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> According to ESPN... (Sac trade)
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According to ESPN... (Sac trade)
Lord Helmet
You think a Peja for Ron?I know Ron may be nuts some times but please give him a 2nd chance!!!Wait I mean 3rd chance.I was wondering why a lot of people were on PD at 4 pm on a non-game night as soon as I saw all these people on I though a trade may have already gone down.
I am not gonna signup for some silly forum just to read , if this is from ESPN why not post a link to the article:confused:
Could be someone reading too much into the Chad Ford ESPN Insider article...
This is just typical BSPN fluff, fanning the flames for controversy. There will be no trade at this point in time. Bank on it.
Could be someone reading too much into the Chad Ford ESPN Insider article...
Could be Bball ;)
I wouldn't even waste my time folks all it says is
Artest may be back on the block. This team a possible deal being worked out with Sacromento.
I don't know the players, but just heard it.
No crediable Links or anything of how this info was gathered , maybe someone is just trying to boost there signups so they can have more members since it requires you to register to read the forum.
One team is 4-1 and a contender for the Eastern Conference throne. The other is 1-4, and sinking fast in the wild, wild West.
Each has an All-Star small forward who has been an integral part of the team's success in the recent past now it's time to trade them for each other.
Without delay, Kings GM Geoff Petrie and Pacers GM Larry Bird should pick up the phone, call each other and offer to rekindle talks of a Peja Stojakovic for Ron Artest trade.
Here's why:
* * *
Predrag Stojakovic
Sacramento Kings
5 16.0 4.0 1.6 .346 .909
In Sacramento, Stojakovic's heart is not in it. After the team let Vlade Divac go this summer and turned the leadership of the team over to Chris Webber, Stojakovic wanted to bolt.
Through his agent, David Bauman, he asked to be traded, claiming he no longer felt comfortable on the team.
Through a month of training camp and the first two weeks of the season, it has shown. The trade request rankled the Kings, who got in several shouting matches with Bauman over the course of the summer. Stojakovic's teammates weren't pleased either. But it has had an even bigger effect on Peja.
League sources told Insider that Stojakovic has been aloof with teammates and a recluse in both the locker room and on the team plane.
Even more troubling, Stojakovic has changed his legendary practice habits. That might explain why the best shooter in the NBA is shooting a troubling 19-percent from 3.
Peja Stojakovic and Dirk Nowitzki
Peja Stojakovic, left, was the NBA's second-leading scorer last season, averaging 24.2 points per game.
Sources claim that for years Stojakovic spent an extra two hours in the gym, even on game night, practicing his shot. NBA coaches who've worked with Stojakovic through the years have used his preparation as a motivational speaking topic to show how the best shooter in the league became the best shooter in the league.
For the first time in his career, though, those two-hour shooting sessions are off, several sources told Insider. With his heart no longer in Sacramento, he's spending the time with his wife and new child while he waits out the Kings.
There's also a growing rift in the locker room, with Webber, Mike Bibby, Bobby Jackson, Doug Christie and Brad Miller on one side and, well, ... Stojakovic on the other.
Stojakovic isn't the only problem for the Kings. There's a growing feud between Bibby and head coach Rick Adelman that ended in a Bibby tirade against Adelman on the team plane last week.
A slow start hasn't helped matters. Any fissures that were there at the start of training camp seem to be growing by the day.
There's a growing consensus that Adelman's job is in serious jeopardy. He might be the first one on the Kings to go, but whomever replaces him is going to have to get some of the other internal issues fixed.
* * *
In Indiana, Artest's heart appears not be in it. He made that clear earlier this week when he went to head coach Rick Carlisle and asked for time off because of personal issues that led to mental and physical fatigue.
Ron Artest
Indiana Pacers
3 24.3 7.0 2.3 .474 .850
"My body has been aching; I was going to take some time off, and I said it the wrong way," Artest told reporters on Wednesday night. "Everything that happened wasn't too negative. I kind of surprised the team by wanting to take some games off, just to get back together, maybe stay home for a little bit, rest a little bit and come back."
He certainly surprised Carlisle, who said Tuesday the situation "compromised the integrity of the team. It's a private team matter, and I'm going to leave it at that."
The twist, which came out Wednesday night, is that Artest attributed some of that fatigue to work he was doing promoting his rap album due out Nov. 23.
When reporters asked Artest whether his work on the album contributed to his fatigue, he responded. "I've been doing a little bit too much music, just needed the rest," Artest said. "I've still got my album coming out Nov. 23. After the album comes out I'm going to make sure all of my time is focused on winning a championship."
Artest's explanation surprised the Pacers and caused a firestorm nationally.
Pacers president Donnie Walsh told Insider on Thursday morning that Artest did not ask for time off because of his work on the rap album nor was he being punished for his work on the album.
"He had a number of things going on his life," Walsh said. "He came into camp weighing 260 pounds. It was the first time in his career he hasn't really been in shape. The heavy minutes he's been playing were taking their toll physically. And he had other personal issues that were troubling him. The rap stuff never came up."
While Walsh doesn't discount the fact Artest's schedule promoting the album may have contributed to his conditioning and lack of focus, he had nothing but praise for Artest.
"He's the one guy that gives maximum effort on our team every day, whether that be in the practice or the games," Walsh said. "That's been true this year as well. No one here is questioning his effort or his intensity. He just had some things that had to be worked out and Rick and Ron agreed on a course of action that led to him sitting out the last two games. He wasn't suspended or fined. It wasn't about that."
Ron Artest, Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird
Last spring, Pacers executives Donnie Walsh (center) and Bird (right) were toasting Artest's Defensive Player Of The Year award.
As part of the agreement, Artest was asked to stay with the team and dress for the games. Artest claims the decision to sit him a few games was appopriate.
"It was a good decision," Artest said. "I need the rest. There's a lot of things going on.
"There was no crime done. I think it helped out. I was tired. I was doing a lot. I was running around a lot and doing a whole bunch of stuff, and I've also been working out, so I think I wore myself down physically, I wore myself down mentally. I was ready to take some time off, at least like a month off, but two games is enough."
It didn't help the Pacers, who were blown out by the Clippers on their home floor Wednesday with Artest on the bench.
While the Pacers love Artest, the player, Carlisle's patience with Artest, the person, is wearing thin. If the Pacers are going to contend for a title this year, they have to be able to trust him.
Is Artest the Ricky Williams of the NBA? Is he one trip to Australia away from never coming back?
The Trade
With all that's going on with each player, you've got to wonder if either is worth trading for at this point.
The Pacers discussed an Artest trade twice this summer. The first was with Orlando, when the Magic were shopping Tracy McGrady.
The second was with Sacramento, when the first signs of Stojakovic's misgivings began to surface. The two players' salaries are virtually identical, though Artest's deal runs for two years longer than Stojakovic's.
The Kings turned the Pacers and everyone else away (the Bulls and Suns also made a run), in part, because they felt Stojakovic would get over his initial disappointment of losing Divac and return to camp focused and ready to compete.
That clearly isn't happening. Stojakovic's agent has made it clear to the Kings that he'll show up to practice and play hard in the games but he still wants out.
Given the Kings performance, and Stojakovic's in particular, it's hard to see how the Kings are going to make this work. He's not getting over it.
The Pacers continue to maintain publicly they love Artest and believe he's a vital piece of their team. But the trade talks have happened and are expected to intensify in the wake of this latest episode. In fact, the Pacers might have tried to keep the story quiet, in part, to keep his trade value higher.
Neither team is going to get a better deal for its star small forward.
The Pacers would be the perfect fit for Stojakovic. They are a championship caliber team looking for one last piece of the puzzle to put them over the top. He has a work ethic and game that Bird loves. He has the ability to hit clutch shots, and with Jermaine O'Neal drawing double-teams in the paint, he should get plenty of wide-open looks on the perimeter.
The Pacers would miss Artest's toughness and defense. There were times in the playoffs last season when he, not O'Neal, looked like the Pacers' MVP. However, he imploded in the Eastern Conference Finals, shooting just 31 for 104 from the field.
The Kings aren't going to get a better offer than Artest. Put aside the off-court issues for a second. He's the best on-the-ball defender in the league, has emerged as a potent defensive player and has a toughness about him the Kings have sorely lacked the past few seasons.
The Kings would miss Stojakovic's shooting, but they have other players Bibby and Jackson who can stroke it from 3. Stojakovic has been a clutch performer, but he, too, cooled greatly in the playoffs. He shot just 31 percent from 3 after shooting 43 percent in the regular season.
Of course, the Kings can't ignore Artest's off-court issues. In a perfect world, the Pacers wouldn't make this trade, because Artest is the more valuable player. In Artest's world, however, his flakiness quota is high enough they'd pull the trigger.
You could argue a trade is just what Artest needs. He has great confidence, maybe too much confidence, and shipping him away might be the reality check he needs to get focused again. But there's just no way to predict what Artest will or won't do in Sacramento, or anywhere else.
Carlisle and the Pacers have grown tired of the unpredictability. But it might be a welcome change in Sacramento. The Kings have enough support players around him, and it's clear they have to do something different this year if they're going to make a run at the title.
It's time to make the call, Larry and Geoff, before things get any worse.
MR, Does your new avatar mean the big event has occurred?
Could be someone reading too much into the Chad Ford ESPN Insider article...
Could be Bball ;)
I wouldn't even waste my time folks all it says is
Artest may be back on the block. This team a possible deal being worked out with Sacromento.
