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Tiger 21, the peer-to-peer network for ultrawealthy investors, recently held its fourth annual members conference during which several top Wall Street players — including Rob Arnott of Research Affiliates, Jeremy Grantham of GMO and David Rubenstein of the Carlyle Group — offered their perspectives on opportunities in the current investment environment.
Conference attendees also heard presentations from well-known speakers in philanthropy, health and lifestyle, Tiger 21 said in a statement.
In addition, 10 members detailed prospects in real estate, energy, health care, finance and other sectors in a two-hour session for their compatriots.
"Tiger 21 members are mostly self-made, and many of them continue to remain involved in running companies and are active investors," Michael Sonnenfeldt, the organization's founder and chairman, said in the statement. "It is not surprising that many of the conversations started at the deal-pitching session continued throughout the conference."
Following are the investment views of six speakers, as summarized by Tiger 21.
Rob Arnott, chairman, Research Affiliates
Known for his unconventional portfolio strategies, Arnott didn't disappoint. He recommended that investors check the one-, three- and five-year track records of funds they were considering and seriously think about those with the worst three- and five-year records, while avoiding ones with the best records over those periods.
"The past is not prologue," he said. "What has gone up does not necessarily go up. But fees are prologue. What was charged last year will be charged next year. So think twice before buying the most expensive products."
Arnott suggested that now was a good time to rebalance. "If you invested in bonds [in 2013], they went down. If you invested outside the mainstream, those investments went down. Anything outside of mainstream, the yields went up, returns were negative or if positive, by less than the yield. This presents a marvelous trade opportunity to take stock market profits and build exposure to the third pillar of liquid alternatives."
David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-CEO, The Carlyle Group
Rubenstein was high on emerging markets. He predicted that in 2014, the GDP of emerging markets — including China and Brazil, the world's second and sixth largest economies — would surpass that of developed markets.
"If you are going to invest for a five- or 10-year period of time, there is no doubt that the emerging markets are going to become the dominant part of the global economy. The U.S. will still be the greatest place to invest because while we don't have great growth rates, we do have rule of law, transparency, great financial markets, talented people to run companies and exit opportunities. That said, emerging markets are where you will see the greatest growth and number of opportunities."
China, where Carlyle has 15% of its workforce, is currently experiencing a difficult transition as it grows, but it remains a safe long-term bet, Rubenstein said.
Howard Marks, chairman, Oaktree Capital Management
Marks riffed on the conference's overarching theme of "possibilities." It was important to act and invest with a range of possibilities in mind, he said. "Rather than say that we make our own luck, a better way to think about it is that portfolio results/investing results are what happens when an existing portfolio collides with events. Investors need to put together a portfolio in part for what they think will happen in the future. Then the question is whether those events happen.
"If you prepare through study and practice, work hard and bring your talents to bear, you'll be positioned to make the most of opportunities that arise."
Barry Silbert, founder and CEO, SecondMarket
Silbert, who helped create the Bitcoin Investment Trust, gave a tutorial on the digital currency, and explained why Bitcoin was here to stay.
Silbert said the regulatory clouds around Bitcoin were clearing and that it was gaining legitimacy and finding allies in Washington from across the political spectrum. He argued that Bitcoin provided an obvious benefit as a low-fee remittance tool compared with other forms of payment, such as credit cards and traditional money wire services, and as a form of electronic payment for very low cost items that previously were not supported by traditional payment systems.
Tiger 21 members' enthusiasm was restrained, according to the statement. Although they understood Bitcoin's advantages as a payment form, many members saw a bubble in the recent run-up in value.
Felix Zulauf, co-chief investment officer, Vicenda Asset Management
Zulauf, a self-styled contrarian, said he had made money on the short side in all bear markets. Money managers today play only on the long side, while true opportunity and risk managers should play both sides, he said.
Zulauf saw emerging market in down cycles as a big theme. He said his biggest positions were short emerging market currencies, the most obvious one being the Turkish lira. He characterized Turkey as the classic macro case: an artificially inflated boom paid for by foreign money.
"It is a balance-of-payments crisis that will end with a much weaker currency, higher interest rates and a recession. Then, it will rebalance," he said, adding that Russia and Brazil face similar conditions.
Zulauf said credit booms and credit bubbles in many of the emerging markets and throughout most of Asia were of historic proportions. "The mother of all credit and real estate bubbles is China," he said. It is showing many signs point to the end of the boom years — distress in the financial system and filtered information flow that obfuscates the full picture.
Jeremy Grantham, co-founder and chief investment strategist, GMO
Bubbles were on Grantham's mind, as he noted that most investment professionals will not make a trade they know should be made because playing against the market consensus in a bubble environment could be bad for business and dangerous for their career. However, bubbles present a great opportunity to decrease risk and increase returns, Grantham said, citing his own firm's experience during the 1990s tech bubble.
A bubble doesn't happen in the absence of wall-to-wall rationalizations, he said. "Every single bubble had very smart people come out and argue that it was quite reasonable because there had been some permanent change that made the odd data irrelevant."
Check out these related stories on ThinkAdvisor:
- Grantham: '7 Lean Years' Now Permanent
- From Doom to Boom (and Back): Grantham Sees Stocks Soaring up to 30%, for Now
- Rob Arnott, Milton Ezrati: Where's the Investment Risk in 2014?


