These traditional songs, gathered from many sources, water my roots.
Many of these songs, collected in the mountains of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky, are well known.
Other songs, collected in the mountains of New England and New York State, are less well known.
All of the songs reach back to an older Anglo/Celtic source and have developed richly wherever they have flowed.
I am proud to be part of this stream of music.
And, oh yes, check out Pamela's Performance Schedule at a venue near you!


Service Department | TC West Motorsports, Inc. | Full service dealership in Howard Lake, MN.
TC West Motorsports has full repair facilities to help you fix and maintain your new ATV. While many Factory-Direct dealers are more like distributors with little after-purchase service, we handle warranty repairs and completely support you throughout your ownership experience.
With 28 years of experience as a Master Mechanical Technician and Journeyman Mechanic, we'll make sure you are taken care of with quick and accurate service and repair.
Current shop rate is $75 per hour.
Lube Service $29.95 Coolster/TaoTao Youth size- Complete oil change. Includes oil, cleaning oil filter screen and lube chassis and chain.
Need some service done to your vehicle? Please fill out the Service Request form below and we will contact you as soon as possible. Providing quality and timely service is what we at TC West Motorsports know you deserve.
Please select where you would like to send your request (optional) TC West Motorsports, Inc.


1. Which weeks of camp are still available?
Please use our online registration system to see availabilities in real time. If our online system displays a particular week then there are still spaces left in it. When a week is full it is no longer able to be viewed. If you are not able to use the online registration system please e-mail: aaron@capitalcamps.ca or call 613-276-4307 to check on camp availability for a specific week.
2. Will there be other children at camp who are my child's age?
Yes. We will have to answer this question in general terms because we can not speak about specific weeks individually. Our campers are boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 15.
3. Can my child be in the same group as his/her friend?
Yes. We can accommodate individual requests to have children in the same group. You will be asked to provide this information on your registration form.
4. Is there any additional charge for morning or after care at Capital camps?
No, it is included in your registration fee and all campers are automatically registered for it.
5. My child lacks specific skills in the main focus of your camp i.e. has never played tennis before but is going to tennis camp. Will they be able to properly participate in camp?
On average, one third of the children in our programs do not have any experience in the given camp's sport / activity of the camp. This is why we start with a thorough overview of the basics and make sure that everyone's skill level is taken into consideration. For campers who have extensive experience, our counselors make sure that all drills and instruction are at an appropriate level.
6. My child only understands French. Will they be able to properly participate in camp and feel included?
Yes they will. All camp locations have bilingual teachers / counselors helping your children out in whatever language they are most comfortable. General group announcements will be done in English and repeated in French for all participants. For more information on our French instruction please call our camp office at (613) 276-4307.
7. Who do you hire as counselors?
Our camp directors and senior staff are male and female, elementary and high school teachers. All other counselors are university and college students. They are a minimum of 19 years of age and are hired for their positive, energetic attitude, their extensive experience working with children, their knowledge of athletics and their proven leadership ability. A majority of the staff is bilingual. We have been told time and time again that our counselors are what set our camp apart. In addition, all counselors have a vulnerable sector police check and all camp locations have at a minimum 3 certified first aiders with up to date first aid and CPR training.
8. What is your ratio of campers to counselors?
Our ratio of campers to counselors is 8:1.
9. Do you provide lunches?
Yes. All full day campers receive a free daily BBQ lunch and a pizza party on Friday.
We have a perfect safety record over the last 9 summers for our weekly swimming excursions. We are careful to plan our swims with safety as our primary concern. Children 11 years and older may swim without a life jacket. Children 9 and 10 must complete a swim test that will be held when we arrive at Ray Friel Centre to determine if a life jacket is required. All children 8 and under must wear a lifejacket. This is a policy of the Ray Friel Centre and is also a requirement of our insurance carrier. The pool staff is aware that we are coming and is prepared with extra lifeguards. Our counselors are in the pool with the children at all times.
To register please click on the Register Now button and follow the instructions for our online registration system. Even if you plan on paying by cheque, please use the online system as it ensures your child's space can be saved properly. Once you have finished the online registration you will automatically be sent a confirmation e-mail with the details of your booking. Also you will be able to log back into our system at any time to view and or print your bookings.
If you choose to pay by cheque please select the option to print off a copy of your online registration and mail it with your cheque to the below address. Please ensure that we receive your cheque within 2 weeks of filling out your online registration.
If the online system is not working properly please e-mail aaron@capitalcamps.ca or call 613-276-4307 to confirm an available spot in a particular week. You can also complete a registration form in person at our camp locations during in-season camp hours (between 8:20-9:00am and 4:00-5:00pm during July and August).
12. What does a typical day look like?
13. What if it rains or if it is too hot to be outdoors?
We vary our activities to ensure that our campers are always safe and comfortable during camp. For instance, if it is an incredibly warm day we will play more indoor game during the peak sun hours (11am - 3pm). In addition all of our camp facilities are air conditioned. We also insist that all campers and counselors continually reapply sunscreen throughout the day.
14. Where is your camp located?
Home of Multi-Sports, Drama & Dance, Football and Arts Camps.
15. When will I receive confirmation of registration?
Once you have finished the online registration, you will automatically be sent a confirmation e-mail with the details of your booking. You will also be able to log back into our system at any time to view your bookings. If you have mailed in a hardcopy registration form you will be e-mailed a confirmation when we receive the registration form and cheque.
16. Will I get a tax receipt?
Yes. Tax receipts will be issued on the last day of camp. Also you will be able to log back onto our online registration system at any time to print out a receipt.
17. What does my child need to bring to camp?
Children at all our camps need to bring: runners, shorts, t-shirt, sunscreen, bathing suit, towel and snacks for 2 breaks. Please do not send any peanut products in lunches. For Tennis Camp we can provide your child with a racket for the week, as long as you indicate one is required on the registration form.
* Please put your child's name on their belongings.


Virat Kohli has once again made another record and made his fans and country proud with a remarkable achievement. Shoaib Malik became the third man to cross the 2000-run milestone in Twenty20 International cricket on July 1, and India's lovable player, Virat Kohli, entered the club on July 3. Other members in the "most-runs-in-T20" club are Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill.
Sticking to singles, he scored a 22-ball 20*, in India's eight-wicket win over England in the first of three T20Is at Old Trafford on Tuesday. He is also the fastest to the mark in terms of innings played as he scored 2000 runs in his 56th T20I innings while McCullum had made it to the club in 66 hits.
Kavya Wahi is a writer by passion and choice, and contributes as an Editor at Sunrise News. She mainly contributes write-ups on Technology, Entertainment and Science.


The jar is perfect for mywax. It's a durable size for the storage inside the cabinet. I would get larger size for other items.
Perfect pack of three storage jar.
This is perfect to collect my wax. i ordered this the last week and i recieve it today. ITS AMAZING.


Global Witness (Company No. 2871809) is a UK non-profit limited company.
The Global Witness Trust is a registered UK charity (Charity Number: 1117844).
The Global Witness Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization under US law.


Alex and Alexa offers a wide range of products and services at incredibly low prices in Australia. These Alex and Alexa promo codes expire soon, so don't forget to bookmark this page now.
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Alex and Alexa: The husband and wife team who have built an international enterprise of high quality fashion for children. With clothing, shoes, toys and more from premium designers available to buy, shoppers can find the latest styles and trends for their precious little ones at Alex and Alexa.
The retailer caters exclusively to children, with clothing for girls and boys up to 13 years. The company was established in London back in 2007, and since then it has become one of the leading online marketplaces for children's designer goods.
The site has a regular sale, with rotated offers available on site. Deals are available on its branded kids' clothing and toys, allowing parents to pick up premium lifestyle products and incredible designer clothing for bargain prices.
Alex and Alexa is currently running a range of summer discounts. Online shoppers get 25% off all non-sale items throughout the website. Meanwhile in the sale itself, buyers can grab a price cut of up to 70% on a whole host of branded clothes.
Pamper your bundle of joy with the most innovative and high quality products. Purchasing these branded products can cost a fortune, so take the advantage of the best deals for your purchases through Next, a brand name merchant that ensures you never pay a penny more than your estimated budget with money saving offers.
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There are many respected designers' products available through Alex and Alexa – including Burberry, Diesel, Nike, Ralph Lauren and Little Marc Jacobs. The retailer has also added Stella McCartney's kids' wear range recently. The online fashion hub brings favourite designers and studios together in one place, saving parents time and stress when shopping.
When it comes to babies and children, quality and safety are the most important factors that need to be taken into consideration. The cost of raising a child is way beyond imagination for an average earning family. Baby & kids category at our site will give plenty of opportunities to manage your spending with sensible cutbacks on various designer and branded baby products & accessories.
Get huge savings using a Soludos coupon code for kids sneakers, lace ups, originals which has a timeless style with comfort.
With such a fantastic range of designer clothing on offer, prices can be a little on the high side at Alex and Alexa. At Alex and Alexa once you are done with the shopping proceed to the checkout page. Here you will find the option to enter your available valid coupon code. You will find change in the final price of the product purchased. After this enter the required shipping and payment details and complete your order.
Alex and Alexa has a busy and a popular video channel on the streaming service YouTube. The videos include fashion guides, style inspiration, information on kids' brands and advice for parents. These helpful video clips help consumers to embrace the Alex and Alexa lifestyle and to make great purchase choices. In the below video you will find the latest SS16 collections by Alex and Alexa.
Free delivery is available to customers in Australia who spend over AU$99. All purchases are shipped within one day, using standard UPS shipping for global orders, and should arrive within 5-6 days.
Based in London, Alex and Alexa delivers products across the world. The website is available in hundreds of countries and regions, and shipping is arranged through reliable local courier services such as UPS to guarantee safe, fast delivery. If you are able to collect from your nearest courier point, free international shipping is available on orders over AU$50.
Alex and Alexa has a refund period of 28 days. During this time, shoppers can request a shipping label and return their product free of charge for a full refund.
At Alex and Alexa you will find a size guide section both for clothes and shoes. Here they provide size conversion chart for shoes and clothes based on the countries like UK, US and EU.
Alex and Alexa's Life & Style section features travel guides, fashion and food tips, news from the brand and more. This is a great place to find inspiration for purchases, to pick up style ideas for your little ones or to learn more about the retailer's gifts, toys and accessories.
Visitors to the retailer's website will find it easy to navigate, with clear categories and sections for clothes, toys, furniture and accessories. Guidance on all clothing can be found within the retailer's web pages, and customer support can answer any queries quickly via email.
With over 100,000 Facebook followers, Alex and Alexa has a huge social media presence. The retailer uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest platforms to reach out when sales start, when new products come in and when there is a trend to discuss.
Shoppers can also sign up for the latest news and offers in their inbox when they visit the retailer's site directly. The regular newsletter includes a first look at fresh clothing lines and details of exclusive upcoming promotions.


