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Coaches rarely change a starting lineup that produces results. That is why i don't expect Collins to change the lineup soon even though it's the right move to make. There is a way out of it though. How about having both Meeks and Hawes play not more than 10 minutes a night. That's basically the first 4-5 minutes of the first and the second quarters. Play Speights, Young and Turner 30 minutes a night off the bench. That way he will both do the right move psychologically and basketball-wise IMO. At worst that can be some sort of a transition period.
*meant first and third quarter
The minute distribution would be something like this:
Jrue 36
Iguodala 36
Brand 36
Hawes 10
Meeks 10
Young 30
Turner 30
Speights 28
Lou 24
Nocioni and Battie should be used situationally at first.
Eventually after the transition Battie can take over Hawes's minutes if Speights is finally moved to the starting lineup.
First off 'producing results' is a relative term. Second off, Jodie Meeks sucks right now, and couldn't hit a barn if he was right in front of it, so is the 'first team' productive because of him or in spite of him.
While the first team might seem productive as a whole it doesn't mean that Hawes or Meeks are productive parts of it, and more often than not, they aren't productive.
Hell, Hawes was benched to start the third quarter, just one game ago, so why should pulling him from the starting lie up concern Collins.
Play your best five
I guess the important question is what did Hawes do to 'earn' the starting spot anyway cause he's been mostly crap all season
"I guess the important question is what did Hawes do to 'earn' the starting spot anyway cause he's been mostly crap all season"
Maybe he took advices from Willie Green :)
Tom Moore
Could you see if anything is wrong with Tony Battie?
In the fourth, with a lead, Battie should be your big man option I would think as he's the 'best' defensive option of the 3.
Team flying home today because of bad weather here, so no practice today. Won't have access to Collins until Friday.
Collins likes Battie in certain situations. Believe he's healthy. Collins had used him for defense against big centers in fourth quarters. Toronto has little size (Bargnani plays at the 3-point line), so guess he didn't call on Battie for that reason.
Speights quote from Cooney's article:
"I saw that they were playing zone and I watched during the first quarter [from the bench] to see what I could do to get some buckets. I went out there and rolled."
I wouldn't be against Speights starting before the season is over, but for the time being I think Speights needs to show he can produce in extended minutes off the bench. If Speights can measure the D for a few minutes while Hawes is out there sucking, then come in and deliver for 10 min. stretches, I'll take it for now. I'd love to see Speights start but I'm afraid of regression and deflated confidence when teams start actively gameplanning for him.
I think Speights needs to show he can produce in extended minutes off the bench.
Why? Has Hawes shown he can produce anything in extended minutes at all?
I'm just curios why people have this double standard for some players.
What does Hawes do BETTER than Speights that is beneficial to winning basketball games?
2 points:
1) Speights has an extensive track record of being a turd, I need to see more to reward him with a starting role and heavy minutes.
2) Speights is a blackhole on offense - early in the game it is often the strategy to get your primary players going by getting everybody some touches. Having Hawes out there allows an opportunity for plays/sets to be run through and the ball ending up in the hands of Iguodala, Brand or Jrue. Similarly, having Meeks out there provides some degree of spacing to help those 3 get going offensively. Having only 3 guys out there that you're looking to get going simplfies things. As you bring each of the young guys, you have the advantage of having the freshest guy be the one who is most shot-hungry while the others are warmed up and in the flow.
Neither Hawes nor Meeks is a legit NBA starter, but they each play a role that seems to be working okay for this team right now. The scoring that comes off the bench is one of this team's strengths - why change that dynamic just to "reward" another guy that's not a legit NBA starter either?
Because he's playing well
because he's playing better than speights
Why are they 'rewarding' meeks and hawes for sucking?
An argument could be made for starting Turner with Jrue and Andre over Meeks because of the fact that Turner has been out playing Meeks for more than just one game (as everyone seems to think Speights has onliy had one good game)
Actually - forget Speights for a minute and let's focus on the back court.
Jodie Meeks isn't exactly scoring right now, and defensively he's basically as good (bad) as Lou.
Lou is a bench guy, I think that fits his role, but at this point, with the way he's played over the past couple weeks, sure he hasn't been perfect but he is improving, isn't it time to 'carrot' Evan Turner and plop him in the starting line up - best way to see if JTI can work at all don't you think?
I understand Doug wants to make the playoffs, but I'd rather see him start JTI and give them solid minutes, let them go through the growing pains, and experiment for a good amount of games (at least 15 or so) before deciding if it's a failure or success
I think that from the beginning, Collins made it clear that this is a team where the best players may not always be on the floor together, may not get the starting nod. The lineups have achieved some semblance of balance and consistency, we're winning games. Hawes/Meeks are starters in 'name only', and I think Collins makes the most of the bevy of mismatched talent on this roster by dividing them into 2 squads, each of which is competitive. Not many teams can rely on their bench to help them keep leads, let alone get them back in games. It's a luxury we have and a wise technique IMO. If that means Hawes and Meeks start, I'm okay with it because they're not the ones getting starter's minutes. Roles are more clearly defined this year, and it's helping the team win games. 'Play your best 5', I just don't think that works wit this roster.
Roles are more clearly defined this year, and it's helping the team win games.
Except I don't care about the Winning Percentage this year, I care about seeing if Turner and Iguodala and Holiday work as a unit. And now that Evan seems to be adjusting to being in the NBA he (collins) needs to find a way to work the three of them together to see if it works. That is the most important thing for the sixers organization going forward this season (in my opinion). Just spent the second pick on the kid, need to see if he works with your best players, more important than a few more wins.
As for how collins coaches, i disagree with your assertion of what he's doing being a good idea, I disagree with his double standard buillshit that allows guys like meeks, hawes, williams to suck on ice game after game with no reprecussions but Speights will make a mistake or two and sit the rest of the game, jrue will be benched ofr too much time for a bad start as opposed to just taking a time out and talking to him to settle down.
I don't like the way Collins coaches this team because to me there are more important things about the future of this franchise than a first round playoff loss
About half Turner's minutes last night were with Holiday and Iguodala. The rest of the time he was on the floor with either Iguodala or Holiday (save for a short stretch with Meeks and Williams).
So it's not as if we aren't getting a chance to see how he gels with Holiday and Iguodala. And I don't really mind him playing with Lou Will or Meeks if he's assuming more of a point guard role (which he has been)
Except installing a winning atmosphere is more important to the development of the young players compared to just being on the starting team and getting 5-10 more minutes per game. It's not like Turner doesn't play with Jrue and Iguodala at all for example. Even of he is ni the starting lineup he won't spend all of those minutes with both of them.
That's a matter of opinion that I don't agree with.
I believe collins is concerned about the W-L record more for his own reputation than the future of the sixers.
Not sure why you keep assuming Doug benches Jrue for 'a bad start'. Granted, Jrue has had some very inefficient shooting games and increased turnover games lately, but why not assume Doug is just limiting and pacing his minutes for the long grueling season and attempting to keep him relatively fresh for the playoffs, assuming they do in fact make it? Yeah he's young and all, but you admit yourself that he hasn't even started a full season yet and this is the most minutes he's ever played at any level.
Maybe you're just looking for anything to be critical of the coach for? He's handled these misfits and youngins' about as good as could be expected when considering what he has to work with.
Last night, it was pretty clear why he took Jrue out in the first quarter, and it had nothing to do with rest. Jrue actually started the game off with a couple made shots and assists, but on the second somewhat careless turnover Collins yanked him immediately. It was very early in the quarter.
really good post and something I agree totally with and also they way I see how Doug is managing these guys, especially the "wise technique" and starters in "name only" parts. He mixes and matches nightly with different combos (sometimes weird to us) and seems to be squeezing as much blood out of this turnip as he can. He's stuck to his preseason guns of saying that he didn't really have a 'best five' but two teams of five that were somewhat indistinguishable.
One other out of the blue question
Is Jason Williams a better back up PG option than Louis Williams?
Better Back up PG yes, but Lou is still a better player for the sixers as we need his scoring off the bench at times.
Bench getting offense going for Sixers:
I would give Speights the Hawes start, where he gets ~20 minutes, but he would still have to earn true starter minutes. I am not a fan of giving players roles that they can't handle, due to the fact that it will inflate their stats, especially Speights, which come extension time will make him cost more.
Key example of a player that got too big of a role and is now a negative would be Lou Williams. Handed the starting job under Eddie Jordan out of a lack of PG, and he failed. Now we have to deal with Lou thinking he's a starter and deserves the ball. Once a player gets a full time starting gig, and it turns out that it's not right for him it makes the player much harder to extend, as well as harder to keep that player effective in a scaled back role.
I don't like the way Collins coaches this team because to me there are more important things about the future of this franchise than a first round playoff loss
How about a first round playoff win? I don't think Collins and the organization is as convinced as you are that the team has no shot at winning a first-round playoff series, assuming continued improvement as the season progresses.
If the sixers fell they have a chance to take out any of these teams in the first round, with the talent they have on the roster, then they are again over valuing their talent and that means bad contract extensions for at least Thad (and Meeks is up this year too isn't he - 2nd round pick 2 year deal?)
The sixers beating up on bad teams (and the jazz are bad right now folks - real bad - like lost 6 in a row bad) and if the front office now thinks they can win a first round series against the magic heat or celtics, they're delusional.
Rightly or wrongly, playoff officiating changes, defenses get more physical, that means Dwight Howard probably doesn't get called for the same fouls he gets called for in the regular season, the Celtics 'commit a foul every defensive set' gets away with more things that make Tommy Heinsohn Happy.
And the stars get more calls in the playoffs, guys like wade and lebron are going to get so many more calls than the sixers non stars.
The playoffs are a different animal for some reason and this team has no realistic shot of winning against the top 3 teams in the east (assuming complete health on both sides) Unless Elton Brand turns back into a 20PPG guy and Spencer Hawes suddenly plays defense
Chicago is a lock at the three seed. Top three spots go to the division winners. Chicago is a team the sixers have a definite shot of beating in the first round. Their two best offensive weapons match up against two of our best defensive stoppers. (Rose/Holiday & Boozer/Brand). The sixers would have a legitimate shot at winning that series.
Damn you're right, I always forget that Miami and Orlando are in the same division.
And no - both squads at 100% - the sixers don't have a shot to beat Chicago in a 7 game series in my opinion.
Oh yeah - the sixers are currently 3 1/2 games behind the 6 seed. Doable - but unlikely in my opinion.
3.5 back with 2 games against the NY Knicks coming up and the Knicks sliding fast.
We'll see what happens
The sixers have to play better on the road the second half of the season - 250 is unacceptable - 4-13 on the road the rest of the season just isn't something i would find good.
plus - all this 'they can win a first round series' - they need to improve on the road to have me believing they can win a first round series.
They'd need to go at least 6-11 (preferably 8-9 at worse) the rest of the season on the road for me to believe they have a chance in the playoffs as a road dog
at this time it's not inconceivable that the bulls get the 2 seed and the heat get the 3 seed , the heat only have a half game lead (1 loss) on the bulls at this time and the heat have 8 divisional games left (the bulls 6) and the heat division is slightly more competitive
The Bulls have had a fairly easy schedule thus far. It's unlikely they will move into the top 2 seeds.
Anyway i think it's unlikely that they will be able to win a series against any of the 4 teams unless they are severely hit with injuries to key players. That being said the Sixers matchup fairly well with both the Magic and the Heat. Stranger things have happened...
I'd feel a ton better against the Bulls if Jrue could learn to draw fouls on opposing PG's.
I seems like players regularly force contact and draw fouls against Jrue. There is no reason with his size, quickness and handle that Jrue should not be getting opposing PG;'s in foul trouble. Yet he only ever seems to draw fouls against bigs.
Derrick Rose - 2 stomach ulcers - gotta work on those h pylori Derrick
It's from chewing on those lemons at halftime...
They are in a crappy division - they get 16 games against their crappy division - worst division in the east - that doesn't help
Well the Sixers are crazy if they think they can win a 7 game series against one of the top teams with a Hawes, Brand, Thad, Speights rotation up front. That is a disaster waiting to happen on the defensive end when the intensity is turned up in the playoffs. I think if they got Camby then they would at least have a somewhat decent shot at pulling off an upset. Without a legit presence in the middle they got no realistic chance so they shouldn't delude themselves.
The Blazers center will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery for a torn meniscus later this week--the fifth Portland player to require knee surgery this season. Camby was averaging 11.3 rebounds and 1.87 blocks this season.
How long does that recovery take?
He's gonna be out a few weeks which I think should actually help him down the stretch, you know, give him a chance to rest the legs. :)
So that could work to the sixers advantage, but snce it's a new team / system - he has less time to learn it
Not to mention his public statements re trading anywhere but houston
Camby wasn't happy about the rumor and would not take kindly to being traded to Charlotte or any other non-contending team, according to a person close to him. The 36-year-old Camby would even consider retirement if he were traded to a mediocre or rebuilding team, the source said.
"If he was traded to Charlotte, he would think about retiring,'' a source said. "He's made plenty of money. He'd rather play, but he's at the point in his career where he doesn't want to get bounced around from team to team. If he's traded, it would have to be to a contender.''
Even going to an elite team does not appeal much to Camby, who is in his 15th season. His ultimate desire is to remain in Portland. After signing a two-year, $21 million extension with the Blazers in the spring, Camby moved his family to Portland and has his two young daughters enrolled in school there. One place Camby wouldn't mind going is Houston, where he lives in the offseason.
Wow I didn't know that. But it would still be very surprising if he actually retired with all that guaranteed money coming to him next year. And I think you could make the case that the Sixers with Camby would have a better chance of advancing in the playoffs than Portland does in their current situation.
He won't. He's playing his hand to try to get what he wants, but if push came to shove I'd bet he'd play wherever he's sent.
Unless Portland completely 'blows it up' - do you think they'd trade him?
I mean, sure, he's old and not so durable, but Pryzbilla ain't durable and neithers Oden.
I think if you wanted Camby you'd have to include a big man (probably speights) and expiring deals...and hope that's enough for Rich Cho
Problem is that I think if Camby went on the market - there'd be high demand which would mean someone would have to over pay for him in terms of traded assets, no?
I think Speights is earning more minutes. But starting him is complicated. If the starters are getting killed consistently at the open of each half than you have to think about upgrading the starters with either Thad or Speights. I'd have to look at the numbers to see if this has been the case.
But if Iguodala/Brand/Jrue can carry the load to where the starters can break even in the beginning of halves, I'd rather keep bringing the one dimensional scorers (Young/Speights/Lou) off the bench- where there strengths are magnified. Those 3 are undeniably bad defenders. It is easier to hide bad defense with bench players, because the coach can be selective with match-ups. Likewise, it is more important to have pure scorers on the floor when your more complete players (Jrue/Iguodala/Brand) are not all on the floor. While you can get away with one or two placekeepers (like Meeks) when your 3 most complete players are out there. Because the complete players can maximize the weak ones.
Meeks is well suited as a bench player- because he is also more of a one dimentional streky scorer. He probably will look better in that role. So maybe its time to move Turner back into the starting spot. But they'd have to see if he's matured to the point where he can be effective in the more marginalized role of starter (since Jrue and Iguodala will have the ball most possessions.) I'm not sure he's quite ready=- but he's closer now than early on in the season.
Hawes, on the other hand, kills you off the bench. He can't play with speed guys like Lou and Thad. He is terrible as a starter, but at least the starters play at a tempo where he sometimes can do something positive... Basically I think Hawes should be traded for a bag of balls, because he has no role on this team. I'd rather they bring a bruiser from the D-league.
So I guess I'd go with Speights getting 30 min off the bench and Hawes getting 4-8 minutes a game. And start giving Battie the left over minutes. I don't need to see more of Hawes. And Speights can handle more than 25-30 minutes.
I think Speights is earning more minutes. But starting him is complicated.
This is a really good point (and your whole post was a good analysis). I wonder if Collins' strategy has evolved into a "stay even with the starters, make hay with the bench" type of thing. There isn't any rule that dictates you have to play your best five players at the beginning of the game (though that is convention).
That type of strategy would also explain why Iguodala and Jrue have been getting rest minutes in the middle of the first/third quarters, so that they can play with the second unit. In fact, the Iguodala/Thad/Speights/Jrue/Turner lineup -- a lineup I like a lot -- got 5 minutes and was +6 vs. Toronto in the 2nd quarter. So the strategy becomes more like, "Stay even in the 1st and 3rd, make hay in the 2nd and 4th." Kind of like when an NFL team chooses to kick off in the 2nd half so that they can play with the wind in the 4th quarter ...
I also think you almost have to try and win that way when you lack a superstar. Because a lot of the teams are going to have that type of go to offensive player in their starting line-up, so it might be a losing proposition to "ride your best 5." But you can maximize your quality role players by taking advantage of them in the 2nd and 4th quarters.
Asked Rod Thorn Friday about the difficulties of playing Holiday with Turner and Iguodala.
His response: "That's legitimate in that none of those guys are what you call a knock-down outside shooter. Your point there is well taken. None of them are knock- down shooters. Jrue's gotten better. He has a chance to be a really good player. Andre already is. Evan's just starting in the league. He's always had a period of time where he didn't play as well as he would like. All of a sudden, he figures it out and gets better."
That's legitimate in that none of those guys are what you call a knock-down outside shooter.
Follow up question: So rod - what you're saying is that you think of Jodie Meeks as a knock-down outside shooter?
These are the shooting percentages from 16-23 feet this season of Holiday, Iguodala, Meeks, Turner (but not in that order)
Match the four names to the four players
I'm more concerned with the 3pt ability (not just percentage) when you are talking about spreading the floor. The 16-23 feet shots should be a last resort. I don't feel like a good 20 foot jump shooter "spreads the floor." Rip Hamilton does not spread the floor as much as play well coming off of screens and picks. While KK "spreads the floor."
Right now Meeks is there best 3 pt shooter. If he demands the respect of the defense as a threat from 3 then he spreads the floor. I'm not sure that is the case.
Either way, the biggest issue with JTI right now is that J/I by design control the ball. And T has to learn to be comfortable and effective when he is not regularly touching the ball. That is most natural if you are a pure spot up shooter- which Turner is not. But at least he seems more comfortable nailing open 20 footers and can help in other ways.
Long term I agree with Tom and Thorn that having all 3 together is not maximizing what they can do.
Do you think Jodie Meeks frightens teams with his 3 point shooting or do you think they so - ok jodie - you beat us from the 3 - if you can - and we'll guard the rest of your team mates - but we ain't doubling you
I think that Meeks's man attempts to stick to Meeks and not help off of him. Much more so, at least, than Turner's man does. Of course he's not being doubled.
I don't know, I kind of agree with Magee on this one. Jodie gets a handful of open 3's every single night. It's not like his guy is glued to him on the perimeter. Teams dare him to shoot, I don't even know if I believe he legitimately "spreads the floor" anymore.
Yeah, I tried to imply that this is the question. I'm not sure Meeks does enough damage from 3 to where he effectively stretches the defense. Plus he is streaky.
But no doubt when JTI are on the floor defenses can pack it in big time.
I actually disagree with this statement. Right now, Turner's catch-and-shoot from 18-20 feet is probably more dangerous than a wide-open Meeks three, and you know how I feel about long twos. Also, Jrue's been streaky with his threes, but I trust him more with a clean look than I do Meeks. I don't think packing it in is working against this Sixers team right now, at all.
BTW - i'm sure everyone knows but
32% - Meeks
33% - Turner
36% - Iguodala
39% - Holiday
Lou is actually at 37% - so who should be doing the iso heaves at the end of the game?
Hoopsdata has monthly splits. So you can quantify Turner's improvement hitting open jumpers.
For the season, his 16-23 foot percentage is a lousy 32.5%. For the past 10 games he's been 28%. In the 30 games befoer that he was more like 38%.
None of those numbers are "spreading the floor." Although if he can get to 45% consistently then I would agree with you.
Reference: Notable High volume 16-23ft shooters:
Ellis: 38%
Dirk 51%
Durant 41%
Melo 41%
Beasley 44%
Bargs 46%
Lebron 40%
Granger 35%
Nick Young 50%
Curry 47%
Ray Allen 47%
The Speights situation will likely come down to this:
Playing more than 20min has been a problem throughout his career thus far due to fitness issues. Can he handle more minutes now or will he get fatigued early?
Landry blasts Westphal:
Sounds a lot like last year's EJ led Sixers, doesn't it?
Carl Landry's a smart guy, and Sacramento has a ton of young talent. Hope they can get a solid coach and hang on to enough of their promising young guys to turn the corner. Landry will probably be back in HOU next year, where he belongs.
Mo Speights Def reb rate is 25%. This top 20 in the league- and better than Sam's season or career numbers. But overall they Sixers have a number of players who grab defensive rebounds well.
Last year they had Sam at 30%, Speights at 20% percent, Iguodala at 17% and then a bunch of forwards between 12-15%.
This year they have Speights, Hawes and Battie all at 23-25% and Brand, Turner and Noce 18-19% and Iguodala/Thad at 14-15%.
For reference 25% is great. 20% for a big is solid. 15% for a wing is good. 15% for a big is lousy and below that terrible (Smith, Thad and Brand last year.)
Not sure how much of this is trickle down from Sam's absence. His 30% last year was top 20 in NBA history (at least as long as they kept the records.)
Link to video interviews of Sixers' players and coaches:
On a cheery note, John Hollinger:
Deron Williams is the guy who may very well be a Clipper in 2012. People think of Texas with him but he actually lives in San Diego in the offseason.
The Clippers with Williams could be a champion.
That's great
I predict by 2012 there will be a 3rd team in the 'greater la area' (Anaheim) with owners more committed to building a winner than maximizing profit.
Why would the other 2 LA teams let this happen?
Because Anaheim if far enough away that it wouldn't take TOO MUCH of a bite into their fanbase.
Because Anaheim has TONS of money (orange county y'all) and the only reason the clippers aren't in anaheim yet is sterling doesn't like to drive that far.
Because the Maloofs (I predicted the kings to anaheim a year ago and still believe it'll happen) will shell out the relocation fee because they know they'll do better in Anaheim and be able to charge higher ticket prices and since vegas is killing them right now they gotta do something to boost their value.
And mostly - because I think David Stern would love to have 3 profitable teams in the southern california area.
Ther's a beautiful basketball ready stadium READY in anaheim for a team to move into.
If it ain't the kings - the hornets 'meeting their nut' to stay in New Orleans was artificially obtained and I don't care how much they 'want' to keep a team in New Orleans - it's not fiscally possible - a new orleans buyer won't pony up - allow the team access to orange county - you'll find new owners much quicker I bet.
There's too much money and a basketball ready stadium for them not to move to anaheim.
You can maximize profit while still going over the Luxury tax.
Gee - thank you for stating the obvious.
What I love the most - is that people keep expecting Donald Sterling to change.
If they can hang on to Gordon and Griffin, and get Deron Williams, and Gordon can stay healthy (which is a concern) and Griffin doesn't suffer another serious injury (which is an even bigger concern), then yeah, they'd have a chance. Lot of ifs in there.
that's really not that many ifs. Also I think the Clippers could easily move Gordon for talent, or to move B-davis contract to get a 2nd max offer that year.
If they move gordon to facilitate signing Williams, they aren't as good
Not what i'm saying, they don't have to move B-davis's contract in order to get Deron Williams. They will have 1 max contract in 2012, hell they could probably find a way to move BD's contract without moving gordon, by using aminu/bledsoe/whoever they pick this draft/2012 Minny pick/Clippers pick than have Griffin/Gordon/Max contract/Max contract.
They have a lot of flexibility, obviously they could mess up, but I like how we act like our owner isn't as inept as Sterling.
Deron/Griffen on the P&R would be devastating. While De'Andre Jordan is a good enough C to fill out the front court.
They would need Aminu to develop into a quality defensive SF who can hit an open 3 for the roster to really click. they also need a coach like Sloane who knows how to run a P&R team.
Don't young players pretty much always sign the second contract? None of them leave in restricted free agency. I guess Boozer did, years ago.
Didn't david lee and nate robinson play under one year tenders last year?
And Ben Gordon.
I would guess if a player signs the QO then it is likely they will leave as a FA the following year.
Did Charlie V take the QO or did Joe Dumars just offer him stupid money and the raptors (I think) laughted?
I don't remember.
I don't think MIL even made the qualifying offer.
Sixers ranked 16th most valuable NBA franchise by Forbes
I didn't have much time to read at work so not exactly sure how they determined these rankings
I'm sorry, that should have been 17
Like I wrote elsewhere, the Sixers have one of the larger markets for a single team city. NY and LA have 2 teams. So of all of the remaining cities, only Chicago has only 1 team and a much larger metro area.
The Sixers also own their arena and TV network and have a good deal with the city and little to no debt. If they ever became relevant again on the floor to where they inspired the fanbase, they quickly would jump to being one of the most valuable franchises.
The problem is they have been mismanaged. They are treated like a hockey team, with the thought that a balanced squad is better than building around a singular star. That makes sense for a hockey team, since they have a larger roster and play in shifts. It makes no sense in the NBA, were revenue and wins is almost completely star driven.
"The problem is they have been mismanaged. They are treated like a hockey team, with the thought that a balanced squad is better than building around a singular star."
I think if you asked Thorn and Stefanski honestly, off the record, they'd prefer to build around a star. I think they've gone this route because the opportunity to get a star hasn't presented itself.
Thorn has the track record for me to agree with this.
But Stefanski wanted to build around Brand/Iguodala/Miller/Young and went all in for 5 years on that "Pistons" model- So I call BS (in a nice, non-confrontational way.)
I think he thought Iguodala would develop into more than he is, thought Brand would return to what he was, and didn't see a way to go the Cetlcis way and get the superstar to build around, so he went with the next best (so he thought) option.
I understand his reasoning. I just think it does not point to a guy who wants to build around a single, franchise player.
Or maybe Snider said he couldn't after being annoyed by years of Barkley and then AI and their strong personalities.
Meddling owners piss me off
Hire smart people - trust em - sign the checks
The NBA CBA makes it nearly impossible for a team to rise from mediocricy. Since only about 15 decent starters/year enter the league and probably less then three stars per year, few teams can improve significantly each year. Free agency or trades are the other ways to improve. Free agency doesn't work well because of "Bird" rights, where teams can keep a third or fourth star or near star. With a hard cap, teams could only keep 2-3 high salary players. For example, Miami would have been able to sign Bosh or James to play with Wade, not both and would still be strapped to fill out a roster with quality role players. The Lakers would have been able to sign Bynum or Odom. In this scenario Bosh and Bynum or Odom would be making two other teams significantly better than they are. If you didn't have to match salaries, a team with a star or near star they can't afford could trade for a less expensive player to fill a role. It's not going to get much better until the CBA is drastically changed.
I think it probably gets complicated on 'ownership' of the stadium because the sixers don't own it - comcast owns it - so they don't get any sort of 'rent' from the flyers who use it because the flyers are also owned by the owners of the center.
Then again, how much does a stadium contribute to value? The Heat don't own their stadium - the lakers don't own staples center (AEG group - who will build the NFL stadium does)
AEG gets payment (rent I guess) from four sports teams
Comcast certainly can shift around the numbers. the Sixers and Flyers give them programming for CSN. So the ad revenue generated, does that reflect on Comcast, Specator or the individual team's ledgers?
Ultimately, it does not matter, since it is synergy.
It reminds me of medicine- where employed primary care providers drive revenue for specialists, pharmacists and other ancillary services... and yet they are often told that individually they are not "earning" their salary with enough production.
It's all a mess - i don't try to figure it out - but I think by the fact that while the sixers do 'own' their stadium - they don't get 'rent' from the other major tenant (flyers) it would probably decrease the value of both teams.
Maybe in an accounting sense. But in a big picture sense, cutting out the middle man maximizes total earning. Although independent management would probably be more "motivated" to maximize revenue. Being part of a giant mega-corporation sometimes is like working under communism.
I'm about to give Collins more credit than I've given him all season: I think that Collins is using this method with the young guys not just for tough love but to force them to fight and show some backbone, almost like the opposite of a Rudy-move. It seems like he's basically saying to them "If you make a mistake or stop hustling or anything else, I'm going to put in players who you are clearly better than and make you watch them screw things up just to piss you off"
Look at how Speights, Thad, Jrue, and to an extent Meeks have responded. They're not letting themselves be marginalized or taken out of the game while they're on the court. They're being aggressive offensively, battling on defense, and not passing up shots the way they were before. Meeks and Turner both really need to start taking open looks or driving though. No more of this "drive for a foot and then pass" shit. Either shoot or drive.


