Jays Anthopoulos deserves contract extension Toronto Sun Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos deserves an contract extension says our man, Bob Elliott. (Mike Cassese/Reuters) Alex Anthopoulos has been on the job for 577 days. His Blue Jays had won 98 times against 92 losses ... and more »

 

Congrats to all the 2011 Tony nominees! On Tuesday, May 3, the American Theatre Wing announced the full slate of 2011 Tony Award nominees. Leading the charge was the musical The Book of Mormon, with 14 nominations. The critically acclaimed The Scottsboro Boys—which closed on Broadway in December, but is currently conducting a “pledge drive” to get the money to re-open—followed with 12 nominations. Also revealed at the ceremony was this year’s recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago. More Tony coverage, reaction from the nominees and number crunching after the jump.

In addition to The Book of Mormon and The Scottsboro Boys, the nominees for Best Musical include Catch Me If You Can and Sister Act. Best Revival of a Musical is slim pickings this year with only two entries (Anything Goes and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), which earned nine and eight nominations, respectively. But even more surprising is that the Wing’s nominating committee passed over Daniel Radcliffe—star of the musical, and of the Harry Potter film franchise—for a nomination in the Best Performance of a Leading Actor in a Musical category.

Best play nominees were split between the Brits and the Americans. Import productions of Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth (originally at the Royal Court Theatre) and War Horse by Nick Stafford (originally the National Theatre of Great Britain) will go up against Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire and The Motherf**ker with the Hat, by Stephen Adly Guirgis.

On the technical side of things, the Wing has honored a host of different productions, with The Book of Mormon again leading the pack with four nominations (one in each technical category, Best Scenic, Costume, Lighting and Sound Design for a Musical), but it was also paced by Anything Goes. A big surprise in the Scenic Design award was The Scottsboro Boys, whose very simple set (a few chairs) by Beowulf Boritt was nonetheless nominated for Best Scenic Design. Here at Stage Directions we’re also very pleased that Cricket Myers (along with Acme Sound Partners) was nominated for Best Sound Design for a Play for her work on Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. You can here her talking about her design here. (http://www.stage-directions.com/current-issue/61-sound-design/3270-video-of-the-the-cricket-myers-interview.html#bengal)

Shortly after the nominees were announced Playbill and BroadwayWorld.com immediately started calling the nominees for their reactions. You can read Playbill’s coverage here (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/150450-Broadway-Reacts-We-Talk-to-2011-Tony-Award-Nominees), and BroadwayWorld’s here (http://broadwayworld.com/article/2011-Tony-Award-Nominee-Reactions-Updating-LIVE-20110503)

The New York Times has complete coverage of the nominations here (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/live-blogging-the-tony-award-nominations-3/). And while they tackle who got snubbed here (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/the-tony-nominations-who-got-snubbed-2/) Ben Brantley writes that they got it right this year (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/this-time-the-tonys-grow-up-and-get-it-right/).

And over at the Chicago Tribune Chris Jones has the reaction from the Lookingglass Theatre crowd on their win (http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2011/05/lookingglass-theatre-wins-2011-regional-tony-award-chicago.html)

Here’s the full list of nominees:

Nominations for the 2011 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards®
Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing

Best Play
Good People
Author: David Lindsay-Abaire
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove
Jerusalem
Author: Jez Butterworth
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Royal Court Theatre Productions, Beverly Bartner/Alice Tulchin, Dede Harris/Rupert Gavin, Broadway Across America, Jon B. Platt, 1001 Nights/Stephanie P. McClelland, Carole L. Haber/Richard Willis, Jacki Barlia Florin/Adam Blanshay
The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
Producers: Scott Rudin, Stuart Thompson, Public Theater Productions, Oskar Eustis, Joey Parnes, Labyrinth Theater Company, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Mimi O'Donnell, Yul Vázquez, Danny Feldman, Fabula Media Partners LLC, Jean Doumanian, Ruth Hendel, Carl Moellenberg, Jon B. Platt, Tulchin Bartner/Jamie deRoy
War Horse
Author: Nick Stafford
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten, National Theatre of Great Britain, Nicholas Hytner, Nick Starr, Bob Boyett, War Horse LP

Best Musical
The Book of Mormon
Producers: Anne Garefino, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Important Musicals LLC, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson
Catch Me If You Can
Producers: Margo Lion, Hal Luftig, Stacey Mindich, Yasuhiro Kawana, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, The Rialto Group, The Araca Group, Michael Watt, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Pittsburgh CLO, Elizabeth Williams, Johnny Roscoe Productions/Van Dean, Fakston Productions/Solshay Productions, Patty Baker/Richard Winkler, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Warren Trepp, Remmel T. Dickinson, Paula Herold/Kate Lear, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jamie deRoy, Barry Feirstein, Rainerio J. Reyes, Rodney Rigby, Loraine Boyle, Amuse Inc., Joseph & Matthew Deitch/Cathy Chernoff, Joan Stein/Jon Murray, The 5th Avenue Theatre
The Scottsboro Boys
Producers: Barry and Fran Weissler, Jacki Barlia Florin, Janet Pailet/Sharon A. Carr/Patricia R. Klausner, Nederlander Presentations, Inc./The Shubert Organization, Beechwood Entertainment, Broadway Across America, Mark Zimmerman, Adam Blanshay/R2D2 Productions, Rick Danzansky/Barry Tatelman, Bruce Robert Harris/Jack W. Batman, Allen Spivak/Jerry Frankel, Bard Theatricals/Probo Productions/Randy Donaldson, Catherine Schreiber/Michael Palitz/Patti Laskawy, Vineyard Theatre
Sister Act
Producers: Whoopi Goldberg & Stage Entertainment, The Shubert Organization and Disney Theatrical Productions

Best Book of a Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Alex Timbers
The Book of Mormon
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys
David Thompson
Sister Act
Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Book of Mormon
Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys
Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb
Sister Act
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek

Best Revival of a Play
Arcadia
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Roger Berlind, Stephanie P. McClelland, Scott M. Delman, Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Disney Theatrical Group, Robert G. Bartner, Olympus Theatricals, Douglas Smith, Janine Safer Whitney
The Importance of Being Earnest
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy
The Merchant of Venice
Producers: The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Andrew D. Hamingson, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Debbie Bisno & Eva Price, Amy Nederlander, Jonathan First, Stewart F. Lane & Bonnie Comley, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Merritt Forrest Baer, The Araca Group, Broadway Across America, Joseph & Matthew Deitch, JK Productions, Terry Allen Kramer, Cathy Chernoff/Jay & Cindy Gutterman, Mallory Factor/Cheryl Lachowicz, Joey Parnes, The Shubert Organization
The Normal Heart
Producers: Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind, Martian Entertainment, Gregory Rae, Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser

Best Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Producers: Broadway Across America, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Joseph Smith, Michael McCabe, Candy Spelling, Takonkiet Viravan/Scenario Thailand, Hilary A. Williams, Jen Namoff/Fakston Productions, Two Left Feet Productions/Power Arts, Hop Theatricals, LLC/Paul Chau/Daniel Frishwasser/Michael Jackowitz, Michael Speyer-Bernie Abrams/Jacki Barlia Florin-Adam Blanshay/Arlene Scanlan/TBS Service

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It's You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith, War Horse
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt, War Horse

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon

Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice

Best Direction of a Musical
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can

*     *     *

Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Athol Fugard
Philip J. Smith

Regional Theatre Tony Award
Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago, Ill.)

Isabelle Stevenson Award
Eve Ensler

Special Tony Award
Handspring Puppet Company

Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre
William Berloni
The Drama Book Shop
Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts

Tony Nominations by Production
The Book of Mormon - 14
The Scottsboro Boys - 12
Anything Goes - 9
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - 8
The Merchant of Venice - 7
Jerusalem - 6
The Motherf**ker with the Hat - 6
The Normal Heart - 5
Sister Act - 5
War Horse - 5
Catch Me If You Can - 4
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo - 3
The Importance of Being Earnest - 3
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - 3
Arcadia - 2
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson - 2
Born Yesterday - 2
Brief Encounter - 2
Good People - 2
La Bête - 2
Priscilla Queen of the Desert - 2
Baby It's You! - 1
Driving Miss Daisy - 1
The House of Blue Leaves - 1
Lombardi - 1
The People in the Picture - 1

For more info on the Tonys, please visit www.TonyAwards.com

 

We now resume our regularly scheduled linkage.

On Pedroia's Most Awesome Of At Bats -- Scott Lauber, Boston Herald

Clay Buchholz Gets Ground Balls, Wins -- Brian MacPherson, Providence Journal

Jacoby Ellsbury Day-To-Day With Bruised Knee -- Alex Speier, WEEI

As much as we love to rag on him for bad breaks and the like, Ellsbury has really been the sparkplug we want him to be over the last few weeks. It'd be best if we didn't have to do without.

Bobby Jenks Finds Answers. Maybe. -- Maureen Mullen, CSNNE

I'll believe it when I see it.

Scott Downs intrigued by Red Sox before signing with Angels -- Brian MacPherson, Providence Journal

Nuggetpalooza: In which up is down, down is up, etc. -- Gary Marbry, WEEI

The Red Sox win when they lose, and lose when they win. Ergo we are 15-13. That's how that works, right?

Carl Crawford's time to rise in Boston Red Sox order has come -- Gordon Edes, ESPN Boston

Maybe we're jumping the gun a tad...

As Wakefield nears the end, remembering his beginning -- Alex Speier, WEEI

Around The AL East

Yankees 5, Tigers 3 -- Travis G, Pinstripe Alley

Hughes' circulatory tests negative -- Alden Gonzalez, MLB.com

Kevin Millwood opts out after New York Yankees don't call him up -- Andrew Marchand, ESPN

Tampa Bay Rays Looking At Unprecedented Draft Haul -- Rob Neyer, Baseball Nation

White Sox 6, Orioles 2 -- Stacey, Camden Chat

Wherein Stacey understands our pain.

Lawrie may be Jays-ready -- Bob Elliott, Toronto Sun

Is Jose Bautista Currently Baseball's Best Earthly Hitter? -- Rob Neyer, Baseball Nation

 

MLB In General

Roger McDowell Suspended For Two Weeks -- Grant Brisbee, Baseball Nation

 

I don't so much mind that he was being inappropriate on the field. That's just not being mindful of your surroundings. But what McDowell did when the paying fan with his children asked him to stop deserves a lot more than two weeks off in my mind.

The Worst Hitters With Long Hitting Streaks In Major League History -- Jeff Sullivan, Baseball Nation

Bruno Mars--The Lazy Song

Today, I don't feel like doing anything. I took last weekend off because I was attending the wake of my Irish granny. And I join you this Sunday most reluctantly. It's hard when you have spent the better part of the last week contemplating mortality and legacies to not look at this lineup and not want to put your foot through the TV. Why is it that even with all the town halls where Americans fight back against the draconian cuts suggested by the Paul Ryan plan, This Week offers Ayn Rand's pin-up boy a headlining booking without all the nasty fuss of someone....well, sane as "balance"? Can you remember the last time they did that for a Democratic politician? Me neither. Or how about yet another appearance of John "If it's Sunday, you know where to find me" McCain and his BFF Lindsey Graham? Or Tea Party pin up boy Marco Rubio? Or bat-sh#t crazy Michele Backmann? Last time I checked, we have 100 Senators and 435 Congresspeople. They couldn't drag up a better Democratic representative than former DINO Jane Harman? Oy. Maybe I will go back to my bed.

ABC's "This Week" - Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

NBC's "Meet the Press" - Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-Va.; David Axelrod, top adviser to President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.

NBC's "The Chris Matthews Show" - Panel: Howard Fineman, Kelly O'Donnell, Gloria Borger and Clarence Page. Topics: Is Racism Behind Attacks On President Obama’s Qualifications? How Has President Obama Changed The Job Description? Will The Birther Debate Hurt the 2012 Republican Nominee? YES: 6 NO: 6;
Will A Debt Deal Include the Repeal of the Bush Tax Cuts on the Rich? YES: 11 No: 1

CBS' "Face the Nation" - Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Gov. Robert Bentley, R-Ala.

CNN's "State of the Union" - Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.; Stephen Hadley, national security adviser to President George W. Bush; former Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif.; Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" - Martin Indyk, Fawaz Gerges, Ayman Mohyeldin, Elliott Abrams on the brutal crackdown in Syria, a potentially unified Palestinian front and the fate of the Arab monarchies.

"Fox News Sunday" - Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.; Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

So what's catching your eye this morning?

In every sports competition in the world, fans of one team will claim another team gets more favourable treatment than their own, whether it’s selection in representative teams, concessions regarding player salaries or favourable refereeing decisions. Cricket in Australia is no different. The dawn of summer is almost inevitably accompanied by bleating, generally from Victorian fans, about how players from New South Wales are more likely to be selected in the national team than players from other states. This opinion found a voice in David Hookes, who claimed:

"When they give out the baggy blue cap in New South Wales, they give you a baggy green one in a brown paper bag as well to save making two presentations."

It’s about time we put this idea to the test. Since the 1977/78 season, all 6 Australian states have played in the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s domestic first-class cricket competition. Since 1982/83, the season has culminated in a grand final (previous to this the winner was determined league style by whoever won the most throughout the season). I will use data from 1982/83 till now for consistency and so that all states are represented. The following table shows the players who have debuted for Australia since the start of the 1982/83 season, the state they were playing for at the time of their debut, and the number of Tests they played throughout their career.
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Player	Years	Tests	State		Player	Years	Tests	State
Carl Rackemann	1982–91	12	Qld		Matthew Elliott	1996–2004	21	Vic
Kepler Wessels	1982–85	24	Qld		Michael Kasprowicz	1996–2006	38	Qld
Tom Hogan	1983–84	7	WA		Jason Gillespie	1996–2006	71	SA
Roger Woolley	1983–84	2	Tas		Andy Bichel	1997–2003	19	Qld
Wayne B. Phillips	1983–86	27	SA		Shaun Young	1997	1	Tas
John Maguire	1983–84	3	Qld		Simon Cook	1997	2	NSW
Greg Matthews	1983–93	33	NSW		Stuart MacGill	1998–2008	44	NSW
Steve Smith	1984	3	NSW		Gavin Robertson	1998	4	NSW
Dean Jones	1984–92	52	Vic		Paul Wilson	1998	1	SA
David Boon	1984–96	107	Tas		Adam Dale	1998–99	2	Qld
Bob Holland	1984–86	11	NSW		Darren Lehmann	1998–2004	27	SA
Murray Bennett	1984–85	3	NSW		Colin Miller	1998–2001	18	Tas
Craig McDermott	1984–96	71	Qld		Matthew Nicholson	1998	1	WA
Simon O'Donnell	1985	6	Vic		Adam Gilchrist	1999–2008	96	WA
Dave Gilbert	1985–86	9	NSW		Scott Muller	1999	2	Qld
Robbie Kerr	1985	2	Qld		Brett Lee	1999–2010	76	NSW
Merv Hughes	1985–94	53	Vic		Simon Katich	2001–	56	WA
Geoff Marsh	1985–92	50	WA		Martin Love	2002–03	5	Qld
Bruce Reid	1985–92	27	WA		Brad Williams	2003–04	4	WA
Steve Waugh	1985–2004	168	NSW		Nathan Bracken	2003–05	5	NSW
Simon Davis	1986	1	Vic		Andrew Symonds	2004–09	26	Qld
Tim Zoehrer	1986–87	10	WA		Michael Clarke	2004–	67	NSW
Chris Matthews	1986–88	3	WA		Nathan Hauritz	2004–	17	Qld
Greg Dyer	1986–88	6	NSW		Shane Watson	2005–	25	Qld
Peter Taylor	1987–91	13	NSW		Shaun Tait	2005–08	3	SA
Mike Veletta	1987–90	8	WA		Michael Hussey	2005–	57	WA
Tim May	1987–95	24	SA		Brad Hodge	2005-08	6	Vic
Tony Dodemaide	1987–92	10	Vic		Phil Jaques	2005–08	11	NSW
Ian Healy	1988–99	119	Qld		Stuart Clark	2006–09	24	NSW
Trevor Hohns	1989	7	Qld		Dan Cullen	2006	1	SA
Mark Taylor	1989–99	104	NSW		Mitchell Johnson	2007–	40	Qld
Greg Campbell	1989–90	4	Tas		Chris Rogers	2008	1	WA
Tom Moody	1989–92	8	WA		Brad Haddin	2008–	30	NSW
Mark Waugh	1991–2002	128	NSW		Beau Casson	2008	1	NSW
Shane Warne	1992–2007	145	Vic		Cameron White	2008–09	4	Vic
Wayne N. Phillips	1992	1	Vic		Peter Siddle	2008–	20	Vic
Paul Reiffel	1992–98	35	Vic		Jason Krejza	2008	2	Tas
Damien Martyn	1992–2006	67	WA		Doug Bollinger	2009–	12	NSW
Justin Langer	1993–2007	105	WA		Andrew McDonald	2009	4	Vic
Jo Angel	1993–95	4	WA		Ben Hilfenhaus	2009–	15	Tas
Michael Slater	1993–2001	74	NSW		Phillip Hughes	2009–	8	NSW
Brendon Julian	1993–95	7	WA		Marcus North	2009–	21	WA
Glenn McGrath	1993–2007	124	NSW		Bryce McGain	2009	1	Vic
Matthew Hayden	1994–2009	103	Qld		Graham Manou	2009	1	SA
Michael Bevan	1994–98	18	NSW		Clint McKay	2009	1	Vic
Damien Fleming	1994–2001	20	Vic		Ryan Harris	2010–	4	SA
Phil Emery	1994	1	NSW		Tim Paine	2010	4	Tas
Greg Blewett	1995–2000	46	SA		Steven Smith	2010–	3	NSW
Peter McIntyre	1995–96	2	SA		Peter George	2010–	1	SA
Stuart Law	1995	1	Qld		Xavier Doherty	2010	2	Tas
Ricky Ponting	1995–	151	Tas		Michael Beer	2011–	1	WA
Brad Hogg	1996–2008	7	WA		Usman Khawaja	2011–	1	NSW

Of the 104 players who debuted after 1982/83, 28 were playing for NSW when they were first picked for Australia (27% of the new players).

	Players	Percentage
NSW	28	27%
WA	20	19%
Qld	18	17%
Vic	16	15%
Tas	10	10%
SA	12	12%

Clearly NSW players have played more Tests. But is this unreasonable? There are two measures we can look at here. Sheffield Shield results and state populations. The following shows the results of the Shield since 1982/83.

Season	Winner	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth		Season	Winner	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth
1982–83	NSW	WA	SA	Tas	Qld	Vic		1997–98	WA	Tas	Qld	NSW	Vic	SA
1983–84	WA	Qld	Tas	NSW	SA	Vic		1998–99	WA	Qld	Vic	SA	Tas	NSW
1984–85	NSW	Qld	SA	WA	Vic	Tas		1999-00	Qld	Vic	WA	SA	Tas	NSW
1985–86	NSW	Qld	Vic	WA	SA	Tas		2000–01	Qld	Vic	NSW	Tas	WA	SA
1986–87	WA	Vic	Qld	SA	NSW	Tas		2001–02	Qld	Tas	WA	SA	Vic	NSW
1987–88	WA	Qld	NSW	Vic	SA	Tas		2002–03	NSW	Qld	Vic	SA	WA	Tas
1988–89	WA	SA	Qld	NSW	Tas	Vic		2003–04	Vic	Qld	Tas	WA	NSW	SA
1989–90	NSW	Qld	SA	Tas	WA	Vic		2004–05	NSW	Qld	WA	Vic	SA	Tas
1990–91	Vic	NSW	Qld	WA	SA	Tas		2005–06	Qld	Vic	SA	Tas	WA	NSW
1991–92	WA	NSW	Vic	Qld	SA	Tas		2006–07	Tas	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA
1992–93	NSW	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	Vic		2007–08	NSW	Vic	WA	Tas	SA	Qld
1993–94	NSW	Tas	WA	Vic	SA	Qld		2008–09	Vic	Qld	SA	Tas	WA	NSW
1994–95	Qld	SA	Vic	WA	NSW	Tas		2009–10	Vic	Qld	NSW	WA	Tas	SA
1995–96	SA	WA	Qld	Tas	NSW	Vic		2001–11	Tas	NSW	Qld	WA	Vic	SA
1996–97	Qld	WA	NSW	Tas	Vic	SA

NSW has won 9 Shields, ahead of WA’s 7. If you look at the percentage of Shield wins per state and compare this to the number of players picked for Australia from that state, you will notice that these results are remarkably similar. Is it any surprise that the most successful team over this time has more players picked for representative honours? If you look at all the Tests played since 82/83, 34% of the Test positions up for grabs were occupied by NSW players, and the order of states is exactly the same as the order for number of Shield wins. This is strong evidence that rather than a selection bias, players are being picked either because they are the best players or because they have been a part of successful teams.

	Players			Tests			Shield wins
NSW	28	27%		983	34%		9	31%
WA	20	19%		540	18%		7	24%
Qld	18	17%		516	18%		6	21%
Vic	16	15%		380	13%		4	14%
Tas	10	10%		306	10%		2	7%
SA	12	12%		208	7%		1	3%

The second way to look at this is by state population. I don’t particularly like this method because sportsmen, especially in this professional age, move teams for many reasons, including for better opportunities and more pay, and don’t necessarily play for the state of their birth. The most populous state is not necessarily going to have the best team. But because this is often the first measure people look to when analysing team results (for example, Olympic results), and because arguably a larger population means a bigger economy and therefore more money flowing through the team, we shall include some analysis. Since 1982, NSW (+ACT) has averaged 36% of the total population of the states (excluding Northern Territory). Again, this matches quite closely the number of players picked for Australia – indeed, you might argue that more players from NSW should have been picked. It would be by this measure that Victorians may claim some bias.

	Population	Shield Wins
NSW + ACT	36%	31%
Vic	25%	14%
Qld	18%	21%
WA	10%	24%
Tas	3%	7%
SA	8%	3%

Finally, let’s look at the one-test wonders – the players who only played one test.

	One Test wonders
NSW	3
WA	3
Qld	1
Vic	4
Tas	1
SA	4

Victoria and SA share this honour with 4 one-test wonders – and this is possibly why David Hookes, of SA stock and coach of Victoria after his retirement, was cranky. In the case of SA, this is a third of their players who have made their debut since 1982/83 – indeed, 7 of their 12 Test players did not play more than 4 Tests. Tasmanian players also fair poorly in this regard, with 6 of their 10 players playing no more than 4 Tests – Tasmanian results are severely skewed by Ponting’s 151 and Boon’s 107 Tests.

No matter what state a Test player is from, he has roughly the same chance of playing 15 or more Tests. Thus the data does not support the idea that selectors are more likely to stick with NSW players through a patch of poor form.

	Percentage of state Test players (15+ Tests)
NSW	43%
WA	40%
Qld	56%
Vic	44%
Tas	40%
SA	42%

I would be interested to hear your thoughts regarding this – I know it can stir some passions. But the data would suggest that there is no unfair bias towards NSW.

Further thoughts:

• I have made no attempt to look at players moving state during their careers. Simon Katich, for instance, had a career revival when playing for NSW, even though he was originally picked for Australia when playing for WA. Nathan Hauritz similarly had his fortunes revived when playing for NSW, even though he debuted when playing for Queensland. There are also many examples of this working the other way – Jason Krejza moved to Tasmania, and Adam Gilchrist to WA, both from NSW and then made their debut. Even Don Bradman first played for NSW before an ongoing career with SA.
• You could do the same analysis if you have time and patience on your hands for one-day and Twenty20 cricket.
• It was quite difficult in some cases to track which state a player was playing for when they made their Australian debut, especially if they moved state soon after. I have put the data here (some of the array formulae don't work in Google docs, and I have stripped out the macros, but you can redo them). If I have made a mistake, let me know!

 

Friday morning at the NY Friar’s Club Audra Mcdonald and Liev Schreiber announded the nominees for the 56^th annual Drama Desk Awards. The Drama Desk awards honor excellence in theatre in the 2010/2011 Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Braodway seasons, with productions from each level of ticketing competing against each other in the same categories. On the musical side, The Book of Mormon (12) and Anything Goes (10) led the way in nominations, while the Merchant of Venice (7) revival and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (6) received the most nominations of straight plays.

56th ANNUAL DRAMA DESK AWARDS ANNOUNCED AT NY FRIARS CLUB BY AUDRA McDONALD AND LIEV SCHREIBER

Awards To Be Presented On Monday, May 23, 2011 At Hammerstein Ballroom, Hosted By Harvey Fierstein

OVATION To Televise Drama Desk Awards Special Six Times Between June 4 and June 19, Including Twice in Primetime

New York, April 29, 2011—Nominations for the 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced this morning at a News Conference at the New York Friars Club by former Drama Desk Award winners Audra McDonald and Liev Schreiber. They were joined for the announcement by Drama Desk President Isa Goldberg; Barbara Siegel, Chairperson of the Drama Desk Nominating Committee; Drama Desk Awards Executive Producer Robert R. Blume; and Randie Levine-Miller, who has produced this event at the Friars Club for the past 15 years.

In keeping with the Drama Desk's unique mission, nominators considered shows that opened on Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway during the 2010/2011 New York theater season in the same competitive categories. Final deliberations took place at Travel Inn in New York City.

The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be held Monday, May 23, 2011 in the elegant Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center. Hosted by former Drama Desk Award winner Harvey Fierstein, the awards ceremony will be filmed in HD for a 90-minute television special that will be given two primetime airings plus four additional national broadcasts on OVATION, the national cable network dedicated to arts culture in America, between June 4 and June 19, 2011. The awards ceremony will begin at 9:00 PM on May 23, following a gala sit-down dinner that starts at 7:45 PM.

The Drama Desk nominees will receive their Official Nominations Certificates at an exclusive By Invitation Only Nominees Cocktail Reception on Monday, May 2, 2011 from 3:00 to 6:00 PMb> at the Bombay Palace Restaurant, 30 West 52nd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, in Manhattan.

