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I just posted a guest post for my good friend, Angel Lemus, entitled Elbow Exercise in the Form of a Karate Kata.
If you know me, I get excited when I find old Karate photos from the 1920s and 1930s, or a rare old book or weapon. It is very rare for me to be interested in something new.
Angel's "new" kata has really grabbed my attention. (I put "new" in quotes because the formulation may be "new" but the techniques are quite old.)
For one thing, I love elbows. I am only 5 feet, 7 1/2 inches tall. It is to my advantage to be close to the attacker. At that range, elbows and knees are my best defense (or offense). I have always paid special attention to elbow techniques in the kata I practice.
So I am interested in the subject of Angel's kata -- elbows.
But there are so many kata out there. In my school, we practice 18 kata, but really only emphasize 15. I do not like to practice too many kata.
But when was the last time someone you knew developed a new kata and then made it freely available to the public, without asking for anything in return? Angel did not name the kata after himself. He just developed it and was generous with it. By doing so, he subjected himself to fans and critics alike. That takes guts if you ask me.
I am a little older than Angel, but consider him to be my senior in Karate. He is one of a very few people I would call a "Karate genius", particularly of my generation.
He is an artist, in addition to being a gifted martial artist. His film and DVD creation skills are amazing, as was his work with Bugeisha, a great journal.
Angel traces his Karate primarily to the legendary Chotoku Kyan. I'm sure that Kyan Sensei valued elbow techniques as well given his short height and slight stature. Angel has also trained with Sensei Toshihiro Oshiro. As such, his background and mine are intertwined as my early training in Matsubayashi-Ryu was derived, in part, from Kyan Sensei, and my Sensei, Katsuhiko Shinzato, also learned from the same Sensei as Oshiro Sensei. Angel also has practiced Tai Chi in depth. When I started Karate, we also practiced Tai Chi. My Karate teacher taught both arts.
But I am not a fan of Angel's work just because he is my friend and our backgrounds overlap. I am a fan because he truly promotes the art of Karate in a professional, artistic, and humble way -- for love of the art, not money.
Now if I can only remember his kata!
Charles C. Goodin
Elbows! Elbows! Elbows!
I just posted a guest post for my good friend, Angel Lemus, entitled Elbow Exercise in the Form of a Karate Kata.
Guest Post: Elbow Exercise in the Form of a Karate Kata
This Guest Post is by my friend, Angel Lemus, of the Zentokukai Okinawa Shorinryu Toude Association. Angel was a writer and editor of Bugeisha, one of the finest Karate journals ever published. He teaches at the Ninchokan Dojo, in Los Angeles, California.
by Angel Lemus
I have always felt that Elbows are not emphasized enough in traditional Karate, sure one can find them hidden here and there in some movements of Kata but they are not very common. In the big 3 of Okinawan karate, Goju-ryu has the most, followed by Uechi-Ryu and last are the Shorin styles. Having grown up in Judo, and practiced a couple variations of Jujitsu and some Aikido, I always appreciated close quarter strategies and felt comfortable being "cheek to cheek". When I came to Karate I always felt that once the long, and middle ranges turn into close range, the "classically trained" Karate-ka shuts down and does not know what is going on and is basically a fish out of water. This has been proven many times over by the UFC and close quarter fighting phenomenon we see today. Of course Sports karate for the past 30 years has not helped as close quarter fighting is no allowed thus completely eliminating any possible skills to be learned by those who practice sport karate in this range (which if you think about it, it is really the only range there is in any real fight).
I have seen and practiced different elbow exercises from many styles but they all seemed to be kind of lame and insignificant. Usually done in a stationary stance where you just go through the motions of moving your arms mimicking elbow strikes without any "real intent". I have always had an admiration for Muay Thai and absolutely love the purity of intent in its practice, there is nothing "pretended' or hidden, nothing is pulled, or watered down. To me, Thai boxing is the best example of elbow application and I have always modeled my elbows after Muay Thai style.
I decided to put together an elbow form to teach my dojo and my fellow brothers in our group to supplement their training and fill the "elbow void". This form can be done fast with intent, with real world movement and it gives you a workout, it is fun, and stretches your upper body so you can loosen up and really make those elbows flow smoothly. I follow the "classical" kata model so that it is mirror imaged so you do both sides (23 moves each side), and you end up pretty much on the same spot.
I have always felt if you do not practice something you cannot employ it on demand when needed. Close quarter fighting is not about punching or kicking, it is forearms, elbows shoulder strikes, head butts etc.. you need to get into that zone in live it in order to understand it.
Angel Lemus
Okinawan Festival This Weekend! (Brochure)
We will be handing this out at the Festival.
The Hawaii Karate Museum will present a historic Karate photograph exhibit at this year's Okinawan Festival to be held at Kapiolani Park in Honolulu on September 1st and September 2nd. We will be in Hui O Laulima's Cultural Tent. This will be our third appearance at the Okinawan Festival.
You can find more information at okinawanfestival.com and at huoa.org.
Please contact me if you have any historic Karate photos with a Hawaii connection that you might want us to display. You can contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com or at 808-488-5773. We are especially seeking photos of Karate in Hawaii before World War II.
If you come to the festival, please stop by and say hello. We will be close to the calligraphy table (with Mrs. Tomu Arakawa).
And please don't forget to check out our Photo Archive Brochure (in pdf format). If you come to the festival, please be sure to ask for one.
Thank you very much.
Charles C. Goodin
My Craftsman Tool Chests
A couple of weeks ago I bought two beautiful Craftsman tool chests for my back lanai area. These are really nice ones, on wheels, and I had been looking at them for months. Finally they went on sale and I bought them.
Anyway, I suddenly had more space for my scattered tool collection and set about to organize them. I found an old toolbox full of wrenches I had inherited and started to put them in one of the drawers of the tool chest. I gradually realized that I had no idea about what many of the wrenches were used for. I am not very mechanically inclined, and I think that some of the wrenches were for auto work.
So I had tools but did not know what they were used for.
Sound familiar?
In Karate, our movements, whether in kata, kumite drills, or otherwise, are tools. They are the tools of Karate. If you had the opportunity to organize your Karate "tool" collection, would you know what each of them mean or can be used for?
I have to admit that I don't know what everything means. I do understand some things and often ask my senior friends what they think certain movements mean. Karate is a constant learning process.
When the movements are scattered in our general curriculum, we do not have to really think about each one. But when we sit down and try to organize all of them, some questions might arise.
Since Karate has evolved over at least a few hundred years, we also have to deal with the fact that some movements might have made more sense at the time and in the cultural context in which they were developed. For example, today we do not wear kimono (or similar clothes) and do not wear metal spikes (jiffa) in our hair. Movements based on the use (or restrictions on use) presented by such items might not make much sense today. And three hundred years ago, people did not have cell phones or cars.
I feel tempted to throw away some of the wrenches I might never use. But who knows, maybe I will learn their proper meaning and use them one day... like some of the movements in Karate I might not quite understand yet.
Charles C. Goodin
Human Weapon Comment
This show brings up many issues that I am sure martial artists are discussing.
One is that the rules of any competition largely shape the outcome. High kicks work very well, unless kicks to the groin or knee are allowed. Grappling works well unless punches and kicks are allowed (it still works pretty well for some people even with punches and kicks).
In a self defense situation, there are no rules. There is also no official "winner" and "loser". If someone attacks you, you generally "win" if you can defend yourself, escape, or even talk the attacker out of attacking you.
When two competitors square off, there are rules and a way to determine the winner -- whether it is by points or who is left standing at the end of the match.
I had a teacher once. He told me about how he was picked on as child. Several boys would get together and beat him up. The best he could do was cover up and take the punches, or run away.
But later, he would wait to get each of his attackers alone. Then he would get even.
One on one, he was more than a match for any of the attackers. But as a group, they could beat him.
So his strategy was to survive the gang attack and wait to get even.
I am not saying that I agree with fighting. I am a very non-violent person. But the idea that there must be a winner and loser in a conflict is based on the sport version of Karate (or other martial arts). Once you buy into this premise, the self defense purpose of Karate is lost.
I also tell my students that you cannot beat a Judo expert using Judo, a boxer using boxing, or a Kyokushin fighter using Kyokushin principles. Unless you are simply superior, you must attack your opponent's weaknesses with your strengths and avoid his strengths.
If you simply stand there and punch and kick it out with a Kyokushin fighter, you will probably lose -- I am certain that I would! Similarly, I would not want to roll around on the ground with a Judo or Ju Jitsu expert. And if I were to fight an escrima expert with sticks, I would throw the sticks away and run as fast as I could!
The strength of Karate is that it truly was a mixed martial arts during its early day. Karate included a wide range of martial skills and techniques. It was broad enough to give its practitioners an advantage over most untrained fighter, and the ability to use a variety of skills against a trained fighter (to be able to grapple a puncher or punch a grappler, for example).
I am pretty sure that the final matches in Human Weapon wold be quite different if they allowed the hosts to use any techniques they desired from any martial art. Limiting the "fight" to the system of the opponent deprives you of any advantage.
Also, it is better to conceal your martial arts expertise. The opponent should not really know that you are a Karate or other expert until he is hit (or taken down, restrained, etc.).
I am often reminded that Karate was a jutsu (art) before it was a do (way). I do not see how sport fits within either framework.
Again, I like the Human Weapon series, particularly because the hosts are very respectful -- exactly how all martial artists should be.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Mini-Review of Human Weapon
Like many of you (I'm sure), I have been watching the Human Weapon series on the History Channel. The show is hosted by Jason Chambers and Bill Duff who travel the world. Each week they learn a different martial art and at the end of the show, one of them challenges an expert of the art using the skills he (Jason or Bill) acquired in that art.
What I like most about the show is this: first, they approach each art with an open mind; and second, they are respectful of each art and of its teachers and students.
I hope that the show makes more people want to sincerely study the martial arts -- and I suspect that it will.
Charles C. Goodin
Back To School
For most students in Hawaii, schools have started for the Fall. Two of my sons started their classes at the University of Hawaii today and my daughter started her high school classes two weeks ago.
Karate is important, but students should always do their best in school first. School must come first. You should not hit the makiwara until you have hit the books! Keep up with your assignments and homework and be prepared for tests and projects.
Never let your school suffer because of your Karate training. Do your schoolwork first. Get the best grades possible. Your education will help you to get a good job and provide for your family. But what will happen if your fail at school? You might have to settle for a job that you do not enjoy and that makes it difficult for you to pay for life's expenses.
You should not spend more time playing video games than you do studying! And playing video games does not make you healthier. You should exercise instead. Exercise will strengthen your body, help you to resist illness, and keep your mind sharp.
If you are good at Karate you should be better at school! I am not only speaking as a parent, I am also speaking as someone who went to college for 8 years. I know how hard it can be to be a student.
Karate is a lifelong pursuit. Sometimes you might have to miss Karate class because of school assignments or tests. That's OK. Being a diligent student is part of Karate training. When you are studying properly, that is Karate.
School must come first! Try your best. I never heard a person complain that their grades were too good.
Remember, there are two "A's" in Karate. (Sorry about that.)
Charles C. Goodin
Right and Wrong
It is very important to keep in mind that what might be considered "right" in one style of Karate may well be considered "wrong" in another style. One style, for example, may require its students to keep their muscles tense and to move in a linear manner. Another style may require just the opposite -- that students relax (until the moment of contact) and that they move in a more circular fashion.
For this reason, it is very difficult to comment on another style of Karate. However, this usually does not stop people.
I always try to remember that others could be very critical of the way that I move. I'm sure that if I could go back in time 20 years and demonstrate a kata for myself, my 1987 alter ego would think that my current self was terrible! And of course, looking back at myself, I see nothing but errors.
I admire Sensei Morio Higaonna very much. He is my senior in every way. However, we do not move alike. His approach and my approach are pretty different. This does not diminish my admiration of him or his method of Goju-Ryu.
I also try to keep in mind that when I observe someone, particularly my seniors, they might be moving in a way that I do not yet understand. I may think that their movement is strange, unusual, or "wrong" because I simply cannot see (understand) what they are doing.
In our Kishaba Juku form of Karate, we develop the use of the koshi. For beginners, we make this motion large (so that they can see and copy it). However, at an advanced stage, the motion of the koshi is very small or even invisible (the koshi motion is all internal). A student who has studied koshi for a year or two might look at a koshi expert and incorrectly conclude that he is not using his koshi. Actually, the novice simply cannot see and appreciate the refined movement.
Right and wrong are relative to style and to stage of learning.
And we should not forget that even something that looks wrong, ugly or crude is right if it works. We should always evaluate movements based on their function... right?
Charles C. Goodin
Preparing For A "False Crack"
The other night I attended a party with my original Shorin-Ryu Sensei here in Hawaii. Two of my friends from the mainland who also practiced Shorin-Ryu (one an instructor and the other a former student) met my sensei for the first time. I was busy attending to other guests, but I got to overhear my sensei discussing Karate with my two friends. He told them things I had often heard before, but hearing his words again made me appreciate how wise and thoughtful he is.
One of the things he said is that Karate involves preparing for a "false crack" -- essentially when someone comes up and attacks you without warning. You are just standing there minding your business when someone punches you in the head! Most likely, you will not be able to see him coming. He might come up from behind or pop out from behind a corner.
As such, you will not have time to prepare for the attack. If you are lucky, you might be able to throw up a block or counter, but you certainly will not have time to take up a defensive stance or position. You will have to move, block and counter from wherever you are, as you are. You will not even have time to bend your knees!
In kata, we tend to take fixed stances. In the "false crack" situation, we will have not such luxury. Whether we are standing, sitting or even lying down, we will have to defend ourselves as we are without preparation.
And you might get hit first -- before you can react. You might have to take the first punch or strike (because you did not see it coming).
So is it hopeless? I think not. With proper training, we can learn to increase our awareness and decrease our reaction time. Perhaps we can even get better at taking punches (to some extent) or slipping them.
I am sorry that I cannot explain all this as clearly as my sensei. I am still working on that! But I feel that it is useful to evaluate our practice of Karate with the thought of a "false crack."
To some extent, Karate involves preparing for something which cannot be prepared for.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Friday, August 17, 2007
Raining Toads?
This week, Hawaii was very lucky that Hurricane Flossie basically missed the state and fell apart. At the same time, we had a big brush fire on Oahu, an earthquake on the Big Island, and a brief tsunami scare after the earthquake in Peru.
What's next? Will it rain toads?
I hope not!
We cancelled our Wednesday night Karate class because we were concerned about Hurricane Flossie. We did not want our students to have to drive in heavy winds and rains. As it turned out, it was a very calm evening with no rain to speak of. However, we always feel that it is better to be safe than sorry. A little change in course and a little increase in winds, and Hawaii could have had serious problems.
As Karate students, we should be prepared for things, not just unexpected attacks, but even hurricanes, brush fires, tsunami, and perhaps even falling toads!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Thursday, August 16, 2007
Don't Buy Gas Late At Night
A couple of weeks ago I did a very stupid thing. I was coming home from a party in Waikiki. My wife and mother were in my car, a Lexus RX-330. I knew that I was going out the next morning and noticed that I was low on gas.
Although it was near midnight, I decided to stop at a gas station not too far from my home.
Sure enough, this "crazy" man walks up and starts to give me trouble. I say "crazy" because I believe that he was very high on drugs. He may have also had a mental problem, but he was certainly high on drugs. He may have been drunk too.
He was older than me and did not appear to be armed. Fortunately, he was alone. As soon as my wife noticed that the man was loud and standing close to me, she locked the car doors.
I have often said that you have to be very careful if an attacker is drunk, drugged, or deranged. In this case, the guy may have been all three!
So what did I do?
You have to consider the possible consequences. If the guy pulled a gun or knife and killed me, then what would happen to my wife and mother? If he grabbed a brick in something and hit my car, then that would be quite expensive. And what if there were others lurking that I did not see?
So I reached into my wallet and gave the guy $5. He still was ranting and raving, but this seemed to satisfy him. He walked off into the darkness.
So was I a weak Karate person because I gave him money? I certainly could have hit or kicked him -- but honestly, I am not sure that he would have felt it. I think he could have run through a glass door without feeling it.
Giving him money was just my first level of defense. If he had attacked, I was planning to hit him in the face with the gas nozzle (so that he would have a hard time seeing), and then maybe kick him or something. But then I would have injured him. Even if I "won" by "beating" him, then what? Perhaps I would have been arrested. Certainly, I would have had legal problems. How would my wife and mother have felt if they saw me beating up this poor guy? They could have been traumatized, particularly my mother (my wife practices Karate and probably would have come out to help if the guy attacked me -- which would have put her at risk of injury). And I actually did not want to hurt him. I felt sorry for him.
So I felt that $5 was very reasonable, at least to buy some peace of mind.
But the moral of the story -- the reason that I am writing this -- is to say that you should not buy gas late at night. I should have waited for the morning. Midnight seems to bring out dangerous people -- those who might be drunk, drugged or deranged (or all three). I should have just gone home, especially with my wife and mother in the car. That is the moral.
Fill up your gas tank when it is safe. Don't wait until after a late party in Waikiki.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, August 15, 2007
My Son Cael
I just published a Guest Post by my third son, Cael. See: Karate: Teaching is Learning. He writes about his experiences teaching Karate.
Cael began learning Karate at the age of 4. His older brothers are 4 and 8 years older than him, respectively. Despite their early size and weight advantage, Cael has always tried (and usually succeeded) in playing and competing with them.
Cael, like my eldest son Christopher, also practices Kendo under Sensei Arnold Fukutomi. Kendo has helped Cael to become very fast, and this is also apparent in his Karate.
Cael is now 18. I do not allow students to become shodan until they are 17. So in Cael's case, this took 13 years. I always feel that there is no rush in earning (or awarding) ranks. The emphasis should be in developing skill.
I am very glad that Cael has found that he is learning about Karate and himself by teaching others. Isn't that one of the main reasons why we all teach?
Way to go Cael! And thank you for always helping with the class.
Charles C. Goodin
Guest Post: Karate: Teaching is Learning
This Guest Post is by Cael T. Goodin, a shodan in the Hikari Dojo. The third son of Charles C. Goodin, he is a freshman at the University of Hawaii.
Karate practice was every Tuesday and Saturday at the Aiea Taiheiji. I was four years old when I first put on my Karate gi and was ready for practice. I stood there in line like a soldier waiting for his orders. My sensei came forth and we all bowed to him and immediately class commenced. Warming up was always first then came punching and blocking, then kata usually followed, then finally we would do some paring off drills or even kumite/sparring. The black belts in my class were all so much better then the lower ranking color belts. I always wanted to become a black belt so that I too could be good like them. My older brother Charles was a mere green belt and already he moved better then most black belts did. It was then that I realized that the belt color did not matter, but it was indeed the person under the gi that was the in control of how good they were or weren't. Charles was always teaching people and I would sit there on the side watching him. As time progressed Charles was showing great improvement in his Karate, whether it was punching, shuto, power, or even his raw speed. I then realized that it wasn't that someone was there coaching him to do the right things to get better, more it was him questioning himself constantly as he taught newer people which made him improve so much.
Finally the years passed and I was seventeen. My father had opened his own dojo about 9 years earlier. I was now a black belt eager to teach new people. The thought of me being able to teach brought a smile to my face. The first time I had to really teach someone I was so clueless. I stood there in front of them not knowing what to teach them. I finally made up my mind to teach simple punching and blocking. As I began to analyze the new student's movements I stared at them with a puzzled look on my face. I knew that something was wrong with the way that they were moving yet I just could not decide how it was supposed to be done the right way. I finally murmured out what I thought was right but a couple seconds later I began to question myself whether I was really right or not. Puzzled, I finally had to ask another black belt how they would do the movement. Embarrassed that I had to ask for help from another person I stood there and hoped that the new student did not think that I was junk. So with the proper form of the movement I showed the student how to do it, but just as I thought I did not need any more help I found myself questioning whether the next move was right. For the first six months of being a black belt it seemed like a constant cycle of me questioning myself whether I was right or wrong. For the longest time I thought of myself as a really junk teacher who really couldn't teach, but as time went no I started to develop my own answers to if I was right or not.
I was now teaching every class and any age group. My students ranged from ten year old children to sixty year old men. Teaching such a broad range of ages, I began to learn that you have to approach people much different from each other. In some cases I could be the goofy teacher who is constantly looking for a laugh but keeps a strict demeanor about myself yet in other cases I have to be a slow teacher who teaches step by step and breaks down the movements to the simplest form there possibly is. One thing that I always keep in mind is that I know that I might not always feel like teaching, but in the end it is what makes you grow not only in Karate but in general as a person; because in life you will not always get what you want and sometimes you will just need to suck it up for that time being and just do your best. Through my Karate experiences thus far I have really learned that in order to really begin to understand what you are doing you have to eventually teach others. By teaching I feel that I have personally grown far more then I would have grown if I was just being taught, whether it was doing a movement the correct way or just learning to be a little more patient I feel that I have grown.
Cael T. Goodin
Thank You Very Much!
I want to thank the many readers of this blog who have sent their best wishes and prayers regarding my wife's condition. We both appreciate it very much. I also was touched to hear of readers whose wives, mothers, and loved ones have also experienced breast cancer.
This week has been very hectic as we attend to all the details necessary to prepare my wife for chemotherapy, which will begin next week. It seems like we have appointments every day. However, I got to attend Karate class last night and it was great to train!
Then afterwards, my second son and I lifted weights at home for about an hour. I actually bench pressed 175 pounds. That may not be very much, but my previous records was... 65 pounds. And at least it was more than my body weight -- by just a little.
I have been lifting with my sons for about two months and really like it. Of course, they are monsters. I always have to take off half the weights (or more) after they lift!
Thank you all very much again. I have many Karate Thoughts to write and will get to them very soon.
Charles C. Goodin
Breast Cancer
A little over a month ago, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. As some of you have noticed, I have not been posting as much since that time. I appreciate the email I received asking if I am alright. I am.
My wife and I are 49. Each year, my wife has a routine mammogram. As usual, this year's test was clear. However, my wife's OBGYN felt something during a visit and requested that the mammogram be repeated. Once again, it was clear. This time, the OBGYN requested a biopsy and it confirmed the existence of cancer.
If not for my wife's OBGYN's sensitive touch and persistence, we would not have known about the cancer. We probably would not have discovered it for at least another year, that is if the next mammogram would have shown it.
Thankfully, my wife's cancer was caught early. Just a week after the biopsy, surgery was done to remove the tumor. The next week, a second surgery was done to increase the margin (clear zone) around the area where the tumor was.
My wife is very strong and handled the surgeries very well. I was amazed that she took no painkillers at all.
Although the diagnosis and surgeries were very traumatic for my wife and me, as well as our extended family, we felt that the hard part was over.
That is when we really started to learn about breast cancer. Removing the tumor is just the tip of the iceberg. Tests began to determine exactly what type of tumor it was, how it responds to estrogen, its genetic characteristics, and other factors.
We quickly learned that the most important thing is to prevent the cancer for recurring, not just in the breasts but anywhere else in the body.
We knew that my wife would have to undergo radiation treatment to kill any remaining cancerous cells in the area of the tumor. But we learned that there are other treatments designed to minimize the risk of recurrence. In particular, there are chemotherapy, hormone blocking, and antibody treatments.
My wife is now scheduled to begin treatments on the 21st of this month.
Of course, I have been trying to learn as much as possible about breast cancer and the possible treatments. That is one reason I have not been blogging. I have also been accompanying my wife to all of her appointments and plan to do so as much as possible.
The next few months will be very challenging and her various treatments will continue for the next year or so. I mentioned to my wife that I wish that I could take the treatments for her. She replied that she thinks that she can handle them better than I could. I am pretty sure that she is right.
This is an ongoing learning process. One thing I would like to say is that I have a much greater appreciation for the members of the medical profession who save lives and help us to be healthy.
I am still practicing and teaching Karate. I feel that my Karate training helps me to be a better husband and supporter of my wife. I have tried to train hard in Karate since I was a teenager. I will try to do even more to assist my wife through this process. On January 7th, we will celebrate our 30th anniversary. Her chemotherapy is scheduled to be completed a week later.
Thank you again for the emails checking on my health. Thank you also for thoughts and prayers of those of you who might have already known about my wife's condition.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Friday, August 10, 2007