I don't know the players, but just heard it.
No crediable Links or anything of how this info was gathered , maybe someone is just trying to boost there signups so they can have more members since it requires you to register to read the forum.
Not sure if that was directed at me but I dont run that site;), I am simply a member
Nope , I realize that's not your site ;)
If this trade went down I wonder how many days it would take Ron to get to Sacramento ;)
flying dutchman
Could be someone reading too much into the Chad Ford ESPN Insider article...
Could be Bball ;)
I wouldn't even waste my time folks all it says is
Artest may be back on the block. This team a possible deal being worked out with Sacromento.
I don't know the players, but just heard it.
No crediable Links or anything of how this info was gathered , maybe someone is just trying to boost there signups so they can have more members since it requires you to register to read the forum.
Not sure if that was directed at me but I dont run that site;), I am simply a member
Nope , I realize that's not your site ;)
ok, just making sure
What was the question?;)
MR, Does your new avatar mean the big event has occurred?
One of those images in my avatar is indeed #3. He was born Sunday night. He's about an hour and a half old in that picture.............
Congrats. :cheers:
Now I guess its up to me to figure out if he's on the left or the right? :smartass:
Now I guess its up to me to figure out if he's on the left or the right? :smartass:
If it helps, here is a picture of him strapped into his car seat and ready to go home from the hospital....
Sacto would be a great fit for Ron, no question. He and Brad get along pretty well.
But he's more likely to get a ring if he keeps his head on straight and stays here.
Congrats MR!
Congrats MR!
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text:
The Big Easy
With a focus on helping find a cure for autism, Ernie Els balances family, golf and a wine business
When Ernie Els lifted the Claret Jug into the grey skies above Royal Lytham in July, 10 years of major championship frustration, nearly two years of bad putting and a continual shadow of doubt about his ability were shoved aside. That British Open victory, the fourth major of his career, said one thing very loudly to his fans, to his doubters and to himself: I'm back.
It was more than an hour after he sunk a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole before Els could be declared champion. In all likelihood he would have to settle for second place, settle for the satisfaction that he could perform in a major again. The tournament was in the hands of Adam Scott, a good friend. But then Scott bogied the final four holes, handing Els the silver jug. The world of the Big Easy suddenly became much brighter.
At the victory ceremony, Els spoke out to his fans and those who might have thought that his Hall of Fame career had come to a dead end at age 42.
"I had a lot of support this week, but you guys have to ask yourselves, were you being nice to me or did you believe I could win?" Els said. Rousing applause told him they still had hope, a hope that even Els himself had found lacking during a completely lackluster 2011 season that was winless and mediocre, and combined with a so-so start to 2012 left him—crushingly—without an invitation to the Masters for the first time since 1994.
"I went through all the lows of the game last year," said Els, sitting easy in a hotel suite on Long Island in August. "In a long career you are going to have lows, but nothing like the feeling I felt on the greens because I had been such a good putter. When I felt like I couldn't make a two- or three-footer, it's not fun. I had visions of me walking into the sunset and saying 'Cheers.' And to come back to win, wow, it was special."
It was special, too, because of what Els and wife, Liezl, had been dealing with since the birth of their son Ben in October of 2002, three months after Els had won the British Open at Muirfield. They had long thought that Ben just wasn't developing normally but it wasn't until 2008 that their son finally was diagnosed with autism. After a period of dismay and grieving, Ernie and Liezl stepped forward to make Ben's affliction public and autism their cause. The bright world of golf and family would become ever so much more complicated, but in a way, Ben helped his father through his tough times.
"My family, my kids, my wife Liezl are really my backbone," he says. "Though I was down it didn't affect their lives. I was the one who was down in the dumps. They tried to pick me up and they did. I wouldn't say Ben knew what I went through. But definitely he is very sensitive in the way he can react to moods. He knows when I'm down. He can see it in my face. I don't have to say anything.
"The thing with Ben, what I've learned from Ben during my struggle, is how unbelievable he is with his routine. With Ben, with autistic kids, the older they get the more they stick with their routine. When I started working at the start of the year, selfishly I was watching my son and it was helping me with my golf game, helping me get a routine."
He needed something. He needed to find a way to be who he was, a worldwide winner of 65 events, 19 on the PGA Tour. And in a sports world rife with disconnect between super athletes and the fans who adore them, Els needed something that validated a connection that he always took seriously.
"The worst thing for a professional player is to play and then look around and your fans are almost embarrassed," he says bending forward in his chair with a passionate sincerity. "I could see their expressions on their faces like they are looking at a guy who is a shadow of himself. That's the thing that really pulled me down, that people actually lost faith in me.
"This is my passion as a person, this is my love, it's what I do. Playing golf, this is what I felt I was put on the planet to do. It's something I love so much." From the time he was a teenager in South Africa, from the time he decided that golf was his game and his father put a practice green in the backyard, Els has had an absolute commitment to being a world-class player.
Nick Price, the Zimbabwean who developed his own world-class game in South Africa, remembers seeing Els as a youth and being taken, like so many others, with his swing. The scrawny six-foot, three-inch youth was graceful and fluid, his swing arc so wide that it could wrap itself around the Cape of Good Hope. Price saw Els turn first into a tour winner then a major championship winner. He saw Els earn the nickname "Big Easy" for his style of play and style of life. He thought it was a name that was appropriate and misleading at the same time.
"When he was about 18, I watched him from a distance hitting balls on a practice range and he had this lovely graceful, powerful swing," says Price. "Once he made it out on tour in Europe then came to the U.S. it was apparent he had incredible talent. Because his swing is so graceful, one thing that can be overlooked is how soft his hands are. He hits these wonderful soft chips and pitches. He is one of the best chippers of the ball ever.
"But I want to say this so it doesn't come out negative. The Big Easy title is a bit of a misconception. Deep down inside he's as driven as anybody, as tough as anybody. The real Ernie Els is a very tough competitor, very astute, very aware of everything that goes on around him. You don't win 60 tournaments around the world, four majors by being a gentle giant."
It was Els' U.S. Open victory at Oakmont in 1994, in the land of Arnold Palmer, that established his pedigree and his foothold in America. The victory was important way beyond his name on the trophy and the big check. "It gave me a place to play for 10 years," Els says. And he made the most of it, piling up PGA Tour wins from the Westchester Country Club in New York to the Waialae Country Club on Oahu.
Westchester became a particularly good place to see the Big Easy game on the course and the Big Easy lifestyle on the Sports Terrace. He won at Westchester back-to-back in 1996 and 1997. Life was free-flowing then, just he and Liezl, caddy Ricci Roberts and friends. After morning rounds at Westchester, Els and Liezl, Roberts, Stuart Swanepoel, Maura Nolan and assorted other friends used to gather at a corner table of the club's open-air Sports Terrace under a brightly covered awning, right at the intersection of two walkways. There were plenty of pitchers of beer, bottles of wine, glasses of strawberry daiquiris and loads of laughs. Els would acknowledge the fans who called out to him, and his cadre would often station themselves there for hours. The Big Easy was accessible, affable and approachable.
"Those were the days. We were very carefree," says Els. "The [Sports Terrace] became an institution for us. We did that for about four years. We sat on the terrace, we had our one waiter, Jose. We are still very much like that. But obviously life has changed a little bit. We've changed a little bit. But in many ways we are still like that. We had the pitchers of beer, the wine. We still have those things, but not at the golf course anymore."
Golf and life flowed along about as fluidly as his swing. The victories kept coming, a second U.S. Open in 1997 and his first British Open in 2002, plus scores of wins all around the world. He, like all his contemporaries, found himself overshadowed by Tiger Woods. In 2000 Els finished second at the U.S. Open and the British Open to Woods, and admitted that if he had played his very best he would not be able to beat him.
In 1999, the Els' first child Samantha was born. "I was there at the birth and you naturally take to parenthood, don't you?" says Els, again bending forward in his chair for emphasis. "It was a wonderful change in our lives."
Three months after his British Open win in 2002, Ben was born. Things changed, forever.
"After a year both myself and Liezl, we both could see something wasn't quite right, not normal," says Els. "Unfortunately, most parents with autistic kids go through that same rigmarole when they take them to the family doctor and he says, no he's just a little slow. Then you wait six months and you go to a guy you think is a bit more qualified and the guy doesn't know what's going on. We, myself and Liezl, basically diagnosed him ourselves as autistic. As he got older we got more and more into it.
"The beginning phases of your life with autism is a scary situation. You don't know if you can handle it. As a parent, when our daughter was born, parenting was quite natural. With kids with autism, you don't know. How are we going to raise a child with autism? There has to be an expert who knows exactly how to raise a child with autism. Well, that's not true. You learn with your child. You try to figure out the best way forward and hope your instinct is the right instinct."
Now, instead of just putting and chipping and honing his swing, Ernie Els faced a bigger challenge. Autism, a term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders, can't be cured. You can only cope. The coping process first starts with grieving, and that's something that Els now knows just delays getting on with things.
"Finding out that he had autism, selfishly I felt sorry for myself, 'Why the hell did this happen, was there something wrong with the birth, something wrong with the doctor, was there a lack of oxygen somewhere?' Maybe not enough oxygen to him and something happened in the brain. But I made peace with it because I was there, I was there at the birth and nothing sinister happened. So this child was born with this disease. You start making peace with it. Okay, you are not going to be throwing a ball with this kid, probably, doing things that normal dads do with their 4–5 year olds. That hurt for a while.
