Photo at the top is of Mordecai Three-finger Brown
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
"He’s done it all 500 times"
“Raul has remained an important player for many years. In that which he does well, he is, for me, the best,” Guardiola said. “He’s done it all 500 times, he’s an example for players who are just starting out. He is a man who has played at such a high level and I’m happy for him.”
Raúl had spent most of his career playing for Spanish club Real Madrid and is the club’s all-time top goalscorer. He left Real Madrid on 25 July 2010, having scored 323 goals in 741 appearances, and joined Schalke.
Yhe 34-year-old is a three-time winner of the UEFA Champions League and has long been the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer. He is also the top active La Liga goalscorer with 228 goals in La Liga matches.
Raúl signed a two-year contract with FC Schalke 04 in 2010 and scored his first goal for the club during his first match with a brace in a 3–1 victory over Bayern Munich in the final match pre-season competition. He scored the 400th goal of his career on 19 February 2012, at that time he scored 323 with Real Madrid, 44 with Spain and 33 with Schalke.
http://www.goalmove.com/2012/03/31/guardiola-praised-schalke-striker-raul.html
Noted for his trademark diagonal balls
His calm on the ball regardless of how close he is to his own goal is a defining characteristic of his game and it is what makes him such an invaluable asset. The 30 year-old regularly holds together the Iranian midfield and can turn defence into attack in an instant with his trademark diagonal balls that usually find the feet of their intended target.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/3550/asian-cup/2011/01/04/2289326/asian-cup-ten-players-to-watch-javad-nekounam-7
Improving the Lamborghini
Mansory, the German tuning company has come out with a fantastic new package for the Lamborghini
flagship. Increased performance through weight reduction that is the
idea behind Mansory’s modification of the Aventador. With even the most
extraordinary of vehicles there is always room for improvement and in
this case most of the model’s components have been replaced with lighter
and sturdier carbon fiber pieces.
Key upgrades to the vehicle include an aggressive new front bumper that generates additional downforce and a new front lip. The original’s hood and fenders have been swapped and the width of the already wide Aventador has been increased by 40mm up front and 40 mm at the rear. The newly designed side sills steady the airflow between the axles and the built-in channels direct additional cool air to the engine and rear brakes. The rear is characterized by an integrated diffuser, an enlarged rear wing and custom exhaust tips.
Mansory is best known for modifying supercar Bugatti Veyron with its Vincero package. For the Aventador, Mansory has optimized the ECU of the car’s 6.5-liter V-12 and increased the output to 744 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. The car accelerates from 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 220 mph. Other modifications include forged wheels shod with VA 255/30 ZR20 and HA 345/25 ZR21 tires as well as a fully customized interior with new leather and carbon fiber pieces.
http://www.nitrobahn.com/nitro-barn/modifications/check-out-german-tuning-company-mansory%E2%80%99s-fantastic-new-package-for-the-lamborghini-aventador/
Key upgrades to the vehicle include an aggressive new front bumper that generates additional downforce and a new front lip. The original’s hood and fenders have been swapped and the width of the already wide Aventador has been increased by 40mm up front and 40 mm at the rear. The newly designed side sills steady the airflow between the axles and the built-in channels direct additional cool air to the engine and rear brakes. The rear is characterized by an integrated diffuser, an enlarged rear wing and custom exhaust tips.
Mansory is best known for modifying supercar Bugatti Veyron with its Vincero package. For the Aventador, Mansory has optimized the ECU of the car’s 6.5-liter V-12 and increased the output to 744 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. The car accelerates from 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 220 mph. Other modifications include forged wheels shod with VA 255/30 ZR20 and HA 345/25 ZR21 tires as well as a fully customized interior with new leather and carbon fiber pieces.
http://www.nitrobahn.com/nitro-barn/modifications/check-out-german-tuning-company-mansory%E2%80%99s-fantastic-new-package-for-the-lamborghini-aventador/
A Historical View of Wrigley Field -- Home of the Chicago Cubs
Of the things that are written, it is the history of the building and the love of the fans that are most talked about. Everyone knows that the Cubs have great fans, but it is a testament to the organization and the surrounding community that the team has been selling out home games for decades no matter their record in the standings.
