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Some members of the Triangle's very active martial arts community will
put their many hours of studies and practice to the test today.
The youths and adults are going to be tested for black belt ranking
during an open house and black belt promotion ceremony being held 10
a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Karate International of Durham.
Visitors are welcome to watch and can register to win door prizes or to
take a free introductory karate class. Parents' bank accounts can get a
break, too.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The VICC.ORG Investigator Directory
John P. Wikswo, Jr., Ph.D.
Gordon A Cain University Professor
A. B. Learned Professor of Living Physics
Professor of Molecular Physiology, Biophysics, Biomedical Engineering, Physics
Director, VIIBRE
VICC Member
Contact Information:
Vanderbilt University Dept. of Physics
6301 Stevenson Ctr
Nashville, TN 37232
Fax: 615-322-4977
Research Specialty:
Development and application of microdevices for instrumenting and controlling single living cells
Research Description:
John Wikswo and his group are at present working in three areas: the study of the linear and non-linear electrical properties of cardiac tissue during stimulation, propagation, and recovery for threshold- and defibrillation-strength shocks; the magnetic measurement of cellular action currents in cardiac and intestinal tissue, as can be observed using SQUID magnetometry; and the development and application of micro- and nano-scale devices for instrumenting and controlling the single biological cell and small populations of cells. His long-term program to understand the effects of defibrillation-strength shocks on cardiac tissue now includes studies of charge and electroporation and molecular diffusion. The magnetic studies of action currents range from determining the information content of the magnetocardiogram in isolated rabbit hearts to the non-invasive diagnosis of intestinal ischemia in humans. The project to instrument and control single cells is addressing issues as varied as the use of cells to identify and discriminate chemical and biological warfare agents by metabolic phenotype; the development and application of BioMEMS (BioMicroElectroMechanical Systems) devices to understand the molecular signaling associated with chemotaxis, cellular motility, angiogenesis, and metastasis; and the nature of the signaling and metabolic activity associated with the immune response.
- Y. Yan, L. Jiang, K.J. Aufderheide, G.A. Wright, A. Terekhov, L. Costa, K. Qin, W.T. McCleery, J.J. Fellenstein, A. Ustione, J.B. Robertson, C.H. Johnson, D.W. Piston, M.S. Hutson, J.P. Wikswo, W. Hofmeister, and C. Janetopoulos " A Microfluidic-Enabled Mechanical Microcompressor for the Immobilization of Live Single- and Multi-Cellular Specimens ." Microscopy and Microanalysis, 20141-151, 2014. DOI:10.1017/S1431927613014037.
- S. Hummel, V. Quaranta, and J. Wikswo " The Biohacker: A Threat to National Security ." CTC Sentinel, 7(1), 8-11, 2014..
- M.S. Shotwell, K.J. Drake, V.Y. Sidorov, and J.P. Wikswo " Mechanistic Analysis of Challenge-Response Experiments ." Biometrics, 69741-747, 2013. DOI:10.1111/biom.12066.
- B. He, R. Baird, R. Butera, A. Datta, S. George, B. Hecht, A. Hero, G. Lazzi, R.C. Lee, J. Liang, M. Neuman, G. Peng, E. Perreault, M. Ramasubramanian, M. Wang, J. Wikswo, G.-Z. Yang, and Y.-T. Zhang " Grand Challenges in Interfacing Engineering with Life Sciences and Medicine ." IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Special Issue on Grand Challenges in Engineering Life Sciences and Medicine, 60(3), 589-598, 2013. DOI:10.1109/TBME.2913,224886.
- J.P. Wikswo, F.E. Block III, D.E. Cliffel, C.R. Goodwin, C.C. Marasco, D.A. Markov, D.L. McLean, J.A. McLean, J.R. McKenzie, R.S. Reiserer, P.C. Samson, D.K. Schaffer, K.T. Seale, and S.D. Sherrod " Engineering Challenges for Instrumenting and Controlling Integrated Organ-on-Chip Systems ." IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Special Issue on Grand Challenges in Engineering Life Sciences and Medicine, 60(3), 682-690, 2013. DOI:10.1109/TBME.2013.2244891.
- S. Chowdhury, P. Svec, C. Wang, K. Seale, J.P. Wikswo, W. Losert, and S.K. Gupta " Automated Cell Transport in Optical Tweezers-Assisted Microfluidic Chambers ." IEEE Transactions on Automated Science and Engineering, 10(4), 980-989, 2013. DOI:10.1109/TASE.2013.2239287.
- J.P. Wikswo, E.L. Curtis, Z.E. Eagleton, B.C. Evans, A. Kole, L.H. Hofmeister, and W.J. Matloff " Scaling and Systems Biology for Integrating Multiple Organs-on-a-Chip ." Lab Chip, 13(18), 3796-3511, 2013. DOI:10.1039/c3lc50243k.
- J. Deng, A. Dhummakupt, P. Samson, J. Wikswo, and L. Shor " Dynamic Dosing Assay Relating Real-Time Respiration Responses of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms to Changing Micro-Chemical Conditions ." Analytical Chemistry, 855411-5419, 2013. DOI:10.1021/ac303711m.
- K. Hines, S. Ashfaq, J. Davidson, S. Opalenik, J. Wikswo, and J. McLean " Biomolecular Signatures of Diabetic Wound Healing by Structural Mass Spectrometry ." Analytical Chemistry, 85(7), 3651-3659, 2013. DOI:10.1021/ac303594m.
- R.A. Gray, D.N. Mashburn, V.Y. Sidorov, B.J. Roth, P. Pathmanathan, and J.P. Wikswo " Transmembrane Current Imaging in the Heart During Pacing and Fibrillation ." Biophysical Journal, 1051710-1719, 2013. DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2013.08.019.
- M.C. Woods. I. Uzelac, M.R. Holcomb, J.P. Wikswo, and V.Y. Sidorov " Diagnostic Field Stimulation: The Role of Shock Duration in Epicardial Activation and Propagation ." Biophysical Journal, 105523-532, 2013. DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2013.06.009.
- R.A. Gray, D.N. Mashburn, V.Y. Sidorov, and J.P. Wikswo " Quantification of Transmembrane Currents During Action Potential Propagation in the Heart ." Biophysical Journal, 104(1), 268-278, 2013. DOI:10.1016/j-bpj.2012.11.007.
- D.J. Alcendor, F.E. Block III, D.E. Cliffel, J.S. Daniels, K.L.J. Ellacott, C.R. Goodwin, L.H. Hofmeister, D. Li, D.A. Markov, J. May, L.J. McCawley, B.A. McLaughlin, J.A. McLean, K.D. Niswender, V. Pensabene, K.T. Seale, S.D. Sherrod, H-J. Sung, D.L. Tabb. D.J. Webb, and J.P. Wikswo " Neurovascular Unit on a Chip: Implications for Translational Applications ." Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 4(Suppl 1), S18, 2013..
- K.J. Drake, V.Y. Sidorov, O.P. McGuinness, D.H. Wasserman, and J.P. Wikswo " Amino Acids as Metabolic Substrates During Cardiac Ischemia ." Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2371369-1378, 2012. DOI:10.1258/ebm.2012.012025.
- W.J. Ashby, J.P. Wikswo, and A. Zijlstra " Magnetically Attachable Stencils and the Non-Destructive Analysis of the Contribution Made by the Underlying Matrix to Cell Migration ." Biomaterials, 33(33), 8189-8203, 2012. DOI:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.07.018.
