4. Carolina Panthers (4-1)
I thought the Bucs might be the best team in the NFC South, but look at the Panthers now. All of a sudden, all of their wins are of the quality variety, as they blew out the Falcons and the Chiefs. It does make a difference that they beat down on bad teams because its easy to skate by those weaker opponents, but thats not what good teams do. The Panthers are a great team who finally have an identity, they always wanted to run the football, and now they have the horses to do it.
5. Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
This defense might be even better than the 2000 version. Yes, the Ravens are just that good. As long as the running game is clicking, the Ravens will keep winning those close games. Joe Flacco just has to find a way to complete 60% of his passes without scoring points for the defense. As the last two games have proved, great defenses like the Steelers and Titans can create game changing turnovers if Flacco is careless with the football. If the Ravens need to change the Quarterback in order to win the AFC North, I think that John Harbaugh would be willing to bench his future Franchise QB.
6. Dallas Cowboys (4-1)
The Cowboys have real problems in their pass defense. They wont address these issues though because they have been winning. And as they run through the toughest part of their schedule, Tony Romo is going to have to stop turning the ball over. The Cowboys are as talented as everyone believes, but a small loss in focus will lead to a 9 win finish against their ridiculous schedule.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)
Most statistical models still like the Eagles to make the playoffs in the NFC East. Ive gotta tell you, if broken ribs compromise Brian Westbrooks effectiveness, this offense just isnt good enough to get the Eagles to the playoffs. The defense will be forgiven for giving it up to Washingtons dominating offense, but the Donovan McNabb era might be winding down. And yes, the Eagles are still a top ten team. No, that doesnt guarantee them anything.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
The Bucs have a Quarterback issue, which is the only thing separating this team from the Panthers atop the NFC South. Brian Griese isnt the answer. Jeff Garcia probably isnt the answer. It may be time to see if Luke McCown can be the next late round, late bloomer QB in the mold of David Garrard/Kyle Orton. If he isnt, I hear Chris Simms is available
9. Chicago Bears (3-2)
The Bears have a league average offense! Last time that happened, they won the NFC. The NFC is far more difficult this year, but the Bears are the clear frontrunners in the North division. Kyle Orton is leading the charge right now that is helping the Bears Defense return to the top by actually controlling the time of possession! What a concept!
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1)
The black and blue Steelers now have a one game lead in the loss column over the Ravens. Their defense isnt nearly as strong as the Ravens, but its still one of the best units in the NFL. It may need to be even better with Ben Roethlisberger getting hit all over the place. The win against the Jags was critical, but it needs to be kept in context. Since the Jags lost most of their OL in Week 1 vs. Tennessee, theyve yet to beat an above average team. They almost beat the Steelers. So how good are the Steelers? Top ten, for now.
11. San Diego Chargers (2-3)
The Chargers should have beaten the Dolphins, yes, but its not an apocalyptic loss. The Dolphins have proved that they belong in the discussion for best team in the AFC East. The Chargers are still a safe bet for double digit wins this season, because they still have two games against the Chiefs on their schedule, and this is still a top offense. However, the sum of the parts is not an elite team. Theyre good, but theyve proven to be beatable.
12. Denver Broncos (4-1)
The Broncos handled the Bucs at home because the Bucs struggled to throw the football against an awful defense. Kudos to Mike Shanahans gameplan, which took away the running game of the Bucs. The offense has now struggled in two straight games though, and this game against Jacksonville will be crucial to determine who is not only the frontrunner in the AFC West, but it could also determine a playoff spot between the Broncos and Jags.
13. Arizona Cardinals (3-2)
Yep, the Jets game was a fluke. Against a much better Bills team, the Cards pass defense showed up, and Kurt Warner threw the ball all over a strong pass defense without his No. 2 target in Anquan Boldin. This is a very good team that will be playing in January.
14. New Orleans Saints (2-3)
The quality of the Saints passing game is often overlooked, but the quality of their punt return game will be overlooked no longer. In a crazy game that amounted to an upset, its important to remember that the Saints both torched the Vikings secondary, and absolutely shut down Adrian Peterson. The run defense is clearly improved, but the two huge weaknesses: rush offense and pass defense are as critical as ever. They are an average team when you combine the offense and the defense, but they are great on special teams, which means they still have a shot at 10 victories in a tough division.
15. Buffalo Bills (4-1)
The 4-1 Bills havent played well since Week Two and are on the verge of falling off the map if Trent Edwards misses time. The defense is the main culprit in their three game demise, but the offense NEEDS Edwards to be successful. Theyre no Cardinals, and the Dolphins and Pats will threaten seriously for the AFC East crown. The Bills are the top team in the AFC East going into their bye, but they could be the worst team in the division if they lose to the Jets.
16. Jacksonville Jags (2-3)
As a Redskins fan, I know that Gregg Williams defensive schemes dont work without a strong secondary. I think the Jags are a totally different team with Reggie Nelson at S then without him. I expect Brian Williams to move back to corner and the Jags to be a much stronger defense in the second half. Their defensive effort the last two weeks has been pitiful, but this team is well-coached, and much stronger than the numbers suggest.
17. Miami Dolphins (2-2)
The Patriots domination might have been considered a fluke, but the Fins just did it again vs. the Chargers. Its clear now that this team is better top to bottom than the Pats are, explaining why they were able to head into NE and beat them by 23 points. The Dolphins can move to over .500 against the Texans this week.
18. Minnesota Vikings (2-3)
Maybe no team needed a win more than the Vikings needed a win at the Superdome on Monday, which they got. Exploiting the Saints pass defense isnt really something they can do every week though. Theyll play the Lions next week, and should find themselves back at .500 and in the hunt in the NFC North.
