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Would Danica Patrick give Formula One a try?
Danica Patrick was asked Friday if she would consider giving Formula One racing a try in her career, or perhaps at least take part in a test. The question has come up previously and Patrick again did not seem to indicate any serious interest.
In an interview prior to this weekend's season opener at Australia, Ecclestone was asked whether Formula One would soon have a female driver on par with Patrick. He said he thought the series had the appeal to lure Patrick from the Sprint Cup Series.
Here was Patrick's response:
"I've always said that unless that it would be something I would want to do for real, as in race a Formula One car, I don't see any point in testing it. It is a lot or work to get fitted in the car comfortable enough to go drive it. Then as a driver, for me at least, I run the risk of what if it doesn't go well, and then people judge me for that. So, unless it was something that I was really serious, I wouldn't do it. I will say that Bernie (Ecclestone, president and CEO of Formula One Management) over the years has actually sent a lot of messages. Any kind of big high point that happens in my career, whether it be at Indy, or Daytona now, or winning in Japan – things like that, he has sent messages. He even sent me like a big picture one time that was signed by him. He's actually been really nice. I don't necessarily think that his comments a long while back are representative of his opinion of me."
Denny Hamlin unplugged (again)
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
How do you feel about having this incident concluded?
"The biggest thing is I think that we won in the judge of the people and their opinion I think some of the peers of mine -- at least the ones that have a backbone had the nerve to stick up for what they know is right and wrong -- agreed. But what was the point in going another week or so. We've got bigger fish to fry than to argue over what I said just for $25,000 and it's better just to move on and let NASCAR get its credibility back and they're going to do that and I'm going to move on and just focus on a championship."
Is this something that Joe Gibbs helped to mediate?
"No, (Joe) Gibbs (team owner, Joe Gibbs Racing) really supported -- whatever I wanted to do, he was fine with it. Ultimately, I had some conversations with Brian France (NASCAR CEO) and we had a lot of the same ideas. And I think that in hindsight I really believe they (NASCAR) overreacted and I believe that they think they overreacted once they thought about it a little bit, but now we're at a point that we're good with each other and we're just going to move on from here."
Did Brian France say that NASCAR overreacted?
"What exactly the things that we said we've got to keep between us for the sake of my relationship with them, but I definitely feel like we were on the same page when I left the hauler."
Were you concerned this might impact your team?
"Yeah, I mean that ultimately plays into any decision. It's really -- to keep it going on and go through an appeal just to prove that I'm right, I don't need to prove it. I just feel like everyone knows that we were right and I can give you a hundred interviews that we were way worse than mine through the last few seasons that nobody said anything about. They
(NASCAR) were very, very sensitive about this car. This is their baby. What I was most frustrated with was it's not even the opinion I have -- I like the car. I think the car is better. That's me giving the 100 percent honest truth. I was more frustrated with the tire that we were on than anything, so that's the part that frustrated me is it put me on an island feeling
like I was bashing the race car, which was definitely not how I felt."
Did you drop the appeal once you knew they wouldn't suspend you?
"I was prepared either way, honestly. They (NASCAR) are ultimately not going to want to suspend -- that would be their last resort. I was prepared to do it and I let my sponsors and everyone know that it's a possibility, so everyone was behind me to do whatever I wanted to do. But, ultimately after talking with NASCAR and (Joe) Gibbs (team owner, Joe Gibbs
Racing) and everyone and really thinking about it more, it just needed to end. I didn't need to prove anyone wrong. It was just -- it needed to end and just move on from this point. By me saying I was not going to hand them the check and I was not going to give them anything, it was then in their court to decide what they wanted to do to ensue the fine."
Q: Are you disappointed that more drivers didn't speak out in your favor?
"Everyone wants to stay on NASCAR's good side and so that ultimately plays a lot of what you hear in interviews -- 90 percent of what you hear on a weekly basis is just guys that are trying to stay on NASCAR's good side. There's very few that really give the honest and true truth."
Q: Did you learn a lesson in this situation?
"I think so. I think that I definitely could have handled things differently. If I had a frustration, I feel like I could have went in the hauler. I really thought my comments were very, very casual and very, very small in the grand scheme of things. Really no one even knew about it until it got brought to light. Definitely, I think from this point forward I will be voicing my opinions to John (Darby, NASCAR managing director of competition/NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director), Mike (Helton, NASCAR president) and all them on what we need to do to make it better. Ultimately, I knew they were sensitive I just didn't know they were that sensitive."
Q: Did NASCAR tell you if they were going to take the fine out of your winnings?
"They haven't told me anything as far as that's concerned. I just told them what I was going to do and they released a statement based off of that."
Q: Will you answer questions about competition with your honest opinion moving forward?
"I don't know. I will have to really, honestly think about that. I think as long as I can give 100 percent honest answer and not get in trouble then I will answer the question. If I know my answer could have repercussions, I will just refer to no comment."
Q: Did you see the statement from NASCAR before it was released?
"No, I didn't see it before. They saw mine, but I didn't see theirs."
Q: Will Joe Gibbs take the money from your salary?
"That's a good question and I will guess that I will look at my pay statement and find out."
Q: Will this impact you moving forward on the race track?
"Probably it really won't affect anything as far as my season. I think that after my conversations with NASCAR, we are of the same opinion of what happened. I'm in their good graces. I feel good about them, they feel alright about me. I think it should be smooth sailing from here on out. I don't think it will affect anything on the race track."
Q: Did your conversation with Brian France end with you feeling you could talk to him?
"That was the biggest complaint I had was that if I was Jeff Gordon, Tony (Stewart), Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. or any Hendrick (Motorsports) driver -- let's just say that -- they would have had a conversation with me before. Just to slap the fine on me and not tell me anything is what really, really bugged me a lot. That felt like I had not earned my place in this sport and I've grinded it out here for eight years and I really feel like I've done what it takes to earn the respect of both my peers and NASCAR and I felt like if I had been somebody else the outcome may have been different."
Posted by Observer Sports at 12:06 PM No comments:
Annett hopes for accelerated return to NASCAR competition
Michael Annett, who suffered a cracked sternum in a wreck in the Feb. 23 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona, will meet with his surgeon Monday at Carolinas Medical Center to check on his progress.
Reed Sorenson is currently filling in for Annett in Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 Ford until Annett is cleared to return to driving. The initial assessment was he would miss six to eight weeks of action.
Annett said his team and NASCAR officials remain uncertain how he suffered the injury.
"It was just that everything came together the worst way possible – the speed, the impact, the angle of impact," Annett said. "Twelve years ago I wouldn't be able to be standing here talking to you guys if we didn't have the safety devices we have now.
"The pain is gone pretty much right now, but sneezing and there are certain things I do where I get a little bit cocky and think I can do more than I can and tweak it a little bit, but, right now, it's just about time and everything healing back."
Annett hopes for accelerated return to NASCAR comp...


I read your recent "good news, bad news" article relating to the pending sale of the old Davidson School ("School board votes to sell old Davidson building," May 15) with mixed emotions. I was glad the Richmond County Board of Education has found a buyer for the building, getting cash for an unproductive asset, but I was dismayed to learn that the buyer plans to demolish the handsome old building.
This historically significant school, fondly remembered by many classes of graduates, was built in 1933 and features design, craftsmanship and materials that cannot be duplicated. Its key location bridging Augusta's downtown and the medical complex made it an excellent candidate for redevelopment. Furthermore, had the BOE simply kept it in reasonably sound condition, it would have been eligible for substantial rehab tax credits and could have been sold for much more than the amount they will receive now.
It is particularly frustrating to me that, for years, as the building slowly deteriorated, Historic Augusta pleaded with the BOE to allow us to help them find a qualified buyer, but the BOE finally accepted our offer of assistance only recently when the process of "demolition by neglect" had made successful rehab virtually impossible.
It is historic buildings such as Davidson that give Augusta its character and charm. Our historic neighborhoods are our competitive advantage over other communities; we need to make every effort to preserve them.
But I believe we do have reason to hope this loss will not be repeated. The BOE recently did a wonderful job rehabbing Tubman Junior High on Walton Way, and was commended by Historic Augusta for that effort. I am hopeful the BOE now realizes the great economic value of its historic school buildings, both to itself and to all Augustans.
The BOE will have a chance to demonstrate this newfound concern with their management of Joseph Lamar Elementary School on Baker Street, another landmark structure they have recently vacated. I will be watching with optimistic interest.