- W. Georgescu, J.P. Wikswo, and V. Quaranta " CellAnimation: An Open Source MATLAB Framework for Microscopy Assays ." Bioinformatics, 28(1), 138-139, 2012. DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btr633.
- D.A. Markov, J.Q. Lu, P.C. Samson, J.P. Wikswo, and L.J. McCawley " Thick-Tissue Bioreactor as a Platform for Long-Term Organotypic Culture and Drug Delivery ." Lab Chip, 124560-4568, 2012. DOI: 10.1039/c2lc40304h.
- J.R. Enders, C.C. Marasco, J.P. Wikswo, and J.A. McLean " A Dual-Column Solid Phase Extraction Strategy for Online Collection and Preparation of Continuously Flowing Effluent Streams for Mass Spectrometry ." Analytical Chemistry, 84(20), 8467-8474, 2012. DOI: 10.1021/ac3021032.
- R. Yang, S.C. Lenaghan, J.P. Wikswo, and M. Zhang " External Control of the GAL Network in S. cerevisiae: A View from Control Theory ." PLoS ONE, 6(4), e19353, 2011. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019353.
- V.Y. Sidorov, I. Uzelac, and J.P. Wikswo " Regional Increase of Extracellular Potassium Leads to Electrical Instability and Reentry Occurence Through the Spatial Heterogeneity of APD Restitution ." Am. J. Physiol.-Heart Circ. Physiol., 301H209-H220, 2011. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.01141.2010.
- P.R. LeDuc, W.C. Messner, and J.P. Wikswo " How Do Control-Based Approaches Enter into Biology? ." Annu. Rev. Biomed. Eng., 13369-396, 2011. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-071910-124651.
- M.D. Schmidt, R.R. Vallabhajosyula, J.W. Jenkins, J.E. Hood, A.S. Soni, J.P. Wikswo, and H. Lipson " Automated Refinement and Inference of Analytical Models for Metabolic Networks ." Physical Biology, 8(5), 055011, 2011. DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/8/5/055011.
- A.D. Dukes, P.C. Samson, J.D. Keene, L.M. Davis, J.P. Wikswo, and S.J. Rosenthal


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CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Democrat Tim Miley is the new speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates.
The private-practice attorney from Harrison County was elected Tuesday as the House's new leader on a 53-44 vote in a special session called by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.
"It's very humbling and very moving to be elected speaker of the House," Miley said after the special session. "Not everyone gets that honor, and I'm very grateful for having been chosen by my colleagues here in the House."
There was little doubt Miley, 47, who has served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee for the last four years, had enough support heading into Tuesday's special session.
The graduate of Duquesne University School of Law becomes the 56th speaker, replacing former Wayne County Democrat Rick Thompson, who resigned Saturday to accept Tomblin's appointment as cabinet secretary of the Department of Veterans Assistance.
After close to a month of political maneuvering, the Democratic candidates for speaker had come down to Miley and House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White of Mingo County.
With Miley announcing 37 public statements of support from Democratic delegates last week, White said Friday he would support Miley.
Republicans nominated House Minority Leader Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, as speaker. The move was expected but largely ceremonial, as Republicans don't control the majority of seats or votes in the House.
Following House tradition, Miley and Armstead voted for one another.
Delegate Ryan Ferns, D-Ohio, was the only other lawmaker to break ranks, as he voted for Armstead.
Related: Dissenting Democrat wanted to make a point in speaker vote
Republicans Troy Andes of Putnam County, Amanda Pasdon of Monongalia County and Ron Walters of Kanawha County were absent.
Miley told the House he wanted to continue to address issues concerning education, infrastructure and energy. During a speech he specifically talked about higher education and alternatives to a four-year college experience but didn't elaborate on his ideas after the session.
He credited his family, comprised of both Democrats and Republicans, with helping him "see both sides of an issue." At times fighting back tears, he thanked his family and friends for their support.
"When you're standing up there, you realize what an awesome responsibility and an awesome honor it is to be the speaker," Miley said. "It's one of those experiences you don't have very often in life, no matter who you are."
Several delegates thought White would be the one to have that experience Tuesday. Kanawha County Democrat Doug Skaff and Mingo County Democrat Justin Marcum were part of the "young gun" contingency of delegates who said during the speaker campaign that White could unite the newer and more experienced members of the House.
In part of her official nomination of Miley as speaker, House Education Chairwoman Mary Poling, D-Barbour, seemed to take a shot at the faction in a call for unity.
"To all of us, the 100 members of this House, including me: please, let's work to drop all of these labels that continue to be attached to us," Poling said.
"We cannot be successful as a body if we divide ourselves into groups such as the old guard versus the young guns, the status quo versus change, the left versus the right or the liberal versus the conservative. . .I could go on and on," Poling said.


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Barca not dependant on Messi - Iniesta
UEFA Champions League - 11 months ago
Watching: With Lionel Messi facing a late fitness test ahead of the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final, PSG will fancy their chances at the Nou Camp.
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Open Daily
Extended Hours
Enterprise CollectionSKU: 800011214
Up the style factor in your home with the Enterprise Sectional and Cocktail Ottoman. Available in white and charcoal blended leather, the Enterprise features sleek lines, clean tailoring and chrome legs.
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Price: NOW! $997.00


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Microsoft Research
21 Station road
CB1 2FB Cambridge, UK
Tel: +44 1223 479 839
Fax: +44 1223 479 999
Bozidar Radunovic is a Researcher in the Networks, Economics and Algorithms and Systems and Networking groups at Microsoft Research, Cambridge. His research interests are in design and evaluation of computer systems and algorithms with particular interest in wireless communication and algorithms for processing big data.
Bozidar received his PhD in technical sciences from EPFL, Switzerland, in 2005, and his BSc at the School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Serbia, in 1999. He was a PhD student at LCA, EPFL from 2000-2005. Then he did a one year post-doc at TREC, at ENS Paris, in 2006. He also did a 6 month internship in IBM Zurich Research Labs in winter 2004/05. In 2008 he has been awarded IEEE William R. Bennett Prize Paper Award in the Field of Communications Systems.
- Souvik Sen, Bozidar Radunovic, Jeongkeun Lee, and Kyu-Han Kim, CSpy: Finding the Best Quality Channel without Probing, in Mobicom, ACM MOBICOM, September 2013
- Varun Kanade, Zhenming Liu, and Bozidar Radunovic, Distributed Non-Stochastic Experts, in NIPS, Neural Information Processing Systems Foundation, December 2012
- Bozidar Radunovic, Ranveer Chandra, and Dinan Gunawardena, Weeble: Enabling Low-Power Nodes to Coexist with High-Power Nodes in White Space Networks, in ACM CoNEXT, ACM, December 2012
- Souvik Sen, Bozidar Radunovic, Romit Roy Choudhury, and Tom Minka, Spot Localization Using PHY Layer Information, in In proceedings of ACM Mobisys, ACM, 25 June 2012
- Zhenming Liu, Bozidar Radunovic, and Milan Vojnovic, Continuous Distributed Counting for Non-monotonic Streams, in Proceedings of ACM PODS, ACM SIGMOD, 20 May 2012
- Krishna Chintalapudi, Bozidar Radunovic, Vlad Balan, Michael Buettener, Srinivas Yerramalli, Vishnu Navda, and Ramachandran Ramjee, WiFi-NC : WiFi Over Narrow Channels, in NSDI, NSDI, 27 April 2012
- Bozidar Radunovic and Alexandre Proutiere, On Downlink Capacity of Cellular Data Networks with WLAN/WPAN Relays, in IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking, IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking, 2012


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MLS Regular Season
After our last regular season game against Sporting Kansas City, we unfortunately didn't make the playoffs this year.