Wrigley Field is in the heart of Wrigleyville, an area made up of restaurants, bars, pizza stands, and some stores. The neighborhood is a perfect fit for the stadium. The community loves the team and on game days you feel as if you are part of a huge block party or even Mardi Gras. And just for added fun, head to Cubby Bear across from the stadium to see fans in full Cubs’ gear bumping and grinding on the dance floor.
The very long bus ride from the Blue Line 'L' Station to the park was filled with chatty and fun fans. That ambience carries over into Wrigley Field, where the narrow concourse teems with mouths agape in awe at just being there (or maybe that was just me) and people laughing, getting food or souvenirs, and generally having a great time. Then you make your way to a set of stairs, knowing that in seconds you will ascend to the box level seats and see the field for the first time.
For me, I was giddy weeks before when the decision to make the trip was made. I was anxious as the date approached. And I was beaming with excitement when we were able to get tickets four rows behind the visitor’s dugout -- the opponents just happened to be my favorite team, the Florida Marlins. But I internally recognized as I approached the stairs that I was about to see a game at Wrigley and be a part of the history. My anticipation did me no wrong. As my view of concrete quickly turned into blue sky and green grass I had that transported moment, when adult becomes child, and I was just so happy. With its intimate feel and seats at all levels not far from the field, it was a living postcard.
Unlike most contemporary ballparks, Wrigley is right up front with their product. You have a stadium. You have a field. You have two teams and you play baseball. And that is part of the allure. The building is a shrine to baseball and its fans, to decades of greats who wore the Cubs jersey and the players and memorable moments that took place within its walls. The modern distractions of kids zones, dancing girls, mascot races, and fireworks are absent so they don’t mess with the experience and they would probably just rob it of all its charm if they were present. I recognized immediately that I would have a harder time watching the game than usual because I kept looking around, soaking it all in. The stadium and fans were my distraction and I was OK with that.
When we first made our way to our seats I had expected old, wooden seats, but they were replaced with more comfortable and modern ones years ago. Even an hour before game time the well-known bleachers were already filled with boisterous fans, and the rooftop seats on buildings along Sheffield and Waveland Avenues were already crowded. People just love being in and around this park. And as I said, history is one of the main reasons why.
The Cubs have a lot of yesterdays that make up today. Both foul poles are adorned with “Hey Hey,” the signature shout of their longtime radio announcer Jack Brickhouse. On top of the poles flags with the names and retired numbers of past Cubs greats are flown. Harry Caray’s image is hung nicely over the press box where for years he led fans in signing Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Babe Ruth's famous called shot happened here, as did the Steve Bartman incident and the advent of throwing opposing team's home runs back onto the field. Wrigley itself is famous for ivy hugging the outfield wall (which is more or less lush depending on the time of season) and the large hand-operated scoreboard in center field, which has been in use since 1937. I knew all of this going in, but the first-hand experience of it was what I was after.
I loved seeing the smiles on kids' faces, the families, the frat boy outings and the general fan young and old. In fact, when we met the people sitting in front of us we were told of one signature fan, Dorothy Farrell, who is as part of Wrigley now as anyone else. Dorothy has been sitting in the front row, by herself, for the past 23 years. When I asked her how she got her single ticket she said it was through a friend who died and I wondered about her husband. Did he not like to go to games? “He died ten years ago, “ she confided, “but the one ticket was all I wanted because I couldn’t wait to go to the games to get away from him.” I laughed because this is how Dorothy is known. She is a forthright person and a passionate fan. A Cubs employee brought her a scorecard before the game, which she kept track of from the first out through the last. Players, both Cubs and Marlins, said hi. Even Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria took a second to acknowledge her. Dorothy is the part of Wrigley I didn’t know about and the part I was looking to find. She even told me to shut up and sit down when the Marlins’ Cody Ross hit a solo home run. Thanks, Dorothy.
