text:
For those who remember the original, don't bother. For those that feel like reading 7000 pointless words, carry on. There are "more" paragraphs, some cleaned up language (and hopefully most error's), and what not. Plus, if you like CCR, this is the post for you. Again, carry on.
Left a good job in the city, Workin for the man every night and day, And I never lost one minute of sleepin, Worryin bout the way things might have been. Big wheel keep on turnin, Proud mary keep on burnin, Rollin, rollin, rollin on the river.......
Left a good job in the city, Workin for the man evry night and day, And I never lost one minute of sleepin, Worryin bout the way things might have been. Big wheel keep on turnin, Proud mary keep on burnin, Rollin, rollin, rollin on the river.......
I think it's fairly clear that pretty much everyone who thought Houston was a trade partner at this stage of the game to be zero. I know I thought Houston had given up on their acquisitions end because they were limited in what they could do. Maybe, I just simply took Daryl Morey at face value. My mistake. I always knew the Rockets had the best possible potential outcome for the Kings to be successful in a trade, but I just had given up on them after Morey's statement in regardst to taking limited and measured steps. Apparently, and the price the Rockets paid suggests this, what is apparent is that acquiring Artest is in fact a measured step for the Rox. So without further ado, and if you thought this was a long opening paragraph, you clearly haven't read anything I've written before. I suggest grabbing 3 or so beers.
4 months and 9 days ago I called Geoff Petrie Don Quixote. I meant it then, and I stand by it now. The only difference between Eddie Najera, JR Smith and Denver's 1st round pick (20th overall as it turned out), was that Donte Greene seems to be a true sleeper/potential stud. But that could be argued about JR Smith too. I don't really mind that Petrie passed up Denver, but I do mind that Artest stayed on the team after the deadline. It was a mistake, and now the team had to deal with the consequences. And to quote myself if I may:
I leave with this. If Petrie thinks his options improve over the summer in sign & trades he's obviously mis-reading the market. That's entirely inept to believe Artest's value will raise over the last 30 games because he will play well or whatever. It's also equally faulty logic to assume that Petrie's vision of losing Artest for anything less than premium value is a sound strategy, unless he's absolutely mandated by the Brothers/family, to shed salary in avoiding luxury tax. If you consider re-signing Beno Udrih, a priority for me, then why would you put it at risk by not allowing the team to have certain distance from luxury tax next season by not trading Ron Artest?
The only thing I've flip flopped was on the signing of Beno Udrih, and I flip flopped several times in days leading up to it. I'm satisfied with the signing, but I also was concerned about the money total at the time. I still am actually, but I'm hoping, like Kevin Martin, Beno will play into his contract. That's the only hope any of us have that the contract is worth it after years of so many bloated and unmovable contracts on the roster. And, 4 months and 9 days later, Petrie basically got what he was offered by Denver with a slight edge in the draft pick (that he had the same advantages with in 2008 that he will have in 2009), and JR Smith for Donte Greene. He got nothing better, and his patience didn't bring about anything. I'm curious why the change? Was it Artest? Was it Martin? On to the next point.
We (StR) spent days, and days, and days, arguing what type of value and which teams it would come. Hell, just yesterday even, I got into as close as I could get, in a bitter argument with Savage Beast over some fairly minor details. For example: What kind of value Artest should fetch in return; and the like. You know what? I was right, but just not at the scale any of us (fans) were hoping. It was actually lesser value than what we were arguing. I was hoping that the Kings would be able to dump Kenny Thomas (who doesn't around here?), along with Artest and get some cap room for 2009 along with a draft pick. It didn't happen, and as the JA Adande link says above, the Kings are apparently going after the 2010 Free Agent class. Whoopee.
I still think Cleveland, unlike LA, had the best options to aquire Artest. I do think, though, there are only 3 ways they don't acquire him.
- Mike Brown was unsure how to use Artest offensively
- Danny Ferry wasn't able to keep a dialogue with Geoff Petrie, or didn't want to, dating back to not being able to acquire Mike Bibby
- Dan Gilbert overruled the aforementioned 2 because he didn't think spending the extra money would put the Cavaliers over the top
- LeBron overruled everybody and told the organization that he thought Ron-Ron was a better rapper than him and it offended him
Okay, everything but 4 is (totally) serious, but even then, when you consider that everything Gilbert has done was to "satisfy" LeBron, then it's an important point to remember. No matter what Gilbert does, LeBron will always matter more to that Cleveland franchise because there is one of him. There are other owners who would be willing to spend what Gilbert is. Maybe not alot, but there are some.
As far as LA was concerned I think that was fueled by 3 things:
- The Lakers desire to be a bigger part of the news than the Clippers
- Management, primarily owner Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak, wanted to send a message to Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol that soft play when it counts won't be tolerated
- Because Jerry Buss is very conscious about paying luxury tax, he didn't want to take the risk of dealing with Artest under that situation
I don't know whether Cleveland or LA ever came into play, but clearly Morey and Adelman took their shot. If I may I'm going to suggest a couple reasons why they feel Artest is all reward and little risk. One is fairly simple. If Greene isn't ready to contribute right away and get minutes on a title contending team when healthy, then it's going to be hard for Adelman to be willing to play him. After all that organization is in "winning a ring mode." Playing Greene is not the most likely avenue to winning that ring. Plus, there is also the added bonus of the "Gerald Wallace problem" at some point coming into play. And by that I mean you have him for 3-4 years, and you're no longer a championship team, and he isn't a superstar, but he wants that type of money, and hasn't really proven much, and has given the team a problem or two about PT and various other small things not known to virtually anyone but the franchise, and it blows right into "100% hassle." These types of things happen in the NBA. That's why Gerald Wallace is in Charlotte right now. (That and they coughed up too much dough to keep him. Kevin Martin or Gerald Wallace is always how I look at. Who would you choose today?)
Last night listening to Jim Kozimor's show he had the Radio Voice of the Rockets on, Craig Ackerman (I think that's his name), and he said the Rockets gave up nothing to get a top tier player. Well, in a sense I agree with him. The Rockets didn't have to give up any of their more prized veteran talent to get Artest. After all, how was Shane Battier going to help the Kings next season? The Kings, after all, did okay with the return for what they get. In the end, if nothing else, the franchise didn't take a uni-lateral step back just to deal Artest away. In a sense when Indiana delt Artest in 2006, Indiana experienced these uni-lateral moves in the following summer after jumping through many hoops to return Al Harrington to the franchise. I think the Kings got the better end of the deal, and Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird aren't "el stupido if" you get the drift. (In hindsight, on Dec 26th 2009, maybe they aren't so hot.) The Pacers were screwed far worse in the wake of Artest's antic's withd the brawl in Detroit still fresh in many minds by the summer of 2007. (And, in hindsight, still to this day. That will follow Artest throughout not only his career, but his remaining years on Earth. Seems to me it's a lot of legacy for a loon like Ron-Ron to carry around.)
Seems like a very long time since Ron got arrested about 17 months ago. (Note: this was actually a post before Ron got arrested that day. That crapola thread existed later at some point. It's in the archives on March 5 2007 if you wanna chase it down. I don't. But here is a great post, and a great comment by Louis MG--hope you're still lurking dude--about how Artest's arrest over-shadowed Kevin Martin's winning Player of the Week.) It's been even longer since I first posted on TZ's old blog: Sac Kings Blog. (I shudder at the memory of how poorly written that stuff was. And I'm talking about my comments not Tz's writing.) StR has been on SBN for so long now it's hard to remember SKB ever existed. I was bored the other day, so I tried to look it up, and now it's even disappeared. It's okay, but I wish I had archived some of my comments about Bibby, Peja, Adelman and other things. Oh well. The long and the short of this is that after 3 years, and then some, the Kings are at the same place they were after the Webber trade. The franchise has treaded water since, not a total surprise, and now they've started the blow it up phase now that Artest is no longer on the roster. So where do they go?
That is the ultimate question isn't it? Where do the Kings go now that Artest is gone? Who do they trade? What kind of value are they looking for? I suppose that's a matter of opinion, but here's mine.
First, whatever you do, you don't take on longer contracts unless it's a superior player, and a fairly superior one at that, in the next several years. You do your best to keep your cap flexibility for 2010. Whether that culminates in the signing of a Free Agent (a very overrated action IMO), or a Marcus Camby type deal where a trade exception is created for the team giving up the player, or the Kings simply creating more cap room for the amount of mass talent they've decided to stand pat with. Cap Room is not about signing the LeBron's of the world. Let's not kid ourselves. LeBron is not coming to play in Sacramento. So let's not worry about it.