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This collection gets you all of the fantastic Burnout Paradise Toys in one pack. Hunter bring you the Cavalry, Manhattan, Citizen and Takedown 4x4. Carson wade in with the GT Concept and Inferno van, Jansen offer up the wonderful P12 and the Krieger WTR rounds off the cars. Last but not least, Nakamura have created a Toy version of the fantastic Firehawk bike. All of the fan favourites in Toy form at incredible value. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.
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All the boys from One Direction are taking a couple...
Something More // Zayn Malik
- by zaynsnutella
- Rating:
- Published: 21 Jun 2016
- Updated: 6 Jul 2016
- Status: In Progress
"I'm just a fan though," I whispered against his lips, his hot breath fanning my face. "Not any more." He muttered, backing me up against the wall. "You're so hot baby girl, I want you." "Zayn," I mumbled as his hands went down to give my bum a squeeze. "Are you sure about this?" "Fayza I want to fuck you right now against this wall." His lips attached to my neck, sucking and licking. A moan escaped my lips out of pleasure as my hands went up to his chest. Just a fan? A fan my ass.
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Rainbow Bed Breakfast
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About Rainbow Bed Breakfast
Rainbow Bed Breakfast located in New Delhi is a well-maintained property offering decent accommodation and quality services. The rooms are spacious, clean and well-designed offering television set, attached bathroom with hot/cold water and many more facilities. It provides facilities like front desk, room service, parking, travel desk and many more comforts.
Checkin Time: 1200 pm
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Baby and Bump Obsession Articles
Celebrity Pregnancy, rumors, new and expecting Hollywood moms, and plenty of belly cupping!
First a bridesmaid…
Mila Kunis was part of her brother's wedding the other day. The bridesmaid dresses were blush pink and strapless. Definitely not something she'd wear on a red carpet…but it wasn't about her. And I feel like Mila's the kind of girl who knows when it's not about her. Full Story
An update on two couples
ep/ Splash, Ben A. Pruchnie/ Getty
Remember when it was reported that Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley weren't engaged anymore and he was getting really close with Noomi Rapace? (Click here for a refresher.) They worked on back to back movies together and then when that was done, Charlotte was back. Full Story
Angie spent the weekend herding
KHAP / Grey Wasp/ Splash, INF
God, all those children. There are so many of them they needed a mini-bus! Can you imagine? Every time they go out it's literally a tour group. On Sunday Angelina Jolie took her kids (minus Maddox?) to see The Lion King. I'm too stressed out by the thought of how much work it would have been to manage this situation to try and pick him out, if he was there. Full Story
Brange on a boat with the kids
Angelina Jolie is crying on the cover of the current STAR Magazine. Something about Brad Pitt cheating on her and their relationship is almost over. STAR would have gone to print around December 2/3. Needless to say, they had no idea that just as they were closing the issue, Brange was in Australia on December 3, together, with their children, enjoying a family boat ride and beaming at each other with affection. Full Story
Mrs Timberlake wants Timberlake babies
Mrs Timberlake talked to PEOPLE the other night at the premiere of The Truth About Emmanuel. She plays a mother in the movie. So PEOPLE used that as an excuse to ask her when she's getting pregnant. Which is what I hear real people asking a lot of other real people. Full Story
Princess Catherine and the pram
Pacific Coast News
Here are some blurry ass shots of Katy Cambridge pushing Little G around the park in a pram yesterday. She has at least one security with her as you can see but it's a lot less HIGH ALERT than I thought it would be. I mean, she's not surrounded. She's got a few feet of freedom. Seems like a somewhat relaxed detail, right? The princess wants to pretend like she's an ordinary mother with her infant just enjoying the day. Full Story
Everyone's favourite couple goes shopping
FameFlynet, VLNY / Zodiac/ Splash
Do you know anyone who doesn't love Emily Blunt + John Krasinski? I bet you right now, Duana's dropped whatever it was she was doing just to look at these pictures and think about Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. When these two started it was like we all collectively let out a: Yessssss. Full Story
Becks & Styles
FameFlynet, Splash, Stuart C. Wilson/ LEON NEAL/ Getty
Um. This might keep me busy tonight. Right before I fall asleep. Harry Styles – with a few other members of One Direction – attended the premiere of The Class of 92 last night in London. At one point he posed with David Beckham. A couple of weeks ago, I posted these photos Full Story
Mimi's Happy undivorced Thanksgiving
There have been rumours the last few weeks that Mimi and Nick Cannon are cancelling their love. Well, not at Thanksgiving. Maybe Christmas? They posted a photo of themselves with Dembabies looking happy and "festive", one of Mimi's favourite words. Remember, Mimi has basically taken over the period between Thanksgiving and January 1. Full Story
The Princess at the (Sports) Ball
James Whatling/ Splash
Princess Catherine attended the SportsAid Annual Awards dinner in London tonight. She's a patron of the organisation. Is this why she skipped the Winter Whites Gala earlier this week? Is one night out away from Little G the rule until he's, say, 6 months? The gossip answer to that question is, obviously, that she didn't want to hang out with Taylor Swift. Full Story
Emma comes home for the holiday
AKM-GSI/ Splash
Emma Stone was photographed at LAX yesterday, presumably arriving from Hawaii? She's been shooting a movie there for Cameron Crowe. Is Andrew Garfield in LA? Oh I hope so. Last week US Weekly reported that they've been talking about marriage and starting a family. It's just that their schedules have been so tight – particularly hers – that they're not sure about timing. Full Story