Members of the 2010-2011 Nominating Committee for the Drama Desk Awards include: Barbara Siegel (Chairperson) TalkinBroadway.com, TheaterMania.com; Jason Clark, Slant Magazine, Anita Gates, Freelance, The New York Times, theatergossip.com; Lawrence Harbison, Senior Editor & Columnist for Smith & Kraus, Inc.; Gerard Raymond, Back Stage; Richard Ridge, Broadway Beat TV; and Douglas Strassler, Show Business Magazine,OffOffOnline.com.

The Board of Directors of the Drama Desk is composed of Isa Goldberg, President; Leslie (Hoban) Blake, Vice President; Charles Wright, Treasurer and 2nd Vice President; Richard Ridge, Secretary, Arlene Epstein, Elysa Gardner, Randy Gener, John Istel, David Kaufman, Sam Norkin and William Wolf.

The Drama Desk Awards TV special will be produced by the multi award-winning independent production company Heflin Filmworks (America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back; Manhunters). Lance Heflin will produce the TV special and Mark Stroman will serve as the TV Executive Producer. Terry Rohnke (Saturday Night Live) will be the Television Director. Marilyn Munder is the Talent Consultant. Step Forward Entertainment Group Ltd. (Talent Management and Production) is the executive producing company for the Awards; Robert R. Blume is President, Princess Rivera serves as the company's Production Coordinator and Allison H. Cohen is Staff Administrator.

Jeff Kalpak, who has directed the awards ceremony for the past 15 seasons, will serve in the same capacity this year for the live event. Rich Bittner is the Line Producer. Lauren Class Schneider, who produced the Drama Desk Awards for the past 14 years, will return as Consulting Producer. Christopher Raphael, veteran Broadway Event Planner, has been retained as Gala Event Producer to oversee the production of the special gala events for the 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards. Robert R. Blume is the Executive Producer of the 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards.

Red Carpet Productions and its principal, Renee McCurry join the Drama Desk Awards team as an Associate Producer along with Les Schecter and Joseph Callari, a partner with Mr. Blume and Frank Fiorucci in Global Arts, a project of Eightonal Coalition, Inc, the 501c3 notfor-profit entity for the Drama Desk Awards whose mission is to support the arts and young artists. Randie Levine-Miller is Director of Special Events for the Drama Desk organization. The public relations and marketing for the 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be handled by LS Communications and Springer Associates Public Relations.

TheaterMania.com is returning as a lead media sponsor partner and The Broadway Channel is coming aboard as a new media sponsor for the Drama Desk Awards.

For additional information about the Drama Desk and this year's awards show, visit www.DramaDesk.com and www.DramaDeskAwards.com

 

The following awards were voted by the nominating committee and will be presented by the Drama Desk at its awards ceremony:

 

Outstanding Ensemble Performances

This year the nominators chose to bestow special ensemble awards for acting to the casts of two shows. Therefore, individual cast members for these shows were not eligible for acting awards in the competitive categories.

In Transit
The Normal Heart

Special Awards:
Each year, the Drama Desk votes special awards to recognize excellence and significant contributions to the theater. For 2010/2011, these awards are:
To A.R. Gurney for his enduring, keenly observed portraits of American life over a prolific four-decade-long career.
To Reed Birney for his versatile and finely nuanced performances over the past thirty-five years, and for his exceptional work this season in Tigers Be Still, A Small Fire and The Dream of the Burning Boy.
To The New Group and Artistic Director Scott Elliott for presenting contemporary new voices, and for uncompromisingly raw and powerful productions.
To The Pearl Theatre Company for notable productions of classic plays and nurturing a stalwart resident company of actors.
To the creative team of War Horse for thrilling stagecraft: Paule Constable, Marianne Elliott, 59 Productions, Adrian Kohler with Basil Jones for Handspring Puppet Company, Tom Morris, Rae Smith, Christopher Shutt, Toby Sedgwick, Adrian Sutton and John Tams.

The following are the nominations for the competitive categories. Winners will be selected by the voting membership of the Drama Desk:
Note:
Eligibility and award category designations for the productions under consideration this season were determined by the Drama Desk board of directors, with recommendations from the nominating committee. Because of the abundance of great work throughout the season, the board also authorized the increase in the number of nominees allowed in select categories.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Brief Encounter and The Scottsboro Boys were considered for their productions Off Broadway in the 2009-2010 season. Under Drama Desk rules, only new elements in their transfers to Broadway were eligible this season.

Outstanding Play:
Jon Robin Baitz, Other Desert Cities
Adam Bock, A Small Fire
Stephen Adly Guirgis, The Motherf**ker With the Hat
Samuel D. Hunter, A Bright New Boise
Rajiv Joseph, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
David Lindsay-Abaire, Good People
Nick Stafford, War Horse

Outstanding Musical:
In Transit
Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical
See Rock City & Other Destinations
Sister Act
The Book of Mormon
The Kid

Outstanding Revival of a Play:
Born Yesterday
The House of Blue Leaves
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart
Three Sisters

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:
Anything Goes
Hello Again
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Outstanding Actor in a Play:
Charles Busch, The Divine Sister
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker With the Hat
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Geoffrey Rush, The Diary of a Madman
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
Michael Shannon, Mistakes Were Made
Paul Sparks, Dusk Rings a Bell

Outstanding Actress in a Play:
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities
Frances McDormand, Good People
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Michele Pawk, A Small Fire
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice

Outstanding Actor in a Musical:
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me if You Can
Colin Donnell, Anything Goes
Daniel Radcliffe, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert:The Musical
Christopher Sieber, The Kid

Outstanding Actress in a Musical:
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It's You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture
Sherie Rene Scott, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
Boyd Gaines, The Grand Manner
Logan Marshall-Green, The Hallway Trilogy
Zachary Quinto, Angels in America
Tom Riley, Arcadia
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker With the Hat

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:
Lisa Emery, The Collection & A Kind of Alaska
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Julie Halston, The Divine Sister
Sarah Nina Hayon, A Bright New Boise
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Peter and the Starcatcher
Linda Lavin, Other Desert Cities
Judith Light, Lombardi

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon
Bob Stillman, Hello Again
Tom Wopat, Catch Me if You Can

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Kerry Butler, Catch Me if You Can
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Jill Eikenberry, The Kid
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Laura Osnes, Anything Goes

Outstanding Director of a Play:
Trip Cullman, A Small Fire
Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Moisés Kaufman, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Davis McCallum, A Bright New Boise
Daniel Sullivan,The Merchant of Venice
Kirjan Waage and Gwendolyn Warnock, Baby Universe

Outstanding Director of a Musical:
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Joe Calarco, In Transit
Jack Cummings III, Hello Again
Jack Cummings III, See Rock City & Other Destinations
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon

Outstanding Choreography:
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, Beautiful Burnout
Steven Hoggett, Peter and the Starcatcher
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Siudy, Between Worlds

Outstanding Music:
Brad Alexander, See Rock City & Other Destinations
Alan Menken, Sister Act
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman, Catch Me if You Can
Mike Stoller and Artie Butler, The People in the Picture
David Yazbek, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Outstanding Lyrics:
Rick Crom, Newsical The Musical — Full Spin Ahead
Jack Lechner, The Kid
Adam Mathias, See Rock City & Other Destinations
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon
Glenn Slater, Sister Act
Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Catch Me if You Can

Outstanding Book of a Musical:
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara Wordsworth, In Transit
Iris Rainer Dart, The People in the Picture
Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical
Adam Mathias, See Rock City & Other Destinations
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon
Michael Zam, The Kid

Outstanding Orchestrations:
Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Hello Again
Bruce Coughlin, The Burnt Part Boys
Simon Hale, Jim Abbott and David Yazbek, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman and Larry Blank, Catch Me if You Can
Lynne Shankel, The Extraordinary Ordinary

Outstanding Music in a Play:
Wayne Barker, Peter and the Starcatcher
Kathryn Bostic, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Lars Petter Hagen, Baby Universe
Alan John, The Diary of a Madman
Tom Kitt, The Winter's Tale
Dan Moses Schreier,The Merchant of Venice

Outstanding Revue:
Fyvush Finkel Live!
Newsical The Musical — Full Spin Ahead
Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles on Broadway

Outstanding Set Design:
Rachel Hauck, Orange, Hat & Grace
David Korins and Zachary Borovay (projection design), Lombardi
Derek McLane, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Tony Straiges, Treasure Island
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice

Outstanding Costume Design:
Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Ann Hould-Ward, A Free Man of Color
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Paloma Young, Peter and the Starcatcher

Outstanding Lighting Design:
Jean Kalman, John Gabriel Borkman
R. Lee Kennedy, See Rock City & Other Destinations
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Laura Mroczkowski, Spy Garbo
Ben Stanton, The Whipping Man
David Weiner, A Small Fire

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical:
Lindsay Jones, The Burnt Part Boys
Michael Rasbury, Hello Again
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon
Jon Weston, In Transit

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play:
Acme Sound Partners, The Merchant of Venice
Acme Sound Partners and Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Ian Dickinson, John Gabriel Borkman
Brett Jarvis, Baby Universe
Bray Poor, Wings
Eric Shimelonis, The Hallway Trilogy

Outstanding Solo Performance:
Daniel Beaty, Through the Night
Mike Birbiglia, Mike Birbiglia's My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
Juliette Jeffers, Batman and Robin in the Boogie Down
John Leguizamo, Ghetto Klown
Colin Quinn, Colin Quinn Long Story Short
Joanna Tope, The Promise

Unique Theatrical Experience:
Being Harold Pinter
Circus Incognitus
Gatz
Play Dead
Room 17B
Sleep No More

PRODUCTIONS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS
The Book of Mormon 12
Anything Goes             10
The Merchant of Venice          7
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo       6
Catch Me If You Can 6
See Rock City & Other Destinations   6
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown          6
Hello Again     5
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying    5
Peter and the Starcatcher        5
Sister Act         5
The Kid           5
A Small Fire    4
In Transit         4
Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical    4
A Bright New Boise     3
Baby Universe             3
Other Desert Cities     3
The Importance of Being Earnest       3
The Motherf**ker with the Hat           3
The People in the Picture        3
Born Yesterday            2
Good People   2
John Gabriel Borkman           2
Lombardi        2
Newsical The Musical - Full Spin Ahead        2
The Burnt Part Boys   2
The Diary of a Madman          2
The Divine Sister         2
The Hallway Trilogy   2
The House of Blue Leaves       2
The Normal Heart       2

Sterling loses 1% against euro and City analysts put back forecasts of interest rate rise until late in year

A warning from the Bank of England about the fragile state of consumer spending led to a sharp fall in the pound as the City pushed back its forecast for an increase in interest rates until late this year.

The pound lost 1% against the euro in the immediate aftermath of the release of the minutes of the meeting of Threadneedle Street's monetary policy committee earlier this month, as dealers saw November as the likeliest date for the Bank to raise the cost of borrowing.

Following the recent trend, three members of the nine-strong MPC argued in favour of rates being lifted from the emergency level of 0.5%, but they lost out to the six other members who favoured no change.

The minutes said the near-term prospects for consumer spending had weakened over the past month. "Survey-based measures pointed to weak consumption of services in the first quarter," the minutes said. "The volume of retail sales had been broadly flat for some months. And surveys of consumer confidence had remained far below their historic average levels."

Evidence from the Bank's regional agents, published alongside the MPC minutes, also highlighted the squeeze on spending. This showed consumers switching to lower-quality products in response to weaker confidence, higher inflation and reduced spending power.

"Dining out in restaurants had declined but demand for fast food continued to strengthen. And there was some evidence of a switch away from the use of private cars towards public transport," the agents said.

The report added that spending on non-essential services had dropped, with hotel bookings down year on year. Only at the top end of the market had demand for goods and services strengthened.

Of the three MPC members voting for a rise, Martin Weale and Spencer Dale regarded the policy decision as "finely balanced" and supported only a quarter-point increase in bank rate. Andrew Sentance, who will leave the MPC after the May meeting, favoured a half-point rise in borrowing costs because imported inflationary pressures and the resilience of inflation in the service sector meant the risks to the government's 2% inflation target remained "significantly to the upside".

Richard Driver, currency analyst at Caxton FX, said: "The minutes further demonstrate that the MPC will not raise rates until the UK recovery is assured. There has been some reasonable data reported from the services and manufacturing sectors this month. However on the consumer and retail side, which the BoE seems most concerned with, figures remain pretty downbeat. In addition, the minutes showed concern for the UK's exposure to the EU periphery's increasingly fragile economies. The market has now pushed back expectations of the next BoE rate rise to November."

Separate data from the Council for Mortgage Lenders showed that lending for home loans rose by 21% in March, but at £11.3bn was £200m below the level of March 2010. Lending in the first quarter of 2011 was 11% lower than in the last three months of 2010.

CML chief economist Bob Pannell said: "The housing market has emerged hesitantly from hibernation. Household finances are under a lot of pressure, and as a result demand for house purchase loans fell in the first three months of 2011. Lenders expect mortgage credit availability to improve this quarter, and this should help to underpin house purchase activity, albeit at pretty low levels."

Less-than-charitable observers of Britain’s transport sector might say that the timing of boardroom bust-ups at National Express is more reliable than that of some of its bus services.

The latest example, its current contretemps with Elliott Advisors, the British wing of the New York-based hedge fund, might prove to be the most decisive showdown yet.

This week, Elliott has adopted the attitude of the school bully who sits on the top deck of the bus projecting menace at more reserved pupils.

By claiming to have the support of the Cosmen family, National Express’s second-largest shareholder with 17.4 per cent, and unveiling a list of strategic alternatives, Elliott increased the pressure on the UK company to put its foot to the floor.

It wants Dean Finch, National Express’s chief executive, to seek a transformational deal either at home or in the US, or to “redeploy assets to invest in its US business as part of a radical refocus of the business round US growth opportunities”.

This is not a typical activist situation, however. For one thing, Elliott has been heaping praise on Mr Finch like there’s no tomorrow. Second, with National Express shares trading at a slight discount to its peers, there is little evidence that an auction now would deliver value across its shareholder base.

Investors are therefore entitled to be sceptical about Elliott’s efforts to wrest control of the steering wheel. There are other reasons to be wary.

Elliott’s statement this week contradicted National Express’s recent declaration of boardroom unanimity. Jorge Cosmen, who sits on the board as a representative of the family, allowed his name to be put to a statement rebuffing Elliott’s advances just a few weeks ago.

The Takeover Panel, which dictates the classification of parties acting in concert, has no reason to intervene because National Express is not in an offer period. There is an argument, though, for obliging Mr Cosmen to clarify his views, not least for the benefit of his fellow board members as well as other shareholders.

Elliott believes merging with Stagecoach to create a national champion, or accelerating its US growth by acquiring a large point-to-point coach operator, would make sense. And I am told that Brian Souter, the Stagecoach chief executive who last had a tilt at National Express in 2009, is open to a fresh look at his rival.

Yet all of Elliott’s noise smacks of an investor who wants to take the money and run. Other shareholders may conclude they are better off letting Finch drive at his own pace.

Liberating return

Returning to an erstwhile employer years after you have left can smack of desperation.

Naguib Kheraj, former finance director of Barclays, is about to have the opportunity to disprove the axiom. I understand that next week the British bank will name Mr Kheraj as a vice-chairman with a mandate to advise Bob Diamond, chief executive, and Chris Lucas, finance director, on a range of strategic issues.

The appointment, which could be announced as soon as Monday, will see Mr Kheraj return to Barclays four years after severing ties with the bank, having advised on its (fortunately unsuccessful) bid for ABN Amro. I am told that in addition to his role as vice-chairman, Mr Kheraj will become one of Barclays’ representatives on the board of BlackRock, the asset manager. John Varley, the bank’s former chief executive, will become an independent director of BlackRock towards the end of the year. The blip of a recent two-month sojourn to Lazard apart, Mr Kheraj’s career since he left Barclays has been a success, steering Cazenove through its takeover by JPMorgan and a stint advising the Financial Services Authority.

The arrangement with Barclays will be a part-time one, allowing Mr Kheraj to focus on philanthropic work for the Aga Khan Foundation.

There is a further advantage for Mr Kheraj in his return to Canary Wharf: because he will not be on the Barclays board, he will remain liberated from the nightmarish burden of bureaucracy that now accompanies any bank directorship.

Walker expands horizons

To lead one review of corporate governance practice has become customary for City grandee-types; to lead two might be considered rather self-indulgent.

I understand that Sir David Walker, author of last year’s inquiry into the state of UK banks’ boardrooms, is about to expand his international horizons. He is to be one of the figures leading a G30-wide investigation into governance across the financial services sector.

To be launched in the coming weeks, the review will be spearheaded by Roger Ferguson, chief executive of TIAA-CREF, the US teachers’ retirement fund.

It is a dry subject, but of enormous importance. Its objective will be to offer an international perspective on governance reforms similar to the one that informs the debate about global financial regulation.

Sir David’s UK-focused review won plaudits for its rigour and deliverability. Reaching a consensus across the world’s 30 largest economies will be an altogether different proposition.

For UK investors, there is an obligation to ensure their voices are heard in order to protect the level playing field they so often claim is disappearing before their eyes.

TODAY'S TV SCHEDULE

AUTO RACING

6 a.m. Sprint Cup: Aaron's 499 FOX

8 a.m. Indy Lights VERSUS

9:30 a.m. IndyCar: Grand Prix of Long Beach VERSUS

1 p.m. NHRA: 4-Wide Nationals ESPN2

BOWLING

7 a.m. PBA: Dick Weber Playoffs (championship round) ESPN

COLLEGE BASEBALL

7 a.m. Vanderbilt at South Carolina ESPN2

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

10 a.m. Oklahoma at Missouri ESPN

GOLF

3 a.m. European PGA Tour: Malaysian Open (final round) TGC

7 a.m. Champions Tour: Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am (final round) NBC

7 a.m. PGA Tour: Texas Open (final round) TGC

9 a.m. PGA Tour: Texas Open (final round) CBS

1 p.m. Nationwide Tour: Fresh Express Classic (final round) TGC

HORSE RACING

8 a.m. Trackside Live! FOXSP2

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

7:30 a.m. Toronto at Boston TBS

8 a.m. L.A. Angels at Chicago White Sox FOXSP

9 a.m. Chicago Cubs at Colorado WGN

10 a.m. St. Louis at L.A. Dodgers FOXSP2

2 p.m. Texas at N.Y. Yankees ESPN

MOTORSPORTS

11 a.m. FIM World Superbike SPEED

NBA BASKETBALL

7 a.m. Western Conference quarters: San Antonio at Memphis (Game 1) TNT

9:30 a.m. Western Conference quarters: New Orleans at L.A. Lakers (Game 1) ABC

1 p.m. Eastern Conference quarters: New York at Boston (Game 1) TNT

3:30 p.m. Western Conference quarters: Denver at Oklahoma City (Game 1) TNT

NHL HOCKEY

9 a.m. Eastern Conference quarters: Washington at New York (Game 3) NBC

2 p.m. Western Conference quarters: Vancouver at Chicago (Game 3) VERSUS

 

MONDAY'S TV SCHEDULE

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

1 p.m. Milwaukee at Philadelphia ESPN

2 p.m. L.A. Angels at Texas FOXSP

4 p.m. Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers FOXSP2

NBA BASKETBALL

1 p.m. Eastern Conference quarters: Philadelphia at Miami (Game 2) TNT

3:30 p.m. Eastern Conference quarters: Indiana at Chicago (Game 2) TNT

NHL HOCKEY

1 p.m. Eastern Conference quarters: Philadelphia at Buffalo (Game 3) VERSUS

3:30 p.m. Eastern Conference quarters: Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay (Game 3) * VERSUS

4:30 p.m. Western Conference quarters: Detroit at Phoenix (Game 3) VERSUS

 

* Joined in progress

 

SATURDAY'S BIIF RESULTS

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Varsity

Kealakehe def. Konawaena 25-19, 25-15, 25-19

Hawaii Prep def. Laupahoehoe 25-9, 25-14, 25-9

 

MONDAY'S BIIF SCHEDULE

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Varsity matches follow 6 p.m. JV matches unless noted below

Waiakea at Christian Liberty, 6 p.m.

Kealakehe at Honokaa

 

HOCKEY

NHL PLAYOFF GLANCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

Washington vs. New York Rangers

Washington leads series 2-0

Wednesday's result

Washington 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, OT

Friday's result

Washington 2, N.Y. Rangers 0

Today's game

c Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 9 a.m.

Wednesday, April 20

c Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 23

c N.Y. Rangers at Washington, 9 a.m. *

Monday, April 25

c Washington at N.Y. Rangers, TBD *

Wednesday, April 27

c N.Y. Rangers at Washington, TBD *

 

Philadelphia vs. Buffalo

Series tied 1-1

Thursday's result

c Buffalo 1, Philadelphia 0

Saturday's result

c Philadelphia 5, Buffalo 4

Monday's game

c Philadelphia at Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20

c Philadelphia at Buffalo, 1:30 p.m.

Friday, April 22

c Buffalo at Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 24

c Philadelphia at Buffalo, 9 a.m. *

Tuesday, April 26

c Buffalo at Philadelphia, TBD *

 

Boston vs. Montreal

Montreal leads series 2-0

Thursday's result

c Montreal 2, Boston 0

Saturday's result

Montreal 3, Boston 1

Monday's game

c Boston at Montreal, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 21

c Boston at Montreal, 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 23

c Montreal at Boston, 1 p.m. *

Tuesday, April 26

c Boston at Montreal, TBD *

Wednesday, April 27

c Montreal at Boston TBD *

 

Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh

Series tied 1-1

Wednesday's result

c Pittsburgh 3, Tampa Bay 0

Friday's result

Tampa Bay 5, Pittsburgh 1

Monday's game

c Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20

c Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 23

c Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh, TBD

Monday, April 25

c Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, TBD *

Wednesday, April 27

c Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh, TBD *

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

Vancouver vs. Chicago

Vancouver leads series 2-0

Wednesday's result

c Vancouver 2, Chicago 0

Friday's result

Vancouver 4, Chicago 3

Today's game

c Vancouver at Chicago, 2 p.m.

Tuesday's game

c Vancouver at Chicago, 2 p.m.

Thursday, April 21

c Chicago at Vancouver, 4 p.m. *

Sunday, April 24

c Vancouver at Chicago, 1:30 p.m. *

Tuesday, April 26

c Chicago at Vancouver, TBD *

 

San Jose vs. Los Angeles

Series tied 1-1

Thursday's result

c San Jose 3, Los Angeles 2, OT

Saturday's result

Los Angeles 4, San Jose 0

Tuesday's game

c San Jose at Los Angeles, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 21

c San Jose at Los Angeles, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 23

c Los Angeles at San Jose, 4:30 p.m. *

Monday, April 25

c San Jose at Los Angeles, TBD *

Wednesday, April 27

c Los Angeles at San Jose, TBD *

 

Detroit 1, Phoenix 0

Detroit leads series 2-0

Wednesday's result

c Detroit 4, Phoenix 2

Saturday's result

c Detroit 4, Phoenix 3

Monday's game

c Detroit at Phoenix, 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20

c Detroit at Phoenix, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 22

c Phoenix at Detroit, 1 p.m. *

Sunday, April 24

c Detroit at Phoenix, TBD *

Wednesday, April 27

c Phoenix at Detroit, TBD *

 

Anaheim vs. Nashville

Series tied 1-1

Wednesday's result

c Nashville 4, Anaheim 1

Friday's result

Anaheim 4, Nashville 2

Today's game

c Anaheim at Nashville, noon

Wednesday, April 20

c Anaheim at Nashville, 2:30 p.m.

Friday, April 22

c Nashville at Anaheim, 4 p.m.

Sunday, April 24

c Anaheim at Nashville, TBD *

Tuesday, April 26

c Nashville at Anaheim, TBD *

 

* -- if necessary

 

BASKETBALL

NBA PLAYOFF GLANCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

Chicago vs. Indiana

Chicago leads series 1-0

Saturday's result

Chicago 104, Indiana 99

Monday's game

c Indiana at Chicago, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 21

c Chicago at Indiana, 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 23

c Chicago at Indiana, 8:30 a.m.

Tuesday, April 26

c Indiana at Chicago, TBD *

Thursday, April 28

c Chicago at Indiana, TBD *

Saturday, April 30

c Indiana at Chicago, TBD *

 

Miami vs. Philadelphia

Miami leads series 1-0

Saturday's result

c Miami 97, Philadelphia 89

Monday's game

c Philadelphia at Miami, 1 p.m.

Thursday, April 21

c Miami at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 24

c Miami at Philadelphia, 7 a.m.

Wednesday, April 27

c Philadelphia at Miami, TBD *

Friday, April 29

c Miami at Philadelphia, TBD *

Sunday, May 1

c Philadelphia at Miami, TBD *

 

Boston vs. New York

Series tied 0-0

Today's game

c New York at Boston, 1 p.m.

Tuesday's game

c New York at Boston, 1 p.m.

Friday, April 22

c Boston at New York, 1 p.m.

Sunday, April 24

c Boston at New York, 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, April 26

c New York at Boston, TBD *

Friday, April 29

c Boston at New York, TBD *

Sunday, May 1

c New York at Boston, TBD *

 

Orlando vs. Atlanta

Atlanta leads series 1-0

Saturday's result

Atlanta 103, Orlando 93

Tuesday's game

c Atlanta at Orlando, 1:30 p.m.

Friday, April 22

c Orlando at Atlanta, 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 24

c Orlando at Atlanta, 1 p.m.

Tuesday, April 26

c Atlanta at Orlando, TBD *

Thursday, April 28

c Orlando at Atlanta, TBD *

Saturday, April 30

c Atlanta at Orlando, TBD *

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

San Antonio vs. Memphis

Series tied 0-0

Today's game

c Memphis at San Antonio, 7 a.m.

Wednesday, April 20

c Memphis at San Antonio, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 23

c San Antonio at Memphis, 1:30 p.m.