"But right now, to be honest, looking back I wasted a bit of time going through that almost-grieving process, of why this and that. If I can give any advice to parents after they find out their kid is autistic, don't waste that time trying to find why this happened. It is what it is. You've got to move on now."
Els and Liezl knew they had to do something. Els' global persona could cast a spotlight on autism, bring much needed attention to an affliction that seems to be on the rise.
"For quite a few years, myself and Liezl, we weren't quite on the same page because I wanted to try and help with the science of it, finding a cure for it. Liezl said that takes a lot of money and you have to get the right researchers, the right scientists. She said why don't we help our local community. That's what is really needed immediately, a real center for these kids. This could be a satellite center for people around the world where we could do our own research in a way, in a school, a proper school, a proper center for these kids."
The first step was a pro-am golf tournament which was the brainchild of Marvin R. Shanken, the publisher and editor of Cigar Aficionado and Wine Spectator magazines. He approached Els upon hearing his announcement about Ben's autism during the awards ceremony after he won the 2008 Honda Classic. When the pro-am successfully raised nearly $750,000 its first year, the discussion of the foundation began in earnest. Shanken is on the board of the foundation, and is the cochair of the Els for Autism Charity Pro-Am golf tournament, which is held each year at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, along with Johann Rupert, a South African business magnate and a longtime friend of Els.
Once the foundation got off the ground, Els and Liezl and those who surround them expanded the scope of the foundation's goals. The plan includes a center for autistic children in the Palm Beach area. It is designed to be wired into the world so that parents in South Africa, Brazil, Japan, in every continent, could take advantage of research and advice at the highest levels.
"I have to mention Cigar Aficionado and Marvin. We have this tournament in March in Florida," says Els. "Marvin has become a great supporter and dear friend of ours. It was really his idea. Most of the amateurs are his friends. He basically asked them to put up the money to play."
Out of that pro-am grew the Els for Autism Golf Challenge, a series of 30 events across the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom that culminate with the Grand Finale in Las Vegas hosted by Els and a slew of his friends on the PGA Tour. The goal is to raise $30 million for the Els Center for Excellence, a facility that will provide education and therapy for children and young adults and a global digital learning platform for families, researchers, therapists and teachers. "The autism community, there is this little buzz going on underground, everybody emailing everybody saying my child is not eating this, or not sleeping at this time, so what have you done?" says Els. "There are these connections going on. We can make these connections public. It's good for other people to see what these kids are like. We will have a camera in a room 24/7 and through that camera some person in South Africa can be learning and watching what teachers are doing with these kids."
As he has throughout his career, Els has risen to the challenge of his son's affliction and has worked it into his life in a manner that still meant he could compete at the highest levels. As Els' persona morphed from a topflight player into a brand, with a golf course design business and a burgeoning wine business with a winery in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa, he has been able to absorb it all with aplomb.
Yes, there had been some low points. Caddie Ricci Roberts, who has carried Els' bag for all four majors championships, was there for those as well. Els and Roberts have gone through several separations since he started carrying the bag in 1992. "We've been married and divorced more times than Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor," says Roberts.
As he watched the smiles on Els' face after the Open victory at Lytham, he also knew there was a great sense of relief. "This Open Championship, coming 10 years after his last major, has to be one of the highest highs of his career. I would think 2004 would be the lowest low. Phil [Mickleson] makes that putt on 18 to win the Masters. At the U.S. Open he plays in the last group with Retief [Goosen] and shoots 80. The Open Championship he loses to Todd Hamilton in the play-off. At the PGA Championship he three-putts the last green to miss the play-off. To have a chance to win all four majors and come away with nothing, it took a while for him to get over that."
Els didn't win on the PGA Tour from 2005 until 2008, but he did win tournaments worldwide, in Great Britain, South Africa, Dubai, Asia. In 2010 he had a two-win season on the PGA Tour and seemed to be going along swimmingly. Early in 2011 his putter sprung a leak and he couldn't seem to stick a cork in it. It became increasingly frustrating, and when he missed a few two-footers, it became increasingly maddening. He didn't win anywhere in 2011, and much to his personal distaste for the thing, he went to the belly putter, something he had described as cheating.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
A proposed city ordinance that attempts to define what information about official business should be made available to the public is drawing criticism from local residents and lawyers across the state.
The proposed ordinance would define what is considered official business, set guidelines for the city on what information could be released to the public and delineate the difference between private and public communications.
City Council members and the city attorney argue that the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Local Government Records Act do not clearly explain the meaning of "transaction of official business." They say the ambiguity has led to confusion and the invasion of privacy, in which personal emails and other forms of communications can be sought.
The proposed ordinance was written by the City Attorney's Office at the request of the City Council.
Two lawyers who specialize in First Amendment law disagree and say the proposed ordinance crafted by the city will make obtaining information more difficult. A recent Texas attorney general's opinion also makes clear that personal documents are subject to open record if they contain city business.
El Paso is now suing the attorney general to try to block the release of some records, including possible conversations about the new Downtown ballpark that might have taken place in personal emails.
"It appears to me that the city is attempting to make information that is in the possession of public officials, that might actually be governmental records, such as emails and text messages, harder to get," said Charles Daughtry, a Houston attorney with a specialty in freedom of information. "The point of these acts are to keep these taxpayer-funded institutions honest, to create transparency. This may do the opposite."
City Rep. Susie Byrd and City Attorney Sylvia Borunda Firth said Daughtry is misreading the ordinance. The intent of the proposal is to protect city employees' privacy, both said.
"I feel it's wrong for someone to just go through all of my email," Byrd said. "So we're trying to be proactive and give guidelines so this doesn't happen."
The ordinance does instruct city employees to immediately hand over official business communications if they take place on a a personal account, which includes electronic devices. That makes the city go beyond the state code and be even more transparent, Byrd and city Rep. Steve Ortega said.
State law is already clear, said Daughtry and a fellow First Amendment attorney, Bill Aleshire,who is currently fighting the city of El Paso to release emails on the ballpark and other issues. Though privacy is a concern, city employees made the choice to co-mingle private and public records for city business, Aleshire said.
The attorney general made the same argument in an opinion to the city in November, several months before the proposed ordinance was drafted.
"This office has found that information in a public official's personal email account and home telephone records may be subject to the (Public Information) Act where the public official uses the personal email and home telephone records to conduct public business," the opinion states. "Thus, to the extent the emails originally located in personal email accounts relate to the official business of the city, they were subject to the Act."
The proposed ordinance also goes beyond privacy. It defines the "transaction of official business" and also provides examples that are not public business.
Firth calls it an attempt to clear up gray areas in state law. Aleshire argues that this is illegal because a city can't redefine state law.
"No city has authority to weaken the application or narrow the scope of the Texas Public Information Act, which essentially makes some of this void," Aleshire said.
The proposed ordinance attempts to define what would be considered official city business. It says official business would be any communication between city employees, volunteers, elected and appointed officials only when those people are performing their job for the city.
Daughtry called the definition vague at best and possibly limiting.
Aleshire questioned whether communication between employees or residents or employees and businesses would be included. The definition could exclude MountainStar Sports Group, which bought a Triple-A baseball that will play in a $50 million stadium to be built where City Hall is now located, he said. Some of the wording could provide a narrow definition that work done outside City Hall, off the clock or voluntarily might not fall under city business, Aleshire added.
"It looks to me that like this ordinance, as written, will still be used as an excuse to let city officials communicate about the public's business using private email accounts to hide that discussion from the public," Aleshire said.
The definitions of what is not official business also raise concerns, both lawyers said. Political communications, union communications and communications made on behalf of another organization are not subject to public records under the ordinance.
The law did not specify whether those communications were those transmitted using public or private accounts, but Firth clarified that it applies only to private-account communications.
Daughtry said the term "political" is unclear. Plenty of City Council action could be considered political, and this ordinance might prevent possible records from surfacing, he said.
Firth said "political" referred to campaign business, and there is a similar stipulation in the state law. But Daughtry said there's a difference and also pointed out that the business communications could present a slippery slope.
" 'Political' might be construed as an email from the city manager suggesting what to fund or how to approach a certain dissenting group," Daughtry said. "What if a city employee is spending six hours a day working on another business through his personal email. The taxpayers, who fund his paycheck, may never know."
There's also a provision in the ordinance that says if a dispute arises over what's private and public, the city may petition district court. Daughtry said that could cost thousands of dollars and delay the release of records.
Aleshire also pointed out that communications, under a strict definition, might not include calendars, receipts or notes which could contain valuable information about city business.
The city maintains it's using an ordinance similar to one passed by Austin, which has drawn praise from First Amendment lawyers, including Aleshire. There are some similarities -- including directives to use city accounts when conducting city business and forwarding city business sent to personal accounts to city emails.
But the Austin ordinance does not define the transaction of official business, which is much of the heart of the El Paso proposal.
"It's pretty outrageous," Aleshire said. "I've never seen a city do this, and quite frankly this ordinance simply negates what the Public Information Act is all about."
A public hearing on the ordinance will take place March 5.
Evan Mohl may be reached at email@example.com; 546-6381. Follow him on Twitter @EvanMohl.


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Kendell W. Phillips@kipsoore active 4 years, 3 months ago
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albrightny440 wrote a new post, CHICKEN/BISCUIT DINNER & CARD PARTIES, on the site Albright Grange 440 4 days, 23 hours ago
Chicken and biscuit dinner will be Nov 4th. Prices and menu to follow as soon as I have details.