We were so close but we missed the final sprint to get over the hump. This difficult ending will really motivate us more to redeem ourselves and be in the playoffs next season.
So, enough about talking of the past, now I am focusing in the present and this offseason. What are my plans during this offseason?
We are now at the beginning of November and our preseason should probably start around mid-January so I have two months to prepare myself for the next season.
The most important thing right now for me is to get healthy. At the end of the season, I got an injury in my right foot. I need to recover from this injury before I start any running. So to begin my offseason I am going to rest my body. It's important to stop playing for a little bit, but with my injury I didn't even think about it. I am going to start working out probably at the beginning of December. I usually do a gym workout 3-4 times a week with some running. When we get closer to the preseason I will try to go out on the field and have some fun with the ball, probably go out there with some of my teammates who are already in town.
For most of the time during this offseason I will be staying in the Philadelphia area. My fiancé is from Philadelphia, so I am going to spend both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays here. I already planned to go to France for just few days in November. I will have just a quick visit to see my family and friends.
Our offseason is always during the winter, so I like to find a sunny destination for a week of vacation. I don't know yet where I will go this year but I am planning on it.
I wish you a wonderful time during the Holidays, a happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas!
Thank you for all your support during this season.
Talk you to you soon.
Merci Beaucoup
Sebastien Le Toux No. 11
In this edition of my blog, I am going to look back on the regular season and the best highlights of my team -- and some of my own.
I am going to talk also of the playoffs push for our last for games of the regular season.
It has been a long season and we are now in the last two months of it and it is all very close in the standings.
But let's start from the beginning. First home opener at PPL Park and my comeback in this beautiful stadium playing in my favorite jersey. I could not have dreamed of a better scenario than scoring the opening goal in my first game. This moment will be always in my memory because it was a beautiful feeling that I missed the previous year.
We started the season with a loss at home but got back on track right away with our first win in Colorado. Nobody was betting on us to have a great season and make the playoffs this year after losing our home opener against Sporting Kansas City but I think after winning this away game, lots of people were probably surprised and it gave us lots of positve energy to continue playing this way. In my experience, the way your team kicks off the new season always points to how well you do during the course of it, and after three games we had two wins and just one loss.
During the whole season , we always stayed in the top five of MLS' Eastern Conference standings, which as you know are the spots for the playoffs. And what helped us doing this was to be consistent. We had our best result of the year in the month of June. We were undefeated; in four matches we amassed two wins and two ties. One of those wins was against our big rival the New York Red Bulls.
It was a long time since the Union had beaten New York. It was a great game and we beat them, 3-0. I was very happy after this game, of course because of the win but also because I provided the assist on the last goal by Antoine Hoppenot. Antoine sits next to me in the locker room and is a personal friend of mine.
To see him score his first home goal and be able to give him the assist was fantastic.
This season did not always go the way we wanted, and between the middle of August to the middle of September our results were not the best and we didn't get lots of points. For the first time we lost two games in a row, first in San Jose and the following weekend at home against Houston. Those unfortunate results put us in a bad position and out of the playoffs position.
After the Houston game, the team had a weekend off to recharge our batteries and start the push to finish strong in these last games of the regular season.
And the first of those five games was away in Kansas City. Since our last two bad performances, nobody pictured us winning this game. But all of us in the team knew that we were capable of beating Kansas City on their home field. If we wanted to be a part of the playoffs we needed a positive result here. And that's what we did. We won 1-0. This result put us in the playoff but it is not over yet. There is still a long way to go.
This next home game against Toronto is huge. And after that we are going to D.C. United and Montreal and then the rubber match as it's called at PPL Park on Oct. 26 against Kansas City -- again.
We are going all your support for this final sprint to the playoffs. I know I want to make it and say I helped the Philadelphia Union qualify for the second time.
Talk to you all soon...hopefully at playoff time.
Merci Beaucoup
Sebastien Le Toux, No. 11
Coming off a home win against D.C. United, we traveled to New York. It is our last meeting with the Red Bulls in the regular season and we needed a great performance against a direct opponent for the playoffs. I thought we had one of our best collective performances on defense against one of the best teams in the league. The final score was 0-0. I had a good opportunity in the second half. I received a loose ball in the air, took a good first touch on top of the box and shot from distance. The ball smashed the crossbar but didn't go in. It was our best chance but unfortunately we share the points at the end.
The next weekend we were again on the road. This time we played in New England. We played a very poor first half and New England was in leading, 1-0. We attacked much stronger the second half and quickly tied the game with a goal from Danny Cruz. This goal gave us more energy to continue to attack and after a shot from Sheanon Williams who hit the post, the ball came back right at my shin and I scored. Unfortunately, I was called offside by a foot. After my goal was called back, Conor Casey scored another one. He got to a loose ball in the box after the goalkeeper and their defender collided and found the net. Surprisingly the referee whistled for a foul on the goalkeeper and didn't allow the goal, which in my opinion was totally a good goal.
This wrong call was the turning point of this game and New England took advantage of our team frustration to score few goals. Final score 5-1, this was our worst result of the season.
Back home against Montreal. It's our second meeting versus the Impact. We lost the first 5-3 earlier in the season so everybody was hoping for lots of goals. But the opposite happened, and the game ended 0-0. We had some good combinations offensively but didn't find the net. The highlight of this game for me, was when the Montreal defender, Hassoun Camara, elbowed me in the face 10 minutes into the game. It is the first time that this happen to me, and I was close to getting a concussion, but luckily for me just my jaw and teeth were touched. I remained in the game but felt sore for few days.
Next game was our last long road trip to the west coast in San Jose. It's never easy to play far away from home with three hours difference but we needed to get points here. We didn't get off to the best start and the Earthquakes took the lead early, courtesy of former Union player Shea Salinas. We didn't have much opportunity in the first half but came back more offensive in the second half. Shortly after the half, San Jose midfielder Baca received a red card for a hard tackle. This call helped us to get more opportunities to score but the woodwork was not our friend this game. Twice we hit the post, first with an effort by Keon Daniel and after a header from Sheanon Williams. San Jose stayed strong defensively and we could not score and lost this game.
This was a disappointing result and we needed a big response at home against Houston Dynamo.
We played a very good first half, answering the physical plays form Houston who decided to make this game ugly. But in the first half we should have been up, 1-0. Keon Daniel took a fantastic free kick which went straight into the net, but the referee deemed there to have been a foul on the Houston goalkeeper. It's not the first time this season that we had a goal called back and it changed this game again. Houston scored a header in the second half, off of a free kick. We were unable to respond and lost this very important game.
We are not in the best position right now, tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference. Everything is still possible, but we need a big reaction in the final five games of the regular season to make the playoffs.
I hope I will give you some great news in my next blog.
Thanks for following me and supporting the team.
Merci beaucoup !!