I can tell you that there are things that I wish were a bit different, even as much as I loved the whole day at the park. Food vendors are nice, but the Cubs literally go overboard with the assembly line of people hawking food. We’d have beer guy, followed by soda guy, peanut girl, cotton candy dude, hot dog man, then repeat. There was no stopping the train. It became very annoying to try and watch the game around these vendors, and we were in the fourth row. Back on the concourse the choices for food were far less than that of most of the newer parks. And if you are a woman at Wrigley, ugh; the wait for every ladies room rivaled depression era unemployment lines. I felt sorry for that gender as I ambled past them and right into the men’s room with no wait to use the trough.
Of every 7th Inning Stretch I have ever been a part of, it was here at Wrigley I had always wanted to be. The Cubs traditionally have a celebrity lead the crowd in signing Take Me Out to the Ball Game now that Harry Caray is gone. It just so happened that we were treated to Chicago’s very own Peter Cetera (from the mega-hit band that shares its name with the Windy City). And when the Cubs recorded their final out and were declared winners 6-1, we also got to see and hear the other Cubs anthem, Go Cubs Go, which is sung by the crowd after every win. The song was written in 1983 by dying fan Steve Goodman and adopted as a stadium staple in 2007 (Goodman also wrote my longtime favorite, A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request). While the crowd sings the Cubs hoist a white flag with a blue W to signify their win.
The exterior of the stadium is just as notable as the interior and is one of the most photographed in baseball. The large “Wrigley Field Home of Chicago Cubs” marquee flashes “Cubs Win!!!” when appropriate. Team pennants are positioned on top of the stadium. Statues of Ernie Banks (“Let’s Play Two”) and Harry Caray are photo ops, and fans have even purchased personalized bricks to commemorate their fandom. And this is the first time I have been at a ballpark where some of the players just walk out of the stadium and get into a cab. Some were more successful at alluding fans and autograph seekers than others.
The question I was asked most about my trip to Wrigley Field was how I rank the ballpark. It certainly has its flaws and shows its age, and some players even hate the close quarters of the locker rooms and the fact that most games are still played during the day (the first night game didn't take place until 1988). But I think anything negative about Wrigley really is a positive. It continues to draw sell out crowds, fans from all over the country (like myself who came from New Mexico), and embraces the community as much as the community embraces the team. For all of that, I score Wrigley Field as a HOME RUN. There was no dollar spent on tickets, food, hotel, and pint after pint of beer that I regret because I got to go to Wrigley. I can’t wait to go back someday with my kid.
Young Kickboxer started young
http://www.rawaimuaythai.com/index_muaythai.html
Here's an Amazing Picture Of a Young Muhammad Ali
http://www.sportsgrid.com/media/young-muhammed-ali-photo/
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
The Man's a mystery
http://charlespaolino.wordpress.com/category/baseball/page/3/
The "Iron Men" of Baseball
The most spectacular performance in this regard was turned in by “Iron Man” Joe McGinnity of the New York Giants, who pitched three double headers in the month of August, 1903, and won all six games without relief. McGinnity won 31 games that year. Perhaps more significantly — in view of the modern practice of counting pitches — he won 35 games in 1904, , 21 in 1905, and 27 in 1906.
Altogether, there were 45 instances of a pitcher throwing a double-header. Grover Cleveland Alexander did it a couple of times. Also in this elite group was Fred Toney, who won a double bill for Cincinnati in 1917. What’s even more remarkable is that in that same season, Toney and Hippo Vaughan of the Chicago Cubs joined in the only game in history in which both pitchers pitched no-hitters for nine innings. Vaughan lost it in the 10th.
Ed Reulbach’s performance stands out, because on September 26, 1908, he pitched two games for the Cubs against Brooklyn, and they were both shutouts. He’s the only pitcher in the history of the game to pull that off. To emphasize his point, he allowed a total of eight hits in the two games.