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Home World Asia Indonesian police block streets on first day of tougher COVID-19 curbs
Indonesian police block streets on first day of tougher COVID-19 curbs
Jeon Mi-Kyung
A kindergarten pupil takes part on an online class-session amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Semarang, Central Java province, Indonesia
Indonesian police threw up road blocks and more than 400 checkpoints on the islands of Java and Bali to ensure hundreds of millions of people stayed home on Saturday, the first day of stricter curbs on movement to limit the spread of COVID-19.
As it battles one of Asia's worst coronavirus outbreaks, the world's fourth most populous nation has seen record new infections on eight of the past 12 days, with Friday bringing 25,830 cases and a high of 539 deaths.
"We are setting up (patrols) in 21 locations where typically there are crowds," Istiono, the head of national traffic police, who goes by one name, told a news conference late on Friday.
"Where there are street stalls and cafes, we will close those streets, maybe from around 6 p.m. until 4 a.m."
Saturday's more stringent curbs, from tighter travel checks to a ban on restaurant dining and outdoor sports and the closure of non-essential workplaces, will run until July 20, but could be extended, if needed, to bring daily infections below 10,000.
More than 21,000 police officers as well as military will fan out across Indonesia's most populous island of Java and the tourist resort island of Bali to ensure compliance with the new curbs, a police spokesman said.
At the road blocks and checkpoints on the islands, police will conduct random tests and enforce curfews.
Vaccinated travellers with a negative swab test will be permitted to make long-distance journeys, however.
The highly infectious Delta variant first identified in India, where it caused a spike in infections, is spreading in Indonesia and pushing hospitals across Java to the brink.
Indonesia is set to receive vaccines donated by foreign countries to help speed its vaccination drive, which has covered just 7.6% of a target of 181.5 million people by January.
Until now, it has relied mainly on a vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech (SVA.O).
Indonesia's tally of infections stands at 2.2 million, with a death toll of more than 59,500.
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Based out of Pittsburgh, PA, South Korean Born Mi-Kyung Jeon is a MASTER OF FINE ARTS (M.F.A.) from Duquesne University. She joined NYK Daily as an international Correspondent. She has previously interned at the New York Times in New York,for eleven months.
Why is China Collapsing and why India is winning the new Cold Indo-Chinese battle?
Will China Collapse in 2023?
Why Can't Democracy Survive in the Middle East?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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HomeLetterkenny Business AwardsEmployee Of The MonthEmployee of the Month
Gala Night
Letterkenny Business Awards 2019
In association with Letterkenny Chamber & Donegal News
Welcome to the Employee of the Month Award sponsored by Boyd HR, this award aims to recognise the hard work, outstanding service and professional attitude of employees across the Letterkenny and municipal district. This award is open to anyone who has been in employment for at least 6 months with the one employer.
Each month a new Employee of the Month will be awarded. These recipients each receive a Shop LK voucher and will be in line to win the 2019 Employee of the Year Award, sponsored by Boyd HR which will be announced at the Letterkenny Business Awards 2019 gala on Friday 8th November 2019.
The entry stage for the JUNE Employee of the Month is now closed. You can now enter a potential Employee of the Month for JULY by filling out the form below. Closing date Wednesday 17th July 2019.
* = field is required
Your Contact email address*: (We will send an automatic response to this address)
Nominee's Name:
Nominee's Place of work:
Nominee's work Address:
Nominee's work Number:
Nominee's Job Role:
Your details (if different to above)
Nominated by
Relationship to nominee:
Why do you feel the nominee should be named as the Letterkenny Business Awards Employee of the Month? (in less than 50 words)
What traits does the nominee display in the workplace? (eg. helpful, approachable, loyal) (in less than 50 words)
Is there any other information you wish to include about the nominee?
* Please tick here to agree with your details and the entrant's details being shared with Boyd HR (Award Sponsor) and Letterkenny Chamber (Business Awards Event Co-organiser) for purposes of the Employee of the Month Award only. Your details will not be shared with any other parties..
Rules of entry: The nominee must have been an employee with said business for a minimum of 6 months. Self-nominations are welcome. Each month the nominees will be featured online and people will be invited to vote for their favourite.
These votes will be collected and sent to the judging panel, they will be considered but will not be the deciding factor in naming the Employee of the Month for that said month. All nominees must agree to publicity associated with the Employee of the Month Award.


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Tag Archives: Ingrid Jensen
Montreal Jazz Fest — Wishing I was there
I've had some incredible experiences hearing great performances and soaking up the other jazz happenings at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Not to mention getting a chance to enjoy the cosmopolitan culture of one of North America's most beautiful and most historic cities.
Last summer's festival was again jam-packed with great music, some of which I wrote about for JazzTimes, and in several posts on this blog.
Sadly, I can't make it for the 38th edition of the fest, which runs June 28-July 8.
But if I WERE headed to Montreal at the end of this month, I'd do my best to catch the following jazz, blues and pop/rock artists (some of whom are playing in bands with others on the list):
Ambrose Akinmusire, Arturo Sandoval, The Bad Plus, Ben Street, Bill Frisell, Brian Blade, Buddy Guy, Carla Bley, Charles Bradley, Charles Lloyd, Charlie Musselwhite, Curtis Lundy, Danilo Perez, Dave Douglas, Diana Krall, Donny McCaslin, E.J. Strickland, Eric Harland, Essiet Essiet, George Cables, Gerald Clayton, Ingrid Jensen, Jack DeJohnette, Jacob Collier, Jane Bunnett, Jeremy Pelt, Jesse Cook, John Hollenbeck, John Medeski, John Pizzarelli, John Scofield, Joshua Redman, Joss Stone, King Crimson, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Larry Grenadier, Michael Blake, Nicholas Payton, Reuben Rogers, Robert Glasper, Robin Eubanks, Scott Colley, Stanley Clarke, UZEB, and Wallace Roney.
Headed to Montreal? Let me know your thoughts on what you hear.
As for me — better luck next year.
Posted in jazz, jazz festivals, montreal international jazz festival, Travel, Uncategorized
Tagged ambrose akinmusire, Arturo Sandoval, Ben Street, Bill Frisell, Brian Blade, Buddy Guy, carla bley, Charles Bradley, charles lloyd, Charlie Musselwhite, Curtis Lundy, danilo perez, Dave Douglas, diana krall, Donny McCaslin, e.j. strickland, eric harland, Essiet Essiet, George Cables, gerald clayton, Ingrid Jensen, Jack DeJohnette, Jacob Collier, Jane Bunnett, jazztimes, Jeremy Pelt, Jesse Cook, John Hollenbeck, john medeski, John Pizzarelli, john scofield, joshua redman, Joss Stone, King Crimson, Kurt Rosenwinkel, larry grenadier, Michael Blake, Montreal International Jazz Festival, montreal jazz festival, Nicholas Payton, reuben rogers, Robert Glasper, robin eubanks, Scott Colley, Stanley Clarke, The Bad Plus, UZEB
Letter to Obama: Let Great Jazz Into Your Inauguration Festivities
Dear President-Elect Obama:
The word on the street is that you like jazz, you really like jazz.
You became hip to the music, African-Americans' great gift to the world's arts culture, back in junior high school, when you still wanted to be called "Barry."
In fact, once when you visited a record store with a friend from your Honolulu prep school, you stayed close to the jazz bins. "Barry was into things that other kids our age weren't into. He went through the entire jazz section while we were there," said your old pal Dean Ando, according to one newspaper feature."That affects me to this day — he's the one who introduced me to jazz."
Did you dig real jazz, with genuine musical content, by creative players with an understanding of the tradition but with eyes on the future? Or were you keen on some variety of jazz lite? Who knows? But I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
Your iPod playlist, which may or may not have been assembled by your staff to appeal to the Baby Boomers whose support you needed during the general election (hence Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, etc.), even includes tracks by jazz geniuses Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker.
Miles and Coltrane, too, lead the artists named under the category of "favorite music" on your Facebook page.
Yes, those are pretty obvious jazz picks, and they're all dead. Still, listing those artists is far more impressive than, you know, listing Kenny G. or the Rippingtons or some other such wallpaper-jazz nonsense.
I've not heard whether you ever visited the Green Mill, Chicago's jazz mecca, while you were based in the Windy City.
Still, there are other signs that you may well support jazz during your White House residency.
On NBC's "Meet the Press," you had this to say: "Thinking about the diversity of our culture and inviting jazz musicians, and classical musicians, and poetry readings in the White House so that once again we appreciate this incredible tapestry that's America, you know, that, I think, is going to be incredibly important, particularly because we're going through hard times."
While, as far as I can tell, you've not recently given props to any important living jazz artists — not even trumpeter Wynton Marsalis or pianist Herbie Hancock? — many major figures in the jazz community have gone out of their way to support you.
Did you hear about the "Jazz for Obama" concert in New York on Oct. 1? Did you attend?
A long list of front-rank jazz artists, black and white, opted to wear their politics on their shirtsleeves for a night in the name of helping you win the election. The performers: Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Joe Lovano, Roy Haynes, Brad Mehldau, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Stanley Jordan, Kurt Elling, Hank Jones, Charlie Hunter/Doug Wamble, Bilal/Robert Glasper, Stefon Harris, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Roberta Gambarini.
Thanks to a column by Ottawa Citizen music writer Peter Hum, I was reminded of the following examples of major jazz musicians' overt support of you:
Hancock lent his name and musical cred to the "Yes We Can" video supporting your candidacy
Pianist Vijay Iyer and trumpeter Dave Douglas, at last year's Chicago Jazz Festival, dedicated new works to you.
Trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and many other prominent jazzers have displayed your face and message on t-shirts they've worn on stage.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of jazz musicians, have used their Facebook and MySpace pages to demonstrate support for you.
Yes, all these jazzers were for you, and presumably still are. But are you really for jazz?
I'm asking, because of some rather disappointing news.
So far, the only notable musical artists reportedly invited to play your 10 official inaugural balls are, you know, big-name folks.
Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand and Bruce "Super Bowl Half-Time Show" Springsteen are said to have been asked to appear at official inauguration events on Jan. 20, and the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus are expected to headline an official kids-oriented show on Jan. 19.
Some of these are inspired choices; others, not so much.
Yes, your associates have coordinated a Jan. 20 event called " 'A Time For Hope' 2009 Presidential Inaugural Jazz Gala."
But the musicians selected for the event, despite being described as "global jazz artists," are not well-known players. What's up with that?
Since you self-identify as African-American, and since jazz is rooted in black culture, may I suggest that you use your great power to include MAJOR jazz musicians — black, white and Hispanic — in your inauguration festivities?
After you move into the White House, you ought to regularly invite jazzers over to your place, too.
Any of the above-mentioned artists, including Marsalis and Hancock, and pianist Hank Jones (part of that "Jazz for Obama" concert), a brilliant elder statesman of jazz, would make great choices.
So would veteran saxophonist Sonny Rollins, arguably the greatest living jazz performer, and now enjoying critical plaudits for his recent concerts and latest CDs, including last year's Road Shows, Vol. 1. Or how about other great, still-thriving saxophonists, like Wayne Shorter, James Moody, or Phil Woods, to name just a few other older players of that instrument?
Why not Terence Blanchard? In addition to his superb work as a trumpeter and bandleader, he is a gifted composer of film scores, and he serves as artistic director of the college program at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, now based in his hometown, New Orleans. Hancock is the institute's chairman.
This is a very short list of jazz artists who would make great assets to your forthcoming festivities. Choosing any of these musicians to play your inauguration concerts would demonstrate that your support for jazz is more than just lip service.
For more good ideas, you can turn to the two polls — readers and critics — annually published in Down Beat magazine, or the awards annually bestowed by the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA).
So, President-Elect Obama, or, if I may, Barry: There's still time to invite world-class jazz musicians to play your inauguration concerts.
Need help programming great jazz, or booking some of these artists? If you can't rely on your own team, you know, give me a call.
Better yet, contact some of the great jazz musicians I've mentioned. Or make a connection with the editors of Down Beat or Jazz Times or Jazziz. Or consult the jazz writer Stanley Crouch, who made some similar points in a Dec. 21 column.
Yes, you can. Yes, you can make this happen – you're the next leader of the free world.
Posted in jazz, jazz journalism, pop/rock, presidents
Tagged " Christian McBride, Barbar Streisand, Bilal, Bob Dylan, Brad Mehldau, Bruce Springsteen, Charlie Hunter, Charlie Parker, Chicago Jazz Festival, Dave Douglas, Dean Ando, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Doug Wamble, Down Beat, Hank Jones, Herbie Hancock, Ingrid Jensen, James Moody, Jazz Journalists Association, Jazz Times, Jazziz, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Joe Lovano, John Coltrane, Jonas Brothers, Kenny G., Kurt Elling, MIles Davis, Miley Cyrus, Obama, Ottawa Citizen, Peter Hum, Phil Woods, Robert Glasper, Roberta Gambarini, Roy Hargrove, Sonny Rollins, Stanley Crouch, Stanley Jordan, Stefon Harris, Terence Blanchard, the Green Mill, the Rippingtons, the Windy City, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Vijay Iyer, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis