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Pinched Nerve Neck Symptoms
Pinched or entrapped nerves can cause myriad symptoms. As each nerve is responsible for the sending and receiving of signals from specific body parts they can cause symptoms far from the actual site of nerve compression. Common symptoms of pinched nerves include pain, numbness, radiculopathy, weakness in the associated muscles, and poor dexterity in the extremities. Paraesthesia, or pins and needles, often occur as the nerve is compressed. A similar sensation can occur when a nerve has been temporarily compressed, by an awkward sleeping position for example, and is comparable to the feeling of a 'dead leg' or a limb that has 'fallen asleep'. The difference is that a pinched nerve neck is often more of a chronic problem and may lead to permanent damage and debility.
Consequences of Pinched Nerves in the Neck
Pinched nerves in the neck can have far-reaching consequences as they innervate the muscles in the arm, neck, chest, back, and the head. Neck stiffness and pain are common, as are muscular cramps and spasms due to faulty nerve signalling. Chest and neck pain can occur in some cases, and may mimic other conditions such as a heart attack. Head and neck pain are also possible consequences of a pinched cervical nerve, with migraines and cervicogenic headaches frequently reported.
Numbness and other Sensations
Numbness is commonly preceded by paraesthesia, which include prickling or burning sensations, and is experienced as a loss of sensation and paralysis of an area. Acute onset of this with no obvious cause (such as having sat awkwardly for a long time) warrants immediate medical attention, particularly if the patient is aware of any underlying cervical joint issues such as spinal stenosis, or bulging disc. Paraesthesia is usually temporary and reversible, although it often indicates an underlying problem if it occurs frequently. Numbness suggests a more serious problem with a nerve or nerves. Conditions such as diabetes also cause peripheral neuropathy, as does lupus, multiple sclerosis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Having these conditions and experiencing these pains, paraesthesia, or numbness does not mean that the patient can be complacent as it can still indicate an underlying change in the cervical spine.
Symptoms of pinched nerves may also provide insight for the diagnosing physician as a cervical pain map associated with disc herniation in the neck can correlate the site of pain and paraesthesia with the specific vertebra involved in the pathology. For example, a disc herniation at C4-C5 is likely to produce shoulder pain and weakness of the deltoid muscles without tingling or numbness in most cases. Other sites of disc herniation produce alternate patterns of pain, paraesthesia, and numbness.
Last Updated: 10/09/2011