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Doctor Who R/C Flying TARDIS
You provide the *vworp vworp*
- World's smallest flying TARDIS
- Officially-licensed Doctor Who merchandise
- Vertical takeoff and landing
One small TARDIS, coming right up. No, really. Give us a second to maneuver it just right and .... there. TARDIS delivery service at your service.
This 3" tall TARDIS is ready to navigate through your home or office. You'll have to provide the sound effects. With an IR controller, this TARDIS can manage vertical takeoffs and landings. Wouldn't it be adorable to float it over friends cubes when they're having a bad day? "The Doctor just wanted to drop by and cheer you up." 30 minutes of charge (via the IR controller) give you around 6 minutes of continuous play time.
Note: Although the controls for space are clearly marked ("adjust left," "adjust right," etc.), we haven't figured out where the time controls are or how they work. And if you're reading this sentence in the copy, that means we never do.
Product Specifications
- For ages 8 and up
- World's smallest flying TARDIS
- Officially-licensed Doctor Who merchandise
- Vertical takeoff and landing
- Controllable spin action
- R/C IR controller has LED indicator lights
- Batteries: 4 AAA (not included)
- TARDIS charges via the IR controller (~30 minutes for 6 minutes of continuous use)
- Dimensions: TARDIS 1" square x 2 3/4" high
- Includes Tardiscopter and IR controller
- WARNING - SMALL PARTS - Not intended for children under 3 years of age