19. New England Patriots (3-1)
The Pats are 3-1, but its looking like they accomplished it against three hapless teams in KC, SF, and the Jets. Matt Cassel is not playing well, and the Pats dont have the running game to pick him up. Randy Moss bomb was the decisive play in SF last week, but when JT OSullivan is carving up your pass D, you have a problem. Despite the record, its time to ask if this team would be competitive in their own division even if Tom Brady was healthy.
20. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
So, beatdowns of the Lions and Chiefs were not that impressive, but how about a road victory against the Packers? This Falcons team that we all expected to be in a rebuilding phase, they look now to be a middle of the pack NFL team. Unfortunately, they caught the NFC in a rough year, but this team could be good in the near future.
21. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)
The Colts are in Peter Kings top 15 teams, but Im wondering exactly what King has seen in them thus far. Peyton Mannings timing is still a bit off. The defense is pathetic without Bob Sanders, and the special teams have never been very good. They can rebound if Manning starts scoring on every drive, but theres something to be said about the orientation of the NFL when Eli Manning is running the leagues top offense, and Peyton Manning is mired in mediocrity.
22. New York Jets (2-2)
After being the beneficiary of 6 turnovers against the Cards to score 56 points, its becoming clear that the Jets managed to pull an upset in Miami that first week. Since that game, all the Dolphins have done is beat the Pats and Chargers, while the Jets got killed by both the Jets and Chargers. Bummer. At least Brett Favres new team has jumped over his old team this week.
23. Green Bay Packers (2-3)
What happened to the Packers OL? We know the defense is hurting, but I think we all expected the OL to pick up where it left off last year. Instead, Aaron Rodgers is hurting, Ryan Grant is doing poorly, and the Packers have nowhere to turn to. In my wildest dreams I didnt see this team struggling like they are right now.
24. San Francisco 49ers (2-3)
The 49ers have done a much better job defensing opponents passing attacks this season, and hopefully the effects of Martz-ball can revitalize the offense very soon. Theyve recently snuck ahead of the Seahawks as the top challengers to the Cardinals playoff hopes.
25. Houston Texans (0-4)
Im not sure how fair it is to dock the Texans for mistakes made by their backup QB. Considering that they were beating the Colts by 17 in the middle of the 4th quarter with their starting QB on the shelf, its safe to say the Texans are better than their record shows. It may not result in wins this year though; they just cant let golden opportunities like Sunday fall through the cracks.
26. Seattle Seahawks (1-3)
The Seahawks were not supposed to be this bad, but every phase of their team has disappointed. Well, except for Julius Jones. But thats not a good consolation. Where does Seattle go from here? Its going to be tough for lame-duck coach Mike Holmgren to save his final season in Seattle. Matt Hasselbeck is hurting, hes back down to one serious target to throw to, and the Seahawks secondary cant stop anyone.
27. Cincinnati Bengals (0-5)
This team has played very well in road losses against the Giants and Cowboys. With the hard part of their schedule behind them, the Bengals figure to make a small charge over the rest of the season. This hole is just too big to climb out of. Mike Zimmers defense is really starting to accomplish things in Cincinnati, which gives them some hope for future seasons. The question is: Can Marvin Lewis save his job?
28. Oakland Raiders (1-3)
And thus the Tom Cable era begins. His first goal will be to get the potentially strong Raiders rushing attack back on track. The defense is playing well right now, but if they cant run the ball, its just the 2006 Raiders all over again without Lane Kiffin calling the shots.
29. Cleveland Browns (1-3)
Derek Anderson will start at Quarterback again this week. Maybe the bye week helped him get his game on track, but the Browns dont really have a whole lot of time to find out. Maybe Anderson and Brady Quinn can split game reps? The real important question is: can the defense continue to improve?
30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-4)
The Chiefs did not do a single thing right against the Panthers. Congratulations to TE Tony Gonzalez on setting the all-time yardage record for NFL Tight Ends.
31. St. Louis Rams (0-4)
Interesting storyline: O.C. Al Saunders returns to Washington this week. With a bye week to prepare Marc Bulger for the Redskins defense, will the Rams have any tricks up their sleeves for the surging Redskins. Perhaps, but unless they can force a punt or two, its not going to matter.
32. Detroit Lions (0-5)
The Lions are one of two teams with five losses in five weeks, and not once have they been within two touchdowns. If the Lions are the worst franchise in NFL history, and this is the worst Lions team ever, are we looking at the worst team ever to play the game of football.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Cry
- Music:Utada Hikaru
That's what it's like every time a blind person approaches a touch-screen terminal.
They have no trouble pulling out their debit or credit card, of course. But how can a sightless person conduct a private and secure transaction with a touch-screen ATM or point-of-sale (POS) terminal that has no tactile keyboard, or failing that, an audio jack?
Jonathan Simeone, a blind lawyer who specializes in disability law, had just such a screeeeeech! moment at a grocery store recently.
"I couldn't do debit because I wouldn't give them my PIN, so I had to switch from debit to credit. Since they had already rung me up, the cashier had to find a manager who knew how to print out a paper credit card receipt and I had to sign that. Because I couldn't do those things, it held up the line for a minute."
Don't misunderstand: The nation's 3.3 million blind people are big on credit cards. In fact, many prefer them to cash. Why? Because the United States stands alone among 180 currency-issuing jurisdictions as the only country that prints its bills the same size and color in all denominations, thereby rendering them inaccessible to the blind.
The blind overcome their payment challenges in clever ways: They organize or fold their bills differently to distinguish between denominations of cash, and apply Braille stickers or use other tactile methods to identify their credit cards.
But there's no easy workaround for a touch-screen interface; without a tactile keyboard or audio, the whole screen becomes one big stop button for the blind.
"We are not generally happy about the proliferation of touch-screen technology because it's not a technology we can use," says Chris Danielsen, a blind spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind (NFB).