This is a FreeNAS data disk and can not boot system. System halted.
In fact this isn't a FreeNAS problem - it's a problem with the boot order of the PC which is set in the BIOS. This was a big surprise because I'd configured the BIOS to only boot from the USB memory stick. But that's not the entire story.
Ensure that the USB stick is top of the list of drives. Check out the help on the right side of the screen for the mechanism of doing this.
Links to other pages in the book "Building a Home FreeNAS Server - Troubleshooting"


When it comes to buying an item like a bed mattress that we are as well used to going to the store as well as purchase, we often tend to be reluctant often. Here are some of the things that you require to recognize prior to you buy mattress online.
Are you searching for mattress sales to offer your bed a brand-new life? Well, the mattress industry is everything about uncomplicated points represented in fairly get out mattress stainschallenging manner. Nonetheless, it excels to understand that mattress sales are getting an increasing number of frequent. Actually, several of the top suppliers provide routine bargains on normal and also minimal time items. These mattress sales are ideal for everybody. For vendors, these sales bring a great deal of advertising and marketing and some quick money flow. Whereas in customer's viewpoint – mattress sales have unequaled financial savings and also purchasers seeking spending plan products also, occasionally locate it feasible to make a far better and also quality purchase. Being a customer and also specifically the one who is out on an extremely important objective of purchasing a bed mattress get out mattress stains – you ought to maintain yourself stick to some principals. Always, believe before you click the "order" switch as today' s advertising and marketing tactics are kind of traps. Following are a few, general standards for individuals that will acquire bedding products.
In our view, it is not smart to end up with a substandard acquisition for saving some dollars. Besides, thousands of study' s have already ended that rest is critically important to our physical and also psychological wellness and well-being. Hence, you have to be really careful while buying anything from mattress sales. Luckily talking, there is no rocket scientific research involved in all. Keep yourself stick with the relied on suppliers either online or on the conventional market, which's all. Relied on names typically do not place their name and service at risk for producing more by selling bad or obsolete items.
Well, never buy an improper bed mattress simply because it is being offered at a price much lesser than its regular cost. These type of cushions suits those that such as to sleep on their sides. These mattresses are recognized to be much better for sleepers that like to rest on their back or stomach.
Once more, you have to deal extremely thoroughly right here as it is an issue of your rest or sleep loss. Attempting something brand-new for a couple of days and particularly when products are provided with complimentary tests, is not a poor concept.
The memory foam mattress comes on the leading as they are the most prominent ones. These bed mattress use a long lifespan, they are available at a competitive cost, and also their resilience ratings are way far better compared to their equivalents. You could call it either innerspring mattress or springtime bed mattress straight.
Now that you recognize getting a cushion online will certainly not make you regret at the end, allow's see the points you can do it make your choice as far better as feasible. There are mattresses which are better for back sleepers compared to side sleepers. Know specifically just what you are going for, and also after that start searching for the bed mattress that would match all your demands.
As pointed out over also, one of the biggest advantages of on the internet shopping is the accessibility to thousands of individual reviews. If the individuals are validated, the opportunities are that they would review extra the weaknesses of a product that its assets– this is natural for us humans and it terrific for you as a new buyer to extract the products that do not suit you. Read at the very least 20 evaluations by previous individuals before you make the final decision. The more evaluations you could check out the better. There are rare opportunities that a product is a lot better than exactly what it has been explained by the individuals, but the majority of the time if the reviews are qualified, it would certainly provide you a great insight right into the experience of using the cushion that you can not receive from anywhere else.


text:
ESL One Cologne 2019 is a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament run by ESL. In July 2019, sixteen teams from around the globe competed in an offline (LAN) tournament that featured a group stage and playoffs with a US$300,000 prize pool. This event and Intel Extreme Masters Season XIV - Chicago were the last events before teams playing at StarLadder Major: Berlin 2019 took a month break before heading to the Major.

This tournament is the fifth tournament of the second season of the Intel Grand Slam, which a list of international premier tournaments run by ESL and DreamHack. Each team gets ten tournaments that it participates in to have a chance at winning four of them. The first team to win four titles earns an extra $1,000,000. With Team Liquid doing so and securing a 4th premier win, they received an extra $1,000,000 for their win against Team Vitality in the grand final.

Format
ESL invited eleven teams to compete in the tournament. Two teams from Europe, one team from North America, one team from Asia, and the winner of the GG.Bet Invitational tournament competed for the last five spots. The matches are broadcast-ed live on YouTube.

There are two stages for Cologne 2019, including a group stage and a playoffs. The group stage will feature two groups of eight teams, each seeded according to the ESL World Rankings. The initial matches will be a best of one and all further matches will be a best of three. The format will be an eight team, double elimination bracket, with the top three teams going through. The winner of the groups will be given a bye for the playoffs. The playoffs will feature six teams. The winners of the groups will head straight to the semifinals while the other four teams will play in the quarterfinals. Teams will play until a winner is decided. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be a best of three and the finals will be a best of five.

Map pool
The event used Valve's Active Duty map pool. Cache was taken out of the map pool as Valve announced it would be undergoing renovations. Rather than debuting a new Cobblestone, which is normally in the map pool, Valve introduced Vertigo for the first time as part of its competitive map pool.

 Dust II
 Mirage
 Inferno
 Nuke
 Train
 Overpass
 Vertigo

Broadcast Talent
The broadcast talent was announced on June 25, 2019.

Desk host
 Alex "Machine" Richardson
Stage host
 Oliver James "OJ Borg" Borg
Interviewer
 Tres "stunna" Saranthus
Analysts
 Chad "SPUNJ" Burchill
 Janko "YNk" Paunović
 Duncan "Thorin" Shields

Commentators
 Anders Blume
 Henry "HenryG" Greer
 Jason "moses" O'Toole
 Matthew "Sadokist" Trivett
Observers
 Jake "Jak3y" Elton
 Alex "Rushly" Rush

Qualifiers

European qualifier
Two teams from the European qualifier moved on to the main event in Germany. Three teams were invited, one team qualified from winning ESL Meisterschaft: Spring 2019, and four teams qualified from two open qualifiers.

Team Vitality was the favorite all the way and proved so by taking down every team through the winner's side of the bracket. North or HellRaisers were favorites to be the second team to move on, but both teams stumbled on Heroic and AVANGAR. Heroic swept AVANGAR in the loser's final to be the second team to book a ticket to Cologne.

North American qualifier
One team from the North American qualifier was given a ticket to Cologne. Four teams were invited and another four teams qualified from two different open qualifiers.

North America's qualifier was a toss-up as there were several teams with potential. FURIA Esports fell very early in an upset loss to the newly formed Lazarus Esports roster and compLexity Gaming fell to Lazarus in the next round. Ghost Gaming, also a favorite, defeated Lazarus and awaited its opponent. FURIA made a big run from the loser's side, defeating Bad News Bears, Team Envy, compLexity, and Lazarus to face off against Ghost. Despite Ghost given the 1-0 default lead via coming from the winner's side, FURIA had a relatively easy time and stole the spot away from Ghost.

Asian qualifier
One team from the Asian qualifier qualified for a potential meeting at the Lanxess Arena. Four teams were invited and another four teams qualified from two different open qualifiers.

TyLoo was the favorite, despite its recent inconsistencies, and ViCi Gaming's hot rise put them as another favorite. However, both Chinese teams fell as ViCi was edged out by B.O.O.T-dream[S]cape (B.O.O.T-d[S]) of Singapore and TyLoo was taken down by MVP PK of South Korea. MVP PK swept B.O.O.T-d[S] to book a spot in the finals. TyLoo stormed through the loser's side of the bracket, only to be stumped by MVP PK once again, allowing the Koreans to attend just their second premier tournament of the year.

GG.BET Invitational
Like the last Cologne qualifier, this invitational determined the final team of the lineup. Seven teams were invited and Team Spirit qualified from a 186 team open qualifier.

As the top ranked team in the world, Team Liquid was the favorite to come out on top while G2 Esports was the favorite to win out its group. However, both teams suffered upsets, with Liquid losing to Spirit and G2 losing to forZe. Both teams bounced back and met in the finals, where Liquid swept G2 to take the last spot at Cologne.

Group A

Group B

Teams competing

Invited

 Astralis
 BIG
 ENCE eSports
 FaZe Clan
 Fnatic
 MIBR
 mousesports
 Natus Vincere
 Ninjas in Pyjamas
 NRG Esports
 Renegades

Qualifiers

 Team Vitality (Europe)
 Heroic (Europe)
 FURIA Esports (North America)
 MVP PK (Asia)
 Team Liquid (GG.Bet Invitational)

Group stage
The format of the group stage was two groups of eight teams in a double elimination bracket. The teams to win their brackets moved on to the semifinals while the next two teams were in the quarterfinals.