Life and Meditation World Foundation Appreciates the support and contribution of Neeraj Khatri Towards free service in the field of education and for dr manoj mishra.
This is to certify that Dr. Rajeev Sinha has done a free community service to the society by conducting free surgeries for the poor and needy.
Astrology is the science of studying celestial bodies (planets) and how these cycles affect life on earth. More importantly, Astrology shows how the energies of the solar system affect us. Everything in the Universe is Energy.
Meditation is experiencing and enjoying the inner void though one may say that this enjoying is a mind-oriented experience. Both joy and sorrow are experienced by the mind and anything that is experienced by the mind is not meditation. Meditation is witnessing the various conditions of the mind and releasing oneself from the clutches of the mind through awareness.
From breathing techniques, meditation evolves into a deeper kind of experience that involve your intellectual personality. The goal of meditation is to sharpen up your mind to the extent of focusing on a thought or idea without being distracted by an external or negative thoughts. According to experts, meditation help in shaping better personality as an individual is more capable of looking at things objectively and making wiser decisions.
I was born and brought up in a beautiful city named Jhansi in the U.P. state of India. This walled city is situated on the banks of river Betwa and is famous for Jhansi ki Rani Laxmibai (One of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857) and her fort. As I grew up I started getting fascinated towards God�s spiritual power.


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I am a sports broadcaster for radio broadcasts…emphasis on radio….audio only. I started my broadcasting career in the radio medium and I am most comfortable in the radio medium. Describing what is happening on the playing surface and creating an image in the minds of the listener as they wait with clutched fists, held breath, and closed eyes to hear the words of the broadcaster is intoxicating. I appreciate sharing in the lift of a victory or the crumbling feeling from a defeat with those who listen to the broadcast. Radio is a stimulating medium that requires patience and accountability. You have to listen to what you are saying as you articulate the view from the press box. The fans listening, whether it is five or several thousand, depend on the characterization of the action being played out in front of the broadcasters to be accurate. In radio, dead-air (silence) can be an effective tool to tease the listener. It creates anticipation that is only relieved by the first crackle of the broadcasters mic, which breaks the stillness. Broadcasting sports on a radio, webcast, or any audio only medium offers the opportunity to be the voice of a team to the fans. They rely on the broadcaster to paint a picture in their minds and bring the full cluster of emotions of a live sporting event straight to their hearts. Television, however, is a completely different medium that requires a different skill set and different preparation.
I became a sports broadcaster in 2005 for Kennesaw State University. The Owls had won a National Championship in D-II men's basketball in 2003- 2004 and made the jump from the Peach Belt Conference into the Atlantic Sun Conference. The move into Division-I meant more media exposure. Craig Corbin and former Owl great Scott Webb provided the radio play-by-play and color analysis. David Albert and I provided conference television commentary. Former voice of the New York Yankees, Dave Cohen, was my broadcasting instructor. He warned me of the challenges in television broadcasting. Rule #1: Do not give play-by-play descriptions to the audience, because they are watching the action and will find it condescending to be told what they are seeing. For a radio guy, this was offbeat. I was used to vocalizing the images I was witnessing in detail. My very first television broadcast, I broke rule#1 for a solid 40 minutes. Rule #2: Don't break rule #1….Dang it, I was 0-for-2. I watched the video replays of the games and it was immediately clear that I was giving a radio broadcast for a televised game and it didn't work.
Through the years, I have split the season between audio only and televised broadcast. All of the non-conference home games at Kennesaw State were webcast on KSU All Access while the conference games being broadcast on ASun.tv. It was a good mix, but I enjoyed the radio broadcasts so much more. During the audio broadcasts I felt more of a connection with those listening. I knew at times there may have only been a handful tuning in, but it didn't matter. I was having fun, I was learning, and I was court-side for a D-I basketball game. It didn't get any better.
As the 2013-2014 season approached, Kennesaw State was awarded the ESPN3 package from the Atlantic Sun Conference. That meant all of the Kennesaw State Conference games would be on ESPN3. The Kennesaw State Sports Information Director, Al Barba, approached me with being the play-by-play announcer for the ESPN broadcasts. Even though I consider myself a radio-kind-of-guy, I'm no idiot and this was a huge opportunity. Before I sat behind the mic, I had to be approved by ESPN for their broadcasts. Al sent a sample of my work to ESPN and I was approved, which I believed to be validating. I am a confident person, but it is always nice to be endorsed. With Kennesaw State men's basketball opening the season hosting their own tournament, I knew the ESPN brand would be rolled out. Scott Webb was brought back to the broadcast for the ESPN games as a color analyst. I received word that the game on November 3rd versus Florida International would be the first broadcast about a month in advance. The preparation began immediately.
Scott and I arrived at Kennesaw State's arena two and a half hours prior to the start of the game. We had been speaking the entire week leading up to the broadcast. We both had done plenty of preparation, but with a new season and a new head coach, Anthony Evans, for Florida International and an entirely new line up for both teams, anything was possible. It was difficult to pin point players to watch, but we had a great assortment of story lines. As the game approached, I was eager to get started. I knew the hurdles in the broadcast would be remembering I had to be neutral and not a homer, like in the KSU broadcasts. I knew this would be my greatest challenge for both of us as we are both KSU alumni. With Scott and I having not worked together, I knew us having good chemistry would be important. The final hurdle would be working through the first ESPN basketball broadcasting with the ESPN director, Scott Hinkle. Scott is a great director and has a very easy way of calling shots and communicating with the talent. However, this being everyone's first basketball broadcast for ESPN there would be some hiccups. How we handled the glitches was key. As the game began, Scott Webb and I did gel quickly, so that was not an issue. There were some technical issues, but we all worked through them. The game had a nice flow, but Kennesaw State fell 66-58 to FIU. The Owls had a chance to tie the game late, but FIU's Raymond Taylor hit a fall away three-point shot to ice the game for the Panthers. As the basket fell for FIU, Scott and I both moaned in agony as our hearts were with Kennesaw State…and it showed. Our team had lost and the first ESPN3 broadcast was over.
I went home and watched the replay. I am my biggest critic , so I made a list of areas that I would like to improve upon. This is a great opportunity for me personally and a great experience to be a part of an ESPN broadcast. I still love the radio broadcasts, but I am not complaining. The next ESPN broad cast for us January 4th at the KSU Convocation Center, Kennesaw State vs ETSU.
Posted on December 7, 2013, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.	Leave a comment.