Monday, April 25

c San Antonio at Memphis, TBD

Wednesday, April 27

c Memphis at San Antonio, TBD *

Friday, April 29

c San Antonio at Memphis, TBD *

Sunday, May 1

c Memphis at San Antonio, TBD *

 

L.A. Lakers vs. New Orleans

Series tied 0-0

Today's game

c New Orleans at L.A. Lakers, 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday, April 20

c New Orleans at L.A. Lakers, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 22

c L.A. Lakers at New Orleans, 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 24

c L.A. Lakers at New Orleans, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 26

c New Orleans at L.A. Lakers, TBD *

Thursday, April 28

c L.A. Lakers at New Orleans, TBD *

Saturday, April 30

c New Orleans at L.A. Lakers, TBD *

 

Dallas vs. Portland

Dallas leads series 1-0

Saturday's result

Dallas 89, Portland 81

Tuesday's game

c Portland at Dallas, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 21

c Dallas at Portland, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 23

c Dallas at Portland, 11 a.m.

Monday, April 25

c Portland at Dallas, TBD *

Thursday, April 28

c Dallas at Portland, TBD *

Saturday, April 30

c Portland at Dallas, TBD *

 

Oklahoma City vs. Denver

Series tied 0-0

Today's game

c Denver at Oklahoma City, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20

c Denver at Oklahoma City, 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 23

c Oklahoma City at Denver, 4 p.m.

Monday, April 25

c Oklahoma City at Denver, 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 27

c Denver at Oklahoma City, TBD *

Friday, April 29

c Oklahoma City at Denver, TBD *

Sunday, May 1

c Denver at Oklahoma City, TBD *

 

* -- if necessary

 

SOCCER

MLS GLANCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

W L OT Pts GF GA

Philadelphia 3 1 1 10 4 2

New York 2 1 2 8 5 2

Columbus 2 1 2 8 4 3

D.C. 2 2 1 7 9 8

New England 1 1 3 6 5 6

Toronto FC 1 2 3 6 6 9

Houston 1 1 2 5 5 4

Chicago 1 2 1 4 7 9

Sporting Kansas City 1 2 1 4 8 9

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

W L T Pts GF GA

Real Salt Lake 4 0 0 12 8 1

Colorado 3 2 0 9 8 6

Los Angeles 2 1 3 9 5 6

Vancouver 1 2 3 6 9 10

Seattle 1 2 3 6 6 7

San Jose 1 2 2 5 5 7

Portland 1 2 1 4 6 8

FC Dallas 1 2 1 4 4 5

Chivas USA 0 2 3 3 3 5

 

NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

 

Wednesday's results

Toronto FC 0, Los Angeles 0, tie

Real Salt Lake 1, Colorado 0

 

Thursday's result

Portland 4, Chicago 2

 

Saturday's results

Philadelphia 1, Seattle FC 1, tie

Vancouver 0, Chivas USA 0, tie

D.C. United 3, Toronto FC 0

Columbus 1, Sporting Kansas City 0

New York 3, San Jose 0

 

Today's games

Los Angeles at Chicago, 10 a.m.

FC Dallas at Portland, noon

New England at Houston, 1 p.m.

 

TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

National League

ATLANTA BRAVES -- Recalled RHP Jairo Asencio from Gwinnett (IL). Optioned C J.C. Boscan to Gwinnett.

NEW YORK METS -- Placed RHP Chris Young on the 15-day DL, retroactive to April 11. Recalled RHP Pat Misch from Buffalo (IL).

HOCKEY

National Hockey League

NHL -- Suspended Anaheim F Bobby Ryan two games for a kicking incident against Nashville D Jonathon Blum during Friday's game against Nashville.

American Hockey League

HARTFORD WHALE -- Signed F Carl Hagelin.

ECHL

ECHL -- Suspended Reading F Olivier Labelle one game and fined him an undisclosed amount for his actions during Friday's game against Kalamazoo.

 

AUTO RACING

AARON'S 499 LINEUP

Saturday qualifying, race today

1. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 178.248 mph.

2. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 177.844.

3. (5) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 177.807.

4. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 177.765.

5. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 177.702.

6. (09) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 177.685.

7. (6) David Ragan, Ford, 177.438.

8. (22) Kurt Busch, Dodge, 177.379.

9. (83) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 177.369.

10. (33) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 177.353.

11. (21) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 177.353.

12. (15) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 177.317.

13. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 177.182.

14. (00) David Reutimann, Toyota, 177.143.

15. (47) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 177.12.

16. (43) A J Allmendinger, Ford, 177.087.

17. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 177.074.

18. (78) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 177.061.

19. (2) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 177.032.

20. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, 177.006.

21. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 176.872.

22. (87) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, 176.695.

23. (39) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 176.659.

24. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 176.575.

25. (17) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 176.519.

26. (56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 176.477.

27. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 176.461.

28. (38) Travis Kvapil, Ford, 176.425.

29. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 176.37.

30. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 176.347.

31. (4) Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 176.298.

32. (97) Kevin Conway, Toyota, 176.195.

33. (35) Steve Park, Chevrolet, 176.162.

34. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 175.939.

35. (36) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 175.806.

36. (20) Joey Logano, Toyota, 175.41.

37. (71) Andy Lally, Ford, 175.349.

38. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 175.154.

39. (34) David Gilliland, Ford, 175.134.

40. (13) Casey Mears, Toyota, owner points.

41. (32) Terry Labonte, Ford, owner points.

42. (7) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, owner points.

43. (46) Bill Elliott, Chevrolet, past champion.

Failed to qualify

44. (60) Mike Skinner, Toyota, 175.09.

45. (37) Tony Raines, Ford, 175.

46. (66) Michael McDowell, Toyota, 174.84.

 

INDYCAR-LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING

1. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.0649 (102.582 mph)

2. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.1409 (102.469)

3. (27) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.6414 (101.733)

4. (2) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.6828 (101.672)

5. (22) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.8097 (101.487)

6. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.8423 (101.440)

7. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.6037 (101.788)

8. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.6385 (101.737)

9. (77) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.6497 (101.720)

10. (82) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.7352 (101.596)

11. (06) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.8122 (101.484)

12. (6) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.8243 (101.466)

13. (14) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.1010 (101.066)

14. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 01:09.9400 (101.298)

15. (34) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.1146 (101.046)

16. (38) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.5883 (100.368)

17. (59) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.1465 (101.000)

18. (78) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.6407 (100.293)

19. (17) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.3477 (100.711)

20. (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.7836 (100.091)

21. (19) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.8050 (100.061)

22. (5) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.8197 (100.040)

23. (18) James Jakes, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.8592 (99.984)

24. (83) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 01:10.8672 (99.973)

25. (8) Paul Tracy, Dallara-Honda, 01:11.0249 (99.751)

26. (24) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 01:11.0341 (99.738)

27. (4) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 01:11.4916 (99.100)

 

GOLF

TEXAS OPEN

Saturday's third round

Brendan Steele 69-72-68 -- 209

Cameron Tringale 71-71-68 -- 210

Kevin Chappell 68-73-70 -- 211

Brandt Snedeker 69-72-70 -- 211

Pat Perez 71-74-67 -- 212

Charles Howell III 71-73-68 -- 212

Adam Scott 68-74-70 -- 212

Charley Hoffman 68-73-72 -- 213

Rich Beem 71-70-72 -- 213

Fredrik Jacobson 72-75-67 -- 214

J.P. Hayes 73-73-68 -- 214

Vaughn Taylor 68-75-71 -- 214

Ricky Barnes 73-70-71 -- 214

Jeff Maggert 71-72-71 -- 214

Dean Wilson 70-72-72 -- 214

Steve Flesch 71-76-68 -- 215

Martin Laird 72-74-69 -- 215

Martin Piller 70-75-70 -- 215

Brendon de Jonge 72-72-71 -- 215

J.B. Holmes 70-73-72 -- 215

Kevin Sutherland 71-70-74 -- 215

Geoff Ogilvy 69-72-74 -- 215

Bobby Gates 70-78-68 -- 216

Kevin Stadler 70-77-69 -- 216

Johnson Wagner 71-75-70 -- 216

William McGirt 73-73-70 -- 216

Briny Baird 71-75-70 -- 216

Hunter Haas 75-70-71 -- 216

Matt Every 73-69-74 -- 216

Bo Van Pelt 75-73-69 -- 217

Nathan Green 75-73-69 -- 217

Ryuji Imada 72-75-70 -- 217

Keegan Bradley 73-73-71 -- 217

Kevin Streelman 69-76-72 -- 217

John Senden 71-74-72 -- 217

Brian Gay 71-74-72 -- 217

Brandt Jobe 75-69-73 -- 217

Tag Ridings 70-74-73 -- 217

Kris Blanks 71-73-73 -- 217

Roland Thatcher 74-74-70 -- 218

Bryce Molder 73-75-70 -- 218

Chris Kirk 70-76-72 -- 218

Jarrod Lyle 74-71-73 -- 218

Troy Matteson 69-76-73 -- 218

Blake Adams 71-74-73 -- 218

Nick O'Hern 73-72-73 -- 218

Shaun Micheel 72-73-73 -- 218

Bill Lunde 71-73-74 -- 218

Jim Renner 72-72-74 -- 218

Chad Campbell 71-73-74 -- 218

Justin Leonard 73-75-71 -- 219

Arjun Atwal 71-77-71 -- 219

Ben Martin 73-74-72 -- 219

Billy Horschel 71-74-74 -- 219

Billy Mayfair 72-73-74 -- 219

Scott Stallings 71-73-75 -- 219

Jim Herman 69-78-73 -- 220

James Driscoll 74-73-73 -- 220

Bob Estes 71-76-73 -- 220

Scott Verplank 75-72-73 -- 220

Woody Austin 73-73-74 -- 220

Chris Riley 74-72-74 -- 220

Paul Goydos 71-74-75 -- 220

Stewart Cink 67-78-75 -- 220

Jhonattan Vegas 68-76-76 -- 220

Steven Bowditch 77-69-75 -- 221

John Merrick 72-72-77 -- 221

Michael Connell 73-70-78 -- 221

Justin Hicks 77-71-74 -- 222

Frank Lickliter II 70-77-75 -- 222

Fabian Gomez 72-74-76 -- 222

J.J. Henry 67-78-77 -- 222

Joseph Bramlett 70-74-78 -- 222

David Duval 75-72-76 -- 223

Bio Kim 78-69-76 -- 223

Colt Knost 73-73-81 -- 227

Tim Petrovic 72-76-80 -- 228

Scott Gutschewski 76-72-80 -- 228

 

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE OPEN

Saturday's second round

John Cook 66-65 -- 131

Russ Cochran 64-68 -- 132

Jay Don Blake 66-68 -- 134

Tom Pernice, Jr. 68-68 -- 136

Joey Sindelar 68-68 -- 136

Peter Senior 69-68 -- 137

Tom Wargo 70-68 -- 138

Joe Ozaki 69-69 -- 138

Hale Irwin 70-68 -- 138

Larry Mize 70-68 -- 138

Mark Calcavecchia 69-69 -- 138

Don Pooley 69-70 -- 139

Chip Beck 71-68 -- 139

Olin Browne 70-69 -- 139

Michael Allen 71-68 -- 139

Nick Price 71-68 -- 139

Ted Schulz 68-72 -- 140

Tim Simpson 68-72 -- 140

Tom Jenkins 72-68 -- 140

Jay Haas 70-70 -- 140

Kenny Perry 67-73 -- 140

Mike Goodes 68-72 -- 140

Steve Lowery 71-70 -- 141

Keith Fergus 73-68 -- 141

Loren Roberts 70-71 -- 141

Phil Blackmar 73-68 -- 141

Mark O'Meara 72-69 -- 141

Bob Tway 74-67 -- 141

David Eger 74-68 -- 142

Tom Lehman 73-69 -- 142

Mark Wiebe 70-72 -- 142

Lee Rinker 69-74 -- 143

Chien Soon Lu 69-74 -- 143

Fuzzy Zoeller 72-71 -- 143

Andy Bean 70-73 -- 143

Dana Quigley 71-72 -- 143

Jim Thorpe 72-71 -- 143

Bobby Wadkins 70-73 -- 143

Bill Glasson 72-72 -- 144

Mike Reid 71-73 -- 144

Bruce Fleisher 72-72 -- 144

Rod Spittle 70-74 -- 144

Bob Gilder 69-75 -- 144

Tommy Armour III 72-72 -- 144

Scott Hoch 70-74 -- 144

Jeff Sluman 71-73 -- 144

Brad Bryant 75-70 -- 145

Mark Brooks 76-69 -- 145

John Jacobs 70-75 -- 145

Elliott Management Corp., a hedge fund manager angling to convert Iron Mountain Inc. into a real estate investment trust, stepped up its proxy battle by providing investors with a presentation that highlights the company's sliding share price under CEO Bob Brennan. Since Brennan took over as CEO in June 2008, Iron Mountain shares have struggled. The stock was off about 11 percent during his tenure before Elliott Management's proposals for shaking up the company became public in early March. The hedge fund is taking credit for a recent resurgence in Iron Mountain's stock, which is up 16 percent over the past...

A hedge fund that wants to overhaul Iron Mountain Inc. (NYSE: IRM) stepped up its proxy battle with management by providing investors with a presentation that highlights the company's sliding share price under CEO Bob Brennan. Since Brennan took over as CEO in June 2008, Iron Mountain shares have struggled. The stock was off about 11 percent during his tenure before Elliott Management Corp.'s proposals for shaking up the company became public in early March. The hedge fund is taking credit for a recent resurgence in Iron Mountain's stock, which is up 16 percent over the past...

'Boring journalism, or rock'n'roll and shagging? It wasn't a very difficult career decision for a young man'

What got you started?

Boredom. I'd got thrown out of Canada, where I'd been living – so I came back to Ireland, and was trying to start a rock'n'roll paper, but it was incredibly difficult. My neighbours said they were starting a band. For want of something to do, I joined: first as manager, then singer. I thought we were shite, but I loved it.

What was your big breakthrough?

A girl walking over at our first gig and asking if she could shag me. I was like, "Hello – boring paper, really hard-going; or rock'n'roll and shagging?" It wasn't a very difficult career decision for a young man.

Who or what have you sacrificed for your art?

I sacrificed the band to my chronic inability to understand where my interests lie. I messed up our chances in America with my mouth; at our first gig in San Diego, I got us taken off the biggest 60 radio stations in the country because I insulted the programme directors.

How do you react to people criticising Band Aid – like Morrissey, who described it as "the undiscussable"?

What Morrissey has to say about anything is redundant – he's a bit like me, in that he says things for effect. Of course millions of people criticised the projects. But from my point of view, they were total successes. Without them, there would certainly be hundreds of thousands of people not around, and you probably wouldn't have got the resolution in 2005 of cancelling debt and doubling aid to Africa.

What's the worst thing anyone ever said about you?

I'm sure there are books written about what a cunt I am. But the worst thing ever written was when Paula [Yates] was pregnant for the first time. A music paper printed a picture of her pregnant, with the headline "Abortion of the Year". Underneath it said, "One Geldof bastard is enough." She cried and cried.

What one song would work as the soundtrack to your life?

Kris Kristofferson's The Pilgrim. I went to see him once at the Hammersmith Apollo. He started this song by saying, "I wrote the song about Johnny Cash, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Pete Seeger . . . and Bob Geldof." That was a big moment for me.

What work of art would you most like to own?

A Bacon, a Turner or a Pollock, for their terrible beauty. But I think music is a superior art, because it makes you understand an emotion – something inherently inchoate. I sometimes go to Canterbury Cathedral on a Friday night and listen to the choirboys practising. I'm not spiritual, not religious, but I sit there and weep.

In short

Born: Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, 1951.

Career: Started out as the frontman of the Boomtown Rats. Co-founded Band Aid in 1984 and reprised his charitable efforts with Live 8 in 2005. His fifth solo record, How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell, is out now.

High point: "When Looking After Number One went into the charts. I couldn't believe it – I'd been a complete loser all my life."

Low point: "My career."

Now in our 9th year, the Sacramento International Film Festival is proud to host some of the world's best filmic talent both globally and locally with over a week of films, workshops, and special events. Each year we continue our mission to cultivate filmmaking as an independent art while welcoming all levels of the film industry to our region.

For more information, visit http://www.sacramentofilmfestival.com/festivalguide2011

==================================================================

Saturday, April 9th ---Crocker Art Museum | 216 O Street

(Afterwards, visit Ernesto's (1901 16th Street, at 16th & S) for our after-party/conversation!)

11AM

NORCAL ALL-STARS

 DJINN (d. Eliane Lima, 15m)
An homage to Alain Robbe-Grillet and Brazilian Philosopher Claudio Ulpiano.

THE  BULLPEN (d.  Vincent Dee Miles, 15m)
Marla, overwhelmed, goes to the bullpen.

INSIDE MY BEING (d. Robert Carlo Chiesa, 18m)
Through the course of the mother daughter journey into the depths of Alzheimer's, Jenni finds that when all else is gone, her mother's heart and soul is not and is able to keep a very special connection with her to the very end.

TYRANNY OF THE MIRROR (d. LaDonna Witmer, 8m)
The mirror image is a hard master. Most women know what it's like to find their reflection wanting. There's always something not quite right -- not tall enough, short enough, curvy enough, thin enough, old enough, young enough.

MARTHA & DEE VISIT THE 5TH DIMENSION (d. Noelle Foster, 10m)
Martha's family has all the outward trappings of suburban bliss. But in reality, her home life is a dystopia of parental egocentricity and neglect. When Martha decides to run away from home, she brings her invisible friend Dee along for an adventure.

THE LOVELY LEAVE (d. Kelly Slachman, 10m)
When Lieutenant Steve Jones 24-hour leave is unexpectedly cut short, he and his wife have very different ideas about how to spend his time at home. Set during WWII, 'The Lovely Leave' is a drama based on the short story by Dorothy Parker.

SACRAMENTO: A FAMILY FABLE (d. Michael Bodie, 19m)
An estranged son. A missing father. And a dead dog. Wouldn't YOU want to go home for the holidays?

BEFORE THE BEGINNING (d. Jason Borroel, 30m)
Winner of Sacramento International Film Festival's screenplay contest, Before the Beginning portrays an awkward meeting between a man and a woman which reveals many secrets.

-----------------------------------------------------------
3PM
PORTRAITS OF GREATNESS: ELOY TORREZ & DAVID JOHNSON WITH SPECIAL GUEST ELOY TORREZ (free!)

POSITIVE NEGATIVES: THE ART OF DAVID JOHNSON (d. Mindy Steiner, 35m)
David Johnson, now 84 years old, was the first African American student to study photography under Ansel Adams. But unlike Ansel Adams, David Johnson found his landscape on the street where he lived, capturing mages of people living with respect and dignity in the Fillmore district of San Francisco. The amazing art, culture, and sense of place come through in Johnson's work.
ELOY TAKE TWO (d. Roberto Sierra Oregel, 30m)
A journey into the creative mind and work of Los Angeles muralist/artist and singer/song writer, Eloy Torrez. The portrait is composed by his brilliant musical and painting talents and revealing interviews.
==================================================================

Sunday, April 10th ----The Artisan-1901 Del Paso Boulevard (between El Camino & Arden Way)

11:30AM

ENVIRONMENTAL VISIONS PT.II-DOUBLE FEATURE WITH SHORTS

SIBYLLINE FRACTURE (d. Susan Shaw, 6m)
As a part-time Atchafalaya Basin resident, I am very passionate about the waters of Louisiana. This is my response to the BP spill.
OUS DEENH MILSOON (WILL SEE YOU THAT DAY) (d. Farhan Maqsood, 7m)
Pakkhi Vaas (Temporary Inhabitants) are the marginalized of society, inhabiting the outskirts of the city Lahore in Pakistan, usually occupying vacant government land. Their only connection to society is doing menial jobs to support their families.
THE MUSIC OF ERIC ZANN (d. Janelle Miguel & Benjamin Morales, 1m)
WHAT DO POLAR BEARS DREAM WHILE THEY'RE DYING? (d. Arthur C. Smith III, 33m)
What if we're all the polar bear? A wildlife cinematographer moves to Alaska to discover that what's really killing polar bears is already killing people.
SCIENTISTS UNDER ATTACK (d. Bertram Verhaag, 88m)
A documentary thriller about how Agro-Chemical multinational corporations victimize international scientists to prevent them from publishing their disturbing findings.

==================================================================

Monday, April 11th----The Artisan-1901 Del Paso Boulevard (between El Camino & Arden Way)

7PM

DOUBLE FEATURE: TIERRA MADRE & WOMEN SPEAK

TIERRA MADRE (d. 62m)
The true story of a woman on the Mexican border determined to raise her children with her female partner.

GET REAL! WISE WOMEN SPEAK (d. Joni Steele Kimberlin, 77m)
Wise Women Speak profiles extraordinary women who are using their time and talent in their later years to benefit the world.

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Wednesday, April 13th----The Artisan-1901 Del Paso Boulevard (between El Camino & Arden Way)

(Afterwards, visit Carol's Books-next door at 1913 Del Paso Boulevard-for our after party/conversation.)

7PM

Cine Soul-the Sacramento Int'l Black Film Festival Part I

MR. DIAL HAS SOMETHING TO SAY (d. Celia Carey, 68m)
Award winning documentary on acclaimed artist Thornton Dial.
This feature explores the visual arts sibling of jazz, the blues, and gospel.
What is art, where is it born, and who decides what is great art?

For more information, visit http://www.sacramentofilmfestival.com/schedule2011
or call Carol's Books: 916-335-9094

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Thursday, April 14th----The Artisan-1901 Del Paso Boulevard (between El Camino & Arden Way)

(Afterwards, visit Carol's Books-next door at 1913 Del Paso Boulevard-for our after party/conversation.)

7PM

Cine Soul-the Sacramento Int'l Black Film Festival Part II

ROUND ON BOTH SIDES (d. Marquette Jones, 17m)
Time is running out on both Nancy's dream of becoming a supermodel as well as her opportunity to be a good mother.
REVOLUTIONARY MICROPHONE (d. Therese Tran, 13m)
An intimate portrait that looks at the power of one individual, Gidon the Mighty Warrior, to bring social awareness to a community through poetry and music.
INFILTRATING HOLLYWOOD: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR (d. Christine Acham, Clifford Ward, 57m)
A gripping documentary on the controversial and FBI repressed 1973 black film The Spook Who Sat By the Door. Through interviews with author Sam Greenlee, Berlie Dixon, widow of director Ivan Dixon, Academy Award winning editor Michael Kahn, and Melvin Van Peebles, the film explores one of the most gripping stories of the last thirty years.

For more information, visit http://www.sacramentofilmfestival.com/schedule2011
or call Carol's Books: 916-335-9094

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Friday, April 15th----The Artisan-1901 Del Paso Boulevard (between El Camino & Arden Way)

3:30PM

SAC ANIMATION 2011

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU (d. Don Hertzfeldt, 21m)

TOOTHNAPPED (d. George Dondero, 5m)
Pull the tooth. Discover the truth.

FLESH COLOR (d. Masahiko Adachi, 4m)
It's the Japanese tattoo world on the skin.

THREADS (d. Robert Forsberg, 9m)
Threads utilizes visual storytelling to use animation as a way to show life events that cannot be seen. Set in Mongolia, Threads is about a young girl who comes to terms with her mother's death by reliving their most cherished and loving times together.

KINGS (d. Robert Forsberg, 7m)
Two old men traveling on a train together engage in an escalating conflict that they try to resolve by playing the card game WAR. They then dominate the only innocent victims they can find. Kings poses the question 'is War inevitable'?

NO ROBOTS (d. Kimberly Knoll, 6m)
In the not so distant future, a cafe owner has to run a business during a time when robots have resorted to crime as a means of survival. He discriminates against mechanical citizens by segregating himself against robotic kind.

LIFE FORMS (d. Cathy Karol-Crowther, 3m)
Hand drawn animated life forms find love and harmony.

SNEEZE ME AWAY (d. Ryan Grobins, 14m)
A boy finds a way to enter into a magical, fantastic world by sneezing with his eyes open. He must then enlist the aid of a strange ally in order to get home again.

THE BIRD UPSTAIRS (d. Christopher Jarvis, 9m)
Frustrated attempts to bear children overwhelm the lives of an aristocratic, avian couple in the early nineteenth century.

CIRCUS (d. Mackenzie Cauley, 7m)
This animated short that explores the romance and quarrels between 3 performers of an old fashioned circus.

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7PM

HARD ASS CINEMA SHORTS SHOWCASE

SPARE (d. Tomer Almagor, 9m)
When Frank's flimsy plan to whack Leo is tampered by a flat tire and Leo flees the scene, the two gangsters embark on a chase deep into the woods where they experience unforeseen intimacy.

SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN (d. Tara Parian, 21m)
Sunday Morning Coming Down tells the story of Q, a reticent day laborer, who can't pay his mother's medical bills and also make rent. When his landlord gives him a five-day ultimatum, he takes up a lucrative offer to murder the mistress of Daniel Roaldson.

ANDRE (d. Christopher Fernandez, 12m)
After a workplace affair, Andre has fallen in love with his boss, Lynne. When Lynne recommits herself to her husband Andre is left emotionally damaged. His attempts to win Lynne back fail and he is further hurt and alienated when she has him fired.
BREAKING OUT (d. Kevin Barile, 21m)
Breaking Out is an action/drama about a prisoner who is highly trained in the art of combat who must break out of his cell, fight the guards and rescue his best friend, Benny, from the mysterious people holding them hostage before they both suffer an inevitable demise.

FRANTIC (d. Sean Bradley & Josh Fasulo, 6m)
A once-charming girl struggles to distinguish between fantasy and the reality that corrupted her dreams.
SHADES OF GRAY (d. Frank A. Simasko, 13m)
Ellen Hayes is the victim of a brutal and traumatizing assault. On the way home from the hospital her husband, Patrick Hayes, takes matters into his own hands when she spots her assailant.
3 APARTMENTS (d. Hernan Berangan, 30m)
On one floor of an apartment building, a man crawls up to his own door - number 207 - he's been shot. The girl in 204 is having a meltdown. In 206, a skittish guy is trying to get rid of an old friend. As they unravel, their three stories intertwine.