Group A

Bracket

Team Liquid kicked off ESL One Cologne 2019 against MVP PK. Liquid was the heavy favorite, but it turned out inexperience on the big stage helped out the Koreans as they completely stumped Liquid at times. However, the North Americans pulled through and just about won the match. The simultaneous match also was a thriller as mousesports took a huge 11–4 lead. However, led by Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev's 32 kills, Natus Vincere (Na`Vi) pulled a massive comeback to take the game 16–14. Renegades took a 9-6 halftime lead, but this game also was incredibly close. FaZe went on to take a 14–12 lead, Renegades tied it up, but FaZe took the last two rounds to squeeze past the Australians. FURIA Esports was the team that ended Astralis's Nuke win streak, but NRG came prepared on the same map, as it took a 13–2 lead and closed out the game with relative ease. With Na`Vi up 15–11, the CIS team looked to take the first map against Liquid. However, s1mple got greedy with his team in a 3 vs.1 man advantage against Liquid's captain Nicholas "nitr0" Cannella and went for a knife, but instead nitr0 went on to clutch the round. This would prove to be disastrous as Na`Vi lost the map in double overtime. Na`Vi took the next map in close fashion, but Liquid clinched a playoff berth in the third map. In two relatively close maps, NRG knocked FaZe to the lower bracket behind Vincent "Brehze" Cayonte's 47 kills. On the loser's side, MVP PK looked to surprise, but mousesports but an end to it as it easily eliminated the Koreans. FURIA advanced with a sweep against the Renegades with Andrei "arT" Piovezan raking a massive 58 kills. Finn "karrigan" Andersen continued to find success against his old team as mousesports took down FaZe after a close first map and a dominant second map. FURIA looked to have another Cinderella run as it did in Esports Championship Series Season 7, but Na`Vi put an end to that after two very close maps. The two North American teams had a hard-battled winner's finals, but Liquid clutched it out after a back and forth first map and a double overtime second map. In the last group A match, Na`Vi took the first map over mousesports in another double overtime game. mousesports responded with a win on Dust II, but s1mple's 26 kills and Denis "electronic" Sharipov's 23 overran mousesports.

Group B

Bracket

Astralis lead off group B with a dominant 16–4 win over BIG. MIBR's struggles continued despite bringing in Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles from Luminosity Gaming as Fnatic's 12–3 lead proved to be too much. Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) pulled off an upset against the red hot Team Vitality while Heroic also pulled off an upset against the Major runner-ups ENCE eSports. Astralis had no problem holding off Fnatic as the Danes did not allow the Swedes to get a second half round in either map. NiP booked a playoff spot as its second half performances held Heroic to just one round in each map. MIBR seemed to reach a low point after splitting the first two maps against BIG and then blowing a 12–3 lead and losing in overtime on the third map and the two time Cologne champions were eliminated in last place. ENCE also suffered from disappointment as it could not figure out the firepower of Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut and the tactics of Nathan "NBK-" Schmitt. Heroic was able to knock out BIG from the tournament, resulting in Fatih "" Dayik and his team not able to appear in front of its home crowd. Vitality and Fnatic had a very close set as the two games in the series went into overtime. In the end, Vitality held on for both maps. NiP gave Astralis a bit of trouble, but the Danes were able to regain form and took the top seed in group B. On the loser's side, the inconsistent Heroic gave Vitality a run for its money, but the French were able to hang on to head to the Lanxess Arena.

Playoffs
The two runner-ups from each group each faced off in the quarterfinals. The top seeds in each group earned automatic berths to the playoffs. The quarterfinals and semifinals was best of three matches and the finals was a best of five.

Final standings
Team Liquid nitr0, EliGE, Twistzz, NAF, Stewie2K won the final game against Team Vitality and won the tournament and secured the prize money.

The final standings are shown below. Each team's in-game leader is shown first.

References

2019 in German sport
2019 first-person shooter tournaments
ESL One Counter-Strike competitions
International esports competitions hosted by Germany
Sports competitions in Cologne

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Advertising Marketing Concept designed for non-competitive clients, presenting in the form of a 12-16-page coupon catalog. A marketing tool offers the advantageous ratio between high interference and the cost of reaching a single customer.
Front cover is an image page showing the logos of all advertisers and the catalogue validity date.
Registration for the next editation is already running!


text:
Houdini in The Grim Game
$25 | May 3, 2019 | 8:00PM - 9:30PM
Sierra Madre Playhouse
87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre 91024
Everyone is invited to step back into 1919 -- one hundred years ago -- and see this lost classic as it was meant to be seen, with live accompaniment by the doyen of silent film musicians, Michael Mortilla, and violinist Nicole Garcia. This exciting event will be introduced by Houdini expert John Cox (www.wildabouthoudini.com). Michael will talk about the importance of music in the silent era.
The Grim Game is a silent drama that showcases Houdini's astonishing, world-famous talents as an escapologist, stunt performer and aviator. The film presents a series of Houdini's trademark stunts and escapes and builds to an airplane pursuit climaxed by a mid-air collision.
The film was considered lost for decades until it was rediscovered, restored and shown in 2015. It's a fascinating cinematic record, revealing the reason that Houdini was one of the biggest stars of the early 20th century.
Proceeds from this special event will be shared equally by the Playhouse and the Catalina Island Museum, which is generously providing this film.
The Grim Game. Adventure. Directed by Irvin Willat. Written by Willat, John W. Grey, Arthur B. Reeve, Walter Woods. Produced by Jesse L. Lasky. From Paramount Pictures. (Black-and-white, 1919, USA, 71 minutes, not rated) Starring Harry Houdini, Ann Forrest, Mae Busch, Thomas Jefferson, Augustus Phillips, Tully Marshall. Jailed unjustly for a murder he did not commit, a young man uses his amazing powers of escape to free himself and pursue the actual killers, who hold his fiancée captive. Silent.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Dover was an important British base from which light forces sortied to cover the English Channel at its pinch point near Calais and Dunkirk. It serving as the operational base for the Dover Patrol as well as the forces covering Auxiliary Patrol Area XI.
↑ Pridham-Wippell Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/14. ff. 177, 253.
↑ "Naval Appointments." The Times (London, England), Monday, Feb 08, 1915; pg. 12; Issue 40772.
This page was last modified on 4 October 2018, at 08:47.


On this page, we look at some of the most asked questions about the funeral insurance. We will certainly do our best to cover as many topics as possible. If you are new to insurance coverage, there are many things you might want to know. In most cases, insurance policies are relatively easy to understand if you know the basics.
In short, it's important to make sure you understand each policy you take. You must understand how it works and how to claim. We often hear about people who pay for a policy they have no idea what it does. With our service, we will explain everything to you when we do your free quote. There is a lot of information to consider. For that reason, it's a lot easier if you speak to an agent to get clarity on funeral insurance.
To read more on each of the points, click on the question to reveal the answer.
Firstly, sooner or later, everybody will pass away. This fact is the reality of life. Nobody lives forever. For this reason, preparing for this event is essential. When people pass away, there are costs involved. The family and friends often have to settle the bill. This mistake can be very costly. Funeral insurance will make money available at the time of death. This cash helps to arrange the funeral. The funds can be used to pay the expenses occurred. This advantage is what this policy does. It makes funds available to the family.
Secondly, you decide how much cover you want and who you want to include. You can add your direct family. In most cases, you can also cover extended family. The premium payer decides the cover amount for each of the insured individuals. When any person on the policy dies, the provider pays out the money within 48 hours. Insurance is a very effective way to prepare for something that's going to happen. Nobody wants to leave unpaid memorial bills behind. Your family will certainly be going through enough at the time.
Who Must Get Funeral Insurance?
Almost everybody must get cover. Burials are expensive; it's important to know that your family can afford it. Regardless of your age or even financial situation, money in the event of death usually helps a lot. The good news is you can also cover your extended family members. With this policy, you can help your family members who might not be able to afford to get coverage of their own.
All deaths due to an accident will have no waiting period. Accidents get cover from the first payment. This exclusion is also an industry standard seen on many policies. This benefit is one way the providers make up for the waiting period. Many providers will pay more if death is due to an accident. With AVBOB funeral insurance, you will receive double cover if a claim is because of an accident. Keep in mind, the idea of funeral cover is not to replace your accidental death cover. It's merely an added benefit.
Can I Take Cover if I'm Sick?
It's important to know you can get cover if you are sick. Remember, there is a standard six-month waiting period for natural causes. Accidental death does not fall under this same rule. Accidental death cover is valid from the first premium. This exclusion is to prevent people from taking out a policy on their death bed. If death is due to an accident, the cover amount will double. If you have R10 000 cover and die because of an accident, you get R20 000.
There are no medicals required. You do not have to answer medical questions either. AVBOB will give you the benefit of the doubt. In return, they have a short six month waiting period. This modus operandi means that your medical history does not come up anywhere. Your acceptance does not rely on your health.
Who Gets the *Free AVBOB Benefits?
When there is a claim, you have two options. The first option is to take the money. You can use other providers for the service. The second option is to let them arrange the burial. In this case, you qualify for all the benefits. They will deduct any additional expenses from the payout amount. AVBOB will pay out all money that remains after everything. So in short, there are two options. The first option is to let them do everything; the second is you get the money only. Both options have their advantages. Remember, you do not have to specify what option you need when you take out a policy. You can discuss options when you claim. It's noteworthy that all policies work the same way up until you claim.
It's important to know that our quotes are free. As a result, if you are not happy with the quote, there is no obligation. Also keep in mind that our service does not cost you anything extra, even if you decide to sign up. We will do all the hard work so above all; you don't have to. We arrange your cover from the comfort of your home or office. In short, this is what we do for a living. Give us the opportunity to show you why we are the best in the business.
It's important to know, if you claim, you have to contact them directly. They will get in touch and explain everything to you. In most cases, claims settle within 48 hours. It's important to have all the documents they need ready. This information will speed up the processes. If you have any issues with your claim, feel free to let us know. We will do our best to sort out everything for you. AVBOB certainly knows how to manage the claim process. They handle more claims every day than you can imagine. We are sure you will be in good hands.
Can you make Changes to Existing Policies?
Unfortunately, we handle mostly sales. We can, however, make some changes to your plan. For example, if you want to add additional members or change cover amounts, we can assist. If you're going to change banking details or address, please contact them directly. If you need help with any changes, feel free to let us know. Although we can't make promises in this regard, we can do our best to try and help. Because we handle sales, it can take a lot longer for us to help you make changes.
Should I Discuss My Policy with Family?
Firstly, you need to discuss your funeral insurance policy with family. Furthermore, we understand death is a gloomy topic. Discussing your desires with your family is very important. You can tell your family exactly what you want at your funeral. This openness will make planning a burial a lot easier. If your family knows what you want, they can make arrangements for you at the time of a claim.
Secondly, always remember, death is a natural occurrence. It's not a fun topic, but an essential one. Because a lot of people don't talk about it, they don't get what they want. Make it an easy conversation by not taking it too seriously. Speak about your wishes and discuss your policy. This way you know your family knows what you want.
Finally, to read more about this topic, feel free to read our blog post here.