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Jonathan Gerard, DMin
Rabbi, DMin
208 Sunset Dr, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516
Families work best when everyone functions in his and her proper role. This means that parents need to be in charge, children need to know what is expected of them and to be given increasing freedom as they move through adolescence, and grandparents need to be "honored" in an advisory (only) role. When grandparents meddle or disempower parents or when children are in charge, problems arise.
Carolina Castanos, Ph.D
Marriage and Family Therapist
3711-A West Market St, Greensboro, North Carolina 27403
Families sometimes get stuck in ways of relating that are hurtful. When looking at a family, I first understand the stage of development they are at. A young couple with young children is not the same as older couple with teenagers, or adult family that work together. Within each particular context, I try to work and strengthen each subsystem (sibling/parental) as well as the dyadic relationships (father/mother-son/daughter, sibling-sibling). This helps create bonds and special connections among all family members inevitably leading to new positive ways of interacting.
Marina Ervin, MS, LPC, NCC, BCPCC
Licensed Professional Counselor/National Certified Counselor
502-N East Cornwallis Drive Ste. B, Greensboro, North Carolina 27405
I believe in working with individuals as well as family members in therapy. Often I tell parents that I may be the expert in areas of counseling theory, developmental issues, parenting strategies or play and filial therapy, but they are the "experts" on their children. Together, we will work to find ways for the individuals or the family system to change and grow together in healthier unity.
Carla MooreMcNeil, MSW, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Master Hypnotist
502 East Cornwallis Dr, Suite N, Greensboro, North Carolina 27405
There are a lot of different types of families. There are families of origin, blended families, two different home families, adopted families and grandparents raising grandchildren families. Sometimes conflict arises within the structure of a family unit. My expertise is with teaching parenting skills, dealing with divorce and separation, taking care of elderly parents, bringing home a new child whether infant or adopted, and work or school related issues. I can help you find and focus on the solution.