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Saturday, April 16th ---Crocker Art Museum | 216 O Street

12noon

INTERNATIONAL SHORTS

   TRUTH      OR DIE  (d. Tom Grejs, 10m)
Two teenagers find themselves on a steep cliff overlooking the Swedish mountainside. They play a game, Truth or Lie, to determine the circumstances that brought both to the precipice. As the truth is revealed, the games changes from Truth or Lie to Truth or Die.
IRIS (d. James Niebauer, 2m)
Shot in black and white, Iris is about a photographer chasing her subject.
KIDNAP (d. Sijia Luo, 4m)
A little chicken is late to school, but her excuse is too wild to believe: getting kidnapped on the way to school. You believe not not, this chicken is a really good actress and a Kung Fu master.
PASSION, FRUIT (d. Ting Liu, 14m)
Passion, Fruit is Ting Liu'a graduation thesis film. It received high honors and the Steven J Ross prize for Best Filmed Thesis at Wesleyan University.
  STRANGERS    NO MORE  (d. Kirk Simon, 39m)
In the heart of Tel Aviv, there is an exceptional school where children from forty-eight different countries and diverse backgrounds come together to learn. Many of the students arrive at Bialik-Rogozin fleeing poverty, political adversity and even genocide. At the school they learn and heal.

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2PM

THE PRACTICE OF THE WILD
THE PRACTICE OF THE WILD (d. John J. Healey, 52m)
A conversation with Pulitzer prize winning Northern California poet Gary Snyder.

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4PM

SFF SHORTS SAMPLER
SCOTTISH BOB (d. Joe Stanley, 7m)
When the Family get together, it is a constant struggle to avoid the day ending in disaster.

ULTIMO RECURSO (d. Barney Elliott, 9m)
Without any further options, Cesar resorts to desperate measures. But when an ironic twist of fate foils his plan - in the heat of panic - Cesar must decide whether to flee or to help.

LIGHTS (d. Sabine Lamby, 15m)
The story of a small-town police officer who dreams of being a hero. As his peaceful village offers no opportunity for heroism, he decides to take matters in his own hands.

VENTO (d. Marcio Salem, 15m)
A small isolated town in Brazil is becoming windless.

FLAT LOVE (d. Andres Sanz, 15m)
A man, convinced that the world is actually flat, falls in love with a two-dimensional woman at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. From the writer/director of the award-winning Bedford, Flat Love is a unique, funny tale of love and obsession narrated by acclaimed actress Isabella Rossellini.

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7PM

40TH ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE OF THE LAST PICTURE SHOW w/special guest Timothy Bottoms

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (d. Peter Bogdanovich, 118m)
A group of 50's high schoolers come of age in a bleak, isolated, atrophied West Texas town that is slowly dying, both economically and culturally. The show will also include Q&A with the film's star Timothy Bottoms, live and in person.

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Sunday, April 17th ---Crocker Art Museum | 216 O Street

11:30AM

BARBERSHOP PUNK

BARBERSHOP PUNK (d. Georgia Sugimura Archer, Kristin Armfield, 77m)
Barbershop Punk follows the personal journey of Barbershop Quartet fan Robb Topolski as he takes on a powerful internet broker. Directed by Georgia Sugimura Archer and Kristin Armfield (Co-Director), the film contemplates the future of the American Internet and the Net Neutrality debate, bearing witness to the importance of independent voice and thought.

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1:30PM

POUND OF FLESH w/Special Guest Timothy Bottoms

THE PSYCHIATRIST (short film, runtime TBA)

POUND OF FLESH (d. Tamar Simon Hoffs, 120m)
Professor Noah Melville is seemingly a model family man with a secret. When a young woman's body is found near campus, the police are led to Noah. Malcolm McDowell and Timothy Bottoms star in this gripping drama of dark intentions.

Q&A WITH ACTOR TIMOTHY BOTTOMS of Pound of Flesh

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In every sports competition in the world, fans of one team will claim another team gets more favourable treatment than their own, whether it’s selection in representative teams, concessions regarding player salaries or favourable refereeing decisions. Cricket in Australia is no different. The dawn of summer is almost inevitably accompanied by bleating, generally from Victorian fans, about how players from New South Wales are more likely to be selected in the national team than players from other states. This opinion found a voice in David Hookes, who claimed:

"When they give out the baggy blue cap in New South Wales, they give you a baggy green one in a brown paper bag as well to save making two presentations."

It’s about time we put this idea to the test. Since the 1977/78 season, all 6 Australian states have played in the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s domestic first-class cricket competition. Since 1982/83, the season has culminated in a grand final (previous to this the winner was determined league style by whoever won the most throughout the season). I will use data from 1982/83 till now for consistency and so that all states are represented. The following table shows the players who have debuted for Australia since the start of the 1982/83 season, the state they were playing for at the time of their debut, and the number of Tests they played throughout their career.

Player	Years	Tests	State		Player	Years	Tests	State
Carl Rackemann	1982–91	12	Qld		Matthew Elliott	1996–2004	21	Vic
Kepler Wessels	1982–85	24	Qld		Michael Kasprowicz	1996–2006	38	Qld
Tom Hogan	1983–84	7	WA		Jason Gillespie	1996–2006	71	SA
Roger Woolley	1983–84	2	Tas		Andy Bichel	1997–2003	19	Qld
Wayne B. Phillips	1983–86	27	SA		Shaun Young	1997	1	Tas
John Maguire	1983–84	3	Qld		Simon Cook	1997	2	NSW
Greg Matthews	1983–93	33	NSW		Stuart MacGill	1998–2008	44	NSW
Steve Smith	1984	3	NSW		Gavin Robertson	1998	4	NSW
Dean Jones	1984–92	52	Vic		Paul Wilson	1998	1	SA
David Boon	1984–96	107	Tas		Adam Dale	1998–99	2	Qld
Bob Holland	1984–86	11	NSW		Darren Lehmann	1998–2004	27	SA
Murray Bennett	1984–85	3	NSW		Colin Miller	1998–2001	18	Tas
Craig McDermott	1984–96	71	Qld		Matthew Nicholson	1998	1	WA
Simon O'Donnell	1985	6	Vic		Adam Gilchrist	1999–2008	96	WA
Dave Gilbert	1985–86	9	NSW		Scott Muller	1999	2	Qld
Robbie Kerr	1985	2	Qld		Brett Lee	1999–2010	76	NSW
Merv Hughes	1985–94	53	Vic		Simon Katich	2001–	56	WA
Geoff Marsh	1985–92	50	WA		Martin Love	2002–03	5	Qld
Bruce Reid	1985–92	27	WA		Brad Williams	2003–04	4	WA
Steve Waugh	1985–2004	168	NSW		Nathan Bracken	2003–05	5	NSW
Simon Davis	1986	1	Vic		Andrew Symonds	2004–09	26	Qld
Tim Zoehrer	1986–87	10	WA		Michael Clarke	2004–	67	NSW
Chris Matthews	1986–88	3	WA		Nathan Hauritz	2004–	17	Qld
Greg Dyer	1986–88	6	NSW		Shane Watson	2005–	25	Qld
Peter Taylor	1987–91	13	NSW		Shaun Tait	2005–08	3	SA
Mike Veletta	1987–90	8	WA		Michael Hussey	2005–	57	WA
Tim May	1987–95	24	SA		Brad Hodge	2005-08	6	Vic
Tony Dodemaide	1987–92	10	Vic		Phil Jaques	2005–08	11	NSW
Ian Healy	1988–99	119	Qld		Stuart Clark	2006–09	24	NSW
Trevor Hohns	1989	7	Qld		Dan Cullen	2006	1	SA
Mark Taylor	1989–99	104	NSW		Mitchell Johnson	2007–	40	Qld
Greg Campbell	1989–90	4	Tas		Chris Rogers	2008	1	WA
Tom Moody	1989–92	8	WA		Brad Haddin	2008–	30	NSW
Mark Waugh	1991–2002	128	NSW		Beau Casson	2008	1	NSW
Shane Warne	1992–2007	145	Vic		Cameron White	2008–09	4	Vic
Wayne N. Phillips	1992	1	Vic		Peter Siddle	2008–	20	Vic
Paul Reiffel	1992–98	35	Vic		Jason Krejza	2008	2	Tas
Damien Martyn	1992–2006	67	WA		Doug Bollinger	2009–	12	NSW
Justin Langer	1993–2007	105	WA		Andrew McDonald	2009	4	Vic
Jo Angel	1993–95	4	WA		Ben Hilfenhaus	2009–	15	Tas
Michael Slater	1993–2001	74	NSW		Phillip Hughes	2009–	8	NSW
Brendon Julian	1993–95	7	WA		Marcus North	2009–	21	WA
Glenn McGrath	1993–2007	124	NSW		Bryce McGain	2009	1	Vic
Matthew Hayden	1994–2009	103	Qld		Graham Manou	2009	1	SA
Michael Bevan	1994–98	18	NSW		Clint McKay	2009	1	Vic
Damien Fleming	1994–2001	20	Vic		Ryan Harris	2010–	4	SA
Phil Emery	1994	1	NSW		Tim Paine	2010	4	Tas
Greg Blewett	1995–2000	46	SA		Steven Smith	2010–	3	NSW
Peter McIntyre	1995–96	2	SA		Peter George	2010–	1	SA
Stuart Law	1995	1	Qld		Xavier Doherty	2010	2	Tas
Ricky Ponting	1995–	151	Tas		Michael Beer	2011–	1	WA
Brad Hogg	1996–2008	7	WA		Usman Khawaja	2011–	1	NSW

Of the 104 players who debuted after 1982/83, 28 were playing for NSW when they were first picked for Australia (27% of the new players).

	Players	Percentage
NSW	28	27%
WA	20	19%
Qld	18	17%
Vic	16	15%
Tas	10	10%
SA	12	12%

Clearly NSW players have played more Tests. But is this unreasonable? There are two measures we can look at here. Sheffield Shield results and state populations. The following shows the results of the Shield since 1982/83.

Season	Winner	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth		Season	Winner	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth
1982–83	NSW	WA	SA	Tas	Qld	Vic		1997–98	WA	Tas	Qld	NSW	Vic	SA
1983–84	WA	Qld	Tas	NSW	SA	Vic		1998–99	WA	Qld	Vic	SA	Tas	NSW
1984–85	NSW	Qld	SA	WA	Vic	Tas		1999-00	Qld	Vic	WA	SA	Tas	NSW
1985–86	NSW	Qld	Vic	WA	SA	Tas		2000–01	Qld	Vic	NSW	Tas	WA	SA
1986–87	WA	Vic	Qld	SA	NSW	Tas		2001–02	Qld	Tas	WA	SA	Vic	NSW
1987–88	WA	Qld	NSW	Vic	SA	Tas		2002–03	NSW	Qld	Vic	SA	WA	Tas
1988–89	WA	SA	Qld	NSW	Tas	Vic		2003–04	Vic	Qld	Tas	WA	NSW	SA
1989–90	NSW	Qld	SA	Tas	WA	Vic		2004–05	NSW	Qld	WA	Vic	SA	Tas
1990–91	Vic	NSW	Qld	WA	SA	Tas		2005–06	Qld	Vic	SA	Tas	WA	NSW
1991–92	WA	NSW	Vic	Qld	SA	Tas		2006–07	Tas	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA
1992–93	NSW	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	Vic		2007–08	NSW	Vic	WA	Tas	SA	Qld
1993–94	NSW	Tas	WA	Vic	SA	Qld		2008–09	Vic	Qld	SA	Tas	WA	NSW
1994–95	Qld	SA	Vic	WA	NSW	Tas		2009–10	Vic	Qld	NSW	WA	Tas	SA
1995–96	SA	WA	Qld	Tas	NSW	Vic		2001–11	Tas	NSW	Qld	WA	Vic	SA
1996–97	Qld	WA	NSW	Tas	Vic	SA

NSW has won 9 Shields, ahead of WA’s 7. If you look at the percentage of Shield wins per state and compare this to the number of players picked for Australia from that state, you will notice that these results are remarkably similar. Is it any surprise that the most successful team over this time has more players picked for representative honours? If you look at all the Tests played since 82/83, 34% of the Test positions up for grabs were occupied by NSW players, and the order of states is exactly the same as the order for number of Shield wins. This is strong evidence that rather than a selection bias, players are being picked either because they are the best players or because they have been a part of successful teams.

	Players			Tests			Shield wins
NSW	28	27%		983	34%		9	31%
WA	20	19%		540	18%		7	24%
Qld	18	17%		516	18%		6	21%
Vic	16	15%		380	13%		4	14%
Tas	10	10%		306	10%		2	7%
SA	12	12%		208	7%		1	3%

The second way to look at this is by state population. I don’t particularly like this method because sportsmen, especially in this professional age, move teams for many reasons, including for better opportunities and more pay, and don’t necessarily play for the state of their birth. The most populous state is not necessarily going to have the best team. But because this is often the first measure people look to when analysing team results (for example, Olympic results), and because arguably a larger population means a bigger economy and therefore more money flowing through the team, we shall include some analysis. Since 1982, NSW (+ACT) has averaged 36% of the total population of the states (excluding Northern Territory). Again, this matches quite closely the number of players picked for Australia – indeed, you might argue that more players from NSW should have been picked. It would be by this measure that Victorians may claim some bias.

	Population	Shield Wins
NSW + ACT	36%	31%
Vic	25%	14%
Qld	18%	21%
WA	10%	24%
Tas	3%	7%
SA	8%	3%

Finally, let’s look at the one-test wonders – the players who only played one test.

	One Test wonders
NSW	3
WA	3
Qld	1
Vic	4
Tas	1
SA	4

Victoria and SA share this honour with 4 one-test wonders – and this is possibly why David Hookes, of SA stock and coach of Victoria after his retirement, was cranky. In the case of SA, this is a third of their players who have made their debut since 1982/83 – indeed, 7 of their 12 Test players did not play more than 4 Tests. Tasmanian players also fair poorly in this regard, with 6 of their 10 players playing no more than 4 Tests – Tasmanian results are severely skewed by Ponting’s 151 and Boon’s 107 Tests.

No matter what state a Test player is from, he has roughly the same chance of playing 15 or more Tests. Thus the data does not support the idea that selectors are more likely to stick with NSW players through a patch of poor form.

	Percentage of state Test players (15+ Tests)
NSW	43%
WA	40%
Qld	56%
Vic	44%
Tas	40%
SA	42%

I would be interested to hear your thoughts regarding this – I know it can stir some passions. But the data would suggest that there is no unfair bias towards NSW.

Further thoughts:

• I have made no attempt to look at players moving state during their careers. Simon Katich, for instance, had a career revival when playing for NSW, even though he was originally picked for Australia when playing for WA. Nathan Hauritz similarly had his fortunes revived when playing for NSW, even though he debuted when playing for Queensland. There are also many examples of this working the other way – Jason Krejza moved to Tasmania, and Adam Gilchrist to WA, both from NSW and then made their debut. Even Don Bradman first played for NSW before an ongoing career with SA.
• You could do the same analysis if you have time and patience on your hands for one-day and Twenty20 cricket.
• It was quite difficult in some cases to track which state a player was playing for when they made their Australian debut, especially if they moved state soon after. I have put the data here (some of the array formulae don't work in Google docs, and I have stripped out the macros, but you can redo them). If I have made a mistake, let me know!

From 'the shot heard round the world' to Jack Nicklaus's remarkable win in 1986, here are six great Augusta moments

1) The "shot heard round the world" (1935)

When Craig Wood birdied the final hole of the second Augusta National Invitation Tournament in 1935 – the Masters wouldn't be called the Masters for another four years – he must have thought he had put what was fast becoming a jinx to bed. Wood was the Greg Norman of his day: by far the longest hitter on tour, but never able to convert this prodigious advantage into titles, outrageous bad luck nixing him every time.

In 1933, he went into an 18-hole play-off for the Open championship at St Andrews as favourite, but early in the round an abnormally huge 440-yard drive found sand and cost him a shot. Wood never recovered momentum and Denny Chute took the prize. In the inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament the following year, Wood missed out on the title by one stroke, Horton Smith sinking a monster to win on 17. Then Wood lost the final of the PGA, then a matchplay tournament — the unfancied Paul Runyan, who had an unnerving habit of getting up and down from all sorts of foliage-related bother, holding on for dear life for 36 holes, then sinking a sudden-death sucker punch from 10-feet on the second extra hole.

But that final-hole birdie at Augusta in the spring of 1935 looked to have finally sealed the deal for Wood. It meant he had posted a clubhouse score of 282, three ahead of his nearest leaderboard challenger. That man was Gene Sarazen, who as a cheer went up in celebration of Wood's birdie, stood in the centre of the fairway at the par-five 15th, having hit his drive 225 yards down the 520-yard hole. "Well, that's that," said Walter Hagen, Sarazen's playing partner for the day. "Oh I don't know," smiled Sarazen, "they might go in from anywhere."

Sarazen's caddy, a chap improbably called Stovepipe, informed him that he would definitely need a three-wood to clear the water in front of the green. But Sarazen ummed and ahhed, and eventually decided Stovepipe was talking through his hat, plumping for a four-wood instead. "Hey, hurry up, Gene," laughed Hagen, "I got a date tonight." Sarazen finally got on with it, creaming a shot straight towards the green, 40 feet into the air. It eventually landed a few inches in front of the green, before rolling towards the far-right corner of the putting surface and dropping into the hole. Albatross. Three holes later, three difficult par putts sunk, he was in the clubhouse, tied with the hapless Wood. Inevitably, Sarazen won the 36-hole play off, triumphing by five shots thanks mainly to a hot putter. But it was his shot with his 4-wood that had been heard around the world, and that put the Masters on the map.

Wood's personal nightmare wasn't over. In 1939, he made the play-off of the US Open, only to lose out to Byron Nelson. It meant he had become the first player to lose all four majors in play-offs. The only other player to subsequently match this dubious feat? You've guessed it: Norman, who infamously failed to win a Masters despite coming second three times, third three times, and fourth, fifth and sixth once apiece. Wood, unlike Norman, eventually made peace with Augusta, though, leading from the very first day to win the 1941 tournament, and following it up immediately with a US Open win too.

2) Nicklaus's forgotten miracle (1986)

The pivotal moment of the 1986 Masters – the greatest of all – has gone down in legend. Jack Nicklaus had mounted a charge, with birdies at 9, 10 and 11, and an eagle at 15, but was still two behind leader Seve Ballesteros. He then hit his tee shot at 16 to four feet. Meanwhile Seve was coming down the 15th, in prime position in the centre of the fairway. He addresses his ball and prepares to go for the green – but then steps away as a cheer rings round the course: Jack has made his birdie putt on 16. Spooked, Seve steps up again, only to top his second into the lake. Bogey. Nicklaus goes on to birdie 17, taking over the lead from a haunted Seve and eventually winning the green jacket at the age of 46 years and three months.

Nicklaus's antics on the back nine – he came home in 30 strokes – define that tournament. Even if you're not a golf nut, you'll remember the image of the week: the celebration on 17, the Golden Bear lunging forward after the ball, splay footed, putter raised in the air just as the ball's about to drop. But none of it would have been possible without a now oft-forgotten miracle moment on the 8th, arguably the real pivotal moment that day.

"I was on my way to watch Seve," explains legendary Observer golf writer Bill Elliott, one of the very few who witnessed Nicklaus's miracle shot that day. In order to follow the Spaniard, Elliott had to cross the 8th fairway. He waited for Nicklaus to drive, and saw the 17-time major winner slice his ball into the woods on the right. "I thought: I might as well see how the old bugger handles that! There was only about a dozen people following him. He wasn't a contender. As things stood, he was in about 35th or 40th place.

"Jack's son Steve was caddying, and handed him a seven-iron to chip back out sideways. Jack stood in the trees with his hands on his hips and finally said 'Wait a minute, I see a gap'." Nicklaus took his three wood and clattered his ball through a two-foot gap that was 40 yards ahead of him. "He trudged into those trees," remembers Elliott, "and marched out of them. It got his juices flowing." Nicklaus was able to save par, and on the very next hole he birdied to begin his famous charge.

Luck played a big part – years later, Dave Musgrove, caddying for Nicklaus's playing partner Sandy Lyle, revealed that Jack admitted he'd missed the gap he was aiming for, but the ball flew through an even smaller one anyway – but that should take nothing away from Nicklaus, who according to Elliott should be applauded for his "shot execution, bravado, imagination and balls". Nicklaus's subsequent performance that hazy afternoon set the seal on his amazing career, and arguably ruined two others: a deeply affected Seve was never the same again, while Greg Norman, looking to par the last to force a play-off with Nicklaus, wilted in the face of the Golden Bear's partisan support and bogeyed, his first Masters runner-up spot surely planting a seed of doubt that would eventually consume him ten years later in spectacular fashion.

Now that's pivotal.

3) Sandy Lyle's bunker shot (1988)

By the time Sandy Lyle reached Amen Corner during the fourth round of the 1988 Masters, he had used up an awful lot of nervous energy. He had won the previous week's Greater Greensboro Open, leading for most of that event. He had been leading at Augusta since midway through the second round. And now, as he hit the turn on the final day, he was eight under par, holding a three-shot advantage over Mark Calcavecchia. "I like leading tournaments," he had said the evening before. But no golfer is truly at ease with the prize theirs to lose, and the pressure would suddenly tell.

He bogeyed 11, then double bogeyed the short 12th, covering his face as his tee shot rippled the water. Suddenly his advantage was gone, and soon Calcavecchia took advantage of Lyle's stumble to move ahead. "We led for 40 holes and the strain was awful," Lyle's caddy, Dave Musgrove, remembered later. "When Sandy lost the lead at 14, he started to play again. It was great seeing Calcavecchia ahead of us at 15 with the weight on his shoulders for a change." Still, the American kept steady enough to post a clubhouse total of six under.

Lyle needed to make a move. After missing an easy birdie putt at 15, he rolled in a long, fast, slippery one on the next hole to draw level with the clubhouse leader. After parring 17, Lyle was looking for par at the last to force a play-off. At which point he nearly threw the title away again, driving his one-iron straight into the first of the fairway bunkers, 256 yards from the tee. "As soon as Sandy hit the tee shot on the last, he thought he'd lost the championship," recalled Musgrove. "He said he couldn't get a par from there."

But there was hope. "He didn't want to be in the bunker, like, but if he had to be, then on the upslope was perfect," continued the caddy. "When we got there Sandy checked with a TV guy to see what Calcavecchia had done, and then he knew he needed a par. We'd got 150 yards to the pin, eight-iron distance, but the ball comes off the club slower out of sand, so we hit the seven." Lyle clipped the ball cleanly off the sand with precision bordering on perfection. The ball arced over the flag, bit into the upslope at the back of the green, and slowly – teasingly – dribbled back down the gradient and stopped eight feet from the cup. Pandemonium time.

"We knew it were good by the cheers," said Musgrove. "We couldn't see it, but I knew he couldn't hole it. That sort of thing only happens in fairy stories, so there I am, slogging up that hill, me back's hurting and I'm thinking there's going to be a bleeding play-off when all I want to do is get off and have a beer.

"He had a good look at that putt, though. He looked at the setting sun, because that affects the grain, and we reckoned it were a two-way borrow. So he hit it straight and it went in. Christ, I was glad that bugger was over." Meanwhile Lyle danced a little dance, too exhausted to boogie, but relaxed in the knowledge he'd just hit the greatest bunker shot in the history of the game – and arguably the greatest pressure shot of all time.

4) Bob Goalby seizes the moment (1968)

The 1968 Masters is remembered for one thing, and one thing alone: a hangdog Roberto De Vicenzo leaving the scorer's tent in high distress, after being told he'd signed for a four rather than the birdie three he actually made at the 17th hole, and had therefore cost himself the chance to meet Bob Goalby in a play-off the following day. It's arguably the most distressing story in the history of competitive golf, not least because it happened on De Vicenzo's 45th birthday.

The mistake – first made by De Vicenzo's playing partner and scorer Tommy Aaron (who would win the Masters himself in 1973) though ultimately by the Argentinian himself, who missed the error and signed for the higher score – has obscured much that was good about the tournament. Two things. First that De Vicenzo's final round was majestic: it began with a nine-iron floated gently into the 1st green, pitching a foot from the hole, and spinning into the cup. "The crowd erupted, the caddy extracted the ball and kissed it," wrote legendary Guardian golf writer Pat Ward-Thomas. "De Vicenzo strolled beaming to the green in his imperial fashion as the crowd sang Happy Birthday To You. As he walked to the next tee he said to me: I need 17 more like that. He swung at the next drive so easily and smoothly that nothing might have happened."

De Vicenzo nearly eagled the second, and birdied the third: four under for the first three holes. He had started the day two shots behind Gary Player; now he was two clear of the field. He continued to blaze around Augusta, with birdies at 8, 12, 15 and (fatefully) 17, before dropping a stroke at the last. Often forgotten, the six-footer he missed on the 18th would prove very costly indeed.

Also rarely remembered is the other great performance that day: that of the eventual winner, Bob Goalby. The big man did his best to keep on Di Vicenzo's tail, and stood on the par-five 15th only two shots behind the Argentinian. But he needed to make a move. After booming a drive straight down the middle, he was faced with a 210-yard approach to the firm green. Goalby's long irons tended to fly "lower than most", he would admit, but this time he hit a textbook three-iron that arced high and dropped softly, holding on and rolling to eight feet. He knocked in the putt for eagle, and a tie of the lead.

He then hit a gorgeous second long iron, this time on the final hole, cutting the ball around the trees after a poor drive, finding the green, and saving par. Unlike his opponent, Goalby had remained staunch at the death. Both he and De Vicenzo had scored 66, but one man had inexplicably carded a 67, and lost the chance to compete for the green jacket. Goalby had won. "What a stupid I am," sighed De Vicenzo after the dust settled. Goalby refused a promoter's subsequent offer of $90,000 to take part in an 18-hole play-off the following year, arguing that he had done more than enough to win the Masters already. De Vicenzo agreed, although never quite reached closure. "I have a feeling the 1968 Masters hasn't yet finished," he wrote in his autobiography. "When Goalby and I meet in heaven, we are going to end this duel that has been left unfinished here on earth."

5) Tom Weiskopf's meltdown (1980)

Spoiler alert: the finale to Tin Cup, right here. Sort of.