Second, and this is a fairly important second, you don't get over-eager because Tracy McGrady becomes available. Or an older player such as that, and you don't let your Vegas boy, 6 thou wine drinkers at that, make decisions. It's not decisions they make well. Joe and Gavin are not George. Joe and Gavin are figureheads. George is running the biggest part of their operation in Las Vegas. There is a far greater difference. It's one reason the family makes decisions. Joe and Gavin aren't trusted to make them. Families don't make decisions because they want to get together and play dominoes while getting shit faced. They do it to protect themselves against poor decisions by inner-factions against their knowledge. Have you ever listened to Joe Maloof after Rick Adelman got fired? (There are mp3 files that an older poster Pyro posted while she still posted here. She has since stopped posting too. If you want some of the mp3 files they are halfway down the comments to scroll down. Big up's again to her for posting them and recording them. They are a goldmine and a ton of insight to the Maloof's, Rick Adelman, Grant Napear and Mike Lamb to an extent, and even Elston Turner. It's worth hearing if you never have. But, to be fair, at this point it's mostly for historical content.) The bottom line is that ownership is there to ask questions of their basketball employee's, and create fiscal discipline. They're not there to create trades, and if they do they better have basketball background similar to Al Davis when he became owner of the Raiders, and now Al has lost his touch so it doesn't make a difference, or sit in the background and cheer like fan's. Otherwise, they're not much good in this whole rigmarole. But, after all, they cut the checks and it's hard to tell someone paying you to go fuck themselves. Hence the single most difficult conondrum of pro sports. Ownership that let's their people do what they need to, and have an open and honest relationship, which I think Geoff and the Maloof family have, tends to increase the likelihood, not to mention stability, of a franchise.
Geoff Petrie is an enigma wrapped in a mystery in a tomb in ancient Egypt. Nobody really knows what the guy is thinking, and when he says things like "we've had talks with them yes", especially when a trade is finished on "principle", then his "crypticness" tends to be a tell. After all GP's not saying anything about the Lakers gave way to a strong indication nothing was brewing there. The reason I know? Because he doesn't respond to rumors. This is years of watchng the guy work from afar. No other teams were bandied about except Detroit, and I'm sure those talks died quickly because they didn't have the package Houston did. Petrie's strength's are rather obvious. He's patient, and he drafts well. He's killed a ton of teams in this league on trades, although Geoff has given up talent, and the mix of players he put together was the actual success of the players he traded for, and that's not necessarily anything another team can do about. But team's also like to spin PR as positive as they can to get fans to buy tickets, jersey's and the like. If fans believe, accurately or not, that Geoff Petrie raped your team, it might make ownership or your management reluctant to deal with him. That's what I've seen written about Billy Beane. (This is bullshit but that's just something I know to be true--want an example? The A's trade Nick Swisher to the White Sox for some of their better prospects. Okay that's a good deal, except the A's have done a terrible job drafting. So when you trade your major league players to re-stock your farm system, you're doing one thing to cover another where you've failed. In Geoff's case it's not that simple, but you get the idea.) Actually I'm fairly thrilled most A's fans believe Billy is still the GM because I'm not sure how many of them would be stoked on the news that Forst is the actual GM, and has been since 2006. Oh well, not the place here for that. I'm just making an analogy. And the point about Petrie is simple: He makes excellent trades for the most part, Bibby is the best example, and Artest to a lesser extent, but GP has his criticism's too. Ignoring these criticism's is something akin to heeding bad advice. (I think.)
Anyone who has ever witnessed an argument between Otis and I goes something like this:
Me: The Maloof's have done more damage with their negotiating skills. Otis: How can you blame the Maloof's for that? Not everything is their fault you know. Petrie's job is to negotiate contract's and if they're poor contracts, that's on Petrie.
Meh, Otis has a point and a point that shouldn't be ignored. Petrie does the bulk of the negotiating, as he should, but ultimately GP is the guy who signed the players to the bulk of the contracts. Unfortunately though, and I'm not alone as Ron-Ron's email hysteria on the eve of Baron Davis arriving back home to Anaheim North suggests, Ron-Ron really believed that the Maloof's would negotiate a fair contract extension if he didn't opt out. I wasn't, sadly, the only one who noticed this, but when Joe Maloof goes on the air and insinuates, your millionaire's club pays attention. You don't have to own a PhD to understand that if you don't terminate your contract early, the team MUST negotiate a contract extension with you. And Ron honestly believed that. What Ron didn't get, and I'm not exactly sure why, is that wasn't Joe's call to make. That was Geoff Petrie's. He made the call, and Ron got mad because he knew was screwed. (Artest shouldn't be that mad. He's making more money that he could have gotten via either a sign or trade or an open market deal. Josh Smith couldn't get paid, and it took Luol Deng and Emeka Okafor to get their deals after several weeks of tough negotiating to get deals Deng and Okafor were at least interested in, or felt worth with, to sign. What's the odds in that environment that Artest gets a deal he thinks he's worth? Then again, that's another problem with Artest. I think we've gone over that enough.) Now that Artest is in Houston, and making 1.5 million more than any MLE deal he would have most likely had to accept, then one can say his moving to Houston is a positive career move. Petrie isn't taking his lumps for this deal either.
Ron has worn his welcome out, and has for roughly a year and half. Nobody was gonna cry the day he was traded, and the day is come, and guess what, nobody is crying. Geoff Petrie had nowhere to go but up with a deal like this because there was no way he was going to win a Ron Artest sweepstakes. GP knew it, and every NBA GM knew it. So Geoff did what he does best. He assesses damage and works quickly as possible to alleviate the pain. That's really what he is. He's the battlefield medic of NBA GM's. When he came to the Kings they had Mitch Richmond, Spud Webb, Walt "the Wizard" Williams--he of the one left to right crossover my now 89 year old grandmother could have guarded-- and the 8th pick in the draft that ended up being Brian Grant. (It was either Grant, Vin Baker or Eddie Jones. Had BG stayed healthy I take him in a heartbeat. But it's really a flip of a coin and Eddie Jones had the longer career. I'm just making a point.) There are more options today. For one thing Kevin Martin doesn't have the time Mitch Richmond did. For another Kevin is better paid with better representation. (One of the most underrated things in Sacramento era history is how Mitch's contract status over the 6 years spent in the EC ended up hurting and helping the team in the short and long run.) For another Petrie's acquired all the players on the current Kings team. He isn't dealing with the messy leftovers that Jerry Reynolds left him that he inheritated from Dick "I've got a championship ring how many do you got?" Motta. ("Coach, I've got two. Maybe they should listen to me."-- God Bless that smartass Danny Ainge.) And that is the point. Yesterday effects today which effects tomorrow which effects 2 days from now. It's always inter-connected, and no matter how many arguments ensue, it's always important to remember the past to be able to gauge the future with a better feel.
Are the Kings better off than they were in 1994? Yeah, for alot of reasons. Jim Thomas isn't the owner anymore is probably the 2nd biggest reason. There's a stronger salary cap preventing the Kings from losing any young stud in free agency provided they aren't the dum dumb's aka Atlanta Hawks, and negotiate properly with their young talent. You have Geoff Petrie who has a firm handle on where he wants to take this franchise. If it's let the young talent grow with the older "young" talent like Garcia, Martin, Salmons and Udrih, than I say so be it. That's a better plan than Minnesota has, and they've got a pretty good starting point in Al Jefferson and Kevin Love potentially. In the salary cap age, foresight is the most incredible thing to have. (Or in any age. But who counts? Hindsight is nice, yes?) But, and this is a rather big butt, it's also important to get luck. Every championship team has had it. Every single one. The Celtic's of the 50's and 60's. Anybody here know how the C's got Bob Cousy? They got the short end (or so they thought at the time) of a dispersal draft because they thought he was some New York swingin dick showboat who couldn't lead a team after watching him play 4 years at Holy Cross. Guess Red Auerbach ain't perfect huh? The point is that when the Celtic's got him their franchise's fortunes changed, and having made that type of mistake, it taught Auerbach to think out of the box. (Something did.) 17 championship's later, and one motherfucking famous parque, it's safe to say the Boston Celtic's have done as much as anything basketball "team" to shape the history of basketball in the world. That's important to remember. It's almost important to remember that Auerbach worked at it too. Petrie still has touch to run this team. Sure, people like Carl were frustrated. Shit, so was I. I stopped watching the Kings after the trade deadline because I got tired of Ron Artest on the floor. I wanted him gone, and it was practically impossible to stomach watching him game in & game out as the Kings wound down the season towards a high lottery pick that was slated to not make the impact that a top 5 or 7 pick probably would have. But, and this is a rather big but, one way would define luck is to have a player who drafted at 12th overall ends up being a superstar and the best player drafted in several years. That would be one definition of luck, yes? Am I saying Jason Thompson will be Karl Malone? Hell no minions don't be Corky from "Life goes On." At the same time it's always possible. With young players you just don't know. And who knows about Greene? He showed some promise in Summer League too. (Or Bobby Brown. Didn't he show that at least when you combine his feats in Berlin?) It may be that Reggie Theus turns out to be a better coach of young players than he is of bitchy, enigmatic, mercurial veterans. Luck, intelligence, foresight, keeping in touch with history, and paying attention are how teams win rings. It's quite possible the Kings could be back at some point. It's sure as hell better to contemplate the future now that Neutral has left the building isn't it?
