The flood of North African refugees continues to arrive in Lampedusa. Notice that the latest group does not consist of Tunisians:

216 Immigrants Land in Lampedusa With More Arriving

(AGI) Lampedusa — The first 216 immigrants rescued off the island have arrived in Lampedusa with 40 more arriving in the afternoon. They were all on board two vessels intercepted this morning. The boat escorted by the Financial Police also had six women and a minor on board. the migrants allegedly all come from sub-Saharan Africa and left from Libya.

Earlier this evening I posted a French news report about a battle between Tunisian “youths” and French police. That incident may have been part of a broader front, which included the arrest of 138 Tunisian culture-enrichers in France.

According to Reuters:

French Police Arrest Tunisia Migrants, Influx Grows

Paris May 4 (Reuters) — French police arrested 138 Tunisian migrants on Wednesday, clearing out an illegal squat in Paris as unease deepened in France over an influx sparked by the upheaval in North Africa.

About 250 riot police were deployed to evict the squatters, most of them Tunisians who entered Europe a couple of months ago via Lampedusa, a tiny Italian island that is one of the closest points for people fleeing North Africa.

“In all, 138 people were arrested, and their situation will be assessed on a case by case basis,” a police officer told Reuters television at the scene of Wednesday’s eviction in the northeast of the French capital.

According to charity groups, 400-500 Tunisians have arrived in France since a popular uprising in Tunisia led to the ouster of the former French colony’s long-time ruler in January, sending a wave of pro-democracy upheaval across the Arab world. [emphasis added]

It’s probably an underestimate, but, for the sake of analysis, we’ll assume that half of the 30,000 migrants who have arrived in Italy since the crisis began are Tunisians. If five hundred Tunisians have wound up in France, 500 ÷ 15,000 = 3.33%, so only one in thirty Tunisians has managed to make it into France. In other words, the Tunisian enrichment problem is still mainly Italian, and not French.

The flow of North African refugees has mainly washed up in Italy and Malta, but Greece has its own enrichment problems which predate the current crisis. The Greek islands have been favored landing places for illegal migrants for years, and many of the invaders now in Greece have crossed the border into Thrace from Turkey.

The Greek prime minister is complaining about the same problem that Italy has: once the culture-enrichers arrive, they cannot be gotten rid of:

Greece Powerless to Quickly Expel Illegal Migrants: Minister

Athens, Greece — Greece’s police minister on Thursday called for new detention centers to be built as the country is powerless to expel undocumented migrants seeking to cross into other European countries.

“Without detention centres in various parts of the country...we cannot solve the problem,” Citizen’s Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis told parliament.

“Nobody can arrest a migrant, whether they be illegal or legal, and throw them out. International rules do not allow it, the laws do not allow it, our country’s constitution does not allow it,” the minister said.

Greece has struggled for years to reach a coherent policy on hundreds of thousands of economic migrants and asylum-seekers from Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent who arrive seeking a better future in the West.

Many are kept in overwhelmed detention facilities under squalid conditions repeatedly criticised by rights groups, and eventually find their way to a life of poverty, labour exploitation or petty crime in the cities.

The majority are unable to even return home, and Greece is bound by EU rules to keep them from travelling on to other EU states.

Land and sea patrols by EU border agency Frontex has helped alleviate the pressure but there were still nearly 3,000 undocumented migrant arrests on the Greek-Turkish border in April, up from 2,000 in March, police data shows.

“The situation is dramatic, there’s no doubt about that,” said Papoutsis, who called on local authorities to drop opposition to the new detention camps.

“Local societies are against migrants. They want them out,” he said.

This week, residents of the western Greek port of Igoumenitsa blocked the harbour for hours, calling on the government to remove scores of migrants who have built makeshift camps outside the town.

Riot police moved in when some protesters began throwing stones at some of the migrants who had gathered on the scene.

Immigration concerns have also surfaced in Italy and France with the arrival of thousands of Tunisians after a revolution toppled Tunisia’s dictator in January.

EU authorities this week conceded that controls in the bloc’s border-free Schengen area could be tightened in exceptional circumstances as a bulwark against migration pressure.

So…

You can’t arrest them.

You can’t send them back.

You can’t send them on to Germany, where they really want to go.

In other words…

EU to Greece: DROP DEAD.