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- 2015/6/25
Peach Raspberry Tart
Author Notes: While I love vacation, there are a few allowances I have to make cooking-wise when away from my own kitchen for two weeks. All I need is my chef's knife and a pair of tongs to jumpstart savory meals —dessert is another story doctor in business administration. There are no handheld mixers, let alone the 1000 watt stand mixer I normally use. Same goes for the food processor.
So a few weeks ago I decided to experiment with free form tarts. Besides, who wants to worry about the perfect piecrust on vacation? An old-fashioned pastry blender did the job of cutting in the butter, but truth be told, even using your fingertips to work it in was fine. Yes, I was worried too about the butter getting to soft, but a quick chill in the fridge and all was fine. There's also just enough sugar to compliment gift ideas for women, not hide, the fruits' natural sweetness.
Serves 6 to 8
For the pastry dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
6 ounces cold butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons ice cold water
For the fruit filling:
4 peaches, peeled and sliced (see note)
1/2 pint, raspberries
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup sugar
Place a rimmed baking sheet onto the center rack of the oven. Preheat oven to 400º.
To make the pastry dough, add the flour, salt and sugar to a deep bowl; whisk to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over flour mixture and use a pastry blender, two butter knives or your fingers to cut in the butter (this can alternately be done in a food processor). Sprinkle the cold water over the butter-flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough forms a rough ball. Wrap in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll the dough out into a 16-inch circle. Scatter the fruit over the dough, leaving a 4-inch border. Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit and dot with the pieces of remaining butter Top Enterprise VPN. Fold the dough border up and over to cover the fruit, forming a crust. Leaving the tart on the parchment paper, place it on the heated baking sheet. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until pastry is a deep golden and the fruit is bubbling in the center. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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With a one-year jail sentence over, War Machine (11-4) is ready to get back in the cage.
The former cast member of "The Ultimate Fighter 6" (known then as Jon Koppenhaver) recently announced via Twitter that he'll return to action on Oct. 15 against Gideon Ray (17-13-1) at Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4.
The promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4 at The Odeum Sports & Expo Center in Villa Park, Ill.
War Machine, of course, first rose to national prominence in 2007 during a stint on "TUF 6." He was eliminated in the opening round of the tournament by eventual finalist Tommy Speer. However, War Machine remained a central figure in the season's in-house drama, taking part in several drunken tirades and pranks.
War Machine was invited onto the season's live finale, where he earned a memorable third-round knockout of fellow cast member Jared Rollins. However, War Machine was released from the promotion following a 56-second loss to Yoshiyuki Yoshida.
War Machine went on to post a 6-2 record in his next eight fights outside of the promotion, but his career was derailed in July 2010 when a felony assault conviction put him behind bars for one year.
Meanwhile, Ray is a three-time UFC veteran who also took part in "The Ultimate Fighter 4," the lone season of the show to feature a "comeback" format. Ray was eliminated from "TUF 4" by eventual show winner Matt Serra. He was also winless in his three UFC outings, losing to Charles McCarthy, Mike Swick and David Loiseau.
Ray has remained active since his time in the octagon, though the bout with War Machine will mark his first in 2011.
(Pictured: War Machine)


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Let IBM consultants help you design a strategy that leverages the ITaaS operating model for enhanced agility and speed, and reduced operational risk.
Implement, integrate and manage your hybrid environment with a proven methodology and deliverables with the help of experienced consultants.
Implement technology solutions or managed services. It is your choice to use IBM Cloud's full capabilities as well as third-party solutions to help protect your investments.


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Editor's Note: The following report is excerpted from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, the premium online newsletter published by the founder of WND. Subscriptions are $99 a year or, for monthly trials, just $9.95 per month for credit card users, and provide instant access for the complete reports.
WASHINGTON – As the Obama administration comes under increasing pressure to get more involved militarily in Syria to overthrow the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a new Harvard University study has calculated the past and future costs for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
According to the study, those two wars will cost the United States a staggering $4 trillion to $6 trillion.
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While the study points out that $2 trillion already has been spent for each of the two wars, this is only a fraction of the total costs for the long-term commitments and the expenses for medical care and disability benefits to veterans that will have to continue for decades.
The initial $2 trillion to fight the wars in Iran and Afghanistan came from borrowed money.
TRENDING: Reports: Dominion voting-machine company has Chinese links
"The decision to finance the war operations entirely through borrowing has already added some $2 trillion to the national debt, contributing about 20 percent of the total national debt added between 2001 and 2012," the report said.
In addition to waging the actual conflict, these costs include spending on medical care for the wounded soldiers and repairs and replacement of military equipment for them.
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The study also points out that this cost includes an increase in military benefits which the Bush administration initiated in 2001. Costs to cope with veterans' rising health care and disability are expected to rise over the next 40 years.
To date, there have been some 2.5 million service men and women who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
There were 6,658 U.S. military fatalities as of March 8, 2013, which didn't include contractors, coalition partners, Iraqi and Afghan partners and civilians, according to the study.
By September 2012, some 1.56 million U.S. troops had returned home and left active duty, thereby becoming eligible for veterans medical care and benefits.
These veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are using VA medical services and applying for disability benefits at much higher rates than in previous years, a development which has created a tremendous backlog in processing claims.
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The bottom-line price tag of up to $6 trillion also includes the continuing costs for nation-building in both countries that will be ongoing for many years to come.
"The large sums borrowed to finance operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will also impose substantial long-term debt servicing costs," the study added.
The Iraqi war ended in December 2011 while the Afghanistan war is to wind down by the end of 2014. In both cases, the U.S. is expected to continue expenditures to try and ensure the stability of both countries through training and equipment.
The Harvard report is called "The Financial Legacy of Iraq and Afghanistan: How Wartime Spending Decisions Will Constrain Future National Security Budgets."
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Keep in touch with the most important breaking news stories about critical developments around the globe with Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, the premium, online intelligence news source edited and published by the founder of WND.
For the complete report and full immediate access to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, subscribe now.


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Tag Archives: david ortiz
AL East Free Agents: Who To Keep And Who To Let Go?
Last but certainly not least, we have the AL East. As of this post, the Yankees already resigned C.C. Sabathia to a new 5-year/$122 million contract with an option for 2017. In addition, they picked up their club options on both Robinson … Continue reading
Posted in MLB Tagged american league, andruw jones, baltimore, bartolo colon, baseball, blue jays, boston, cesar izturis, cot's baseball contracts, dan wheeler, david ortiz, dennys reyes, east, edwin encanarcion, eric chavez, freddy garcia, free agency, free agent, j.d. drew, jason varitek, joel peralta, johnny damon, jon rauch, jonathan papelbon, jorge posada, juan cruz, justin duchscherer, kelly shoppach, marco scutaro, mlb, new york, nick swisher, orioles, rafael soriano, rays, red sox, robinson cano, shawn camp, tampa bay, tim wakefield, toronto, vladimir guerrero, yankees Leave a comment


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Next: ax_cxx_namespace_std, Previous: ax_cxx_member_templates_outside_class, Up: The Macros
If the compiler allows modifying class data members flagged with the mutable keyword even in const objects (for example in the body of a const member function), define HAVE_MUTABLE.
Download the latest version of ax_cxx_mutable.m4 or browse the macro's revision history.
Copyright © 2008 Todd Veldhuizen
Copyright © 2008 Luc Maisonobe firstname.lastname@example.com
Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is, without any warranty.