Tom Weiskopf is, along with poor old Greg, one of the Masters' foremost nearly men. Between 1969 and 1975 he finished runner up four times, and tied for sixth once. He never did win the thing. But even worse, his remarkable consistency round Augusta – he also finished in ninth, tenth and 14th place during the 1970s – is all but forgotten thanks to one meltdown in 1980.

Weiskopf, 6ft 3in tall, was prone to hot funks, which earned him the nickname of – sheer brilliance, this – the Towering Inferno. And he caught fire during the first round at Augusta in 1980, after dumping his tee shot into the water at the short par-three 12th. He had been going reasonably well up to that point, and so tried to knock his wedge from the dropping area dead.

Problem was, the pin was in a tricky position near the front; Weiskopf couldn't hold the green, and the ball dropped into the drink again. Instead of taking his medicine and aiming for the safer, meatier part of the green, Weiskopf – on full boil (though all this was internalized; he wasn't a club-thrower) – decided he wasn't going to let this problem get the better of him. And so he attempted to knock the ball stone dead again. And again. And again. Three more times he found water, before finally giving up and doing what he should have done in the first place: playing safe and taking two putts.

Weiskopf had run up a score of 13 on the shortest hole on the course, a tied record for the highest score on a single hole in Masters history, though Tommy Nakajima's 1978 disaster was at least on the par-five 13th. He ended the day with an 85, the other 17 holes played only three over par.

6) Lee Trevino's snub (1970)

If Lee Trevino had held it together in the 1968 Masters, we might rarely mention poor Roberto De Vicenzo these days. Trevino was in contention for three and a half rounds that year, on his first visit to Augusta, before falling to pieces round Amen Corner, where he dropped eight shots on his way to a final-round 80. It helped the diminutive Mexican form an instant dislike of the course, which didn't suit his game – he would flight the ball lower than the majority of players, while his left-to-right style was another disadvantage – and though he came back the following year to finish 19th, he decided against accepting his invitation for the 1970 tournament.

"He must be the first eminent golfer in history to decline the invitation for personal reasons," wrote Pat Ward-Thomas in this paper. "He says that the course does not suit his type of golf. He flights the ball lower than most and Augusta does favour a long carrying flight. During much talk the other evening, humorous and sincere, Trevino would not be persuaded from the view that he wanted a rest and Augusta week was it; but the little man, who has very much a mind of his own, must have stronger reasons for not playing."

Although reportedly unhappy at what the ultra-conservative Georgia club stood for – at the time the membership was all white (and, as it remains today, all male) – Trevino would stick to his story, before eventually returning to play from 1972 onwards, in a fruitless attempt to conquer a course many thought he had psyched himself out of playing well on. But he would never go into the clubhouse, choosing instead to put his golf shoes on in the car park.

ANAHEIM HILLS, Bob Elliott: Rather than argue the support of their man with facts, the left, with the help of the main stream media, has branded anyone who questions President Barack Obama's qualifications as "racists" and "birthers." They want the...

The National Theatre of Great Britain's production of WAR HORSE, presented by Lincoln Center Theater and the National Theatre of Great Britain in association with Bob Boyett, is now in previews at the Vivian Beaumont Theater 150 West 65th Street. WAR HORSE is based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford, with Handspring Puppet Company, and directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris. Opening night is Thursday, April 14 at 700 pm. In the following video, Handspring WAR HORSE creators discuss the construction of their famous horse puppet on stage at this year's TED conference.

The National Theatre of Great Britain's production of WAR HORSE, presented by Lincoln Center Theater and the National Theatre of Great Britain in association with Bob Boyett, is now in previews at the Vivian Beaumont Theater 150 West 65th Street. WAR HORSE is based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford, with Handspring Puppet Company, and directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris. Opening night is Thursday, April 14 at 700 pm. In the following video, Handspring WAR HORSE creators discuss the construction of their famous horse puppet on stage at this year's TED conference.

TWO DAYS OF TOP FLIGHT MUSIC IN RHODE ISLAND

Elvis Costello

The 52nd edition of the Newport Folk Festival will return to Newport's Fort Adams State Park on July 30-31, it was announced today by the Newport Festivals Foundation, the recently-formed 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization which produces the event. Tickets go on sale worldwide on Thursday, March 31, at 10:00 am at www.newportfolkfest.net.

“In an age when it's increasingly common to see tour buses roll on to the next gig as soon as sets end, artists linger at this festival, sometimes for the whole weekend, just to hang out or sit in, creating an annual, defacto Folk summit by the sea,” said Jay Sweet, Folk Festival co-producer. “The goal, as always, is to serve the Festival's musical heritage, which to me is paying respect to older groundbreakers while championing young chance takers. This is Newport's blueprint, written by George Wein and Bob Jones, who along with co-founder Pete Seeger, often remind me that folk music is, and will always be, a living tradition, constantly evolving. As long as we stay true to this simple credo, we'll be around another half century and beyond.”

The 2011 Newport Folk Festival line-up features:

SATURDAY, JULY 30 - 11:30 am - 7:00 pm
The Decemberists
Gillian Welch
Earl Scruggs
Gogol Bordello
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Tegan & Sara
Mavis Staples
The Felice Brothers
Delta Spirit
Freelance Whales
Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three
What Cheer? Brigade
The Devil Makes Three
Song Circle with Dar Williams, Ellis Paul, John Gorka & Liz Queler
The Wailin' Jennys
Typhoon
The Ebony Hillbillies
River City Extension
PS22 Chorus

SUNDAY, JULY 31 - 11:30 am - 7:00 pm
Emmylou Harris
Elvis Costello (Solo Acoustic)
Amos Lee
M. Ward
Wanda Jackson
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Middle Brother
Justin Townes Earle
The Secret Sisters
Trampled by Turtles
The Civil Wars
The Head and The Heart
The Cave Singers
David Wax Museum
Mountain Man
The Seeger Clogging All-Stars
BrownBird

Tickets for the Newport Folk Festival go on sale Thursday, March 31, at 10:00 am on-line, by phone and by mail. General admission tickets (single-day passes only) also can be purchased in person at the Newport Visitor Information Center, located at 23 America's Cup Avenue. There will be a festival office in the Newport area where tickets can be purchased in person at a later date. For general information, craft vendor information or to leave a message for festival staff, call the festival hotline at (401) 848-5055.

Bob Dylan Revealed (2011) Director: Joel Gilbert
 Interviews: Jerry Wexler, Scarlett Rivera, Rob Stoner, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, Joel Selvin, Mickey Jones Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Winston Watson and many others
 Chapters: 1962 - Times Are A - Changin’, 1966 – Electric World Tour, 1967 – Drug Rehab, 1974 – The Comeback, 1975 – Rolling Thunder Revue, 1978 – The Entertainer, 1979 - Busy Being Born…Again!, 1992 – Never Ending Tour 
Studio: Highway 61 Entertainment/ MVD Visual M...

Independent record shops are more important than ever. In honour of official Record Store Day, on 16 April, we asked five artists to tell us what their favourite shop means to them

Isobel Campbell, singer

Amoeba Music 6400 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles

Amoeba is enormous! It's the largest independent record store in the world. I went there for the first time in 2004, when I was finishing my first record with Mark Lanegan. You could spend the whole day in there. It has everything – jazz, lots of imports, DVDs and film posters, second-hand stuff and new stuff. If I'm looking to find something, the chances are I'll find it in there.

My boyfriend and I once went into Amoeba to buy a Fleetwood Mac DVD. We came out with a Harry Nilsson DVD, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, a David Bowie CD... I ended up spending about $200. We were in there so long that when we went outside, his truck had been towed away! It cost him more to get the truck back than the cost of the stuff we'd bought.

I love the convenience of online music shopping. But still, we should think twice about doing everything at the push of a button. It narrows our experiences. Sometimes it's just nicer to wander into a shop and have a look-see, so you can smell the records, hold them and touch them...It's a shame that so many record shops are closing down. It's good to have independent boutiques, rather than cookie-cutter chain places – that's what makes life interesting. When I was 19, I'd go into every record shop I could. That's how I discovered bands like the Zombies. Sometimes things just catch your eye – that happened with Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp, years ago. I thought, that's an interesting cover. I'll buy that. It's really sad because now, if you go to a supermarket or department store to buy CDs, they're only selling the top 5. It's cheapening music, but that's just the way things are going.

Sometimes you end up meeting people in record shops with mutual interests, who you become friends with. So many bands must have started just because they hung round record shops. When I was growing up in Glasgow, I went to John Smith's on Byres Road. Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub would be in there all the time, Bobby Gillespie, Eugene Kelly from the Vaselines... the whole Glasgow scene! And Belle and Sebastian, before we'd even met each other.

I really do think the internet is amazing, but the human contact you get in record stores makes everything a bit more sociable, especially for music nerds. They probably don't have that many places where they can let off steam like that! GKR

Mark Ronson, musician/DJ

Rough Trade West, 130 Talbot Road, London W11; roughtrade.com

Rough Trade is the shop that I spend the most time in when I'm in London. The stock is really well curated – if they have a record in there, there's probably some merit to it.

The staff know me and they even make fun of me as, from an independent record shop point of view, my work means I straddle the line between cool and uncool. But they do it in a loving way, the way your big brother might. Then they recommend about 10 new things for me to check out.

I'm indebted to record shops. They're where I found the samples for a lot of the early music I made. When I produced "Littlest Things" with Lily Allen, for her first album, we went record shopping for inspiration. I dug out the soundtrack from Emmanuelle, the softcore 70s porn film, and that's where we found the piano loop for that particular track. Next thing you know we're back in the studio and Lily's writing along to that loop.

Most of my memories from my teens and early 20s are of hanging out in record shops. Now DJs have software that means they get sent all their promos on MP3. But it's not the same as having to make sure you're in the right shop on the right day, just so you can get your hands on the new Notorious BIG track and be the first to play it in a club that weekend.

Compared to America, shops in England are better for having a guy behind the counter who gets to know you and recommends things you'd like. I think it's because, over here, early shops were partly based around records being imported from the US. My stepdad worked in a record shop in Portsmouth in the late 50s and early 60s and he says that they were always waiting for that new box of 45s to arrive from America.

I can imagine a world without record shops, as they're dwindling, but it would suck. The visceral experience of being in there, leafing through the racks, is more fun. And you're much more likely to discover something great that way, by accident, than by being on iTunes. GG

Will Kennard, Chase & Status

BM Soho, 25 D'Arblay St, London W1

It used to be called Black Market Records when I first started going there in 1994 or 1995, when I was about 15. I'd be in the basement, where they sold all the drum'n'bass records. The shop was tiny, with two, big, PA-sized speakers that took up half the space. Big-name DJs like Ray Keith worked behind the counter and they'd be blasting white labels and promo recordings out really loud.

It was an iconic place, one of the centres of the whole drum'n'bass scene. Everyone in there would try to be cool, so the place had a bit of a moody vibe to it, and it could be intimidating. And there was a hierarchy among the customers: DJs would get the VIP treatment, be invited into the back room and given all the promos first. The odd tourist would wander in and people would take the piss out of them. So it was very cliquey, but that just made me want to be part of it even more.

I always dreamed of working there, but you could never get a job unless you were a friend of a friend of someone already there. But if you did work there, you were almost famous and could get bookings as a DJ. At that time, I was just DJ-ing in my bedroom and desperate to be part of the drum'n'bass scene in any way that I could. There was no internet back then so the only way to discover new music was to go to a club or record shops.

If I was 15 now, I'd probably still be going to record shops, but I'd be scouring the internet as well. It's all online forums now. I'd hate to think there will be a day when there are no record shops, but they're probably going to be a bit more rare than they are now. GG

Miles Kane, musician

Probe Records, The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool

I've been going to Probe since I started buying records as a teenager. They've put me on to a lot of good music over the years, especially a lot of great 60s stuff such as the Nuggets compilation and records by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra.

I get on well with a guy who works there called Bob, who likes a lot of that 60s stuff. Through him I discovered a compilation series of music from old Italian cop shows and films, called Beat at Cinecittà. The guitar sounds are amazing, as are the covers, with photos of a girl lying down eating spaghetti, or lying on a car, that sort of thing. The sleeve for the Last Shadow Puppets album [Kane's collaboration with Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner], with the girl on the cover, was partly inspired by discovering those compilations.

I get a lot of my inspiration from music, right down to the lyrics, because I'm not a big reader of books like some people. So being able to see the album cover is important, because you might be inspired by the haircut some guy on the cover has or the font on the artwork. GG

MistaJam, DJ, 1Xtra

Rob's Records, Hurts Yard, Nottingham

Rob's is the second-hand record shop in Nottingham. There's no real cataloguing of the stock, everything is stacked from floor to ceiling and you just go through piles of records until, with luck, you find something worthwhile.

Rob's was the place I went when I was looking for old records to make beats. Sometimes I'd buy records because I liked the sleeve, or because I recognised the names of some of the session musicians who worked on it, or it was really cheap.

I've found lots of great things in there at random, records I never expected to be good, like the Bee Gees' Spirits Having Flown. It was only £1.50 and when I listened to it, I realised how much it had been sampled by other producers. GG

“THE world’s first xenotransplantation treatment – where animal cells are transplanted into humans – has been approved for sale in Russia. The treatment, developed by Living Cell Technologies in New Zealand, is for type 1 diabetes. It consists of insulin-producing pig cells coated in seaweed, says Bob Elliott of LCT. Type 1 diabetes occurs when [...]

As a means of rounding up Toronto's various cinematic goings-on each week, Movie Mondays compiles the best rep cinema and art house screenings, special presentations, lectures, and limited engagements.

If you've been in a mall lately, then you know Christmas is right around the corner. In fact, it's pretty much this week. But that doesn't mean the cinemas are closed. So take a break from all that last minute-shopping and see something, Christmas-y or not. This week we've got plenty of Christmas hits, plus some comedy courtesy of Tati and the Muppets (not in the same film, though we can dream).

You know what’s a great Christmas film? That one about the kid whose parents leave him home alone and then while he’s home alone two bandits keep trying to break in and steal all the stuff that’s in his home that he’s in alone. What was that one called again? Oh yeah. The Boy Who Never Went Away. Wait, no. It was Home Alone.

Starring a “Black or White” music video–era Macaulay Culkin as the preadolescent prankster who’s left home…uh…by himself and Daniel Stern (the only Hollywood personality who is less relevant to our current cultural climate than Macaulay Culkin), Home Alone gave us such memorable quotes as "I’ll give ‘em a whirl," "Buzz! Your girlfriend! Woof!" and, our personal favourite, "Merry Christmas, you filthy animal.” There were also a bunch of sequels to Home Alone, like one where the kid goes to New York. It had Tim Curry in it or something. But because it’s not as good and, strictly speaking, the kid isn’t even really left “home” alone (he’s in a hotel), we don’t count it. But the Underground does! And if you do too, you can catch both Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York at 7 and 9 p.m., respectively, on Wednesday, December 22.

Believe it or not, there are great holiday movies that deal with subjects other than negligent parenting and the scheming of a precocious, smart-alecky child star. And on Thursday, December 23, the Bloor’s got all kinds of them, running all day. At 4:30 p.m., there’s A Christmas Carol (the 1951 British one, with Alastair Sim as Scrooge), followed at 7 p.m. by A Christmas Story (directed by Bob Clark, who, incidentally, also helmed the Canadian X-Mas classic Black Christmas).

Finally, if you’re not full up on that "peace on earth and goodwill towards men" stuff, at 9 p.m. there’s Frank Capra’s seminal It’s A Wonderful Life. But while we’re all for this heart-warming Jimmy Stewart schmaltz, we also suspect that to a lot of Torontonians, the film’s version of bizarro Bedford Falls, the dystopic Pottersville, may hit a little close to home. (Though, to his credit, Mayor Ford has yet to change the name of Toronto to "Fordsville." Or "Coach Rob Ford’s Parking Lot and Megacity.")

As far as Muppet movies go, it’s hard to beat 1979’s A Muppet Movie. For one thing, it’s got that incredible Paul Williams score. And Elliott Gould is in it. But 1984’s The Muppets Take Manhattan is pretty close. At least it's got Liza Minnelli. And Dabney Coleman. And it’s certainly better than the maybe more appropriate The Muppet Christmas Carol, which isn’t very good.

Manhattan sees everyone’s favourite not-quite-mops-and-not-quite-puppets heading to the Big Apple to stage an elaborate musical. But then Kermit gets hit by a bus and spends a lot of time wandering around with amnesia dressed in an outfit that anticipates Tom Hanks’s in Forrest Gump. Will our hero regain his memory in time to take Manhattan by storm? Reports from those of us who have seen the movie a dozen times suggest…he might! But to be sure, watch those crazy Muppets take Manhattan at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 22, and 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 23.

Calling Jacques Tati "the original Mr. Bean" may not be the highest commendation. But guess what? We just did it anyway! Like Bean (or Chaplin, who people may respect more, for whatever reason), Tati’s Monsieur Hulot character often finds himself narrowly evading the various snares of modernity.

In Tati's most accomplished film, 1967’s Playtime, glass office buildings are terrifying, transparent mazes, and merging into a freeway roundabout becomes a nightmarish carousel. Like a lot of Tati’s films, Playtime is comprised of little more than a few stitched-together comic set pieces. But the set pieces here are exceptional, so large and expansive that they were shot using hi-res 70mm film. And, lucky you, the Lightbox will be presenting Playtime in "glorious 70mm" Saturday, December 25 at 12 and 3 p.m.. For Christmas-types, it’s the perfect present to give yourself. For non-Christmas-types, it’s the perfect time to see Playtime without all those Christmas-types crowding up the place.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

Whale Moves Up Jan. 1 Start Time To Avoid Fiesta Confict [Desmond Conner - Hartford Courant]

DC answered a bunch of questions in his mailbag [Desmond Conner - Hartford Courant]

On that bowl money [John Silver - Journal Inquirer]

UConn Bowl Fever Hits Tulsa [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Likely To Lose Money, But Prestige Could Skyrocket From Fiesta Appearance [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women's Basketball links

You can't UConn me [Bob Lutz - Wichita Eagle]

Streak talk all the rage [Jim Fuller - New Haven Register]

Geno retells his John Wooden story [Jim Fuller - New Haven Register]

MSG "a great place" [Jim Fuller - New Haven Register]

Geno Auriemma On His Game About "The Game" [John Altavilla - Hartford Courant]

The Streak Is There, But The Huskies Are Not Paying Attention [Rich Elliott - CT Post]

Lavender Looking To End The Streak Sunday [Rich Elliott - CT Post]

Auriemma Is A Big Fan of UCLA, Wooden [Rich Elliott - CT Post]

Coach Wooden and the ‘pleasant young man’ from UConn [Roger Cleaveland - The Republican-American]

Auriemma downplays UConn's winning streak [CT Post]

UConn's winning streak: What they are saying [CT Post]

No. 88: Ohio State at a glance [CT Post]

UConn Getting Ready For Ohio State [Hartford Courant]

A big test for Hartley [Journal Inquirer]

Ohio State stands in the way [New Haven Register]

88 Wins: Can UConn Match a Historic Streak? [Time]

Connecticut women are 1 win shy of matching UCLA [AP]

UConn Huskies go for the record books [NECN]

UConn Men's Basketball links

UConn is No. 4 in the lastest SI.com power rankings [SI.com]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. Springer & Barnes Named Louisville Slugger Preseason All-Americans [UConnHuskies.com]

Huskies Ranked 21st In Division I Learfield Sports Director's Cup [UConnHuskies.com]

The Herald | HeraldOnline.com

Kiss FM hires Charlotte radio rising star to replace departed DreX Chicago Tribune What would Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding, the classic comedy duo known to generations on radio, TV and stage as Bob and Ray, be on today's Kiss FM? ... Brotha Fred spreads his energy to ChitownCharlotte Observer KISS-FM picks DreX replacementsChicago Sun-Times DreX's Kiss FM slot goes to Charlotte's Brotha' FredChicago Tribune (blog) all 10 news articles »

How is the Labour leader doing? Not particularly well. Does it matter? Yes and no

How's Ed Miliband doing as Labour leader, people ask each other. Not particularly well. Does it matter? Yes, but not as much as over-excited folk assert at this stage of the political cycle, when few voters are listening hard to politicians who have just lost a general election.

Watching prime minister's question time yesterday (here it is) with my Twitter hat on, I scored the proceedings as a draw and concluded that both Tory and Labour MPs would have gone away satisfied that their man had been more effective – or their opponent more ineffective, as the sketchwriters habitually frame such judgments. Today's Tory newspapers broadly concur.

Doing well at PMQs is important for parliamentary morale – remember, most Labour MPs voted for other candidates – and feeds through to wider public perception at a time when voters, fearful for their public services or their jobs, want to see politicians articulating their distress.

In today's Guardian, Patrick Butler and Polly Curtis set out the 100,000 public sector jobs likely to go by the spring – police as well as council and Whitehall employees – and Larry Elliott lays on the gloom on the inside pages. Voters seem to be facing both ways, MPs keep telling me: they accept the need to cut the deficit in abstract, but they don't like cuts that are specific to them.

Trying to hold ministers to account for what are increasingly the consequences of policy choices since 6 May, Miliband hasn't been brilliant at noon on Wednesdays, but rarely disastrous either.

I think he sometimes disconcerts David Cameron, bringing out the unattractive bullying streak in him – Dave as Flashman. For all leaders these ritual setpiece exchanges, the noise, the speed and confusion, must be terrifying.

But it's only part of the job of leading a political party adjusting to opposition. A leader has to master his/her party at all levels – from local activists and unions (they put young Ed into the job) to peers and MPs, most of whom are older than Miliband, many of whom still think they picked the wrong Miliband – or the wrong Ed.

There is also the matter of reshaping policy in the light of recent rejection by the electorate and of fast-changing circumstances. That requires competent staff and the cooperation of experienced colleagues and outside sympathisers.

At the same time as thinking long the leader has to respond to day-to-day events. This morning the leader's office had to swat Bob Ainsworth, bluff ex-defence secretary and a very decent man, for suggesting that decriminalisation of drugs (which ones? I don't know) might be smarter than current policy.

"These are not the views of Ed Miliband, the Labour party or the public," said a terse statement. Timely and unheroic, but the smart thing to do regardless of the merits of the case. Otherwise a "Druggie Eddie" label gets wrapped around his neck by the Daily Beast.

The Tory jibe is that Labour is still just a blank sheet of paper, that it hasn't come up with new ideas on drugs or much else, let alone set out what it would have done in cutting the economic deficit at a rate appropriate to domestic needs and external pressures.

That's not quite true. We know that Alistair Darling would have cut £40bn or so and that the coalition's near-doubling of that target figure weighs most heavily on welfare spending, a popular sort of cut with voters until it turns out to be counterproductive in all sorts of ways.

No longer shadow chancellor, Darling popped up to support the government's loans to Ireland bill in the Commons yesterday, which is more than Tory Eurosceptics did. You can read George Osborne's speech here in column 929 and Darling later at 957.

Nothing exciting except to stress that it's important that heavyweight ex-ministers stick around to contest the dafter claims and policies of inexperienced successors. No one, young or old, has a monopoly of wisdom; the important thing is that ideas should be contested.

So Jack Straw and David Blunkett fight their corners, both berating and supporting Ken Clarke this week. Gordon Brown and David Miliband have disappeared for different reasons, though DM seems to be hovering. Hmm.

But Alan Johnson, a smart, likeable man, is still around, doing better as shadow chancellor than I predicted. As noted above, Ainsworth, ex-Home Office and defence, is challenging the consensus on drugs – and being disowned by young Ed.

Miliband may eventually change the Labour line on drugs – as Labour did for a while over cannabis in office – but he can't change it on the hoof just because Ainsworth gets talkative.

The most solid criticism of Miliband so far is that – as John (remember him?) Reid said this week – he doesn't seem to "get New Labour", by which I think the old bruiser means the need to pull together the coalition of middle- and working-class Britons, keen on responsibility as well as rights, on discipline and hard work.

That's another way of saying that the new leader is still surrounded by too many acolytes of Brown, even ones who became disillusioned – late in the day – with the ex-leader. Well, some are drifting off and new people are coming in. The ability to attract and hold talent is also an important quality in a leader.

This week's recruits are parliamentary colleagues of mine – deep breath – from the Westminster media pack, the latest in a long and old tradition whereby, for one reason or another, chums "go over to the dark side" – working for parties or government.

Bob Roberts from the Mirror is going to work the coalface for Miliband as the man who tours the corridors, explaining, persuading, cajoling. Someone always has to do this thankless but important task. Bob is a popular chap with an established interest in policy to which the Mirror could not always give full voice. No problem; good luck.

More tempestuous is Tom Baldwin, who – if I have this bit right – is to become Miliband's communications strategist, a shaper of both policy and presentation, his Andy Coulson or Alastair Campbell. Tom is a former No 2 in the Times lobby team, currently chief reporter at the paper, but – it must have been obvious to other readers too – has not been happy since the Times shifted back towards the Tories in the wake of the opinion polls.

My initial reaction on first hearing rumours of the appointment was: "They're both mad," Miliband for the offer, Baldwin for accepting it – as I explained to Tom yesterday when he put his head around the door. I have since reflected and adopted a more open-minded "wait and see" stance.

Tom is a clever fellow, a graduate of Balliol College, Oxford (which impresses us country boys), and a tenacious, highly partisan reporter. Respected, admired, feared, loathed ... all these are adjectives that attach themselves to Tom, who also has a colourful CV. It includes marriage to Rebecca, one of the literary Nicholsons, who are rather grand.

All in all it is an appointment which Sir Humphrey could call "interesting", possibly even "brave". As I think about it, I find myself comparing Tom to Alastair (Campbell, not Darling): driven, dangerous, daring. People forget what a success Campbell was in his pre-Iraq prime.

Bob Roberts's appointment is level-headed common sense. Tom's certainly puts his leader in a more Byronic light than I had previously spotted. The Tories must be loving this one: Christmas come early. Whether or not their lip-licking proves justified remains to be seen.

Definitely a share price to watch in 2011.