To add insult to injury, Pope Benedict XVI thinks that Europeans need to welcome the immigrants with open arms, in the spirit of Christian benevolence.

According to Deutsche Welle:

Pope Urges Europe to Welcome Migrants From North Africa

In his Easter sermon, Pope Bendict VI lamented the violence and conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East and called on Europe to accept more migrants from war-torn countries.

In his traditional Easter message to the world Pope Bendict XVI contrasted the joy of the Easter season with the violence and strife in North Africa and the Middle East and called on Europe to welcome more migrants from war-torn areas like Libya.

“Here, in this world of ours, the Easter hallelujah still contrasts with the cries and laments that arise from so many painful situations: deprivation, hunger, disease, war, violence,” he said in his “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) address.

Ha! How many Tunisians and Somalis do you think the pope has living with him in his papal apartments?

There’s no end in sight to all this insanity. What new excesses of cultural enrichment will tomorrow bring?


Hat tips: C. Cantoni, AC, and Kitman.

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

Its like a miracle. What can I say. Once again Dotty comes back from near listlessness.


Many of our readers are new. Lately the Alzheimer's Reading Room has been growing fast.

The background. My mother, Dotty, has Alzheimer's disease. She was officially diagnosed around 6 years ago. At the time, Dotty was 88, she is now 94.

Dotty is some kind of amazing machine. She always has been. Dotty never had a major illness, she doesn't get sick often. She does have high blood pressure and her cholesterol and triglycerides fly around all over the place. Several years ago we added some medication for her thyroid.

Back in May, Dotty took a turn for the worse. It was so bad I had to wheel her around in a wheel chair for the first time in her life. Somehow after about a month she bounced back.

In late September, Dotty was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. She seemed fine after about a week on the medication. Then all of a sudden she started running a low grade fever. She was diagnosed with another UTI but the urine test showed that as a false positive.

Dotty continued to run her low grade fever for over a month. No sore throat, no congestion in her lungs, nada. A round of tests showed nothing.

She remained listless for over a month. She really wasn't there and she could barely walk.

Then all of sudden last week she came back. She surprised me beyond my own imagination in the video I posted here -- Dotty Live, Ice Cream Time (Video).

I just looked at that video again. I am still scratching my head. I never know what will happen with Dotty, but that time I could never have anticipated her awareness and positive nature. All of a sudden she was really with it. This has continued.

The only changes that occurred of late were the return of our neighbors and a change in the weather. I know from experience that cooler weather here in Florida seems to energize Dotty.

Dotty did get really pumped up when Jim and Ruth returned for the season. It was like she had received a giant shot of adrenalin. Both Jim and Ruth were surprised at the way she behaved and the amount of energy she seemed to have. Amazingly, Dotty went down to see Jim and Ruth twice since last Thursday. This compares to her refusal to go for the last five years. The only way she would go to see them is if I would take her. Even then, she usually didn't want to go. Her response when I asked her to go was usually they aren't home, they are taking a nap, or they are probably in bed. Dotty would have no way of knowing if any of those were true.

Last Friday night, Jim, Ruth, Dotty and I went to the Banana Boat. Dotty was full of energy and was communicating all the way. She was really engaged. Jim and Ruth had not seen Dotty since last May. They understand how Alzheimer's disease works. Like me, they were very surprised at her behavior.

On Saturday around noon time Dotty agreed to go to the pool with her friend Josephine. She had a good time and was smiling when I went to pick her up.

It is getting to be like a ride on a giant Yo-Yo. What can I say?

We will continue to live our life one day at a time. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

I'll see about getting Dotty on a podcast tomorrow morning.

Amen.

Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
Enter Your Email Address

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
• Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
• Communicating in Alzheimer's World
• Worried About Alzheimer's Disease -- You Should Be
• What is Alzheimer's? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?
• Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
• 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

It’s a perplexing day. As we’re sitting here looking at the Apple.com homepage and seeing a lovely new splash screen, we’re being promised that tomorrow will be a day of infamy. The only thing that we know for sure, right now, is that there’s a rather large iTunes announcement coming tomorrow morning (US time). But, [...]

[Notice: this is the RSS feed for ALL stories from across The Next Web - that means a lot of stories every day - for just our top stories, subscribe to our Top Stories RSS feed here.]