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Back up your files with Time Machine on Mac
With Time Machine, you can back up your entire Mac, including system files, apps, music, photos, emails, and documents. When Time Machine is turned on, it automatically backs up your Mac and performs hourly, daily, and weekly backups of your files.
When you use Time Machine on a computer using Apple File System (APFS), Time Machine not only keeps a copy of everything on your backup disk, it also saves local snapshots of files that have changed on your internal disk, so you can recover previous versions. These local snapshots are saved hourly (unless you deselect Back Up Automatically) and they're stored on your computer's internal disk.
Note: If you're using APFS, local snapshots are created on your APFS disk, regardless of whether the disk is on a portable or desktop Mac.
If you accidentally delete or change a file, you can use Time Machine to recover it.
Even though Time Machine creates local snapshots on computers using APFS, you should also back up your files to a location other than your internal disk, such as an external hard disk, a disk on your network, or a Time Capsule. That way, if anything ever happens to your internal disk or to your Mac, you can restore your entire system to another Mac.
Connect an external hard disk to your Mac and turn the disk on.
You're asked if you want to use the disk to back up your Mac.
On your Mac, click Use As Backup Disk, then follow the instructions in Time Machine preferences.
To open Time Machine preferences, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Time Machine.
Note: If you create a backup on a Mac or partition with macOS Catalina, you can only use that backup on Mac computers or partitions with macOS Catalina.


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Good Morning,
Again, sorry for the delay this morning, I was online, wrote my morning report and then could not get back online for nearly two hours – frustrating!
Equity futures were down very slightly this morning before the open, but came back into positive territory after the bell.
The dollar fell on weekend trading but rose sharply overnight, actually managing to regain the 76 level, now fallen back to just under at 75.80. I've been watching the USD/JPY cross and it has come back just a little, but needs to be watched. Bonds are up, both oil and gold are down, gold now back to $1,142, now $85 off its peak just two trading days ago.
The XLF is negative right now, it seems to be tracking almost identical to the spiral Fibonacci dates, remember, this Thursday is the 10th, the date it had pegged for the start of a crash. Again, I see a lot of instability but I don't see signs of that yet, so it should be interesting to see what develops this week. I also note that the VIX is up almost 4% this morning while most indices are up a little.
This action still does not appear normal, the dollar being still outside of its descending wedge is significant. So, we are basically where we left off on Friday, I'm just watching the market action for now.
It's a slow week in terms of data, nothing today until 3 Eastern when Consumer Credit comes out. Then really not a lot until Thursday with jobless claims and International Trade numbers. Retail Sales and Consumer Sentiment on Friday.
Since I've had such a frustrating start to my Monday, here you go!
Bon Jovi & Bob Geldof - I don't like Mondays
Monday, December 7, 2009
Morning Update/ Market Thread 12/7
Posted byAmy Jamison at7:57 AM


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Marisa Mauro, a 27-year-old native of Dorset, Vermont, will be the new farmer at the Bragg Farm in Fayston.
Mauro will be making about 5,000 pounds of artisanal butter per year. An experienced farmer and former owner of Ploughgate Creamery in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, Mauro will be starting with 10 cows.
The Vermont Land Trust selected Mauro from a field of farmer applicants to purchase the Bragg Farm. The land trust purchased the 48.6-acre property from Reggie and Dorothy Bragg last August for $760,000 and after creating a conservation easement on the land, is selling it to Mauro for $175,000.
The easement will ensure the long-term protection of the Bragg farmland and its affordability to future farmers. The land trust was able to purchase the property through bridge financing and is now raising funds to cover the cost of the project.
The Vermont Land Trust will sell the farm to Ploughgate Creamery after securing grant funds and working with the Mad River Valley community to complete a private campaign to raise $250,000 to conserve the farm.
Mauro will be the sole proprietor at her farm, raising cows and piglets. She will be milking the 10 cows herself, once a day, and processing the butter every few days. Some of the pigs will be raised to sucklings and some will be raised to slaughter weight, she said.
"I've been living in Waterbury and have been looking for a property that would work. I've lived in the north and in the south and the Mad River Valley/Central Vermont are a perfect fit for me," she said.
Depending on logistics and fundraising, she should be able to start farming early next summer.
Mauro has been involved with dairying since she was 15. She has worked at dairies in Vermont and California and worked with the European dairy process.
Mauro is passionate about the Vermont dairy industry and has been since her first job on a sheep dairy in Weston called Woodcock Farm. Over the last 13 years she has worked at six dairies in Vermont and California. In 2008, Mauro established Ploughgate Creamery, producing award-winning cheese until a fire destroyed her leased facility in Albany, VT.
Mauro plans to renew Ploughgate Creamery's operation at the Bragg Farm and establish a small-scale, grass-based dairy farm that produces artisanal butter. Several Central Vermont restaurants familiar with the quality of her work have already signed on to purchase her butter, which will also be available to local consumers. As part of her farm plan, the byproducts of the butter-making process, including buttermilk and skim milk-fed suckling pigs, will offer additional diversification of her business.
To be selected as the owner and steward of the Bragg Farm is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream," said Mauro. "As a farmer and Vermonter, I am so proud to be part of the Mad River Valley community. With this opportunity, I can't wait to get to work at the Bragg Farm with my family, friends and neighbors and contribute to our working landscape."
The Bragg Farm has a long history as a dairy farm. First purchased by the Bragg family in the 1850s, it was one of The Valley's early "hill farms" which produced a variety of goods including milk, strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, apples and maple syrup. The farm's historic barn, built by the Braggs in 1909, has been widely photographed and recognized for its contribution to The Valley's rural character.
Acting with the support of the Mad River Watershed Conservation Partnership (a partnership of the Mad River Valley Planning District, the Friends of the Mad River and the Vermont Land Trust) and the Fayston Natural Resource Committee, VLT purchased the Bragg Farm in August 2012.
"These partners recognized the Bragg farm's significance to the resiliency and vitality of farming in the Mad River Valley and the preservation of Fayston's agricultural landscape," explained spokesperson Liza Walker.
VLT purchased the Bragg Farm for $760,000, using bridge financing and VLT will resell the farm to Maura for $175,000, the appraised agricultural value of the land, barn and residence. Mauro was selected to be the next owner of the Bragg Farm after submitting an extensive proposal and business plan into a competitive process conducted by the Vermont Land Trust as part of their Farmland Access Program. This conservation program is an effort to assist experienced farmers in gaining access to productive, affordable farmland.
"Ploughgate Creamery's varied, synergistic operations are well matched for the Bragg Farm's soils, current infrastructure, and location," Walker said.
"Marisa Mauro's plan for her artisanal butter operation is very well adapted to the land base, farm infrastructure and the local markets," said Jon Ramsay, VLT's farmland access director. "In addition Marisa brings years of direct experience and training in agriculture, and is highly regarded for her work ethic and commitment to land stewardship."
Mauro hopes to participate in local farmers' markets and plans to engage the community through outreach including plans for on-farm events and educational programs.
The successful protection of the farm's agricultural land, historic barn and scenic qualities requires approximately $500,000 in private, charitable donations. In support of this goal, a donor has created a $250,000 challenge grant to help inspire others to take part in the campaign for the Bragg Farm. The Vermont Land Trust and the Mad River Valley community must raise the matching $250,000 before the project is complete and the farm can be sold to Mauro. With some early gifts, VLT now has $207,500 left to raise.
"Critical to agriculture's future is providing enterprising farmers such as Marisa with access to high-quality and affordable farmland," said Gil Livingston, president of the Vermont Land Trust. "And because our farming future is dependent on public support, it is also important to connect community members with farmland and farmers. History has shown that the Mad River Valley is a very supportive agricultural community. We are excited about offering the opportunity for them to help establish another local, exciting agricultural initiative and protect an important part of the local landscape in perpetuity."