I am spending the last days of the year bundled up in my favorite scarf, crisp leaves and snow crunching under my feet, blowing on a warm cup of tea that I'm holding with both hands and Christmas songs playing repeatedly over in my head (right now, "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" by Tony Bennett).

I am also pondering over my primary intention for the year to come, and as I reflect on the past twelve months and the moments where I felt most alive I can't help but think of the amazing women that joined the October class of the Simple Soulful Photography workshop. I once wrote that I envisioned this online course like I would arrange a meet-up with good friends in a small café. But what I have received was so much more than that. The class vibrated with creativity, humbleness and courage, engaging in thought-provoking conversations that I learned so much from, rallying around each other when some participants were going through a rough patch, and sharing beautiful images.

Today I am happy to give away 3 registrations for the January session of the Simple Soulful Photography workshop (January 3-29). Please share with us how you're spending the last days of the year and leave a comment here to be entered in a random drawing between now and Monday 13th at midnight PST.

Note: Last time I wrote that I was creating a little something special for those who couldn't join the workshop. You can now download excerpts from the first two lessons of the October 2010 session here.

Prudence Hone sifts through the year's best photography books

After the first 10 years of the new millennium, collections of photojournalism from the big beasts of the genre, such as Decade (Phaidon, £25) and Eyewitness Decade (Guardian Books, £24.95), have summed up world events, and been commented on in Review. Iraq, of course, featured in both. Tim Hetherington's Infidel (Chris Boot, £25), a companion piece to Sebastian Junger's War (published earlier this year) and to the documentary Restrepo, which they co-directed, covers the time spent by Battle Company, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, in the Korengal valley, Afghanistan. The book's size and chamfered corners give it the intimate feel of a bible or missal; the images, from blooms of white phosphorus exploding on a village, to men – some looking little older than schoolboys – asleep on their bunks, heavily tattooed arms flung over their eyes, are heartbreaking.

Guantanamo: If the Light Goes Out by Edmund Clark (Dewi Lewis, £35) shows a very different American outpost. Here are shackles, empty cages, a "mobile force-feeding chair", all coldly lit and without a single human. Your imagination provides the bodies. Dan Dubowitz's Wastelands, from the same publisher (£35), opens with similar empty spaces, but these are factories, power stations, a 1980s seminary outside Glasgow which is now an A-listed "modernist ruin", and Ellis Island, with patients' records still piled up in boxes in the hospital wing. In Stieglitz, Steichen, Strand (Yale/Metropolitan Museum of Art, £25), a beautifully produced catalogue of the "big three" of early 20th-century American photography, Alfred Stieglitz remarks of "The Steerage", showing the huddled masses on a boat in harbour, taken perhaps 100 years before Dubowitz's photographs, that "you may well call it a record of immigrants. To me it is a study in mathematical lines."

In 1907, the same year that he took his "mathematical lines", the Lusitania took her maiden voyage. She is photographed arriving in New York in Face to Face: Ocean Portraits with commentaries by Huw Lewis-Jones (Conway/Polarworld, £30). This is a gallery of sailors, captains and environmentalists who have dedicated their lives to the sea. From Samuel Plimsoll to Ellen MacArthur, famous names are represented, but there are also the hitherto unsung heroes, such as Harry Watts, a rigger and volunteer with the Sunderland lifeboat, who saved at least 36 people single-handedly in the late 19th century. While most of the early photographs are black and white studio portraits, the modern surfers, marine archaeologists and oceanographers are shot as they work, by Nigel Millard and Rick Tomlinson, faces looking straight at the camera.

In Maske by Phyllis Galembo (Chris Boot, £30) and Karnaval: Voudou, Politics and Revolution on the Streets of Haiti by Leah Gordon (Soul Jazz, £19.99), people's faces are obscured, with just the eyes glinting through fabric, paint, wood or cardboard. Galembo's book begins with the masked figures of initiation ceremonies in Zambia, moves through harvest festivals in Burkina Faso and fancy dress masquerades in Ghana to the more frightening, starker costumes of Haiti, with figures toting guns, chains or cow horns. The Haitian karnaval, which ends with the beginning of Lent, combines elements of European carnival, voodoo and modern culture. Gordon's black and white photographs are more journalistic than Galembo's coloured studio portraits. Andrew Montgomery's images of the Rochester sweeps festival in Country by Jasper Conran (Conran Octopus, £45) also reflect elements of pagan ritual, and ancient fertility rites. With coal-blackened faces, top hats, feathered and decorated frock coats, the "sweeps" add a welcome touch of grit to the blossom-heavy gardens of English villages and elegant interiors of country houses. This is a sumptuous, beautiful book.

Landscape Photographer of the Year (AA Publishing, £25) is the fourth collection in the series; there is an accompanying exhibition at the National Theatre in London, until 16 January 2011. There are various categories: "classic view", "urban view" and so on, with an adult and a youth class in each section. If you can bear to look at snowy scenes, there is the crisp "Winter Walk" from Keith Avery, or Bob McCallion's "Braving the Elements" (above). It's a shame the younger entrants do not get more of a showing. "Travelling" by Taliesin Coombes (the overall winner of the youth category) is a wonderfully composed black and white shot, taken on the last day of the summer steam service on the Cambrian railway.

Train buffs will also love Requiem for Steam: The Railroad Photographs of David Plowden (WW Norton, £48), which documents the engines, stations and rails of the American midwest during the age of steam. There are extended captions for those who need to know about the classes and gauges of these lovely machines. Matthew Rhys chooses a more conventional method of transport in Patagonia: Crossing the Plain (Gomer Press, £19.99), which commemorates an expedition of Welsh settlers in search of a better life in the arid foothills of the Andes. He rides a horse. Rhys is an acccomplished photographer and this is a charming diary of time out from his day job as a Hollywood actor. Performers of a very different kind feature in Antony Gormley's One and Other (Jonathan Cape, £35). Yes, here they are in all their glory, the people who stood, slept, knitted, warbled and danced on the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in London over the summer. Sadly, the six shortlisted artworks for the plinth do not include the witty, classy "ship in a bottle" by Yinka Shonibare. And finally A Year in Photography: Magnum Archive (Prestel, £22.50): this hefty compendium, with each day of the year offering its own photographic gem, collects together some of the greatest photographers of the past century, such as Elliott Erwitt, Eve Arnold, Robert Capa and Raghu Rai. Some are familiar, some startling, but they are all worth looking at with an open mind.

To order any of these titles call Guardian book service on 0330 333 6846

 

Music listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Since club life is unpredictable, it's a good idea to call ahead to confirm bookings and hours. Prices are listed when provided to us. Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com. For further information on how to submit items for the listings, see Picks.

WEDNESDAY 8

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Andrew Jackson Jihad, Hard Girls, Royal Monsters Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $10.

Blackstone Heist, Deathjazz, Lloyd's Garage Elbo Room. 9pm, $7.

*Blind Guardian, Holy Grail, Seven Kingdoms Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $26.

Chairman Wow Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:45pm, free.

Greenhornes, Hacienda Independent. 8pm, $15.

David Liebe Hart, Hot Panda, Chris Thayer, Donny Divinian Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $7.

Reckless Kelly Slim's. 8pm, $16.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Belanova Fillmore. 8pm, $39.50.

Gaucho, Michael Abraham Amnesia. 7pm.

Farmer Dave Scher, Chapin Sisters, Neema Café Du Nord. 9pm, $15.

DANCE CLUBS

Booty Call Q-Bar, 456 Castro, SF; www.bootycallwednesdays.com. 9pm. Juanita Moore hosts this dance party, featuring DJ Robot Hustle.

Cannonball Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. Rock, indie, and nu-disco with DJ White Mike.

Hands Down! Bar on Church. 9pm, free. With DJs Claksaarb, Mykill, and guests spinning indie, electro, house, and bangers.

Jam Fresh Wednesdays Vessel, 85 Campton, SF; (415) 433-8585. 9:30pm, free. With DJs Slick D, Chris Clouse, Rich Era, Don Lynch, and more spinning top40, mashups, hip hop, and remixes.

Mary-Go-Round Lookout, 3600 16th St, SF; (415) 431-0306. 10pm, $5. A weekly drag show with hosts Cookie Dough, Pollo Del Mar, and Suppositori Spelling.

Open Mic Night 330 Ritch. 9pm, $7.

Red Wine Social Triple Crown. 5:30-9:30pm, free. DJ TophOne and guests spin outernational funk and get drunk.

Respect Wednesdays End Up. 10pm, $5. Rotating DJs Daddy Rolo, Young Fyah, Irie Dole, I-Vier, Sake One, Serg, and more spinning reggae, dancehall, roots, lovers rock, and mash ups.

Synchronize Il Pirata, 2007 16th St, SF; (415) 626-2626. 10pm, free. Psychedelic dance music with DJs Helios, Gatto Matto, Psy Lotus, Intergalactoid, and guests.

THURSDAY 9

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Heather Combs, Edie Carey, Aiden Café Du Nord. 9pm, $12.

Ex-Boyfriends, Complaints, Bruises Eagle Tavern. 9pm.

Alan Iglesias Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $16. Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute.

Little Teeth, Blackbird Raum, Future Twin Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

Mike Pinto Band, Jahlectrik, She Beards Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $10.

Millionyoung, Teen Daze, Great Mundane Rickshaw Stop. 8pm, $12.

Needtobreathe, Daylights Fillmore. 8pm, $20.

Randy Rogers Band, Whiskey Dawn Independent. 8pm, $15.

Lenny Williams Rrazz Room. 8pm, $35-45.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Graham Connah Socha Café, 3235 Mission, SF; (415) 643-6848. 8pm, free.

SF Jazz Hotplate Series Amnesia. 9pm.

SF State Afro Cuban Jazz Ensemble Coda. 10pm, $10.

Swing with Stan Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Alhambra Valley Band Atlas Café. 4pm, free.

Mission 3 Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:45pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Afrolicious Elbo Room. 9:30pm, $10. DJs Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz, with guest Nappy G, spin Afrobeat, tropicália, electro, samba, and funk.

Base Vessel. 9:30pm, $10. Featuring Hot Natured (Jamie Jones and Lee Foss).

CakeMIX SF Wish, 1539 Folsom, SF; www.wishsf.com. 10pm, free. DJ Carey Kopp spinning funk, soul, and hip hop.

Caribbean Connection Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $3. DJ Stevie B and guests spin reggae, soca, zouk, reggaetón, and more.

Club Jammies Edinburgh Castle. 10pm, free. DJs EBERrad and White Mice spinning reggae, punk, dub, and post punk.

Drop the Pressure Underground SF. 6-10pm, free. Electro, house, and datafunk highlight this weekly happy hour.

Electric Feel Lookout, 3600 16th St, SF; (415) 431-0306. 9pm, $2. With DJs subOctave and Blondie K spinning indie music videos.

Good Foot Som., 2925 16th St, SF; (415) 558-8521. 10pm, free. With DJs spinning R&B, Hip hop, classics, and soul.

Guilty Pleasures Gestalt, 3159 16th St, SF; (415) 560-0137. 9:30pm, free. DJ TophZilla, Rob Metal, DJ Stef, and Disco-D spin punk, metal, electro-funk, and 80s.

Jivin' Dirty Disco Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 8pm, free. With DJs spinning disco, funk, and classics.

Kissing Booth Make-Out Room. 9pm, free. DJs Jory, Commodore 69, and more spinning indie dance, disco, 80's, and electro.

Koko Puffs Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; (415) 885-4788. 10pm, free. Dubby roots reggae and Jamaican funk from rotating DJs.

Mestiza Bollywood Café, 3376 19th St, SF; (415) 970-0362. 10pm, free. Showcasing progressive Latin and global beats with DJ Juan Data.

Motion Sickness Vertigo, 1160 Polk, SF; (415) 674-1278. 10pm, free. Genre-bending dance party with DJs Sneaky P, Public Frenemy, and D_Ro Cyclist.

Nacht Musik Knockout. 10:30pm, $4. Dark, minimal electronic with DJs Omar, Josh, and Justin.

Peaches Skylark, 10pm, free. With an all female DJ line up featuring Deeandroid, Lady Fingaz, That Girl, and Umami spinning hip hop.

Ümloud DNA Lounge. 7pm, $10. Play Rock Band onstage to raise money for Child's Play Charity.

FRIDAY 10

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Seth Augustus Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:45pm, free.

Dave Rude Band, Angels of Vice, Dead Neck Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $12.

Dead Souls Knockout. 5pm.

Hanni El Khatib, Th Mrcy Hot Sprngs, Hairspray Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $8.

Fleeting Trance, Stymie and the Pimp Jones Luv Orchestra Make-Out Room. 7:30pm, $7.

Kottonmouth Kings, (hed)p.e. Slim's. 8pm, $25.

"Lusty Lady Kinky Kiss-Mass" DNA Lounge. 9pm, $12-15. Burlesque show plus Destroyer, Minks, Trixie Carr, and Horror X.

Magic Bullets, Sleeptalks Knockout. 9pm, $7.

Soulive feat. Karl Denson, DJ Harry Duncan Independent. 9pm, $22.

Kim Wilson Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $24.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Bryan Girard Trio Cliff House, 1090 Point Lobos, SF; (415) 386-3330. 7pm, free.

Greenhorse Amnesia. 7pm.

Greg Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Bossa 5-0 Socha Café, 3235 Mission, SF; (415) 643-6848. 8pm, free.

Right On Time Dolores Park Café, 501 Dolores, SF; www.doloresparkcafe.com. 7:30pm, $10.

Ozomatli Fillmore. 9pm, $26.50.

DANCE CLUBS

Exhale, Fridays Project One Gallery, 251 Rhode Island, SF; (415) 465-2129. 5pm, $5. Happy hour with art, fine food, and music with Vin Sol, King Most, DJ Centipede, and Shane King.

Fat Stack Fridays Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; (415) 885-4788. 10pm, free. With rotating DJs B-Cause, Vinnie Esparza, Mr. Robinson, Toph One, and Slopoke.

Fo' Sho! Fridays Madrone Art Bar. 10pm, $5. DJs Kung Fu Chris and Makossa spin rare grooves, soul, funk, and hip-hop classics.

Fubar Fridays Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5. With DJs spinning retro mashup remixes.

Good Life Fridays Apartment 24, 440 Broadway, SF; (415) 989-3434. 10pm, $10. With DJ Brian spinning hip hop, mashups, and top 40.

Heartical Roots Bollywood Café. 9pm, $5. Recession friendly reggae.

Hot Chocolate Milk. 9pm, $5. With DJs Big Fat Frog, Chardmo, DuseRock, and more spinning old and new school funk.

Indy Slash Amnesia. 10pm. With DJ Danny White.

Rockabilly Fridays Jay N Bee Club, 2736 20th St, SF; (415) 824-4190. 9pm, free. With DJs Rockin' Raul, Oakie Oran, Sergio Iglesias, and Tanoa "Samoa Boy" spinning 50s and 60s Doo Wop, Rockabilly, Bop, Jive, and more.

Some Thing Stud. 10pm, $7. VivvyAnne Forevermore, Glamamore, and DJ Down-E give you fierce drag shows and afterhours dancing.

Treat 'Em Right Elbo Room. 10pm. Groove Merchant's 20th anniversary celebration with Groove Merchant DJs and guests.

Two Kinds of Stupid Holiday Party Rickshaw Stop. 9pm, $10. Live sets with K. Flay and TigerCat, plus DJs Brother Grimm and BAS.

Vintage Orson, 508 Fourth St, SF; (415) 777-1508. 5:30-11pm, free. DJ TophOne and guest spin jazzy beats for cocktalians.

SATURDAY 11

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Dandy Warhols, Blue Giant Regency Ballroom. 9pm, $27.

Family Scott, K-9, Psychology of Genocide Thee Parkside. 3pm, free.

*Forbidden, Evile, Gama Bomb, Bonded By Blood, Fog of War DNA Lounge. 2pm, $20.

Donald Glover, Childish Gambino Slim's. 9pm, $15.

Golda + Guns, Sugarspun, Skyflakes, Apple Orchard, Little Bits Rock-It Room. 9pm, $6. San Bruno fire victims benefit.

Derick Hughes Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $20.

Chaka Khan, Chrisette Michele Warfield. 8pm, $45-82.

Phenomenauts, Neutralboy, Murderland Thee Parkside. 9pm, $10.

San Cha, DJ Moxy 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Shannon and the Clams, Night Beats, Outlaw Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $6.

Soulive feat. Karl Denson, DJ Harry Duncan Independent. 9pm, $22.

Voodoo Glow Skulls, Jokes For Feelings, Rockfight Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $12.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Bill Carey Socha Café, 3235 Mission, SF; (415) 643-6848. 8pm, free.

Emergency String X-Tet with Rent Romus Meridian Gallery, 535 Powell, SF; www.meridiangallery.org. 8pm, $10.

Emily Anne's Delights Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Ozomatli Fillmore. 3 and 9pm, $10-26.50.

Zoyres Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:45pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Bar on Church 9pm. Rotating DJs Foxxee, Joseph Lee, Zhaldee, Mark Andrus, and Nuxx.

Bootie: Holiday Party DNA Lounge. 9pm, $6-12. Xmas mash-ups with Adrian and Mysterious D.

Club Gossip Cat Club. 9pm, $5-8. Tribute to Nine Inch Nails.

Cockblock Rickshaw Stop. 10pm, $7. Queer dance party with DJ Nuxx and guests.

Frolic Stud. 9pm, $3-7. DJs Dragn'Fly, NeonBunny, and Ikkuma spin at this celebration of anthropomorphic costume and dance. Animal outfits encouraged.

HYP Club Eight, 1151 Folsom, SF; www.eightsf.com. 10pm, free. Gay and lesbian hip hop party, featuring DJs spinning the newest in the top 40s hip hop and hyphy.

Rock City Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5 after 10pm. With DJs spinning party rock.

Same Sex Salsa and Swing Magnet, 4122 18th St, SF; (415) 305-8242. 7pm, free.

Spirit Fingers Sessions 330 Ritch. 9pm, free. With DJ Morse Code and live guest performances.

Spotlight Siberia, 314 11th St, SF; (415) 552-2100. 10pm. With DJs Slowpoke, Double Impact, and Moe1.

Tormenta Tropical Elbo Room. 10pm, $5-10. Electro cumbia with Natalie Storm, Max Glazer, Sabo, Disco Shawn, and Oro11.

SUNDAY 12

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

"Anais Mitchell Presents: Music of Hadestown" Great American Music Hall. 8pm, $21. With Thao Nguyen, Sean Hayes, John Elliott and the Hadestown Orchestra, and Michael Chorney.

Jon Anderson Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $37-55.

Arsis, Powerglove, Conducting from the Grave, Absence Thee Parkside. 8pm, $12-15.

"Battle of the Bands" DNA Lounge. 5:30pm, $12. With Astronomy Lounge, Madman's Lullaby, Smash Atoms, and more.

Black Crowes Fillmore. 8pm, $60.

Karina Denike, Upsets Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 8pm, free.

Gene Taylor Blues Band Slim's. 8pm, $21.

Stornoway, Head and the Heart Independent. 8pm, $14.

Toiling Midgets, White Pee, Bloodfucker Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $7.

Joe Louis Walker Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $20.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Valeriana Quevedo, Larry Vuckovich, Jeff Chambers Bliss Bar, 4026 24th St, SF; (415) 826-6200. 4:30pm, $10.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Amy Obenski, Erica Sunshine Lee, Jess Brewster Yoshi's San Francisco (in the lounge). 8pm, $7.

Whiskey Richards, Leo Rondeau Thee Parkside. 4pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

DiscoFunk Mashups Cat Club. 10pm, free. House and 70's music.

Dub Mission Elbo Room. 9pm, $6. Dub, dubstep, roots, and dancehall with DJ Sep, J Boogie, and guest Ross Hogg.

Gloss Sundays Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 7pm. With DJ Hawthorne spinning house, funk, soul, retro, and disco.

Honey Soundsystem Paradise Lounge. 8pm-2am. "Dance floor for dancers – sound system for lovers." Got that?

Kick It Bar on Church. 9pm. Hip-hop with DJ Zax.

Pachanga! Coda. 5pm, $10. Salsa dance party with Orquesta La Moderna Tradición.

Religion Bar on Church. 3pm. With DJ Nikita.

Swing Out Sundays Rock-It Room. 7pm, free (dance lessons $15). DJ BeBop Burnie spins 20s through 50s swing, jive, and more.

MONDAY 13

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

C-Money and Players Inc. Elbo Room. 9pm, $10.

Ed Jones Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 8pm, free.

Tame Impala, Stardeath and White Dwarfs Independent. 8pm, $15.

DANCE CLUBS

Black Gold Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; (415) 885-4788. 10pm-2am, free. Senator Soul spins Detroit soul, Motown, New Orleans R&B, and more — all on 45.

Death Guild DNA Lounge. 9:30pm, $3-5. Gothic, industrial, and synthpop with Joe Radio, Decay, and Melting Girl.

Krazy Mondays Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. With DJs Ant-1, $ir-Tipp, Ruby Red I, Lo, and Gelo spinning hip hop.

M.O.M. Madrone Art Bar. 6pm, free. With DJ Gordo Cabeza and guests playing all Motown every Monday.

Manic Mondays Bar on Church. 9pm. Drink 80-cent cosmos with Djs Mark Andrus and Dangerous Dan.

Network Mondays Azul Lounge, One Tillman Pl, SF; www.inhousetalent.com. 9pm, $5. Hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word open mic, plus featured performers.

Skylarking Skylark. 10pm, free. With resident DJs I & I Vibration, Beatnok, and Mr. Lucky and weekly guest DJs.

TUESDAY 14

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Badly Drawn Boy Café Du Nord. 8pm, $25.

Black Crowes Fillmore. 8pm, $60.

CCR Headcleaner, Bleak Ethnique, Tongue and Teeth Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $5.

Dominique Leone, Ash Reiter, Poor Sweet Creatures Amnesia. 9pm.

Low, Charlie Parr Great American Music Hall. 8pm, $17.

Man Among Wolves, Damaura, Red Light Mind Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $8.

Bob Margolin Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $20.

DANCE CLUBS

Bombshell Betty's Burleque Bailout Elbo Room. 9pm, $10. With Fromagique and the Burlesqueteers.

Eclectic Company Skylark, 9pm, free. DJs Tones and Jaybee spin old school hip hop, bass, dub, glitch, and electro.

Share the Love Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 5pm, free. With DJ Pam Hubbuck spinning house.

Womanizer Bar on Church. 9pm. With DJ Nuxx.