Card parties: Nov 11, Dec 2, Jan 6 & 20, Feb 3 & 17, Mar 3 & 17. Starting time 7pm. Good times, fellowship, food […]
stonypointpa1694 wrote a new post, October's 2nd Meeting, on the site Stony Point Grange 1694 1 week, 3 days ago
Please be advised, our second meeting for October will be postponed by a week and will be held on the fourth Thursday – the 26th.
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The Lookingglass Grange Farm Market will be closed just for one day, on Thursday, September 21, 2017. We look forward to seeing you again on Thursday, September 28, 2017 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm!
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Grange Gazette 11-5


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Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
Luke wrote:I've got an addictive personality. I can see it getting bad. I'm sticking to my guns on not buying any more discs for a while... other than possibly one or five.
Dave Dunipace wrote:I had a thought. Originally this thought came by way of the Japan Open.
Several trains of thought converge for this idea, so please bear with me.
1. With good technique, driving in 150 class is just about as easy, if not easier than heavy class. With the advent of the speed 12 and 13 discs, and especially with more stable models, these discs in 150 class easily out distance heavier slower drivers, except possibly into a wind. Accuracy and technique are a little more difficult but definitely manageable.
2. Although a case for lighter putters could be made for putting under obstacles and possibly longer distances, I feel pretty confident saying that heavy putters are generally advantageous.
3. Most everyone can operate a heavy (175g) putter. Most everyone can operate a 150 class driver (bad technique aside). Not everyone can properly operate a heavy (Boss-like) driver.
4. Safety is a concern for disc golf, especially in Japan. Safety of discs are related to weight, nose radius, flexibility, and operating range and speed.
5. The safest discs have the bluntest noses, most flexibily, lightest weight, and are the slowest with the shortest (theoretical) operating range.
6. The second safest discs would probably be all of #5 in heavy weight plastic. In other words, I believe a super soft heavy putter is just as safe, if not safer, than a 150 high speed driver in normal plastic.
With all this in mind, why not have a 150 class, allowing exception for super flexible putters? Putter class would be defined by nose radius. Flexible would be set at around 10lbs, as opposed to the current 26lb limit.
I conducted a simple test on a medical scale, pushing the disc down with my hand until it bent to approximately 90 degrees. A Super Soft Omega easily passed (for example).
This could be a separate class like Super Class, Vintage, or 150 Class. Maybe 150 Super Class or, (in my opinion), Fair Class.
I suppose we could have a Super Flex Class that allowed in all types of drivers but, I don't think it would be as safe, due to the additional weight of the faster, longer range drivers. Speed and weight are not good for safety. That being said, a Super Flex Class would certainly be safer than the current standards.
Just some thoughts, not to scare anyone. If it is tested anywhere, it would probably be in Japan.
Dave Dunipace wrote:I should have said previously, that we will be making R-Pro in 150 Class for most of our drivers including Leopards and TeeBirds.
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- Description
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Turn up the heat with this stunning mix of boldly colored roses dramatically arranged in a contemporary vase.
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- A free gift card with personal message.
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noneGorgeous!September 20, 2014
It was a gift for my son's and daughter-in-law's wedding anniversary, and they both loved it (phoned me as soon as they saw it).


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Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
Blake_T wrote:i personally would like a longer disc with a cyclone/gazelle flight.
trogdor wrote:If someone could make a Cobra-like disc that doesn't have such a sharp lip, I'd love it.
Thatdirtykid wrote:And for a starfire/avenger thats less LSS try a worn avenger or starfire (or if you want it to be really high speed stable break in a x pred they will fly similar to an avenger)
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Avery® Slide & Lift Tab File Folder 73504, Assorted, Letter Size, Pack of 24Product Number: 73504
Manage your workload more efficiently and keep your desk more organized with these innovative file folders. The tabs slide left and right to any position so you can always see what you're looking for—no more blocking out by other file folder tabs. You can also lift the tabs up as reminders for important items or to call out priorities. Just write directly on the tabs using a ballpoint pen, pencil or permanent marker. For other writing instruments or to print, use the included Avery file folder labels. Need to make a change? No problem. Erase with a pink pencil eraser and write again. Keep your workspace running smooth with these unique, inventive file folders.
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This review is from Slide & Lift Tab Assorted File Folders, Paper Folder with Plastic Tabs, Letter Size, 24-Pack 73504:
We use these to organize our family's personal filing system.
For example: We use the red folders for medical - one for each family member.
We use the green folders for our banking, retirement, and tax info...and so forth.
Now that we're starting a new family business...we have started to use for our business needs and well as our personal needs.
Thanks Avery...Keep up the great work for your products! =)


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So Rit is thee dye, but has anyone found a better dye? One with less fade/bleeding? I have heard Metal Complex dye, as well as fast milling dye might work better on polyurethane than rit. Dying discs is sure a lot of fun, but with only a two or three month lifespan before it looks blurry I would say there has to be a better dye.
Any experimenters out there?


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Monday, November 7, 2011
Thomas Shevory, Ithaca College
This posting is part of occasional series, based upon a bicycle tour around the Great Lakes, starting with Lake Huron.
July 24, 2011
I wasn't exactly sure where to begin this journey, but...
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Thomas Shevory, Ithaca College
This posting is part of a series that provides a follow-up to my book, NOTORIOUS HIV: THE MEDIA SPECTACLE OF NUSHAWN WILLIAMS. Previous postings have examined other current aspects of the...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Thomas Shevory, Ithaca College
The accolades for Steve Jobs have been non-stop, coming from all quarters. This strikes me as especially interesting, given that business leaders aren't generally in favor at the moment, as is evidenced by the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations.
Jobs was praised on MSNBC as...


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I disagree.The funny thing is he apologized too.
I wonder if he'll appeal, and be able to play tonight? He most CERTAINLY should be able to get that rescinded.
This is the most ludicrous suspension in the history of the NBA. No doubt.
Shaq was interviewed immediately at the conclusion of a televised game. Any moron in a basketball uniform would have a pretty good idea that there was a good chance his interview was being carried live.
You don't criticize the officiating in a live interview, you don't use the "F" word and you don't act noncaring and belligerent when someone tries to help you cover your butt by reminding you that the telecast is live.
I think he got exactly what he deserved.
I just wish he would have been suspended for some other game. I always look forward to playing against Shaq to help gauge the toughness of our interior game, with or without Jermaine.


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Young working to shed label as bench player
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The more Eric Young Jr. proves he deserves playing time, the harder it is to describe him.
He's on the Rockies' roster as an outfielder. New manager Walt Weiss is reintroducing him to second base and has mentioned third as a possibility. Young played well enough when injuries forced him into the lineup last year and has continued that this spring (batting .406 in 11 games), which just might be erasing the description that he spent last spring trying to earn: bench player.
Last year under manager Jim Tracy, Young, 27, was the out-of-options, make-or-break guy who had the strong spring he needed to earn a roster spot. He responded with 14 pinch-hits -- second most in the Majors. But Young hit .339 and had a .387 on-base percentage as a starter, mostly when Michael Cuddyer was out with an oblique injury. Young's season ended in August with an oblique issue, but he's not lost the groove.
"It's easy to get typecast, especially if you are having success off the bench," Young said. "In my mindset, I want to give my best effort whenever my opportunity arises, whether that's starting or coming off the bench. I was just being used coming off the bench so it seemed like that was the only time I had success. All I wanted was the opportunity to go out there and show on an everyday basis what can happen."
He's not a clear starter, but the strong spring and the look of the lineup when the switch-hitting Young hits leadoff and center fielder Dexter Fowler drops from leadoff to second could spell at least semi-regular starts.
The Rockies have a solid outfield in Fowler, Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer, and Tyler Colvin showed power last season. Cuddyer and Colvin can spell Todd Helton at first base.
Young has played 15 innings at second base this spring. Although his struggles there led to the move to the outfield, Young has a new chance to show he can help the team at his old spot.
"It's my natural position -- I never lost confidence, always felt the same there, just wasn't getting the reps there," Young said. "Like I've been saying all spring, I just want the at-bats. If I can get the at-bats, I can do something.
"Whatever position I need to play, that's fine, whether it's outfield or second base or third base. It's all the same thing, catch the ball, throw it to the next person."
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Hardball in the Rockies, and follow him on Twitter @harding_at_mlb. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital officials, led by new CEO Matt Gerlach, should consider "rebranding" the public district system and building a model focused on "population health management."
Officials should also continue looking at partnering with other health care organizations.
That's according to a series of recommendations to be presented to the Salinas Valley Memorial board at Thursday's meeting, set for 4 p.m. in the hospital's Cislini Plaza board room.
To be presented by Chief Operating Officer Jim Griffith, the recommendations were assembled by an advisory committee during a months-long process that started in the fall. The group concluded its work earlier this month.
The committee, which included more than three dozen members ranging from hospital officials and medical professionals to labor representatives and business and community leaders, worked with consultant Alvarez & Marsal on a plan for the hospital's future without an influx of cash from an affiliation partner.
Among the recommendations:
· Provide more information to the community describing the reasoning and actions of the hospital board.
· Have a long-term strategy for replacing buildings.
· Prepare for a shift from inpatient to outpatient demand.
· Create a team of experts on a health benefit exchange to educate "key constituents."