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A Parasha Ponder by Renee Beyda
I recently attended a graphic arts class, and on my first day, I was impressed with the many glossy pictures of computer rendered apples that were displayed along the walls. When the professor informed the class that by the end of the program, our apples would replace the others, I began to panic. These "Galas" were terrific! The shapes were perfectly smooth, the depth on each was tangible, and the colors were vibrant and well placed.
My sister-in-law heard my fear and encouraged me with a clear and simple line. "If people less able than you can do it, you can do it!" I repeated this phrase to myself over and over again, wearing it like a shield against the self-doubt and discouragement I naturally felt throughout that challenging course. Now, I don't mean to brag, but honest to G-d, after lots of hard work, I can proudly say, that in the end, my apple was the finest in my class! This inspiring motto proved to be an effective tool for success, a necessary engine in an intimidating world.
The account in this week's upcoming Parasha, Parasha Shelah, reminded me of this lesson. Moshe sent men to scout out the land of Israel and they returned with a defeated attitude, announcing that the people dwelling on the land were too strong for the children of Israel to conquer. One of the scouts, Caleb, tried to counter the negativity. He said, "We can indeed go up and take possession of it, for we are truly able to do so." But the other men continued their pessimism and a great fuss arose amongst the masses. Hashem got angry at the people for not trusting Him and declared that of the scouts, only Caleb, who had a different attitude, will enter and inherit the land.
Perhaps the Bible is trying to tell us that not only is faith in Hashem an important tool for success, but being positive is as well. I believe the Torah is trying to convey that if we gird ourselves with a Caleb can-do attitude and perhaps use talking tools that move us over obstacles, we and our families can conquer giants wherever they may be.