If you move Reef (or have his salary taken off with a medical retirement), then you've lost his salary starting next season. That's a good thing. If you can trade away Kenny Thomas with either John Salmons or Bobby Jackson that's a good thing. Especially if you cut that salary in half with a quality player coming in return. With options Geoff Petrie can make things happen. He can decide to negotiate an extension with Francisco Garcia rather than letting Garcia decide he wants to go the Josh Childress route. (This should be a concern for the Kings. Cisco speaks Spanish. He goes to the Spanish League and makes big bucks, that's a problem for the KIngs if they want to get tough with negotiations with him. That's not a road I'm interested in seeing the Kings take.) I have said that the 2 biggest priorities are trading Ron Artest and signing Cisco to an extension. Well, the first priority happened, and it's time to work on the Second. Trades with GP happen in a 24 hour span, but negotiations for contracts can take weeks. So why not start the process now? Or at least in mid-August. It's safe to say, though, that if Cisco isn't extended by training camp, unless he wants to be in Restricted-Free Agency (RFA) next off-season, it's a failure on the Kings part to keep their young core together. A trade with Artest that certainly helps move the team in that direction when trading Artest was one purpose of reaching that goal. It's one thing to want a guy gone; it's quite another to do so with a purpose, and I believe it's very possible the Kings have done that. Sure it's not perfect or anything, but that's the real world. The NBA can be tough to trade certain types of players, and if you're trading Dwight Howard, is there a big equal of his talent? If he's the best big man in the world who is going to match him? (How many big man do you think it would take to combine Dwight Howard? Mental exercise to keep you sharp. So keep up people.) Hence, why trading Artest was so difficult. Not only was he difficult to trade from a personality standpoint, he was also so underpaid that it made a limited select market on who was going to acquire him. Either you acquire Artest and receive an overpaid crap-pile like Kenny Thomas, or you trade a mid levelish player like Bobby Jackson with a young player and draft picks. Petrie didn't have a lot of options with Artest unless he was making more money. And unfortunately, that's what made Artest so appealing to begin with. He is underpaid.
214 nailed it last night: "Kevin Martin, line 1 holding for you. Your destiny is calling". Absolutely nailed it. (Repeating yourself consistently is one surefire way to attract people. Just look at FOX News. Heh, couldn't help it.) TZ, nailed the whole full circle thing too. Actually he pretty much nailed all of it, right down with the picture and Shakespeare-esque (if not him some classic writer I'm sure I've never read) writing. Now the Kings can dump a Mikki Moore for cap room. (Or not as it were. One of the things we learned last Feb was that Mikki had an actual trade kicker in his contract. I'm not sure what's more offensive now: The fact that Mikki got signed to that contract or the fact that the Kings gave Mikki Moore a trade kicker! Discuss....) Now moving Bobby Jackson and trying to attach Kenny Thomas to any deal may be easier particularly at the deadline or sometime during the season. There are alot of things that are possible when teams are openly and actively seeking deals. The closer it gets to 2009 is the closer Kenny Thomas has some (as much as a crap-pile can have) to trade value. I'm game for that. In fact who isn't? (I would venture to say there isn't many community enforced rules, but disliking Kenny Thomas is definitely near or top of the list.) Finding out about Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson would be nice. Do they have all-star talent? Are they consistent contributors to a title team? Do we have these answers on July 30th. No, of course not. Why would we expect to? But I know one thing if I know nothing else. There is no way the Kings can find out answers about their young talent and future spending every day catering to the whims of a Queensbridge madman on the loose in the Evil Cowtown. You can't do it. Reggie Theus had to spend time, and massaging his own ego simultaneously, defending Ron Artest publicly. He did such a poor job that it ended up turning the whole franchise's head. What Reggie ended up doing was waking up the ownership to just how difficult a PR cover up job Ron Artest really is for a team in transistion mode like the Kings are. Frankly, and I don't think TZ has gotten enough credit for this, but in SpringTime 07 he did an interview with Bill Bradley, then an editor, and still may be today, about the type of web coverage the Bee did. Ever since TZ leveled fair and honest criticism's it has gotten better.
For those who don't think members of the Kings organization read this blog you're wrong. They most certainly and definitely do. It's one forum, a fairly unusually intelligent forum, and compendium of opinions that pretty much hit every Kings issue under the sun. When a community accomlishes this, and doesn't enforce specifically and spectacularly one sided idea's that only partially reach the point that the enforcment is looking to seek, than the point of having an opinion is lost. Did StR force Artest to be traded? No, again, of course not. Did StR help the Bee re-think it's web coverage? It almost certainly did. Newspapers are struggling with income from every angle, and they're losing readership by the day because the Internet has been such a broad and complete source of everything from anorexia to xylophones. (Maybe I should have said Zebra's instead. Whoops. Or, spelled Xylophone right.) It's kinda hard to top that if you print a headline "Bush read's a newspaper without making a fart joke while sniffing Cocaine." People get tired of that crap, and the Bee has found a way to make coverage of a tired one horse media town somewhat worthwhile. And it didn't start exactly with TZ's criticism, but it helped get the ball rolling. Sam Amick is a terrific beat writer whom the Bee and KIngs fans are equally lucky to have. He doesn't take anybody's crap, and he's the best source of Kings information I've seen fans have since Mark Kreidler. (For whatever reason I'm into political analogies today. I saw a political caption over a column from a Seattle Times editorialist with a caption of T-Rex representing the US debt with W as the master of T-Rex pulling him around on a chain while McCain and Obama watched. I'd link to it, but I doubt the Seattle Times website has it. If it was in the Bee I hope you saw it. For whatever it's worth I enjoy reading the Editorial's more than I enjoy reading anything else. Like the 20 cent plastic bag tax that's taking effect in 2009. It's stupid, and will end up hurting the environment more in the long run with more plastic being expended. But that's unfortunately the society we live in today. We don't quite seem to get cause and effect the way we should. And it's not just politics. It's sports too.)
I'm from Sacramento. Graduated from Sac High until it sunk into the depths of KJ's hands. And it's sunk further. (Shocking! Kevin Johnson fucked something up? Shocking.) The school had sucked for years. The problem with Sac is that it's a company town. Always has been when I lived there, and probably always will be. People aren't going against the grain much. (And this is not just Sacramento either to be fair. But in a city that's unusual, too many people don't seem to think outside the box like they should. It's a shame. Great city, nice people, fairly good climate, and a kickass place to go anywhere when the local watering hole gets old.) Talk radio is contrived for chrissake. (Peaches? Contrived? No!) Talk Radio is about opponent's and anger screaming at each other. And even that's boring because it's so predictable. Sacramento is, unfortunately, a low corporate town due to the huge presence the bureaucracy the State of California takes up. (By unfortunately I mean that it hurts the Kings in terms of long term presence in the Sacramento region. My usual response to Fortune 500 companies is to flip them the bird.) Everywhere between 3rd and Alhambra do you find State buildings that do this, that, or the other. What isn't there tends to be city oriented type stuff, and the County of Sacramento has quite a bit of office's too. In otherwords Sac is a company town. As a favorite book character of mine said," Bureaucracy clogs the imagination." Actually I don't think bureaucracy is all that useful, but I definitely think the power to think critically of the Kings is almost generally absent in most area's of Kings talk. Actually, and I don't think is a total critcism of just Kings fans, but sports talk in general. (Or Americans if you want to take a broader scope.) It comes down to this, or it comes down to that. It's one reason I'm not a "Scoop" fan. He's covered the Lakers, and all that junk, but for every piece of good information he provides, he provides his opinion. Some of that is necessary, I mean shit, he does report on the NBA, but some of that is overboard. (He is also a Lakers fan, even though he won't publicly admit it.)