"At the very least, blind people need tactile buttons, where we know there's a raised dot on the 5 of a telephone keypad or bumps on the F and J of a computer keypad. If it's just a touch screen, we can't do anything with that type of technology unless it includes some other interface that allows the blind person to use it."
Entering PINs a problemDanielsen says debit transactions are particularly vexing because they typically require a PIN. "If the machine doesn't have a tactile keypad, then you can't enter your PIN and your only option is to recite your PIN to the salesperson, which is obviously not a good idea," he says.
But even credit card purchases carry additional risk for the blind.
The problem: New payment technologies, such as touch-screen interfaces in stores, are often built without tactile cues that allow the blind to use them.
Who's affected: The 3.3 million blind people in the United States.
What's next: Advocates for the blind are seeking voluntary, and where necessary, legally mandated changes so that such technologies have alternative access for the blind.
"You have no way of knowing, when you sign the receipt, what they have charged on your credit card," says Melanie Brunson, executive director of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) who has been blind since birth.
She found out the hard way: Her credit card information was once stolen, she suspects by a sales clerk, leaving her with a half-dozen purchases to challenge.
Cut off by the cutting edgeBlind advocates point out that public accommodations brought about under the landmark Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 have frequently benefited non-disabled Americans as well. For example, curb cuts make pedestrian travel easier for everyone. And you don't have to be deaf to enjoy closed captioning at health clubs and sports bars.
The ACB recently won a seven-year battle with the Treasury Department that is expected to finally make U.S. currency accessible in the coming years. Danielsen predicts that such a redesign will prove a particular boon to aging baby boomers.
"The baby boom generation is about to hit retirement and a lot of seniors lose vision," he says. "Diabetes is the No. 1 cause of blindness and that is commonly understood to be an epidemic in this country, so more and more people are experiencing this."
Thanks to technology, the blind can surf the Internet with the aid of screen reading programs. Unfortunately, another technological marvel, the touch screen, has left the vision-impaired cut off by the cutting edge.
"I don't understand how touch screens make it easier for a sighted person," says Simeone. "I can't think of a practical advantage to why sighted people need to have touch screens. We have buttons on our telephones, we have buttons on our computer keyboards. I mean, what's the big deal?"
The big deal, of course, lies deep in the American appetite for wonderment and a consumer products industry that thrives on innovation, often for its own sake. For the sightless, the substitution of touch screens for tactile dials on everything from stoves and voting machines to elevators and iPhones seems like a giant step backward in functionality.
"Now that you have things going to touch screen, it's very hard for a blind person to set the temperature setting on an oven or what have you," says Danielsen. "The solution to that is to have tactile buttons and uniform settings, for example, so that you know that an oven always starts at 200 degrees, for example, and every time you touch the UP arrow, it's going to advance by 25 degrees."
The NFB has a robust initiative surrounding "universal design" that encourages -- or, if necessary, seeks to force -- industries, including the makers of ATMs and POS terminals, to design products everyone can use.
It recently convinced ATM manufacturing giant Diebold to voluntarily make its cash machines accessible with audio prompts. In a similar agreement, Cardtronics Inc., the nation's largest nonbank owner of ATMs, agreed to install audio jacks in some 29,000 ATMs nationwide.
Danielsen says significant progress has been made with bank-owned ATMs, most of which now offer a tactile keypad option or audio jack to complement at least some, if not all, of their touch-screen interfaces.
But the sledding has been much slower with POS and nonbank ATM manufacturers.
"People wrongly assume the ADA solved all of this. It did not; it made clear what the legal requirements were. Unfortunately, the ADA isn't self-executing; the Justice Department is supposed to enforce it, but they have to receive complaints. And that doesn't happen automatically. We have a handful of agreements in which merchants have said they simply won't buy machines that aren't accessible, but those are few and far between."
Merchants, after all, are disinclined to pressure their equipment suppliers to make design changes for which they may ultimately pick up the tab.
Simeone says that unlike the one-on-one battle for accessible currency that pitted ACB against the Treasury, bringing the POS and ATM industry to adopt universal design might require numerous lawsuits and years of legal arm wrestling.
"This may be more appropriate for a legislative solution where point-of-sale devices would have to be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act," he says.
If there's a positive note for the blind in this design dissonance, it's that they are finally being recognized as a consumer force worth accommodating -- and courting.
"Thirty, 40 years ago, there weren't as many disabled people out and about doing stuff," says Danielsen. "We're not terribly far removed from the time when most disabled people didn't work and stayed in their home or some institution. It's our function at the NFB to say, 'Hey, we are out here. We would love to do business with you. We would love to spend our money. We just need some accommodation in order to be able to do that.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:More emotions
- Music:Southern All Stars
Fools Day: One theory proposes April Fools Day "began in the 1500s when the Gregorian calendar took over from the Julian. Those who forgot the change and attempted to celebrate New Year's (previously celebrated on the 1st of April) on the wrong date were teased as 'April fools.' When the western world employed the Julian calendar, years began on March 25. Festivals marking the start of the New Year were celebrated on the first day of April because March 25 fell during Holy Week. The adoption of the Gregorian calendar during the 1500s moved the New Year to January 1. According to the most widely believed origin for April Fools Day, those who could be tricked into believing April 1 was still the proper day to celebrate the New Year earned the sobriquet of April fools. To this end, French peasants would unexpectedly drop in on neighbors on that day in an effort to confuse them into thinking they were receiving a New Year's call." Another theory proposes that "the timing of this day of pranks seems to be related to the arrival of spring, when nature 'fools' mankind with fickle weather." And still another theory bases April Fools Day on "the Romans' end-of-winter celebration, Hilaria, and the end of the Celtic new year festival."