text:
EV or ICE, Cadillac Performance Is Here to Stay
Cadillac is dedicated to high-performing machines, regardless of what is moving the wheels.
By Bradley Brownell
Cadillac will stick with performance-minded vehicles even though the company is transitioning away from internal combustion power.
Simulated development helps in creating the next-generation high-performance Cadillac models, which are already being tested.
Cadillac Executive Chief Engineer Brandon Vivian says "there will be varying levels of Cadillac performance in the future."
The crested brand from America's mitten has come a long way from the days of the Catera. The decades-in-the-making transformation of General Motors' most premium brand into a performance powerhouse with the luxury chops to take on the best Germans is complete. The CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing signify a high water mark for Cadillac. GM has invested a lot of time, money, and engineering talent in this Caddy turnaround, just in time for the brand to throw most of it in the trash and reinvent itself yet again.
For two generations of product Cadillac really only offered a single performance variant in the mid-sized CTS-V. It was decent enough, but competition from overseas offered multiple sizes of performance sedan, and in multiple levels of intensity. Yeah, Audi makes an RS4 and an RS6, but they also build S versions a step below the most hardcore, likewise BMW and Mercedes. In an effort to match wits with its German competitors, Cadillac figured out that it needed to offer more than just the CTS and in its previous generation introduced the ATS-V.
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Cadillac Executive Chief Engineer, Brandon Vivian: "We raced, we've always raced. We believe that racing makes our street cars better. [The features on our V-series Blackwing cars are] the same features we have on our race cars. We're very adamant about two-way transfer. As we've matured the V-series brand and you look in the marketplace and you see there are mid-level performance vehicles and ultra-high performance vehicles. And we felt that it was time for us to play and win in both spaces. We don't produce cars that we don't believe are winning."
With the switch to a second-generation Alpha chassis, Cadillac revamped its strategy and naming scheme. CTS and ATS became CT5 and CT4, that's easy. The V name, however, was given its own chop up. Where it was once the top dog, Cadillac has demoted V to mid-level manager and installed Blackwing as the new big daddy of Caddy. Of course Blackwing was previously the name of a special dual-overhead cam V8 developed for the CT6-V before that whole chassis was scrapped and the engine went with it. That's as clear as mud, right?
"We believe if you look at the history, Cadillac's prominence has always been innovation."
Vivian continues, "So the philosophy that we have is not going to just be applied to what we do with ICE vehicles. The mode that powers the vehicle is independent of our philosophy as a brand and how we approach developing the overall vehicle performance envelope. It's of course a statement for us as General Motors being zero zero zero: zero emissions, zero congestion, zero crashes, that's our vision as a company. Cadillac is rightfully so at the tip of the spear for that.
"We believe if you look at the history, Cadillac's prominence has always been innovation. We've always been innovative. Things that we've done recently with Super Cruise, performance that's in these cars, the level of craftsmanship in balance with the level of performance. We showed you all the 3D printing that we're doing. This is the first car that has 3D printed parts in production. That type of approach is what we're going to use going forward, independent of the fact that we are going electric."
So now that Cadillac has spent decades and millions to define V and Blackwing as two tiers of American performance luxury, surely these valuable brands will be carried on into the company's electric future. It would make too much sense for Cadillac to offer a more measured and understandable version of its electric performance goals than Performance and Plaid. To translate these performance variants to future EVs like the upcoming Lyriq, Cadillac's V engineers would need to focus on chassis, suspension, and aerodynamic advancements.
"Now electric enables us to meet our vision as a company, and that is the next frontier for innovation and we want to be at the front of that. That doesn't change the mission of what Cadillac performance will be. There will be varying levels of Cadillac performance in the future," says Vivian.
Cadillac takes a holistic approach to the V series cars, and particularly the Blackwing HiPo machines, so which aspects of these current cars are going to make it into the next-generation V and Blackwing electrics? Clearly the performance arm isn't going anywhere, as evidenced by Vivian's statements here. Cadillac V can apply what it knows about chassis development, aerodynamics, and cooling to whatever comes next.
Vivian, again; "If you think about the amount of work and the detailed analysis that we did to develop the structure. That same exercise, that same approach that we're using analytically on how we make the car stiffer in the right areas, not just stiffer to be stiffer, but stiffer in the right areas. If you make the car really stiff, you're adding mass that the car doesn't really need. So those techniques, we'll be using going forward.
"If you look at an electric vehicle, its configuration is different. You're carrying a lot of mass in the middle of the car down low, and you have the suspension in the front and rear compartments that hang off of that mass. That is different from a floor pan that is typically open. So the structural problems that you're solving are different, but the techniques of how we apply stiffnesses and where they are are the same. That's one example.
"Another example is aerodynamics. We're doing a lot of computational fluid dynamics and simulating that. We're able to deliver a car that is stable at over 200 miles per hour, that also can cool all of the, in this case internal combustion engine, transmission and differential. That same approach can be used to cool batteries, to cool inverters, to figure out the right amount of drag and aero benefit. Those tools and techniques are being used in our electric vehicles."
It would stand to reason that there is more here that Cadillac knows and isn't telling us. The company's new vehicles are dynamically modeled in full-vehicle simulators for years before they ever reach production. Whatever high-performance electric Cadillacs are coming, it would be quite likely that the V engineers have already begun shifting electrons around to develop them. These real-time physics-based models give these folks an ability to tune sway bars and springs, electronic differentials, and other virtual hardware before actually building those parts and putting them into pre-production physical cars. "Our drivers drive the cars at least a year ahead of [these parts] ever getting into a physical car."
It has become quite obvious over the last decade that electric and performance are hardly mutually exclusive. Cadillac's Vivian acknowledges the advantages of electric propulsion for the future of V performance. "You don't need to wait for a turbo to spool up, or the type of magic we have in the CT5's supercharger. Instantaneous response." Having maximum available torque at the control of your right foot from one RPM is a huge boon. But that's not the only major benefit in store for electric performance cars.
"You don't need to wait for a turbo to spool up, or the type of magic we have in the CT5's supercharger. Instantaneous response."
"Because of that response, there comes a level of torque control; where you can send torque, what you can do with that torque. If you design your system right, inherent instant torque vectoring. You can have a system that would take a super expensive and complicated electromechanical device with an internal combustion engine-powered car. What you can do when you put that torque to the ground, depending on how you configure your vehicle, this offers you increased maneuverability throughout the dynamic range of the car if you have, let's say, a twin motor setup."
Cadillac knows that battery tech is progressing in a rapid manner. Currently electric cars are burdened by a distinct lack of power density. In spite of a tank of fuel burning at a rate of just under two laps per gallon at VIR, a CT5-V Blackwing's massive supercharged V8 will still take less time to burn a full tank of fuel than an electric vehicle capable of similar lap times. In the short term, as far as performance cars are concerned, that will be a big trade off. Internally, there is optimism for the future of battery tech, however.
"The battery chemistry that will come in the mid-term will have more capacity and at least what we're seeing will manage heat better. Operating temperatures will be to the point where you can get a benefit from some of the coolers as you just mentioned. I think mid-term your battery capacity and your thermal capacity will be equivalent in terms of how many laps or in some cases even better range than you have in an internal combustion car.
"The batteries in the short term are pretty large and very heavy, so the mass on everything goes up. If your batteries as a propulsion system, batteries inverters, motors, if those weigh 1.4 times what your internal combustion engine, transmission, and fuel tank weigh, now the brakes need to be bigger, the wheels need to be bigger, the cooling needs to be higher if you want to have that same level of performance. The EVs that don't need the performance bandwidth that we're delivering with V-series will be able to get away without as much cooling, just like your base cars today you can't run them on the track like this.
"Mass begets mass, and mass is the other trade off. As we go forward and the battery technology in the mid-term we see it getting lighter, cheaper, and higher power densities, and less demand for cooling. In the mid-term that will be less of a trade off, but it's still going to be there."
A car-lover's community for ultimate access & unrivaled experiences.
The first-generation Cadillac CTS-V was an incredibly American take on the genre, taking big hefty truck parts and a Corvette motor and sticking them in a big comfy sedan. It was a very interesting first effort, but it was half-baked. After several iterations and generations, the current Blackwing-branded Cadillac performance sedans are among the greatest performance sedans to ever make production. The company has managed to totally figure out the market to build the right car at the right time—just in time for it to scrap the whole project and start over.
Here's hoping that the next generation of Cadillac V will be able to iterate from what the company has learned in this round, rather than punching up at the world from square one. It stands to reason that whatever V does in the future with its electric platforms will be better than what is currently available. Maybe it'll take a couple generations to be properly track-ready, but if the speed, handling, aero, cooling, and chassis are as solid as a CT4-V Blackwing or CT5-V Blackwing, it'll be a truly solid start.
What do you think Cadillac's high performance vehicles will be like after they depart internal combustion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Modern and spacious home in Old Lake Highlands with lots of updates. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with open floor plan..Kitchen features Quartz countertops, stainless appliances & amazing Bertazzoni gas stove & oven. Abundant storage in kitchen, bedrooms, & baths. Hardwood floors throughout. Oversized 2 car garage w workbench. Modern window coverings & lighting. Gated back yard with large deck and just minutes from White Rock Lake!