Sebastien Le Toux No. 11
Have you ever suffered a serious knee injury? If so, what steps are you currently taking to ensure that you reduce your chances of hurting that same knee again? The unfortunate part of training and competing in sports is that injuries are a part of the game. Even athletes with the best training program suffer season ending injuries.. A hot topic over the past few years has been knee injuries and in particular ACL injuries. This year alone it's estimated that 100,000 people will suffer an ACL tear with 30,000 of these people being high school athletes. We often hear how females are six to eight times more likely to suffer an ACL injury when compared to male athletes. Having worked with several high school female athletes, I definitely agree that they are at a higher risk due to their lack of stability as well as their overall strength when compared to male athletes. However, I think everyone should make it a point to implement their own program to ensure that they REDUCE their chances of suffering a knee injury.
I stress the word reduce because often time's coaches and trainers tell players that they need to implement an ACL prevention program. Personally I don't like to use that phrase because unfortunately there is no way that you can prevent an injury but you can greatly reduce the chances of suffering a season ending ACL injury with a solid training program. I believe Coach Mike Boyle said it best when he said that ACL reduction is simply "good training". By this what I believe he meant was that a solid year round program is the best medicine for reducing your chances of injury.
When it comes to reducing your chances of suffering an ACL injury here are a few key points that I believe need to be addressed in a solid training program. The tips and videos below do not cover everything when it comes to ACL reduction but if you follow some of these tips you will see good results in your training and more importantly your performance on the field, court or track.
1. Get an assessment from a qualified coach
I would recommend before you start a training program that you get an assessment to see if there are any exercises that you should not be doing. There are many assessments to choose from. Here are a couple that I recommend that you check out:
FMS (Functional Movement Screen)
PRI (Postural Restoration Institute)
If you live near Sewell, New Jersey I would check out endeavorfit.com for your assessment. Kevin Neeld and his staff are excellent when it comes to doing assessments.
2. Start every training program with a good warm-up
A solid warm up should include the following:
Do your best to train in a neutral (pelvis) state. I learned these exercises from PRI (posturalrestorationinstitute.com).
Foam Rolling and movement
Mobility work for your ankles, hips and shoulder
Linear and lateral movements that progressively get faster as you progress the warm-up.
Anterior core training
A good warm-up could be accomplished in as little as eight to ten minutes if done properly. What I tell the athletes and weekend warriors that I work with is that this part of the program sets the stage for the training session. If you have been sitting at a desk all day long and then drive to the gym and jump into a "metabolic class/workout" without a proper warm-up you're asking for trouble. Spend ten minutes warming up to reduce your chances of suffering a knee injury.
3. Learn to land and decelerate properly.
Most non-contact knee injuries happen when we stop rather than when we "take off" (Here is a video of a high school girl jumping at her assessment. Watch as she lands and notice her lack of stability as well as her shin angle when landing (Poor landing mechanics-knee). Before you start any advanced plyometric drills (i.e. repeat box jumps, single leg hurdle hips) I would recommend that you learn to land and stop properly. Here are three exercises that I teach early on in a training program.
It is very important that you learn to absorb force when jumping and landing. The coaching cues that I use for line hops and box jumps are "land soft" and "stick the landing".
4. Improve your overall strength
Most people would see tremendous benefits in their performance by simply implementing weights/bands into their program. I hear it all the time from athletes as well as weekend warriors the reasons why they can't implement strength training into their program. Excuses like "it makes me sore" or "I don't have the time because I am playing five travel games this weekend (that's a problem in of itself and I will talk about in a future blog). I'm sorry I am not buying any of these excuses. Strength training for the average person who is looking to get strong and reduce their chances of knee injuries does not need to be complicated. A solid strength program will include single leg training as well as bilateral lower body movements and upper body movements. For someone looking to start a strength training program here are a few exercises that would lay the foundation for a balanced and strong body.
- Split squats
- Sprinter step up
- Trap bar deadlift side view
- Inverted reach to med ball reach
- Good KB swing
- Push ups
- band pull ups
Knee injuries can change your career in an instant. Even if you have no intentions of ever playing a sport again I would highly recommend that you implement some of the strategies mentioned above. If you are a high school coach or athlete I want to challenge you to take a look at your current training program and see if there are any "holes" in your system. A key point to remember is that you have to go through the proper exercise progressions when training. Personally, I am always looking for ways to make my programs better for the athlete's that I work with. I know I can improve and most good coaches are always looking to get better results for their clients. I challenge you to take your training to the next level and give yourself the best chance to stay injury free.
Good luck!
After a good win at home the week before against Chivas USA, we were going to play another game at home against the Portland Timbers. The Timbers are a very good team this year. They had only lost two games before coming to PPL Park, so we wanted to give them their third loss. In what was a hot and humid night, the score stayed at 0-0. We got some chances to score but their goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made lots of big saves, and kept us off the scoring sheet for this game. It was still a good point for us to take and continue to move forward in the standings.
Next was a game that I had circled on my calendar this year. We faced up against the Vancouver Whitecaps, my old team from last year. I was very happy to travel back there for the first time since I got traded to the New York Red Bulls. During my time there I met lots of nice people, and it was nice to see them again. But what's even nicer is to win against your old team inside their stadium. And that's what I wanted to do the most coming into this game.
The game started very fast and in the first 10 minutes it was pretty physical. My ex-teammate and friend, Jordan Harvey, tackled me a few times and made me remember that I don't like to fall on turf fields. A red card was given to Whitecaps player Jun Marques Davidson for a head butt on Keon Daniel. I was very close to the play, and after the incident I quickly grabbed Keon before he could retaliate and kept him away from all the Whitecaps players. This red card helped us during the rest of the game. With one man up, we kept the ball very well, making the opposite team run a lot. In the last 25 minutes of the game, Coach decided to put Antoine Hoppenot and Aaron Wheeler into the game. This gave us fresh legs to attack and at the 85th minute, Hoppenot started a rush with the ball from the midfield, did a one-two with Wheeler and blasted a left-footed shot into the net. His goal gave us the win, 1-0, and made the trip even sweeter. It was another great performance away from home for everyone.
The following weekend we were back at home to face the Chicago Fire. The Fire changed a lot since we played them few months ago, adding lots of talented players such as Mike Magee and my ex-teammate Bakary Soumare. We started this game very sleepy, and after 10 minutes, Chicago took the lead, 1-0. This goal made us wake up and play better. We came back in the second half with more desire and created opportunities to score.
At the 60th minute, I took a free kick on the right side of the field. I tried to deliver a strong ball in the six-yard box, and Sheanon Williams met my cross and scored a goal in a fantastic acrobatic way. This goal put us back in this game and with the help of our fans, I felt that we could win this game. But Chicago continued to give us problems, and after a loose ball in the midfield, they counterattacked and Magee scored in the 75th minute. This goal really took us by surprise, because we were putting lots of pressure on them and were close to scoring our second goal. But their goal really cut our legs out from under us and we were unable to respond and tie the game. This was our first loss at PPL Park in a while, and we knew that we had a quick turnaround for the next home game against D.C. United. A win was the only thing we thought about during the preparation for this game.
The day after the Chicago game I was back at PPL Park for the Le Toux Sweepstakes with PPL EnergyPlus®.I met lots of incredible kids and we all played games and worked on our technical ability on the field of PPL Park.It was a gorgeous day and I had lots of fun doing it. Playing with those kids that day made me remember how lucky I am to be a professional soccer player, and the fact that I love sharing this with them. I try to be a good example.