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Welcome to 360 HR Services!
360 HR Services is a full service recruiting firm dedicated to building long-term relationships with both clients and candidates.
We work in a variety of industry sectors and have assisted companies of all sizes. Our services are flexible and designed to provide you with customized staffing solutions to meet your recruitment needs.
Our services include:


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In addition to his work at Peckar & Abramson, Mr. Drucker is also the developer of ProjectNotice®, a new software risk management tool for the construction industry. The program is designed to provide instant access to notices mandated by a contra...
Practice areas: Construction & Development
Get the legal help you need at a fixed price. No hidden fees or long-term commitment.
Construction companies and developers use the services of construction / development lawyers. These lawyers handle bigger developments that involve many parties, regulations, and permits. For example, developers of big projects are often required to determine a project's environmental impact, as well as file paperwork, hold public hearings, obtain local government agency approval, maintain worksite safety standards, and negotiate project financing. Construction and development law firms ensure you meet all regulatory requirements and prepare the legal documents and contracts you need.


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Obama Departs on Mexico Trip
President Barack Obama departed for Mexico Thursday morning, setting off for a meeting with his counterpart Enrique Peña Nieto. The trip is expected to focus on trade, economic growth and immigration, the two countries have said. The trip, which runs through Saturday, will also include a stop in Costa Rica, where Mr. Obama will meet with Central American leaders.
In a press conference Tuesday, Mr. Obama said of the Mexico trip: "A lot of the focus is going to be on economics. We've spent so much time on security issues between the United States and Mexico that sometimes I think we forget this is a massive trading partner responsible for huge amounts of commerce and huge numbers of jobs on both sides of the border."


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This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
The function of any given biological membrane is determined largely by the specific set of integral membrane proteins embedded in it, and the peripheral membrane proteins attached to the membrane surface. The activity of these proteins, in turn, can be modulated by the phospholipid composition of the membrane. The reconstitution of membrane proteins into a model membrane allows investigation of individual features and activities of a given cell membrane component. However, the activity of membrane proteins is often difficult to sustain following reconstitution, since the composition of the model phospholipid bilayer differs from that of the native cell membrane. This review will discuss the reconstitution of membrane protein activities in four different types of model membrane—monolayers, supported lipid bilayers, liposomes and nanodiscs, comparing their advantages in membrane protein reconstitution. Variation in the surrounding model environments for these four different types of membrane layer can affect the three-dimensional structure of reconstituted proteins and may possibly lead to loss of the proteins activity. We also discuss examples where the same membrane proteins have been successfully reconstituted into two or more model membrane systems with comparison of the observed activity in each system. Understanding of the behavioral changes for proteins in model membrane systems after membrane reconstitution is often a prerequisite to protein research. It is essential to find better solutions for retaining membrane protein activities for measurement and characterization
The cell membrane separates intracellular components from the outside environment and is constituted by various phospholipids, cholesterol, glycolipids and proteins. Integral membrane proteins have at least one polypeptide segment spanning the membrane bilayer whereas peripheral membrane proteins are temporarily attached to the lipid bilayer or to integral membrane proteins by various interactions such as hydrophobic, electrostatic and other types of non-covalent interactions. Membrane proteins work as a selective filter to regulate molecules entering cells and also serve in communicating with the surrounding environment. Thus, membrane proteins play an essential role in the physiological functions needed for cell survival.
The functional activities of membrane proteins are modulated by the structure of the surrounding lipids molecules in the membrane [
To simplify cell membrane systems, model membranes such as monolayers, bilayers, liposomes and nanodiscs have been developed, enabling detailed investigation of membrane protein structure in lipid membranes. Model membrane environments more closely resemble the natural lipid bilayer than alternatives such as detergents. However, many features of phospholipid structure need to be considered and optimized in the creation of a suitable model membrane. For example, the hydrophobicity of the lipid chain defined by the lengths of the fatty acid chains, is an important parameter for retaining protein activity. Other factors affecting the reconstituted membrane protein activity are the chemical properties of the lipid head groups which control membrane hydrophilicity. Both parameters are crucial in stabilizing membrane protein structure. There are a number of approaches used to create a model membrane in order to mimic properties of the native cell membrane, and we will review these various approaches for reconstituting membrane proteins into different types of model membrane—monolayers [
One of the most common approaches to study the membrane protein structure and activity uses a Langmuir monolayer at the air–water interface. This method has been extensively used for more than a century [
Rhodopsin [
Phospholipid monolayers are simple model membrane systems that are perfectly suited to study the binding of peripheral proteins onto a membrane surface. Peripheral membrane proteins spontaneously bind onto phospholipid monolayers at the air–water interface by injecting themselves into the subphase underneath the lipid monolayer. In most cases, useful information can be obtained by measuring the binding of peripheral proteins onto the monolayer. For example, the kinetics and dynamics of adsorption of myristoylated and nonmyristoylated recoverin onto phospholipid monolayers have been investigated using surface pressure isotherm described in
Reconstituting enzymes into the Langmuir monolayers at the air–water interface has been found to be a very useful approach to understand the hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids. For example, the interfacial recognition and adsorption of phospholipases A2 (PLA2) and phospholipases C (PLC) to the phospholipid membrane interface are poorly understood. By using this approach, it appears that both PLA2 and PLC are active at the monolayer model membrane, indicating that the kinetics of phospholipid hydrolysis at the air–water interface can be monitored by biophysical characterization techniques
The formation of a supported lipid bilayer on a solid substrate was reported by Tamm and McConnell in 1985 as a new model membrane system to study the physical properties of biological membranes and their constituent lipid and protein molecules [
Wagner and Tamm [
Although polymer cushions allow for successful integration of small membrane proteins into bilayers, further challenges stem from studies with large transmembrane proteins. Polymer cushions cannot provide large transmembrane proteins with good solvent accessibility, or enough space for the motion; required for the activity. While several types of polymer cushions have been developed, including polymethyl methacrylate diblock polymer cushions [
Another important classic category of membrane proteins are the transporters of ions and small molecules. Studies of how ion channels regulate the transport of substrates [
Lipid vesicles, also known as liposomes, consist of a self-closed lipid bilayer. They have been widely used for more than 30 years to reconstitute the membrane proteins in unilamellar phospholipid vesicles. Liposomes are relatively easy to construct by procedures such as extrusion method or ultrasonication, with reverse-phase evaporation. Furthermore, giant vesicles of unilamellar or multilamellar nature can be "micro-manipulated" under an optical microscope. Reconstitution of membrane proteins in liposomes usually requires detergents wherein purified membrane proteins are solubilized in detergent, then mixed with the desired phospholipid vesicles forming an isotropic solution of mixed phospholipid-protein-detergent micelles. The detergent can then be removed slowly by dialysis, gel filtration or Biobead adsorption. When the detergent concentration reaches a critical level, the protein will spontaneously associate with the phospholipid membrane to form biologically active liposomes, called proteoliposomes. However, it has been a hard feat to control the final orientation of protein in the proteoliposomes [
Several integral membrane proteins have been successfully reconstituted into proteoliposomes such as rhodopsin [
Liposomes have been commonly used for reconstituting different types of transporters to allow for the free diffusion of solution or catalysis of obligatory co-transporters. A large number of functional membrane proteins have been successfully reconstituted into liposomes but only a few examples will be discussed here. The reconstitution of colicin Ia and E1 in either soybean phospholipids or
Several types of ATP-dependent ion transporters such as Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase, Na+/K+-ATPase, and H+/K+-ATPase have been reconstituted into proteoliposomes [
Another up-to-date method is using organic solvent or oil mixed with water that creates water-in-oil (W/O) microdroplets coated by phospholipid. The hydrophilic head group immerses in the water and the hydrophobic tail locates in the oil/organic solvent phase. The application of the water-in-oil system could cover a wide range of applications from monolayer, planer lipid bilayer and liposomes. Funakoshi
Nanodiscs offer a solution to some of the challenges described in the previous sections. The first attempt to reconstitute membrane proteins in the phospholipid bilayers using nanodisc technology was initiated by Sligar's group a decade ago [
The great advantage of using nanodiscs is keeping the membrane proteins in aqueous solution, in native-like phospholipid bilayer environment that is soluble, stable, monodisperse and detergent-free. Most important, it isolates proteins or complexes as individual particles in monomeric or oligomeric states for analysis by techniques that range from activity assays to electron microscopy. Since 2003, there have been more than 100 membrane proteins reconstituted into nanodiscs [
Nanodiscs have been used to analyze the influence of binding substrate on monodisperse receptors which are isolated from the cell-surface membrane. Those receptors include G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) [
Numerous membrane associated enzymes have been incorporated into nanodiscs. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes have been extensively studied, including CYP2B4 [
The Sec translocon is a membrane-embedded protein assembly that drives protein translocation into or across membranes. The core translocon is formed from a trimeric arrangement of SecY, SecE and SecG [
In the previous section, we have shown that membrane proteins can be assembled into four different types of model membrane and the activities of some of the membrane proteins can be retained, allowing their physicochemical properties to be studied. But is there a model membrane system that is the best for membrane-protein reconstitution? The reconstitution of the same membrane protein into different model membranes has been compared and, in this section, we list four membrane proteins with varying activities in different model membranes.
Ganglioside GM1 is a naturally occurring native receptor that binds to cholera toxin via hydrogen bonds [
The nucleus envelope is composed of two bilayers (the outer nuclear membrane and inner nuclear membrane) and contains abundant ion channels, through which ions and small molecules diffuse between the cytoplasm, nucleoplasm and perinuclear (
Another approach is reconstituting nuclear envelope vesicles into giant proteolipsosmes and detecting the single ion channel by the patch-clamp technique [
P-glycoprotein, the most extensively studied ATP-binding cassette transporter, has been implicated in the phenomenon of multidrug-resistance in tumor cells and has been suggested to play a significant role in drug absorption and deposition. How P-glycoprotein interacts with its substrates is still unknown. Functional studies are limited because of the difficulty of obtaining large quantities of stable P-glycoprotein. Besides that, no ATPase activity of P-glycoprotein solubilized in detergent could be detected. When P-glycoprotein is reconstituted into proteolipsomes, it has detectable ATPase activity; however, the whole complex is very unstable. Heikal
In 2009, Ritchie
ATP-binding cassette transporters utilize the energy of ATP hydrolysis to transport a wide range of substrates across cellular membranes and for non-transport-related processes such as translation of RNA and DNA repair [
This review summarizes and compares the most up-to-date methods for reconstituting membrane proteins into model membranes. There is no superior method for reconstituting membrane proteins in the model membrane; instead two or more model membranes should be considered, depending on the particular needs of the system and the proteins of interest. In general, systems based on lipid bilayers supported on a solid substrate are still the most favored and well-developed of the methods to study membrane proteins in the bilayer. This approach allows detailed study of the fundamental properties of biological membranes and is practical to reproduce the bilayer system. On the other hand, the proteoliposome is more suitable for ion channel reconstitution in the bilayer, as well as for combination with the patch-clamp method to detect the ionic selectivity of the channel. Finally the self-assembled nanodiscs system provides a robust and common means for rendering these targets soluble in aqueous media while providing a native-like bilayer environment that maintains functional activities. Nanodisc technology offers another way to prepare monodisperse samples of membrane proteins in the bilayer environment, and it is emerging as the favored approach in studies concerning membrane protein complexes.
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Australian Research Council (ARC). HHS is an ARC Super Science Fellow and TL is an ARC Federation Fellow. TL and LM were awarded the ARC Super Science Fellowships and grant (FS110200015). We thank Victoria Hewitt for her critical reading of the manuscript.
Schematic drawings of (
Capture of His-tagged nanodiscs to Ni-NTA sensor chips followed by binding of 20 nM cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) to nanodiscs that contain (
Current–voltage relationship curves of (
Comparsions of the ATPase activity of P-glycoprotein in nanodiscs (square) and proteoliposomes (circle). Open symbols: basal activity in the absence of drug; filled-in symbols: activity in the presence of nicardipine [
The ATPase activity of MalFGK2 was measured in nanodisc, detergent solubilized conditions and proteoliposomes in the presence of MalE or maltose [