Unless you've been living in a cave for the past couple of weeks you've probably heard the name Ryan Lochte. And if you're not familiar with the name than you may have heard something about a US swimmer at the Olympics fabricating a story about being robbed in Brazil at the Olympics.
Are you someone that gets a vaccination?
When flu season comes around do you get one or not?
If you don't what is your reasoning? Is it because there is a cost associated with it? Is it because you believe it is only really necessary for health care workers, young children, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems? Or is there some other reason?
Because for the past few years there has been a growing movement against getting vaccinated. And some of this influence came as a result of the 'work' of Andrew Wakefield from the UK.
You should notice that I haven't referred to him as a doctor and I wouldn't consider his findings as research. This is because Dr. Wakefield was stripped of his medical license in May 2010 and the British Medical Journal called his research 'elaborate fraud' with financial self interest and falsified data.
A few years ago there was an email circulating warning us of the dangers of immunizations and vaccines. It was worded in official scientific language and style and referenced medical and health authority. The gist of the email was that the various vaccines going around were causing a number of diseases and conditions such as autism.
So began the great debate. Should you get vaccinated or not?
* Installing a tracking device inside me so the government can monitor my daily activities via satellite.
* Using me to test out chemical war-fare agents.
* Instigating a disease within me that leads to the purchase of over-priced prescription medication.
Other than the first one I naively believe that vaccines are actually to prevent disease. The first one is true because I lead such a rock star life I don't blame the government for wanting to see what I put in my oatmeal at 430 am. Makes sense, right?
The information age is an amazing thing. It allows us to connect with others that previously would have been beyond our reach.
It allows us to access information that only a few years ago that could only be found by visiting a university campus and doing a search of their archives.
But it also can be a dangerous thing and cause many to make wrong and sometimes dangerous decisions.
In the case of vaccines or any type of medical information, use the following guide to determine where the truth is.
#1 Where is most of the evidence?
If 99 research papers come to one conclusion and 1 paper finds an alternate outcome there is fairly strong evidence as to what the truth is. This doesn't mean the one paper is wrong. There may be valid reasoning as to why a different outcome was observed. But for the most part go with what most experts have been able to reproduce in the lab.
#2 Is there financial motive?
If there is a link between proving one's argument and financial gain then the motives become questionable. A truth should be independent of financial gain.
#3 Can the evidence be reproduced?
In Wakefield's case none of his findings could be reproduced in the lab by others.
The unfortunate end of this story is the number of children who have been diagnosed with disease as they were not vaccinated. Vaccinations in parts of London dropped as low as 50%.
In 1998, the year the Wakefield paper was being submitted for publication there were 56 cases of measles.
By 2006 this number had grown to 449. In the first 5 months of the year!
There were almost 5000 cases of mumps in the first few months of 2005.
Other countries noticed similar increases in these diseases.
And what about autism rates in the UK?
A UK database study found that children who did not receive the MMR vaccine were at increased risk of developing measles AND autism!
Speak to your family doctor when you have questions. Put more faith in medical journals than internet blogs. Just because something is printed, on paper or online, doesn't make it fact. And always weigh the risks versus the benefits.
So what do you think? In the comments section below let me know whether you agree or disagree.
How Strong is Your Conviction to Achieve Your Goal?
Hi there: Hope you've had a great week. Mine flew by partly due to being busy. But I did manage to fit in a date night with my wife. And we went out for dinner and then to see the movie Conviction. She's not a huge Hilary Swank fan but we both did agree the show was pretty good. And it wasn't until after the show was over that it occured to me that the title was a play on words.
You see the movie is about a couple of foster kids from small town Massasschusets. The brother is wrongly convicted of murder and the sister takes it upon herself to right this wrong and get her brother freed from jail. The only problem is that the sister is not a lawyer. Nor does she have degree to apply to law school. Nor a GED for that matter.
But that doesn't stop her from doing whatever is necessary to achieve the end goal of freeing her brother from jail.
Initially I looked at the title and thought it had to do with the brother and his conviction. But in retrospect it had to do with the sister and her conviction to overturn his sentence.
So what does this have to with health, fitness, performance or anything?
Well there are two messages you can take from this movie. The first is the most successful people aren't always the most gifted. Or the smartest. Or having the most of anything that is a pre-requisite for success in that field. Take Wayne Gretzky for example.
He didn't have the hardest shot. He wasn't the fastest skater. He was in no way a physical presence on the ice. (some reports have him scoring the lowest on the Oilers' fitness testing). But he was the greatest player to ever play the game.
There are countless examples of people in business, sports and the arts that aren't necessarily the most talented yet are the best in their field.
So what about you and I?
What's our excuse? What is holding us back from achieving excellence?
Often times we are quick to find fault. We have a number of excuses at the ready for when things don't go our way. We can ensure that whatever the outcome is for us we have a defense in place to justify our mediocrity.
But are we really ok with this?
Probably not. I think we're all capable of more. We can achieve excellence. We have the potential to surpass our current levels.
There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of people with much less ability, education and opportunity than what we have that have achieved much more. If we are really serious about our goal and of wanting the best then we need to take immediate and decisive action towards that goal. This is the second part of success.
Now here are four things you can do towards achieving your goal.
1. Define your goal – Be as specific as posssible. Write it down. Post it on your fridge. Include numbers, dates and other details. For example it might be to lose 11 lbs before Dec 20 and reduce waist size by 2 inches.
2. Determine how you will achieve your goal – By going to the gym a minimum of four days a week. By eliminating sugar intake as much as possible. By getting 8 hours of sleep a night. By drinking a glass of water before every meal.
3. Have contingencies in place – I once heard success defined as 'getting up once more than you fall'. Nobody is perfect. Things don't always go your way. But being prepared ahead of time allows you to deal with the setbacks that occur.
4. Plan a punishment or reward – If you achieve your goal maybe you buy yourself that pair of designer jeans that is 2″ smaller than your current size. Or if you don't achieve your goal you buy two tickets to the game your husband has been begging to go to.
Hi there: Hope you're having a great week and are accomplishing all of your health, fitness and performance goals. One of my favourite ways to relax and unwind is to go the movies. Last night my wife and I check out 'Due Date'. Think of it as an updated version of 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles'. Anyways, it was good for a laugh. Never underestimate the value of relaxing and having a good time as it relates to your body's ability to regenerate and recover.
But enough about relaxing and movies because it's Wednesday and that means it's time for a nutritional tip. Over the past couple of weeks I have been experimenting with how many calories my body is burning. Knowing this informating allows me to be not only more specific with my training but also more specific with my meals.
I now know how many calories I should have at each meal. And how often I should eat in order to put on 10 lbs of muscle. So with that being said check out the following video where I show you a sample healthy snack and a great online nutritional resource for looking up your favourite foods.
Let me know what your favourite snack is. And have you used this online resource before?
Lose 7 lbs by Thanksgiving? Try 22!
Hi there: Before I get to today's email I want to let you know we've made a few changes on our website. In addition to a bit of a re-design the major change is that we've switched it over to a wordpress blog. What does this mean for you? Well, now you get to have your say. You can go to the site every time I post an article and leave some feedback. You can ask a question. Or you can present an alternate argument to a question. Maybe you're an expert in a particular field and have info that really would benefit the people reading these emails. Case in point when I wrote about celiac disease you replied to me with some excellent resources and info that I had to pass on to others.
And so I really encourage you to go over to the site and post a comment, a question or whatever's on your mind. From time to time I'll reward those who post with meal plans, training programs and other freebies.
So go take a look, let me know what you think and make okanaganpeakperformance.com your home for health, fitness and performance.
Now on to the article.
A while back I put a challenge out to you. I challenged you to lose 7 lbs by Thanksgiving. And we gave you the tools of how to make this a reality.
And you responded. Big time.
But one of you didn't stop at 7 lbs. Or at 10 lbs, 15 lbs or even 20 lbs. Annette Welke has managed to drop 22 lbs and is on track for more!
Read on to see what Annette did to achieve this incredible result.
Since I have started working with you (almost 4 years!) I have seen my weight go up and down, with nobody to blame but myself. I have always been steady with my gains on a fitness level (thanks to you), which made me very happy, but always fell off the wagon with my eating habits.
Since heart disease runs in my family, I figured that now was the time for me to really take things into my own hands….I cut out ALL carbs, dairy, sugar and processed foods. Toughest thing I have ever done! After 2 months, I am down 22 lbs! I am just now starting to add some things back into my diet.
I certainly feel better! And according to my hubby I have even stopped snoring…yahoo!
Fitness level: ready to get back at it BIG time!
Long term goal: to get to my goal weight of 145 lbs.
Thanks for your continued support Chris (& Alexandra too!)..attached are a before and after photo.
Way to go Annette! We're all very proud of you and look forward to seeing how far you can go.


Another successful year for the hard surface restoration experts, proving their commitment to offering excellent services once again.
Alpharetta, GA (PRWEB – 02/14/2017 7:00 AM EST) - Sir Grout is proud to have many of their franchises being awarded with Angie's List's highest honor, the Super Service Award. This new addition to their already long list of awards and recognitions proves yet again that they are devoted to customer satisfaction and that they are a company that strives to provide the best service in the hard surface care industry; these are the two pillars of the Sir Grout franchise.
"Offering the best customer service possible and providing top-quality hard surface restoration processes have been our top priorities since we founded the company. I am proud to see that our franchisees are holding their end of the bargain by keeping high standards of performance and customer service. Learning about this year's Super Service Award results is a validation of all our hard work and of our company's vision," stated Tom Lindberg, Co-President of Sir Grout.
Some of the franchises that obtained the award this year are Sir Grout of Atlanta, Sir Grout of Greater Boston, Sir Grout of Bucks, Pennsylvania , Sir Grout of Central New Jersey, Sir Grout Houston, Sir Grout of North New Jersey, Sir Grout of Phoenix, Sir Grout of Washington DC Metro, Sir Grout Westchester, NY, and many more.
"Companies that can meet higher demands without missing a beat in their exemplary performance standards truly do stand apart from their peers," said Angie's List Founder Angie Hicks. "Only a fraction of the home improvement companies were able to do it."
Angie's List Super Service Award is a coveted recognition that few companies are able to achieve due to its strict qualification requirements. To qualify for the Super Service Award, a company must maintain an "A" rating on Angie's List and consistently receive five star reviews. The fact that several of Sir Grout's franchises have been awarded the 2016 Angie's List Super Service Award proves their commitment to their customers and show that, as a franchise, Sir Grout has intrinsic core values that are hard to match in the hard surface restoration industry.
To take advantage of the excellent services offered by Sir Grout's experts, call (866) 476-8863 or go to www.sirgrout.com to find a franchise near you, request a free quote, and get more information about the all the services they provide. On their website, you can also see the before and after pictures of their work, reviews, and video testimonials from satisfied customers.


For nearly 30 years Hertford Shelving Ltd have been suppliers of shopfitting equipment to all areas of the retail trade. From single bay units to total store refits, Hertford Shelving is on hand to help. With our knowledge, experience and quality products, we can help to create your ideas and visions.We offer a nationwide shopfitting service for all retail outlets. Our works include Garden Centres, Pet, Vets, Reptile and Aquatic Outlets, Post Offices, Stationery and Card Shops, as well as General Grocery Stores to name a few.
We are more than happy to visit your premises to discuss your requirements. This service is free of charge and could benefit your company. Let your ideas and visions become a reality.
We offer a wide range of shelving options to suit any shop fit. We supply and install most major types of metal shop shelving. Take a look through our ranges online or get in touch to get a quote.
Our main metal shop shelving system "Evolve S50i" boasts an extensive component range and is totally compatible with the Tegometall system has hit the ground running since it was launched and has proved to be a great success among retailers.
We specialise in branded shelving, get your brand name added to shelving units to create bigger impact and a more memorable brand.
We offer a large selection of accessories including hooks for metal peg panels, hooks for slat wall panels, wire, plastic and acrylic risers and dividers for most size shelves making displaying products correctly inexpensive.
With nearly 30 years experience in the retail shopfitting industry, we at Hertford Shelving Ltd can work from design drawings or floor plans supplied by you using the materials of your choice. We can source most products and materials to meet the image or finish you may have seen in magazines or in the high street for your own retail interior.
Our projects range from the installation of basic shop shelving and retail displays to partial shop refits or full shop refits including the rip out of the redundant interior. We also carry out new total interior fit outs including all small building works. We can construct or remove walls, install suspended ceilings, flooring, and counters and install all types of display equipment either supplied by us or by others. We are more than willing to visit site and help you with the initial layout of the premises, hopefully with some good suggestions.
Using our Evolve S50i metal modular shopfitting system, combined with slatwall and accessories. We can create an effective, easy and reusable design solution for your event.
Our team can help you to create a cost effective design whatever your project. We are on hand to share all our expertise should you require information or support. For projects large or small, please do not hesitate to contact us. By combining standard retail fittings with bespoke engineered components we can achieve the effect you are looking for.
Contact us to get a free quote whatever your project.
All our counters are manufactured in a modern state of the art work shop by time served joiners. They are formed from 18mm board with high impact pvc sealed edges complete with 25mm work top. You can choose from our standard range or we can quote for a bespoke units for larger counters/kiosks or just to fit those awkward spaces.
Slatwall is an ideal way to maximize your display space. We supply high strength slatwall panels that create a display solution ideal for all hanging products with a variety of hook types and sizes available. We offer a choice of finishes which you can order and have delivered directly to you. Alternatively can be fitted by our experienced staff.