Shown above is Ed Reulbach of the Chicago Cubs.
http://charlespaolino.wordpress.com/category/baseball/
"Baseball Palace of the World"
The new ball field, designed by architect Zachary Taylor Davis, was the "greatest ball park in the land" said 1919 Comiskey biographer, Gustaf W. Axelson: (See The Chicago History Online Library for a link to the book)
Grand stand and bleacher were of concrete and steel and were arranged to seat 28,500. Later these were enlarged to take care of 32,000, which was the capacity at the world's series games in 1917. Surrounding the entire field is an ornamental brick wall. Only one field in the country exceeds it in size, the Boston National League park, which is deeper. The Polo Grounds in New York has the depth but lacks the distance in right and left fields.
The cost of the park measured Comiskey's wealth at the time, which was well over the half million mark. To-day the plant could not be duplicated for less than $1,000,000. Time and again when it was suggested that improvements at the old grounds would be appreciated Comiskey would always reply that as soon as he could pay cash for land and stands he would build a park which would be a monument to the game. He made good his word when the new park was thrown open on July 1.
The Chicago Tribune, in their own distinctive style, recounted the festivities on July 2:
“Charles A. Comiskey’s big housewarming party went off without a hitch yesterday, unless the subsidiary fact that the St. Louis Browns were ungracious enough to beat our boys, 2 to 0, in the first game at their splendid new home was construed into disappointment by some of the throng which gathered from all parts of the baseball world to do honor to the occasion.
"Success crowned the tremendous efforts which have been put forth in the last few weeks to get the mammoth plant ready for its christening and it passed through its baptisms as if to the manor born, while tens of thousands of the Old Roman’s friends cheered at every possible opportunity to show their appreciation of the gift he had prepared to them.
"Twenty-four thousand and nine hundred fans paid their way to the party, according to the official announcement...the great stands smilingly held out their bunting clad arms and gathered them all into their capacious laps without crowding anywhere.
"Unfinished as the plant was in spots, its decorations of bright tri-colored bunting and potted plants and ferns distracted attention from everything except the giant proportions of the structures themselves. In fact the size of the new palace was what most forcibly struck all visitors who were making their first call. As each emerged from the sloping inclines which led to the rear of the main stand he or she stopped for a moment in silent awe, gazing at the broad, sweeping lines of the stands and at the seemingly endless rows of seats.”
http://www.chicagohistoryjournal.com/2010/07/please-mr-comiskey-may-i-have-some-more.html
Farewell to Baseball
http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?103022-Bill-s-Babe-Ruth-Photos/page3
Maldives police officers assume taking an oath before joining a protest against the military in Male, Maldives in February 2012
.
Photo by Sinan Hussain
/
APhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/maldives-president-resigns-amid-protests/2012/02/07/gIQAZTcLwQ_gallery.html#photo=13
Leap Frogs
Members of the Leap Frogs, a U.S. Navy parachute demonstration team, look on as Petty Officer 1st Class Michelle Turner takes the oath-of-enlistment over Jamul, California
Pomp and protests as Vladimir Putin takes Russia’s presidential oath….again
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/07/pomp-and-protests-as-vladimir-putin-takes-russias-presidential-oath-again/
Monday, May 07, 2012
Clearing Tioga Road
Last year, the road that leads to Tuolumne Meadows didn't open until June 18 because of higher-than-average snow pack, thwarting Memorial Day plans for hikers and backpackers. But this year it's the complete opposite.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/02/news/la-trb-yosemite-tioga-pass-20120502
"There just isn't another show like this"
"If you think of all the specialty numbers throughout, it really is female-oriented," says Eric Schaeffer, director of the Broadway production opening Wednesday at the Ahmanson Theatre, which was nominated last week for eight Tony Awards, including revival of a musical. "When has there been a show that has as many leading women and supporting women? There just isn't another show like this."
Above: Elaine Paige and the male ensemble of "Follies" (Credit: Joan Marcus).
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-follies-gals-20120506,0,783037.story
In Los Angeles . . .