We don't live in an era where information is publicly and willing shared, but in an era where information is withheld over a grudge by TV, Radio and some Newspaper sources. That's why, among other things, StR and other blogs like it provide such a recourse. So in one sense the interest of 1140 to make certain types of news on the Kings sound better than it is, and on the other hand you have the Bee which doesn't have a full leg to stand on. The Bee has to report news straight on, and not hold forth against opinions because the exist. The full disclosure of informatino that most cities just doesn't happen in Sacramento. That isn't an accident. It works well, but not like it did. With blogs such as this, or even Kingsfans.com to an extent, Kings fans now have a recourse to say what they want, or up to a point, for the most part how they want. You can't do that on 1140. I can't criticize the Maloof's for poor posturing in negotiating on SportsLine 1140. I can here. There is no guarantee anyone anywhere will agree, but that opinion can be heard. Ron Artest is the greatest proof of this.
Coming as completely full circle, you have why Artest was traded, and the reason's other teams may not have gotten involved. You have the timing and the difficult of trading a player and low monetary value such as Artest. You have some glimpse at the future and what it may bring. You have the value of free information in a fairly tightly clustered media information area like the Evil Cowtown. What hasn't been discussed, and needs to, is how this team will miss Artest. And make no mistake, and I say this knowing full well I wanted the guy gone, and knowing the team will be better eventually, this team will suffer a bit without Ron Artest. So the question is how?
We all hated watching Ron dribble for 10 seconds and jack up an off balance slightly to the left from 20 feet away from the hoop. We all screamed about why he wasn't on the block, or how was it he so naturally and effortessly killed ball movement on contact. But that was also, in a sense, sort of like Chris Webber before him with his superstar complex, a benefit too. You want a guy on your team willing to take bad shots and trying to take the game over. Most NBA teams, outside of maybe Detroit, seem to want that. Reggie Theus certainly played that angle up even if Theus' plea was far more subtle than what most probably remember from the "throwing the ball to Ron" incident. Kevin Martin was spared this. His efficiency is one of his greatest attributes, but the greater question is that without Ron Artest will he be willing to take those bad shots, or that subtle criticism of how he gets shots off, to help the KIngs? Ron Artest took that within stride. He wanted to be the "Man", so he did those off balance bad shot clock shots. Did he contribute to the poor convolution of those possessions? Absolutely, and that's what most of us reacted to I suspect. But, and this is rather strong but, Kevin Martin has relied heavily on Brad Miller's passing skills to get 10-20 points a night off easy layup's and FT attempts. If Kevin work around the inevitable double teams, this will become the true measure of Kevin's next step. Only time will tell. A greater problem perhaps, or maybe this is my imagination going with a monster fanpost that keeps taking off and then some, is how will Kevin deals with the media and his time being more of demand?
After all, when Ron went into a city he was generally the first player interviewed. More teams were interested in his thoughts on just about everything from gardening to whether organic chicken is the ticket. Martin will now get those questions. (Or not as it were. One of the things that makes Artest an interesting figure is his mouth. People seem to care that he was drinking alcohol at Bulls games and the like. Artest's mouth is Hall of Fame. Too bad his playing abilities aren't.) SpeedRacer won't be ignored. Speed will have his face on gameday programs, and on the Kings season guide. All those massive responsibilities, that Webber and Artest did, are now on Martin. Do I think this is a great problem? As I've already mentioned about how little footprints the media in the EC make, it's not going to create many problems for K-Mart. He already has Sam Amick's ear, and as April's little tussle proved, he's getting his way. His comment about wanting more leadership in Ailene Voisin's column had as much subtlety as "Ron go the fuck away" would. He was saying, as plainly as he could, that the team was his to take over. It was his time,"It's our time...It's our tyyyyymmmmmeeee!" (Warning: Complimentary Goonies quote now over.) And it is now: It's SpeedRacer's time. But the day it goes bad for him, the day he misses the Jump shot when it was all on the line and the Kings are hung in the process, how does he handle that? Does he have that ultimate alpha male ego that Artest has on the court? We don't know any of these answers for certain, but that's the beauty of trading Artest now. Martin asked for it, and he got it. It's put up or shutup time kid. You may think your game, but only April holds that answer.
In the end the Kings are kinda like that top tier college team. People debate the worthiness of just about everything from the mascot to the Head Coach playing enough guys. We obsess about the team to the point where it makes us seem crazy. (Portland and Utah has similar fan bases to this extent. I believe this is in part due to the fact that both Utah and Portland have college programs making strong impacts in tough conferences.) What is Sacramento's excuse? Sac State, the next dynasty? I'm going to stay silent, and snicker at the "Go Hornets" chant. It's a commuter school. Unless you get an all-world talent that every single school recruiter missed, the Hornets will never be an upper echelon team with the resources they have. It's the way the cookie crumbles. So if there isn't this mass hysteria over a local college (And I don't consider Pacific a local college because it's in Stockton), and I don't remember ever listening to 1140 with tons of college calls about Cal and Stanford, then what is it? It's a bit hard to describe, but it's like the terrible parent being angry at their kid being taken away. I may not love it, but you ain't taking it away from me either. And that's the closest analogy I can come to how a team in the middle of cow country to the south, wine country and the bay area to the west, casino's to the east, and so much agriculture around it that it make's your teeth hurt come farmer market's time. Why does this have anything to do with Ron Artest? Because he's a media whore. Because no-one else on the Kings is nearly as well known to the national media as Artest is. Because the Kings are a team with fans worldwide from Korea and China to Florida, New York City and everywhere in between. In a place where no college team diverts any attention, where the nearest big college and pro teams are 80 miles down the road, including teams many of us root for, where many consider it such a 2nd rate town because of the low tourism it attracts, and partly because it's too close to San Francisco to considered to be a major metropolis, and because the amount of jealousy that other fans in pro sports have of Sacramento because the fans go there to scream their asses's off, it matters because Kevin Martin in Sacramento matters like Kobe Bryant in LA. And that's why, no matter what anyone says, kinda like knowing an open secret more people should get in the internet age, the Artest trade, despite the downside it brings in the exposure it will bring of players like Martin, Garcia, and Salmons, is the best thing that has happened to this franchise since signing Vlade Divac. Because, and only because, this type of thing matters more here, it will end up being something that surprises everyone. People will care more, and not less, because now the team doesn't have a guy who jumped into the stands, had fights with his wife, forgot to feed his dog, asked time off for a rap album with his prior team, sent multiple email's in disappointment because the team he was on wouldn't negotiate an extension he thought he was due, and because his ego forced every aspect of the organization to revolve around Ron-Ron's loony vision, this forces a new direction, a welcome direction, in the new era of the Kings. It's about time, and even better, it's fun again.
There must be some kind of way out of here Said the joker to the thief Theres too much confusion I cant get no relief Businessman they drink my wine Plow men dig my earth None will level on the line Nobody of it is worth Hey hey No reason to get excited The thief he kindly spoke There are many here among us Who feel that life is but a joke but uh But you and I weve been through that And this is not our fate So let us not talk falsely now The hours getting late Hey
All along the watchtower Princes kept the view While all the women came and went Bare-foot servants to, but huh Outside in the cold distance A wild cat did growl Two riders were approachin And the wind began to howl Hey Oh All along the watchtower Hear you sing around the watch Gotta beware gotta beware I will Yeah Ooh baby All along the watchtower


text:
Just when this team gives you a reason to be excited and a turnaround looks evident, they take 2 steps back. I just can't get a handle on this team. Does ANYONE doubt that we have the TALENT of a much better team? I don't. I just don't know what the hell is holding us back. I know SOME reasons we aren't performing up to expectations, but what are the other reasons?
What upsets me the most is this awful habit we have of settling for jumpers. Until the Milwaukee game, it was Caron who was the most guilty of doing this. Last night it was Jamison. He seemed bound and determined to make a 3 pointer, no matter what. I don't know off hand how many 3's he took, but to me it looked like 100, and I only saw him make one.
Next up is obviously Gil's production. From what I see, I really think he still has it in him to be the player he was before the injury. I don't know if it's a mental block or what, but he needs to snap out of it. The bottom line is that this team will not go anywhere without him.
Now, I have one more pet peeve of this young season. And the reason I saved this for last is because I plan on getting plenty of backlash for it. I KNOW that Earl Boykins is a great story, he's got a huge heart, and his skill outreaches his height. But He is NOT the centerpiece of this team. For some reason, Flip has become dependent on him, and I really think it's hurting the team overall. His original role as a bench sparkplug was ideal. But his new role as "team savior" is FAR FROM ideal. At the end of the day, Earl is limited in what he can do on offense AND defense, and teams know this and will expose it come crunch time. We need to get back to leaning on the big three come crunch time, and stop letting Boykins dominate the ball.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Police say it appears the woman who drover her car into a Wendy's in Mt. Pleasant on Monday morning experienced a medical condition just before the crash.