The earliest records in the MFAH Archives belong to the Houston Art League, the Museum's founding organization. Dating from 1900, when the league first began to meet, the materials document efforts to introduce art education into the public schools and to establish a public art collection. Later records reflect the shift in the league's mission as it focused on the construction of the Museum's first building, designed by William Ward Watkin. The interaction of the league's predominantly female members with women's civic organizations in Houston is also chronicled.
The records comprise a scrapbook, a volume of bound minutes, a visitor register, a membership roll, and the subject files of various Houston Art League presidents. Early exhibition catalogues are mounted within the scrapbook and the visitor register. Other highlights include documents of historic and legal importance, such as the league's first charter, constitution, and bylaws; minutes from the first meeting; newspaper clippings about the opening of the MFAH in 1924; and the text of the opening address delivered by writer Homer Saint-Gaudens.
The Houston Art League scrapbooks listed here are available for download in PDF format.
Scrapbook, 1900–1924, RG19 Houston Art League Records, digital image, /downloads/5423bf12-c8a8-4628-ab21-81cb1c4e4cd7/view/, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Archives, http://www.mfah.org/research/archives, accessed April 1, 2010.
Every effort has been made to remove copyrighted material. However, if you have a claim to copyright in the presented materials, please contact webeditor@mfah.org.
The fragility of the documents requires that researchers on site use a digital facsimile provided courtesy of Engraphix Imaging Systems, Inc.


Northern German State TV made a feature film (30 mins) about the Till Richter Museum featuring the 2015 ongoing projects including "HOME".
"Achieving New Heights" is a 10-foot tall Ladder constructed out of expanded metal with solar powered spot lights.
It will be installed on the 800 block of Heights Boulevard in Houston, TX, till October 2016.
Drawings from living rooms, back rooms, flat files and sketchbooks.
The exhibition 'Home' spans across 8 rooms along the first floor of the Till Richter Museum.
Till Richter hat aus seiner Leidenschaft eine Berufung gemacht hat. Der Gründer und Direktor des Museums im Herrenhaus Buggenhagen bietet den talentiertesten jungen Künstlern eine Bühne und damit ein Sprungbrett für ihre Karriere. Nun eröffnete das Museum eine neue Austellungsreihe, unter anderem mit der deutsch-amerikanischen Künstlerin Ariane Roesch.
CentralTrak is pleased to host Guest Curator Robin Myrick's extraordinary vision of the blended world of CalArts in Texas. It Came From CalArts is an exhibition comprised of nine Texas artists who are also CalArts alumni, together representing three decades of this unique relationship. For a moment in time, Centraltrak will give this elusive intersection a name and a place, bringing artists in different mediums and cities (Austin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio) together to examine the ways in which Calartians (as they are known), are navigating this common landscape.
Whenever someone finds out that I went to California Institute of the Arts, I am often asked a version of the following question: "Isn't that the Walt Disney school where all the students run around naked?" Those same people are often disappointed to hear that though the Disney legacy remains strong, the random nakedness is less a factor these days, and mostly limited to the annual Halloween party. Likewise, whenever I'm away from Texas, people will sometimes ask me whether we all ride horses to the store, or why anyone would eat a chicken fried steak. At times it feels like these are oddly similar conversations. My alma mater and my home state may share the dubious honor of inspiring provocative, cartoonish intrigue, but a more compelling question for me has always been how art that lives in the intersection of there and here, here and there, is the product of both experiences.
Since its inception in 1961, as a merger of the storied Chouinard Art Institute and Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, CalArts has blended the rigor of the professional conservatory with a bold devotion to experimentation, encouraging artists of all types to break traditional boundaries and find their own way. The intersection of CalArts and Texas surely encompasses the independent, mercurial nature of each place, but it's not always so easy to pin down. More an idea than a venn diagram, less a point on a map than the influence of each physical and liminal space on the other, it's ultimately the conversation and negotiation between there and here, here and there, that allows one to see its coordinates. In practice, it is reflected in the work of visual artists, writers, dancers, actors, musicians, designers, filmmakers, and others who carry this form of dual citizenship, so to speak. Some grew up here and headed west to CalArts for their education, returning with degrees and ideas that may have changed them in small or radical ways. Others migrated from CalArts to the major and minor and rural cities of Texas, in pursuit of additional degrees, new studies and projects, or a more budget-friendly place to live and work.
Whatever their stories or reasons, each takes and brings something to this long-form exchange.
Robin Myrick is a writer, visual artist, and educator based in Dallas, Texas. She holds an MFA in Writing and Critical Studies from California Institute of the Arts, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Aesthetic Studies at UTDallas. She serves as Arts and Media Editor for Entropy magazine, among other endeavors, and is a member of the long lost art collective In Cooperation With Muscle Nation. She also curated the 2014 glitch exhibition Message (NOT) Received at UT-Dallas.
CentralTrak, The University of Texas at Dallas Artists Residency, established in 2008, is dedicated to the creation, presentation, and advancement of the contemporary arts. As a live/work space for eight artists, it serves as a community center in the North Texas area for broad intellectual discourse around the arts. While the residency promotes artistic experimentation through its support of production, the companion gallery encourages critical engagement in a local urban context through exhibitions and related programs. By building on the forward-thinking academic resources of the School of Arts & Humanities at The University of Texas at Dallas, CentralTrak unites artists from an expansive range of creative disciplines to extend and challenge contemporary notions of artistic practice, creative expression, and the role technology plays in these processes.
CentralTrak is supported in part by the generosity of numerous donors and partners from the North Texas area and The University of Texas at Dallas.
Hours: Saturday 12:00 – 5:00 during exhibitions, tours available by appointment call (469) 232-7298.