The year was 1920.
http://blogging.la/2010/04/30/archiving-angeles-aa-temple-broadway/
Cubs win !! Cubs win !!
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/chc/gallery/im:urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,getty:20050301:mlb,photo,eefc941bd6f05928a70b55e0a082a36d-getty-143973921:1
Nepal Disaster
River floods Annapurna, Nepal
Villagers attempt to cross a gnarled suspension bridge over the Seti River at Kharapani village in Kaski district, Nepal, on May 6, 2012. Rising flood waters from the Seti River damaged the bridge and swept away houses, residents, and livestock on Sunday.http://hungeree.com/tag/seti-river/
Saturday, May 05, 2012
Montel Williams MS Foundation
The Foundation contributes 100% of funds from individuals to research. Administrative funding is personally underwritten by Montel Williams and by corporate donors.
http://www.montelms.org/
Amazing 3D Chalk Sidewalk Art Images from Julian Beever
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=792&bih=453&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=MLkZwanjUrjTIM:&imgrefurl=http://www.myinkblog.com/50-amazing-3d-chalk-sidewalk-art-images-from-julian-beever/&docid=eevLMoDTcSxCJM&imgurl=http://www.myinkblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/julianbeever-22.jpg&w=300&h=450&ei=oc-lT472LIKpiQLn56m9Ag&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=600&sig=116368853604237786351&page=2&tbnh=135&tbnw=102&start=10&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:10,i:193&tx=34&ty=71
http://www.londonartpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Clay-Sinclair-Little-White-Lies.jpg
5 gold medals
http://www.orangecountyjiu-jitsu.com/
On Treasure Island
Eddie Izzard on Treasure Island
He drifted into comedy, found he had a flair for the dramatic, and now wants to enter politics. Eddie Izzard’s life is a marathon, not a sprint. Click below for the whole story.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8958162/Eddie-Izzard-on-Treasure-Island.html
Friday, May 04, 2012
Judy's back !!!
It's December 1968 and Judy Garland is about to make her comeback... again. In a London hotel room with her young new fiancé at her side, Garland battles with a tornado of drugs and alcohol as she undertakes an exhausting series of concerts at the Talk of the Town to try and reclaim her crown as the greatest talent of her generation. Despite a series of failed marriages and a wrecked Hollywood career, Judy remains a tough, compelling, remarkable woman always armed to the teeth with her legendary razor-sharp wit.
Directed by the award-winning Terry Johnson, End Of The Rainbow has received five star reviews and features a breathtaking performance by Tracie Bennett, which receives standing ovations night after night. The production, supported by a six piece onstage band, includes Garland's most memorable songs including The Man That Got Away, Come Rain Or Come Shine, The Trolley Song, and of course Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
http://coronationstreetupdates.blogspot.com/2010/11/ex-corrie-actress-on-stage-as-judy.html
“You name it, we find it"
The problem is he can’t rid himself of it. For the last three years, the 89-year-old has been trying to sell the entire collection, more than 300,000 records, to one lucky bidder. Gershenz’s attorney said a conservative estimate places the value of the collection at $1.5 million; an average of $5 a record despite the amount of rare items he boasts, including original Edison cylinder recordings.
“Every month or so there is somebody who’s interested. But there’s never anybody who’s really interested,” Gershenz says from behind a desk piled with records he’s preparing to ship. “People are biting. But nobody seems to have the money, the place to put them, or knows what in the hell to do with over a quarter million records.”