According to Mt. Pleasant Police Major Stan Gragg, the 33-year-old woman experienced the condition just before she accelerated through a parking space and crashed into the Wendy's at Johnnie Dodds and Houston Northcutt boulevards around 10:30 a.m.
The restaurant manager said the woman came around the building like she was going to park, but accelerated instead, causing the crash.
The woman was taken to Medical University of South Carolina for treatment.
Images from the scene show the vehicle, a Dodge Caliber, caused substantial damage to the building's brick walls and window, as well as considerable damage to property inside the restaurant.
The manager said the restaurant dining area was closed, but drive-through business would continue.
Copyright 2013 WCSC. All rights reserved.
Berkeley County School District officials say no one was hurt when a school bus caught on fire at a Goose Creek neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
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text:
OCO Super Saturday
Project Linus
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Two Shifts
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
12:00-2:00 p.m. We are sorry, the afternoon shift is now full.
Registered participants will meet in the Quarry Room in the Union at 10:00 a.m.
Project Linus' mission is to " provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly made by volunteer 'blankleteers.' " Join us as we make fleece blankets on March 22nd. No experience necessary!
Space is limited! Please register below.
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text: I'm just wondering with the return of Ohlie if Burres still stays in the rotation. His last two starts have been very effective. With Ohlie coming back that means there is one spot available for Burres/Karstens/ McCutchen/ Hart/ Bass. Which one of these guys do you think will claim the 5th spot? Neither Hart or McCutchen are tearing it up in Indy. I still don"t see them calling up Lincoln anytime real soon. With the way Burres has been pitching i think that he has earned the right to get another start, plus who do we have that is a better option?


text:
Observations from the Devoted Wife of an ESPN Addict (Sports Dopplegangers)
On Superbowl weekend, I thought it fitting to share a few well-thought out, analytical sports posts. You should watch for me on ESPN's First Take, because I am confident that after Skip Bayless reads these shrewdly discerned observations (which he will), he will be requesting an appearance. I mean, this is top notch investigative reporting.
From the depths of the riches of my sports knowledge, accumulated over years of sitting next to my husband on the couch, I bring you -
Sports Dopplegangers of 2012
Alex Smith, quarterback for the 49ers, bears a striking resemblance to Ryan Gosling (thankfully). I'm going to pause here and reflect on their likeness. You can go ahead without me.
In his most recent roster photo, Kevin Kolb looks a lot like Kevin Federline. I'm no analyst, but I'm pretty sure this means he's never going to win a Superbowl.
Rob Jackson was the campus pastor at Liberty University when I attended. If he and Steve Martin ever had a love child, it would look like Mike Smith, coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
In his spare time, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is a brilliant diagnostician on House. (A widely known resemblance, but it's quite impossible to discuss look-alikes without including it.)
My Uncle Dave might be leading a double life as a poorly dressed, oversized-gray-hoodie-wearing football genius. (He gave the camera that Belichick scowl all on his own.)
And while we're in Massachusetts, Tom Brady looks like a Ken doll. Dresses like one, too. #Uggs
Another classic: Chris Bosh looks an Avatar. Especially when he had the dreads.
Oh my gosh, hide your kids.
And finally, Tim Lincecum looks like Snape, the wizard from Harry Potter.
Also, Cher.
The high percentage of NFL dopplegangers obviously reflects the time of year; perhaps by this summer I'll have accumulated some more deep thoughts on basketball and baseball.
Skip, I await your call.
Ladies, watch sports with your man.


text:
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text:
Just the Facts
Name: Rudolph Andreas "André" BauerCurrent Office: South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor Political Affiliation: RepublicanAge: 40Spouse: NoneEducation: University of South CarolinaResidence: Greenville
Candidate Info: André Bauer has served as South Carolina's lieutenant governor since 2003. Before becoming the lieutenant governor, Bauer was a state representative and a state senator. After creating a national model for recruiting geriatric specialists, he received the eight-state SE4A 2008 Regional Impact Award and testified before Congress as an expert on aging issues.
1111 Bull St.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 799-1010
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text:
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Fiction Express: Falling Backwards - Chapter 3 + 4
**Fiction Express is an e-fiction site where each chapter is released every Friday. When you have read that chapter, you can vote to what happens next! The first chapter is for free, and the next ten chapters are from 39p. I recommend the site 100% and I suggest you check out the brilliant books they have on offer. Please be aware that my review may have spoilers.**
When a stranger takes the seat next to Leah on the plane to Mexico and unburdens her unhappy story, Leah finds herself involved in someone else's life in a way she'd never thought possible. Can Leah help April correct the mistakes of her past and find peace at last? Will she risk losing herself in the process?
Chapter 3
After being told in the last chapter by Rosa that Leah can only return to 2011 when he fixes April's past, she makes the decision to stay with the Flores family. She also reads a bit of April's diary, which kind of contradicts itself; she convinces herself to read it and that she is doing the right thing, but I would hate it if someone read my diary.... this made me want to read on even more. Throughout the whole chapter I was immersed in the story, and I am pretty sure that my feelings are mutual with a lot of other people.
Chapter 4
This book is quite different from the other previous books we have had on Fiction Express; it is different and unique and I haven't read anything quite like this before - in a good way! I really like the contrast of different characters, and Leah is a good one for the main role. I mean, to be honest, if I was in the position that she is in I would be freaking out and panicking in the corner! Leah is making bold decisions and I like how in each chapter she is becoming more and more independent. Now I have another reason to excited about next week - Christmas and the fifth chapter coming out! ;)
Zoe xx
3 comments:
Great reviews! I've read Chapter 3 but haven't got to Chapter 4 yet - am very intrigued. Thank you!ReplyDelete
Happy school holidays!
hey zoe,ReplyDelete
i'm so pleased you're liking the story! i'm having fun getting to know the characters as i write. i'm impressed with Leah as well -- she's taking it all in stride. perhaps when you have a mentally ill mum, you're used to being the level-headed one when the situations you end up in are difficult to handle...?
have a lovely christmas!!
Luisa - You NEED to read chapter 4, hope you enjoy it! :)ReplyDelete
Jenny - I'm glad you like my reviews, your story is amazing. I like Leah's character, and I agree that to have a mentally-ill Mum you have to be strong. Thanks!
Comments welcome! I read every single one and really appreciate you visiting my blog! :)
*hugs and gives you a free unicorn*


text:
When her grandmother Maylene, who always gave tender attention to the dead with unusual rituals, dies mysteriously, Rebekkah Barrow returns home and discovers that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions.
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text:
A man suspected of being behind a disturbance in a southeast Portland neighborhood was arrested after falling through a living room ceiling.
Aaron Deon Kinsey, 21, is facing charges of assault and harassment, both related to domestic violence.
Portland police say they were called to the 15000 block of Southeast Gladstone Street on a report of a disturbance involving an intoxicated person threatening to injure people.
Police were told that up to 10 children were in the house with three or four adults, including Kinsey.
Everyone got out except for Kinsey, who police say frequents the house. The suspect then barricaded himself in the home's attic, officers say.
Police say they had left the home when Kinsey fell through the living room ceiling. So authorities returned and arrested him.
He was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and then booked into the Multnomah County Jail.Copyright 2011 KPTV. All rights reserved.


text:
Facebook censorship: Arbitrary and capricious
Democracy in America
Illegal immigration: Europe's huddled masses
Rich countries must take on more of the migration burden48
Migration into Europe: A surge from the sea
Illegal migration is causing strains across the continent93
Greece's bail-out: Still tightly monitored
International creditors remain sceptical about Greece's ability to reform without close supervision12
Austerity and health care: Laying down the scalpel
After years of painful cuts, spending on health care is rising again6
Restructuring sovereign debt: Busted flush
As Argentina ponders its next step, the IMF suggests new rules for broke countries0
How the oracle at the centre of the ancient Greek world survived for over 1,000 years0
Greek politics: A new team at the helm
Antonis Samaras reshuffles his government6
Greece's protest parties: Syriza and other radicals
Anti-bail-out parties won two-fifths of the vote5
Charlemagne: Beware of europhoria
Stagnation and a looming political backlash make optimism about the euro overdone52
Church and state: Niggling distinctions
How should a town handle public prayer?101
Explaining Greece's EU troubles11
Daily chart: A mountain climbed
Greece's debt crisis has turned a corner0
Structural reform in southern Europe: Patchy progress
Some signs of improvement. Must try harder18
Greek politics: Remaking the political landscape
A new burst of optimism about the economy is not yet luring many voters back to the two mainstream parties11
The European economy: The Greek miscalculation
European Union membership has (generally) been a good economic choice35
The week explained: April 11th 2014: Back to the parapets
PRO-RUSSIA demonstrations in eastern Ukraine, Greece's return to the bond market and Hungary's election were three big stories that made the news this week. Our correspondents explain0
Greece's return to the markets: The prodigal son
A bond issue is a milestone but there is still a long way to go39
Blasphemy laws: Wrong on so many levels
Harsh penalties for religious "defamation" are an invitation to settle scores and repress dissent69
Greece's troubles: The troika is back
The stand-off between the government and international lenders continues13
Even after 2,500 years, austerity is not all it's cracked up to be3
Democracy: What's gone wrong with democracy
Democracy was the most successful political idea of the 20th century. Why has it run into trouble, and what can be done to revive it?18
Daily chart: Soldiers and lovers
How much the world's armies embrace gays18
Facebook censorship: Arbitrary and capricious
Democracy in America
The Economist explains: How dictionary-makers decide which words to...