The D.C. United game was a must-win for us to stay on top of the standings and in playoff contention. This team had nothing to lose, so it was pretty hard to play against them at the beginning of the game. It took us a few minutes to be totally in this game, but at the 35th minute, Sheanon Williams received the ball on the right side and put in an early cross. I was on the top of the box, and the ball came in my direction. I sprinted a few steps to beat my defender, flicked the ball and it went right at Conor Casey. He took a great touch and scored, 1-0 Union.
Our second goal took a while, but at the 75th minute, I passed the ball to Fabinho on the left side, and with his first touch he crossed the ball to the second post. Conor was at the end of it again, and hit a nice volley in the back of the net. We practiced this action a lot with Fabinho during the week and I am glad it paid off. We won 2-0 and I added my 11th and 12th assists of the year. I am very glad to participate in the goals my team scored.
San Jose is next, but we have lots of big games coming up against Eastern Conference teams. Hopefully, in my next blog post, I will have lots of good results to report on.
Talk to you soon.
Merci beaucoup,
Sebastien Le Toux, No. 11
PPL EnergyPlus, LLC is an unregulated subsidiary of PPL Corporation. PPL EnergyPlus is not the same company as PPL Electric Utilities. The prices of PPL EnergyPlus are not regulated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. You do not have to buy PPL EnergyPlus electricity or other products in order to receive the same quality regulated services from PPL Electric Utilities.
I recently gave a survey to clients that I have trained in the past asking them what are some of the biggest challenges they face when it comes to sticking to a training plan. The number one reason why people fail to stick to a plan, according to this survey, was their inability to find the time to exercise. After reviewing the results I can't say that I was surprised. Our lives are busy. Between parenthood, work, school, social obligations as well as the stressors of daily life it can be difficult to find the time to fit in training.
This week I would like to share with you one of my favorite ways to train if you are pressed for time. This type of training is fantastic for both athletes as well as people looking to lose some fat. The type of training I am talking about is resistance band training. I was introduced to this type of training a few years ago from Dave Schmitz of Resistancebandtraining.com
As a parent of three children I have limited time to train so I was looking for some new ideas when it came to my own training. I enjoy lifting weights as well as running but I was looking for something that could offer both the benefits of strength training as well as provide a metabolic training effect for me. That is when I came across some videos showing the benefits of resistance band training. After watching several videos from Dave I decided to purchase my own set of bands to give this type of workout a try.
After a couple of workouts I was instantly drawn to this type of training. I immediately saw the endless ways that you could incorporate resistance band training into your own program. I also began to feel more athletic with this type of training. The bands that I was using are not your ordinary bands that you see at the gym with plastic handles and thin tubing. These bands are of the highest quality and they offer a training effect that, if you have never used them, will challenge even the best of athletes.
After using the bands for a few weeks I realized that this type of training offers the following benefits. Click the link below to watch the videos for each exercise:
1. The benefits of strength training without having to go to the gym every day.
2. The ability to train at your house, track or park.
Video: Band assisted push up
3. You can perform multi joint strength training movements with just one band.
Video: Band squat and row
4. Fantastic tool for total body power training.
Video: Band front squat
5. Bands offer several ways to incorporate metabolic training into your program.
Video: Band Mt Climber
6. Easy on the joints.
7. Instead of sitting down on a piece of equipment you can perform exercises while standing which will force you to learn to stabilize and move more efficiently.
Video: Band chest press (split stance)
8. A wonderful tool to teach young kids (as well as adults) to learn to decelerate and then accelerate properly.
Video: Band lateral step and decelerate
9. Offers the best way to do pull-ups if you are unable to currently do pull-ups. Video link:
Video: Band pull ups
10. Tremendous tool to use if you need to work on your mobility and flexibility.
Video: Band single leg lowering
Resistance band training offers so many benefits to both athletes as well as weekend warriors. However, like any form of training it's a "tool in your tool box". I still love lifting weight as well as doing other types of training but bands offer a nice change of pace. If you are pressed for time adding resistance bands into your training can offer some unique challenges to your training. If you are just getting started I would recommend that your start off with the single band training package that will provide you with four bands for $52.00 (Click here to purchase the bands: https://rbt.infusionsoft.com/go/bd/kevinm/).
Good luck with your training and if you have any questions or comments feel free to send me an e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com
"Union strength and conditioning coach Kevin Miller is also a featured panelist in the Sports Doc blog http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sportsdoc on Philly.com. For best practices along with additional health and fitness tips, check out: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/
If you were to ask most people what are some of the key factors that determine whether or not their body will respond to their particular type of training you will often get several answers. The majority of individuals would we say that you need to focus on the following:
- Strength training
- Mobility
- Flexibility
- Aerobic training
- Nutrition
- High intensity intervals
- Supplements
I am sure we could add a few more items to the list above but you get my point. I agree that the items that are mentioned above do play a pivotal role in your training as well as your ability to improve your health and transform your body.
However, one of the key areas that is often overlooked by most athletes as well as people looking for peak health is RECOVERY. Over the past couple of years there has been a greater emphasis among coaches to find the best recovery techniques for their athletes. For years athletes have implemented recovery techniques like cold plunges or contrast baths. Runners as well as multisport athletes have reaped the benefits of receiving post workout massages by skilled therapists.
In my opinion, having a strategy that addresses your recovery for every session is just as critical as the workout itself. When we are in the gym we are imposing a stress (i.e. weights, running, etc.) on our body in an effort to change the way we look or feel. Once we leave the gym or finish the workout we often neglect our recovery because "we have to get to work" or "I don't have time to stretch because I need to get to a meeting". All of us are guilty of this and at times it's okay to allow this to happen however, if you really want to maximize your results it's time to implement a recovery plan.
Here are a few of my favorite recovery strategies for both athletes as well as weekend warriors.
Post workout breathing: Instead of using every minute of your workout to spin on a bike or run that last interval cut your workout short by five minutes and perform 10-15 deep diaphragmatic breaths at the end of your workout. The goal here is to go from a sympathetic state (fight or flight) to a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state before you jump in your car to head home. By doing this simple task you will kick start your recovery process and allow your body to return to homeostasis.
Video: Supine breathing /alligator breaths
Have a post workout drink/smoothie: This is a topic that continues to be debated by coaches and athletes. Does drinking a protein shake immediately after a workout speed up the recovery process? For me, I believe the benefits of having a quality protein and carbohydrate shake after a workout (10-20 minutes post workout) does have benefits in terms of carbohydrate recovery as well as hydration. I also believe it has psychological benefits as well. A simple way to implement this is to either make the smoothie the morning of the workout or make one the night before and freeze it if you prefer to have it cold. Either way the smoothie is a much better option than ice coffee and a muffin on the ride home.
Massages: I am big believer in manual therapy. If you listen to experts like Patrick Ward (www.optimumsportsperformance.com) he will tell you that tissue quality is critical to recovery and performance. If you have ever had a massage you know that there are several different kinds to choose from. For starters, I would recommend that you find a skilled manual therapist who can determine what state your nervous system is in (i.e. sympathetic or parasympathetic) and decide what type of treatment is best for you. Most professional athletes have the ability to get a massage 2-3 times per week. If you are on a budget, like most people, try and block out a massage once a month if possible. Another good option is to contact a local massage school and ask if their students have to do clinical hours. This option can be a great way to get a massage once a week.