Long loading times and slow boot-ups can push even superheroes to their limits, but have no fear, we're here to save the day!
Seagate's Firecuda 2.5" an 3.5" 2TB drives offer something really unique in that they bring both speed and capacity in a small package and at an affordable price.
Until Firecuda emerged, 1TB was the most we could get from a 2.5" drive, which is exciting in itself, and having blended 8GB of cunning NAND technology with a standard HDD, this impressive and sophisticated SSHD was born. Along with the flash memory, multi-tier caching only helps to provide a more efficient workflow and smoother performance; - the Adaptive Memory technology figures out what data is most frequently used and keeps it local in order to decrease the application loading time as well as increasing the drive's life.
Speaking of durability, Firecuda boasts a notable green feature that reduces power consumption and heat generation, giving the product more sturdiness over time, but even that isn't worth worrying about, since they've chucked in a generous 5 year warranty.
A leader in hybrid technology, Seagate products like this one give us a performance similar to an SSD but with all the space you expect from an HDD. It's a dream come true for gamers, creative professionals and PC enthusiasts.
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Expected to be drafted in the lottery by most analysts in the 2009 NBA Draft, Blair surprisingly fell to the 37th pick due to concerns surrounding the long-term viability of his surgically repaired knees. As they've made a habit of doing in the past decade, the Spurs pounced on the opportunity by picking up Blair, who's yet to miss a game in his NBA career.
"Although his sophomore campaign is over, Blair certainly left his mark on the season and has solidified himself amongst college basketball's elite – being recognized on Monday as a first team All-American. His great play, impressive physique and the multiple intangibles that he brings to the game has clearly caught the attention of basketball pundits and NBA scouts everywhere.
DeJuan Blair's statistical output this season has been nothing short of spectacular. He ranks #1 in PER with an astounding 38.9, which is due in large part to his efficiency offensively and the high value placed on offensive rebounding – an area where Blair excels at averaging 8.1 per-40 minutes, which is first in the nation by a wide margin.
Coming into the pros from the college game, DeJuan Blair had to undergo quite the transformation with his offensive role, going from one of his team's offensive focal points to the very antithesis of that, with him having virtually zero plays ever run for him on the Spurs. While Blair always had the gritty, hustle style of play embedded into his game in college, it also went along with a big scoring responsibility, with him ranking second on his team in field goal attempts in his last year in college (compared to sixth this year for the Spurs). Further, how Blair is getting his shots is also noticeably different, as 35.1% of his field-goal attempts in the half court were of the post-up variety at Pittsburgh, where as now those shots account for just 15.4%.
Coming into a situation with a strongly established core of offensive players in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili (along with an army of spot-up outside shooters in Richard Jefferson, Matt Bonner, and George Hill), Blair is asked to do all the dirty, off-ball work on the Spurs, and that happens to be just what he excels at.
Proving his worth as an offensive rebounder, space-carver in the lane, and an active cutter off the ball, Blair is the perfect complement to the Spurs' stable of talented scorers, as he creates extra possessions on the glass, sets hard screens on the perimeter, and provides a good target for easy shots around the basket. Unsurprisingly, Blair embraced this role from his first day in the league, and it's a big reason why he's managed to be so successful so quickly.
Looking at Blair's ability to score around the basket, his performance has been largely as expected in the pros, with him still being a decidedly below the rim player, albeit one who makes up for it in a variety of other ways. Around the basket, Blair is just an average finisher (his 1.14 points per shot around the basket ranks in the 54th percentile according to Synergy Sports Technology), but it's important to note just how many of these shots he's able to seek out for himself. While Blair may rank as being just "solid" on actually converting his attempts, he's among the league's best in putting himself in situation to get those attempts, as his unique physical abilities make him very difficult to keep away from high-quality shots.
Having incredible raw strength with his massive frame, Blair is definitely among the strongest players in the NBA, something that's magnified further with his low center of gravity. Just like in college, he's still able to back his man down and seal out dominant position in the paint, pinning his man under the rim and creating easy, short angles for shot attempts when the ball comes his way, which it does often on a team that passes as well as the Spurs.
Beyond his ability to carve out space inside using brute force, Blair also shows deceptive agility and body control on his cuts to the rim, be it on dive cuts from the high post or rolls to the basket off high screens. He does a good job adjusting to finish around the defender, and despite his obvious inability to elevate above the rim in most situations, he does a good job using crafty maneuvers to free himself for open shots.
The only area where Blair has seemingly struggled in his ability to attack the basket is the rate he's getting to the free-throw line, as he's averaging just 1.5 FTA per game compared to 7.6 FGA, a low ratio by any means but especially low for an aggressive, inside-oriented big man. He doesn't shy from contact often, but his lack of conventional athleticism allows the opposition to not take many risks defending him, while also making him prone to getting his shot blocked, with 10.3% of his field-goal attempts being blocked according to Hoopdata.com.
While Blair's post game was a work in progress and his face-up game non-existent in college, both have taken even more of a backseat in the pros, where the Spurs just have little need for him to do much of either, something Blair has embraced to open up the rest of his game.
On the rare attempts he does have a back-to-the-basket opportunity, he shows a mostly unpolished repertoire with just average footwork, while he clearly doesn't have as easy a time overpowering the opposition at this level, especially given the increased length and athleticism used for blocking and contesting shots.
His face-up game is actually in some ways more serviceable than his post-up game, as he's trying to take after his frontcourt mate Tim Duncan with the mid-to-high post finesse moves, occasionally showing off a decent array of floaters, runners, and bank shots off the glass. While he's still coming along and it's not something the Spurs will want to rely on come playoff time, Blair does finish at a solid rate on these attempts and if he does ever want to develop the ability to create his own offense, it will likely have to be of the finesse variety given his athletic limitations.
The one area of Blair's offense that has been most disappointing in the pros would have to be his spot-up jumper, as he's taken just 17 mid-range jump shots on the entire season according to Synergy, and only hit four of them. His 66% shooting from the free-throw line is a little more respectable, but mostly in line with what he did at the collegiate level, as he's yet to show any noticeable improvement in this area since being on the national scene.
In order to maximize his ability as a role playing big man in this league, having a respectable 15-foot jumper in pick-and-pop and end of shot clock situations is something Blair will need to do, and he's lucky he's on a team that has above average perimeter shooters up and down the roster, otherwise this flaw might be more apparent given his limited offensive game.
As is almost always true with players transitioning from college to the pros, the one thing most likely to translate is rebounding ability, and DeJuan Blair is no exception to the rule. While he's no longer the clear-cut most dominant rebounder in the league like he was at the NCAA level, Blair's 13.3 total rebounds per-40 minutes pace adjusted ranks 8th in our database and his 4.9 offensive rebounds ranks 3rd.
Blair's ability to create extra possessions on the offensive glass is perhaps his greatest attribute as a player, especially in the situation he's on with so many good scorers on his team. Still showing the same great strength, pursuit, and fundamentals that he showed in college, Blair is a major force on the boards on both ends of the floor.
On the defensive end, Blair hasn't had the most seamless transition to the NBA, though it certainly gets covered up pretty well on the best team in the NBA with one of the best defensive coaches in the league. Blair's focus and effort level are virtually always there (and he wouldn't be on the floor much on that team if they weren't), while his positioning and off-ball awareness are both very high, a big reason he manages to get 1.2 steals in just 22.2 minutes per game with his limited athletic abilities, something he did quite a bit in college as well.
While Blair's positioning and awareness are both very good, he's prone to being exposed in a variety of ways when the opposition tries isolating him, most noticeably defending the post and on pick-and-rolls.
On pick-and-rolls, Blair's large mass and average change of direction ability make it very risky for him to run out to contest jumpers or hedge screens on the perimeter, so the Spurs often have him play passive in these situations, something that leads to a lot of open pull-up jumpers for the ball-handler. He's fairly limited in the way he's used on pick-and-rolls, though to his credit he does do a solid job sticking with the big on rolls to the basket, showing good agility and mobility in that regard.
In defending back-to-the-basket big men, Blair's effort level is once again high, as he contests shots and fights for position, but he often overextends himself going after entry passes and isn't able to recover. Further, when he is matchup has the ball in his hands, his fundamentals are not where you'd expect them to be, as he doesn't use his hands and forearm well to hold him off, not getting anywhere near the leverage he's capable of with his strength and physique, as he's just not taking full advantage of NBA post defense rules. His height is also problematic, as it leaves him very prone to being shot over, something that happens quite often.
Surprisingly, Blair actually proves somewhat serviceable defending perimeter isolations, though he often gets the weaker of the two frontcourt matchups and isn't tested often. His foot speed is certainly below par, and he's prone to being taken by players with quick first steps, but when he gets into his position he does a solid job sticking with his man and at least not making it easy, thanks to his tremendous length.
Looking forward, it's hard to imagine Blair developing into much more than he currently is now, a strange thing to say for a player just 21 years old that is already starting for the best team in the league. The problem for Blair is the two areas where he shows the most capacity for improvement – post defense and mid-range shooting – are areas he has shown little to no learning curve in since he emerged on the national scene his freshman season at Pittsburgh. That said, there is precedent for hard-working big men completely reinventing segments of their game early in their NBA careers, with Glen Davis (post defense) and David Lee (mid-range shooting) being two recent examples.
In order for Blair to take his game to the next level and place himself among the league's most impactful role players, he's going to need to put in the work in those two areas, and all the signs suggest he has the requisite work ethic to do so. Regardless, even if he doesn't do that, he's already on the path to a very productive career, and he's in the perfect situation to put his unique talents to work, playing off San Antonio's Big Three. As long as he can remain healthy, Blair has already established a very high floor for the rest of his career., and is clearly one of the biggest steals in the draft over the past few years.
Jonathan Givony: Hello DeJuan. Thanks for your time. So can you just fill us in, what's going on with you, where you are at? Are you finishing up the year at Pitt?
DeJuan Blair: I'm just finishing up the semester, getting stuff done with school, then you know, getting ready for the journey, as I like to call it.
Jonathan Givony: So, it seems like your coaching staff made a pretty big push to keep you at Pitt, and I guess they may have come away a little disappointed. Has there been any lingering effects of that?
DeJuan Blair: Yeah but, I would have done the same thing. Not to be big-headed, but who I am, and what I am to the team, but you know I had to make a decision and I think I made the right one. So, you know, its good for me and my family and everything, and it made them (Pitt) look good also, getting an NBA prospect out there, so, it's going to be fun.