· Reduce costs to remain competitive.
The committee was convened shortly after hospital officials decided to reject a proposed merger with county-owned Natividad Medical Center. It was also after a financial forecast suggested the hospital would have to improve its bottom line by about $40 million to remain a successful standalone organization and pay for a new facility by 2030 to meet state seismic safety standards.
After a few years of losses and cost-cutting efforts, the hospital this fiscal year reported multimillion-dollar earnings.
The board is also set to approve a final employment agreement with Gerlach, who is slated to take over March 29 — the hospital's 60th anniversary. He will replace interim CEO Lowell Johnson.


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International Policy Framework for Climate Change and Business
Remarks of Eileen Claussen
President, The Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Climate Change and Business: The Australia-New Zealand Conference and Trade Expo
November 4, 2004
It is a pleasure to be in Auckland for this inaugural conference. Of course I thought I would be in a country where people were not talking 100 percent of the time about the U.S. election. But as it turns out, that has been the major topic of conversation since I arrived.
Reflecting on the election, I think I can see with some confidence that Americans are of two minds about the Bush victory. Fifty-one percent are very excited. And forty-eight percent - well, they're moving to Canada. And they're going to get flu shots while they're there too!
Seriously, I am honored to be here, and I congratulate the organizers and the sponsors of this conference for bringing much-needed attention to the important role of business in shaping climate solutions.
The fact that you are holding this conference—and the fact that its sponsors include leading companies, as well as the governments of Australia and New Zealand—reflects how far we have come on this issue in recent years.
Instead of burying our heads in the sand and hoping it all goes away, the time has clearly come for business and government to begin serious planning for the risks and opportunities that this enormous problem presents.
I want to begin my remarks today with some comments on the central role of business in shaping climate solutions. Then I want to talk about four things that business needs from government in order to play this role effectively.
In October, Lord John Browne, the CEO of BP, which I am pleased to see is one of the sponsors of this conference, gave an eloquent speech in the United States about the role of business in addressing environmental and other problems.
He said that the role of business is to "offer new choices … to innovate, to apply knowledge and technology to problems and to turn them into opportunities."
Turning problems into opportunities. I cannot think of a better way to frame the discussion of climate change today and the role of business in shaping solutions. This is what we are all here to talk about. And it is also the reason why some of the world's leading businesses are stepping up to the problem of climate change.
Yes, they see and understand the risks of climate change, and they recognize the need to act to minimize those risks. But they also see enormous opportunities in the development of new, climate-friendly technologies that will help our economies advance and grow—without continuing to pose a threat to the global climate. And, finally, they recognize that government will act on this issue, and they would like a seat at the policy table.
At the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, we currently work with 38 leading companies that are committed to climate solutions. Our Business Environmental Leadership Council is a group that includes everyone from Alcoa, BP and DuPont to IBM, Toyota, Weyerhauser and many more.
As of today, 27 of these companies have established targets for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and/or their energy use. And 11 of them already have met one or more of their targets. In total, we believe that about 40 U.S. companies have voluntarily established targets for reducing their contribution to the problem of climate change.
Why are these companies voluntarily taking action, even in the absence of broader U.S. policies that might force them to? The answer is that they want to improve their competitive position in the marketplace. They want to be seen as part of the solution, not part of the problem. And they want to get a head start developing the technologies and the strategies that will contribute to reduced emissions in the years ahead.
But, of course, voluntary action by selected companies is not enough. In order to preserve our option to stabilize concentrations at roughly a doubling of pre-industrial carbon dioxide levels (a frequently cited goal), developed country emissions would need to be 50% lower in 2050 than they are today and coordinated with substantial developing country efforts as well. And, as ambitious as this goal may be, it will not prevent all adverse impacts of climate change. We are already observing impacts to natural systems, as the soon-to-be-released Arctic Climate Impact Assessment will show.
But this objective is a tall order and impossible to envision without the participation of all businesses and all key industrial sectors. So how can we get to a point where business is broadly engaged in this unprecedented effort? I believe the answer lies with government. At the international and national levels, government needs to provide business with four things: certainty of direction, flexibility in execution, an ability to compete fairly, and a willingness to enter into long-term research and policy partnerships. I want to use the remainder of my remarks to talk about each of these.
First, certainty of direction. In the United States, it is said that nothing is certain except for death and taxes. But on the issue of climate change, businesses need some degree of certainty about something else. They need to know that climate change is a priority, they need to understand the direction and the ultimate goal of national and international climate policies, and they need to realize that this is a serious endeavor, one at which we must be successful.
Knowing and understanding these things allows business to invest with confidence in the technologies and the strategies that will get us where we need to be. And this kind of certainty can only be achieved when governments establish clear and measurable, long-term goals.
The most important feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sends a signal of government resolve—Kyoto is a strong declaration of multilateral will to confront a quintessentially global challenge. But Kyoto is only a first step. It was agreed at the outset that Kyoto's emission targets would apply only to developed countries, and now, with the United States and Australia on the sidelines, the Protocol covers just one third of global greenhouse gas emissions—and only through the end of the current decade.
This is helpful, but I do not believe it is enough certainty for business. Both internationally and at the national levels, governments need to establish clearer, long-term goals that show business where we're headed on this issue.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has committed his nation to a 60-percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. That is what I mean by directional certainty. It is also the first instance of a world leader taking a long-term view on how to address this problem. And it is backed up by a set of measurable shorter-term goals – for example, how much can be expected from efficiency improvements, and how that is to be achieved; how much can be expected from renewables, and in what time frame. We can only hope that the rest of the world follows Britain's example, setting a goal and laying out a plan to achieve it, in the years to come.
Governments, of course, can establish different types of goals. Goals can be focused on specific environmental outcomes—such as greenhouse gas concentrations (for example, 550 parts per million) or levels of warming (for example, not to exceed a 2 degree increase over current global average temperatures) although I do not believe that these kinds of goals can be negotiated. Goals also can be focused on levels of emissions and desired reductions, as in the British example. Or, they can be focused on specific sectors. An example: we will all be driving zero carbon emission vehicles by 2050. Or, we will achieve a 75-percent reduction in power plant emissions by 2040.
Of course a goal by itself is not sufficient. Business also needs to know the system that will be used to guide us toward the goal. And this brings me to the second thing government can offer business: flexibility. This means including all greenhouse gases in whatever approach we take, and it means taking advantage of all solutions, even ones that are temporary, like carbon sequestration in trees and soils. Most importantly, it means taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by emissions trading. By making trading the centerpiece of its national effort to reduce emissions, the European Union is ending a powerful message to the world. And there is also the effort under way in the United States, where nine northeastern governors are developing a multi-state regional cap-and-trade initiative aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
By establishing clear goals and then granting businesses a high degree of flexibility in how to meet them, these initiatives reflect a sophisticated understanding of how business works.
The bottom line is that any government response to the climate issue must create ample room for business to do what it does best. The reason why emissions' trading is a good idea is because it allows businesses to minimize their compliance costs through good management. They reduce what they can internally, they try to find ways to reduce more cost-effectively than their competitors, and they pay others who can reduce their emissions more cheaply. The smartest companies then go a step further—they invent new products and processes and set out to find new markets for helping others reduce their emissions.
Think for a moment about the amazing variety of activities that businesses can undertake to reduce their contribution to climate change. They can implement green power programs and cogeneration projects, they can develop energy-saving processes and products, clean fuels, biomass energy, clean-burning vehicle engines and much, much more. Let me offer a few examples from the companies we work with at the Pew Center:
- Air Products and Chemicals' larger hydrogen plants now function as cogeneration facilities, producing steam and power as byproducts of the production process and exporting them to a nearby user.
- Boeing is on the verge of launching production of its new 7E7 aircraft. The 7E7 will be lighter due to the use of composite materials and will use 20 percent less fuel than comparable aircraft.
- Weyerhaeuser pulp and paper mills supply more than two-thirds of their own energy needs through biomass fuels. Weyerhaeuser is also involved in the commercialization of gasification technology that significantly increases the amount of heat and electrical energy obtainable from biomass.
- Alcoa has reduced the electricity required to produce a ton of aluminum by 7.5 percent over the last 20 years.
- Between 1999 and 2002, United Technologies reduced energy consumption by 27 percent and reduced water consumption by 34 percent, resulting in a 15 percent reduction of GHG emissions.
Again, here we have business doing what it does best—innovating and identifying opportunities for future growth, all while contributing to the larger effort to reduce emissions. And I believe this is something we can encourage at both the global and the national levels—by creating flexible policy frameworks that unleash the power of the market to help shape climate solutions.
In the United States, 16 states, including Texas, now require electric utilities to generate a specified share of their power from renewable sources. They don't tell them how to do it; they established the goal. The proposed California vehicle GHG standards also take this approach, establishing performance standards but leaving it to companies to determine how best to meet those standards and allowing them the flexibility to average the standards over their entire fleets.
Even in the absence of a long-term goal, some auto companies are adopting differing takes on what the best near-term and long-term solutions are for both reducing vehicle GHG emissions, and coping with increasing oil prices and the increasing concentration of dwindling oil supplies in unstable regions in the world. Some see hydrogen fuel cells as the answer, others see the hydrogen internal combustion engine, others see a future for diesel or biodiesel, and still others see hybrid technology as a key enabler of any near-term or long-term answer.