subset: commoncrawl


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We were at Laserquest the other day, celebrating a birthday. Before you enter the "arena," you are required to pledge not to misbehave, and this includes not running, not pushing anyone, and not using "offensive language." But, as a mom with a group of 6 10-year-olds, who formed the majority of the players, but with a group of 5 teenagers also there, I wondered, "do teenagers (in particular, when raised in "none-ish households) still understand the concept of 'offensive language'?", that is, what my kids call "swears."
After all, it was reported that Democratic Senator Kristin Gillibrand dropped the f-bomb in a recent speech, and other Democrats have been doing so lately as well, or using other such language, seemingly as a means of proclaiming their dedication to The Cause. My oldest son also pointed out some of the readings they were doing in his 11th grade English class, which also used the f-bomb and other swears liberally.
I remember in college, when a group of friends I had made early on pushed me to swear regularly as proof that I was an adult, not a high-schooler, and that I wasn't some prissy or clueless child. Now it seems that countless writers have decided that, not only is it perfectly appropriate to sprinkle swears throughout their writing (and presumably their everyday speech) but that to not to so would be inauthentic and inappropriate or simply childish.But why should that be? Why do we need to swear to prove that we're adults?
Yes, we seem to need some class of words to show strong feelings. But there's no reason why that set of words can't be "frickin'" or "dangnabit" or even "what the covfefe" (which I'm inclined towards using in an all-purpose manner these days) rather than f*** or the like. Or, rather, why f*** can't be reserved for truly extreme situations, like, say, a car accident. But, then, I suppose, it fits with the fact that we seem to have lost all sense of proportion, and treat every undesirable event as if it were as horrific as, well, whatever horrific thing you can imagine.
Or is it the other way around? Does the use, among a segment of the population, of f*** as a normal part of everyday speech, contribute to that loss of proportion? Does reserving "swears" for serious things help us keep a sense of balance?
Just a thought.
Image: from wikipedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASwear_jar_2.jpg; By Anna Frodesiak (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons


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Originally published on June 25, 2012 12:37 pm
Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
And we have a bit of sad news from the Galapagos Islands. The giant tortoise known as Lonesome George, believed to be the last living member of its subspecies - has died. We reported on the tortoise in 2008 when Lonesome George mated with a female from a similar species. The hope was his subspecies would be carried on. But the eggs turned out to be infertile. By tortoise standards, Lonesome George died relatively young. He was believed to be about 100 years old. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Diving into Intel's X79 Express Chipset
Diving into Intel's X79 Express Chipset
With Intels Sandy Bridge platform well integrated into certain areas of the market, we have seen an expanding number of motherboard chipsets which support it. Originally, B65, H61, H65 and P67 motherboards were released with or soon after the initial launch while the recent introduction of Z68 Cougar Point brought RST SSD caching into the mix. What we havent seen up to this point is an enthusiast level X-series chipset made available but the new Sandy Bridge E platform is about to change that.
Called the X79 (code named Patsburg), this chipset is the spiritual successor to the long lasting Tylersburg X58 and finally ushers the PCH era into the high end market. With Bloomfield finally on its way out, X79-based motherboards should be the go to products on Intels high end platform for the foreseeable future. Will still be around when the Panther Point platform is introduced in 2012 for Ivy Bridge CPUs and will be compatible with any Socket 2011 processors from now until the launch of Haswell in 2013. This is one of the reasons why Intel decided to go with the 7x moniker instead of sticking with Sandy Bridges 6x naming scheme.
Some of you may remember the last X-series chipset the X58- from our original Nehalem review. Back then a 3-chip solution consisting of a processor, MCH and ICH was used but Intel has gradually moved towards a simplified approach by grouping functions into two areas: on the CPU die and within a so called Platform Controller Hub or PCH. This centralization leads to higher performance and increased platform efficiency.
The basic functionality built into the Socket 2011 processors closely mirrors that of previous Sandy Bridge chips but the capabilities have been expanded to better suit enthusiasts. An Integrated Memory Controller acts as a backbone for up to four high speed DDR3 memory channels, each rated at 12.8 GB/s while a separate controller takes care of the PCI-E lanes.
Speaking of PCI-E lanes, Sandy Bridge E processors support a serious number of lanes; 40 to be exact. These can be configured in a variety of different layouts depending on the number of slots Intels motherboard partners implement on their boards. We are told every X79 motherboard will include at least two 16x PCI-E 3.0 slots for a full speed 16x / 16x Crossfire or SLI, a vast improvement over the 8x / 8x supported by P67 and Z68. There is also the option of having a third or fourth graphics slot (running at 8x bandwidth) for triple and quad GPU setups.
The X79 Express Chipset incorporates the motherboards I/O functions and its features closely mirror those of the P67 and Z68. It includes support for up to 14 USB 2.0 and two SATA 6Gb/s ports while also including the usual Intel HD Audio module. Many will be disappointed with the omission of integrated USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt support but it seems like Intel isnt ready to plunge into those waters just yet. Nonetheless, there is an additional 8 PCI-E 2.0 lanes that can be used for more slots or add on-controllers so boards can include USB 3.0 and other non natively supported features.
We should also mention that Patsburg-based motherboards wont support Smart Response Technology or SSD caching at this point.
Connecting the processor to the PCH is a second generation Direct Media Interface along with an optional SCSI Controller Unit. However, the Intel FDI (Flexible Display Interface) from P and Z-series boards has been removed since none of the SB-E processors will come with onboard graphics controllers.
The Direct Media Interface (DMI) hasnt changed either. When necessary, it can function with the same peak bandwidth as four PCI-E 2.0 lanes or 5 GT/s (20Gb/s) but most of the time it will be operating at lower speeds ensure optimal efficiency.
One thing that we didnt see on previous chipsets is the SCU Uplink which Sandy Bridge E processors are capable of providing. In essence this link allows for a dedicated path between the PCH and processor in order to speed up storage performance and decrease latency. The only downside to using the SCU function is its need for a portion of the CPUs PCI-E lanes (in this case four) which in essence limits the secondary PCI-E function to a 4x link down from 8x and eliminates the possibility for native 3-way GPU compatibility.
Unfortunately, there is a bit of confusion here since some of Intels documentation (including the diagram above) lists the Sandy Bridge processor as having 40 PCI-E 2.0 lanes while most of their other pieces list full compatibility with the upcoming PCI-E 3.0. This is a bit of a slippery slope but after digging much further with Intel and their motherboard vendors, a clearer picture is beginning to emerge.
According to our conversations these new processors do indeed have PCI-E 3.0 compatibility built in at least one paper- but they havent been officially certified by the PCI-SIG. The main reason for this lack of the necessary certification is a lack of compatible add-in cards from AMD and NVIDIA to test on the dedicated graphics lanes. So while SB-E is physically capable of providing up to 40 PCI-E 3.0 lanes, we likely wont see anyone make a big deal about it until some additional testing can be done in the near future.
With that being said, some motherboard partners feel strongly enough about the upcoming certification for the SB-E chips that they will be including PCI-E 3.0 stickers on their X79 boards packaging and marketing materials. We will even see a few instances of PCI-E 2.0 / 3.0 switching options included within the BIOS.
Intel themselves are quite confident as well as they say: The processor features up to 40 lanes of PCI Express 3.0 links capable of 8.0 GT/s
With all of this additional bandwidth coming their way, graphics card manufacturers are feeling quite confident as well. According to NVIDIA they have seen a substantial increase in overall 3-Way SLI performance when using the native solution on X79 instead of the usual 16x / 16x + NF200 setup some X58 boards used. Remember, this is based off of the exact same dX79Sabertoothrs being used in each instance and comparable processors so it looks like higher end SLI configurations could finally see better scaling.
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BRISTOL —HUB Teen Center Director Jim Lockridge and Americorps volunteer Heather Simpson presented research about teens in the five-town area to the Bristol selectboard at its Monday meeting.
"What we presented last night was mostly research about the teen demographic in the area. It's from reports that were gathered and referenced." said Lockridge on Tuesday.


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Our team of over 7000 doctors join me in giving you the best of modern healthcareto ensure you stay healthy, always.
Our oncology specialists are now available online for an expert opinion. Just upload your diagnostic report on apollocanceropinion.com' website and get a second opinion. 'apollocanceropinion.com' is a convenient and hassle-free service than can make a difference to your cancer treatment and care.


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Social-media stocks are overvalued and won't lead to profits in the long term, says Doug Kass, the president of Seabreeze Partners Management Inc.
The hedge-fund manager, in a commentary for TheStreet.com, says he's just not convinced that giving something away for free is good for business -- and notes that no one can really resist something for free.
When it comes to social media giants like Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc., Yelp Inc. and LinkedIn Corp., ultimately these companies need to find a real profit base and not just advertising dollars, he says. And he says he has an ally in hedge-fund billionaire David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital's recent investor letters.
He adds:
"I am not a believer in social media, new tech, sustainable profit margins of the cloud, the endless power of big data, the optimistic prospects for smart advertising and the like being profit machines for decades."
In fact, Kass says he plans to be "putting on outright shorts and long-dated puts in social media and new tech" -- at the right time, which apparently isn't now.
-- Sital S. Patel
More must-reads from MarketWatch:
How a Fed misstep could mean a golden age for gold
Warning: That plunge in stocks is just the beginning


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The util_getline function scans the specified file buffer to find a line feed or carriage return/line feed terminated string. The string is copied into the specified buffer, and NULL-terminates it. The function returns a value that indicates whether the operation stored a string in the buffer, encountered an error, or reached the end of the file.
Use this function to scan lines out of a text file, such as a configuration file.
int util_getline(filebuf *buf, int lineno, int maxlen, char *line);
0 if successful, line contains the string.
1 if the end of file is reached, line contains the string.
-1 if an error occurs, line contains a description of the error.
filebuf *buf is the file buffer to be scanned.
int lineno is used to include the line number in the error message when an error occurs. The caller is responsible for making sure the line number is accurate.
int maxlen is the maximum number of characters that can be written into l.
char *l is the buffer in which to store the string. The user is responsible for allocating and deallocating line.