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CONTACT firstname.lastname@example.com TO MEET THIS PET!
**Chloe is currently being fostered in Houston. She is available for out of state adoption.**
Hi, my name is Chloe! My owner got sick and could no longer take care of me. The nice doctor at the clinic was kind enough to let me stay here until I find a new home. At first, I was not so good with other dogs but now they let me go to daycare very day with other dogs and I realized they're not that bad. As a matter of fact, it's alot of fun to run and play all day! I am very sweet and love pets and cuddle time. I am loyal and will love you forever if you choose me to be your new companion. I would prefer a home with another dog, and I especially love boy dogs! Wanna meet me? Email firstname.lastname@example.com
Age: 4-5 yrs
Weight: 48 lbs
Dogs? ok
Cats? no
Kids? older kids ok
This pet is available for adoption from SAV-A-PET, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity organization in Houston, TX. This pet has not been evaluated by Red Collar Rescue and Red Collar Rescue does not assume any responsibility for the adoption of this pet. Adoption of this pet is solely transacted between the specified rescue group or individual and the adoptive owner. Red Collar Rescue does not warrant any claims about this pet listed only as a courtesy to the other rescue group or individual.
Houston is sadly the #2 kill city in the U.S. There are 1.2M stray pets on our streets. The City Pound ("BARC") often takes in 150-200 pets per day either as strays or owner surrenders. Almost a dozen other area shelters and pounds also take in dozens of homeless pets each day and many do not adopt to the public but transfer only to rescue groups. The number of homeless pets and resulting euthanasias are staggering -- the average "live release rate" from Houston area shelters is only about 35-50%. In addition, RCR works closely with the Houston Police Department on many cruelty case dogs. We are often a last resort for dogs who have faced unimaginable abuse and negligence, only to face euthanasia after being confiscated by the city government. Red Collar Rescue volunteers work tirelessly to save as many as we can, but the Houston area is saturated with so many pets in need of a home and not enough adopters. To put it simply, we encourage out of state adoptions because it helps us save more lives. We hope that you will consider one of our many adoptable pets who are waiting for a second chance at a forever home - wherever it may be!
1. Fill out and return our adoption application form.
2. After receiving your application, we will verify with your vet the care on your current or previous animals.
3. We will contact you to discuss your current situation and which pet you are interested in adopting.
4. After discussion, we will arrange a time for you to meet your prospective new family member.
5. If the initial meeting goes well, we make an appt and bring the pet to your home to meet all family members - human and furry.
6. Upon agreement by all parties, the adoption is finalized by signing the adoption contract and making an adoption donation for your newest family member.
Thank You!
Your message has been sent to Red Collar Rescue - Seattle.
You'll receive a copy, too, at to help you keep track of which pets you've inquired about, and which shelters and rescues you've emailed.
NOTE: Some shelters have physical locations you can visit; some of these shelters may only have pets for a limited time, so please do not wait for a reply—just go visit the shelter! Other organizations are rescue groups run by busy volunteers who may take a while to reply. You can find information about the shelter or rescue group caring for this pet, and their adoption procedures, on the pet's details page on Adopt-a-Pet.com.


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Water Week is taking place this week at Auburn University. Forty-five freshmen have come together to bring awareness to a crisis in the world today. More than 783 million individuals lack access to clean drinking water; that is more than double the population of the U.S. You can stop by and make a donation on the concourse until Thursday, February 27, or you can make a donation online at www.neverthirstwater.org/auburnwaterweek.
The goal is to raise $3,000, which is the cost it takes to build a well for a community in India. Any donation is greatly appreciated. Together, let's give our talents, time and efforts so that there is #nomorethirst.
Last Updated: Feb. 25, 2014


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Pohl Force Kilo One Para Rescue Fixed 4.56" Stonewashed D2 Plain Blade, Micarta Handles, Kydex Sheath - 2035
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PL2035: Kilo One Para Rescue Fixed Blade, Kydex Sheath
Pohl Force
In extreme situations, you must be able to rely on your accessory. The Kilo One knives were designed precisely for this purpose.
The modified Santoku blade measures five millimeters almost to the tip, and provides a dependable tool for you at all times. The full-tang extends to the end of the handle, which therefore can also be used as a striking tool. The handle is made of coarse textured Canvas Micarta which provides a safe and comfortable grip.
The EOD product line consists of premium knives for particularly extreme demands. Their renowned production partner Lionsteel located in the city of Maniago, Italy, perfectly manufactures the EOD series according to Pohl Force's stringent design and quality requirements.
All EOD series blades are laser-cut from one piece, the ergonomic scales are 3D-CNC milled, and therefore produced from a single piece of material. The D2 or Niolox steel hardened to 59 HRC guarantees absolute reliability and durability even in extreme applications.
Various models, numerous functional options and our comprehensive range of accessories allow you to individually customize the perfect knife for your particular needs.
- Solid continuous full-tang
- Comfortable grip comfort SRM milling (Surface Round Milling)
- Striker point butt end with lanyard hole
- Stonewash finished blade
- Flared finger choil protrudes out of the handle in order to prevent finger damage
- Handles made of olive green canvas Micarta, 3D milled for added texturing
- Handle shape allows firm purchase in various grips
- Handles secured by large bolts, removable and adjustable
- Flexible lanyard for individual adjustment to the wrist, special olive/orange pattern
German Kydex Sheath:
- Extremely resilient and impact resistant
- Comes with an attached MultiLock with adjustable angle settings
- Blade Length: 4.56" (11.6 cm)
- Blade Steel: D2 Tool Steel, 58-59HRC
- Blade Thickness: 0.196" (5 mm)
- Handle Material: Canvas Micarta
- Handle Thickness: 0.78" (20 mm)
- Overall Length: 9.84" (25.0 cm)
- Sheath Material: Kydex
- Weight: 8.7 oz. (246 g) Knife Only, 12.9 oz. (366 g) Knife Only
- Made in Italy
UPC Code: 420215
Waterproof, scratch resistant, and low friction. It will hold its shape and makes a great alternative to leather.
Micarta is a compressed layered composite sealed within a thermosetting plastic which creates a strong, attractive material that is impervious to water.
This is a high carbon steel that is appropriate for use in hostile environments and is known for edge retention.