Epsom salt baths: When I tell most adults about this the first thing they say is "My grandmother use to tell me to do this". The reason your grandmom knew about this is because chances are she was a lot healthier than we are right now and she knew the benefits from a warm Epsom salt bath. The benefits we receive from this are an increase in magnesium (this is good since most of us are deficient) as well as a calming effect to our body. A great time to implement this strategy is before you plan to go to bed. This will help you relax and I can almost guarantee that you will have a great night's sleep by implementing this simple strategy.
Mobility circuit: The majority of men reading this could benefit tremendously from this tip. Instead of heading to the gym and jumping on the treadmill for 45 minutes I want you to focus on a total body mobility program. Chances are if you sit all day at a desk you have back as well as neck pain. I can also guarantee that your hamstrings feel tight all the time. A good mobility circuit can take as little as 10-15 minutes. Here is a sample routine
Warm up with 10 deep diaphragmatic breaths (prone or supine)
- Ankle mobility (Wall ankle dorsiflexion)
- Hip mobility (Groiners)
- Shoulder mobility (Push up w/ T-spine rotation)
- Movement (Single leg A-skips)
Performing a good mobility circuit is a great way to speed up the recovery process as well as reduce DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness).
Meditation: If you had told me a couple of years ago that meditation could help you speed up your recovery I probably would have laughed at you. However, having done a better job of being open to new ideas and educating myself, I now believe that mediation can have a big impact on your ability to recover. Most of us are always on alert. Our minds are always racing from one idea to the next (myself included). In her book Mind Over Medicine, author Lissa Rankin M.D is quoted as saying "When our beliefs are hopeful and optimistic, the mind releases chemicals that put the body in a state of physiological rest, controlled primarily by the parasympathetic nervous system, and in this state of rest, the body's natural self-repair mechanisms are free to get to work fixing what's broken in the body". If you speak to an expert on mediation I am sure that his/her idea of mediation may be different than mine. I am new to the process and like anything it takes time to master this type of treatment. What I would recommend is start with 1-2 minute segments both in the morning as well as the evening before bed. Do your best to focus on your breathing and try clear your head of any negative thoughts. At first this will be very hard to do but as you become more comfortable with your breathing you will start to see the benefits and you can than increase the time spent meditating. The best time in my opinion to do this is first thing in the morning before your day gets too hectic.
A final point to remember is that your body is very smart. It will adapt to the stress placed upon it. So, you need to switch up your recovery techniques every couple of weeks. If you get a massage every day using the same technique although it will feel good it may start to lose some of its benefits. I always recommend that you cycle through your favorite techniques every couple of weeks. I realize that some people will read this and say "Recovery is for wimps, all you need to do is work harder". I honestly use to think that as well, however, trust me when I tell you that having that mindset was one of the worse decisions I ever made. Your body will eventually shut down and if this happens you may eventually find yourself in a deep hole and your chances of injury and illness skyrocket. Be smart with your training. A key phrase that I live by now is "Train hard when your body is ready and rest hard so you can reap the benefits of your hard work."
Good luck!
"Union strength and conditioning coach Kevin Miller is also a featured panelist in the Sports Doc blog http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sportsdoc on Philly.com. For best practices along with additional health and fitness tips, check out: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/
When it comes to your training you should always be looking to finds ways to improve. Many of us who train have a tendency to get stuck in the same old routine. We do the same exercises day in and day out and wonder why we stop seeing results. This week I want to share with you TEN WAYS that you can improve your training.
When I ask most people when they fall asleep the majority of people respond by telling me they are unable to fall asleep before midnight. It's very common for people to tell me that they are unable to fall asleep before 2 a.m. This is a growing problem for a lot of people today. Research has shown that when we sleep our body begins the process of repairing itself. If we are unable to get an adequate night's sleep how can we expect to feel alert and energize for the next day?
One of the easiest ways in my opinion to improve your overall training as well as your body composition is to put an emphasis on your post workout nutrition. A simple way to make this a part of your training plan is to have a protein smoothie already made for when you finish your training session. You can either bring it with you to the gym (freeze it before you come) or have one made when you get home. Whatever you decide adding some protein, carbohydrates and fat to your post workout nutrition will give you a leg up on your competition. I would recommend that you try and drink your shake within 15-30 minutes of completing your workout.
Plain and simple, people train harder if they are working out with someone. Find someone (ideally a friend, coworker or neighbor) who is looking to get in shape and is willing to train with you. Talk about your goals together and make a commitment to train with one another a few days a week. By doing this you will feel a stronger commitment to your training and someone will hold you accountable to your program. Other options include hiring a personal trainer or working out with a small group (i.e. semi-private training)
If you are currently lifting weights than you are one step ahead of a lot of other people who are missing out on one of the best ways to change your body. However, I would be willing to bet that the majority of people who are lifting weights right now are happy with the weight they have on the bar. Instead of being satisfied with the weight on the bar, I challenge you to increase the weight on some of your big lifts (i.e. front squat, bench press, overhead press, etc.) by 5 lbs. this week. The following week shoot for 10 pounds. It goes without saying that you should always focus on good form, however, increasing the weight in small increments is a great way to add some strength as well as some muscle.
I see it all the time. I watch people walk into the gym sit down on the peck deck machine or flat bench and start their chest workout. No warm up just straight into their routine. If there is one thing that I am adamant about it is making sure that all of my athletes and clients perform a proper warm up. The excuse that most people give is "I don't have time". I look at them and say a good warm-up can be completed in as little as 5 to 10 minutes if you do it correctly. The warm-up sets the tone for the training session. Ideally I like to see the following categories covered in a warm-up:
- Alignment (neutral pelvis)
- Proper breathing
Video: Supine breathing /alligator breaths
- Foam rolling
- Movement
One of the easiest ways to feel better with in and out of the gym is to reduce the amount of processed food that you consume on a daily basis. I am going to challenge you this week to eliminate all processed food this week. I am willing to bet that if you do this you will see an increase in your overall energy as well as your ability to recover from one workout to another.
One of the best ways to relieve stress as well as improve your cardiac output is to go for a long brisk walk. Ditch the cell phone and headphones and get outside. The sun on your face as well as the fresh air will do wonders for your body.
Most smoothies you buy at a smoothie store are loaded with sugar as well as fruit substitutes. Instead of wasting your money on high sugar/low protein smoothie try this recipe instead:
- ½ banana
- 1 cup of strawberries
- ¼ cup of beets
- ½ cup of kale
- ¼ cup of frozen mangos
- 1 tbsp. of melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp. of spirulina (This can be purchased at most health food stores)
- 5-6 ice cubes
- Blend for 30-45 seconds and drink up
This week put away the scale and focus on improving your health. Dropping 20 lbs. of weight does not automatically make you healthy. Instead, focus on habits that you can sustain. Examples include getting quality sleep, eating a balanced diet as well as finding ways to manage your stress.
All of us have an athletic side. As kids we use to run and jump; but as we grow older many of us have a tendency to lose our athleticism and ability to generate power. Training like an athlete will automatically increase your power. Here are three exercises that you can do to help you feel like an athlete:
1. Box jumps - Start with a very low box if you have never done this before land soft.
Video: Box jumps
2. Medicine ball throws - I always recommend that you start with a light (2-4 lbs.) medicine ball.
Video: Lateral lunge to shotput-tutorial
3. Transition runs -These runs are best done on a track or a turf field. Start slow and progress.
Video: Shuffle to sprint
If your results have stalled and you want to jumpstart your fitness this month, try adding some of these options to your training plan. You don't need to all of these recommendations at once. Start slow and progress. Remember proper form and progressions are critical when it comes to your training.