http://www.recordcollectionsale.com/_/rsrc/1312846215296/home/music-man-murray-cp-w718569.jpg
A Champion and an Inspiration
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Sebastian Coe, in full Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe of Ranmore
(born September 29, 1956, London, England), British athlete, who won four Olympic medals and set eight world records in middle-distance running. His great rivalry with fellow Briton Steve Ovett dominated middle-distance racing for much of the 1980s. Coe studied economics and social history at Loughborough University and won his first major race in 1977, an 800-metre event at the European indoor championships in San Sebastián, Spain. He first ran against Ovett in Prague in 1978 in an 800-metre race that neither won. The next year in Oslo, Norway, Coe set his first world records, in 800-metre and one-mile races. At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, the graceful Coe was favoured in the 800-metre race, and the powerful Ovett was favoured in the 1,500-metre race, an event in which he and Coe shared the world record. Instead, Ovett won the 800 metres, with Coe taking a silver medal; in the 1,500 metres, Coe accelerated at the final curve and won the gold medal. Coe set world records in the 800- and 1,000-metre races in 1981, the year his rivalry with Ovett reached a climax. He beat Ovett’s mile record, running it in 3 min 48.53 sec on August 19; only a week later Ovett set another mile record, which was then shattered by Coe with a 3 min 47.33 sec run on August 28. Illness limited Coe’s racing in the next two years, but he rebounded strongly to win another gold medal in the 1,500 metres and another silver medal in the 800 metres at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He won the 800-metre European championship in 1986, but illness hampered the late years of his career, and he was not chosen to participate in the 1988 Olympic Games. He served as a Conservative member of the House of Commons from 1992 to 1997 and was elevated to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2000. In 2003 he became a council member of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), and he was appointed vice president of the IAAF in 2007. In 2004 Coe was named head of London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics. After London was awarded the Games in 2005, he became the chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games. Coe was awarded the OBE (Officer of the British Empire) in 1991 and was promoted to Knight Commander (KBE) in 2006. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/124085/Sebastian-Coe |
"The Barcycle is completely green"
http://www.redondochamber.org/Sportsentertainment/Beach-Barcycle
Adam Gadahn got one thing right !
In a letter outlining al-Qaida's
media strategy ahead of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the terror
group's top spokesman expressed disdain for Fox News.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/al-qaida-letter-seized-bin-laden-compound-fox-154510302.html
I Looked Like a "Moron"
In an interview with Details, the erstwhile 'N Sync star talked about his current grooming habits and evolution of style and, needless to say, there are some memories he'd love to say bye bye bye to forever.
"There were many moments in my teenage years where I succumbed to…the weirdness of the group I was in, and in trying to conform—we're marionettes!—I ended up looking like a moron," the 31-year-old Timberlake admitted to the magazine when asked about the "perils of pack dressing."
Thursday, May 03, 2012
Jackson Carr named tournament MVP
Photo by Ray Vidal
http://www.easyreadernews.com/50441/orenic-louis-richard-otay-ranch/
It's pure magic . . .
Photo by Jerry Gelbwachs
http://www.easyreadernews.com/50309/thursdays-rainbow-as-seen-from-hermosa-beach/
A story you won't forget . . .
On the prowl again . . .
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
"the world's most expensive fighter jet"
At the risk of significant reprimand — or even discharge from the Air Force — fighter pilots are turning down the opportunity to climb into the cockpit of the F-22, the world's most expensive fighter jet.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fighter-pilots-20120502,0,1192307.story
May Day
Protesters gathered at Bryant Park in Manhattan and prepared to march to financial institutions including Chase, Citibank and Bank of America.
On the West Coast, authorities at Los Angeles International Airport had a busy day Tuesday. Not only were they dealing with airport workers picketing because of May Day, but they were also contending with heightened security because of the one-year anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death.
Other May Day rallies included a march down Broadway in downtown L.A
http://framework.latimes.com/2012/05/01/may-day/#/0
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
"If you could read my mind . . . "
After a background in barbershop quartets, and as a member of a duo, Lightfoot struck out on his own in the early 60s. He had written perhaps 75 songs, when he was caught up in the country music scene and folk revival of the time; Bob Dylan's music and a song by Merle Travis, Dark As A Dungeon, combined with his sensitivity, inventiveness and beautiful voice, resulted in his unique songwriting and singing style. In less than two years, between late '61 and some time in 1963, his sound and his life changed forever.
---Valerie Magee
http://www.gordonlightfoot.com/gordonlightfootbiography.shtml
On this day . . .
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