The Economist explains
Nigeria and its jihadists: The great escape
Photography: The making of Dorothea Lange
Poland and Germany: Disagreements over the EU's Ostpolitik
Eastern approaches
Difference engine: Divining reality from the hype
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text:
Ready, Set, Read!
Growing Independency and Fluency
By: Jessica C.R.
Rationale: Fluent reading is a very important goal in teaching reading. When students read fluently, they read fast. A child who reads fluently is able to comprehend text better because they do not get bogged down trying to decode text which ultimately leads to frustration. This lesson is designed to help students read more fluently by gaining automatic word recognition through timed repeated readings. Students will work in pairs and take turns timing each other on repeated readings.
-"cover-up critter" for each student (already pre-made)
-"The Dog that Pitched a No-Hitter" for each student
-Stopwatch (for each pair of students)
-Fluency Literacy check sheets (one for each student)
-Speed reading check sheet (one for each student)
1. Explain to the class why fluent reading is important. Today we are going to talk about what it means to be a fluent reader. Does anyone know that it means to read fluently? (give time for answers) Fluency means that we can read words quickly and correctly! When we read fluently, it frees up our mind to comprehend what we are reading and this makes reading FUN!! One thing we can do to help improve our fluency is by reading a story over and over again. Today, we are going to work on our fluency so get ready to enjoy reading!
2. Next, pass out the pre-made cover-up critters. Model how to use them. Whenever you come to a word you do not know, use your cover-up critter to help you sound it out! I will show you an example." Write word catch on board. "I cover up the last three letters tch. We know tch=/ch/. Now I will start at the beginning: c=/k/ and a=/a/. Let me put these together: c-a-tch. Oh the word is catch!
3. To work on our fluency, not only do we use our cover-up critters, we also will read the text three different times and time ourselves to see if we are improving in fluency. You will pair up and time each other as your read. Then you will record your time on the worksheets I give you.
4. Next, model how a fluent reader reads. I want to make sure you all understand what it sounds like when a fluent reader reads. Write the sentence: "Tim hit the ball in the air" on the board. First, I will read this sentence to you slowly: 'Ttt-iii-m Tim hh-i-t the ball iii-nn the air.' This is not how a fluent reader reads. Next, I will read it a second time to work on my fluency. 'Tim h-ii-t the ball iii-n the air.' Do you see how the more I read it, the more fluent I become? The last time I will read it as a fluent reader: 'Tim hit the ball in the air!' Each time you read, your partner will time you and record it on this sheet. Make sure to have an example on the projector of the sheet to show them. Explain the speed reading record sheet. The reader will read the book for one minute three different times and the recorder will write down the number of words read each time. The recorder is also responsible for starting and stopping the timer after one minute.
5.Next, pass out the books The Dog that Pitched a No-Hitter to all students. Next, give booktalk on The Dog that Pitched a No-Hitter. This book is about a boy named Mike and his dog Harry. Mike is a pitcher for the baseball team and he is really nervous about his baseball game. His dog, Harry tries to encourage Mike and help him get the outs he needs during the game. Will he gain the confidence he needs to strike out the rest of the batters or will the other team end up winning? You will have to read to find out! Now, I want you read the story and take turns with your partner timing each other. Now I want each of you to find a partner." Pass out the record sheets and stopwatches to each pair. Decide who will read first and who will record first. For practice, I want you to read page 1 and have your partner record the time on the sheet. Repeat this two more times. Walk around and monitor as the students do this. How did you do? Did you improve?
6.After your partner is finished reading the story three times, the recorder will use the fluency literacy sheets to evaluate your partner. You will check the appropriate box for when your partner remembered more words, read faster, read smoother and read with expression. Was it after the 2nd or 3rd reading? Check the box which applies.
7.For assessment, check the students recording sheets to see if they are progressing. Also, ask comprehension questions such as, "How did the dog help the boy win the game?," "What enabled Mike and his dog to read each other's minds?"
-Ali Long: Reading Fast is a Blast!
-Christopher, Matt. The Dog that Pitched a No-Hitter. New York: Scholastic, 1988. Print.
Speed Reading Record:
Name:_________________________ Date:___________
- After 1st read _______
- After 2nd read _______
- After 3rd read _______
Fluency Literacy Sheet (to be filled in after 3 readings)
When I listened to my partner read:
After 2nd After 3rd
1. Remembered more words _______ _______
2. Read faster _______ _______
3. Read smoother _______ _______
4. Read with expression _______ _______
Return to Epiphanies Page


text:
Sunday, October 23, 2005
7 Comments:
- Debbie Pelley said...
No School Campuses Closed under Consolidation, ADG & Candidate Claim
Tell That to the Parents & Students in 23 schools whose campuses were closed.
It seems that the media and a certain Representative (a candidate running for state office) are trying to convince the Arkansas citizenry that no forced consolidation except district consolidation ever occurred in Arkansas. In fact this candidate said, "No school was forced to close down buildings because of consolidation." and "No child had to take 3 hour bus rides because of consolidation". The Arkansas Democrat Gazette in a recent editorial on October said about the same thing by bolding the word district consolidation twelve times and by closing with this statement: " It's about consolidating school districts to make education in Arkansas more streamlined and taxpayer friendly. School districts. Can we say that enough?" (See link below for this ADG article)
Now if some readers believe that the Brooklyn Bridge is up for sale or that the Holocaust never took place as some radicals are trying to convince the world, I can see why they might believe this fabrication about no schools being closed. The truth is (ascertained with about two hour's phone calls) that at least 23 schools that have had one or more of their campuses, buildings, closed. Nine of those schools have had all campuses closed and all their students (K-12) are now attending other schools. See the names of schools below. The "school buildings are being shuttered, put up for sale, or used for other school district purposes" according to article in Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Some are being auctioned off I am told. (And yes there are schools that have been consolidated where students are riding the bus three hours or more. That will be discussed in a future e-mail.)
Legislators and consolidation advocates assured consolidation opponents over and over in 2004 that the elementary schools would not be involved or closed. And in the Governor's Education Plan that he presented to the Legislature, Governor Huckabee said that initially the elementary schools would not be affected.
And if the legislators aren't serious about closing campuses and didn't know this was going to happen, then why did they go back in this legislative session and overwhelmingly vote to allow campuses in the isolated districts to be closed? They did this after making all kinds of promises to the opponents of consolidation that these isolated districts would not be closed, saying in Act 60 (b) Any isolated school within a resulting or receiving district shall remain open. In less than a year the legislators, by an overwhelming vote, went back and changed the law. According to a legislator, one of those schools in his district would have to travel 62 miles to the nearest school if consolidated. I testified at a Senate Education Committee that according to my research at least 13 isolated schools could have kids riding 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours a day and at least 9 could have kids riding 3 hours a day if they allowed isolated campuses to be closed. http://www.wpaag.org/Bus%20Rides%20AFA%20Handout%20(2).htm
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette in this same October article was promoting the countywide school district and saying it would not result in school closings because Whitaker's bill was only administrative consolidation. But the law, Act 60 of 2004, l that closed campuses at 23 schools was also called administrative consolidation. In fact, at a legislative committee meeting Senator Argue in presenting his bill kept saying it would not require any schools to close. Tell that to all those parents and children from 23 schools or more who are suffering the consequences.