Good luck!
"Union strength and conditioning coach Kevin Miller is also a featured panelist in the Sports Doc blog (http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sportsdoc) on Philly.com. For best practices along with additional health and fitness tips, check out: Philly.com/Health
Unfortunately, as a society the overall health and wellness of many Americans is headed down a dangerous road. By the year 2030 over 50 percent of the population is expected to be obese. With illnesses like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome on the rise I can't help but be concerned about the health and future of our kids. While reading the book "The Real Truth About Sugar," author Samantha Quinn states that children as young as six months old are already obese. How is this possible? She states that some infant formulas are as much as 10.5 percent sugar as well as 43.2 percent corn syrup solids (similar to a can of soda). The reality is that if we don't pay closer attention to what we consume on a daily basis we may be putting ourselves and our children at risk for certain health issues.
The good news is that we can have an immediate impact on the health and well-being of our children if we "lead by example". Many of the illnesses that plague us today can be reversed if we acknowledge the problem and face the facts. Let's face it even though our kids might think that their parents are not cool they look up to us. They trust us and as much as they may "fight" us they want us to lead them in the right direction in terms of optimal health. As a parent, I understand the challenges that parents face when it comes to teaching our children how to live a healthy lifestyle. It is our responsibility to ensure that we give them every opportunity to thrive both physically and emotionally.
This week I want to share with you five ways that you can immediately improve the overall health and wellness of both you and your children.
Tip No. 1: Play with your kids 20 minutes a day: It may appear to be rather easy but all of us (myself included) get busy and sometimes spending time with our kids gets pushed to the side. Between work and parental responsibilities the day goes by rather fast. Make it a point to put away your cell phone and head outside and MOVE. If you have little kids play tag. If your kids are older play "hoops", soccer or simply have a catch with them. If your kids don't like sports go for a walk or ride a bike. The goal is to increase your heart rate as well as spend time with your kids.
Tip No, 2: Eliminate soft drinks, fruit juices and most sports drinks: The majority of these drinks are filled with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Although we don't know the immediate impact it has on our health, there is compelling evidence that consistent consumption of these drinks leads to obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and leptin resistance to name a few (FYI, Leptin is the hormone that tells us when we are full). Since HFCS has been created there has been a dramatic rise in a number of diseases and illness in adults as well as kids.
Tip No. 3: Take them food shopping: A great way to introduce kids to a healthier lifestyle is to take them food shopping. Whether you go to a farmers' market or head to your local grocery store, introducing kids to food shopping gives them a greater respect of where their food comes from. Teach them that the perimeter of the store is where you find the healthier options (i.e. fruits, meats, dairy and veggies). Let your children see your food bill so they have a respect for how much it costs to provide nutritious meals for your family.
Tip No. 4: Exercise during TV commercials: As a kid I loved to watch TV. Sure I played lots of sports and was active after school, however, I enjoyed TV just like everyone else. Try implementing this game with your kids. Next time you sit down to watch TV pick two body weight exercises that you can do during the commercials. Make it a game. Keep track of the number of "reps" that you do during the commercial. The best exercises to do for this game would be the following:
- Push ups
- Plank for time
- Body weight squats
- Couch push-ups (This is a great progression if you are unable to do a regular push up. Simply put your hands on the end of the couch and perform a push up.)
Tip No. 5: Get outside and run sprints: Kids love to sprint. They don't want jog. They don't want to do "tempo runs". They want to sprint and play tag. Think about it for a second. Kids have figured out the best way to do "intervals". They run for 5-10 seconds and then they walk. They repeat this for a long time whenever they are at the park or on the playground. Why not do this at home with them and make a game of it. As adults I think we need to "play" more. We need to think back to when a lot of us were in good shape and it often revolves around games. Pick 1-2 days per week and instead of doing a class at the gym play a game with your kids (i.e. touch football, run the bases - do kids even know how to play this?, walk to a park and play hoops).
As parents it's our responsibility to educate our kids on the benefits of living a healthier lifestyle. Times have changed. We all know that kids as well as adults have more distractions which could have a negative impact on our health. The good news is that by taking some small steps you can dramatically improve the health of both yourself and your family. The benefits from the suggestions listed above are many but most importantly you are teaching your kids the importance of health and exercise while at the same time spending valuable time with them.
Have a question for Union strength coach Kevin Miller? Leave a message in the comments below.
After a heavy loss against the defending champion Los Angeles Galaxy, 4-1, we needed a quick turnaround at home against Chicago Fire. Three minutes into the game, I took a corner kick, the ball got back to me and on my first touch I crossed it back in the box. Jack Mc headed it in the goal and we led 1-0 early in the game and it was the final result. This was my fourth assist of the year. It felt good to get a win at home and have a clean sheet before having to road trip in Canada. First stop was at the Eastern conference leader Montreal.
This game was crazy, we lost, 5-3. We made many mistakes in the game but we never gave up and tried to come back on the scoreboard. I scored my 2nd goal of this season, and it was the goal that brought us back to 4-3 and gave us some hope to tie the game in the last five minutes. It came from a Sheanon Williams long throw, as I was waiting on the top of the box. The ball came right at me on my chest, I brought it down on the ground with my right foot and quickly took a shot with my left foot before the defender could block me. I was very pleased with my goal because I did everything right in the execution technically. And it was a long time since my first goal in the opening game so it felt really good.
The week after we flew to Toronto, I don't have much to say about this game. I played as a forward but it was a very frustrating game for me because I didn't touch the ball much and at the end I was not really happy with my performance and I think the team overall felt the same way. We tied the game 1–1 in the last minute on a goal by guess who? Jack Mc again. It was his 10th goal of the season. Now it was time to come back home and host the Columbus Crew.
We were very motivated to get three points for the game before having a little break. We played an amazing first half with three goals and that ended up being the final score, 3-0. We definitely needed a win like that at home for our fans and for our confidence. It showed us that our team is capable of that type of performance. In this game I got credited for two assists. The first one came from one of my corner kicks and Sheanon Williams scored his first goal of the season with an acrobatic finish.
The second began with great pressure from our forwards, I anticipated the pass to the left back and stole the ball from him. I pushed forward with the ball, entered the box on the right side and saw Conor Casey making a run into the first post. He did a great finish with a diving header. I started this game as a right midfielder and I think that I played my best game of the season so far and I hope there are more to come.
Thank you for your support, I'll talk to you soon.
Merci beaucoup!!!
Sébastien Le Toux, No. 11


text:
Often film sequels are slam dunks at the box office, a seamless continuation from where a previous hit left off.
But as the new installment of the 15-year-old franchise "Men in Black" proves, getting to the big screen isn't always a cakewalk.
Often film sequels are slam dunks at the box office, a seamless continuation from where a previous hit left off.
But as the new installment of the 15-year-old franchise "Men in Black" proves, getting to the big screen isn't always a cakewalk.
One of the most troubled productions in recent Hollywood memory, Sony Pictures' latest movie in the Will Smith-Tommy Lee Jones sci-fi-comedy franchise encountered multiple script rewrites, a discontented star and a three-month production shutdown as writers and studio executives scrambled to fix a project that nearly fell apart.
By the time it was over, the studio had run up a tab of nearly $250 million — making "Men in Black 3" one of the most expensive releases of the summer.