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Market Watch
Headline crude prices for the week beginning 20 May 2019 – Brent: US$73/b; WTI: US$63/b
Headlines of the week
Midstream & Downstream
Natural Gas/LNG
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The 9th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) Awards, hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), is now open for submissions.
In this fourth industrial age it is technology, innovation, environmental leadership and talented workforces that are shaping the companies of the future.
Oil and gas is set to play a pivotal role in driving technology forward, and at this year's ADIPEC Awards emphasis is placed on digitalisation, research, transformation, diversity, youth and social contribution, paving the way towards a brighter tomorrow for our industry.
Hosting the ADIPEC Awards is one of the world's leading energy producers, ADNOC, a company exploring new, agile and flexible ways to build its people, technology, environmental leadership and partnerships, while enhancing the role of the United Arab Emirates as a global energy provider.
Factors which will have a prominent influence on the eventual decisions of the distinguished panel of jury members include industry impact, sustainability, innovation and value creation. Jury members have been carefully selected according to their expertise and knowledge, and include senior representatives from Baker Hughes, a GE Company, BP UAE, CEPSA Middle East, ENI Spa, Mubadala Petroleum, Shell, Total and Weatherford.
Chairperson of the awards is Fatema Al Nuaimi, Acting CEO of ADNOC LNG, who says: "At a time when the industry is looking towards an extremely exciting future and preparing for Oil &Gas 4.0, the awards will recognise excellence across all its sectors and reward those who are paving the way towards a successful and sustainable future."
Ms Al Nuaimi, continues: "we call upon our partners across the globe to submit their achievements in projects and partnerships which are at the helm of technical and digital breakthroughs, as well as to nominate the next generation of oil and gas technical professionals, who will spearhead the ongoing transformation of the industry.
These awards are recognising the successes of those companies and individuals who are responding in the most innovative and creative manner to the global economic and technological trends. Their contribution is pivotal to the development of our industry and to addressing the continuous growth of the global energy demand. "
Christopher Hudson, President of the Energy Division, dmg events, organisers of ADIPEC, says: "With ADNOC as the host and ADIPEC as the platform for the programme, the awards are at the heart of the worldwide oil and gas community. With its audience of government ministers, international and national oil companies, CEOs and other top global industry influencers, the ADIPEC Awards provide the global oil and gas community the perfect opportunity to engage, inspire and influence the workforce of the future."
Entries can be submitted until Monday 29th July for the following categories:
Breakthrough Technological Project of the Year
Breakthrough Research of the Year
Digital Transformation Project of the Year
Social Contribution and Local Content Project of the Year
Oil and Gas Inclusion and Diversity Company of the Year
Young ADIPEC Technical Professional of the Year
A shortlist of entries will be announced in October and winners will be revealed on the first day of ADIPEC 2019, Monday 11th November, St. Regis Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi.
Held under the patronage of the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and organised by the Global Energy Division of dmg events, the Abu Dhabi Petroleum International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) is the global meeting point for oil and gas professionals. Standing as one of the world's leading oil and gas events. ADIPEC is a knowledge-sharing platform that enables industry experts to exchange ideas and information that shape the future of the energy sector. The 22nd edition of ADIPEC will take place from 11th-14th November 2019, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). ADIPEC 2019 will be hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and supported by the UAE Ministry of Energy & Industry, Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). dmg events is committed to helping the growing international energy community.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on World Input-Output Database
Note: Dollar values are expressed in 2010 U.S. dollars, converted based on purchasing power parity.
The industrial sector of the worldwide economy consumed more than half (55%) of all delivered energy in 2018, according to the International Energy Agency. Within the industrial sector, the chemicals industry is one of the largest energy users, accounting for 12% of global industrial energy use. Energy—whether purchased or produced onsite at plants—is very important to the chemicals industry, and it links the chemical industry to many parts of the energy supply chain including utilities, mines, and other energy product manufacturers.
The chemicals industry is often divided into two major categories: basic chemicals and other chemicals. Basic chemicals are chemicals that are the essential building blocks for other products. These include raw material gases, pigments, fertilizers, plastics, and rubber. Basic chemicals are sometimes called bulk chemicals or commodity chemicals because they are produced in large amounts and have relatively low prices. Other chemicals—sometimes called fine or specialty chemicals—require less energy to produce and sell for much higher prices. The category of other chemicals includes medicines, soaps, and paints.
The chemicals industry uses energy products such as natural gas for both heat and feedstock. Basic chemicals are often made in large factories that use a variety of energy sources to produce heat, much of which is for steam, and for equipment, such as pumps. The largest feedstock use is for producing petrochemicals, which can use oil-based or natural-gas-based feedstocks.
In terms of value, households are the largest users of chemicals because they use higher value chemicals, which are often chemicals that help to improve standards of living, such as medicines or sanitation products. Chemicals are also often intermediate goods—materials used in the production of other products, such as rubber and plastic products manufacturing, agricultural production, construction, and textiles and apparel making.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, WEPS+, August 2018
Note: Dollar values are expressed in 2010 U.S. dollars, converted based on purchasing power parity.
The energy intensity of the basic chemicals industry, or energy consumed per unit of output, is relatively high compared with other industries. However, the energy intensity of the basic chemicals industry varies widely by region, largely based on the chemicals a region produces. According to EIA's International Energy Outlook 2018, Russia had the most energy-intensive basic chemicals industry in 2015, with an average energy intensity of approximately 98,000 British thermal units (Btu) per dollar, followed by Canada with an average intensity of 68,000 Btu/dollar.
The Russian and Canadian basic chemicals industries are led by fertilizers and petrochemicals. Petrochemicals and fertilizers are the most energy intensive basic chemicals, all of which rely on energy for breaking chemical bonds and affecting the recombination of molecules to create the intended chemical output. These countries produce these specific basic chemicals in part because they also produce the natural resources needed as inputs, such as potash, oil, and natural gas.
By comparison, the energy intensity of the U.S. basic chemical industry in 2015 was much lower, at 22,000 Btu/dollar, because the industry in the United States has a more diverse production mix of other basic chemicals, such as gases and synthetic fibers. However, EIA expects that increasing petrochemical development in the United States will increase the energy intensity of the U.S. basic chemicals industry.
The United States exports chemicals worldwide, with the largest flows to Mexico, Canada, and China. According to the World Input-Output Database, U.S. exports of all chemicals in 2014 were valued at $118 billion—about 6% of total U.S. exports—the highest level in decades.
The threat of military action in the Middle East has gotten more intense this week. After several attacks on tankers that could be plausibly denied, Iran has made its first direct attack on a US asset, shooting down an unmanned US drone. The Americans say the drone was in international waters, while Iran claims that it had entered Iranian air space. Reports emerging out of the White House state the US President Donald Trump had authorised a military strike in response, but pulled back at the last minute. The simmering tensions between the two countries are now reaching boiling point, with Iran declaring that it is 'ready for war'.
Predictably, crude oil prices spiked on the news. Brent and WTI prices rose by almost US$4/b over worries that a full-blown war will threaten global supplies. That this is happening just ahead of the OPEC meeting in Vienna – which was delayed by a week over internal squabbling over dates – places a lot of volatile cards on the table. Far more than more than surging US production, this stand-off will colour the direction of the crude market for the rest of 2019.
It started with an economic war, as the Trump administration placed increasingly tight sanctions on Iran. Financial sanctions came first, then sanctions on crude oil exports from Iran. But the situation was diffused when the US introduced waivers for 8 major importers of Iranian crude in November 2018, calming the markets. Even when the waivers were not renewed in April, the oil markets were still relatively calm, banking on the fact that Iran's fellow OPEC countries would step in to the fill the gap. Most of Iran's main clients – like South Korea, Japan and China – had already begun winding down their purchases in March, reportedly causing Iran's crude exports to fall from 2 mmb/d to 400 kb/d. And just recently, the US also begun targeting Iranian petrochemical exports. Between a rock and a hard place, Iran looks seems forced to make good on its threats to go to war in the strategic Straits of Hormuz.
As the waivers ended, four tankers were attacked off the coast of Fujairah in the UAE in May. The immediate assumption was that these attacks were backed by Iran. Then, just a week ago, another two tankers were attacked, with the Americans showing video evidence reportedly show Iranian agents removing mines. But still, there was no direct connection to Iran for the attacks, even as the US and Iran traded diplomatic barbs. But the downing of the drone is unequivocally the work of the Iranian military. With President Donald Trump reportedly 'bored' of attempting regime change in Venezuela and his ultra-hawkish staff Mike Pompeo and John Bolton in the driver's seat, military confrontation now seems inevitable.
This, predictably, has the oil world very nervous. Not just because the extension of the current OPEC+ deal could be scuppered, but because war will impact more than just Iranian oil. The safety of the Straits of Hormuz is in jeopardy, a key node in global oil supply through which almost 20 mmb/d of oil from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE flows along with LNG exports from the current world's largest producer, Qatar. At its narrowest, the chokepoint in the Straits is just 50km from Iranian land. Crude exports could be routed south to Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but there is risk there too; the mouth of the Red Sea is where Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels are active, who have already started attacking Saudi land facilities.
This will add a considerable war risk premium to global crude prices, just as it did during the 1990 Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. But more than just prices, the destabilising effects of a war could consume more than just the price of a barrel. If things are heading the way the current war-like signs are heading, then the oil world is in for a very major change very soon.
Historical crude price responses to wars in the Middle East