And how much savings did we get out of consolidation? A recent article claimed, "One hundred school districts involved one way or another in consolidations or annexations in June of 2004 reported their administrative costs decreased by $2.4 million from fiscal 2004 to fiscal 2005." Even if that claim is true (although there are a number of reasons to show this figure false - see forthcoming email) that would amount to a savings of about approximately $5.00 a student in Arkansas. Is $5.00 per student saved really enough to offset children (even pre-schoolers) being bused off even earlier in the morning, some catching the bus at 6:00 in the morning? Senator Laverty said that the only time many of the children in his districts see their home in the daylight during the winter was on the week-end. Is $5.00 per student enough to offset parents and children facing longer, more stressful days having to get up so early to get kids on the bus; parents suffering the anguish of watching their little ones in pre school and kindergarten being bused so far away; disappointment on the part of parents because their older school students who could excel in extracurricular activities are being denied that opportunity because of financial limitations of parents?
It must be hard for these affluent newspaper writers and legislators to understand how limited these family budgets are in many cases and how these parents cannot add more traveling expense and time to transport two and three children to different school events 30 or more miles away and still put food on the table. And now with the exorbitant increases in fuel or car and home, they have been hit even harder.
Hey, but we saved five bucks a student supposedly!! But more importantly, powerful people were able to further their agenda for more government control!! And now the big and powerful want to implement COUNTYWIDE district consolidation. The ADG reported March 24, 1993, . that " One school-consolidation bill at this session was introduced by Representative Jim Argue of Little Rock. Massive in scope, it would provide that each county in Arkansas would have but one school district by July 1, 1995. The Blue Ribbon Commission recommended basically the same thing.
And they want us to believe despite the 23 schools or more where campuses were closed with so called district consolidation that no schools or campuses will be closed under COUNTYWIDE district consolidation! I will believe them when they convince me the Holocaust never took place.!!!!!.
Oh, yes at one time a well known senator sent out an email saying that "We've been given very accurate statistics and no one in Arkansas rides the bus three hours a day." There are at least 36 (36 out of 121 called) riding the bus three hours a day or more. Can't we have a little truth from the media and the legislators. If they are not purposely being deceitful, can't they do some research for themselves rather than pass on propaganda from someone with an agenda? See this link for names of schools with long bus rides:http://www.wpaag.org/Bus%20Rides%20AFA%20Handout%20(2).htm
K-12 Entire school closed and all students attending another school:
Arkansas City
Perry Casa.
JR. High and High School Closed or High School Closed::
Biggers Reno High School
Bright Starr
Cotton Plant
Delta Special
Evening shade.
Fountain Hill High
Holly Grove
Mt. Holly
Sulpha Rock
http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg§ion=Editorial&storyid=133575 Link to Arkansas Democrat Gazette article on consolidation, It's Just That Simple, October 18k 05
http://www.wpaag.org/Bus%20Rides%20AFA%20Handout%20(2).htm Bus Routes
Debbie Peley
Debbie Pelley
check out this website:
- said...
and your point is? Local districts and local control is still there, just a 250 student minimum instead of no minimum. I don't get your gripe.
- said...
You don't have a gripe with the Demo-Gaz publishing misleading articles? I mean that is separate from the issue of whether you think consolidation is OK or not.
Even if you think it is OK to consolidate, it is NOT OK for the Demo-Zette to publish articles that imply no schools are being closed down and no child has 3 hour bus rides when the facts say they are.
- said...
According to Mulvenon's research, 43.6 percent of grade inflation last year was in schools with fewer than 500 students, 36.4 percent in schools with between 500 and 1000 students and 29 percent in larger schools.
I personally believe something is being baked in the numbers by Mulvenon to advocate more consolidation, but how do we explain this?
- said...
Why did they make the "largest" classification start at 1,000? They started talking about consolidation at 1,500!
There is no doubt some poor, isolated communities have a low talent pool compared to richer, urban areas. The bar is set lower there. I don't think those same children will achieve more just by being shipped off to a larger school.
- said...
Plus you left out even higher grade inflation for some large Little Rock schools. It is the community, not the school size, that promotes grade inflation.
- said...
Different subject: Arkansas Lottery SCHOLARSHIPS.....can you tell me why older middle income parents with two valvactorian gradutes from a small south Arkansas town cannot get scholarhsips to Arkansas schools?


text:
State Police are searching parts of Louisa for clues in the disappearance of a Virginia police captain.
Waynesboro Police reserve Captain Kevin Quick has been missing for nearly a week. Thursday's search is based on tips that came in over the past 24 hours and on the recovery of Quick's abandoned silver 1999 Toyota 4Runner at a residence near Mineral.
Earlier Thursday, three people charged in connection with Quick's disappearance appeared in Louisa court.
A judge ordered Daniel Mathis, Shantai Shelton, and Mersadies Shelton held without bond. They were also given court appointed defense attorneys.
Police said Wednesday morning Quick left his mother's house in Afton to go see a woman 20 miles away in Albemarle, with whom he has a four-month-old daughter. Quick has been legally separated from his wife since 2007, though the divorce was never finalized. Quick never made it to the Turtle Tree Apartments where his daughter and mother of the child live. The Turtle Tree Apartment complex is less than two miles from where the suspects live, according to police.
Quick's SUV was found on Cedar Hill Road in Louisa Monday, not far from where a shooting occurred Sunday night. Police ask anyone who may have noticed any strange cars in the area this weekend to call them with information.
State Police say the silver Toyota 4Runner was also seen in Fork Union Friday and Manassas Saturday.
State Police are also still looking for a man who they believe knows something about the captain's disappearance. They've distributed a surveillance image in the hopes it will lead to new information in the case.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Virginia State Police at #77 on a cell phone or at (434) 352-7128, or any one of the assisting agencies.
Copyright 2014 WWBT NBC12. All rights reserved


text:
David Hadida called me in March 2014 telling me he wants to launch a new brand, cool and dark, for men and women.
David Hadida, son of l'Eclaireur's founders, is a graphist. He told me « you design the clothes, I design the prints ».
MIDNIGHT METHODS was born.
Categories: Artistic Direction // Collections
Comments: No Comments.


text:
Welcome to the 219th Tablescape Thursday! I'd also like to welcome listeners from the Bekah, Lynne, Thursdays show! Thanks so much for stopping by and thanks to Bekah and Lynne for the shout-out today on their mid-morning show! If you're looking for the home tour of the adorable cottage in the movie, The Holiday, you'll find it here: Tour Rosehill Cottage from the movie, The Holiday. Thanksgiving … [Read more...]
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Welcome to the 80th Tablescape Thursday! It came a rare, warm day in February... Bluebirds came to dine... And the late afternoon sun created wonderful shadows. Its warmth made eyelids heavy...a nap would surely follow. The beautiful bluebird day inspired a birdie tablescape... Complete with birdie glasses... If you've been reading BNOTP for a while, you may … [Read more...]
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text:
Definition: A match school is a college that you are pretty likely to get into because your test scores, class rank and / or high school grades fall right into the middle range when you look at the school's profile. Note that even stellar students should consider the top U.S. colleges and top universities to be reach schools, not match schools. The admissions standards for these schools are so high that nearly perfect SAT scores and a straight 'A' transcript are no guarantee of acceptance.
When applying to colleges, it's important to choose your schools wisely. You should make sure you apply to a mix of reach schools, match schools and safety schools.


text:
DF Structure Models for Options Pricing
AbstractBased on the Partial Distribution, we presents the concepts and expressions of DF process and DF structure and put forward the DF structure models of pricing options on a non-dividend-paying underlying for the first time. The DF structure models are able to price the call and put options exercised at any time, so it is applicable to pricing the American and European options. Finally, examples are given to compare the options priced by DF formulas and by Black-Scholes formulas, they show, as a whole, that the DF prices of options are closer to the trading prices than Black-Scholes prices in many cases.
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Bibliographic InfoArticle provided by IUP Publications in its journal The IUP Journal of Applied Economics.
Volume (Year): IV (2005)
Issue (Month): 6 (November)
Pages: 61-77
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Other versions of this item:
- Feng Dai & Zifu Qin, 2004. "Df Structure Models For Options Pricing," Finance 0403005, EconWPA.
ReferencesReferences listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Merton, Robert C., 1976.
"Option pricing when underlying stock returns are discontinuous,"
Journal of Financial Economics,
Elsevier, vol. 3(1-2), pages 125-144.
- Merton, Robert C., 1975. "Option pricing when underlying stock returns are discontinuous," Working papers 787-75., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
- Barone-Adesi, Giovanni & Whaley, Robert E, 1987. " Efficient Analytic Approximation of American Option Values," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 42(2), pages 301-20, June.
- Miccichè, Salvatore & Bonanno, Giovanni & Lillo, Fabrizio & Mantegna, Rosario N, 2002.
"Volatility in financial markets: stochastic models and empirical results,"
Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications,
Elsevier, vol. 314(1), pages 756-761.