Opening Memorial Day weekend, the film known as "MIB3" faces formidable marketing challenges given that the last sequel came out a decade ago. That means an entire generation of youngsters never saw an "MIB" in theaters, and the bar for summer event pictures has risen considerably by such high-octane spectacles as current mega-hit "The Avengers."
Nonetheless, Sony and the filmmakers are confident that their 3-D movie will lure families, fans of Smith, and those with fond memories of the franchise — an optimism backed up by pre-release research.
Regardless of its commercial fate, the rocky production path of "Men in Black 3" shows that, contrary to the common perception, sequels are neither simple undertakings nor safe bets.
"With something like 'Men in Black,' a sequel is actually more difficult than the original," said Walter Parkes, who has produced all three of the films. "The challenge is to be fresh and original but also deliver on the core values of the franchise."
When "Men in Black 2" came out in 2002, it grossed nearly $150 million less than the 1997 original and was panned by both critics and fans, leaving a sour taste for many moviegoers. Even the filmmakers acknowledged the last movie was flawed.
It was a family trip to Southeast Asia about three years ago that convinced Parkes "Men In Black" still resonated around the world when he spotted locals watching the original movie on TV in an airport. Smith, meanwhile, had a long-gestating concept for a new movie involving time travel (in "Men in Black 3," his character, Agent J, jumps back to 1969 to team with a young version of Jones' Agent K, played by Josh Brolin). Eager to revive the franchise, Sony executives hired screenwriter Etan Cohen, hot off the success of the action-comedy "Tropic Thunder," to write the script.
Picking a director, though, wasn't easy. Smith and executives were leery about bringing back Barry Sonnenfeld, who made the first two installments, because of conflicts on the set of "Men in Black 2," according to a person familiar with the discussions who was not authorized to speak publicly. In a lawsuit filed against his former agents over commissions, Sonnenfeld said Sony considered other directors for "Men in Black 3" before bringing him on. But he ultimately convinced all involved that he had a strong vision for the film. He was paid under $10 million — less than half the fee he collected on the first sequel, according to the lawsuit.
Sonnenfeld declined to comment for this story. A Sony spokesman said Smith was not available.
With Smith and the other talent lined up and a sizable New York City tax credit that was available only before the new year, Sony rushed the movie into production in fall 2010 despite not having hammered out all the plot elements.
"Obviously, going into production without a finished script was not ideal," said Doug Belgrad, president of Sony's main film label, Columbia Pictures. "But we had a huge degree of confidence based on the fact that it's a sequel and the creative elements involved … were not going to wait forever."
As production moved ahead on scenes placed in the present day, Smith grew more vocal about his concerns over the portion of the story that was set in 1969 that was to be shot after the Christmas holidays, said a person close to the matter who declined to be identified because it could jeopardize his relationship with Sony.
Smith's clout and status as one of the world's biggest superstars had grown considerably since the first movie, for which he didn't even get top billing. The studio hired multiple writers to rework the historical scenes.
To accommodate the rewrites, a holiday break that was intended to last two weeks was extended to mid-February and then again to March. Much of the crew was retained during that time, adding millions of dollars to an already hefty budget. Belgrad, who spent many more weeks on set than he typically does, said getting to the finish line was complicated by having to balance various creative elements into the story — a buddy comedy with ray-gun fights with slimy aliens, references to pop icons Lady Gaga and Andy Warhol, and a new emotional back story.


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Everything was fine with the hotel, nice room, bed was cozy, etc. The only issue I had was that upon arrival when asking for a room with two double beds they informed me there was a $10 change fee. I reserved the room through Priceline and while making the reservation they never gave me the option to request a room with a double bed, if they did, I didn't see it. All in all it was only $10 but it was the principle and next time I am in Columbia, I won't be staying for this reason.
- Also Known As:
- Holiday Inn Columbia East Hotel
- Holiday Inn Columbia East Hotel Columbia
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Columbia, MO Hotel's Location Delights Mizzou FansWhen driving into Columbia, end your journey at the Holiday Inn® Columbia - East hotel and enter a world of warm hospitality and incredible convenience. Situated off I-70, only six miles from the University of Missouri and the unique downtown area known as The District, this hotel is an inviting home away from home in Columbia.In addition to the hotel's accessible location, guests also appreciate its beautifully sophisticated, modern design that transforms an ordinary hotel stay into a memorable vacation. The hotel's corporate guests can work efficiently thanks to free wired and wireless Internet access and the 24-hour Business Center. Major corporations, such as Shelter Insurance, State Farm, Kraft Foods, IBM and ABC Laboratories, are all within 10 miles of the hotel, making travel a breeze. If you need to host your own event, you can use one of the hotel's three meeting rooms.In Columbia, MO, exciting urban fun abounds! You can hear fabulous live music at The Blue Note, splurge at The Mall in Columbia or sip wine at the gorgeous Les Bourgeois Vineyards. For outdoor fun, show off your swing at Lake of the Woods Golf Course, just one mile from the hotel's location. Columbia, Missouri also hosts enjoyable annual events, such as the Show-Me State Games and the Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ Festival.After a busy day, return to the hotel to relax in the heated, indoor pool and whirlpool or work out in the 24-hour Fitness Center before indulging in a delicious meal at Kem's Restaurant. Book now to enjoy this inviting hotel's excellent location in Columbia, Missouri. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with IHG, Expedia, Booking.com, Travelocity, Priceline, Agoda, TripOnline SA, Orbitz, Hotels.com and Venere so you can book your Holiday Inn Columbia East reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.


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Girls - HatsObermeyer Patchwork Knit Hat in Electric Blue$28.00Item # 4330 This is a knit hat that coordinates with the jackets, pants, fleece and accessories from Obermeyer's "Teen Girls" Collection this season. Hand-knit from 100% supersoft acrylic, there is a fun over-sized pom-pom on top, and and it is lined with micro fleece. |
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Proof and Proving, the solo project from Brian Dougherty from Giving Chase, has posted the recently released Humility In The First Person for download on the project's Bandcamp page. By heading to the site, fans can download the album and choose how much they want to pay for it. Proof and Proving's first release is available from the website as well.
Jump Start Records (3 comments)
Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
cmbrodzina (December 30, 2010)
Brian's uber-talented and knows what he's doing... check his stuff out. |
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2K Marin 'essentially' shut down, sources claim
The Bureau and BioShock 2 developer has confirmed staff reductions, but full closure is expected.
The Bureau Hanger 6 R&D DLC detailed
Takes place shortly before Agent Carter's adventures in the main game.
UK Video Game Chart: Saints Row 4 is No.1
Splinter Cell: Blacklist takes second place, followed by Disney Infinity.
Surprise! The Bureau is the full XCOM experience
Why XCOM fans should find a lot to love in 2K Marin's take on the franchise.
The Bureau's first DLC is exclusive to Xbox 360
Narrative-driven DLC planned for all formats, says 2K.
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified - Fighting The Future
After multiple delays, a critically-acclaimed title in the interim and the looming presence of the next-generation, is XCOM out of time? Steve Burns went hands-on to find out.
This is what happens when you dial the phone number in The Bureau: XCOM Declassified's trailer
Message awaits on the end of mystery phone number. But did you spot the hidden Sectoid?
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will be released August 23
Third-person tactical shooter from 2K Marin, the team behind BioShock 2.