As Bakhtin notes in his study of the carnivalesque, the fool is a disruptive and disrupted charactersomeone who is out-of-step or out of time in both a civil sense and a natural sense. The klutz, the big-foot clown, the dancer with two left feet. Against the traditional image of the poet as keeping time with the measured foot and the metronome, the poet-as-fool has faith in the fickle, the ersatz, the slip, the foolish wisdom of mistakes and errant wandering. But just as I say this, I'm reminded of the fact that there is also a kind of combustion that builds within the boundaries of formal repetition and constraint, as in Alexander Pope's satirical couplets, macaronic verse, rap lyrics, and the syntactical repetition in the work of such poets as Gertrude Stein, Jayne Cortez, and John Taggart. Sacred verse often uses repetitive syntax that can produce a claustrophobic and humorous effect, a feeling of rhapsody and disembodiment. Minimalist music, the chants of the Gyoto monks, the tape loops of "Revolution #9," and the techno music of Spiritualized and Radio Head offer acoustic examples, while Dryer's Joan of Arc and Run, Lola, Run are a couple of cinematic examples of visual repetition disrupting linear time and space.
There are so many configurations of the fool as muse figure, too many to note here, but I would mention in passing Federico Garcia Lorca's essay On Lullabies and the hairy coco that haunts Spanish nurseries. These foolish muse figures remind us that the poet's imagination is not simply about consciousness of craft and cultivation of what is already realized but testing boundaries, crossing borders, exploring ambivalent spaces between the living and the dead, the familiar and the unfamiliar, the conscious and the unconscious, order and disorder. As boundary-walker, part of the task of the poet is to explore the figure of the fool and the philosophy of laughter as creation and revelation, keeping in mind that a poem, like a mask, is not simply something that conceals the face but reveals its hidden fears, desires, and wishes.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Good
- Music:Chage and Aska
The stadium underwent a series of refurbishment during 1970's, and the light poles were added in 1992, enabled the stadium for night time uses; however, because the stadium is located under the flight path of commercial airliners in and out of Tainan Airport, the height of light poles was limited and so the light poles are placed on the spectators seatings, obscuring the view of certain seats and also make the ball hard to see for outfielders when looking for outfield fly balls.
In 1995, the second level of the outfield spectators seatings and elevators were added, making Tainan Stadium the first stadium in Taiwan to have more than one level and expanded the capacity to 14,500. The dimensions of the stadium were extended in 2003 from 380 ft to 400 ft in the center field and respectively all around the outfield, after it has failed to qualify for use of Baseball World Cup in 2001. The LED screen was also installed in late 2003, just in time for the World University Baseball Championship which was held in 2004. The latest refurbishment was done in 2005, when the infield seatings were changed to a more comfortable model; the Lions organization hoped it would make the experience of the spectators in the stadium more enjoyable, and thus would attend the game more often. This latest refurbishment also reduced the stadium capacity to 12,500.
The stadium is currently under the management of Uni-President Lions organization since 1999, although the ownership is retained by the Tainan City Government.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Good
- Music:Sukiyaki
The stadium underwent a series of refurbishment during 1970's, and the light poles were added in 1992, enabled the stadium for night time uses; however, because the stadium is located under the flight path of commercial airliners in and out of Tainan Airport, the height of light poles was limited and so the light poles are placed on the spectators seatings, obscuring the view of certain seats and also make the ball hard to see for outfielders when looking for outfield fly balls.
In 1995, the second level of the outfield spectators seatings and elevators were added, making Tainan Stadium the first stadium in Taiwan to have more than one level and expanded the capacity to 14,500. The dimensions of the stadium were extended in 2003 from 380 ft to 400 ft in the center field and respectively all around the outfield, after it has failed to qualify for use of Baseball World Cup in 2001. The LED screen was also installed in late 2003, just in time for the World University Baseball Championship which was held in 2004. The latest refurbishment was done in 2005, when the infield seatings were changed to a more comfortable model; the Lions organization hoped it would make the experience of the spectators in the stadium more enjoyable, and thus would attend the game more often. This latest refurbishment also reduced the stadium capacity to 12,500.
The stadium is currently under the management of Uni-President Lions organization since 1999, although the ownership is retained by the Tainan City Government.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Very good
- Music:Namie Amuro
The stadium underwent a series of refurbishment during 1970's, and the light poles were added in 1992, enabled the stadium for night time uses; however, because the stadium is located under the flight path of commercial airliners in and out of Tainan Airport, the height of light poles was limited and so the light poles are placed on the spectators seatings, obscuring the view of certain seats and also make the ball hard to see for outfielders when looking for outfield fly balls.
In 1995, the second level of the outfield spectators seatings and elevators were added, making Tainan Stadium the first stadium in Taiwan to have more than one level and expanded the capacity to 14,500. The dimensions of the stadium were extended in 2003 from 380 ft to 400 ft in the center field and respectively all around the outfield, after it has failed to qualify for use of Baseball World Cup in 2001. The LED screen was also installed in late 2003, just in time for the World University Baseball Championship which was held in 2004. The latest refurbishment was done in 2005, when the infield seatings were changed to a more comfortable model; the Lions organization hoped it would make the experience of the spectators in the stadium more enjoyable, and thus would attend the game more often. This latest refurbishment also reduced the stadium capacity to 12,500.
The stadium is currently under the management of Uni-President Lions organization since 1999, although the ownership is retained by the Tainan City Government.
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- Mood:Cry
- Music:Mai Kuraki
We packed up and drove home. On the way, my buddy and I threw the ball back and forth. We were both so exhausted that as soon as we got home and showered (Yes, me too!), we fell asleep.
What an awesome night.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Cry
- Music:Chage and Aska
Sunday evening, we were having a fire in our backyard, using some scraps from the deck we built three years ago. Will said "Daddy, let's make a baseball field!" So we came up with this below. Will found special flat pieces to be the bases. He also suggested adding "base lines" that ran not on the perimeter of the diamond, but instead diagonally. Not sure if this is how Abner Doubleday drew it up. Notice in left field the Wood Monster, my special touch.