We're speaking about lead substituted gasoline, we've only found in South Africa (as well as Namibia) on Herbie's World Tour, visiting 72 countries since September 2009.
While American and European countries are already selling ethanol containing fuel, (South) Africa seems to be far ahead, still providing metal containing gas for vintage cars.
Back home we would also never find a high-performance motor oil like this fully synthetic 10W-60, Domi just bought at a local automotive retail store. Herbie is over happy!
After visiting fourteen African countries we're preparing ourselves for making the u-turn in order to drive all the way back on the east side of this continent. Therefore we need to get some visas in advance, just as for Sudan as well as others.
Our planned route back north is the following: South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. From there we'll try to get on a ferry going from Port Said to Iskenderun in Turkey.
The half Egyptian, half Austrian Chick!
Anyway thanks for the compliments and following Herbie's World Tour!
Air-cooled regards from Pretoria, South Africa!
While we stayed at the Volkswagen factory and its museum ("AutoPavilion") in Uitenhage, we got to know Chris and Sanita van den Heever, who invited us to their home. Herbie and the camper immediately became part of the huge "Volkswagen van den Heever" family. The lovely couple has more than 30 children (Beetles). Our Love Bug set-up even got its own parking besides all the other kids.
The Love Bug met the Fun Bug! This was just one of those many special editions by Volkswagen, the Van den Heever's owns. Below you can see even more family members. Many thanks, Sanita and Chris, for your warm hospitality!
Together with the VW enthusiasts Sanita and Chris van den Heever, who we got to know at the "AutoPavilion" in Uitenhage, we visited the Addo Elephant National Park.
Even though the entrance fee is pretty expensive for nonresidents (the annual pass for all South African National Parks would have even cost hundreds of Dollars – it actually costs five times of the one for residents), we really enjoyed spending the day with Chris, Sanita and all the elephants we spotted within the park.
Sanita and Chris van den Heever are proud "parents" of about three dozens of vintage air-cooled "Vee Dubs". On our day trip to the National Park, they took one of their wonderful restored kombis ("Volkswagen Bus T2") for a ride.
The day before yesterday, we visited the South African Volkswagen factory as well as the "Place of Cars and Legends", its VW museum called "AutoPavilion", in Uitenhage.
Johan Wagner, the manager of the Volkswagen museum, welcomed us personally and guided us through this wonderful exhibition about Volkswagen in South Africa.
We were very lucky that we got the chance to meet this South African "Volkswagen rock of ages", Johan Wagner, as he'll eventually retire from his work next week.
Above you can see the first and very last Beetle, manufactured in South Africa. They produced Volkswagen Bugs already in 1951, and unfortunately stopped in 1978.
We also had an very interesting tour, guided by one of the management personnel named Zak Davids, who showed us the assembly lines, where they're manufacturing the VW Polo nowadays. Thank you, Zak, for giving us that perfect insight of Volkswagen!
We felt like VIPs after all Johan Wagner has done for us. He even invited us to lunch. And afterwards, Heilie Combrink, from the press showed up and took pictures of Herbie.
Actually, the "AutoPavilion" was the first official Volkswagen museum we've ever visited so far. And we really loved it! We can highly recommend going to see this place.
The exhibition also included very special VWs, just as the prototype "1021" – a kind of "Volkswagen Jeep" with an air-cooled Beetle engine – or a VW Bug 1303, originally owned by German adventurers, who drove it from the North to the South Cape.
At this point we want to say thank you, Mr. Johan Wagner, for your very warm welcome at Volkswagen as well as the "AutoPavilion" in Uitenhage and these lovely presents!
Arnize (Arno and Elize) went camping with us at Victoria Bay for the last two days.
Before that we spent almost a week with them at their home in Mossel Bay.
Yesterday evening, Adriaan Pienaar from the "Hot Wheels Club" came to visit us.
He even surprised us with a personal letter and a talisman. Thank you so much!
We spent the entire evening chatting about the adventures of Arnize and Herbie.
But today we eventually had to say good-bye to Arnize and their "Bakkie".
However we're so looking forward to meeting them again somewhere in the future.
We hit the road heading east, while Arno and Elize got back to Mossel Bay.
Tomorrow we'll visit the VW factory and its museum ("AutoPavilion") in Uitenhage.
From there we'll drive further east towards Durban and from there to Pretoria.
In Pretoria we're planning to apply for all visas we'll need for Africa's east coast.
Furthermore, we want to visit Wernher Hartzenberg from "Air-cooled Wonders", who traveled across Africa in a 1959 Volkswagen Kombi named "Mabel" in 1999.
Herbie's World Tour has been taking a little break! We've been spending a wonderful time with Arno and Elize in Mossel Bay, since we arrived here on Valentine's day. Tomorrow we'll drive together to Victoria Bay in order to go camping by the sea.
Arno and Elize ("Arnize") are eager to start their trip across East Africa too, as they will take off in just about a month. Above you can see Arno with their travel companion "Bakkie" (a Toyota Hilux 4×4), in which "Arnize Go 2 Africa" (their blog).
This is that gorgeous view over the Indian Ocean from the balcony of Arnize's apartment, which we've been glorying the last couple days. Thank you, Arno and Elize!
We are so grateful that Arno and Elize invited us to their home, although they didn't even know us personally. We've found another good friends on our travels.
Yesterday, Arno helped Domi washing Herbie and QEK, the camper. There was still a lot of red muddy soil from Congo on them, they were trying to get rid of it.
We are chatting the whole day long about all the world and his brother as well as exchanging our experiences of traveling Africa and other parts of the earth.
Our Love Bug set-up has also been taking a rest from touring Africa's west coast. But tomorrow we'll continue traveling, further along the South African shore.
Arnize will take about the same route going north than we do: South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and from there to Europe.
Herbie's engine is running in almost the same manner as we started, even though this motor was set on fire, drowned in water, flew in the air as well as driving us thousands of miles across the African continent. Thank you, Herbie! Cheer up!
We had a wonderful Valentine's Day visiting Arno and Elize van der Merwe in Mossel Bay. They got to know us via the Africa Overland Network and wanted to meet up.
Arno and Elize are also adventurous travelers and followed Herbie's World Tour while we were heading south on the west side of Africa towards the Cape of Good Hope.
They contacted us on our webpage and invited us to their beautiful home right in the heart of Mossel Bay, a bit more than 270 miles (or 440 kilometers) east of Cape Town.
They even organized a safe place to stay for Herbie and the caravan, right underneath the apartment in a big garage, while we got our own bed- and bathroom.
In April, Arno and Elize will start their very own Africa overland trip. They'll take a couple months off and we'll be heading north on Africa's east side towards Europe.
And they got the perfect gear for touring this continent: A Toyota Hilux 4WD from 1994. Follow their journey "Arnize Go 2 Africa", which will start already very, very soon!
We really enjoy spending time with the Van der Merwe's. Thank you for inviting us, Arno and Elize! And thank you for giving us the chance to get to know you!
Since we left the Cape of Good Hope, we're driving besides the Indian Ocean.
While traveling on Africa's east coast towards Europe, we want to visit the following countries: Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.
Just before hitting the Cape of Good Hope, one of the camper's drums broke. We were lucky that we didn't loose the whole wheel. We stopped by a garage in Fish Hoek.
The shop named "Pitstop" is managed by Moenier Wilson, who welded the broken part. Many thanks to him and his awesome staff! The repair was even on the house!
While at the shop in Fish Hoek, we met Brendan Gradwell, who already spotted us on the highway the other day and has been following Herbie's World Tour online. Like many other Herbie's World Tour fans he contacted us, because he wanted to meet the Love Bug. Brendan, thanks for coming by!