Every company is different. Every company goes about its business in different ways. And every company needs to be engaged in climate solutions in a way that suits it best. This means government needs to steer clear of prescribing or dictating the specifics of what businesses need to do, or how they should or should not go about reducing their emissions. In the same way, government should not be in the business of picking technologies. Rather, it is government's job to set goals, as I have said, and then to give companies the flexibility they need to achieve those goals.
But let's not forget or underestimate the power and the need for goals, and I mean not just long-term goals, but also shorter-term milestones. Without these, and without a way to measure success, we could end up several decades from now with little to show for our efforts.
I have talked about certainty and the need for goals and objectives. And I have talked about flexibility.
The third thing business needs from government is the ability to compete fairly, or what we sometimes refer to as providing a level playing field. That phrase reminds me of a comment by John Rowe, the CEO of Excelon, a large generator of electricity in the United States, that was made at a conference held by the Pew Center. John gave an excellent speech, and was unequivocal in his statement that mandatory carbon controls were essential, but that they needed to be fair. A questioner got up and, as a point of clarification, asked if the CEO was advocating for a level-playing field, to which he responded that he "had never wanted a level playing field in my life." But that said, at the very least, government needs to follow the Hippocratic oath and "do no harm" to the competitive position of individual companies that are playing by the rules. This means clear and consistent policies that promote superior environmental performance across the board, without treating some companies more or less gently than their competitors.
At the international level, fairness means developing a policy framework that engages all major emitters of greenhouse gases. Initially the biggest flaw of the Kyoto Protocol, in the eyes of its opponents was the fact that it forced industrialized countries to reduce their emissions without requiring any action, at least in the short term, on the part of China and India.
Now the Kyoto Protocol's biggest flaw is that it does not include the United States, which is responsible for a quarter of global emissions and has a responsibility to lead on this issue. At the same time, emissions from China and India and other developing countries are rising fast and soon will overtake those from the United States. So we do need a global policy framework that asks something of everyone. It is the only fair way to do this. And it is the only way to bring the United States back into the process.
I am not saying that all countries—or all companies—need to have identical obligations. Flexibility is key. Different countries are at different stages in their development, and they have different resources to invest in climate solutions. But we need to create a framework where all major emitters are involved in ways that they and their competitors view as fair.
There are a number of options for achieving this goal. For example, countries could negotiate national emission targets that differ for different categories of countries. Countries could agree to targets for specific sectors. Developing countries might agree to a set of measures that promote both greenhouse gas reductions and economic development. Targets can be bottom-up or top-down, near term or long-term, sectoral or national, climate-based or energy-based. What matters is that we begin the process of figuring out a new kind of global framework, one in which healthy competition can help us move forward growing the global economy and protecting the climate at the same time.
The fourth and final thing that business needs from government in order to play its rightful role in the climate effort is partnerships. And I am talking here about both research partnerships and partnerships in the development of climate policy.
First let me talk about research. Public-private partnerships can play a vital role in developing new technologies and new ideas in the pre-competitive phase of research. At the Pew Center, we recently put out a report on technology policy that said that partnerships between business and government could achieve an array of benefits. An obvious benefit is that these partnerships leverage government funds so business isn't bearing the costs of ambitious and sometimes open-ended research efforts on its own. Another benefit is the fact that partnerships foster inter-firm collaborations, especially vertical collaborations between suppliers and consumers of energy.
Let me offer an example of the kind of partnerships I am talking about. In the state of California, a groundbreaking coalition called the California Fuel Cell Partnership is working to help put up to 300 fuel cell vehicles on the road in a series of independent, fleet demonstration projects. This group includes most of the world's major car companies and leading energy providers, as well as fuel cell technology companies and government agencies.
To date, California roads are home to 55 fuel cell cars and 3 fuel cell buses as a result of this voluntary partnership. It is certainly a start, and a testament to the power of business and government to get things done by working together.
Another partnership example is the one in which Shell Hydrogen is working with partners such as Norsk Hydro, Daimler Chrysler and an Icelandic consortium of government and business entities. Their goal: to figure out how to create the world's first hydrogen economy in Iceland. And they want to do it by 2050. That's what I call directional certainty – and it is going to take strong partnerships to get there.
Beyond research partnerships, business and government also need to work together to develop climate policies. The benefits of business involvement in environmental policy making first became clear to me during negotiations on the Montreal Protocol. This was the agreement, of course, that set out to address the man-made threat to the Earth's protective ozone layer. And, an important reason for the success of the agreement is that the companies that produced and used ozone-depleting chemicals—and that were developing substitutes for them—were very much engaged in the process.
As a result, there was a factual basis and honesty about what we could achieve, how we could achieve it, and when. And there was an acceptance on the part of industry that the depletion of the ozone layer was an important problem and that multilateral action was needed.
On the issue of climate change, we can see the importance of business involvement in policy in a recent decision in the United Kingdom. After receiving input from affected companies, the U.K. government revised its so-called "renewables obligation"—a program that sets targets for the nation's renewable energy generation. The revision did not water down the targets or extend the timetable in any way, but merely sought to provide the companies and their investors with more certainty about what was expected of them—and when.
And this raises an important issue. In bringing up policy partnerships, I am talking about business having a constructive input on policy rather than acting as an impediment to solutions. In the United States, you could say that some in the business community have been in partnership with government on the climate issue for several years now. And the result is that we've seen nothing happen – at least not in Washington. While many businesses in the United States support climate solutions, those businesses with the most influence in the White House and Congress have succeeded in blocking even modest efforts to address this problem.
Obviously, there is a better way. And it begins with governments taking the initiative on the climate problem. Whether at the global or the national level, governments have a responsibility to act on the overwhelming evidence that this problem is very serious and very real. And they have an obligation to stand up to the opposition from some corners of the business community and to say you're wrong.
However, at the same time, government has a responsibility to acknowledge the central role of business in shaping climate solutions. That means giving business what it needs so it can be a positive force for change. And what business needs, as I have said, are certainty, flexibility, a level playing field, and partnerships.
In the speech I quoted at the start of my remarks, BP's John Browne said, "Business is one of the most creative and progressive elements of society." Today, our challenge—and it is a global challenge—is to create the frameworks and partnerships that will allow business to live up to these words and to play its rightful and essential role in protecting the climate.
He went on to say that climate change is a "manageable problem … but only if we start now."
This is not business-as-usual. And it is not government-as-usual either. It is business and government working together toward a common goal: stabilizing the global climate so we can ensure a safe and prosperous future for our businesses, our communities, our nation and our world.
Thank you very much.


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TLC Computer Training Schedule: September 30 - October 4, 2013
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Guns for Sale - Winchester Repeating Arms Company -- MODEL 1906 PUMP 22 SHORT, LONG, LR CAL - MFG. 1909
Guns for Sale - Rifles For Sale - Pump Action - Item# 9491526
|Buyer Tip: If you're the High Bidder above, you're the High Bidder in this auction. All Auctions are conducted in Pacific Standard Time.
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This auction starts at a penny with no reserve. We run our items for the entire duration of the auction and will not cancel prior to the ending date.
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We are a large full-service gun shop in the suburban Detroit area that has been in business for over 25 years.
We offer a 5 day return policy if not completely satisfied with this item. We accept most major credit cards; VISA, MasterCard, Discover ( No AMEX ) and do not charge you extra for the use of your credit card. We also accept money orders/cashiers checks and personal checks as payment. If you pay by personal check, we will hold the check for 14 business days from the day we receive the check. Michigan residents will be charged 6% sales tax.
Shipping and Insurance: $20.00 sent UPS Ground Service to the lower 48 states.
If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us or give us a call toll free at: 1-866-525-1130, 9:30am to 6:00pm EST, Mon. thru Sat.
|Buyer Tip: Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item. If you have any questions regarding this item, you should contact the Seller before bidding. You can contact the seller by clicking on the seller's nickname. The Seller is required to give the Buyer a minimum of three days to inspect any firearm sold through Auction Arms. See the Auction Arms Terms and Conditions for details.


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The Racing Capital
of the World
March 27, 2012 | By Dennis Noyes - Speed.com
Courtesy of Speed.com
Honda's reigning champion, Casey Stoner, reminds paddock veterans of Mick Doohan. Jeremy Burgess used to say that Mick's goal was to keep his name at the top of the timing monitors from the first free session right through qualifying. The reason was not so much to boost Mick's always-strong confidence as it was to keep the pressure on his rivals.
If Casey Stoner had packed up and gone back to the motel with ten minutes to go on the final day of practice at Jerez, he still would have established the best pace over a 10-lap run and still would have ended the preseason with the best overall record. On a cooling track and with the hard work done, however, Casey went out and wiped Jorge Lorenzo's name off the top of the chart.
Casey uncorked a fast lap late in the third and final day of the Jerez IRTA tests, less than ten minutes from the end of 24 combined hours of testing from Friday morning to Sunday evening, to leave Spain with the best time of 1´38.780, bettering Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo by 0.173 and Stoner's Repsol Honda teammate, Dani Pedrosa, by 0.377. Only three other riders, Ben Spies, Cal Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi, managed to stay within a second of Stoner.
That final lap was good enough to deny Yamaha and Lorenzo any preseason bragging rights (although still well off the absolute Jerez motorcycle record of 1'38.189 set by Lorenzo on his Yamaha 800 back in the heady days of Michelin qualifying tires.) Stoner was a tenth of a second off his own best qualifying time from last year but said that the track was not giving the same grip as last year. (The new Bridgestones will be discussed later in this piece.)