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- Mood:More emotions
- Music:Mai Kuraki
WEll need to gear up for Tuesday.
Games are canceled for today.
Too much rain over an extended period.
The Alexandria coach said the field was unplayable yesterday, and with the additional rain last night the City closed the fields.
The Alexandria coach wanted to get these games in too.
Frost Field is very wet as well. We will re-group Tuesday. Linda will get instructions out asap. Expect to show at the Poplar Tree field #5 at 7:15.
We can carpool as desired.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Good
- Music:Kumi Koda
The stadium underwent a series of refurbishment during 1970's, and the light poles were added in 1992, enabled the stadium for night time uses; however, because the stadium is located under the flight path of commercial airliners in and out of Tainan Airport, the height of light poles was limited and so the light poles are placed on the spectators seatings, obscuring the view of certain seats and also make the ball hard to see for outfielders when looking for outfield fly balls.
In 1995, the second level of the outfield spectators seatings and elevators were added, making Tainan Stadium the first stadium in Taiwan to have more than one level and expanded the capacity to 14,500. The dimensions of the stadium were extended in 2003 from 380 ft to 400 ft in the center field and respectively all around the outfield, after it has failed to qualify for use of Baseball World Cup in 2001. The LED screen was also installed in late 2003, just in time for the World University Baseball Championship which was held in 2004. The latest refurbishment was done in 2005, when the infield seatings were changed to a more comfortable model; the Lions organization hoped it would make the experience of the spectators in the stadium more enjoyable, and thus would attend the game more often. This latest refurbishment also reduced the stadium capacity to 12,500.
The stadium is currently under the management of Uni-President Lions organization since 1999, although the ownership is retained by the Tainan City Government.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:More emotions
- Music:Kumi Koda
The stadium underwent a series of refurbishment during 1970's, and the light poles were added in 1992, enabled the stadium for night time uses; however, because the stadium is located under the flight path of commercial airliners in and out of Tainan Airport, the height of light poles was limited and so the light poles are placed on the spectators seatings, obscuring the view of certain seats and also make the ball hard to see for outfielders when looking for outfield fly balls.
In 1995, the second level of the outfield spectators seatings and elevators were added, making Tainan Stadium the first stadium in Taiwan to have more than one level and expanded the capacity to 14,500. The dimensions of the stadium were extended in 2003 from 380 ft to 400 ft in the center field and respectively all around the outfield, after it has failed to qualify for use of Baseball World Cup in 2001. The LED screen was also installed in late 2003, just in time for the World University Baseball Championship which was held in 2004. The latest refurbishment was done in 2005, when the infield seatings were changed to a more comfortable model; the Lions organization hoped it would make the experience of the spectators in the stadium more enjoyable, and thus would attend the game more often. This latest refurbishment also reduced the stadium capacity to 12,500.
The stadium is currently under the management of Uni-President Lions organization since 1999, although the ownership is retained by the Tainan City Government.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Very good
- Music:Chage and Aska
The stadium underwent a series of refurbishment during 1970's, and the light poles were added in 1992, enabled the stadium for night time uses; however, because the stadium is located under the flight path of commercial airliners in and out of Tainan Airport, the height of light poles was limited and so the light poles are placed on the spectators seatings, obscuring the view of certain seats and also make the ball hard to see for outfielders when looking for outfield fly balls.
In 1995, the second level of the outfield spectators seatings and elevators were added, making Tainan Stadium the first stadium in Taiwan to have more than one level and expanded the capacity to 14,500. The dimensions of the stadium were extended in 2003 from 380 ft to 400 ft in the center field and respectively all around the outfield, after it has failed to qualify for use of Baseball World Cup in 2001. The LED screen was also installed in late 2003, just in time for the World University Baseball Championship which was held in 2004. The latest refurbishment was done in 2005, when the infield seatings were changed to a more comfortable model; the Lions organization hoped it would make the experience of the spectators in the stadium more enjoyable, and thus would attend the game more often. This latest refurbishment also reduced the stadium capacity to 12,500.
The stadium is currently under the management of Uni-President Lions organization since 1999, although the ownership is retained by the Tainan City Government.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Very good
- Music:Southern All Stars
So I guess Fred Wilpon must have called Omar Minaya into his office.
OMAR: You wanted to see me boss?
FRED: Yes, Omar. Thanks for coming in. Close the door.
(Omar gets up to close the door, then pauses. Sensing something ominous, he looks back.)
OMAR: I’d rather not.
FRED: It’s best for both of us if you do.
(Omar stands still… not moving.)
FRED: ZEILE!
(Former Mets thirdbaseman Todd Zeile walks in. He glares at Omar and then shuts the door.)
OMAR: Was that Todd Zeile? What the f ?
FRED: I keep him around. He needs a job and sometimes, I need some muscle.
(Omar sits down.)
FRED: Let’s review some stuff, OK?
OMAR: Fine.
FRED: This is your 4th season as GM.
OMAR: That’s right.
FRED: And you’ve done some good things… like trade Kris Benson for John Maine.
OMAR: And bringing in Pedro and Beltran! Don’t forget that!
FRED: Um… they came here because I opened up my wallet. And any yahoo calling Mike and the Mad Dog knew that bringing in Pedro and Beltran was a smart move.
OMAR: I traded for Johan Santana! Don’t forget that.
FRED: OK, so besides the Benson trade, your great accomplishment was seeing that Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana might kind of sort of help the squad.
OMAR: I’m a visionary.
FRED: Right. Have you noticed that our team is doing a swan dive for the second September in a row?
OMAR: We’re right in it!
FRED: And last year we all blamed Willie. Well Willie is gone, he’s sliding into second base to great cheers at Yankee Stadium. And we’re saying “Johan Santana and then pray for Hurricane Ike!”
OMAR: I got Johan! He’s MY pick up.