- Salvatore Micciche` & Giovanni Bonanno & Fabrizio Lillo & Rosario N. Mantegna, 2002. "Volatility in Financial Markets: Stochastic Models and Empirical Results," Papers cond-mat/0202527, arXiv.org.
- Black, Fischer & Scholes, Myron S, 1973. "The Pricing of Options and Corporate Liabilities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 637-54, May-June.
- Geske, Robert & Roll, Richard, 1984. " On Valuing American Call Options with the Black-Scholes European Formula," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 39(2), pages 443-55, June.
- Peter Carr & Robert Jarrow & Ravi Myneni, 1992. "Alternative Characterizations Of American Put Options," Mathematical Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(2), pages 87-106.
- Peter Ritchken & Rob Trevor, 1999. "Pricing Options under Generalized GARCH and Stochastic Volatility Processes," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(1), pages 377-402, 02.
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Cited by:
- Feng Dai & Hui Liu & Ying Wang, 2005.
"Multivariate Partial Distribution: A New Method of Pricing Group Assets and Analyzing the Risk for Hedging,"
0507012, EconWPA.
- Feng Dai & Hui Liu & Ying Wang, 2005. "Multivariate Partial Distribution: A New Method of Pricing Group Assets and Analyzing the Risk for Hedging," EERI Research Paper Series EERI_RP_2005_03, Economics and Econometrics Research Institute (EERI), Brussels.
- Feng, Dai & Yuan-Zheng, Zhong, 2006. "The Stochastic Advance-Retreat Course: An Approach to Analyse Social-Economic Evolution," MPRA Paper 117, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Feng Dai & Dongkai Zhai & Zifu Qin, 2005.
"The Structure Models for Futures Options Pricing and Related Researches,"
International Finance
0503010, EconWPA.
- Feng Dai & Yajun Sun & Songtao Wu, 2008. "The Structure Models for Futures Options Pricing and Related Researches," The IUP Journal of Applied Economics, IUP Publications, vol. 0(3), pages 61-76, May.
- Feng Dai & Lin Liang, 2005. "The Advance in Partial Distribution£ºA New Mathematical Tool for Economic Management," Econometrics 0508001, EconWPA.
- Feng Dai & Jianping Qi & Saravanan Muthaiyah & Ling Liang, 2011. "Socio-economic development model based on stochastic advance-retreat course: An analysis on US economy in recent 70 years," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 38(5), pages 416-437, April.
- Feng Dai & Feng Han, 2004. "Optimal Choice Models for Executing Time to American Options," Finance 0412016, EconWPA.
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"Yes, come to the library! Browse and borrow, and help make sure it'll still be here tomorrow…" Thus concludes "Library poem", penned by Children's Laureate and Gruffalo creator Julia Donaldson, the latest high profile recruit to the campaign against planned library closures.
There have been a number of developments since we last blogged on this issue:
First, in R(Bailey And Others) V Brent London Borough Council & All Souls College (Interested Party) & Ehrc (Intervener) [2011] Ewca Civ 1586, The appellants failed to overturn the dismissal of their application for judicial review of a local authority's decision to close half its public libraries. See previous post here. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal on every ground, noting that the local authority's decision to reduce its expenditure on public services was primarily one for it to make as a democratically elected body. Given the scale of the spending reductions required the decision was not unlawful.
Fanciful' race discrimination claim
An argument that the closures would indirectly discriminate against the large Asian population in the affected area was developed extensively on appeal. It was roundly rejected as "artificial and wrong". The court held that it was "fanciful" to suggest that it was so obvious that reduction in library provision, as opposed to other services, had a discriminatory effect upon the Asian community that it needed to be a significant factor in fundamental decisions as to the apportionment of resources.
In exercising its duty under the Equalities Act 2010 the local authority had correctly considered a comparator pool of library users as opposed to a pool of the general population of Brent.
Lord Justice Davis observed:
The importance of complying with s.149 is not to be understated. Nevertheless, in a case where the council was fully apprised of its duty under s.149 and had the benefit of a most careful Report and EIA[Equality Impact Assessment], I consider that an air of unreality has descended over this particular line of attack. Councils cannot be expected to speculate on or to investigate or to explore such matters ad infinitum; nor can they be expected to apply, indeed they are to be discouraged from applying, the degree of forensic analysis for the purpose of an EIA and of consideration of their duties under s.149 which a QC might deploy in court. The outcome of cases such as this is ultimately, of course, fact specific (see Harris). All the same, in situations where hard choices have to be made it does seem to me that to accede to the approach urged by Miss Rose in this case would, with respect, be to make effective decision making on the part of Local Authorities and other public bodies unduly and unreasonably onerous. [102]
Requirements of Equalities Act duty fact sensitive
Considering R (Harris) v Haringey LBC [2010] EWCA Civ 703 P.T.S.R., it was noted that the duty under s.149 of the 2010 Act had to be kept in mind throughout the decision-making process, but what observance of that duty required in each case was fact-sensitive – "it inevitably varies considerably from situation to situation, from time to time and from stage to stage" [83]. In this case the local authority exercised its functions appropriately, putting forward reasoned proposals for closures, a reasonable reaction to circumstances including the urgent need to economise. It was not necessary for an EIA to be conducted before the formulation of those proposals.
Flexibility under the Public Libraries and Museums Act
It was noted that the local authority had had regard to its duty under s.7 of the 1964 Act and that the proposals included improved ways in which the expectations of users might be met and identified mitigation measures. The section contemplated flexibility in meeting the needs of users and detailed consideration had been given to those needs by the local authority in this case.
Permission to appeal has been refused by the Supreme Court.
A successful challenge
Notwithstanding the decision in Bailey, it is still possible for campaigners successfully to challenge library closures on Equality Act grounds, as the judgment of Mr. Justice Wilkie in Williams & Anor, R (on the application of) v Surrey County Council [2012] EWHC 867 (QB) demonstrates – and see earlier successful challenge here.
The claimants applied for judicial review of the local authority's decision to staff some libraries with volunteers. The court held that the local authority had failed to consider a relevant matter that had arisen from the consultation period, namely the nature and extent of the equality training needs of the volunteers and how such training needs might be met. It had therefore failed to have due regard to the equality issues referred to in s.149(1) of the 2010 Act and its decision was unlawful (see paras 123, 129-130 of judgment).
This decision is unlikely to significantly undermine the position of strength that local authorities must be in following Bailey on library closures. The Defendant has characterised the case as having been lost on a technicality, and stated that it would not necessarily prevent the plans going ahead.
That may be so, and the key parts of Bailey are rehearsed in this judgment, but we are also reminded of other cases with a different emphasis, such as R(Elias) v SS for Defence [2006] EWCA Civ 1293 in which it was held that:
The clear purpose of (Section 149) is to require public bodies to give advance consideration to the issue of (race) discrimination before making any policy decisions that may be effected by such an issue. This is a salutary requirement which must be seen as an integral part of the mechanisms for ensuring the fulfillment and aims of anti discrimination legislation. It is not possible to take the view that non compliance is not a very important matter. [Section 149] has a significant role to play"
and R(Bapio Action Ltd) v SSHD (2007) EWCA Civ 1139, where it was stated that
Due regard must be an essential preliminary to any important policy decision, not a rearguard action following a concluded decision.
The court's power to review decisions under section 149
Mr. Justice Wilkie also addressed the issue of whether "due regard" under section 149 of the 2010 Act is a matter to be determined by the Court or by the Defendant, subject only to a challenge on the "Wednesbury" grounds. He considered that the preponderance of first instance decisions suggested that the question whether there has been "due regard" is a matter for the Court to determine. However, once there has been due regard, the question whether the decision ultimately taken is lawful is a matter to be determined by the Court applying the Wednesbury principles.
This judgment accordingly provides a chink of light to opponents of library closures. The need for local authorities to do more than pay lip service to the PSED is reiterated post-Bailey and the court's power to review such decisions on more than pure Wednesbury grounds asserted.
The Library Inquiry
Meanwhile, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has heard evidence at a select committee inquiry into library closures. Culture Minister Ed Vaizey emphasised the role of volunteers in the future of library provision, perhaps suggesting that Williams turns on more than its facts.
That there is widespread unease with library closures is beyond doubt, and the unpopularity of such decisions has even been deployed by council leaders highlighting the crisis in elderly care funding.
Can the growing opposition to library closures be seen as part of an austerity backlash? This article provides an interesting discussion of austerity measures and the EHRC. Such measures have the potential to undermine the social and economic rights of the most vulnerable in our societies, albeit that the Convention appears to offers limited protection.
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