Okay, he took less than two tenths from Lorenzo and less than four tenths from Pedrosa. That's relatively close, but, just as it was at Sepang II, when we look at pace we see that the two-time World Champion was actually faster than he looks just by glancing at the timing chart.
Lorenzo and Pedrosa both did full 27-lap race simulations. Lorenzo had an average lap time over race distance of 1'40.310 while Dani was at 1'40.496 for Dani. Lorenzo even did his fastest lap of the simulation (1'39.952) on the 25th of the 27 flying laps. Pedrosa's best time during his full-race run was 1'40.014 on his second lap but he ended the stint with his second fastest lap (1'40.036). (It appears, from this, that the Bridgestone race tire now not only warms up quickly, but also allows riders to turn very quick laps on the final laps. At least it does at Jerez.)
Stoner did not run a 27-lap simulation, but Pedrosa's pace makes it clear that there is nothing about the Honda's power delivery or set-up to give Yamaha hope that they hold any advantage over long runs. In fact Casey's only longish run of 10 flying laps produced a devastating average of 1'39.697. Stoner's best lap from that run was a 1'39.285 on his second lap, but over the entire run, nine of his laps were better than Lorenzo's best simulation lap.
Given Stoner's race pace average, he would have taken over 16 seconds from Lorenzo over full race distance. Does anyone really doubt that Stoner could have kept the pace up over 27 laps?
Casey's answer, when asked why he usually doesn't do full-race simulations is a simple one: "With these bikes and these tires once you have a pace you know what you can do. You don't have to wear your engine out proving what you already know."
Doubly worrying for Yamaha is the fact that Jerez is Stoner's worst track. In his six seasons in the MotoGP class he has never won at the Andalucian venue and only finished on the podium once (third in 2009). He might, however, have won last year in the rain had not Valentino Rossi taken him out in the famous incident that prompted the young Australian to inform the Italian superstar that "obviously your ambition outweighed your talent."
Ben Spies was a solid fourth overall, but made no long runs on the final day, and was 0.715 off Stoner's best. Tech3 Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow was an impressive fifth less than a tenth of a second back of Spies on the factory Yamaha. This gave Yamaha three bikes in the top five along with the two factory Hondas.
Rossi's best time of 1'39.953 placed the Ducati rider just barely in the same second as Stoner but the nine-time World Champion ended his day with a 13-lap run that brought an average lap of 1'41.102 . That means that Rossi would be losing 1.3 seconds per lap over race distance assuming he could maintain that average over race distance -- and that would mean giving up 35 seconds over full race distance, the sort of pace that, in past years, would mean battling for tenth place.
It looks like a battle between Honda and Yamaha for the title with Stoner and Lorenzo leading the way. Ducati will not have their new engine until Portugal or France (the third or fourth race of the 18-race season) and nothing we have seen from Ducati over the last season or this preseason indicates that they will finally get it right.
The Two Preseason Mysteries
Two tantalizing questions remain: Is Ducati building a completely new engine? And what was the red-light glitch that limited the Hondas to four-lap runs in Sepang?
If Ducati was just tweaking the frame they would not be saying that the new bike would not be along until Estoril or Le Mans. They have to be building a new engine. Some paddock regulars speculate that Ducati might finally be going to a tighter V-4 engine, but my best deep insider says no, Ducati has decided at the corporate level to live or die by the 90-degree L-4. A 70-ish degree V would require a major redesign and balance shaft, and that, even for a factory, might mean a longer delay than two months.
If my source is right (and he usually is), it is probable that Ducati may have, in spite of affirming that its current GP12 is a full 1000cc bike, opted for a 930cc displacement and an ultra-short stroke in a quixotic attempt to overcome greater displacement with more revs. To the trained but naked ear along the back straight at Jerez, it sounded like the Ducati L4s of Rossi and Hayden were revving their guts out but still being discretely yarded by the Hondas and the Yamahas.
It also sounded like Ducati tester Franco Battaini was turning less revs. Perhaps he was on a quickly cobbled up version of an engine with a 48.5 mm or so length stroke
Mystery two concerns the reason for the warning light in the instrument panel of Dani Pedrosa's Honda that caused HRC to sit out the second day completely and reduce runs to four laps on the final day at Sepang II. One rival team director told me that he suspected that the problem had to do with the gearbox. He based this on the fact that Honda emptied their garages of all but their highest ranking Japanese technicians, the same ones, he said, who are entrusted to service the seamless gearbox. The other possibility is that, seeing that Yamaha were matching their best runs along the long Malaysian straights at the first tests, Honda may have increased the revs for Sepang II and run into friction (heat and oil pressure) problems.
That could also explain why all but the key Honda technicians were sent out of the garage while the engines were looked at after the opening day in Malaysia.
If Honda runs true to course, someday around the year 2030, a retired non-Japanese Honda technician will let it slip, and on that same occasion we may even find out what really happened with that supposed sticking throttle problem at Motegi 2010.
The True Level Of Stoner's Dominance
In general, and in spite of the oft-quoted remark by Honda HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto that the Yamaha was now at least as good as the Honda, Stoner was the only rider to complete more than half of his flying laps under the 1 minute 40 second barrier.
To determine 'flying laps' we count only those laps completed at normal race pace, eliminating all 'out laps,' 'in laps' and 'discarded laps' (when a rider shuts off to avoid traffic or to get another rider out of his slipstream).
The true dominance of Stoner's race pace is seen in the fact that of the 41 flying laps that he completed, 23 were in the sub 1'40s, a percentage of 56%. No one else was even close. Pedrosa with seven of 41, managed 17.1% of his laps in the sweet times and Lorenzo at 10 of 59 was virtually tied with his fellow countryman's pace.
Only nine of the 22 riders (21 GP regulars plus Battaini, the Ducati tester) managed to get below 1'40 and Stoner was the only rider to get into the 1'38s, lapping in 1'38.975 and 1'38.780 on his two final laps.
Place Rider Flying laps Sub 1'40s Percentage Of Sub 1'40s
1. Stoner 41 23 56%
3. Pedrosa 41 7 17.1%
2. Lorenzo 59 10 16.9%
4. Spies 41 4 7.5%
5. Crutchlow 47 3 6.4%
6. Rossi 55 2 3.8%
7. Dovizioso 47 1 2.1%
8. Hayden 57 1 1.7%
Crutchlow Leads Satellite Riders
Cal Crutchlow, World Supersport Champion with Yamaha in 2009, rode his Tech3 Yamaha to fifth overall on the final day in Jerez and was easily the best of the satellite riders, taking nearly a half second from Gresini Honda's Álvaro Bautista.
Rider Bike/Team Best Time Overall Placing
Crutchlow Tech3 Yamaha 1'39.585 5
Bautista Gresini Honda 1'40.017 9
Bradl LCR Honda 1'40.098 10
Barberá Pramac Ducati 1'40.287 11
Abraham Cardion Ducati 1'40.579 12
De Puniet & Aprilia CRT Push Satellite Riders
Randy de Puniet took the Power Electronics Aspar Aprilia to 13th place overall, a full second ahead of his Spanish teammate, Aleix Espargaró, and only 0.022 off the last of the satellite riders, Karel Abraham. His time of 1'40.601 pulled him well clear of the rest of the CRT machines.
The best of the rest of the CRT field was Espargaró followed by Came Ioda Racing Project's Danilo Petrucci (runner-up in last year's FIM Superstock Championship). The rest of the riders on track in Jerez all posted times slower than the very fast Moto2 time of former FIM Superstock runner-up Claudio Corti on his Kalex.
How could Corti on a 120hp Moto2 set faster times than American veteran (and two-time World Superbike Champion) Colin Edwards (BMW-Suter), Michel Pirro (CBR Honda-FTR) and the two Kawasaki-FTRs of Spanish Superstock Champion Ivan Silva and Colombian Yonny Hernandez, moving up from Moto2?
The answer is corner speed. The Kalex, like the rest of the faster Moto2 machines, is a corner speed monster on a track with only one sixth gear straight. Two years ago the Moto2 bikes were unable to get under 1'44. Now Corti has equaled down to the 1/1000th of a second the pole position time of Loris Capirossi on the Ducati 990 Desmosedici in 2003. Wrestling a big(ger) MotoGP CRT with less than perfect electronics just may be harder than pushing a well-sorted little Kalex around the twisty 2.748 mile Spanish track.
And before dismissing the CRTs remember that in 2010 pundits said Moto2s would not even equal World Supersport times, let alone 250cc times. (Wrong twice.)
Clearly the best of the lot among the CRT teams is the Aspar Aprilia effort and among riders De Puniet, often underrated, is showing the form and motivation that we saw in 2010 when he qualified the satellite LCR Honda on the front row in three straight races (second in Silverstone and Assen and third in Cataluyna) before he was run over in a multi-bike crash at the Sachsenring. That crash spoiled his season, although he did finish ninth overall, just behind the late Marco Simoncelli and with six top-six finishes and a season's best fourth at Catalunya. Last season he was a disappointing 16th overall on the Pramac Ducati, but this preseason the Frenchman is riding well and his motivation is high. He will push the satellite bikes hard this year and set a standard that will challenge all CRT riders.
Texan Colin Edwards was only 17th and fourth of the nine CRTs. His Suter-BMW has been running since 2010 but Edwards was 1.472 seconds back of De Puniet. Something is wrong in the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team and Edwards and his team will have to find a way to fix it fast or this will be a long season for the winner of two World Superbike titles and 31 SBK races.