Dr. Roberts tells me I should make lists when I get upset.

"As problems grow worse in your marriage," she continues, "breaking them down into lists will help you focus on what's really the issue at hand."

We're in her office, only this time it's just me. Caroline has refused to come in yet again. 

"It's not problems," I tell her. "It's the same problem it's been for the past fourteen months."

"Make a list." Dr. Roberts clicks her pen. "I'll give you a few minutes." On her clock, the minute hand stalls. I reach for her legal pad and write out the following:

THINGS I HAVE PURCHASED IN MY LIFE THAT I COULDN'T AFFORD:

1. French Horn. Tossed it in the back of Cam's cousin's jeep one night; forgot about it. By the time I remembered, he'd already left for UT. 

1. 1.Caroline's engagement ring, a .065 carat diamond in which someone's father

 strongly suggested it should be upgraded after our second anniversary.

3. Brizmark child's size coffin made of varnished Douglas Fir with Mahogany inserts. 

I watch Dr. Roberts while she reads my list. When she gets to the end, she puts the legal pad down, making no move to return it.

"Jeremy..." 

 "You wanted me to make a list? I made a list."

"You're frustrated that Caroline isn't here, and you're displacing your emotions towards her onto me."

"Who upgrades after only two years? Isn't the rule to wait until your ten year anniversary?" I don't say anything after that. Instead, I stare above her head at the clock on the bookshelf.

"Jeremy, are you listening?"

I nod to show that I am, even though at this point, I have one foot out the door.

"I want you to think about making lists on your trip to Japan with Caroline. I think this vacation will really assist with your grieving process. You remember the breathing techniques we went over last week?"

"Inhale for five, hold, exhale for five..."
"Hold," she finishes.

"Anything else, doc?" I finally ask.

"Your lists, Jeremy." The doctor extends her hand as a farewell. "And tell Caroline to call me."

On the plane to Tokyo, Caroline can't find her sleeping pills.

"Did you pack them? " she asks, tearing through her carry-on. She empties the pockets of her blazer, unzips the front of my suitcase, then turns to me with an accusatory look as if I didn't pack them on purpose.

"Well, do you have any idea where they could be?" 

"Ma'am," the stewardess approaches us. "If you would please take your seat."

Caroline's seat is covered with the contents of her purse.

"How am I going to fly without my pills?"

I pull out the in-flight magazine and flip to the crossword puzzle on the last page. It has only been partially filled.

"Drink a whiskey," I tell her. "Drink two."

"It's a fifteen hour flight from Detroit," her voice rises, "not to mention a six hour layover! And you know I can't drink on my new medication." For a second I think that all of this—the fourteen hundred dollar plane tickets, the months of planning—will fall to the wayside because of yet another of Caroline's panic attacks. I inhale for four seconds and then, in my head, tell Doctor Roberts to go fuck herself.

"Did you check inside your wallet? Maybe you stashed them there." I put down my magazine and reach for her purse.

I could say that I go over that day again and again, and sometimes I do. When I think about it, it's raining, for example, instead of it being sunny out, so I have to find Gracie's rain boots. That could have given us an extra twenty minutes.

"Gracie," I wouldn't say, "get your bike out of the driveway so Mom doesn't run over it."  

I don't see it but I hear it, the thud and the scream, Caroline's scream before Gracie could even cry out. When I go over it, I ask myself each time, why didn't Caroline say goodbye before she got in her car? She always said goodbye—even when running late—yelling out the word before leaving. How was it the one time we didn't hear? By this time, in my head, I am already racing to the driveway, our ignition still running, the wheels of Gracie's bicycle caught and twisted, spinning in circles beneath our tires.

Our hotel is located in the business district.

"I'm going to bed," Caroline tells me. 

"It's five o'clock," I protest.

"We've been traveling for practically two and a half days." Without even bothering to remove her jeans, she gets under the covers and turns her face away from the window. "Would you get the drapes? And the light?"

The authorities had reported the death an accident. There were neighbors who had seen Gracie dart out to get her bike, probably thinking she had time to rescue it. At the funeral, when they rolled the coffin out, I reached for Caroline's hand and squeezed. It wasn't until later that we noticed the bruises. The doctors declared it a mild sprain.