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July 4th–who scheduled a trip to Canada on America's birthday? Oh wait, that was me. We read at an anarchist collective house storefront. Dog bless America. Actually there were two cats, which is all the better for our 75% cat loving and 25% in the process of being converted zine tour crew. The locals were suitably impressed with the zine mobile:
Toronto also gave us the kitty that might have turned our one cat-curious person into a potential cat lover:
I shouldn't sign off on this post without saying how great the local readers were. Kisses to Clara
and Sarah


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NEW YORK (AP) - The Coen brothers and T Bone Burnett will celebrate the folk music of their 1960s Greenwich Village comic drama "Inside Llewyn Davis" with a concert in New York.
The filmmakers announced Monday that they will host a concert Sept. 29 at New York's Town Hall. Performing will be Joan Baez, Marcus Mumford, Patti Smith, Jack White, Colin Meloy and others.
Several of the film's stars will also perform, including Oscar Isaac, who plays a folk singer struggling to make it in pre-Bob Dylan New York. The film, with music supervised by Burnett, opens Dec. 6 and features several authentic performances of lesser known songs from the late `50s and early `60s folk revival.
A portion of the concert proceeds will benefit the National Recording Preservation Foundation, which seeks to archive and preserve America's musical heritage.
The Coen brothers and Burnett memorably partnered for the Grammy-winning soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" A live tour followed that 2000 film.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Weiss takes unusual coaching path to majors
AURORA, Colo. (AP) — A few of his high school players sauntered out to the diamond on a balmy Thursday afternoon, congregating near the infield grass that's beginning to turn brown.
A day after hearing the news that Walt Weiss, their coach at Regis Jesuit, was heading back to the big leagues as manager of the Colorado Rockies, they were still a little stunned. That was their coach, the one who just six months ago was taking grounders with them in practice — on this field — as he guided the team to the state semifinals.
Now, Weiss is making the unusual leap from high school coach to major league manager.
His players are already imagining the possibilities. Maybe Weiss will give them a tour of the clubhouse, or perhaps invite them to watch batting practice at Coors Field.
They're certain of this much: He's the right fit to turn around a team that finished a franchise-worst 64-98 last season.
"The way he respects the game, he'll be a very successful coach," senior catcher Jake Leathers said. "He's going to get the program headed in the right direction."
Everywhere they looked around the field at Regis, there were little reminders of Weiss.
Over there, that's where Weiss hit a double into the right-center gap one day in practice, an effortless swing filled with so much power. He was just clowning around to loosen the mood before a big game.
It worked.
And over there, that's where he gave an impromptu tutorial on the proper way to handle the infield fly rule if you're on base.
A lesson that would come in handy later.
More than anything, though, his players will remember the little sayings Weiss used to utter before they took the field. Nothing earth shattering, just things like: "Play the game hard and play the game right" or, "Stay humble, because if you're not humble, the game will find a way to humble you."
Those axioms hit their mark.
"He knows how to play it right and teach it well," said junior pitcher David Peterson, who just so happened to unintentionally show up for school Thursday wearing a Rockies sweatshirt. "He'll take over the clubhouse and turn things around."
Peterson will miss listening to Weiss' stories in the dugout. The 48-year-old Weiss was full of tales, too, ones he accumulated by playing shortstop for parts of 14 seasons in the majors. He started with Oakland (1987-92), where he won the 1988 AL Rookie of the Year award, and also had stops in Florida (1993), Colorado (1994-97) and Atlanta (1998-2000).
"I liked picking his brain and seeing what his days in the bigs were like," Peterson said. "One story he told me was when he was with the A's and he was in a World Series game. He walked out on the field and just looked up at the whole crowd, in shock. It's what we all dream of and hearing what it's like was incredible."
Leathers has known Weiss for quite some time, having grown up with Weiss' son, Brody, who's in his senior year at the school. It was on the advice of Weiss that Leathers switched from third base to catcher.
"It's opened so many doors for me," said Leathers, who's now being recruited by colleges. "What he can see in you and how you play the game, it's unbelievable."
The Rockies are hoping Weiss can have that kind of impact on Rockies players not all that much older than his high school team. The Rockies boast a young nucleus, featuring youthful players such as 23-year-old infielder Josh Rutledge and 24-year-old righty Jhoulys Chacin.
Weiss' ability to relate to his players may be one of his biggest attributes.
"The game is the same from when you're 10 to 25," said junior pitcher and first baseman Reagan Todd, who's already committed to Arizona State. "Baseball is baseball. He will be able to teach.
"He's very patient and calm. But when comes to game time, he's intense."
Asked for any good Weiss stories, junior outfielder Brooks Urich just laughed. He will never forget Weiss taking infield with the team during practice.
"Not to say he's old or anything, but he was just so smooth and threw the ball around the infield like he was playing in the majors the day before," Urich said. "Just amazing."
Weiss and Arizona Diamondbacks coach Matt Williams were the finalists to replace manager Jim Tracy, who resigned Oct. 7 with one year and $1.4 million left on his contract. Rockies bench coach Tom Runnells and first baseman Jason Giambi also received interviews.
"It's a great hire," Urich said of Weiss. "Everyone has respect for coach Weiss. There's never a bad word said about him."
As for receiving any special perks at the ballpark now that his former coach is leading the Rockies, Leathers said that's hardly necessary.
"Just having him on my resume, being my coach, that's plenty," Leathers said.
Wet winter, spring may bode well for mild summer wildfire season on Western Slope
With an above-average snowpack following a snowy winter, local firefighters and wildlife experts are expecting a mild fire season this year, especially at higher elevations.


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Anthony Joshua & Deontay Wilder Set For A Showdown?
The world of boxing has got more and more exciting in recent years, and it is no more exciting than right now. Anthony Joshua established himself as one of the best boxers in the United Kingdom. Before Deontay Wilder had… Continue Reading


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While many residents were focused on the opening round of March Madness, a group of athletes from closer to home were taking a shot at winning a basketball championship.
While many residents were focused on the opening round of March Madness, a group of athletes from closer to home were taking a shot at winning a basketball championship.
The Delaware County Racers, the local school-age Special Olympics boys basketball team, came up one game short of a state title March 21.
The team traveled to Bowling Green, where it lost 39-29 to the Richland County Bears in the state championship game. The win gave Richland County its third consecutive state title.
Powell resident Tom Brown, head coach of the Racers, said his team played hard, but Richland County had the better team that day.
"(The Bears) just played better defensively," he said. "It was very hard for us to get the ball inside."
The Racers were led on offense by Cameron Vogt, who had 13 points. Nate Brown had six and Derek Crunkleton and Jack Deacon each added five.
Still, this season was anything but disappointing for the Racers, Brown said. To get to the state championship, the team had to win a regional tournament March 2, which included a victory over archrival the Columbus Comets Gold.
Brown said the Comets had beaten the Racers at least 10 consecutive times before Delaware County finally won in the regional tournament.
Sharon Taylor, director of the Delaware County Special Olympics program, said the team, its coaches and fans were ecstatic after winning the tournament.
"They were very excited. They were very pumped," she said. "They felt like they really accomplished something.
This season was not the Racers' first experience with championship play. The team won a Division II state title in 2009.
"Since then, we've been in Division I, which is much more competitive," Brown said.
Before the team entered regional play, it played its regular-season games at Willis Intermediate School in Delaware.
Brown said the Racers always have strong support from the fans at their home games.
"When we play at home, people always come out," he said. "A lot of the kids' teachers and people who work with them throughout the years (attend)."
Taylor said both the Delaware and Olentangy school districts allow the Special Olympics to use their facilities for sporting events.
"All the local schools have been wonderful to us," she said.
Taylor said athletes either come to the program through recommendations from the county's school districts or the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Brown said the Special Olympics program helps its athletes learn important lessons about winning, losing and the hard work it takes to be successful.
"I think it's just added confidence," he said. "They feel much more capable -- not just in basketball but life in general."
Members of the 2014 Delaware Racers are: Nate Brown, Colin Carroll, Derek Crunkleton, Jack Deacon, Victor Johnson, Zach Pugh, Jonathan Schmotzer, Alex Smith, Cameron Vogt and Michael Wyrick.
Coaches are: head coach Tom Brown; assistant coaches Mark Carroll, Gary Johnson and Mason Long; and junior coach Caleb Carroll.