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The BMW X6 luxury crossover went on sale in April 2008 as a 2009 model year. BMW referes to the X6 as a Sports Activity Coupe (SAC) as it combines the attributes of an SUV (high ground clearance, xDrive and all-weather ability) with the stance, styling and roof line shape of a coupe. The E71 X6 was built off the E70 X5 (2007 - 2013) platform at BMW's Spartanburg, SC plant. Total worldwide sales were just over 235,000, sold mostly to the BRIC countries. US total sales was 34,082 vehicles.
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predictions re: X6 leasing in 2009-2010
Here's were I am coming from: My lease is up in 9 months and I am thinking what would I choose if I had to get a new BMW tomorrow? The X6 has really grown on me, but it would not be an option right now, because it's too expensive. Not the price, but rather the leasing. I will not be purchasing my next car for a number of reasons. And as you all know the lease #s on the X6 are less attractive than any other model, M cars, Individuals and Alpinas included. If the money factor dropped to below .00220 and more importantly the residuals increased to at least 52% or more (36 months/15k mi. per year), then I would shoot for an X6 5.0 (drove it and was really impressed). But to lease a 6 cylinder right now for the same payment as a 2009 M5 is ludicrous.
So here's my guess: I think that the leasing parameters will become a bit more conventional by fall of this year if for no other reason than the MX6 might be out at that point, and then the regular X6s loose some of their halo status. If BMW positioned the X6 as an X5 alternative (which it really is) with the same leasing parameters, the X6's superior power and handling could have hurt X5 sales. So, they gave it a year for buyers who like the X6 to purchase it and at the same time they made it "unleasable", which by default positions it as a superior vehicle to the X5. Right? But what happens when the X5 gets the TTV8 and the ever important torque vectoring differential that gives the X6 its handling edge? BMW isn't going to zap leasing incentives on the X5 at that point. Its a bread and butter vehicle for them. I think at that point the X6 would get demoted, in a way, to basically an X5 coupe. Pricing may remain a bit higher, but hopefully the leasing numbers make the non M versions more attainable at that point.
It's all conjecture...? It still surprises me that BMW chose to make a car that was a hard sell in the first place, totally unattractive to lease? Imagine if Mercedes tried to position the R wagon in such a way (different car for a different market though)?
Last edited by 550isport; 01-19-2009 at 03:09 PM.
not going to happen, the X6 is not a volume producer for BMW, standard rates will always apply
2007 328i Jet Black/terra/burl prem,step, sport, heated seats, xenon, sirius
Leasing as we know it is over and will not recover to the way it was.
The X6 volume is 40k per year. BMW has already stated that for any cars that do not sell well, they will send overseas wher ethe market is better rather than have a glut in the U.S. and have to discount.
As far as I can tell, X6's are hard to come by because the majority are sold overseas.
BMW is not GM. And will scale back accordingly.
Lease incentives/rebates are an indication of over production and poor management. With this economy, I expect BMW to become smarter with production.
I also expect the consumer to keep cars longer, buy more used rather than new, and many middle class will get out of lease loops and go back to more conservative financial patterns.
2012 535i
I agree with all three responses (although I don't think the X6 is at a standard rate. Its far above that. The money factor of .00285 is the top tier and the residuals are atrocious).
Maybe all the leasing incentives will dry up in this economy? As a former E38 owner, I'm convinced that the record sales of the E65s were primarily due to heavily subsidized leasing that made an $85,00.00 7 series far cheaper to lease than its S class counterpart. If that is what happens then so be it. BUT I suspect more is at play with the X6. The residual is in the toilet! As it is with the diesel X5 (which should have a higher residual than a gas X5). Why? Simple, BMW NA...not AG is trying to capitalize on the segment of its customers that 1) have the ability to purchase the vehicles outright (I read that almost 70% of X6s have been purchased/financed - compare that to 91% of 7 series leased) and 2) must have them regardless of the financials. Once this initial wave a wealthy salivators have subsided the rates would normally (using the last 3-4 years as a basis) correct downward to a more conventional level based on the specifics of the vehicle itself (i.e. M cars usually remain at high lease numbers because of strong demand, whereas a 760li or 650i won't). I bought my 740i sport. Kept it for 5 years and got hammered on a private sale (would have gotten sodomized on a trade-in). I am an ideal candidate for leasing and I love it. I hope my lease loop of 4 BMWs since the 01' 740 doesn't get broken
Time will tell. Thanks for the responses.
Last edited by 550isport; 02-02-2009 at 11:46 AM.
I have always been confused with this whole lease thing. Help me understand the logic.
I have always approached buying a car as follows.
I'm admittedly a bit of a an old world yankee so typically buy a used car - 18 months to 2 years old - and I always pay cash.
In recent years I have bought 2 BMW X3's and an Audi A4 Avant and on all three car the milage was between 20K and 25K and in all cases I paid roughly 50% of the sticker +/- 5% - all were bought from dealers. Again, in all cases you would have a difficult time telling the car from new once detailed.
Funny story - I also bought a 1 month old Porsche Cayenne with 1500 miles from a guy who bought the car for his wife as a gift only to have her complain that she wanted a MB G Wagon. After a couple of weeks of her moaning he acquiesced and got her what she wanted - so I got the car for 30% less than he had just paid.
I/we also drive cars for a long time - not necessarily a huge numbers of miles in a year. Also, once I become familiar with a car and it becomes comfortable I find I look forward to my daily drive regardless of the cars age - I guess this is the real benefit of buying a great car to begin with.
We still have all of these cars - one X3 and the A4 were bought for two of our daughters.
I'm curious about what the rational, logic or formula is for leasing. Any thoughts.
2007 X3 3.0si - Wife's Car
2004 X3 2.5i - Daughter's Car
2003 K1200RS - Dad's Toy
2001 750 iL - Retired by me in 2005 - Great Car but wanted AWD
1995 750 iL - Retired by me in 2002 - Great Car
For the masses, leasing is a tactical option to improve monthly cash flow and allows the consumer to drive a car that they could not otherwise afford.
2012 535i
You make good points for ownership and you certainly have found excellent values in buying pre-owned after the severe depreciation that occurs on a 1-2 year old car.
Now let me give you some advantages for leasing. First, in leasing you are essentially renting the car for the term you've agreed. Therefore, the price to 'rent' the car is based on the value of the car during the term that you lease it. For a car with a high residual (the car's value at the end of the lease) that means low payments (relative to financing for same term). So to lets use an extreme example: Say you want to own a $100k car. Maybe its something a little beyond your grasp. If you finance it, your payments will be high because you are responsible for the entire $100k amount. Lets say you decide to lease and the calculated residual after 3 years for that car will be $70k. Now, the terms of your lease will be based on the 'value' i.e. $30k for the term of your lease. Payments arrived at from $30k will be MUCH less than those arrived at from $100k! The interest on the lease, what they call money factor, may be higher, but not nearly to account for this difference.
So through the lease we have the ability to drive something more expensive than we could otherwise own. There is always the option to buy the car and finance for 7+ years to get a similar monthly payment, but cars depreciate quickly and it doesn't make sense to finance a car for so long.
Now, the issue is what happens when your lease is up? Well you have some choices:
1) Turn the car back in and start anew
2) Buy the car from the leasing company for its residual value (which is pre-determined at least start) if you really love the car and want to keep it longer.
3) Find a buyer for your car if the market value is significantly higher than your predetermined residual. Negotiate with the dealer for the sale/transfer and you could make some $$ out of it!
By way of example, I owned a 1997 540i Sport which, given my low mileage, was worth more at the end of the lease than what they had valued it at. I did have an arrangement with the dealer who would help me with the transaction, but I could not find a party to commit to buying before my next car came in, a 2000 M5.
As the lease for the M5 ended, I loved the car and decided to buy it at its residual value. I owned it for another 3 fun-filled years! However, the warranty was over after year 4, so I was on my own. European cars are expensive to maintain, for even the smallest issue.
I leased a 650i for the next 3 years and just took delivery of an X6. Each car was built to the exact specification of color and options I desired. The second-hand market does not give you this choice. You take what you find. Personally, I've enjoyed keeping up-to-date on the models and the technology/engineering they bring. The excitement about the last car is quickly overshadowed by the new car.
So there's really no right or wrong approach, just different benefits to each.
I hope this was helpful without stating the obvious!
+1 Great response
When they list "ownership" as a benefit of financing vs. leasing I;m at a bit of a loss on that... To me that simply means higher property tax on my car.... This isn't 16th century England where someone is going to steal your horse unless you can prove ownership. I'm very comfortable with BMW Vehicle Trust "owning" the car which I have the only keys to
It is safe to say the car sales not improving for rest of the year. But is the Op implicitly saying BMW would undergo GM like deal? I don't think so. You, for sure, will see incentives.
MJ14 535dx - Imperial Blue
MJ10 550 GT - Imperial Blue (retired)
MJ07 530i - Silver Grey (Sold)
Thanks for your comments - and I don't think you are stating the obvious. I've always understood the math and I guess it ultimately boils down to enabling people to drive a car with an exact and desired configuration in a given timeframe while minimizing cash outflow - which is very understandable. I think in some way I enjoy the hunt for the perfect combination of car and deal. It always takes me a long time to find a car but I enjoy the process and never feel rushed.
The end point is essentially the same - we are all pleased with the outcome and we enjoy the everyday experience of driving cars we love.
2007 X3 3.0si - Wife's Car
2004 X3 2.5i - Daughter's Car
2003 K1200RS - Dad's Toy
2001 750 iL - Retired by me in 2005 - Great Car but wanted AWD
1995 750 iL - Retired by me in 2002 - Great Car
"CAR"NACK the Great?
I know its not cool to gloat over being right, but I'm excited that my predictions came true 100%:
Base rate down - residual up by 11%!!!!!!
February 2009 X6 5.0 rates:
36 Month Residual 58% of MSRP .00260 Base Rate
Now if I could get them to pull me out ahead of my lease. Fat chance in this market. Lets hope these numbers stay put for a few months and aren't just a means of trimming down excess inventory before reduced production takes hold.
Make that 58% residual and .00175 money factor on a 5.0 as of April 09'! That's a $400.00 difference monthly on the same X6 5.0 leased in November 08' vs. April 09'. WOW!
That's almost $15,000.00 more to lease the car when it first hits the lot!
I suspect the exact same thing applies to the 09' 7er right now. If BMW want it to compete with the soon to be released A8 and S class updated for 2010, there's no better way to guarantee market share then to increase value - which the last 7 series undeniably established.
Because BMW wants you to BUY your car. Could that be it? Sure could . If you haven't noticed, there's a recession going on and nobody's offering to give you THEIR money to use for cheap nowadays. When people lease a car it never occurs to them that actual checks are changing hands and what you are actually doing is "Renting" a car from somebody who has agreed to pay the dealer on your behalf.
Part of the big supposed crash according to some experts was the sale of CDO's or Certified Debt Obligations which basically was a nice way for the bank to say it was bundling up the thousands in expected Payments from nice score people with no equity and shipping them off to investors without any true certification as to whether the instrument in and of itself had any underlying value.
Don't worry about it. Just keep electronically transferring your money to us every month LOL and keep thinking you didn't really spend that much money ROFL
But seriously I want to buy one as well and all this attention is causing them to RAISE prices. Go back to freaking out over Benzos and souping up acuras hehehe
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The Subway sandwich chain has officially eclipsed McDonald's as the world's largest restaurant chain in number of outlets, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Subway says it had 33,749 restaurants worldwide at the end of 2010, compared with McDonald's 32,737.
The Journal says McDonald's figures came in an SEC filing last month.
McD is taking the change of fortune philosophically, telling The Journal that it is committed to "being better, not just bigger."
Doug is an unrepentant news junkie who loves breaking news and has been known to watch C-SPAN even on vacation. He has covered a wide range of domestic and international news stories, from prison riots in Oklahoma to the Moscow coup against Mikhail Gorbachev. Doug previously served as foreign editor at USA TODAY. More about Doug
Michael Winter has been a daily contributor to On Deadline since its debut in January 2006. His journalism career began in the prehistoric Ink Era, and he was an early adapter at the dawn of the Digital Age. His varied experience includes editing at the San Jose Mercury News and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Also: Follow On Deadline on Twitter