FRED: Meanwhile you traded away Heath Bell and Matt Lindstrom, who we could use in our bullpen. Brian Bannister who we could use in our rotation.
OMAR: Hey, young kids are always a risk.
FRED: Omar, do you see the team is breaking down again?
OMAR: Fluke injuries.
FRED: Isn’t part of your job making sure that the bench is stocked with players who could fill in in case of injuries?
OMAR: I’ve been doing it.
FRED: Robinson Cancel? Andy Phillips? Ramon Martinez? Raul Casanova? Trot Nixon?
OMAR: We need their veteran leadership!
FRED: Have you noticed you have a tendency to sign old players. I mean really old players!
OMAR: Not THAT old!
FRED: You signed Moises Alou to a multi year deal! You had us sign Julio Franco to a 2 year deal when he was in mid 40s! Damion Easley is 106!
OMAR: That’s an exaggeration.
FRED: You put together a team filled with 30 and 40 somethings and are stunned that they crash and burn down the stretch?
OMAR: They are healing in the trainers room.
FRED: Unless there is a f ing Cocoon at the bottom of the whirlpool, I don’t see this team healing.
OMAR: So what are you saying?
FRED: You’ve had four years. That’s a recruiting class in college. And when people look at our roster, I have to say the sentence “I convinced him to come out of retirement one last time” more often than a Clint Eastwood film festival. It’s over.
OMAR: Over?
FRED: It wasn’t Willie’s fault. We need a new direction.
OMAR: So you are going to fire me?
FRED: Yes.
(Omar cracks his knuckles.)
OMAR: And I assume Mr Zeile will enforce that.
FRED: That’s the case.
OMAR: It would be a shame if the New York press got a hold of certain pictures.
(Fred’s eyes widened.)
FRED: Willie told me he destroyed those.
OMAR: Oh, pictures can be copied. And mailed quickly.
(Omar holds up his iPhone.)
OMAR: And with a click of a button they will be in Mike Lupica’s Outlook Express.
FRED: God DAMN you.
OMAR: No need for that. This can be between you and the petting zoo.
FRED: (Seething) What do you want?
OMAR: An extension.
FRED: AN EXTENSION????
(Omar holds up the iPhone.)
FRED: Fine… you have an extension.
OMAR: Another four years.
(Fred meekly nods.)
OMAR: Thank you. It was a pleasure doing business with you.
(Omar gets up to leave. He opens the door and Zeile is still standing there.)
OMAR: Get used to me Zeile… I’m sticking around for a while.
(Omar walks down the hall and makes a call on his iPhone.)
OMAR: Isaiah! It’s Omar! I used your job saving technique! Man it works like a charm.
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- Mood:More emotions
- Music:Utada Hikaru
Reds rookies Jay Bruce and Joey Votto both homered twice and finished the game with 21 homers each. The Reds may be out of the race this season but they have laid the groundwork for a better team in 2008. Rookies Bruce, Votto and Chris Dickerson have emerged as players ready to come back and build on their 2008 season. Dickerson has 6 homers and 15 RBI's in 102 at bats after making his major league debut on August 12th. Projected over a 500 at bat season he would have approximately 30 homers and 75 RBI's plus his 17 extra base hits projects to 85 which is 31 more than the 2008 Reds leader Edwin Encarnacion who has 54 extra base hits at the present time.
The starting pitching should be better if Edinson Volquez 16-6 and Bronson Arroyo 15-10 pitch this well in 2009. Aaron Harang is not likely to have another 5-16 season. Johnny Cueto 8-13 has pitched more consistently in August and September. Ramon Ramirez 1-0 is making a bid for a starting spot in the 2009 starting rotation. Homer Bailey 0-6 has not pitched well but time is on his side at the age of 22 and he especially needs to work on his control after issuing 17 walks in 36 innings.
This afternoon C.C. Sabathia 15-9 will face Johnny Cueto 8-13 in another crucial game for the Brewers.
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- Mood:More emotions
- Music:Sukiyaki
So I guess Fred Wilpon must have called Omar Minaya into his office.
OMAR: You wanted to see me boss?
FRED: Yes, Omar. Thanks for coming in. Close the door.
(Omar gets up to close the door, then pauses. Sensing something ominous, he looks back.)
OMAR: I’d rather not.
FRED: It’s best for both of us if you do.
(Omar stands still… not moving.)
FRED: ZEILE!
(Former Mets thirdbaseman Todd Zeile walks in. He glares at Omar and then shuts the door.)
OMAR: Was that Todd Zeile? What the f ?
FRED: I keep him around. He needs a job and sometimes, I need some muscle.
(Omar sits down.)
FRED: Let’s review some stuff, OK?
OMAR: Fine.
FRED: This is your 4th season as GM.
OMAR: That’s right.
FRED: And you’ve done some good things… like trade Kris Benson for John Maine.
OMAR: And bringing in Pedro and Beltran! Don’t forget that!
FRED: Um… they came here because I opened up my wallet. And any yahoo calling Mike and the Mad Dog knew that bringing in Pedro and Beltran was a smart move.
OMAR: I traded for Johan Santana! Don’t forget that.
FRED: OK, so besides the Benson trade, your great accomplishment was seeing that Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana might kind of sort of help the squad.
OMAR: I’m a visionary.
FRED: Right. Have you noticed that our team is doing a swan dive for the second September in a row?
OMAR: We’re right in it!
FRED: And last year we all blamed Willie. Well Willie is gone, he’s sliding into second base to great cheers at Yankee Stadium. And we’re saying “Johan Santana and then pray for Hurricane Ike!”
OMAR: I got Johan! He’s MY pick up.
FRED: Meanwhile you traded away Heath Bell and Matt Lindstrom, who we could use in our bullpen. Brian Bannister who we could use in our rotation.
OMAR: Hey, young kids are always a risk.
FRED: Omar, do you see the team is breaking down again?
