation Monday promoting coal, natural gas and nuclear energy.
American officials criticized the move as backward. They pointed to statistics showing the U.S. reduced its emissions more than any other large country even as the federal government remained on the sidelines for much of that time. Indeed, Congress did not pass any comprehensive legislation mandating carbon emission cuts as former President Barack Obama's clean power plan was tied up in courts and never implemented.
Bloomberg noted that the U.S. was already halfway to its Paris goal of reducing emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent by 2025.
"Our progress has not been driven by top-down federal mandates," Bloomberg said.
The independence masked a reality, however, that even the local coalition had to acknowledge in its report: Committed non-federal efforts are not sufficient to meet America's emissions reduction commitment under the Paris agreement.
"Over the next year, the America's Pledge initiative will analyze the potential range of incremental, not yet committed actions by states, cities, and businesses, and compare that potential against this 26-28 percent short-term goal for 2025," the report states. "But we cannot underscore strongly enough the critical nature of federal engagement to achieve the deep decarbonization goals the U.S. must undertake after 2025."
Trump promised to withdraw from the agreement, contending that it doesn't serve American energy and security interests: "I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris," he said.
Because the pact does not allow the U.S. to pull out until 2020 at the earliest, the conference has spurred an awkward dance between the Trump administration, Americans supportive of climate action and leaders across the world who are looking to U.S. sub-national actors like California to help carry the climate baton.
Bloomberg and billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer helped cover more than $200,000 in costs for a U.S. climate pavilion showcasing the action of states and regions as well as their commitment to upholding the Paris accord after the Trump administration refused to foot the bill.
"This is a pledge, and it's a pledge that you cash because it's real. We're doing real stuff in California," Gov. Jerry Brown said. "When cities and states combine together, and then join with powerful corporation, that's how we get stuff done."
As hecklers interrupted his speech, Brown led some in the crowd to a chant of "Trump is still out," later calling him the "poster boy for climate denialists."
Christopher Cadelago: @ccadelago


text:
Horizon Zero Dawn. I just don't know what to make of this game. I mean, it looks like something I'd be into, mixing elements of Avatar (the blue people one), Titanfall, Far Cry Primal and other things I like, but there's just something about it I don't… get. Maybe I'm just annoyed that it's a PS4 exclusive. Only time will tell.
Reservations aside, a new story trailer for the game was revealed yesterday, and it's kind of breathtaking. Robotic dinosaurs, stunning vistas, character motivations, explosion jumping, ancient enemies, not-so-ancient enemies, and expressive faces after the jump.
"To learn about a new threat to her tribe, Aloy will embark on a dangerous journey that will reveal a dark plot that stands to change her world forever," reads the video's description.
Horizon Zero Dawn is expected to release on 28 February.