It’s fair to say that a lot of memorable things have happened in each and every one of our lives since December 18, 2004: Among other things, we elected the first African-American POTUS in the history of our country, we suffered through one of the worst financial crises in our nation’s history, and, of course, we learned about the mysterious origins of Justin Bieber’s tattoo. Which is to say that you’re totally forgiven if, over the course of the last six years, you forgot how bad of an SNL host Robert De Niro is. Don’t kick yourself with regret; after all, Lorne Michaels forgot, too! Yes, that’s right, it’s been six long years since the last abominable Fockers movie lowbrowed its way into our nation’s movie theaters. And now, with Little Fockers just weeks from away from ruining the holidays for families everywhere, Robert De Niro showed up at Studio 8H to ruin that show, too. Exactly how disinterested was Bob in preparing for this week’s show? Well, he played “Robert De Niro” in three separate sketches, that’s how! He tripped over lines, his eyes rarely strayed from the cue cards, and the happiest he looked all night was when he hugged one of the Diddy Dirty Money girls as the credits were rolling*. Quite frankly, he made January Jones look like Jon Hamm! But hey, the host is only one part of the show, right? No no no, we’re not going to discuss the manner in which Puff Puffy Diddy Daddy Combs embarrassed himself with his Grade-Z Kanye impression. Rather, now is the time of the week in which we (belatedly!) discuss how the cast performed this week with our SNL Power Rankings. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE POWER RANKINGS: 12/4/10 (Host: Robert De Niro; Musical Guest: Diddy Dirty Money) 1. Jason Sudeikis (45 points): To quote Die Hard‘s John McClane, “Welcome to the party, pal!” It’s been a ho-hum season so far for Sudeikis, who I assumed was going to blossom into a star this season after Will Forte’s departure but, up to this point, hasn’t really done so. Until this week, that is! Sudeiks was able to put his distractingly budding career as a leading man on the silver screen aside and nail all of his Everyman roles. And, of course, he danced like a mofo during “What Up With That?” 2. Andy Samberg (37 points): What did we all think of this week’s Digital Short, “Party At Mr. Bernard’s”? I didn’t think it was nearly weird enough, although I did appreciate the short break that it gave viewers from seeing Bobby De Niro reading off cue cards. However, what this short lacked, Samberg’s outstanding work as Blizzard Man more than made up for. He was also charmingly hilarious during Weekend Update as the fourth Spider-Man stand-in. 3. Bill Hader (33 points): Hader‘s impression of Fleetwood Mac frontman Lindsey Buckingham as a bleached blond mute should win some sort of award for World’s Least Grounded In Reality Impression. I am not sure why it is hilarious, but every time I see him, I laugh. And just when I thought I would be over Vinny Vedecci, he makes me laugh again. 4. Kristen Wiig (31 points): This week had just the right balance of Wiig. While the decision to allow her debut a new character, a manic aerobics instructor named Janet Judy Tran, on Weekend Update will go down as one of this season’s most confounding creative choices, her work as a weirdo avant garde singer in “What Up With That?” was inspired. 5. Bobby Moynihan (30 points): This episode marked the second time we have seen Moynihan’s Keith character, who has his charms but, sadly, is kind of one-note. BRING BACK MARK PAYNE! 6. Fred Armisen (27 points): Outside of the Cold Open (in which he played BOTH Obama and Qadafi), there wasn’t much for Armisen to do this week. However, it is important to note that he DID manage to hold onto his role as the POTUS. More on that when you get to the Jay Pharoah section of this recap. 7. Kenan Thompson (21 points): Oooh, whee! There is no doubt that Diondre Cole and “What Up With That?” is one of the best original sketches to come out of the last few years, but dare I say that the bit is getting close to running its course? Yes, I dare say so! Thanks to the always handy and incredibly comprehensive SNL Archives site, I learned that this is the seventh airing of this sketch since its debut in October 2009. To me, this is a few airings too many, and it reminds me of what happened to pitchers like Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and Stephen Strasburg when they threw too many innings too soon after their respective debuts: What could’ve been a very promising career was cut short due to overuse. 8. Nasim Pedrad (19 points): Pedrad continues to be the breakout of the Featured Players group (aka, the youngs). Her nasally take on Kim Kardashian is quickly becoming her standout celebrity impresh, and huge bonus points for looking completely terrified with a dead Mr. Bernard in her lap. 9. (tie) Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain (16 points): If this were a report card, I’d grade both of their work this week as Incomplete. 11. Taran Killam (12 points): Can I say one thing about Killam? I really, really hate that he stole Will Forte’s character in “What Up With That?” wholesale. He could’ve at least added a new wrinkle or two to the performance, but NO. Ugh. 12. Abby Elliott (6 points): Speaking of ugh… 13. Jay Pharoah (2 points): Did unveiling his Obama impression on Late Night With David Letterman land Jay in Lorne’s doghouse? Impossible to say, but I’m going to exercise my right to wildly speculate and say quite undefinitively, “Yes, yes it did!” SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE POWER RANKINGS: SEASON 36 TOTALS 1. Kristin Wiig (257 points; Last Week: #1) 2. Bill Hader (251 points; Last Week: #2) 3. Fred Armisen (234 points; Last Week: #3) 4. Andy Samberg (229 points; Last Week: #4) 5. Kenan Thompson (188 points; Last Week: #5) 6. Jason Sudeikis (184 points; Last Week: #6) 7. Bobby Moynihan (161 points; Last Week: #7) 8. Nasim Pedrad (133 points; Last Week: #8) 9. (tie) Taran Killam, ⇑ Vanessa Bayer (100 points; Last Week: #9) 11. ⇑ Paul Brittain (94 points; Last Week: #13) 12. ⇓ Abby Elliott (85 points; Last Week: #11) 13. ⇓ Jay Pharoah (84 points; Last Week: #12) Reference Materials: Need a refresher on the Scoring System? Here’s this week’s sketch-by-sketch breakdown: Also, did you know that we’re showing classic episodes of SNL every night on VH1? It’s true! *I will begrudgingly admit that I kind of liked his work as Blizzard Man’s mom. “What up, snitches?” And if you made it this far, my apologies for filing this so late. I was sick over the weekend, my bad.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

Big East power rankings: Season finale [Brian Bennett - ESPN.com]

Video: One Good Thing [Brian Bennett - ESPN.com]

Week 14 review [Brian Bennett - ESPN.com]

Connecticut regular season recap [Brian Bennett - ESPN.com]

Some Phoenix travel options [Chip Malafronte - New Haven Register]

After this building job, UConn's Edsall likely to get some reconstruction offers [CT Post]

Huskies deserve BCS Bowl [Norwich Bulletin]

Larson carries plenty of Edsall with him on NL sidelines [The Day]

UConn's lucky BCS bowl berth [Wall Street Journal]

Bob Stoops, OU have an excellent chance to end their BCS drought [NewsOK.com]

UConn Women's Basketball links

Michala Johnson ready for high school teammate [Jim Fuller - New Haven Register]

A Look Back At Sunday’s Win Over Sacred Heart [Rich Elliott - CT Post]

With Record In Hand, How Many Points Will Moore Score? [Rich Elliott - CT Post]

Another stylish game for Maya [The Republican-American]

Maya Moore so much more than a scorer [Mechelle Voepel - ESPN.com]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Recruiting Names/Thoughts [Mike Anthony - Hartford Courant]

Mike also answered a few questions in his mailbag [Mike Anthony - Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

W. Soccer. Fugowski, Richards Named NSCAA All-Northeast Region [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Cole Schneider Named AHA Co-Rookie/Player of the Week [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Ice Hockey. Huskies Travel To Union For Midweek Contest [UConnHuskies.com]

Music: Neil Young + Joanna Newsom
In case you missed our pre-Thanksgiving blog about UCSF's Neil Young and Joanna Newsom show, here's the scoop again. These two amazing performers will be playing a benefit show and we're only hoping they'll throw in some duets. Money raised goes to help build a new home in Mission Bay for the Benioff Children's Hospital, which is considered one of the best kid's facilities in the country. And did we mention the pre-show cocktail reception with General Colin Powell, a post-performance dessert reception, and an afterparty with beats by will.i.am? Enough said. $250+; Wednesday 12/8; Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, 1111 California St., theconcertforucsfbch.com

Holidays: SF Ballet Nutcracker + ACT Christmas Carol
If you started playing holiday music the day after Thanksgiving, these two shows will surely keep you in the Christmas spirit. The SF Ballet's Nutcracker is set in our fair city during the 1915 World's Fair, and Clara's dreamlike journey shows off all its historical grandeur. $20-$200; Thursday 12/9 - Monday 12/27; War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., sfballet.org. A.C.T.'s A Christmas Carol is a sparkling musical, perfect for the whole family. $18-$73; Thursday 12/2 - Friday 12/24; American Conservatory Theater, 415 Geary St., act-sf.org

Shopping: Shecky's + Indie Mart + Bazaar Bizarre
This week, there's no excuse for putting off the holiday shopping. At Shecky's Girl's Night Out, grab a cocktail and a goodie bag before you scout out designer goods your friends will love. $10-$30; Thursday 12/9 - Friday 12/10; Fort Mason Center Herbst Pavilion, Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St., sheckys.com. If you like to geek out at the Academy of Sciences on Thursday nights, this week you can pick up some Indie Mart gifts while you stargaze at the Planetarium. Workshop SF will also be providing free things to make and will offer screenprinting and stenciling demos. $12; Thursday 12/9; California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., calacademy.org. Finally, a perennial favorite, this year's Bazaar Bizarre will offer all the DIY glory you could imagine. Check out our blog here. $Free; Saturday 12/11 - Sunday 12/12; Fort Mason Center Herbst Pavilion, Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St., bazaarbizarre.org

Film: YBCA Noel Noir + Gremlins/Black Christmas
For all the scrooges out there, YBCA is hosting Go To Hell For The Holidays: Horror in December. Each weekend, they'll screen art/horror hybrids from Meat Grinder to Life and Death of a Porno Gang. Check out our blog here. $8; Thursday 12/2 - Saturday 12/18; YBCA Screening Room, 701 Mission St., ybca.org. If mainstream is more your thing, check out Gremlins followed by director Bob Clark's slasher alternative to A Christmas Story, appropriately titled Black Christmas. $10 each; Thursday 12/9;  Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., castrotheatre.com

Music: Black Crowes + Anais Mitchell
Each year, the Black Crowes have made it a tradition to play a week's worth of shows in the Bay Area. This year they're back and you better catch them before they go on an indefinite hiatus. $75; Sunday 12/12 - Sunday 12/19; The Fillmore, 1805 Geary Blvd., livenation.com. If you're looking for something more experimental, check out this musical opera at Great American Music Hall, which blends indie rock with Dixieland. The show features Anais Mitchell with Thao Nguyen, Sean Hayes, John Elliott, the Hadestown Orchestra, and the Michael Chorney Sextet. $21; Sunday 12/12; Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell St., gamh.com

Tony Elliot, founder of former counterculture flagship Time Out sells half to clear £10m of debt

It was founded by a student who was supposed to be heading off to France during the summer of protest in 1968. But 42 years later Time Out, once a radical, co-operative listings magazine, has a new shareholder – a venture capital firm that aims to revive its fortunes.

Tony Elliott, who set up Time Out with £70 borrowed from his aunt, yesterday sold a half share of the publication named after a Dave Brubeck record, which allowed him to clear a £3m emergency loan he had pumped into the magazine earlier this year to keep the company's bankers at bay.

Although neither Elliott nor his new business partner – Oakley Capital, owned by Peter Dubens – would say how much he had received, the deal clears £10m of debts run up by Time Out and Elliott in supporting Time Out through the economic downturn of the last two years.

Elliott said that the deal has "made me a millionaire, but then I always knew that I was". However, it has also safeguarded his fortune – the 63-year old was forced to remortgage his house in St John's Wood against many friends' advice in order to satisfy Lloyds bank.

"People were advising me not to do it, but I thought I had to," Elliott said. "Today, I feel justified. My wife said that I had always been telling her that the right partner would come along. Finally she said: 'You've been proven right.'"

The debt-free Time Out now plans to expand internationally – the publisher has long wanted to produce online guides to cities such as Paris and Madrid, but had been unable to afford them. Although there are editions of Time Outs printed from Abu Dhabi to Zagreb, many are not owned by Elliott, instead being licensed to wealthy locals.

While the share sale may have safeguarded Time Out's future, it is a far cry from a magazine that was run as a co-operative until 1981. Elliott studied French at Keele University, where he edited the student arts newspaper, Unit, and quickly showed a flair for publishing by securing interviews with Yoko Ono and Jimi Hendrix.

He was supposed to go to France as part of his course, but instead stopped over in London, where he had spotted there was no events magazine. Working with Bob Harris, the radio DJ, he produced the first Time Out in August 1968, selling some of the copies on Chelsea's Kings Road.

The first issue, an A5 black and white fold-out, cost one shilling and featured a Ronald Reagan B-movie season, complete with large headshot of the future president, plus a "Marches" section where readers had the chance to "meet the fuzz" at events such as a march from Canterbury to St Paul's, with the British Council for Peace in Vietnam.

Gradually the publication was run along more commercial lines, although the decision to abandon the co-operative principle where everybody was paid equally – from cleaners to editor – prompted journalists to go on strike, producing first Not Time Out and then City Limits, which lasted until 1993.

With its only rival defeated, Time Out's more recent problems have been financial. The magazine has been hit by the decade-long decline in advertising, and the gradual migration of its print readership to digital listings. Ten years ago sales of the London title were over 90,000. They are now just below 60,000. Three years ago Elliott decided to make all his listings information freely available online.

The owner began a long search to find an outside investor that lasted "five or seven years" but refused to cede control, until the magazine's financial position deteriorated. Yesterday Elliott said that Time Out's annual turnover is £17m – down markedly from the £25.7m it reported in 2007. Recent cost cutting means that the company is still profitable, earning £1.7m before the costs of borrowing.

The veteran founder will remain chairman of the Time Out company, and while Dubens and his Oakley Capital will get 50% representation on the board, the existing management of the company will remain unchanged.

"I'm 63 going on 43. I've had a great lifestyle, now why would I want to change it? I may be at home now, but I'm going to spend the afternoon looking at ideas for magazine covers," said a buoyant Elliot.

Listing landmarks

1968 The first edition of the magazine published on 12 August by Tony Elliott, partially funded with a £70 birthday gift from an aunt.

1980 Elliott abandons running Time Out as a co-operative. Rival City Limits is published from 1981 to 1993.

1995 The London magazine hits a record circulation of 110,496, achieved in the first half of the year.

2003 Time Out Group Ltd reports revenues of £25m and a profit of £228,000.

2007 Time Out continues international expansion, launching four editions in Sydney, Singapore, Delhi and Lisbon.

2008 The Sunday Times Rich List values the company at more than £40m. Its UK website attracts almost two million unique users a month.

December 2009 London Time Out launches a free iPhone application with a live location-based events map.

January 2010 Elliott puts £3m of his own money into the magazine to reduce its bank debts. Its "liabilities exceeded its total assets" by £10.7m on 31 December 2008.

November 2010 Oakley Capital, a private equity firm, takes a 50% stake in Time Out for an undisclosed sum.

• Dan Rasmussen contributing writer for The Times-Picayune: "New Orleans Hornets Coach Monty Williams warned this would happen. Back when the Hornets were in the midst of winning 11 of their first 12 games, Williams said if his guys didn’t kick some of their bad habits -- like turning over the ball too often, stagnating on offense and playing soft on defense -- the winning would stop. It now has. The bad habits have continued, and now the Hornets have lost two games in a row. Two days after falling on the road to the 2-13 L.A. Clippers, they were eventually run out of the building against the Utah Jazz. The Hornets (11-3) committed 19 turnovers, including six in the fourth quarter; they stagnated on offense and let the shot-clock wind down on way too many occasions; and they allowed Utah to shoot 49 percent from the field. Add it all up, and it amounted to a 105-87 loss to the Jazz (11-5) on Wednesday night at EnergySolutions Arena. 'I’ve said this for about six or seven games now that we were playing out of character, but we were winning games,' Williams said. 'It comes back to bite you. When you mess with the game, it comes back and messes with you. This started a while ago. So we’ve got to get back to work, and do some things that we were doing before to get back.' Atop the list of to-dos presumably would be limiting turnovers."
• Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune: "There had been remarkable comebacks and major letdowns. Brilliant individual play and selfless teamwork bordered by battles with inconsistency and focus. But out of everything the Jazz had accomplished, overcome and endured this season, one accomplishment had yet to be attained: 48 full minutes of real, true basketball. Utah downed the New Orleans Hornets 105-87 Wednesday night at EnergySolutions Arena before a crowd of 19,237. And the Jazz came very close to accomplishing the feat.... The marquee outside ESA read 'Williams versus Paul' prior to tipoff. Point guard against point guard. All-Star, Olympic athlete and face of the franchise vs. a highly similar counterpart. The matchup easily delivered on its promise, as the duo did everything from trade handshake greetings to smoke each other every time an opportunity arrived. But Williams was the most charged and won the battle. He pumped a fist when he gained a momentary edge; he snapped a towel, punched the air and loudly growled when the Paul-led Hornets made a brief third-quarter run to pull within 67-62 with 7:11 remaining in the period. 'We always have fun playing each other,' Williams said. 'We are good friends off the court. But on the court, we always like to battle.' "
• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: "The city of Miami always has looked down its nose at Orlando, painting it as an unsophisticated hayseed town. Like we don't know how to use a spittoon or something. But who are the rubes now, huh? Spit. Ding! I reckon it's the Heat, hoss. Have you seen the Heat's new and ill-advised marketing campaign, begging fans to come to the games on time and providing instructions on how they should act? It's called 'Fan Up, Miami!' Embarrassing is what it is. It's an act of desperation by a franchise that only a few months ago gave us The Greatest Team Ever Assembled. Are you kidding me? You have to plead with Miami fans to come see the Three Wise Men -- LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh? Tell me Pat Riley didn't approve this message, please (although Riley signs off on almost everything.)"
• Alan Hahn of Newsday: "If the Knicks find themselves ahead by double figures in the second half on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks, the Garden should refrain from encouraging videos and motivational music and instead play this simple refrain from the groundbreaking Mortal Kombat game from the early 1990s: FINISH HIM! For five straight games the Knicks have held a double-figure lead in the second half only to see it dwindle to almost nothing. The optimist says what Mike D'Antoni said after Wednesday's 99-95 win over the Bobcats: 'As long as we correct mistakes and win, that's a great way to do it.' A realist says there's only so many times you can get away with this kind of game. I thought it would happen on this night, when the Knicks let a 14-point lead with 1:11 left in the third evaporate to a 95-94 deficit with 1:29 left in the game after that three-point play by Tyrus Thomas. It took some clutch plays -- which was bigger: that block by Amar'e Stoudemire on Stephen Jackson or Raymond Felton's strip of Thomas on the rebound of Landry Fields' free throw miss? -- and clutch free throws to pull out this fifth straight win."
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star: "In the company of more athletic teammates, guys who score points and make the highlight reels and provide the 'oohs' and 'ahs' on a nightly basis, it was a workhorse who was singled out. 'Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie' they yelled in appreciation for an honest night’s work from a guy who’s not about glory. Reggie Evans set a new career high for rebounds in Toronto’s 106-90 shellacking of the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, grabbing 22 of them and further endearing himself to a fan base that loves effort as much as it does success. 'I was just really doing what I normally do,' said Evans, who tied franchise records for rebounds in a quarter (10 in the first) and a half (14 in the first) as part of his big night. 'That was the main thing, I wasn’t focused on any career high. Just taking advantage of every opportunity that came my way. Coach was saying we need you to do what you normally do.' What Evans has done consistently since the season began is give the Raptors a decided advantage on the boards and fuel an offence that thrives in transition."
• Hayley Mick of the Globe and Mail: "Jerryd Bayless wears No. 5 for the Raptors, although he could’ve nabbed No. 4, which Chris Bosh abandoned. Bayless wore No. 4 when he played for the Portland Trail Blazers. So did anyone talk him out of it? 'Didn’t even think about that,' Bayless said. His rational? 'Three plus two,' Bayless said, referring to the No. 32 jersey he briefly wore with the Hornets. 'Fresh start.' "
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "Sometimes the most innocuous questions illicit the most interesting answers from Bobcats coach Larry Brown. Someone asked him Wednesday what he thought of playing the same team on back-to-back nights. The same opponent wasn't the issue to Brown. 'I hate back-to-backs,' Brown replied. 'The Lakers only have 12. Does anybody write that? Go figure that one out. I think we have over 20, and I think the majority of the teams in the NBA do.' The Bobcats have 22 sets of games on back-to-back nights this season."
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "Wow, it sure was lonely in that Bobcats locker room, post-game. I would say that by the time the media was admitted to that locker room, following the second loss in as many nights to the New York Knicks, the ratio of media to players was 3-to-1. Many of the people you’d most want to interview -- Gerald Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, Nazr Mohammed -- were out of there before we ever came in. Now, I’m not suggesting anything nefarious. Maybe they all just dressed fast and coincidentally some scooted out the back exit. Maybe it was the Thanksgiving holiday. And in Thomas’ case, it was about getting treatment for painful arches. But here’s my intuition, based on 20-some years covering the NBA: Some people see the potential for this season crumbling, and saying the wrong thing can only add to the misery. It’s not often Wallace doesn’t make himself available for interviews. He’s naturally candid, so I take it for granted he’d worry when he’s really troubled about saying something he’ll regret. His productivity is down and coach Larry Brown made it clear a factor in that is teammates not finding Wallace enough on the break."
• Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: "Mo Williams accomplished something he had never done since coming to the Cavaliers in 2008: Attempt a last-second shot. He drilled a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer to shock the Milwaukee Bucks, 83-81, on Wednesday before 20,562 at Quicken Loans Arena. After having so much success, one has to wonder why he hadn't done it before. 'We had this other guy here,' Williams joked, referring to the since-departed LeBron James."
• Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune: "You kept thinking: Can this keep happening? Could the San Antonio Spurs, owners of an 11-game winning streak entering Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves at Target Center, league leaders in three-point shooting, keep missing? Would the Wolves, up by 21 early in the third quarter but watching that lead slowly dwindle, show the poise that had eluded them recently? The answers: No and no. The Spurs kicked it into veteran mode. The Wolves fought, clawed and made some big shots late but also had late breakdowns. Forced into overtime, they ultimately lost 113-109. Another great, big almost. ... So much to like, so much to rue. The Wolves shot 47.2 percent, hitting half their three-pointers. Love went for 32 points and 22 rebounds, while center Darko Milicic had 22 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. At one point, in the fourth quarter, the Spurs gave Tim Duncan help with a double team. Really. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said one of his assistants asked him if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was out there."
• Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News: "The Lakers hold their annual Turkey Trot today. The big guys scrimmage against the little guys. 'Instead of a serious practice, we have a fun practice,' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of today's workout. 'We have the big guys playing guard and the guards at center. We let them play roles they never get to play. They still have to work it out.' On one side is everyone on the roster who stands taller than 6-foot-4. On the other, everyone is 6-4 and under. It's become a Thanksgiving tradition for Jackson's teams, dating to his days as coach of the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. Sometimes he has called the game the Foons, Goons and Fairies. Or maybe it's been Fairies, Foons and Goons. Whatever it's called, it's a contest between the big guys and the smaller ones. 'Last year, the Fairies scored 120 points,' Jackson said. 'And our Foons scored about 25, so it was really tough. We don't have any Goons outside of Pau (Gasol, a 7-footer), and he's not playing, so we don't have any guys big enough. It's all Foons.' "
• Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "For veteran NBA players like Josh Smith, who already are among the best in the world, improvements in their games usually are gradual and often somewhat predictable. That's why it has been surprising to see Smith, a poor jump shooter over his previous six pro seasons, suddenly make longer range baskets at a dramatically better rate. According to shot location statistics at Hoopdata.com, Smith never made more than 34 percent of his shots from 16 to 23 feet in his five previous seasons. So far this year, he is shooting 40 percent from 16 to 23 feet, which is about the league average for all players. After shunning 3-pointers -- he took only seven attempts last season -- Smith is back to shooting them. A 27 percent 3-point shooter entering this season, he's made eight of 20. When weighted for the increased value of 3-pointers, that computes to an effective field-goal percentage of 58. Smith worked on his jump shot before the season and so far, it's working."
• Justin Rogers of Booth Newspapers: "Wednesday was another rough night for Richard Hamilton. He missed his first five shots from the floor, failing to register his first points until the third quarter. Then as he was starting to heat up, Rip picked up his second technical foul for unnecessary complaining after a whistle. This is the second time Hamilton's been ejected for multiple technical fouls in a game this season. He's quickly turning into a poster boy for the NBA's 'Respect the Game' rule. At the time of the second tech, the Grizzlies had jumped out to an 11-point lead and appeared well on their way to pulling away, but it's disappointing to see one of the team's veteran leaders getting tossed while the result was still in question."

EDWARDS MAKES IT TWO STRAIGHT WINS TO END 2010
•       Carl Edwards captured his 18th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win
with today’s victory.
•       Ford has now won 7-of-12 NSCS races at Homestead, most among manufacturers.
•       The last time a Ford driver won consecutive NSCS races was last
season when Matt Kenseth won the first two races of 2009 (Daytona and
California).
•       The win was the 120th all-time NSCS win for Roush Fenway Racing.
•       Today’s win was the 599th all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win for
Ford Racing.

CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW –
“This is unreal.  This is a great way to finish the season.
Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson – five championships in a row,
that’s unreal.  I think the way we’re going here, if we could start
like this our Aflac team could have a shot at them next year.  I’ve
just got to thank Scotts for the great lawn products, Aflac, I think I
hurt my foot on that backflip, so that’s a good time to do it because
I’ve got Aflac coverage.  John Force was here and gave me a little
motivation on those restarts.  I’m just so proud for Ford, Aflac,
Scotts, Vitamin Water, Kellogg’s, Valvoline – everybody that’s been
behind us all year.  To finish like this is unreal.”  HOW DO YOU GO 70
RACES WITHOUT A WIN AND THEN WIN BACK-TO-BACK?  “It’s just these guys
not giving up.  We don’t give up.  My guys are unreal and we just had
an unbelievable run towards the end of this season.  I’m truly
blessed.  I’m so excited.  Last week, my wife and daughter weren’t
here and today they are, so I’ll get Victory Lane photos with them.
It’s just a great way to end the season.  I can’t wait to go to Vegas.
 I can’t wait to go home to Columbia, Missouri.  I’m kind of hungry,
I’m gonna go get a Subway sandwich and go celebrate with my guys.
This is unreal.” WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE LAST FEW LAPS?  “You
know I was really fortunate that Jimmie was racing for the
championships because I think he was taking it easy there in the last
minute. Our Aflac Fusion was great. I can’t believe this. Two wins in
a row is just really great. We are finishing the season like we need
to. I am excited to go into next year and go into Daytona where
hopefully we can be one of the people lining up to knock Jimmie off
his throne. That would be nice.”  THE WAY YOU GUYS ARE PERFORMING DOWN
THE STRETCH, ARE YOU SAD TO SEE THE SEASON END?  “It would be nice if
we could line up tomorrow morning at Daytona but it will come soon
enough. I am going to enjoy the off season. I have a beautiful family
and they are here with me today and that means a lot. I am really
excited. We will go to the banquet tomorrow and then the banquet in
Las Vegas. I am sure we will see some fans there. Once again, Ford
Motor Company stuck behind us. Aflac, Scotts, Kellogs, Subway and all
my fans that I see every week out here supporting us. We are back on
track and I am really excited. It is fun to drive these race cars when
they are like this.”

JACK ROUSH, Car Owner – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion -- “As hard as it is
to let Ford people down when they are not at the race track, when they
all show up it is even harder yet.  The guys just really got
themselves up for this and it is a good race track for us. We have
great notes for it and the new FR9 engine ran wonderfully. It is a
great day.”

JAMIE ALLISON, Director, North America Motorsports – “Oh my gosh. You
know they say how you finish is how you start, so we hope this
foretells a great 2011 season. For now we get to celebrate this
victory and an amazing two in a row for Carl. We are very proud of
what Jack has done in the second half of this season.”
FORD RACING NOTES AND QUOTES    Ford 400, Page 2
November 21, 2010       Homestead-Miami Speedway

GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion (Finished 10th) – “It was a pretty
good day.  We were off just a little bit with this car.  I think our
other car was faster.  We had to go to a backup car.  It was a good
day for us, but I just wish we could have finished up there a little
higher.  That last caution hurt us because I thought we were better
than that and guys got to start behind us with new tires.  I’m happy
Carl won two in a row at the end of the year and we’ve got our program
turned around.  It’s good for us.”  HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT NEXT YEAR
NOW AFTER THIS REBOUND?  “I think we’re gonna be five spots better,
and I think we can win two or three times as many as we did this year
– maybe four, five or six wins.”

MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion (Finished 9th) – “I was
frustrated at the very end.  I was happy that we performed better, but
I was too loose all day and just couldn’t keep up.  We worked on it
and tried hard all day, but we just couldn’t find that right
adjustment.”

DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion (Finished 20th) – YOU RAN IN THE
TOP 10 ALMOST THE ENTIRE RACE, BUT THE CAUTION THAT CAME OUT DURING
PIT STOPS REALLY HURT THE TEAM. “It was just unfortunate the yellow
came out when it did. Drew [Blickensderfer] and everyone was doing
such a good job and our UPS Ford was fast, but we’ve got to keep
working on the pit crew. We had a few mistakes that hurt us and that
is probably the difference between being on the lead lap and not when
that caution came out. We had a good car, we just didn’t have the luck
on our side and that seems to be the way of how a lot of our season
has gone. I’m proud of the way our cars have been running and it’s
great to be able to qualify in the top 10 and run in the top 10 the
whole race, but we just did not get the result that we wanted here.
Nevertheless, looks like a good offseason for us and we have some good
things to look forward to.”