"I'm going down to the bar," I say, but she doesn't respond.

After the burial, after Caroline had gone through trials with Lexapro and Lithium, after endless therapy sessions, Doctor Roberts suggested we attempt to make amends with the trip. "Think of this as something to reconnect the two of you," she was insistent, "a vacation to rediscover one another."

At the bar, I signal for the bartender.

"Hai?"

I wave my hands at the other patrons. "You can smoke here?"

He pushes an ashtray towards me; I ask for a Sapporo. I had quit smoking when Caroline had become pregnant. It was hard enough to give them up the first time. Pulling a pen from my pocket, I turn a paper napkin over so that the blank side is facing up.

ACTIVITIES THAT WERE ONCE ENJOYABLE:

1. 1.Smoking

1. 1.Burgers at Bingham's. Meat tastes weird. Is this how it's going to be from now on? Where a burger won't even taste good any more?

1. 1.Smoking?

I know what Dr. Roberts thinks her ‘magical' lists are trying to achieve. I just feel like she never gives me any real direction.  "One of the most difficult aspects of grieving," she had told us in our first meeting, "is not only the loss of your daughter, but the loss of your self.  You've lost the part of you that she represented. How are you going to tackle these issues as they come up?" 

 I stuff the napkin into my pocket and signal for the bill. 

We sleep the entire first day. Near eleven thirty the following evening, we get up. I haven't eaten since Detroit. I can't remember having seen Caroline eat since we left the house. We walk through the Roppongi district of loud pachinko salons, heading for the first restaurant that has an English-speaking menu. At a noodle shop packed with people, I motion Caroline inside. Vending machines with picture buttons signify our dining options.

"I don't have any cash," Caroline says, "I haven't cashed my traveler's checks yet."

I extract Monopoly-colored bills from my wallet, punch buttons at random, feed money into the machine. Caroline stands there sheepishly. "I told you," I pull her sleeve to the only empty seat at a low table, "no one accepts credit cards here. You should have listened when I cashed my traveler's checks at Narita. Now you're going to get some jacked up hotel exchange rate and lose money."

Ever since the accident, we hear how cruel I can be to her. "It was her time," friends suggest, trying to help. Doctor Roberts reminds me to think before I speak, to inhale and expand white light in my chest. Sometimes, I imagine punching Caroline in the face. 

"I think we're doing it wrong," Carline points to teenagers dipping cold noodles from one bowl into the hot broth of another. I stare down at the silverware the patron has placed out with our chopsticks. In one bowl I had poured the noodles, mixing them into a gravy-colored broth. I haven't eaten much, and yet, the noodles suddenly taste like dishwater. A server arrives from out of nowhere and bows, before whisking our bowls away.

THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN (REALISTICALLY):

1. 1.Visit some sort of temple. Say a prayer for Gracie.

1b. Despite the sentiment of this thought, would this set Caroline off into an episode? 

1. 1.Propose temple visit to Caroline.

3. Harajuku district. Shoto-Club in Shibuya. 

Back at the hotel, I visit the business center to check my email.

"Hi there," the first email reads, "Thank you for contacting us this time. I'm Noriyuki Iwai of Tokyo Free Guide. Please call me Nori. Well, Is this your first time to visit to Japan? How long can I show you on the date? I joined our association more than 2years ago. I've been to US 7times. I will take you all around Tokyo. Let's enjoy together!" The email ended with the letters blending into one word: NoriAntinori

"Shit," I say out loud. I had forgotten about the guide.

Neither of us knows what Nori looks like, nor do we know how he will recognize us. In my first reply email months ago, I had explained that my wife and daughter would like to try exotic foods, perhaps see a bit of Japanese history. I had forgotten, like so many other things that have since slipped through the cracks, to mention that Gracie would no longer be joining us.

Finally, a man emerges from the elevator's doors into the empty lobby. I step forward, offering my hand, "Are you by any chance, Nori?"

Nori bows. We bow in response.

"Jeremy-san." He looks from both me to Caroline. "But where is the daughter?"

 I wait for Caroline's emotional response to come but she simply puts her hand against my arm to steady herself.

"She couldn't be here. Are you ready to go?" 

LIES I HAVE TOLD:

1. 1. Santa Claus is real.