Jonathan Givony: Now that you're 100 percent in the draft, what are you focusing on most in terms of preparing yourself for the private workouts?
DeJuan Blair: I'm focusing on my quickness and my agility and my jump shot. That's about it, these things, all my weaknesses, try to power my power, my finesse skills also. So I'm working on a lot of stuff, its going to be a good May for me.
Jonathan Givony: So you're going to be doing some private workouts here after the early entry deadline comes out, is there any particular player you're looking forward to competing against? Someone you saw on TV? Someone from the Big East? Something like that?
DeJuan Blair: Nah, I'll take whoever's in my way and show what I can do against them. It's going to be like a game, I'm going to be out for everyone, just like everyone is going to be out for me. So I'm going to have fun at the same time, as me doing business, so I'm getting to meet a lot of people, you know, just having a nice little bang with everybody that I've been seeing. It's going to be fun, I can't wait for it to happen.
Jonathan Givony: What have people told you about the draft process? Any players you've talked to or any guys that have been through it already that are helping you prepare for it?
DeJuan Blair: I actually talked to Amare Stoudemire a little bit, but I haven't talked to him a lot about the draft process. I'm just going to take it one step at a time hopefully it'll come out to my advantage, to the best of my ability. Just like I said, I just want to have fun on the journey, its going to be fun, you know. It's going to be a long one, a tough one, but at the same time you still gotta have fun and enjoy the program. A lot of people from my city haven't been exposed to what's about to go down for me, and that's a blessing off top, but with me working out, and me losing weight and things like that, it's going to be all right man. I just wanna have fun.
Jonathan Givony: Not only were you the best offensive rebounder in college basketball this year, but according to an article I saw by Luke Winn, you were the best offensive rebounder in the last eight or nine years of college basketball. Can you take us through the nuances of what makes a great offensive rebounder from a technical standpoint?
DeJuan Blair: Like I tell everyone who asks me that, you've just got to go get the ball. You can't just let the ball come to you, cause if you let the ball come to you, then it's a chance that both of y'all can get it. If you outwork the next guy, and jump, and reach for the ball, it's going to be an 80% chance that you can get the ball. If you go get the ball, I don't know if you watched any of the games, I like to tap the ball to myself, or tap em off the glass, and get a lot of them. The big key of it is to go get it, don't let it come to you. That's what I do. I try to move everybody out of the way and go get it.
Jonathan Givony: As the shot is going up in the air, let's say Levance Fields is shooting a three, are you looking at the trajectory of the ball, or trying to, kind of predict the angle it's going to come off?
DeJuan Blair: Yeah yeah yeah. You gotta go take the angle. First of all your rebounding IQ has got to be pretty good just to go get the ball, you gotta go get it, and you gotta know where its going to come off at, and just go get it and chase it down. It takes a lot of hustle, its going to take a lot out of you, but at the end of the day that's going to be big. That's what I try to do, I try to have fun, try to go down there and just get it. Sometimes it bounces to me, sometimes it bounces away from me. Its fun, its fun rebounding.
Jonathan Givony: How do you feel about how your rebounding can translate to the NBA level, where everybody is bigger, they're stronger, they're longer, they're quicker, they can jump higher, what are your thoughts on that?
DeJuan Blair: That's just a bigger challenge you've got to step up to. There's gonna be a lot of big people, a lot of big guys, so I'm just gonna try to keep doing what I was doing. Nobody is gonna stop me from getting the ball, and if they do. I'm going to try harder to go get it. So hopefully I can keep it up in the NBA.
Jonathan Givony: Something that's unique about you is that not only do you get a lot of rebounds, but you also get a ridiculous amount of steals, for a big guy. We know that guards are able to pick people's pocket and stuff like that, but how does a big guy actually go about getting so many steals?
DeJuan Blair: First of all, you've got to have the long arms I have. Then you've got to try to be quicker than the next person. If you've got a big slow guy on you, you know I'm kind of quick for my weight, for my body, and I know that fools a lot of people, but I like to kind of go around people and just go get it. I know I keep saying go get it, but that's the objective of all of basketball – if you shoot the ball, go get it. That's my mindset- go get it. That's how I do it.
Jonathan Givony: It sounds to me like 'go get it' is something like an instinct, it's a knack, its something that you're born with, right?
DeJuan Blair: Yeah yeah, it's something that you're born with. If you ain't got that go get it mindset, then you aren't going to be a leader, for the past two years in offensive rebounding.
Jonathan Givony: Where do you think that your "go get it" came from?
DeJuan Blair: You could say where I'm from, I guess. Where I'm from kind of has that mindset. That's just sort of how I got it, playing against bigger guys when I was younger, it makes me who I am today. I appreciate where I came from because it kind of gave me that animal mindset, not backing down from anybody, go at everybody, step up to the challenge mindset, so where I came from is pretty big for me.
Jonathan Givony: One thing that we like to do when we're evaluating NBA prospects is to look at where they were ranked in high school—see what the expectations were from them going in to college. That sometimes tells you a little bit about a guy. I was surprised to see that you weren't the most highly ranked guy in college- you weren't an under the radar guy, but you weren't the most highly touted either. I saw guys like Jai Lucas, Taylor King, Jamelle Horne, that were ranked ahead of you by some services. What can you tell us about the type of player you were in high school, compared to what you are now?
DeJuan Blair: In high school I tore both my ACL's, which was a pretty major setback, but as far as all that went, first of all I didn't have the city on my back in high school. When I went to Pitt I had the city on my back, I'm from Pitt, so that was kind of big. Generally, I was a little chubby, I was a little fat, I had two knee surgeries, and everything just kind of came together for me when I got to Pitt, which was cool.
Jonathan Givony: One of the comparisons that people make a lot about you is Paul Millsap. For you is that flattering? Or is it far fetched? What do you think when people to compare you to other players?
DeJuan Blair: Everybody has their opinion on players I play like, but I'm just playing like me, I'm just being me. At the end of the day, I'm going to play like DeJuan Blair, I'm not gonna play like nobody else. These are some excellent things to hear, coming from Millsap, and Elton Brand, and all that. I want people to say ten years from now, that a guy reminds them of DeJuan Blair, and that's a pretty good accolade I want to have.
Jonathan Givony: I think the importance of that is, when we first started doing this in 2003, there was kind of a sense that if you're a 6'7, 6'8 power forward, you've got no chance, forget about it. That was the consensus, and we fell into that too. But in the past few years there have been some players who showed us that you can't rule out the 6'7, the 6'8 guys. Paul Millsap is one of those, Carl Landry, Brandon Bass, Chuck Hayes, Udonis Haslem, I mean the list goes on and on. Do you look at those guys as inspiration, do you feel like their success is helping you right now?
DeJuan Blair: Yeah, that's inspiration for me to be compared to them, because they obviously weren't picked #1, or #5. They're great players, and they worked to get where they want to be. That's what I plan on doing, I'm gonna work on, not just getting picked off what I can do. The rebounding and everything, that's nothing right now, if I can't do that in the NBA then, I mean it's going to be fun to get there, and show everyone what I can do instead of people saying what I can do.
Jonathan Givony: Talking to some scouts about your game, a lot of people say that you play below the rim. That was in college, but at the same time, you did score over a point every two minutes you played, on 60% shooting. Do you feel like you're going to be able to score in the NBA at a pretty good rate?
DeJuan Blair: Yeah, that's what I'm working on. I'm working on my finishing above the rim, and it'll be cool, I've just got to lose a little bit of weight and get some muscles in my legs, and it'll be all right. I've just got to work, I won't let a day go past where I don't work on my weaknesses. I'm gonna try to get them to where I want them to be, and to where everybody else wants them to be, and hopefully that'll turn some heads.
Jonathan Givony: What about your jumpshot? That's something we didn't really get to see a lot of in the past two years, do you think that's going to be something that'll become a part of your game in the future?
DeJuan Blair: Yeah that's another thing. Dribbling and my jumpshot, I'm trying to polish all of that. I'm actually working on it right now, and I'm going to be all right around the draft and around the workouts. I just have to keep working at it, and it'll be where I want it to be.
Jonathan Givony: A big part of these workouts is drills where you have to shoot 50 jumpers, 100 jumpers, 150 jumpers. How do you think you're going to look in these drills?
DeJuan Blair: Like I said, I'm working on that right now. I'm shooting 300, 400, 500 jumpers a night, that's just my night. Fatigue isn't an option in my category, I'm going to lose the weight, get in shape, get into the best shape I can, and the sky is the limit for me if I get to where I say I'm going to get around draft time.
Jonathan Givony: I saw an article the other day where they quoted Rod Thorn, who is the president of the New Jersey Nets. He was saying, in his words, "Get me a moose. Get me someone who can defend, who can rebound, who can set screens, who can do all the dirty work." To me that sounds like a description of you, would you describe yourself as a moose?
DeJuan Blair: That's a pretty funny combination, I've been compared to Millsap, but I've never been compared to a moose. I'll take it.
Jonathan Givony: If it'll get you drafted 11th you'll take it right?
DeJuan Blair: Oh heck yeah, a moose. That's some funny stuff.
Jonathan Givony: Let's talk about off the court. On the court we can see that you're a pretty physical, nasty dude, but off the court it seems like you're always smiling, and we only hear good things about your attitude. What do you think you bring to the table in terms of off the court personality in terms of teams looking at you?
DeJuan Blair: That's just how I am, I like to meet new people, I like to have fun around people. I'm a really respectful guy, my mom and my dad taught me manners, and I'm really respectful and really fun to be around. I'm a giving person, and hopefully a lot of people see that in me, but I'm just having fun. All that stuff about me, I just like to have fun, and you know, stay to myself. I'm a quiet type of guy, but if I get to know you, we could be the best of friends. I'm a polite gentle giant, a lot of people call me a gentle giant, I've got a lot of people calling me that, and that's a nice name for me also.
Jonathan Givony: Do you think your weight is going to be an issue in the NBA over the next few years?
DeJuan Blair: No it's not. I'm losing all that, I mean that's what I'm working on now. I'm going to Tampa in the next couple weeks to start on that, and I'm going to be real good by May in Chicago. I'm going to be good.
Jonathan Givony: Where are you at right now, if you don't mind me asking?
DeJuan Blair: I'm like at 273 or something like that, I wanna get down to about 260, 265. That ain't nothing. I just have to keep it up.
Jonathan Givony: The reason I ask is, when I talk to teams, that's often the first thing that comes.
Jonathan Givony Absolutely. Because a lot of guys in their 19s or 20s, their body is a lot different than when they are 25 or 26. So what would you tell them to ease their mind when that comes up in the conversations you're going to have in private workouts? I'm sure they're going to ask you about that.
DeJuan Blair: I would tell them, don't worry about it, I'm going to lose it, I'm working hard, but I don't wanna lose too much weight, or I won't be the person that I am. I'm just going to try to tone it up, I'm going to tone it up. It's really not a concern for me because I know I'm going to lose the weight, I'm gonna work, I've got a personal trainer that's going to help me get the way I want to go.