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The usage of robots has garnered significant importance in many industries. This is because they can be programmed to execute operations autonomously and with perfection. Military is a domain that is characterized by difficult and life-risking operations. Military operations often involve challenges like remote and difficult-to-access terrains. They require advanced monitoring, targeting, and intelligence gathering mechanisms. In such a scenario, the usage of robots is gaining popularity, and this trend is expected to prevail over the next couple of years.
Complete Report Available @ http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-military-robots-market-2017-2021
Covered in this report
The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global military robots market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the retail selling price as the average selling price of the product..
The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:
• Americas
Global Military Robots Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
Request A Sample Copy Of This Report at: http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-military-robots-market-2017-2021/request-sample
Key vendors
• Boston Dynamics
• General Dynamics (GD)
• Lockheed Martin
• Northrop Grumman
• Thales Group
Other prominent vendors
• BAE Systems
• Elbit Systems
• Saab
• Turkish Aerospace Industries
Market driver
• Strengthening of border surveillance and patrolling
• For a full, detailed list, view our report
Explore Other Reports By Radiant Insights,Inc at
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- Outage Management Systems Market –
- Chainsaw Safety Equipment Market –
About Radiant Insight
Radiant Insights is a market research and consulting company offering syndicated research studies, customized reports, and consulting services. Our market research studies are designed to facilitate strategic decision making, on the basis of extensive and in-depth quantitative information, supported by extensive analysis and industry insights. Using a patented and robust research methodology, we publish exhaustive research reports covering a host of industries such as Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. Radiant Insights has a strong base of analysts, consultants and domain experts, with global experience helping us deliver excellence in all research projects we undertake.
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Over time, advertising spend has held a close correlation with consumer behaviour. A trend that has been consistent across print, TV, the web and now even Facebook.
However, one channel has proved incongruous with the rest: mobile. Report after report points to consumers worldwide spending more time on their mobile devices.
In Europe, the mobile revolution is well under way, with premium publishers typically generating 50% of their traffic through their mobile sites.
Despite this, mobile display only accounts for 6% of the display advertising spend in UK and lower in the rest of Europe.
As consumers spend more time on their mobile devices, it makes sense that brand marketers look for effective ways to capitalise on the high level of consumer engagement with the channel. But as we continue to wait for mobile display advertising spend to increase we all begin to wonder: will marketers ever be able to monetize mobile display effectively?
Can the publisher compete with the usual suspects like Google, Facebook and Twiter? Will rich media be the knight in shining armour that can save mobile?
Consumer behaviour over mobile keeps the ad price low
Whether they're waiting for a bus, train or a table at a restaurant, it's now the norm to see consumers, head down engrossed in whatever they're reading on their mobiles.
Smartphones have proved fantastic for emails, for point in time research like finding a nearby restaurant, consuming news etc. But the fact remains that the same level of engagement has not been achieved in the world of mobile e-commerce, where booking flights, buying clothes and selecting insurance deals proves too much of an arduous task.
As a result, advertisers pay less for mobile ads than for those online, largely because consumers are less likely to make a purchase on their phones.
While people click on mobile ads more than on normal display ads, advertisers wonder whether that is because of what they call the "fat finger effect" of accidental clicks on tiny touch screens or just curiosity because they are bored on the train.
The mobile ads we currently see remain just miniature versions of ads on websites, an echo of the early days of the internet where we saw non-animated gifs. These offer little value to brands, as the format cannot really deliver a brand message, in turn questioning whether mobile is no good for either performance or brand campaigns.
The big players have success, but what about the publishers?
Facebook, Google and Twitter finally have found a way to increase mobile ad spend according to last quarter earnings.
We all know that mobile as a medium holds some fantastic opportunities for advertisers. The phrase the right creative, with the right message, at the right time can with mobile be extended to at the right place due to GPS and check in apps.
Google, for example, is taking advantage of exactly that with their click-to-call format from where you can book your local restaurant based upon your search result. The way that Facebook and Twitter is monetising mobile is through sponsored stories and tweets, which are squeezed into your feed on a non-intrusive but noticeable way.
The problem for publishers is the fact that they have not found a way to monetise their mobile inventory. They don´t really have the same options as Google, Facebook and Twitter as they rarely have such detailed profile information which can be used for targeting and they can´t offer any exciting formats to advertisers.
New mobile formats and technology are a lifeline to publishers
Smartphones today have endless capabilities. Improved internet browsing, swipe and touch, direct link embedded in emails and much more. For this very reason publishers need rich media formats that can support those capabilities.
Rich media formats for mobile have been under development for some time in terms of standardisation and in July, the IAB finally launched the five specifically designed for mobile devices: filmstrip, pull, adhesion, full page flex and slider.
All offer a reliable and engaging experience, but perhaps their best feature is how effectively they take advantage of the available screen space. They all complement the user's experience within the page and play on our willingness to touch and explore content through sound, motion and interaction.
This is gift for brands, who finally have access to the creative freedom they need in order to succeed with mobile display advertising. This will no doubt also in turn benefit the publishers and the market in general.
Capabilities including embedded video links and GPS location give publishers great opportunity to incorporate a call-to-action and location based offers in banners helping the potential customer with direction to the nearest store front to buy a piece of clothes or the nearest car dealer where you can test drive a new car.
All of sudden, a new way of dealing with online display advertising emerges, where we have real life brand campaigns disguised as performance campaigns which will increase both ad spend and ad price do to relevance
The world is not perfect and neither is mobile – there's still too many challenges with the channel and identifying its role somewhere between the high street and the online world.
But many of the same challenges are reminiscent of the early days of the internet, where ad prices were low and both publishers and advertisers began to lose faith in online display because it was not print.
The only way to monetise a new channel is to reinvent formats and creative options. Mobiles aren't desktops and where advertisers look follow audiences, and innovation, which is why a better understanding of rich media in the smartphone world will be the key to publisher and advertiser success over the channel and across devices.