OMAR: Fluke injuries.
FRED: Isn’t part of your job making sure that the bench is stocked with players who could fill in in case of injuries?
OMAR: I’ve been doing it.
FRED: Robinson Cancel? Andy Phillips? Ramon Martinez? Raul Casanova? Trot Nixon?
OMAR: We need their veteran leadership!
FRED: Have you noticed you have a tendency to sign old players. I mean really old players!
OMAR: Not THAT old!
FRED: You signed Moises Alou to a multi year deal! You had us sign Julio Franco to a 2 year deal when he was in mid 40s! Damion Easley is 106!
OMAR: That’s an exaggeration.
FRED: You put together a team filled with 30 and 40 somethings and are stunned that they crash and burn down the stretch?
OMAR: They are healing in the trainers room.
FRED: Unless there is a f ing Cocoon at the bottom of the whirlpool, I don’t see this team healing.
OMAR: So what are you saying?
FRED: You’ve had four years. That’s a recruiting class in college. And when people look at our roster, I have to say the sentence “I convinced him to come out of retirement one last time” more often than a Clint Eastwood film festival. It’s over.
OMAR: Over?
FRED: It wasn’t Willie’s fault. We need a new direction.
OMAR: So you are going to fire me?
FRED: Yes.
(Omar cracks his knuckles.)
OMAR: And I assume Mr Zeile will enforce that.
FRED: That’s the case.
OMAR: It would be a shame if the New York press got a hold of certain pictures.
(Fred’s eyes widened.)
FRED: Willie told me he destroyed those.
OMAR: Oh, pictures can be copied. And mailed quickly.
(Omar holds up his iPhone.)
OMAR: And with a click of a button they will be in Mike Lupica’s Outlook Express.
FRED: God DAMN you.
OMAR: No need for that. This can be between you and the petting zoo.
FRED: (Seething) What do you want?
OMAR: An extension.
FRED: AN EXTENSION????
(Omar holds up the iPhone.)
FRED: Fine… you have an extension.
OMAR: Another four years.
(Fred meekly nods.)
OMAR: Thank you. It was a pleasure doing business with you.
(Omar gets up to leave. He opens the door and Zeile is still standing there.)
OMAR: Get used to me Zeile… I’m sticking around for a while.
(Omar walks down the hall and makes a call on his iPhone.)
OMAR: Isaiah! It’s Omar! I used your job saving technique! Man it works like a charm.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Good
- Music:Ami Suzuki
Information from the local news states thatthe pieces of the new Frontier League expansion baseball team are coming together.The latest information was provided by the Cronicle Telegram yesterday and it indicated that John Massarelli, a former manager with more than 500 career victories with the Washington Wild Things, will take the helm of the Avon-based team. This will be single A team to begin the season in 2009.
Anew 5,000-seat stadium being built at Interstate 90 and state Route 611.Team spokeswoman Nicolle Meyer said the weather has allowed construction crews to remain on schedule, while other team developments such as its "name-the-team" contest and season ticket sales are coming soon. "The cement you see from the highway is the right and left field lines, and they're working their way around the outfield with cement walls," she said. "We're planning on launching the name-the-team' contest in the next two weeks."
Massarelli said fans should expect to see some quality baseball when his team takes the field in June 2009. "Players in the Frontier League are motivated," he said. "They play for the love of the game, not their wallets, and that makes the league very unique. I think the people in Avon and the surrounding area are really going to enjoy it." Massarelli, 43, has the highest career winning percentage among Frontier League managers at .626 and is the only two-time recipient of the league's Roger Hanners Manager of the Year award. As a player, he got his start as a catcher and outfielder for the University of Akron and was drafted in 1987 by the Houston Astros organization. He played 10 seasons in the minor leagues, appearing in more than 930 career games. He eventually moved into coaching and spent five seasons managing in the Houston Astros development system, making stops in the New York-Penn League, the Class A Midwest League and the Carolina League.
New gathered from Stephen Szucsat The Chronicle-Telegram
Sounds like a great opportunity for the surrounding cities of Avon to see some professional baseball.
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- Mood:Very good
- Music:Namie Amuro
If you are a loyal reader of Off the Record then you know that Production Sunday is when we (the production team) do the majority of the work on the newspaper. Production Sunday can mean anywhere from twelve to twenty hours in the Erdman basement, which, even doing work as compelling as ours, runs a serious risk of sucking. So what do we do to keep things interesting? We listen to music all day.
You might think listening to loud music would make writing and copyediting harder. Youd be right. Especially when The Bi-College News Diva in Chief, Managing Editor Sam Kaplan, decides its time to put his vocal chords to the test, it can be almost impossible to focus. If you ask Sam, hell tell you Im just jealous of [his] range. Hes lying; my range suits me just fine, thank you very much.
While all the singing and dancing in the newsroom certainly takes a toll on my efficiency, it does wonders for team morale. And it keeps us from falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning.
The newsroom playlist varies greatly from semester to semester, and indeed can change a lot from week to week. While this time last year The Beatles and Devin Davis got a lot of play, this semester has been dominated by Kanye West, Jordin Sparks, and, as of last Sundays production, David Archuleta.
In one 13-hour period last week, we listened to David Archuletas first post-American Idol single, a truly disturbing 49 times. We had the song on repeat until the death threats coming from the copyediting side of the room began to take on a serious tone. Sadly, I still cant wrap my tongue around the blasted lyrics.
Equally shocking was our realization today that, in our past three Production Sundays, weve enjoyed the music of Ms. Sparks approximately 300 times. Both and One Step at a Time have been played more than Archuletas which we deliberately set out to play to death. How any of this was allowed to happen is beyond me.
Perhaps the most bizarre thing about the current newsroom trend toward American Idol graduates is the fact that nobody on the current production team actually watches the show. In fact, I dont even listen to the radio; most of the music I hear in the newsroom I indulge exclusively in the newsroom.