DONNIE WINGO, Crew Chief – No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion (Bill Elliott
finished 15th) – “We got the right-front fender knocked off of it and
then on another restart somebody came down on us and got on the
left-front, so we had to pit under green and lost a lap.  We took the
wave around and got that back and just fought hard and dug all day.
We kind of waited there at the end to pit as long as we could and it
paid off for us.”  TWO TOP-20 RUNS TO END THE YEAR.  HOW DO YOU FEEL?
“I think everybody has done well with all the transition we’ve gone
through the last two or three weeks.  I hate that we had issues at
Charlotte because I think we had a pretty good car there, too.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion  - “This is awesome.
Working with Kenny Francis and all the guys on this Budweiser team has
been a pleasure. They have fast race cars. Really fast race cars.
Richard Petty Motorsports should be very proud of themselves. I know
they are going through a lot, but they are going to get this race team
turned around. They have great equipment, great people and they are
going to be successful.”  WAS IT NERVE RACKING RACING AROUND THE
CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS?  “Oh my gosh, it was. I was so conscious to
not make a mistake. I made several today and we were able to rebound.
It felt like we had a car capable of winning. All in all it was a
great day and I am proud of all my guys on this team to step in and
let me fill in on this team has been fun. I have learned a lot and it
has been awesome.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, No. 43 Insignia/Best Buy Ford Fusion  - “That was
pretty wild. We were pretty good in the beginning and then about the
third run in we got so loose it was almost like something broke on the
race car. We were so loose and we tried everything to fix it. We
basically flipped this thing upside down. I give all the credit to
Mike Shiplett who kept me calm and pep talked me. I was frustrated and
it was tough out there but he kept working on it and throwing things
at it and finally we hit something at the end. It still wasn’t great
but we got it raceable and we got a little lucky with that yellow to
get us track position and a top five.”  THAT IS A PRETTY EXCITING WAY
TO END YOUR YEAR ON WHAT HAS BEEN A BIT OF A CRAZY SEASON FOR YOU
ISN’T IT?  “Yeah, all the credit goes to my race team and all the guys
back at the shop. Credit goes to Ford, Insignia, Best Buy and
Valvoline too. This team could have easily fallen apart and fought and
just dismantled itself, but I feel like we became stronger and when we
figure this stuff out back at the shop we will get this race team back
where it needs to be and I think we will be that much stronger for
having gone through this.”

CARL EDWARDS POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE – “First, congratulations to
Jimmie Johnson and those guys.  I was telling him in Victory Lane that
this means it’s gonna take us six years to beat that.  It’s just
unreal what those guys have been able to do.  For our team, to finish
like this and be on the upswing that we are, this is as good as it
gets.  I can’t remember who asked the question, but somebody asked a
really good question on Friday in here about how I felt this compared
to 2008 going into 2009.  I feel a lot better right now going into
2011 than I did going into 2009 and that’s because I feel like we’ve
got a lot of momentum, things are getting better, we’ve got a new
engine that we’re working on that just keeps getting better.  This is
the best performance down the straightaway that I’ve had in a long
time today, so we’ve just got a lot of good things going.  I can’t
tell you guys how much it means to finish the season like this.  It’s
spectacular for us.”

BOB OSBORNE, Crew Chief – “First of all, I’d like to say
congratulations to Chad Knaus and the entire 48 program.  It’s a
phenomenal feat and hopefully we have the opportunity to surpass that
at some point.  There’s not really any one specific piece, technique,
process that we’ve changed to turn the corner here.  It’s just a lot
of little things that seemed to have built momentum for us and has
gotten us back to Victory Lane.”

JACK ROUSH, Car Owner – “I want to start off by congratulating Rick
Hendrick and that entire organization as well.  What they’ve done has
just been awesome.  As far as coming to Ford Championship Weekend and
not winning in a Ford with all the support that we’ve had for all the
years, I would be embarrassed to go home and not have made a really
good showing, so I can sleep better tonight than I did last night
based on the way it worked out today.  With Bob, they have the dual
celebrations going on here and I look forward to being able to do it
up on the stage with the championship group and at the same time in
the background with the race win as well, so maybe we can get both of
them next year.”

CARL EDWARDS CONTINUED – IS IT ODD TO BE IN VICTORY LANE CELEBRATING
AND KNOW SOMETHING ELSE IS GOING ON?  “First thing is I can tell you
it’s a lot more frustrating to not be in Victory Lane and be watching
somebody out there doing their donuts and all that stuff.  I’ve been
in this position before when we’ve won this race.  Whoever wins this
race is usually watching somebody else celebrate out there with the
championship.   I think I have a good perspective on the season and
I’m able to look at what we’ve done, look at these two race wins and
fourth in points and say, ‘Hey, if you would have told me 10 races
into the season that this is how we’re gonna wrap this thing up,’ I
would not have believed you.  This is beyond the comeback that I
expected.  It’s really beyond what I hoped for.  This is very good, a
good finish to the season.  This victory is very, very important to us
and those guys celebrating their championship, they earned it.”  DO
YOU WISH THE SEASON WAS JUST STARTING?  “Heck yes I wish the season
was just starting.  That would be nice to start the season with these
two wins, but we’ll go for three in a row at Daytona.  That would be a
heck of a place to get three in a row.  We’ve been close at Daytona in
a couple races.  That would be nice.  We’ll go there with guns blazing
and I think we’re gonna be better than we’ve ever been starting next
season.”
CARL EDWARDS CONTINUED – WE MADE YOU THE FAVORITE IN ’09 TO DETHRONE
JIMMIE.  “Don’t do that again.  That didn’t work with a damn
(laughing).”  DO YOU FEEL SO MUCH BETTER THAT YOU THINK YOU WILL HAVE
SOMETHING FOR THEM NEXT YEAR?  “I think that’s the question everybody
is gonna themselves when they go home.  How do we beat those guys?  I
believe that our slope, our gain is a little steeper than theirs right
now.  The question is, ‘Can we keep that going?’  Because on average
they’ve just been better than everyone else.  They’ve proven that.
We’ve been better at times.  Other people have been better at times,
but when I look at the two cars sitting next to one another, you
understand that those cars are made with shocks and springs and the
chassis and the body and the engine, and I look at all those
parameters and where we’re headed with ours, I feel like we’re making
really good progress. I feel like we’re making our slope steeper than
theirs.  With that being said, we just have to hope that we can
continue that and, regardless of how we stack up with them, I still
feel like we’re on more of an upswing than 2008.”  CAN JIMMIE BE
CONSIDERED THE GREATEST EVER?  “No, I feel like I’m better than him.
I mean, everybody feels like that.  That’s why we race.  If you get a
driver out there right now that’s driving that says, ‘Oh no, Jimmie is
a lot better than me.’  You don’t want that guy on your team.
Obviously, they have proven that they are able to win more races and
more championships than the rest of us, we just have to figure out how
to do that.  There’s a reason we call each other by our car numbers,
it’s because we’re all humans.  I don’t want to think about Jimmie
Johnson, the person, or so-and-so as a person.  I think of them as
just a car, a guy that I have to beat on the race track, and I think
that’s how we all deal with one another the best.  That 48 was sure
good this year, that’s for sure.”  COMPARE AND CONTRAST A 70-RACE
WINLESS STREAK TO A TWO-RACE WINNING STREAK?   “Let me think.  A
70-race winless streak – no offense Jack – but it’s like a sharp stick
in the eye.  It’s bad.  It’s really bad.”  JACK INTERJECTS.
“Actually, he and Bob both lined up on me and got me in the eye with
their champagne before I realized the battle was on today.”  CARL
CONTINUES – “I’m sorry about that.  That was bad.  I was just having a
little fun there, but a 70-race winless streak is very difficult and
it’s difficult because Jack owns this team, he goes to bed and wakes
up every morning, I’m sure, thinking, ‘How can we make this better?’
I go to bed and wake up every morning thinking, ‘How can I be better?’
 And Bob does the same thing, and when you don’t get the results that
you want, you first look at yourself and you say, ‘Hey, how can I do
better?’  And it’s very easy to start looking around and pointing
fingers at everyone else.  I think our shop and our guys, I’ve said
this before, but I really believe we’ve done a very good job of
working together.  I’m very proud of Bob.  When we ran in 2008, Bob
kind of stood alone and did his own thing and we ran very well.  And
then when things weren’t going so well, Jack and I ganged up on Bob
and said, ‘Hey, you need to look around and come up with some other
ideas.’  He was a little defensive at first, but then he’s transformed
into a guy that can take the best parts of every car out there that he
has access to and make our car the best.  Myself, I feel like I’ve
worked very hard on some shortcomings that I have as a driver, and all
of us have worked really hard.  That process is very painful, not
quite as painful as the analogy I used earlier, but it sure seems like
it and a two-race winning streak is a lot better.  It’s like doing a
loop in Jack Roush’s P-51 Mustang.  Is that better?”

JACK ROUSH CONTINUED – “Last night, I was trying to help Mike Beam and
help Carl win that Nationwide race last night.  Carl had a little
wreck and he finally got aggravated enough with it that he suggested I
go help somebody else.  Did you mean that?”

CARL EDWARDS CONTINUED – “We give each other a hard time.  You guys
know Jack and that’s another thing that I’d like to say before we
leave here is when Jack got in his accident – the fact that we can
joke around about it says a lot about Jack – but when he was in his
accident I think all of us, I know myself, Bob, all the people I’ve
talked to said, ‘What are we gonna do with this company here?  What if
something is really wrong with Jack and he can’t come back and lead
us?  What are we gonna do?’  The fact that you came back to the race
track two weeks later, something like that, and never missed a beat,
he never talks about himself, he never complains about anything.  He’s
the guy you want to go to war with and we’re just proud to have you,
Jack.”

JACK ROUSH CONTINUED – DO YOU WORRY ABOUT CARL GOING INTO THE STANDS
OR DOING BACKFLIPS?  “I certainly questioned the backflips and whether
he was skilled enough to do that, and he assured me that he practiced
that art when he had a girlfriend that was a gymnast in college and
that he’d worked his way through it and I should relax, it would be
alright.  As far as him going into the stands, that does pose a
certain risk.  Depending on who you are as a driver, you may not want
to go up there after a race, but Carl is pretty well thought of.  I
thought that this won’t be a problem for him.  Mike Helton will put
his ore in and he’ll lock the gate and won’t let him up there.  The
first time we saw Mike after it happened the first time, Mike was
cheering him on and bragging on him for it, so I don’t know what we’re
gonna do.  Maybe we can get the security organized to help out with
that, but there’s a crowd of folks that are anxious to see the winner
when the winner is Carl and the fact that he recognized that’s
something he could do to improve the sport and give the fans something
back really says a lot about Carl.”

CARL EDWARDS CONTINUED – WAS THERE RELIEF KNOWING YOUR CAR WAS SO GOOD
YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO RACE THE OTHER THREE GUYS IN TITLE CONTENTION?
“Yeah, I don’t think anyone wanted to be out there racing those guys
too hard, just because of the potential disaster you could be a part
of.  We thought of and we joked about it, we said, ‘Hey, it would be
nice to watch that whole thing out of the rearview mirror,’ and that’s
what we did almost all day.  That was very nice.  I talked to Bob and
Jack both after the race, that car was very, very good.  Our car was
very fast and it was nice to have a car that is that fast.  He did a
really good job today.  I had fun racing with him.  That was pretty
neat.”  YOU TOLD BOB TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE 11 AFTER THE HAMLIN
INCIDENT.  YOU SAID THAT COULD BE YOU NEXT YEAR.  ARE TRYING TO SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR TEAM ABOUT NEXT YEAR ALREADY?  “For me, personally, I
don’t like to get into a situation and have it be the first time I’ve
been in that situation, even if it’s just in my mind.  What we were
kind of discussing is you just don’t ever want to look back and say,
‘Man, I wish I would have thought about that harder.’  So anytime you
get a chance to really look at a situation that is a high-stress one,
in my mind to figuratively kind of place myself into it, it’s good
practice so that’s what we were talking about – just look at them, see
how they’re dealing with this high-stress situation and maybe we’ll
have thought about it one time.  We’ve all been in situations where
something happens and you’re like, ‘I wish I would have thought about
that because now I’m surprised and I can’t react the right way or the
most productive way.”

JACK ROUSH CONTINUED -- WHAT IS GOING TO TAKE TO DISPLACE HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS?  “You have to make fewer mistakes than they do and you’ve
got to be better at spending your money. There is enough money to do
what you need to do here, but the main thing is spending money on the
things that you have enough time to affect a good result and a good
solution to the problems and challenges that you have. So that’s what
we’ve got to do.  Last year as we made our plans for 2010 we dared to
be great as it related to our simulations and we didn’t get it done
right. That put us behind this year for six months before we got it
fixed and got the confidence in it. We’ve got to do a tear-up as all
the teams do over the winter this year to try to make things better,
otherwise you get passed behind.”  HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE RACING TODAY
AFTER HAVING RACED ALL THESE YEARS?  “Today, to watch Bob win his
first championship and Carl win his first championship and the pit
crew to win their first championship -- to watch all the people that
are realizing the success and their goals is really what keeps me up
and keeps me going. I know when I have had my problems, I have
thought, ‘Is this really the way I want to be spending the rest of my
life?’  And it is.  To enjoy the drama.  To enjoy the competition. To
enjoy the personalities, the challenges and the solutions to the
problems are things that really keep me as young as I am and keeps me
interested in carrying on. A long time ago, after I’d won enough
championships and won enough races to say that I felt that I had done
enough for me, but to be a part of everybody else’s success that has
followed me is what really keeps me going.”

CARL EDWARDS CONTINUED -- YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAD SOME PAIN IN THE OOT ON YOUR BACK FLIP. WAS IT THE SAME FOOT YOU HURT BEFORE?  “Yeah,  kind of stubbed my toe a little bit on the ground. I was just kind
of over-excited there. It is okay though. I was a little nervous there
for a minute but it is fine. I do have my Aflac coverage paid up and
that is good. If something does turn out to be broken I will get paid
and I have plenty of time to heal, but I think it is fine.  Thanks for
caring, I appreciate it. (Laughter)  IN A YEAR WHEN SO MANY PERCEIVED
THE 48 TO BE VULNERABLE, WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THAT TEAM TO STILL
COME OUT ON TOP?  “They are spectacular. I am not certain, you guys
saw the race from a much different perspective than I did, but it just
looked like they didn’t make any mistakes today. They steadily made
their car better and they let the other guys make mistakes. I think
that if you really look from the 10,000-foot view, that is probably
what they do best. They toe the line and keep progressing forward
without too much emotion or too many mistakes. I think that is the
thing that all of us are trying to do is to be that good. They have
done it, it is just spectacular. I believe we really are all
witnessing something that is nothing short of spectacular.”

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

Anytime I read research about "spotting" Alzheimer's early", I feel greatly encouraged. Even today, it is important to get the diagnosis early and to get the currently available treatments. In the future, there will be better and more effective treatments.


I think you will agree we are all hoping and praying for a treatment that will dramatically slow the progression of Alzheimer's diesease; and then, a treatment that will stop Alzheimer's disease from progressing.

The important point here. It is necessary to find ways to detect Alzheimer's before it becomes "full blown". Once the disease reaches the moderate to severe stage it will be too late.

The identification of biomarkers and the use of MRI scans can play an important role in early detection -- spotting mild cognitive impairment. But the best scenario calls for spotting pre-disposition to Alzheimer's disease via genetics. Gene testing. Find out before it happens.

These numbers in this research are startling.

Researchers followed 52 individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) over a period of six years. Twenty-three participants progressed to Alzheimer’s disease.

MRI Scans Show Structural Brain Changes in People at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

Study suggests an early marker for dementia may help identify candidates for possible early treatment

New results from a study by neuroscientists at Rush University Medical Center suggest that people at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease exhibit a specific structural change in the brain that can be visualized by brain imaging. The findings may help identify those who would most benefit from early intervention.

The study was presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience in San Diego, Calif., on Wednesday, November 17.

“One of the main challenges in the field of Alzheimer’s disease is identifying individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease so that therapeutic interventions developed in the future can be given at the earliest stage before symptoms begin to appear,” said Sarah George, a graduate student who co-authored the study with Leyla deToledo-Morrell, PhD, director of the graduate program in neuroscience at Rush University Medical Center and professor of neurological sciences at the Graduate College of Rush University.

“Our study has found that structural imaging techniques can be used to identify those at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease,” said deToledo-Morrell.

For the study, experts from Rush followed individuals with mild cognitive impairment, which is thought to be a precursor of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Those with mild cognitive impairment can exhibit memory decline known as amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Researchers followed 52 individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment over a period of six years. Twenty-three participants progressed to Alzheimer’s disease.

Study participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screenings. The researchers used MRI to look for structural changes in the substantia innominata (SI), a region deep within the brain that sends chemical signals to the cerebral cortex, the brain’s outer layer that is largely responsible for reasoning, memory and other higher functions. Although no structural changes were found in the SI between the two groups, the MRI showed a thinning of the cortical areas that receive strong input from the SI in those who went on to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

“Since we were able to distinguish those who progressed to Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who remained stable, we believe that MRI techniques that examine patterns of structural alterations provide a sensitive biomarker for detecting risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” said George.

Additional co-authors on the study include Elliott J. Mufson, PhD., professor of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center, and Dr. Raj C. Shah, director of the memory clinic at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center.

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Insight and Advice

• 60 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
• About the Alzheimer's Reading Room
• Alzheimer's Disease and the Five Stages of Grief
• What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia?
• Alzheimer's CareGiving -- Insight and Advice
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• Worried About Alzheimer's Disease -- You Should Be
• What is Alzheimer's? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?
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• Alzheimer's Disease Statistics
• Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
• Ten Symptoms of Early Stage Alzheimer's
• Ten Tips for Communicating with an Alzheimer’s Patient

Bob DeMarco is the Founder of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 2,011 articles with more than 200,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

The Alzheimer's Action Plan

300 Tips for Making Life Easier

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

RW blurb puts it best: "score one for progress."


Hernandez: Ken Rosenthal, Fox; Amalie Benjamin, Boston Globe; Michael Silverman, Boston Herald; Erik Boland, Newsday; Joe Smith, St. Petersburg Times; Mark Gonzales, Chicago Tribune; Lynn Henning, Detroit News; John Lowe, Detroit Free Press; Sam Mellinger, Kansas City Star; Joe Posnanski, SI.com; Joe Christensen, Minneapolis Star Tribune; John Shipley, St. Paul Pioneer Press; Hirokazu Higuchi, Chunichi Shimbun (LA); Tim Brown, Yahoo Sports; Jorge Ortiz, USA Today; Ray Ratto, At Large (SF/Oakland); Kirby Arnold, Everett Herald; Larry Stone, Seattle Times; Richard Durrett, At Large (Dallas-Fort Worth); Anthony Andro, Fort Worth Star Telegram; Morgan Campbell, Toronto Star.

Price: Mel Antonen, USA Today; Tony Fabrizio, Tampa Tribune; Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune; Chris Assenheimer. Elyria (OH) Chronicle.

Sabathia: George King, New York Post; Bob Elliott, Toronto Sun; Sheldon Ocker, Akron Beacon Journal.

At least according to Robert Prechter, and his merry band of wave devotees. See Bob Prechter, in addition to thinking that waves affect markets, also believed that the same underlying dynamics affected pop culture, and that it all tied together mathematically. Hence, the Beatles coming to iTunes is a big deal.

Jill Noble writing at ElliotWave.com writes:

Robert Prechter provides remarkable insights into these and many similar questions in his combined issue of The Elliott Wave Theorist, "Social Mood Regulates the Popularity of Stars -- Case in Point: The Beatles."

He explains that the unprecedented success of The Beatles flowed from "the ability of four young musicians to serve as a focal point for the expression of mass spontaneous joy and excitement that was already there."

Prechter also puts the popularity of The Beatles in a context no one has ever explored before:

A brief history of the Beatles as it relates to our best sociometer – the stock market – should help elucidate the case for socionomic regulation of the popularity of famous people. The main general point of this review is to show that the radical shifts in the Beatles’ fortunes followed quite precisely the radical shifts in the stock market’s fortunes.

And the chart to, um, prove it:

So based on that, it should be very obvious which way the market is going to go next.

Join the conversation about this story »

-ANAHEIM HILLS, Bob Elliott: Soon to be former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stated that the Democrats “didn't lose the House because of her.” And, she has decided, and apparently has lined up the votes, to become Minority...

Tickets will go on sale tomorrow, Saturday, November 13 for the U.S. premiere of the National Theatre of Great Britain's critically acclaimed sensation WAR HORSE, based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo and adapted by Nick Stafford with Handpring Puppet Company with direction by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris. Produced in New York by Lincoln Center Theater and the National Theatre of Great Britain in association with Bob Boyett, WAR HORSE will begin performances onTuesday, March 15, 2011 with an opening night scheduled for Thursday, April 14, 2011 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater 150 West 65 Street. Tickets to WAR HORSE, priced from 75 to 125, will be available beginning this Sunday at the Lincoln Center Theater box office, at telecharge.com or by visiting WarHorseonBroadway.com.

The Phillies signed utility man Pete Orr, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Orr, 31, last appeared in the majors with the Nationals in 2009. In five seasons for the Braves and Nationals, he has a career .260/.287/.335 line. The Canadian has just 555 big league plate appearances, but he has played at second, third, short and in both corner outfield positions. Orr spent the 2010 season at Triple-A Syracuse, where he batted .264/.326/.436 in 536 plate appearances. He hit 12 homers, stole 25 bases and played second, third, short and all three outfield positions.

The Blue Jays have inquired about the availability of Zack Greinke and Alex Gordon, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. As Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reported yesterday, the Royals are looking for multiple top prospects for Greinke. The Blue Jays have Shaun Marcum, Brandon Morrow, Ricky Romero, Brett Cecil and Kyle Drabek pencilled in to their 2011 rotation. They could either let Drabek begin the year in the minors or trade a starter of their own if they acquired Greinke. Gordon could play first or third for the Blue Jays, but it’s unlikely that he would patrol the...

According to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, the Phillies have signed infielder Pete Orr.

The Pacers were one Josh McRoberts miss away from going the entire third quarter without a miss. (Bob Kravitz in the Indianapolis Star: "If we're going to be completely honest, most McRoberts' 3-point tries inspire a chorus of 'nooooo's!'' from the crowd; he's a 28 percent career 3-point shooter. This time, though, the 'nooooo's!' came from the bench, as well.")

That near-perfect quarter inspired TrueHoop reader Dave -- amazing memory, that guy -- to recall another quarter like it from 1993. The Celtics trailed the Lakers by 15 going into the fourth, and promptly made 15 of 16 to cruise to a ten-point win. Helene Elliott wrote the recap for the Los Angeles Times. In that one. Robert Parish played the role of McRoberts:

Boston sank 15 consecutive shots, including 15 of 16 in the fourth quarter, for a 93.8% figure that matches the best ever against the Lakers. It contributed to the Celtics' 49 fourth-quarter points -- the most against the Lakers since they moved to Los Angeles -- and fueled a comeback 129-119 victory before a Forum sellout crowd of 17,505 that seemed weighted toward the visitors.

The Lakers had a 96-81 lead after a reverse slam by Elden Campbell, but the Celtics scored the next 10 points. A layup by Vlade Divac halted the tide, but only momentarily. The Celtics scored the next 13 points, tying the score, 98-98, on an outside jump shot by Xavier McDaniel with 7:25 to play and taking the lead for good on an outside shot by Dee Brown with 6:55 to go.

"Once we started hitting shots, it was like the playgrounds. Everybody was taking their man and going one on one," said McDaniel, who had 13 points in the fourth quarter and 22 overall. "I don't know who missed that one shot, but we were shooting the lights out."

The one shot was missed by Robert Parish.

For Sale: 2 - New Bob Elliott Quick change rear gear hubs. $30 each 3 - New Bob Elliott Teflon coated 15 pinions - $15 each 1- New Bob Elliott...

In Requirements Management for Ranger Projects … Epics, Team and Personas we mentioned the Rangers requirements management and the concept of Epics, also referred to as Experience.

Here is the list of Epics from the Rangers Build Customization Guide project:

For those that are squinting at the above image, here is a more readable list:

• Epic - Practical guidance and tooling to simplify the Team Build 2010 "Build" customizations

• Epic - Practical guidance to utilize Team Build process templates to automate build and non-build scenarios in Microsoft environments

• Epic - Practical guidance that allows utilization of Team Build process templates to automate build and non-build scenarios in non-Microsoft environments

• Epic - Practical guidance to enable simple and flexible flexible deployment of applications and their data stores

• Epic - Practical guidance for Activities to empower developers and build engineers

• Epic - Quality hands-on-labs that complement the guidance and effectively guide the user through the features

• Epic - Visualisation of the guidance using quick reference posters

Do these Epics make sense? Do these Epics summarise the killer features of the project? Would any of these Epics make you more or less interested in the project? Please give us your candid feedback!

To conclude, here is a list of the current:

• Feature area leads

• William Bartholomew, Giulio Vian, Mike Fourie, John Jacob and Joseph Abukhader

• Contributors:

• Adimulam Sudheer, Ajay Bhandari , Bob Hardister, Daniel Franco Abrahão de Oliveira, Ewald Hofman, Fabio Casado, John Jacob (JJ), Leonard S. Woody III, Mathias Olausson, Oliver Hilgers, Pete Elliott, Petr Moravek, Pierre Donyegro, Rahul Chugh , Richard Fennell, Silfarney Wallace, Steven Lange, William Bartholomew

• Reviewers and Testers:

• Ed Blankenship, Fabio Casado, Francisco Xavier Fagas Albarracín, Hassan Fadili, John Jacob (JJ), Leonard S. Woody III, Mike Fourie, Nico Orschel, Oliver Hilgers, Sven Hubert

• Core Team:

• Bijan Javidi, Brian Blackman, Jim Lamb, Joseph Abukhader, Willy-Peter Schaub

… as you can see, we have an exceptional team working on these Epics.