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You know how yesterday I said What Happened was a good name for the Scott McClellan book? Yeah well WTF would have obviously been better. So anyway: Day Two of Scott McClellan WTF patrol. This morning he went on Today and seemed pretty fucking sincere. Of course, high-minded idealists such as the New York Times editorial board and Dan Bartlett think he's full of "total crap". But like, how weird is it, really, that a dude would spend six years being alternately (simultaneously) brainwashed and publicly debased by the Most Cynical And Singlemindedly Power-Greedy Not To Mention Idiotic Group Of People In the Universe, then get released and have a bunch of second thoughts about the whole thing? No one gets mad when the FLDS wives do it! Seriously, if you can emerge from such a job in such an Administration without suffering an existential crisis, what does that say about you? That and who Obama should pick for VP — not Jim Webb — and whatever happened to that crazy anti-war weapons inspector, with me and Megan after the jump.
MOE: Well you can do that here.
MEGAN: No, because I have a rule that I only tune into the Today show for NKOTB.
MEGAN: Oh, the McClellan interview, they've been replaying that ad infinitum on MSNBC.
MOE: Which I can't watch. I'm practically dead from some ailment with its origin in cigarettes and insomnia
MOE: Anyway we need to have a sincerity summit
MOE: A sincerity evaluation summit.
MEGAN: Ha, I was gonna say!
MEGAN: Also, wtf is up with us having attacks of insomnia at the same time?
MEGAN: I have to say, watching this interview, I'm far more convinced by him today than anything he did in his 3 years as press secretary. And he seems far less bumbling and stupid.
MOE: Yeah, he's convincing but um not slick.
MEGAN: If overly made-up. Oh, make-up artists, you failed him! (Although, I understand it may have been deliberately).
MEGAN: Oh, God, no, not slick at all. I mean, he says he still has a "great deal of affection" for GWB, he's obviously not particularly capable of slickness.
MOE: Oh man and I still haven't seen the most-buzzed video "Lohan's sapphic smooch"
MEGAN: It's on video? Also, why do we care that she's a lesbian or bisexual, if she is?
MOE: We care because SAMANTHA RONSON COULD TURN ANYONE GAY. And um... speaking of... did you see Anderson Cooper last night?
MEGAN: Whoa, I totally did not. Also, sniff, I remain sad that Anderson plays for the other team. Such a loss that one. Wait, is Samantha Ronson what happened to Anderson Cooper? That bitch!
MOE: Dude now I am going to have weird SamRonAnderson sex dreams. Oooh did you catch this passage?
A page later, he recounts what he perceived as a moment of doubt by a president who never expresses any. It occurred in a dimly lit room at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a room where an injured Texas veteran was being watched over by his wife and 7-year-old son as Bush arrived.
The vet's head was bandaged and "he was clearly not aware of his surroundings, the brain injury was severe," McClellan recalled. Bush hugged the wife, told the boy his dad was brave and kissed the injured vet's head while whispering 'God bless you' into his ear.
"Then he turned and walked toward the door," McClellan wrote. "Looking straight ahead, he moved his right hand to wipe away a tear. In that moment, I could see the doubt in his eyes and the vivid realization of the irrevocable consequences of his decision."
But, he added, such moments are more than counterbalanced by deceased warriors' families who urge him to make sure the deaths were not in vain.
Uhhhhh, what was that Heller book…that became a cliche…describing situations like this…didn't that involve war?
The other person, or their software, refused the request.
MOE: Dude now I am going to have weird SamRonAnderson sex dreams. Oooh did you catch this passage?
A page later, he recounts what he perceived as a moment of doubt by a president who never expresses any. It occurred in a dimly lit room at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a room where an injured Texas veteran was being watched over by his wife and 7-year-old son as Bush arrived.
The vet's head was bandaged and "he was clearly not aware of his surroundings, the brain injury was severe," McClellan recalled. Bush hugged the wife, told the boy his dad was brave and kissed the injured vet's head while whispering 'God bless you' into his ear.
"Then he turned and walked toward the door," McClellan wrote. "Looking straight ahead, he moved his right hand to wipe away a tear. In that moment, I could see the doubt in his eyes and the vivid realization of the irrevocable consequences of his decision."
But, he added, such moments are more than counterbalanced by deceased warriors' families who urge him to make sure the deaths were not in vain.
Uhhhhh, what was that Heller book…that became a cliche…describing situations like this…didn't that involve war?
MEGAN: Can someone please ask those fucking families, then, what would be an acceptable outcome to justify the deaths of their children?
MOE: Dude who is ronaldpagan? Reading his comments alone is like reading…a book? A very long New Yorker piece about the shifting views regarding violence within the jihadist movement, but actually finishing it?
MEGAN: I don't know, about either RP's identity of the shifting views on violence in the jihadist movement. But can we please, please talk about the male liberal blogospheric hard on for Jim Webb? Between Attackerman and Ezra Klein, it's starting to get a little uncomfortable all up in here, especially as neither one of them talks to any degree about his shitty record on women's issues, like Kathy G does and nobody but Politico gets into the 3 obvious female choices, none of whom suck and all of whom have great records.
MEGAN: Because, really, Jim Webb? Is going to corral Hillary supporters? What we need on the Obama ticket is a thrice-married former Republican with a shitty history on women's issues just because he's got a military background? That's why McCain's neck and neck with Obama in the polls? Bish plz.
MOE: I preach general ignorance on this one. But it's cool Kathy G named her blog the G Spot. I do think Obama should pick someone with military experience. I have no fucking clue who that is though. Who do you think he should pick?
MEGAN: Well, A. I voted for Jim Webb despite his record on women's rights because I wanted George Allen out of office. I think, however, with Obama already facing charges of sexism he's not going to do well on the trail and the argument that the seat goes back to the Republicans is rather apt.
MOE: And I don't really care about this shit:
Stepping away from all that high-minded rhetoric, I'll add that, in practical terms, selecting Webb would be a slap in the face to the Hillary Clinton supporters. I'm not saying that Obama has to pick Hillary as veep (and indeed, I think that would be a bad idea). I'm not even saying that he needs to pick a woman.
But Hillary was the first woman to ever have a serious shot at the presidency, and she came so close. So the Hillary supporters (of whom, to be clear, I am not one) will feel frustrated enough that their candidate didn't win.
MEGAN: B. Wesley Clarke is an idiot.
MEGAN: Well, I agree with that. Maybe not the "slap in the face" part, but the people that are pissed at NARAL for endorsing Obama ain't gonna be pleased with him picking a guy who said the Naval Academy was a "horny woman's dream" either.
MEGAN: Hell, I won't be.
MOE: On B. we concur. But okay, of course you voted for Webb. George Allen was a tool machine. And egad, when did he say that? I'm just getting my coffee now.
MOE: I just don't want to talk about gender ANY MORE. We know Obama doesn't want his daughters to be punished with babies. ISN'T THAT ENOUGH?????
MEGAN: Egad, he said that in 1979, more than a decade before he defended the dudes who assaulted women at Tailhook. It's all the feminists' fault, you know, that those Great Men's careers were ruined by a little drunken tomfoolery that the women totally took out of context.
MEGAN: Also, keeps divorcing his wives.
MEGAN: I mean, whatever, obviously Virginia wasn't going to elect a Senator that doesn't make me slightly sick to my stomach with his opinions on things, and great that he's spent his term so far appropriately sucking up to the left wing that got him elected (hello, unions!) but, I'm sorry, he is a shitty VP choice. He doesn't bring Virginia, he doesn't bring the South, his presence as the stooge in the short chair doesn't counter McCain on foreign policy and, frankly, this election stopped being (for most people) about the war or foreign policy for the swing voters when the economy went in the tank and their houses got repossessed.
MOE: Just throwing out a link to an uplifting Frontline on Tailhook. Maybe I'll clip it later! So yeah, he is not the guy. I think Obama should choose someone with military experience in spite of what the election is about. The president has immeasurably more influence on a war than he does the economy.
MOE: But perhaps that line of thinking is a little audacious.
MEGAN: I just don't think military experience matters, cough, Bush, cough, Cheney, cough, Clinton, cough, Gore.
MEGAN: It's part of this whole fetishization of our military that we insist on engaging in.
MEGAN: Can somebody, please, show me one of the so-called Reagan Dems that voted for Hillary in Ohio, PA or West Virginia who is saying they'll otherwise vote for McCain (and not the pissed off women) who would be like, oh, hey, he picked a virtually unknown first term Senator from Virginia with some military experience for his VP, so now I'm totally voting Obama?
MOE: Well sure, agreed, but matters for what? Like, I think more than three highly uneventful years in the Navy might have done Rumsfeld some good; well actually, that point is rhetorical because being a HUMAN might also have done Rumsfeld some good. And, yeah, you've got it: the biggest reason Jim Webb is a bad choice is because no one really knows who he is. To depart for a second: here is a piece from the New York Review Of Books on the ideas of Obama's economic adviser confidante types. They are…um…less socialist than I'd like.
MEGAN: Well, at least they're not Keynesian?
MOE: Oh dude my BROWSER just crashed. I thought I was having a heart attack.
MEGAN: Dude, my other computer is totally fucked, I'm going to finish transferring files today and then reformat that bitch.
MOE: Did you check Dan Bartlett using our favorite SFW term for feces?
MEGAN: Wait, you can say "crap" on TV? It's not as good as Jon Stewart getting away with calling Tucker Carlson a dick, but it's pretty good. Yeah, the Administration has its PR efforts together pretty good on Scottie this week, from Dana's saddened "This isn't the Scott we know" to "total crap," they're running the gamut.
MOE: Okay, so what I would really like to know is 1. How did Scott McClellan come to the realization that this was the book he wanted to write 2. Was it an agent? It had to be, right? 3. Who was the ghostwriter? How long did they work together? I thought I might get some of that from this interview with his publisher but uh…not really. We learn that Mike Allen did, in fact, as he specified in his initial story on the subject, bought the book from a bookstore. I'm pretty sure he did the same thing with the Bernstein Hillary book. So Mike Allen has a "source" at Politics & Prose, who cares. How did this thing actually come about? Why don't we know this yet?
MEGAN: Well, I mean, someone on MSNBC had a good theory this morning (obvi not Joe Scarborough). I mean, dude spent 3 years defending the indefensible and looking like a doofus only to get ousted in 2006 as everything started to suck and he (apparently) got to realizing that everyone figured they could lie to him and he's never figure it out.
MEGAN: Does he have a cushy sinecure somewhere? No.
MEGAN: He's still on the lecture circuit, but everyone knows he's a shit public speaker that didn't know anything.
MOE: I hate how everyone's like, "unbelievable." Dude, have you ever lived with someone who just got fired?
MOE: Midlife crises have been known to spawn from less.
MEGAN: Dude, I've been fired. I sucked. I got drunk for the better part of a week, stayed in bed, and the dude I was seeing dumped me because I got fired.
MEGAN: So, I stayed in bed for like another week after that.
MOE: Yeah, now just imagine Nick Denton had spent six years brainwashing you!!!!
MEGAN: To the point where I still held great affection for him!
MEGAN: Then I'd have to turn on Noah.
MOE:MOE: Dude remember Scott Ritter? What's he doing these days? I don't usually buy this whole "You can't change your views after 30" silliness but that guy's epiphany was a little weird.
MEGAN: Apparently, he's a talk show commentator.
MEGAN: HA! He was also arrested in 2001 but never charged for trying to fuck an underaged girl he tried to meet on the Internet.
MEGAN: So, he either spend a lot of time on his computer or virtually none, I'm guessing.
MOE: can you check real quick if any of the other major newspapers (besides the times) had anything bad to say about mcclellan
MEGAN: Howie Kurtz entitled his column "Turncoat Time" and said "We all may have underestimated how he felt about being dumped in a White House shake-up."
MOE: Oh by the way how hilarious is it that Bush pretended not to remember if he'd had cocaine??? DUDE YOU REMEMBER IF YOU HAD COKE THAT IS THE POINT
The question is inescapable: Now he tells us? McClellan had deep qualms about Bush using propaganda to sell the Iraq war, about being misled on Valerie Plame, about the president being in denial on Hurricane Katrina, and he utters not a peep of public protest until he's ready to sell his book?
MOE: OH like he was really going to miss that job so much
MOE: I'm just saying the Editorials though
MEGAN: Novak's column is, hilariously, about Clinton.
MEGAN: Um, weirdly, neither the WaPo, Boston Globe, LA Times has anything one way or the other thus far.