Beautiful and bright studio apartment located at the charming building of Keystone Park. This condo features a kitchen w/wood cabinetry and granite counter-tops and tile throughout. Low HOA $171.28 that includes Water & Amenities swimming pool, clubhouse, & gated secured entry. Excellent location in the Miami Airport South submarket and just steps from Coral Gables. A must see!


text:
April 2016 Statistics Report
By Stephanie Almeida01/05/2016Baleen Whales (Mysticeti), Beaked Whales, Blue Whales, Bottlenose Dolphins, Cetaceans, Common Dolphins, Dolphins (Odontoceti), False Killer Whale, Fin Whales, Humpback Whales, Loggerhead, Minke Whales, Rissos Dolphins, Sea Turtles, Sperm Whales, Striped Dolphins, Toothed Whales (Odontoceti), Ι Reports
On the map above, we can see the Sightings of the past month of April.
NOTE: To see the interactive map please visit http://www.monicet.net/en/maps
We sighted 11 different species of Cetaceans and 1 species of Sea Turtles!
Four Species of Baleen Whales: Blue Whales (Bm), Fin Whales (Bp), Humpback Whales (Mn) and Minke Whales (Ba);
Two Species of Toothed Whales: Sperm Whales(Pm) and Beaked Whales (Zp);
Five Species of Dolphins: Bottlenose Dolphins(Tt), Common Dolphins (Dd), Risso's Dolphins (Gg),Striped Dolphins (Sc) and False Killer Whales (Pc).
One Species of Sea Turtle: Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Cm).
April 2016 Chart – % of trips in which the selected species were seen (MONICET)
We sighted our first Blue Whales of the 2016 Season! 3 Different individuals on the same day.
Adults can reach 24 to 33 meters in length and weight 100 to 150 tons. Females are larger than males, like in all Baleen Whales. Newborns are 6 to 7 meters and weight about 2.5 to 4 tons.
Blue Whale/Balaenoptera musculus
They have a pale and grayish mottled coloration (some can be a bit bluer and darker). Their blow is tall and columnar and it can reach 9 to 12 meters! Usually blows every 10-20 seconds over 2-6 minutes before diving which can last up to 20 minutes. Blowing and diving patterns vary according to the whale's activity at the moment.
Blue Whales are usually solitary but can gather temporarily in small groups, especially when feeding. Its feeds mostly on Krill.
They can also reach a top speed of 30km/h when chased but usually move at a much slower rate.
Different populations exist in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, Indian and Southern oceans. Its found mainly in cold waters and open ocean but also inshore at the edge of the continental shelf, where it feeds and maybe breeds.
Migrates between summer feeding areas and warmer seas where winters and breeds. Can live up to 90 years!
Blue Whale Blow by Miguel Cravinho (This was also his first tour of the season! Nice way to start!:))
This 1st of May is Mother's Day in Portugal!
So in honor of this day we share with you the Mother and Calf Fin Whales we sighted this past week!
Fin Whales/Balaenoptera physalus
On the photo above we can see a very small (well, compared to it's Mother at least!) baby Fin Whale!
Fin Whale calves are born with 6 to 7 meters in length and weigh 1 to 2 tons! Not small at all!
The mothers give birth to in warmer waters and it is thought that the calves are weaned at 6 to 7 months old.
False Killer Whales were also a highlight of this month. We had an amazing sighting on the 20th of April.
Did you know that False Killer Whales, although called Whales are actually not Whales but Dolphins? 🙂
False Killer Whales are part of the Delphinidae Family, just like the Orcas and the Pilot Whales for example.
Pseudorca crassidens/False Killer Whale
So these are the statistics for the month of April.
Stay tuned for more updates on our tours to the fantastic world of the Whales and Dolphins!
About Stephanie Almeida
Stephanie is Guide at TERRA AZUL since 2013 and Operations Assistant since 2017. Contributed for several years on Data collection for MONICET – The Azores Islands Cetaceans Research & Conservation long-term monitoring project.
What are your thoughts on this?


My computer is currently resting while it waits for a screw so I'm using my iPad. Therefore, today's post will be kind of short and simple because I hate typing on my iPad.
Seeing and spending time with family. This year it is especially important to me because I missed Thanksgiving so I'm really missing everyone.
Lots of sweets. I like to try all of the cookies and other things that people bring for dessert.
Everyone is happy on Christmas. Everyone might be cranky leading up to Christmas but I feel like on Christmas everyone is happy.
Christmas Eve mass is just beautiful and celebratory and I love that it makes me feel festive every year.
The food. It's a feast.
I love all the decorations. It just shows how much people care about the holiday which I think is pretty cool.
I find that people ar more generous around the holidays and I'm glad that they are helping and caring for more people.
The youthfulness it brings to people. I love that people have a childlike attitude at Christmas time. It's like everyone wants to believe in Santa.
Festive wear. Holiday sweaters, need I say more?
Love. Everyone loves and shows their love at Christmas time.
What are your favorite parts of the holiday?
3.) Giving and getting gifts. I'm not going to lie, I still love getting gifts. I love giving gifts that I know people will love as well!
4.) The food! Because it's delicious! I'm really looking forward to ham, French Beans, chip and dip, and STUFFING!


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Home » Shifting offsetting's branding problem to get consumers behind 'net zero'
Shifting offsetting's branding problem to get consumers behind 'net zero'
By GreenCollar27 Aug 2021
Carbon offsetting has had a branding problem. At worst it's seen as a tool used by big business and government to cover up the 'bad stuff', cloaked in complex calculations and environmental terminology, but perception is not always reality.
Offsets or environmental credits play a vital role in driving positive environmental outcomes that can often be overlooked. While there is no question that emissions need to be reduced at the source, total elimination is simply not possible at present – and especially within the timeframe required to stop global warming.
Indeed, large-scale carbon removal is now a requirement for every pathway to limiting global heating to 1.5oC.
Offsetting enables governments and businesses to invest in carbon reduction while we find longer term solutions to our global emissions problem. We can't choose between reduction and removal: we need to do both, as quickly as possible.
On a smaller scale, the same principle applies for consumers too. For example, when looking at our own individual environmental footprint, switching to a reusable drink bottle or buying natural cleaning products is easy. But what about other items, like our cars?
Cars are a necessity for many Australians, especially outside of our cities. Not driving simply isn't an option for many, and electric cars aren't broadly accessible yet.
With roughly 20 million cars in Australia, creating over 60 million tonnes of carbon each year, we need another option. Addressing that as an offsetting opportunity could see us reducing our carbon footprint faster than through decarbonisation alone.
Making offsetting easy
To engage consumers on a larger scale, we need to take the complexity out of offsetting.
In my previous roles at Google, I learned how rigorous product-focused thinking can turn complex problems into simple, delightful experiences. In the cluttered space of online retail or media streaming, we're talking about one less click and shaving one second off the purchasing process, which can offer a serious competitive advantage.
What if we applied that same thinking to dealing with our carbon footprint?
I set up Go Neutral with the ambition of making it easy for more people to take responsibility for the emissions of their own car. For $90, you get a Go Neutral sticker, and fund enough carbon removal to balance the average Australian car's emissions. Removing the need for calculations means one less chance to get discouraged and do nothing – and taking action is more important than getting bogged down in details.
We're also helping people feel great about taking action. Every sticker is another small sign that Australians are engaged with the challenge of climate change and can all be proud to play a part.
A stronger future for Australia
Connecting people with accessible, desirable climate action is a great start – but we also need to make sure that their actions really make a difference and motivate them with local impact.
One of the most effective ways that we can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is through regenerating Australian bushland. It's obviously great for the climate but it's also great for our land and biodiversity as well as our regional economy. It's a future we all want, and one that we can all be part of making a reality.
We've heard a lot about Australia's opportunity to be a renewable energy superpower, but being a carbon capturing superpower is also. By using our natural resources, we can accelerate our path to net zero, and beyond.
This is the future we can build together. All it takes is a change of perspective, and a new attitude to climate action. It's a numbers game: the real impact doesn't come from helping a few people live "perfect" lives, but from a million people taking a big step in the right direction – and that's what we're aiming for.
By making offsetting cars more accessible we hope to help catalyse a movement based on positive action, not perfection.
Casey Whitelaw is the founder of Go Neutral and Chief Technology Officer at GreenCollar. After a successful career in technology, that included a PhD in computer science and several years as an engineering leader at Google, Casey left the company with the goal of contributing directly to tackling climate change. With a background building billion-user products and working with the world's best product and design teams, together Casey and GreenCollar will continue to drive environmental innovation and impact at scale.
Read more about the acquisition of Go Neutral here.
What carbon farming can do for your bottom line
When done well, carbon farming can be a powerful tool for improving on-farm productivity.
What do the results from COP26 mean for farmers?
Every year, COP26 highlights the roles every industry can play in averting future climate disaster. As we enter a New Year, we pulled out the main takeaways from 2021 for Australia's agricultural sector.
The flow-on benefits of Reef Credits
The benefits of Reef Credits are vast, both for land managers and the protection of the Great Barrier Reef.
Carbon Offsets in Australia: Everything You Need to Know
Carbon offsets are fast becoming an effective way for businesses to quantify ESG investments.
You've heard the term, and you probably get the gist; Carbon credits are a tradeable permit that involves offsetting emissions. But if you get a little lost beyond that, read...
Indigenous carbon farming
Fire management is becoming a critical carbon abatement tool. An observable increase in bushfire intensity and rates of spread have been seen around Australia over the last decade. According to...
Quality investments make for quality outcomes
Through carbon projects, businesses and land managers are partnering for real change.


So you are now engaged, and the necessity of planning a wedding is upon you. There is a vast amount of issues that need to be dealt with, people to be contacted, and details to be set up. The process can seem horribly confusing, and most people do not know where to start. There are many steps to planning a wedding, but there are a few basic ones that will get the process moving.
Don't immediately jump into planning a wedding after getting engaged. Take some time to enjoy yourself, to show off your ring and think about your future. Starting the wedding plans immediately can strain the relationship and lead to undo stress.
You will, of course, have to tell your parents. They should be informed before other family members and friends. Failing to do so could lead to them finding out from a different source and feeling hurt from not being informed. Tradition dictates that the brides parents be informed first, but it really doesn't matter. If you're a stickler for tradition, you likely asked the brides parents for permission, so they will already know that a proposal has been made.
If you live out of state, try to plan a surprise trip to visit them. A phone call or email staying that you're engaged is not nearly personal enough for something like a wedding. This is a time to celebrate, and celebrations are best done with the ones you love.
Once mom and dad knows, you can tell everyone else, assuming they haven't already! Calling friends and family and telling them to spread the word is perhaps the most exciting way. Sending announcement cards is another, and may be more practical for more distant family members and acquaintances.
For more extreme forms, announcing it at a large event where a good number of friends and family will be is a good way. Examples of places would a graduation or reunion.
Right now, no one cares about the wedding. They just want a date. When are you going to officially get married? When will it become finalized, so they can stop biting their nails and pulling their hair out? The date doesn't have to be absolute. A time frame, such as June or December, will be enough to satisfy everyone.