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St Christopher's Hammersmith
The Hammersmith Hostel in London is easy to get to from Heathrow Airport - a short trip on the London Underground Piccadilly line - and is surrounded by a swarm of buzzing activity. Hammersmith there are links to everywhere in London and there is a London Underground direct connection to the train and bus from Victoria Station.
In fact, guests are spoiled for choice when it comes to transport options - with not one, but four metro lines, near Kensington Olympia over-ground railway station and one of the biggest bus stations in London located just over the road. There are also lots of night buses that go in and out of this station, so staying out late in London is not a problem!
At the reception, you will find some super friendly fellow backpackers full of local knowledge London. They can help you with maps, money saving tips and an essential crash course in how to make the most of your trip to London.
Next to the reception in our Belushi bar, guests can also make the most of daily drink deals, home cooked meals for less than £ 4 a person and super cheap, prepared coffee options - for when you fancy something different from the small -lunch continental which is served every morning.
All guests receive a 25% discount on food at the restaurants on site, plus great discounts on drinks offers!
You will find St Christopher and Belushi in Hammersmith Broadway - a five minute walk from Hammersmith Apollo, one of the largest music venues and comedy to live in London. The Apollo has played host to mighty Beatles and Black Sabbath, and today still attracts some of the biggest acts around including Bjork and Sheryl Crow.
Also nearby are some beautiful scenic river walks along the Thames and the lovely Kensington Park Gardens and Hyde Park. If you shop after Harrods it is easy to get to from Hammersmith as is the Westfield Shopping Centre - one of the largest shopping centers in the northern hemisphere! The hostel is also only a twenty minute journey from central London and the shopping fun on Oxford Street.
Please note that we do not accept guests under the age of 18 and photo ID is required at check-in.
Check-in: 2pm.
Groups are not guaranteed to be in the same room. This is subject to availability.
Credit cards are verified the night before arrival and bookings with invalid credit cards may be cancelled.
If you have booked using a debit card, you must contact the hostel at least 24hrs before you arrival to confirm. If you are in any doubt about this please ring and confirm your booking before you arrive.
**Please note that we require an in date government approved - drivers license, passport or national ID card at check-in.
Guests under the age of 18 must stay in a private room with guardians. They cannot share in general dormitory rooms with people who are not part of their own group or family. Under-18s are not allowed in the bars or pubs.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Reception
- 24 Hour Security
- Age Restriction
- Bar
- Breakfast Not Included
- Café
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Free City Maps
- Free WiFi
- Hair Dryers For Hire
- Hot Showers
- House Keeping
- Key Card Access
- Linen Included
- Security Lockers
- No Curfew
- Non Smoking
- Restaurant
- Taxes included
- Tours/Travel Desk
- Towels For Hire
- Vending Machines
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 3 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
Must-Read Hostel InfoThis property has specific Terms & Conditions.
Check-in: 14:00.
Breakfast is NOT included, but can be purchased from reception for just £4 a day.
Groups are not guaranteed to be in the same room. This is subject to availability.
This property may pre-authorise your card before arrival.
Credit cards are verified the night before arrival and bookings with invalid credit cards may be cancelled.
**Please note that we require an in date government approved - drivers license, passport or national ID card at check-in.
Guests under the age of 18 must stay in a private room with guardians. They cannot share in general dormitory rooms with people who are not part of their own group or family. Under-18s are not allowed in the bars or pubs.
The maximum stay is 7 days.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
This Hammersmith Youth Hostel is located in West London near Heathrow airport and the river Thames.
From Heathrow Airport:
Take the Piccadilly line on the London Underground to the Hammersmith stop. Follow the exit for Hammersmith Broadway. You will see the hostel directly in front of you so simply cross over the road. We're situated at Belushi's Bar.
From Stansted Airport:
Take the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street train station.
The Hammersmith and City underground line goes straight to the Hammersmith tube station and we are right opposite, above Belushi's Bar.
From Luton Airport:
Take the Thameslink train from Luton Station direct to London Euston Train Station. When you arrive here, jump on the Northern Line of the London Underground and head north for one stop to Kings Cross St. Pancras. Here switch trains and get on the southbound Piccadilly Line which will take you straight to Hammersmith Tube Station. You will see the hostel when you emerge from the Hammersmith Broadway exit. We are situated at Belushi's Bar.
From Gatwick Airport:
Take the train to Victoria Train Station. When you arrive here, head for the westbound District Line of the London Underground and get on a train with Ealing Broadway or Richmond on the front of it. This will take you the seven stops to Hammersmith tube station and we are opposite it, above Belushi's Bar.
From Paddington Station:
Take the pink Hammersmith and City underground line to Hammersmith and take the Hammersmith Broadway exit. We are situated at Belushi's Bar across the road.
From King's Cross St Pancras:
Take the Piccadilly underground line straight to Hammersmith.
From Liverpool Street Station:
This is easy as the Hammersmith and City underground line goes straight to Hammermsith Tube station.
From Waterloo Station:
Take the Jubilee underground line to Westminster, stay underground and jump on the District Line. Be sure you get on a westbound train that has Richmond or Ealing Broadway on the front of it. Otherwise you may well end up in the wrong place.
From Victoria Station:
Just jump on the District line and follow the instructions as above - otherwise you might end up in Wimbledon!
From Hammersmith Bus Station:
You can see the hostel from the bus station so just follow your line of sight. We are situated at Belushi's Bar.
Located Near
Located within walking distance of Hammersmith tube station, the Hammersmith Apollo (world-famous music venue), The River Thames, the Thursday Markets, Furnival Gardens, King's Mall Shopping Centre and Charing Cross Hospital.
A short ride away there is Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Harrods and Westfield shopping centre.


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Saturday, June 5th 2004, 6:26am
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Location: USA
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Iditarod draws mushers from around the globe
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) If you thought mushing was limited to Americans and Canadians, you'd be wrong.
This year's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race features a Swede and five Norwegians, including Robert Sorlie, the 2003 and 2005 champion.
A contingent of racing officials from Norway and Sweden visited Alaska last summer to look for ways to promote the sport even more in their countries.
Mushing also isn't limited to Arctic nations. This year's field includes mushers from Australia, New Zealand and even Jamaica.
But of all those entries, it's the Norwegians who are causing the most worry for the North Americans. That's because they're tough, they're experienced, and they've been training in different conditions.
"They are a wild card, and I think that they'll be in there, and I think they will be players," veteran Alaska musher DeeDee Jonrowe said before the race. Jonrowe was among the first mushers forced to drop out because of poor trail conditions shortly after the race started Sunday in Willow.
She noted the Norwegians have been training in fluffy, deep snow, while Alaska mushers had hard-packed trails.
"That will either be a real advantage or perhaps a disadvantage for them," Jonrowe said.
Defending champion Mitch Seavey said this could be the year any number of mushers wins the race, but he's keeping an eye on Sorlie, who is competing in his fifth Alaska race.
"He knows how to win the Iditarod," Seavey said.
Sorlie said the Iditarod is the world standard, and that's what has drawn so many Norwegians to Alaska this year.
"The biggest thing you can do as a long-distance musher is do this race," said Sorlie, of Hurdal, Norway.
Besides his two wins, the 56-year-old competed as a rookie in 2002, when he finished in ninth place. His other finish was in 2007, when he came in 12th.
He was in fifth place at mid-day Friday.
The other Norwegians competing are Yvonne Dabakk of Oslo, Tommy Jordbrudal of Longyearbyen, Joar Leifseth Ulsom of Mo i Rana, and Ralph Johannessen of Dagali.
Dabakk believes it's only a coincidence that so many Norwegians are competing this year.
"I think they all had the plan, and it was this year," the rookie said.
Jordbrudal said it also has become easier with some relaxed quarantine and vaccination rules for dogs coming to the United States. It's gotten slightly cheaper to fly the dog teams here, too, but "it's still awfully expensive," he said.
Jordbrudal expects Sorlie, Ulsom and Johannessen to be among the top mushers, and he wouldn't be surprised if all were in the top 10.
Allen Moore of Two Rivers, Alaska, said it will be a hard-fought race to the finish line under the famed burled arch on Front Street in Nome. A winner is expected early next week.
Of the Norwegian competitors, he said simply: "They're tough people, and they will do well in this race."
Moore is in the Iditarod after winning his second consecutive Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race. Many consider that event, another thousand-mile race that is run between Alaska and Canada, to be the toughest in the world.
His wife, Aliy Zirkle, is competing in the Iditarod with Moore's winning dog team from the Yukon Quest. Zirkle has finished second in the Iditarod the past two years.
"I'm sure they will be right up there with Aliy. Hopefully Aliy will be up there with them – either way," Moore said. "It will be a grind at the end.
"We'll see whose dogs are the toughest."