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Life in the bigs suits Ruf just fine
NEW YORK -- They just can't get first baseman Darin Ruf out no matter how hard they try. Ruf, a 20th-round draftee, has had immediate success with the Phillies in his first two shots at big league play.
Ruf batted .333 in a 12-game sample last season, and he's hitting .333 in his first 10 games this season. Even more impressive, he has reached base safely in 19 of his 22 games in the Major Leagues, and he has five home runs in his first 66 at-bats.
"It's been a great experience," said Ruf of being in the big leagues. "It's what every baseball player dreams of, and the fact that I've been able to help out a little bit has been nice. This next month and a half will mean a lot to the team, and hopefully, I can help us get to where we want to be."
Ruf, filling in for the injured Ryan Howard, first burst onto the scene in 2012, when he batted .317 with 38 home runs and 104 RBIs for Double-A Reading. Ruf was named the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the Double-A Eastern League en route to making his big league debut.
Fast-forward a season, and Ruf faced some adversity. The right-handed hitter batted just .266 with seven home runs in 83 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley prior to his promotion, and although he credits the pitchers for getting him out, he also said that he wasn't really at the top of his game.
"I think I got myself out more times than not, trying to be a little too aggressive in certain situations," he said of his time in Triple-A. "I was just not letting the game come to me, for the most part."
Ruf can thank his big league promotion for settling him down. Now, instead of putting pressure on himself to produce, he is relaxed, and fixated on being a good teammate.
"It's just a much faster game. Players are the best at what they do, every single one of them," said Ruf of life in the Majors. "You have to stay mentally locked in for every single pitch. You know, whether you're on defense or in the box or sitting on the bench waiting to hit, you need to stay focused."


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Romulo Yanes
Since sautéing orzo in butter gives it a nutty taste and toasting almonds makes them buttery, it should be no surprise that the two ingredients are perfectly complementary in this pilaf.
- Yield
- Makes 8 servings
- Active Time
- 15 min
- Total Time
- 50 min
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
- 2 (4-inch) strips lemon zest
- 1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California
- 1 (3- to 4-inch) cinnamon stick
- 5 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup whole almonds with skins (2 1/2 ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped
- Melt butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat and stir in orzo. Cook, stirring frequently, until orzo is golden, about 5 minutes. Add rice, stirring until coated with butter, then add zest, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then cover tightly and cook over low heat until water is absorbed and rice and orzo are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.
- Fluff pilaf with a fork and spoon into a bowl, discarding zest, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Serve pilaf with almonds sprinkled on top.
Cooks' notes:
· Almonds can be toasted 2 days ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature. · Pilaf, without almonds, can be made 1 day ahead and spread in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Cool in pan, uncovered, then chill, covered. Bring to room temperature and sprinkle about 2/3 cup water over top, then reheat, tightly covered with foil, in a 350°F oven, about 25 minutes.