We propose to maintain increased coded-wire tagging (CWT) for nine Chinook indicator stocks in B.C. that contribute to Northern and Southern Boundary Area fisheries. This proposal will fund incremental tagging beyond the base level provided by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in order to meet standards derived by the PSC CWT work group to account for survival rate, fishery sampling rate, exploitation rate, and an 80% probability of attaining a minimum standard of observed CWT recoveries. This work has been funded through the Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST) Coded Wire Tag Improvement Fund from 2009-2013, and the PSC Northern Endowment Fund and as a Very High Priority Chinook project in 2014-2016. This project proposes to maintain the increased tagging rates on the highest priority indicator stocks through to 2018, until which time CWTs will be the primary fishery assessment tool for Chinook salmon. This proposal addresses several priorities for implementation of the PST and will improve the ability to better manage the Chinook stocks and fisheries of relevance to the PST.
This proposal is for stocks providing the majority of benefits, based on total fishing mortality distribution, to Northern and Southern Boundary Area fisheries. This proposal addresses nine stock groups represented by CWT indicator programs on Robertson (WCVI), Quinsam (Upper Georgia Strait), Lower Shuswap and Nicola (Fraser Early), Atnarko (Central Coast), Kitsumkalum (North Coast), Harrison and Chilliwack (Fraser Late), and Cowichan (lower Georgia Strait) populations. When these stocks are healthy and abundant they can be large contributors to Southeast Alaska (SEAK), Northern British Columbia (NBC) and West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI) fisheries.


Today the FDA published a final guidance, which provides a framework to consider extrapolating existing data to evaluate a device's performance in pediatric patients in pre-market approval applications (PMAs), humanitarian device exemptions (HDEs) and de novorequests. This guidance facilitates continued efforts to address unmet medical device needs for pediatric patients.
describes statistical methodology that can be used to leverage data for pediatric implications.
FDA will discuss this final guidance document at a webinar scheduled for August 8, 2016. The webinar is intended to help manufacturers and other interested stakeholders understand the information provided in this final guidance document.
Following a brief presentation, the FDA will respond to questions regarding this guidance document.
Following the webinar, a transcript, recording and slides will be available at: http://www.fda.gov/CDRHWebinar. The slide presentation will be available at this site on the morning of the webinar.
If you have any general questions about this guidance document, please contact CDRH's Division of Industry and Consumer Education (DICE) at dice@fda.hhs.gov, 1-800-638-2041, or 301-796-7100.


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2018-19 Fantasy Hockey Rankings: Top 20 Centers
August 21, 2018 October 3, 2018 Jordan Lyn
The NHL season is right around the corner and it's time to start thinking about who to draft. We begin with the top 20 centers of the league and will be focusing only on players who might be lining up in the middle this season. Other players with center eligibility may be in another ranking or have missed the cut. These rankings are based off of Yahoo's standard league categories, adjust accordingly.
1. Connor McDavid (EDM – C)
GP G A PTS +/- PP S HIT
Because he's McJesus.
2. Sidney Crosby (PIT – C)
82 29 60 89 0 38 247 75
Sid is easily the safest choice. He recorded his fourth consecutive 80+ point season and finished with 21 points in 12 playoff games. He's Mr. Consistent and you know what you're getting. The floor is 80+ points with the ceiling being MVP.
3. Nathan MacKinnon (COL – C)
74 39 58 97 11 32 284 38
MacKinnon took off after the Matt Duchene trade and never looked back. He put the team on his back and brought Colorado to the playoffs. While doing so, he posted 3.95 points per 60 minutes and only Malkin had higher with 3.97. He also posted a 1.31 points-per-game played, only McDavid had higher with 1.32. He's young and exciting and I can see people picking him over Crosby.
4. Evgeni Malkin (PIT – C)
The big knock on "Geno" is health. He played 78 out of the 82 games which is so surprising considering he hadn't played over 70 games since 2011-12. When healthy he's a beast as he finished fourth overall in scoring this season. Geno and Phil Kessel have formed a nice duo in Pittsburgh making them lethal threats every night.
5. Steven Stamkos (TB – C)
Last season, Tampa Bay was the highest scoring team with a top five power-play and I don't see that changing this year. They are one of the best teams and Stamkos is playing with MVP candidate Nikita Kucherov. Always known as a goal-scorer, he showed his playmaking abilities with 59 assists, 5th among centers, he can do it all.
6. Claude Giroux (PHI – C, LW)
It was a huge bounce back year for the man known as "G". He shifted to the wing and ended up finishing second in scoring with 102 points. Now reunited with his pigeon (James van Riemsdyk), it will be interesting to see if Sean Couturier continues to center this line or if they want two scoring lines. Monitor the situation, if he plays with Couturier, I'm in.
7. Tyler Seguin (DAL – C)
If you want shots, Tyler Seguin is your guy. He's always amongst the top centers in shots and it usually results in 30+ goal seasons. He plays with an elite player, Jamie Benn, so expect another great season. These guys are studs and Seguin will be amongst the top goal scorers once again.
8. John Tavares (TOR – C)
82 37 47 84 -12 30 257 30
The coveted free agent returned home to Toronto. Last season marked career-highs in a lot of categories for Tavares. It's safe to assume that he will be very productive since Toronto is one of the best offensive teams. Fans are just wondering what the power-play situation will look like.
9. Mark Scheifele ( WPG – C)
If it weren't for the upper-body injury that knocked him out for 6-8 weeks, he would be amongst the top scorers. After the injury, he posted 22 points in 22 games. He carried that momentum into the playoffs where he scored 20 points in 17 games. He's a legitimate superstar in a stacked Winnipeg offense.
10. Anze Kopitar (LA – C)
New system, new career-highs for Kopitar. He played most of the year with Dustin Brown, and he too, had a bounce back year. Kopitar did everything for LA, the next highest point producer on the team was none other than Brown with 61 points, a 31-point difference. The addition of Ilya Kovalchuk means a better power-play and a better left wing to play with, get excited.
11. Auston Matthews (TOR – C)
Now back to the Toronto power-play, Auston Matthews needs more. In fact, all the kids in Toronto need more so how about putting them together and loading up the top unit? Matthews tied Eric Staal for fifth with 29 even strength goals. He is one of those players who can score in multiple ways so a bump in PP time means a bump in points.
12. Patrice Bergeron (BOS – C)
Bergeron is centering what I believe is the best line in hockey. He's known for his two-way play over his offensive game, but this line has shown what they can do over the course of a season and then turned it up a notch against the Leafs in the playoffs. He recorded 16 points in 11 playoff games. Boston looks good and this line is crazy good.
13. Vincent Trocheck (FLA – C)
82 31 44 75 -9 27 287 145
The number two center on the Florida Panthers proved to be a fantasy monster. He gave you everything and you didn't have to pay a big price. Among centers, he finished tied for ninth with 145 hits and second in shots on goal with 287. What a year he had and with the addition of Mike Hoffman, another monster year should be expected.
14. Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH – C)
The two Russians finally got the chance to play together and the result was a career season which included leading the Washington Capitals in scoring with 32 points in 24 playoff games as they won the Stanley Cup. Kuznetsov is now the man playing alongside Alexander Ovechkin and we should expect an encore performance.
15. Aleksander Barkov (FLA – C)
82 31 44 75 -9 17 287 30
The former 2nd overall pick in 2013 set career-highs across the board, scoring 78 points in 79 games. Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau are forming a nice tandem down in Florida. He upped his shot totals from 142 to 256 and is rounding into the player Florida wanted when they drafted him.
16. Ryan Getzlaf (ANA – C)
He is the heart of the Ducks offense. Last year his shots on goal dropped to 117 due to only playing 56 games. I think he can get back to giving you 170 shots. Pair that with 100+ hits and scoring near a point-per-game pace, he's a valuable contributor to anyone's team.
17. Brayden Schenn (STL – C)
Schenn emerged as the Blues' number one center. He set career-highs in goals, points and shots on goal, while scoring close to a point-per-game pace in the first half with 50 points in 51 games. He slowed down considerably in the second half, but is in a great spot in between Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.
18. Jack Eichel (BUF – C)
Eichel has shown flashes of superstardom, but injuries have been a big issue. My concern is Buffalo looks bad down the middle so Eichel will face the best shutdown lines or even team's best lines. It's not all bad as he has a new goal-scoring winger, Jeff Skinner, and it will be interesting to see how the two gel. If you can stomach the plus-minus, then you may get the breakout season we've all been waiting for.
19. William Karlsson (VGK – C, LW)
From scoring six goals in 2016-17 to 43 last season, no one in the league improved more than Karlsson. Playing on one of the best lines, the Vegas Golden Knights took the NHL by storm and surprised everyone by going to the Stanley Cup finals. He scored 31 even strength goals, third overall in the league. No one will be taken by surprise this year and I'm worried about his super-high 23.4 shooting percentage.
20. Eric Staal (MIN – C)
Eric Staal is fitting in so well with the Minnesota Wild that he looked like the player from the early Carolina days. He scored over 40 goals which he hasn't done since the 2008-09 season. The chemistry with Jason Zucker was evident and bumped Mikko Koivu off the top power-play. He may not score 40 again but with 29 of them being even strength goals, he will probably flirt with 30+.
2018-2019 Fantasy Hockey Rankings
Left Wing – Right Wing – Defencemen – Goalie
Written by Jordan Lyn
Watching one hockey game after another until the night is over.
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Two Twelve is the perfect place for the urban adventurist looking for more than just a place to live. Our luxury apartments in Clayton offer club-style amenities for an entirely new way of living. Whether you want to work or play, we have spaces designed to meet your needs. Explore your options at Two Twelve!
All on the same corner.