2. Long distance won't be a problem.

3. I think we should give this another shot.

4. I think we still have a chance.

5. No, I don't think it was your fault.

 

For a guide, Nori isn't much of one.

"We take the JR Sobu line at Ryugoku. The Edo temple, it is hardly three minutes walking distance."

At the subway, I purchase subway tickets for all three of us.

"This way," Nori plows through the crowd, "we don't want to miss."

The train is packed with schoolgirls typing on cell phones with dangling key chains attached, larger than the actual cell phones. Nori frantically moves from the door, to a map, and back again. 

"Ginza line, we should have taken the Ginza line. This is express."

"Express like how long express?" Caroline asks.

Twenty minutes later, the train roars outside, passing gray buildings leaning against each other. The sky is an inky color, clouds stretched thin and low against its backdrop. Wet cherry blossom petals litter the streets.

"Did we miss the festival?" I ask.

"By three days," Nori nods, still looking outside. "The festival moves south now."

 Chugging along, we pass men on bicycles, their baskets loaded with groceries. The subway car seems emptier than before, with one schoolgirl in striped knee socks reading a manga novel.

"Your daughter," Nori directs this to Caroline. "She wants to try the local food? We can go to a ramen spot I know. All wheat soba. It's very good."

Caroline wraps the strap of her purse around her finger until the tip turns purple. After Caroline stopped coming to therapy, I hacked into her Facebook account. She had written to some high school girl whose name I did not recognize.

"I'm just now terrified," she had written, "of going to Japan, because it's way too soon, and because I don't speak Japanese. I'm just realizing that I've never really been anyplace where I can't stop to ask someone a question on the sidewalk. I'm worried about being the type of traveler no one really wants there." I didn't know what to make of the email so I exited her account and said nothing about it.

"We lost her," Caroline says. 

"I, too, lost a daughter," Nori offers to us.

"When did she pass?" 

Nori shakes his head. "She studies at University. I don't see her or speak with her much any more. She does not come home on holiday but travels with friends. But now we go to Senso-ji Temple. We pray for your daughter to be found again."

He doesn't wait for us to disagree. I think to take Caroline's hand.

Nori tells us that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, out of the Sumida River, and that the Senso-ji Temple was built for her. We head down Nakamise, the shopping street leading to it. Stalls are stacked with folding fans and plastic Buddhas. Outside the temple's entrance, American tourists wave their hands around a well filled with smoke. 

"The incense scares away bad spirits," Nori leads us to a wall lined with wooden drawers.

"100 yen and we each get omikuji. You put the yen in your own honor box. Shake the cylinder there. Inside are sticks with numbers on them. You shake until your stick falls out, then your stick with the number on it matches the drawer on the wall. That drawer has your fortune."

"What are all those slips of paper tied to string over by the well?"

"Bad fortunes left behind for the wind spirits to carry away."

I drop in my money and Caroline follows. "Nori, please participate with us," she says, "You should have a fortune too." I draw a seventeen, Caroline draws a five, Nori draws a twenty-two. 

"What does yours say?" Caroline asks.

Your fortune: Excellent Luck. Everything is promising, and if you are moderate in everything, you are sure to get on in life. The most important thing for you is to be patient.

Missing thing: It will be found at a higher place.

Love: Don't make love in the final, coital sence.

Illness: The most important thing is to pray to God that you might get over the illness.

"What horseshit. The missing thing will be found at a higher place? The thing doesn't even spell sense right."

"Jeremy..." 

I throw the list at her chest, where it bounces off.

"The most important thing is to be patient? That's a fucking laugh. I wonder what Doctor Roberts would have to say about that. Huh? What do you think she'd have to say about patience?"

Caroline storms over to the well where she sticks her head into the smoke, taking in gulps of smoky air. 

"What does yours say?" I attempt to break the tension.

"Dai-kyo," Nori gently places it on top of a trash can. "It is very bad luck."

I can see Caroline crying. The string trembles with knots of paper, the fortunes' sides folded up like birds' wings. Wind rushes past us, shaking some of the fortunes to the ground, and, for a minute, pushes the smoke in front of Caroline, blurring out the contours of her face.

"Aren't you supposed to, like, tie it to the string? Isn't that what you told us?"

 "It makes no difference," he says, "it is bad luck every time."