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The HIV Economic Empowerment Campaign: A Time for Change, a Time for Action
The HIV Prevention Justice Alliance (HIV PJA), National Working Positive Coalition (NWPC) and Positive Women's Network - USA (PWN-USA) are uniting to act for economic empowerment by and for people living with HIV. Together, we are changing the conversation -- and the policies -- of the HIV community from poverty to income, and from economic instability to security and independence.
Douglas Brooks, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), must take immediate action to:
- Follow through on the commitments of the employment-related promises of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which calls for expanding employment opportunities for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and for collaboration, coordination and partnerships across federal agencies, and
- Launch a Federal Interagency Task Force on HIV/AIDS and Employment
How Our Story Started
In the early years of the HIV epidemic, there was an expectation that those who were diagnosed would not survive for long. People diagnosed with HIV were at risk for losing their jobs as a result of health challenges, and because of stigma and discrimination.
When HIV programs began to serve PLHIV they focused on helping people with HIV access medical care and safety net benefits, such as Social Security disability coverage.
With the emergence of effective treatments for HIV, many people who had been ill felt better and wanted to start or return to work, or get trained or educated to develop new skills that would prepare them for the workplace. People who were newly diagnosed wanted to keep the jobs they had or learn how to get and keep jobs that would help them have medical care and income.
But there weren't -- and still aren't -- many resources or much knowledge in the HIV community about how to help people do this.
What's more, the Ryan White Program -- which represents a large percentage of the HIV continuum of care in the US -- has been widely interpreted to limit or disallow use of Ryan White dollars for employment services. This means that the policymakers and service providers most knowledgeable about and responsive to needs of people living with HIV are under-informed about and unsupported in efforts to address employment issues.
Why Work Matters
Living on a fixed income/public benefits is challenging for many people, regardless of health status, with the amount of benefits not meeting the needs of individuals or families. With reductions in federal funding for programs, many people have lost access to one or more sets of resources, and as the cost of living rises, the absolute or relative value of payments has declined sharply.
Employment is also an important arena of social engagement in our society. In addition to financial benefits, employment can create social bonds, raise self-esteem and reduce isolation.
Employment and employment services have been associated with improved HIV health and prevention outcomes. When people living with HIV are interested in working, being able to work can be good for their health!
HIV disproportionately affects people who are economically marginalized -- including people of color and/or LGBTQ people -- and having HIV can be economically marginalizing. People can miss work or lose jobs if too ill to work; face barriers and disincentives that affect many people with complicated or chronic health conditions; and also may encounter additional discrimination or bias from coworkers and employers. It is imperative to use all possible methods to help people with HIV access income and/or benefits.
What Do We Want?
Simply put: Every person living with HIV (and those who may work with them) will be equipped and supported to make well-informed decisions about employment, benefits and economic opportunities, through information, training, education, counseling, benefit planning, and the coordinated use of these resources.
Economic and employment interventions are critical, independent of HIV diagnosis. The communities most affected by HIV also have higher rates of poverty, unemployment, under-employment, employment discrimination, unequal access to education and employment opportunities and protections.
When Do We Want It?
Now! In a time of a weak economy, long-term changes in the job market and shifts in public benefits, it becomes even more essential that people living with HIV have accurate and useful information on employment, benefits and economic opportunities.
Before implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), thousands of people with HIV had to keep their income very low to not risk getting kicked off public programs that covered the costs of expensive HIV treatment and care. Now, many more people are eligible for expanded Medicaid programs or to purchase insurance through the state or federal exchanges. In addition, the ACA makes it illegal to turn down anyone from insurance coverage due to pre-existing conditions, meaning that more people with HIV can access commercial insurance (including plans subsidized under ACA).
In other words, more people living with HIV can now afford to work!
And there are clear ways to help people do so:
- All HIV funders and programs (including the Ryan White Program) can reduce or remove disincentives to employment, assess the employment needs of those they serve, and integrate employment information, needs assessment and supports (through linkage and referral or targeted services)
- Some states have easy-to-use programs like db101.org that can help people find out if they are accessing all possible public benefits programs for people with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities, and help them make the best informed decisions about income and work. These interfaces should be available in every state.
- The Obama Administration's National HIV/AIDS Strategy calls for collaboration, coordination and partnerships. By establishing a Federal Interagency Task Force on HIV/AIDS and Employment, the Federal government would bring together crosssector expertise and resources needed to focus current and potential initiatives to achieve expansion of employment and economic empowerment opportunities for PLHIV.
- Huge federal programs offer employment and vocational rehabilitation support to people with disabilities -- and they're severely under-utilized in the HIV community. This includes funding and policies from the Department of Labor (the workforce development system) and the Department of Education (the vocational rehabilitation system), each working through state and local agencies, offices and programs. In addition to help finding jobs, these programs can cover the cost of job training and educational programs and materials, sometimes even college -- and the HIV community needs to learn about and access all these available resources.
- The small-but-growing, under-resourced network of HIV-specific employment services, research, technical assistance and advocacy initiatives in the U.S needs to be scaled up and replicated across the country. They are evaluating and addressing the employment needs and issues of PLHIV, articulating service models and sharing evidence-based best practices.
- The massive mainstream workforce development and vocational/rehabilitation services and policy systems need to ensure they build their capacity to effectively serve people with HIV.
- Existing and emerging programs for health coverage, income replacement (disability, TANF, general assistance), housing, and nutrition benefits must be assessed -- and changed if necessary -- to include incentives/facilitators and remove disincentives/barriers to work and economic opportunity for PLHIV.
The bottom line: In the HIV world, we talk a lot about poverty; now more than ever, it's time to talk about employment. And time to act!
There are multiple steps to genuine economic empowerment of PLHIV -- with roles for HIV funders and programs; workforce development and vocational rehabilitation programs; local, state and federal government; and others.
We need a strong and coordinated effort, building on what was promised in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Douglas Brooks, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), must take immediate action to:
- Follow through on the commitments of the employment-related promises of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which calls for expanding employment opportunities for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and for collaboration, coordination and partnerships across federal agencies, and
- Launch a Federal Interagency Task Force on HIV/AIDS and Employment
The HIV Prevention Justice Alliance (HIV PJA), National Working Positive Coalition (NWPC) and Positive Women's Network - USA (PWN-USA) are uniting to act for economic empowerment for people living with HIV.
Please join us: www.preventionjustice.org/work.


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Who Am I? Google Knows.
Let's get all existential for a moment. Who are you? Who am I? Who are any of us? If you really want to know, and you don't know where to start, what do you do? You Google it.
Researching a public figure? You Google them. Interviewing a job candidate? Google them. Trying to find out who that guy is that keeps writing nasty comments on your blog? Google him too. Of course, what Google might return when searching for your name doesn't necessary indicate who you are, or what you do. But that's likely to change as Google moves further into people search.
Awhile back, Google rolled out this relatively inauspicoius thing called Google Profiles. And no one really cared. But earlier this week, Profiles started getting a bit more attention, as the company rolled out a feature that would return suggested profile matches when searching for a name (see my profile displayed at the bottom of the page for this query). Furthermore, searching for the keyword "me" will now prompt you to create such a profile.
These Google Profiles, integrated in such a way, have a lot of potential to be the big, standardized directory of identities on the Internet. And there are certainly good things about that; particularly for John and Jane Smith, who probably don't have the SEO-fu needed to make it to the top of the search results for their own names. But there are clearly things about this proposition that might make you a bit wary too.
I'm not a huge Internet privacy advocate myself, but there are obvious arguments from that camp. What I'm more concerned with myself is the intentions of a company, like Google, that wants to collect and own this information. Google is essentially giving its users (and Internet users at large) more control over their online identity in exchange for more information about yourself. The more data that you choose to enter in your profile, the more likely your profile will be to show up earlier in the profile results for your name. What might Google do with this data? Any number of things. But it's no secret that Google is, at the heart of it, an advertising company.
Of course, that said, the trade-off of free (quality!) products and services for advertising and demographic information is nothing new, and I don't have any particular reason to expect Google to do anything particularly nefarious with this information. Actually, I'm happy to see a *simple* service for online identities emerge, and there's certainly much potential for using this collected data via Google's APIs (a specific profiles API has yet to be announced -- is it possible this information will be accessible through the Social Graph API?).
Would I prefer someone other than Google, like chi.mp, to be the central repository of identity data on the Internet? Maybe. chi.mp at least has OpenID integration, but that'd be easy for Google to roll out if they wanted to commit to it. Ultimately, I guess the real question is whether or not it matters what company or organization owns your profile data on the Internet. Ultimately, what really matters, is how people find you on the Internet. And that isn't changing.
Google already owns that, anyway.


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