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Brought to you by Black Orchid Management, Ltd.
If you were to ask me what I like most about flowers, I will tell you, they make me happy. They are beautiful to look at. Have you ever seen someone gaze upon a beautiful flower and stay in a bad mood? NEVER! Flowers, lift our spirits, they can change our mood, they make us happy and it is the one way, that we can tell someone else we love them, simply by handing them a flower. Please follow me on my journey through the Belize rain forest jungle, to explore all the different flowers there are to see. I sincerely hope you enjoy my series entitled "Flowers of Belize".
Commonly known as Poinsettia, this flowering plant is a native to Mexico and Central America and is found in the wild in the deciduous tropical forest down the entire pacific coast of Chiapas and Guatemala.
This plant was introduced in the US in 1828 by Joel Roberts Poinsetta, the first United States Minister to Mexico. It is also called the Ataturk flower. It is a shrub reaching 0.6 to 4m height and bears dark green dentate leaves of 7-16 cm long. The flowers are mostly red with sometimes orange, pale green, pink, white or marbled colors. There are now over 100 cultivated varieties of Poinsettias known at present. The red spotted plant is very popular in America and Europe during Christmas time and is also gaining popularity in the Australian markets. The flowers are available during the month of January to March.
The flower has been rumored to have toxic components . However it can be mildly irritating to the skin and can cause nausea and diarrhea if eaten. The plant is sensitive to ethylene and should be kept away from fruits, exhausts and cigarette smoke. The plant needs to be watered well and should never be frozen for preservation.


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San Francisco: Apple and Samsung will return to federal court in the heart of Silicon Valley Monday for a new round in their seemingly perpetual patent war.
The case concerns smartphone and tablet patents and is just the latest in a long-running feud between the two tech giants, who are battling for supremacy in a multi-billion-dollar market.
"The parties tried hard to accuse each other's latest and greatest products, but US patent litigation is slow, which is why this 2014 trial will be about 2012 and pre-2012 products," intellectual property analyst Florian Mueller said in a post at website fosspatents.Com.
The rivals will face off once again before District Court Judge Lucy Koh in the California city of San Jose.
Koh presided over a trial last year that ended with a jury declaring Samsung owed Apple more that a billion dollars in damages for infringing patents with some older model Android-powered devices.
The damages award was later trimmed to $929 million and is being appealed.
If this new trial goes in Apple's favor, it could result in an even bigger award since it involves better-selling Samsung devices built with Google-backed Android software.
This time California-based Apple is taking aim at Samsung's flagship Galaxy line crafted to challenge the iPhone in the high-performance end of the market.
"Both in the United States and globally, Apple and Samsung have established themselves as fierce competitors in the smartphone market and fierce adversaries in the courtroom," Koh said during rulings on injunctions, testimony and other matters ahead of trial.
Under pressure from Koh, the chiefs of Apple and Samsung engaged in mediation to see if the dispute could be settled out of court, but talks failed.
However, the companies expressed a willingness to keep talking, raising the slim possibility trial could be avoided.
Jury selection is to commence Monday. Koh is allowing each side 25 hours to present evidence to make its case to jurors.
Apple filed the suit against the South Korean consumer electronics behemoth in February 2012 as "one action in a worldwide constellation of litigation between the two companies," the judge said in a ruling.
Patents at issue in the case involve unlocking touch-screens with gestures; automatically correcting words being typed; retrieving data sought by users, and performing actions on found data such as making a call after coming up with a phone number.


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Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenter's anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and internets to bring you everything you need to know to start your day.
• Cam Newton arrived in New York City yesterday for some sort of award presentation which will happen tonight. He apparently sat in a leather chair and was asked for his feelings about his father Cecil, who chose not to attend the ceremony: "It hurts, but that's a decision that he made." [ESPN]
• Patriots LB Brandon Spikes takes cheater drugs, so the NFL suspended him for four games. However, Brandon Spikes claims they weren't actually cheater drugs [Boston Globe]. Here's a carefully worded statement clearly written by Spikes:
"I've been contacted by the NFL and informed that I will be suspended four games for the detection of an illegal substance in a drug test. The substance was a medication that I should have gotten clarification on before taking. It was not a performance enhancer or an illegal drug. The integrity of the game is very important to me. I understand the league's ruling and apologize to my teammates, the fans and the Patriots organization for this mistake."
• After not being able to do so Wednesday or Thursday, Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was able to grasp several balls yesterday. Good for him. Good for the balls. [Star Tribune]
• Cliff Lee is still totally playing hard to get [New York Times]. This has forced Hank Steinbrenner to use a big word.
"For somebody of that stature, it would certainly behoove him to be a Yankee, which would probably be for the rest of his career," Steinbrenner, the Yankees' co-chairman, said during a telephone interview Friday with The Associated Press.
• Clint Dempsey, an American soccer player who plays in the English Premier League, is not for sale. In fact, "Fulham boss rubbishes Clint Dempsey rumours," which means when the transfer window opens next month, other teams who want Clint's services won't be able to buy them. [Sky Sports]
• Scott Lang, the 41-year-old basketball coach at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, collapsed at practice yesterday and died. RIP. [WPXI]
• Manu Ginobli: "I think I've just seen an airplane in flames plummeting! Unless I'm still asleep and its just a dream." [Fanhouse]
• Martina Navratilova tried to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, failed. Choker. [Reuters]
• Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini says, in a prepared statement, "the reports that I am preparing to interview at the University of Miami are false. I will not have any additional comment on this matter or any other rumors." [Omaha World-Herald]
• The police raid Ravens kick returner [ed: fixed!] David Reed's house for drugs. Awesome. [Fox Sports]
• And, finally, from the "Hickey's Biased" coverage files … the mighty Delaware Fighting Blue Hens beat lowly New Hampshire 16-3 last night and advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals. They will beat either Georgia Southern or Wofford next. [News Journal]. Michael Vick has 100,000 more fan Pro Bowl votes than White Jesus [Philly.com].
Good morning. Let's watch Russians dancing to a Creedence cover together. Skrelnick.