At the stop for our hotel, Nori forages ahead into the crowd. 

"Tomorrow," he tells us, "we use my car."

"I only thought we were going to see sights for one day," I argue

"There is a place: Mount Osore. Mountain of Horror."

"Sounds lovely." 

"It is seven, maybe eight hour drive. We shall visit the Bodai-ji Temple."

"Nori," I push through the subway turnstile, "we're more than happy to pay you to show us around. I don't think either of us are up to driving eight hours."

Nori stops. "Mount Osore is the crater of a volcano, no longer active active. We will go to visit the itako."

"The itako?" Caroline asks. Sometimes, hearing Caroline's voice, I forget what it sounded like. At home, we punch dishwasher buttons and turn dryer dials, flip on the television and grind the coffee beans. Any electronic noise to keep from speaking.

"They are the blind shamans who will help you communicate with your dead. The women are getting old and not many replacements have been found. We will go to seek out your daughter."

 "She's dead." I feel myself begin to get out-of-control. "There isn't any seeking for us to do, pal."

"Can you pick us up at six?" Caroline talks over me. "We can be ready at whatever time, though, is convenient for you."

In the morning, I take the backseat. My side is stacked with bento boxes; I shove them to the floor.

 "Where do you live in Tokyo?" Caroline asks. 

"Outside Tokyo. Odawara. I take shuttle car, then train, then subway into the city every weekend."

"How long does that take you?"

"Two hours. Sometimes more."

"And how often do you show Americans like us around?"

"Every weekend."

"But what does your wife think of that? You're gone every weekend? You must not have gotten home last evening until past eight!"

I suddenly feel sorry for Nori, imagining him taking the train ride back, up into the mountains, exiting into an empty station. I picture him making his way down the streets, up the steps into his apartment where he doesn't even turn on a light, but removes a covered dish from the refrigerator, maybe an Asahi beer. I picture Nori by the window in his chair, sipping a beer, looking out into the darkness.

"Tell us again about these itakos," I say.

 "Blind women summon the souls of the dead and deliver your messages to them," Nori explains. "Only four itako will appear at Mt. Osore's summer festival this year. Our youngest, Keiko Himukai, will soon stop due to stomach issues. It is a dying practice."

"We're not going to make the summer festival," I point out the bare trees stripped of their precious flowers. "It's March."

"Keiko-san still studies there."

The car hums from its wheels spinning on the highway.

"We have become an era where children ignore their parents and forget about the dead." I hear the bitterness in Nori's voice and I wonder if I should suggest we turn around for a beer, leave the dead to themselves.

"It is good, what we are doing." It sounds as if he is trying to convince himself just as much as the rest of us.

We know we are getting near when we see tents line the street. Hardened lava stretches out for miles. There is a sulfurous stench in the air. Nothing grows in sight but for a few deadened-looking birches. 

"Did you bring cash?" Nori turns off the ignition to the car.

Caroline scrambles out of her seat. I reach for her purse. How much did we bring? Was 120,000 Yen enough? 150,000? What exactly was the going rate to talk to the dead?

"Jeremy!" she waves. "Jeremy, hurry!"

At the front of the temple, a line shifts impatiently. For a moment, I am not here, but am back with Steve, hunting our childhood woods. We'd stay low, the air rich with the smells of burnt foliage and cold November. Often, we'd cross farms and come across electric fences. Steve would rip a blade of grass from the earth and touch it gently to the fence, checking for live current. It is here with Caroline, that I remember the first time Steve handed me the blade of grass and the surge I had felt when I laid it across the wire. How I had stood there—frozen—before recoiling back in shock. It takes me only a second to respond and step back from Caroline, as if she is the live wire herself. Here, on the crater of the volcano, I see only one thing: all the lists mean nothing when I know what I have been feeling all along.

"I can't go in with you," I tell her. "I'm so sorry. I just can't."

I expect her to cry but she doesn't. She doesn't wait, just slips inside the temple. Nori moves away and extracts a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"I don't like to smoke in front of the tourists," he lights a match. We stand there together, the smoke bending around us. We wait to hear what my dead daughter has to say.

"Do you have another?" I ask. He extends a cigarette. I put it in my mouth. Scratch the tip of the match against the matchbox. Hear the hiss of the match being lit. I put my face forward to the flame. I hold for five, and then, inhale.