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Papageorgi, Ioulia (2008) Investigating musical performance: performance anxiety across musical genres. Teaching and Learning Research Programme, Institute of Education, University of london, LondonFull text not available from this repository.
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You can't help but notice the odd kinds of decay everywhere. Somehow things keep getting worse instead of getting better. People can no longer provide stability , the world is in debt and morality doesnt exist anymore. Life is so cheap and money rules. How long is it before we turn into a Mad Max melt down ?
Watch the news, look around you ? it all looks pretty fucked
Riots, stabbings, govement corruption , pregnat woman at "Cage Fights". Maybe Jimmy could put a poll together ?


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Stories About the Rescue Effort
International Cooperation During the Chilean Mine Rescue
This video was produced by the State Department. It features Chilean Ambassador to the United States Arturo Fermandois.
Other Videos
Against All Odds: Rescue at the Chilean Mine
Chilean Mine Rescue: Surviving Underground
Chilean Mine Rescue: Proof of Life
The Chilean Mine Rescue: In Three Miners' Own Words
First Look: Smithsonian Exhibit — Rescue at the Chilean Mine
Dr. Mike Duncan explains NASA's cooperation during the rescue of the miners in Chile
International Cooperation During the Chilean Mine RescueUPS explains how the team assisted the rescue of 33 miners in Chile


text: Fariba G. asks, "Interesting analysis of microcap stock and trial outcome. Was the bearish view of Dr. Ratain based on this statistics or did he bring scientific backing for his view?" "Finland64" emails, "It would be great if you could take some time to write that article on the flaws (and perhaps the strengths) in the perifosine phase II colon cancer trial…Would it also be possible for you to include the fact that it was a controlled, randomized, double blinded study?" The strongest, most reliable, clinical data comes from randomized, controlled studies. No disagreement there. I've long criticized biotech companies that run crappy single-arm phase II studies and then make dubious survival-benefit claims based on comparisons to outdated "historical" data. Blech. Ratain has also been a vocal proponent of randomized studies and believes the high failure rate in cancer drug development stems, in large part, from the over-reliance on single-arm trial designs. As he says above, Ratain also believes the perifosine phase II study is flawed, despite what looks to be a randomized, controlled clinical trial design. As originally conducted, the phase II study was designed to determine perifosine's signal of activity. Initially, 381 patients diagnosed with seven different types of cancer and treated with eight separate chemotherapy regimens were to be enrolled in the study. Within each tumor type, patients were to be treated with either perifosine or a placebo. Full enrollment in the study never took place. Instead, an unplanned interim analysis was conducted which revealed evidence of clinical activity when perifosine was combined with capecitabine (sold by Roche under the brand name Xeloda) in 25 colon cancer patients. Based on this unplanned analysis, the original study design was abandoned and instead, an additional 13 colon cancer patients were enrolled in the study to bring the total number of colon cancer patients to 38. It's data from these 38 colon cancer patients -- which again, purports to show a survival benefit favoring the perifosine-capecitabine combination over capecitabine alone -- that Keryx relied upon to design the ongoing phase III study.


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Newcrest Mining remains fearful that it could fall to a scrip bid from one of the growth-hungry overseas gold giants.
Newcrest, Australia's last big gold group not to be swallowed by an overseas predator, told shareholders at yesterday's annual meeting that North American groups continued to enjoy price-earnings ratios well above the norm for non-mining companies.
That would give groups such as Newmont and Barrick, with their fancy share prices built on monster P/E ratios, an advantage in any scrip bids they might make for Newcrest, valued by the market yesterday at $3.9 billion.
Newcrest chairman Ian Johnson said there had been a "sensible recalibration" in the Australian market where mining stocks were now assigned P/E ratios similar to the market average.
He said he believed that the Australian market's approach would eventually be adopted globally, however Newcrest might be swallowed by one of the high P/E ratio North Americans before that day arrived.
Mr Johnson said that Newcrest had not taken part in the merger and acquisition frenzy of the past couple of years because, as a successful explorer, its organic growth was "much more efficient". "During the past decade Newcrest's discovery cost has been approximately $A15 a resource ounce, whereas recent merger and acquisition activity has taken place at a multiple many times that number," he said.
Mr Johnson said Newcrest would continue with its growth through exploration strategy.
Shareholders heard that the 2003-04 profit would be at a similar level to the previous year's $92.2 million. Mr Johnson said the following year's profit should take off as the $1.3 billion Telfer gold/copper redevelopment made its first contribution.
Newcrest chief executive Tony Palmer said he would be flying to Jakarta to speak with Indonesian ministers about illegal mining at the company's Toguraci mine development.
Mr Palmer said he was hoping production of the first ore at the high-grade mine would still go ahead in early December, but the area first needed to be cleared of illegal miners.
He said after the annual meeting that Newcrest was looking for a diplomatic solution.
"Clearly we don't want to antagonise the people on the island because we have to live with them," Mr Palmer said. "We believe they are making a political point and I want to get up there and I want to do something about it."
Mr Palmer said the illegal miners were basically individuals who were going onto the site with a pick and shovel.
- with AAP
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