The New Bridgestones
The black art of building racing tires continues to introduce an element of randomness and unknown outcomes. The chatter that afflicted Honda riders in Malaysia was absent in Jerez, but like sharks off the coast, its absence was more worrying that reassuring to Stoner who believes it will reappear at other tracks and perhaps even at Jerez if conditions are significantly different for the Spanish Grand Prix in late April. Honda riders would rather have faced chatter at Jerez in order to be able to work to cure it. Now they wonder if it will be lurking in wait at Losail in Qatar.
Yamaha riders listen to chatter talk and shrug their shoulders. Something about the Honda seems to attract chatter while Yamaha riders are provisionally immune. It appears that initially the new Bridgestone front works better on the Yamaha than the Honda at Sepang, but Jerez did not produce the same phenomenon.
Ducati riders complained of corner entry problems and wondered if perhaps they simply weren't going in hard enough to find chatter problems.
The biggest complaint with the Bridgestones last year was that they did not warm up quickly. A season-long rash of cold-tire, early-lap crashes both in races and practice sessions (especially morning sessions) were blamed on this tendency to warm slowly.
This year's tires warm up quickly but some riders have complained that the trade-off is an early drop off in grip. Stoner, however, maintains that the big engines with all their mid-range torque are smoother and easier on the tires and that the proof of this is in the endurance of even the softer compound rears.
Ben Spies believes there is a tendency for performance to drop off, but he likes that, saying that his feel and confidence improve when the bike is loose and moving around. The Texan's biggest problem in his first two years in MotoGP has been finding the feel and confidence to let him push hard during the opening laps.
Although both Lorenzo and Pedrosa speak of early drop off in grip, their laps times on full-race simulations show that both men were as fast or faster during the final laps of their 27-lap runs. Lorenzo, as pointed out earlier, did his best lap on his 25th lap of the 27. Pedrosa recorded his best time from his race-length run on only his third lap, but did his second-best lap (just 0.022 slower) on his 27th lap.
Until now the riders have been running alone. The best evaluation of the new Bridgestones will come when the riders are running together and battling each other on the brakes and running different lines on corner entry and exit. Hopefully the combination of 1000cc engines and more forgiving tires will produce more overtaking, looser bikes, and a wider variety in racing lines.
The five years of 800cc racing, whether with the tire wars in '07 and '08 or the control Bridgestone over the final three years, produced only nine of 88 races that were decided by less than a second and precious few races with a last-lap overtaking.
But the statistics don't tell the whole story. The final years of the 500cc class and the first five years of MotoGP 990 racing gave fans much more overtaking and uncertainly, while the recent half decade gave us races that, regardless of the actual winning margins, were often processional and predictable, with any slight advantage from qualifying simply multiplied by the number of laps.
The championship promoter, Dorna, has upset racing purists over recent months by stating that entertainment must trump technology in a televised spectator sport. The move to 1000cc and the very clear message from riders and Dorna to Bridgestone that tires need to warm up quickly even if they drop off later in the day, may produce the 'entertainment' that has been missing in recent years, but Dorna clearly intends to close up the field by slowing down the front.
This year there will be two races in one. At the front Honda and Yamaha will battle while Ducati struggles to close the gap. At mid-pack the best of the CRTs will chase satellite stragglers while the backmarker CRTs, running in some cases, hot-rodded long-stroke Superbike engines in less than ideal frames, will battle each other and, in some cases, be on the lookout for the dreaded blue flag during the final laps.
Change is not always pretty, but MotoGP needs change.


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FELTON -- Phil LaChapelle, who came in a year ago to turn around Liberty Bank, said Friday things are "going in the right direction."
The bank, based in South San Francisco, has branches in Felton and Boulder Creek. Liberty has reduced its nonperforming loans from 6 percent earlier this year to 3.5 percent in the third quarter.
"We're working aggressively to resolve nonperforming loans and it's borne fruit," said LaChapelle, who replaced Larry Woods as president and chief executive officer.
"We added capital in the fourth quarter," added Tom Amendola, Liberty Bank executive vice president, citing an infusion of $1.45 million in October.
Six weeks before his departure, Woods signed a regulatory agreement with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, which remains in effect.
"It tends to keep you focused," said LaChapelle, who expects positive reports at the next regulatory examination.
According to Bauer Financial, Liberty Bank posted a third quarter loss of $126,000 and a year to date loss of $768,000 with a three-star rating of adequate. LaChapelle said a lot of costs were incurred due to changes in technology, from Harland Phoenix to Fiserv and a move to cloud computing.
Bank of the West earned Bauer's top rating, five stars, after its year-to-date income of $435 million nearly matched the 2011 total income of $442 million.
Other ratings remain unchanged.
Valley Community Bank, which signed a regulatory agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. a year ago, closed its Santa Cruz office in the summer. It posted a losses of $1.66 million for the quarter and $2.8 million year to date.
Patelco, the biggest credit union serving Santa Cruz County, earned Bauer's five-star rating after reporting third quarter earnings of $14 million. Last year's earnings were $12 million.
Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, Santa Cruz County Employees Credit Union and Watsonville Hospital Federal Credit Union all posted third quarter losses.
Don Seeman, who heads Watsonville Hospital credit union, said the loss resulted from shifting funds into a set-aside for loan losses after foreclosures on manufactured housing.
"We don't believe it's a trend," he said, expecting a "decent profit" for the fourth quarter.
"We've done a couple of RV loans," he added, and there's a demand for new vehicle loans now that dealers are backing off zero percent loans. "We offer 1.9 percent for better borrowers."
Attempts to reach Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and Santa Cruz County Employees Credit Union were not successful Friday.
Follow Sentinel reporter Jondi Gumz on Twitter at Twitter.com/jondigumz
Bauer ratings, third quarter 2012
Banks Rating 9/30/12 6/30/12 Assets YTD Income %Non-performing assets
Bank of America 3 1/2 stars 3 1/2 stars $1.4T $9.8B 5.1%
Bank of the West 5 stars 4 stars $58B $435M 1.2%
Citibank 4 stars 4 stars $1.3T $9.9B 1.3%
Comerica 5 stars 5 stars $62B $441M 1.3%
JP Morgan Chase 3 1/2 stars 3 1/2 stars $1.8T $10.2B 2.1%
Liberty Bank 3 stars 3 stars $219.7M ($768,000) 3.5%
Lighthouse Bank 5 stars 5 stars $166.8M $1.3M .5%
Rabobank 3 1/2 stars 3 1/2 stars $11B $56M 3.4%
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust* 4 stars 3 1/2 stars $5.9B $77.4M 1.5%
Santa Cruz County Bank 4 stars 4 stars $346M $2M 1.1%
US Bank 4 stars 4 stars $324.1B $4.1B 2.4%
Union Bank 5 stars 5 stars $84.5B $452.9M .9%
Valley Community Bank 2 stars 2 stars $166.6M ($2.7M) 5.3%
Wells Fargo 3 1/2 stars 3 1/2 stars $1.2T $12B 4.2%
Credit unions Rating 9/30/12 6/30/12 Assets YTD Income %Non-performing assets
Bay Federal 3 stars 3 stars $672.1M $1.6M 1.1%
Monterey No rating No rating $198.2M $1.8M .4%
Patelco 5 stars 4 stars $3.9B $43.2M 1.1%
Santa Cruz Community 3 stars 3 stars $104.1M ($1M) .8%
Santa Cruz County Employees 4 stars 4 stars $25.9M ($2,000) .1%
Watsonville Hospital 4 stars 4 stars $11.5M ($125,000) .3% *Acquired by Union Bank
SOURCE: Bauer Financial


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As the weather gets warmer, Trout heating up
ANAHEIM -- The month of May appears to have been exactly what Mike Trout needed.
The Angels have played 17 games in May and Trout had reached base in all of them. The Angels outfielder has hits in 13 of the 17 games and his six home runs are tied with Mitch Moreland for the most in baseball during the month.
"One of the big things with Mike, obviously as you get into the season, you get a little more comfortable, that's one thing," manager Mike Scioscia said. "But I think having Albert [Pujols] behind him has really helped. He's found a comfort zone hitting two, connected with Albert, and hopefully it'll continue."
Since moving into the second spot in the Angels order, Trout has collected 28 RBIs and hit .284.
Heading into Sunday's contest against the White Sox, the Angels have 12 games left in May. Trout, who hit .325 with five home runs in May last season, has raised his batting average from .261 to .285 so far this month.
While getting into the rhythm of a season may be part of the reason for Trout's recent surge, Scioscia believes expectations may have been weighing on Trout early in the season.
"I think it's more of Mike getting through the hype of what he did last year, getting comfortable in the season and understanding that he just needs to play baseball," Scioscia said. "Now that he feels comfortable, you're seeing him do the things he is capable of doing."
Although Trout will return to left field when Peter Bourjos is activated from the disabled list, the 21-year old outfielder has played center field -- where he is most comfortable -- since Bourjos was injured on April 29.
However, Scioscia does not believe the position switch has had anything to do with Trout's recent offensive outburst.
"If you take a center fielder and ask him to catch, there's some validity to that point," Scioscia said. "Take a center fielder and ask to pitch, there's some validity. But, ask a center fielder to play left field, I think that holds no water as to a guy's comfort level of what he might be able to do at the plate."
William Boor is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.