#

At 2.30pm today the House of Commons will resume business after its summer break. Tomorrow Prime Minister David Cameron will return from paternity leave. What though does the this parliamentary session mean for the coalition and the Labour party? The coming few months will see a new Labour leader elected, candidates for the London mayoral election declared, and the party conference season. In addition more details of government spending cuts will be revealed, and their will be movement on the electoral system referendum (possibly as early as today,) so it looks set to be an interesting one. The referendum to ...

Here is the Cubs' record after September 1 (includes a handful of regular season October games) for the last ten seasons:

2009: 18-14 2008: 12-12 2007: 17-12 2006: 12-17 2005: 16-13 2004: 17-13 2003: 19-8 2002: 11-16 2001: 13-15 2000: 7-22

Predictive value for this year: zero. The Cubs have had good Septembers in bad years (2005), mediocre and bad Septembers in good years (2001, 2008) and just about everything in between. In 2005 they entered September seven games under .500 (and like today, 21.5 games out of first place) and had a decent run; in 2001 they entered September only four games out of first and played losing baseball.

In short, who knows? There are 29 games remaining. The Cubs would have to go 17-12 to avoid losing 90; given some of the results above, that's possible, but unlikely. In even more unlikely events, they would have to go 26-3 to finish over .500 (forget it), and 6-23 to lose 100 games (they've been bad, but not that bad).

One more thing: Welington Castillo was with the club yesterday in case Geovany Soto had to go on the DL. Castillo is not eligible to be activated until tomorrow due to the 10-day rule; it seems pointless to put Geo on the DL for one game, so the Cubs will likely just go with Koyie Hill today and activate Castillo in time for the weekend series against the Mets. Bruce Miles notes other possible callups:

I don’t expect much in the way of call-ups initially because Iowa is fighting for a playoff spot and Tennessee is in the playoffs. In addition to Castillo, I’d guess it would be Samardzija, Fuld, Atkins and maybe Berg and possibly Brad Snyder.

That sounds about right, although Snyder is not on the 40-man roster, and the 40-man is currently full after the recall of Scott Maine. James Adduci could be brought up instead of Snyder, but Adduci has the same skillset as Sam Fuld (except he's taller). I wouldn't expect more than those recalls, plus the activation of Carlos Silva, who is scheduled to start for Peoria at Kane County tonight. That would make six or seven additions; most teams don't do more than that and there really isn't enough playing time for more than that.

Today's lineup via tweet from Carrie:

#Cubs lineup vs #Pirates for Wed: 2B DeWitt, SS Castro, RF Fuke, 1B Hoffpauir, CF Colvin, LF Soriano, 3B Baker, C Hill, P Gorzelanny

Today's Starting Pitchers

Tom Gorzelanny Cubs vs. James McDonald Pirates 7-8 W-L 2-3 3.98 ERA 4.97 111 SO 31 58 BB 11 10 HR 1 vs. Pit -- vs. Cubs

---

---

---

---

James McDonald, who the Pirates acquired from the Dodgers at the trading deadline this year in the Octavio Dotel trade, has one career relief appearance vs. the Cubs, on August 23, 2009 in Los Angeles. The only current Cubs he has faced are Kosuke Fukudome (0-for-1) and Aramis Ramirez (a walk).

Tom Gorzelanny is facing his former team for the third time this year; he's got a 4.50 ERA in 10 innings with 12 strikeouts and a pair of no-decisions. I said "former team" rather than "former teammates" because most of the current Pirates weren't on the club when Gorz was last there before July 31, 2009. The two current Pirates he's faced most are Ronny Cedeno (from his Cubs days) and Lastings Milledge, who he faced with the Mets and Nationals. No current Pirate has homered off Tom in 66 at-bats.

Today's game is on WGN and FSN Pittsburgh. Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout.

Today's first pitch thread will be up at 1:15 pm CDT, and the overflows will post at 2:15 pm, 3:15 pm and 4 pm CDT.