Jonathan Givony: A couple weeks ago, when you declared for the draft and were asked to explain why you're not just testing the waters, you said something along the lines of, "I'm an internet freak, I go on all the draft boards, nobody's got me going in the second round, that's almost a guarantee for me. Were you being serious with that comment?
DeJuan Blair: No, that was just, there was a little hostility coming from the crowd, there was a lot of tears watering up. If you were there, everybody laughed, so it was kind of a little joke. I actually don't go on the internet. I was told that question was going to come up, I shouldn't have said it, but I was just trying to liven up the room a little bit.
Jonathan Givony: What's the best thing that you learned in your two years playing for Jamie Dixon?
DeJuan Blair: To be coachable. To be coachable and listen. If you call him and ask him, you know, and to be respectful also. He taught me a lot of stuff on the court about adapting to college, being respectful and coachable, because NBA coaches will be on you, just like he do, you just gotta learn to deal with it like you deal with everybody. He taught me a lot.
Jonathan Givony: What kind of NBA player is Sam Young is going to be?
DeJuan Blair: I don't know, he's going to be a tricky NBA player. You don't know until Sam starts playing, you never know. He's a workaholic, but you never know what type of a player he's going to be, probably an excellent player, but you don't know.
Jonathan Givony: On one hand the NBA is a much more physical game, they let a lot more stuff go, but on the other hand, you seem to have some problems sometimes hedging screens on the pick and roll and stuff like that. What kind of defensive player do you think you're going to be in the NBA?
DeJuan Blair: I really don't know. It depends on what team I go to, what type of defense they want me to play. I'm going to be a good defender. I just want to be able to switch those screens instead of hedging them. That's why I'm trying to get my quickness up, working on defensive drills also, so, it's going to be interesting.
Jonathan Givony: Where do you plan on preparing for the draft?
DeJuan Blair: I plan on preparing for the draft in Tampa, Florida, at IMG.
Jonathan Givony: How would other students on Pitt's campus describe you?
DeJuan Blair: They would describe me as a fun guy. Like I said, I'm a lovable guy. I like to have fun, I talk to everybody, even if you're sitting over there, acting like you don't want to talk, I'll ask you what's wrong. I'm a good dude. You hear that a lot from a lot of players, but you know me, I can back it up. I'm a really cool dude, I'm a really cool person if you get to know me.
Jonathan Givony: Good stuff. That's pretty much it from our end. Thank you so much for your time.
DeJuan Blair: Thank you, man.
Looking at the post production of the players on our list, Blair's productivity was impossible to ignore. He posted the highest FG% (59%) and the highest PPP (1.12) of any player on our list in back to the basket situations. Standing 6'7, Blair displayed incredible strength in overcoming his height disadvantage, on a nightly basis. However, he would be well served to improve his jumper to help compensate for the issues he's bound to run into trying to score against bigger and more athletic players in the NBA on a nightly basis, which could be tough given that his .2 jump shots per game rank last in our sample. He also isn't a great finisher around the rim on non-post up situations, ranking 4th worst in that category.
In one of the greatest NCAA tournament games in recent memory, DeJuan Blair and the Pittsburgh Panthers came up short and ended their season a game away from the Final Four. Although his sophomore campaign is over, Blair certainly left his mark on the season and has solidified himself amongst college basketball's elite – being recognized on Monday as a first team All-American. His great play, impressive physique and the multiple intangibles that he brings to the game has clearly caught the attention of basketball pundits and NBA scouts everywhere.
DeJuan Blair's statistical output this season has been nothing short of spectacular. He ranks #1 in PER with an astounding 38.9, which is due in large part to his efficiency offensively and the high value placed on offensive rebounding – an area where Blair excels at averaging 8.1 per-40 minutes, which is first in the nation by a wide margin, and also the most amongst all players in our database in the last eight years. Adding to this rebounding prowess, Blair is averaging 18 total rebounds per 40 pace adjusted, good for second in the nation, and exemplifying even further his efficiency on the glass.
There are a plethora of reasons as to why Blair excels on the boards, and it all begins with his unique build for a basketball player. Blair resembles more of a linebacker than a power forward, and because of his low center of gravity, standing at a modest 6'7, and his wide frame, weighing in 260 pounds, Blair is able to take up a lot of room in the painted area. In addition, his frame helps him and his teammates, seeing that he sets some of the best screens in the country. Furthermore, his freakishly long wingspan makes up for his lack of height and his incredibly soft hands enable him to wrestle boards away from the opposition.
With all of that said, there is still a feeling at times that Blair can give more, particularly on the defensive end. It seems as if he needs something to get him going - be it a matchup against co-Big East player of the year Hasheem Thabeet or a hard foul placed on him by a Villanova player in the Elite Eight. Otherwise, he has a tendency to go about his business quietly and refrain from putting his stamp on the game. The fact that he can potentially do more speaks volumes as to the player that he really is.
On the offensive end, Blair has definitely shown great improvement. He scores at a nice rate, 23 points per-40 pace adjusted, which ranks him 12th amongst the 88 elite college players ranked in our 2009 or 2010 mock draft. On top of that, he is extremely efficient, finishing 59% of his 2-point shots, which ranks him 11th in that category. He uses his body to his advantage inside and in the post, as he finds different ways to get his defender on his back – making it easier for him to finish. He certainly plays below the rim however and his lack of leaping ability has made him susceptible to blocked shots, although he has improved in utilizing crafty moves to get shots off. There is a distinct concern that at the NBA level he will struggle much more to score around the basket, though, considering his lack of size and explosiveness.
Blair also does an excellent job at establishing deep position in the post. He's also deceptively quick down there, often using the baseline and reversing on the other side of the rim to shield his defender – putting them in "jail". He doesn't have any type of face-up game at this point and lacks consistency with his shot – which will be something he must work on diligently if he's to find a way to become some type of an offensive option at the next level. His free throw percentage actually declined this year, going from 62.4% to 60.5%. With a good shooting coach and plenty of hard work, it's not out of the question that he becomes at least a capable mid-range shooter in time, which will be very important for him.
One of his better qualities is his patience, as he doesn't really force anything and does a good job at kicking the ball out to open shooters. He sports a solid near 1-1 assist to turnover ratio, which ranks him competitively amongst the NCAA's elite power forwards.
On the defensive end is where Blair struggles the most. He lacks great lateral quickness to stay with anyone who drags him out and away from the basket. This is evident in isolations and pick and roll situations, where he's forced to switch or hold a hedge for an extra second. Moreover, like many college big men, Blair has a tendency to lack aggressiveness when he picks up a foul. He will drop his hands and get out of the way in order to avoid picking up a foul. The ability to play solid position defense without fouling is a skill he will have to develop in order to play in the NBA.
Blair can be an asset to any NBA team if he chooses to forgo his junior year and enter the draft, which seems likely considering that he currently projects as a strong first round pick. He is a high character guy who plays with a lot of emotion and energy on the court. He also has a likeable personality and will be someone that others want to be around. He has the potential to be an outstanding role player and ferocious rebounder, and it won't be surprising to see him making an impact in the NBA next season.
After a strong freshman season that put him firmly on the national map, DeJuan Blair has stepped up his production substantially about a third of the way through his sophomore campaign. The undersized power forward committed himself this summer to working out and improving his physique, and the results have been very noticeable, both in how Blair looks and moves on the court. This added agility and quickness has made him even more of a force on the glass, and has allowed him to be more of an offensive threat with the basketball.
A tremendous number of Blair's points still come as a result of his tireless work on the offensive glass. He by far and away ranks as the top offensive rebounder in our database (nearly 50% better than his nearest competitor) and is second only to Blake Griffin in total rebounds per game so far this season. The Pittsburgh native continues to show an amazing nose for the basketball, relying on his great positioning, freakish 7'3" wingspan and outstanding hustle to haul in six offensive rebounds per game. As was the case last season though, Blair is still hurt by his lack of explosiveness around the rim. He still gets a fair number of his put back attempts blocked or altered since he doesn't elevate well. Granted, he has always done a great job of using his body to create space for a shot, but when talking about the NBA, simply creating contact won't be enough to ensure a free look in the paint.
Blair's post game last season showed promise, but clearly needed time to develop; that is still the case, even if we've seen noticeable improvement. His touch has gotten softer, as he still goes to the middle a lot with a nice looking baby hook, but the rest of his game is still built around his physical ability. He is lighter on his feet somewhat this season so he does a better job of pinning his man and shooting quickly, but there just isn't a real back to the basket game here yet. The most glaring issue that has carried over from last season is Blair still needs to improve on recognizing where he is in relation to the basket. Often times he finds himself fighting to shoot from underneath the backboard as a result of setting up shop too low on the block.
Considering what his role will be at the next level, in spite of the nitpicking, Blair has likely become an adequate enough scorer to justify the minutes he earns through his tenacious hustle. He is after all scoring the ball at a very nice rate this season (23 points per-40 minutes pace adjusted) and is doing so on terrific efficiency, currently shooting 63% from the field.
We mentioned Blair's jump shot as showing a little bit of promise last season based on his shooting form, but he hasn't stepped out to shoot very often this year. Occasionally when he is forced off the block, which isn't often, he will step away and shoot a mid-range baseline jumper. His form still looks solid, albeit sometimes he line drives his shot, but based on his declining free throw percentage (currently at a very poor 56%), it still looks like he has a ways to go before this is a consistent weapon.
Defensively, Blair is still being plagued by the many of the same problems as last season. When he is forced to step out and cover perimeter players he is susceptible to being beaten off the dribble. On the block, though he holds his position very well, he is undersized and can't jump all that well; therefore he is an easy player to shoot over for more athletic big men. As far as his professional aspirations are concerned, he will certainly have to do a better job of defending the pick and roll in order to be a success. Scouts will love the hustle that he brings to this end of the floor, if nothing else. And you can't ignore the results he gets at the collegiate level, being the anchor of arguably the best defensive team in the NCAA. Blair's intensity level and toughness are a great foundation to build off of—now it's time to improve his technique and fundamentals.
Blair is the classic case of a frontcourt force at the collegiate level that initially projects out as a tweener in the NBA. There have been several examples of players like this who have managed to develop into successful contributors, most notably Jason Maxiell and Paul Millsap in recent years. Blair bears a strong resemblance to both of these players, and if anything projects as a terrific rebounder and backup power forward—if not more than that. Only being a 19-year old sophomore, Blair still has upside to grow into, as he's shown with the improvements he's made this season. Blair's hustle, strength and toughness make him an appealing prospect to NBA teams looking for a quality banger inside who can provide solid minutes to a competitive half-court team.