Among the other artists making it onto our playlist this week are Carly Hennessy, Heartbreak, Jesse McCartney, Ne-Yo, Stereolab, and Cassie. Its been a pretty pop-heavy year so far, and not being a big pop music fan myself, Im a little shocked by how much fun Ive had over the past three weeks. It just goes to show that the newsroom brings people together in ways that cant be replicated outside the Erdman basement.
Off the Record is meant to give you a glance into the newsroom. From policy, to ed board conversations, to the comments we get from our readers, this blog will cover it all. Questions, comments, or suggestions can be emailed to amilne@brynmawr.edu. For more Off the Record posts, click here.
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- Mood:Very good
- Music:Mai Kuraki
1. One attack depends on what is known as "role morality." When a person adopts a specific role--doctor, soldier, lawyer--they also adopt a specific code of ethics. In certain situations, for example, lawyers are required to keep a client's secrets, even if that information could, say, convict someone else. (This is called "attorney-client privilege.") The Neg can attack by claiming that the resolution cannot be applied across all (or even most) roles, and the Aff is stuck conditionally affirming.
2. Governments, according to some theorists, act according to different moral rules--or are not beholden to moral rules at all. Since the resolution doesn't specify an agent, then the affirmative might be caught conditionally affirming if their V/C doesn't apply to a governmental entity. As an example, consider a situation like 9/11, where the president has ordered fighter jets scrambled to intercept an airliner full of innocents, an airliner about to be used as a weapon against (potentially) even more innocents. Should the president have the authority to order the plane shot down--to kill innocents to save more? Is the president's moral calculus different from any average citizen's? If not, why not? More generally, consider a program of inoculation against measles. If 1 in a billion people will die from the injection, but it will save 30,000 children from death, is the government permitted to make the vaccination mandatory?
3.
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- Mood:Cry
- Music:Mai Kuraki
Here in Hong Kong I keep checking and checking, but I am now convinced this is where dreams and reality meet (for me at least). From the moment I arrived I could feel the difference. I went from riding futuristic shuttles to accessing a night view of the HK skyline that I still can not forget (thanks to my Uncle Pat) all within the first hour and a half of being here. From the 49th floor we could watch the city bustle as the last members of the workforce went home at 8:30pm and others started their nightly leisure. The best way I can describe the city at night is as if you are watching Mans answer to the northern lights. Colors are constantly changing, and architecture takes on artistic form. We were treated to a scene that only the priveleged would ever see, and the amount of wealth visible to the eyes is quite remarkable.
We arrived on campus at night. Check-in was fun as the non-academic staff tends to not speak English and I was able to put my Chinese to the test right away. The dorms are rather modest in size, but apparently I am in the nicest building. Though, for those of you who saw my previous dorm, this is nothing to brag about. Still it gets the job done. My roommate is from Zhejiang province in mainland China. His English is quite good, and we will be able to help each other with the respective languages. There are also loads of other nationalities here ranging from Dutch to Indian to Kazakh. The locals are among some of the most helpful people I have ever encountered and have made their impression on me. For example, one student wanted to ride the metro in the complete opposite direction of his destination so that I would make no mistakes about where I was going. My roommate (though not local HK) called me in the middle of the day because he was shopping at a bedding store and noticed I had been using a sweatshirt as my pillow. When I got home, there was a pillow waiting for me. Like I said, I cant tell if this is a dream or not. I do have to mention the mornings. I have been waking early to run, and as I mentioned we arrived here at night. On the first morning, I looked out the common room balcony to find a sunrise that could entertain the most piggish of gods. The bay was calm and the rolling island mountains in the near distance flush with green as the sun managed its way over them. My breath was taken. I think it was at this point when I knew I was in the right place.
So I do apologize to erveryone who has been waiting to hear from me. This is the first day where I havnt got an orientation or a tour to attend. They have been wonderful to do, but combined with jetlag they are something of a drain. I hope all is well back home, as I am more than well here.
Please leave questions or requests in the comments section!
*As a side note: The JonhyG HK flickr will no longer be used. Something went wrong with th account, and I am now using Johnyg14. You will still be able to simply click on any of the linked pictures on the blog page to access JohnyG14.
Similar posts: baseball field
- Mood:Very good
- Music:Heartbreak Hotel
Big Sky meet at Blue Lake Park. West Coast Conference meet at Pier Park. Pac-10s and OSAA high school championships in Eugene.
Thankfully, Oregon has done the smart thing and moved the Pac-10 meet to Friday, which also happens to be Halloween.
Unless you've got an attachment to the Pilots (who always win the WCC meet) or Vikings, the marquee events will be in Lane County.
Here is the Oregon release on the date change:
EUGENE, Ore. - The date of the 2008 Pacific-10 Conference Cross Country Championships has been moved to Friday, Oct. 31 at Springfield Country Club. The women's race will begin at 2:15 p.m., while the men will start at 3:15 p.m.
The 2008 championships, which are being hosted by the University of Oregon, were initially scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 1. The date of the championships was changed in order to accommodate fans who would like to attend both the OSAA cross country state high school championships, which are being contested Nov. 1 at Lane Community College, and the Pac-10 Championships.
"We know have a large fan base that would like to be able to attend both the Pac-10 Championships and the state high school meet, which is already a well-established and successful event," said Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. "This move will help the University of Oregon provide a championship atmosphere for the Pac-10 student-athletes and will also benefit countless fans who can now plan on seeing two terrific running events here in Eugene and Springfield."
The Oregon men are the defending NCAA Champions and have won the last two Pac-10 Championships. The UO women were second at both the Pac-10 and NCAA Championships in 2007. The men return their top seven runners from last season, while the women have six of their top seven back for 2008.
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- Mood:More emotions
- Music:Sukiyaki
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