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Coach Training & Certification
Coaching/Biz
Falling Up, Part 1: The Gift of Forgiveness
By Dana Liesegang with Natasha Stoynoff A few days before Christmas 2012, I decided that I'd give the gift of forgiveness to another man who'd hurt me: Bruce. I Googled his name like I'd done before to try to find…
Laugh, Cry, Feel and, Most Importantly, Heal
by Tasha Champion My smile is the most authentic it has ever been. The journey to get here wasn't easy but well worth it. My name is Tasha Champion, I am a Certified Master Life Coach, and here is my…
Coaching/Business
Navigate Your Ship
By Lotus Josiah Seng How to listen to the signals from your body and then follow them to find true happiness in your life and career. Once upon a time, I was reflecting upon my journey as a career executive…
When Life Hands You a Hurricane
Natalie Amsden Rivera
What stood out the most about our journey was the compassion being shared between everyone we encountered. At a gas station off the highway in Georgia, a woman and her family and friends were offering home-cooked food and water to evacuees (see photo).
7 Abiding Tenets to Follow Your Dreams
by Carleen Moscati I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where I witnessed first-hand that even the most impossible of dreams are attainable. Of course I didn't realize it at the time, but when it mattered it…
Don't Change Who You Are Find Where You Fit
By Jessamine Gibb In self-development and business circles there has been a lot of discussion around how to become a more "positive" person, how to have more extroverted behavior styles, how to be more motivated, what to do about employees…
A Climb to the Top
By Lonny Reardon As a kid in Newfoundland, Canada, I grew up through some very hard times. My dad was an alcoholic, we were poor, and I saw many terrible things that a child should never see. As a result,…
If I Can Do It, You Can Too! From suicidal to successful and self-empowered.
By Jessamine Gibb My childhood broke my confidence and my spirit down. My mother was a troubled and stressed single parent who was emotionally unavailable. Teachers often were more concerned with finding out what was "wrong" with me than with…
Tips for the Empath
By Alison Olkowski Ever since I can remember I've been classified as "sensitive." I have a sensitive heart and a sensitive mind. I am a feeler. As a small child, I would suddenly be invaded by some foreign emotion. Although…
How to Start Making Better Choices
By Carleen Moscati Did you know that you are in charge of your own destiny, as well as what you think and decide? From this perspective, life is essentially what you make it. As humans, we are granted this highly…
Please install JetPack plugin & its stats module


Friendly fire has been a part of warfare as long as it has existed. However, in more recent times, the growing destructiveness of modern weapons has contributed to making friendly fire more devastating than ever before. Despite the concurrent advance of IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) technology and other gadgets to reduce the likelihood of this, simple human error means friendly fire is a problem that is unlikely to disappear. This list looks at eight modern examples of friendly fire – their causes, and their consequences.
On 28 March 2003, during the Iraq Invasion, four British armored vehicles were carrying out forward reconnaissance when they were spotted by two A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft. The American pilots spotted the orange air recognition panels on the vehicles, but misidentified them as being "orange rockets" on enemy vehicles. After confirming with a Ground Forward Air Controller (GFAC) that they were clear of friendly forces, the aircraft strafed the vehicles twice. Two Scimitar light tanks were destroyed in the attack – five British soldiers were wounded, and one killed.
A British inquest into the incident came to a number of conclusions about the cause of the incident, including the fact that the A-10s had not passed on the fact they had spotted the British patrol to the GFAC, nor did the aircraft receive clearance to engage from him. A US Air Force investigation recommended disciplinary action against both pilots, but both pilots where then later cleared of wrongdoing.
The firing seen was actually from a firing range at Tarnak Farm, where Canadian soldiers were practicing firing at ground targets. Four Canadian soldiers were killed, and a further eight wounded. In 2004, Harry Schmidt was cleared of negligent manslaughter, but found guilty of dereliction of duty. His defense was that he believed that the firing posed a threat to him and his flight lead, so it was his right to attack in self-defense. He was fined $5700 and reprimanded.
In the wake of the First Gulf War, many Kurds in north and south Iraq rebelled openly against the Iraqi government. Operation Provide Comfort (OPC) was announced to establish a no-fly zone in order to protect Kurdish refugees from government persecution, and to provide humanitarian relief. On April 14 1994, 2 US Army Blackhawk helicopters carrying 26 crew and passengers entered the no-fly zone headed for the OPC military coordination center. They were intercepted by 2 US Air Force F-15s patrolling the no-fly zone. The Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems aboard the helicopters failed, causing them not to show up as friendly to the fighters.
The F-15s closed to make a Visual Identification (VID) pass. The first fighter reported "Tally 2 Hinds." "Hind" is the NATO reporting name for the Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunship – a type that was known to be operated by Iraq. Following this, both F-15s circled back and shot down the two helicopters with air-to-air missiles. There were no survivors from the shoot down. A US Air Force investigation placed blame on several factors including the misidentification of the helicopters as "Hinds," the failure of a nearby AWACS surveillance aircraft to intervene, the failure of the IFF systems, and the failure of the US Air Force to integrate US Army helicopters into its operations.
Exercise Tiger was a training exercise designed to simulate the D-day landings which would take place later that year. As part of the rehearsal, on April 28 1944, eight LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) escorted by a corvette sailed into Lyme Bay in order to practice landing troops. The convoy was spotted by nine patrolling German torpedo boats (or E-boats) which immediately attacked the transports with torpedoes and guns. LST-507 and LST-531 were both sunk with the loss of more than 600 American lives.
Despite this, the exercise continued with the survivors being landed on the beach. As part of the exercise, a British cruiser shelled the beach with live ammunition as General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, felt that the men must be hardened by exposure to real battle conditions. However, this resulted in a further 308 American dead from friendly fire when troops strayed onto the wrong areas of the beach, straight into where the rounds were exploding.
On February 19 1940, six German destroyers were sent to intercept a number of suspicious British fishing vessels off the Dogger Bank. The destroyers were sailing through a cleared channel between German minefields when a German bomber passed over the flotilla. The plane made no recognition signals, so the ships assumed it was a British reconnaissance plane and opened fire. This was enough to convince the bomber crew the ships were hostile, so the plane made two bombing runs, sinking the destroyer Leberecht Maass.
As the surviving ships moved in to recover survivors, Max Schultz then exploded and sank after hitting either a British or German mine. Chaos broke out as the rest of the destroyers dashed back and forth between erroneous reports of air and submarine attack. Theodor Riedel began dropping depth charges, the explosions of which jammed her rudder. After half an hour of confusion and mayhem, the surviving ships were ordered to return home. 578 German sailors died in total.
After the successful landings in France on D-day, Allied advances had been painfully slow against determined German resistance. Operation Cobra was intended as a breakout from this beachhead, and was to be preceded by a massive air bombardment. On July 24 1944, the first wave of heavy bombers took off, but heavy cloud caused the operation to be postponed for one day. However, the message did not reach all of the aircraft. 300 bombers flew in, dropping bombs down the Saint-Lô–Periers road rather than across it. Bombs hit American and German positions alike on either side of the road, killing or injuring 156 Americans.
The next day, Cobra started for real – 3000 fighter-bombers and heavy bombers dropped 4000 tons of bombs which obliterated the elite German Panzer Lehr Division. Once again, bombs hit American positions, causing 601 casualties. Among the dead was Lieutenant General Lesley McNair, the highest ranking American soldier to be killed in Europe. Nevertheless, Operation Cobra was a decisive Allied success, causing German resistance to rapidly collapse in France.
The first effective use of poison gas by German troops in April 1915 left the British Army scrabbling to find a way to retaliate in kind using chemical weapons. The Special Brigade was formed consisting of civilian technical experts and experienced front line soldiers to deploy the new weapon.
They first saw action at the Battle of Loos in September 1915, where they opened 5,500 cylinders of chlorine, releasing 140 tons of gas and relying on the wind to blow it towards German lines. However, a sudden shift in the wind direction led to chlorine gas being blown back across the British trenches. In addition, retaliatory German artillery fire hit and burst further cylinders of gas, releasing them in the British lines. The chlorine killed ten men, and injured approximately 2000 more British soldiers. Later on in World War I, both sides would progress to using poison gas shells fired from artillery guns to prevent any more such incidents.
On May 3, 1945 (only one day before Germany's surrender), the German transport ships Cap Arcona, Thielbek, and Deutschland came under attack by Typhoon fighter-bombers of the RAF. All three ships were sunk in the Baltic Sea by bombs, rockets and cannon fire. Unbeknown to the pilots however, was that the ships actually contained concentration camp survivors as well as Allied Prisoners of War. Many of the SS guards on board the ships were rescued by German trawlers, but the prisoners were left on board the sinking ships, while other survivors were shot as they swam ashore. It is estimated that almost 10,000 concentration camp survivors were killed in the attack.


SILAC refers to labeling cultured cells with heavy amino acids for quantitative proteomic tissue analysis. Labeling an entire proteome with heavy amino acids in vivo generates an ideal standard for quantitative proteomics. When a heavy labeled proteome is mixed with an unlabeled proteome then digested, every unlabeled peptide identified by the mass spectrometer can be quantified by its corresponding heavy peptide. In SILAC, the tryptic amino acids, arginine(R) and lysine (K), contain heavy stable isotopes, so if digesting with trypsin, every peptide is labeled. This metabolic labeling strategy has been employed by hundreds of proteomic studies.1 The advantage of metabolic labeling over in vitro tagging techniques is that the heavy and unlabeled samples are mixed before sample preparation, preventing variability between preparations distorting the quantitation results. This is especially important when extensive sample preparation (e.g. isolation of an organelle) is required.
CK Isotopes Ltd is the largest supplier of SILAC products in the UK and Ireland with next day delivery on many products and extremely competitive pricing for small and bulk orders.
All our SILAC products can be found in the literature below and please don't hesitate to contact us for a quote or to discuss your requirements.
Below are the answers to some FAQs as well as a couple of application specific notes that may be of use.
Does CIL offer media, kits and reagents for SILAC?
How many samples can be tested with the SILAC Protein Quantitation Kit?
Each kit contains 500 mL media, which can isotopically label approximately 1 x 1012 cells, depending on cell type.
Do you have a protocol?
Yes, click here to download the SILAC Protein Quantitation Kit instructions for use.
Would 0.8mM of Lysine or Arginine preloaded resins provide approximately 8 synthesis at 0.1mM scale?
Yes, theoretically 0.8mM of resin would provide 8 synthesis at 0.1MM scale. Final yields are always dependent on actual sequence and the efficiency of the couplings.