All of this, of course, is weather permitting.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

	Shaquille O'Neal's introductory press conference is scheduled for tomorrow, and, as the following will show, he can be a pretty quotable guy. As a prologue to tomorrow's intro, here's a short montage of some of Shaq's finer quotes over the years. So, what will tomorrow bring? Will Shaq ... — full article at celticsblog.com

Shaquille O'Neal's introductory press conference is scheduled for tomorrow, and, as the following will show, he can be a pretty quotable guy. As a prologue to tomorrow's intro, here's a short montage of some of Shaq's finer quotes over the years.

So, what will tomorrow bring? Will Shaq take the goofier route and make the Boston media laugh? Or will he take the super serious, "I'm here to win a championship", path?

Who can figure out what's going on with Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston's on-again-off-again-oh-are-we-talking-about-this-again true love engagement for people who love each other? Today, it looks like they're not getting married. But who knows what tomorrow will bring? And besides, whether or not these two young people decide to spend their life together isn't the [...]

Definitely a "calm before the storm" type of feeling today. I spent much of the day at my daughter's travel soccer summer tournament and as I drove home the majority of my messages were very much about a common theme... Tomorrow.... Will Kovalchuk settle before the NHL is forced into an arbitration hearing they don't have the slightest desire to attend? Will the Hawks sign Niemi tomorrow...

I expect that today or tomorrow will bring about the monthly release of statistics from the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver real estate boards.

I expect to see continued strength in sales numbers combined with modest price changes (likely negative in the FV and positive in GV). The summer slowdown is happening and further weakness in sales will bring about more rapid negative price changes as we head into the fall.

VHB has done a linear projection of sales and inventory data for the rest of the year which, if it comes to pass, would definitely put the market into negative price changes.

What do you think we will see? What will the rest of the summer bring? Fall?

I just started dating a guy Ive known for a few years. This will be our 3rd date. He is very close w/ his family and asked me if I wanted to go w/ him to his grandparents house tomorrow afternoon. I guess since its the 4th everyone will be there just kind of hanging out a little. So I have two questions: 1. Is it too weird to be going to his familys house already? I have known him for about 10 years because his family owns the hair salon I go to and he is a stylist there. So I know them all already, but not on a very social level. 2. I feel like when you go to someones house you should not show up empty handed. So what can I bring? Nothing too fancy, but a polite gift. What though? Thank you! <3

What food should I bring for my thesis defense?

My thesis defense is tomorrow, and according to departmental tradition, I need to show up with something edible for my committee members. What should I bring?

Ideally, it should be something light and snack-y, something that can be easily transported via public transit, and something that can be eaten without undue fuss or mess. One of my committee members is vegetarian, so my offering to the academic altar needs to be meat-free. There are three people in my committee, and any extra food will be parceled out to department secretaries or lurking graduate students, so I'd prefer to err on the side of too much food rather than too little. Something sugary would probably be most appreciated.

I have a wonderful kitchen and a well-stocked pantry, and I have no qualms about baking something tonight or tomorrow morning. What can I bring that will offer at least a little (positive) distraction from my actual thesis? (Because so long as they're chewing, they can't ask me questions...)

Image: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2010/02/gambejeweledpic580.jpg This is the final NintendoWare Weekly update before Nintendo's E3 conference tomorrow. What kind of exciting changes will tomorrow bring? Does it even matter, now that Bejeweled 2...

Cataclysm is rapidly approaching and the game world we’ve known for the last 5+ years is changing. Towns destroyed, new races about and new powers for each race to play with. WoW is not the only game facing changes though, In fact the state of MMOs is changing as a whole, I mean let’s face [...]

***SECURITY FOOTER*** :: Thanks for reading a post from World of Matticus!

"You miss 100% of the shots you never take."
- Wayne Gretzky

This post sponsored by Byte Me Gaming.

What Will The MMO of Tomorrow Bring?

In February 2010, the draft law on improving the principles of determining pricing for tax purposes was approved in its first reading by the State Duma. The second reading is scheduled for summer 2010, with the law itself planned to be in effect from Jan. 1, 2011.

Photo by David Becker/GettyIn more Heidi Montag Pratt drama, friends of the reality stars are reporting some shocking developments in the couple's home.

It's obvious Spencer has all of his screws loose as seen in the most recent episodes of The Hills, but friends say he's gone overboard, even creating a jail in the couple's LA home, and Heidi was only allowed to leave three times during the month of April.

Additionally, the windows are blacked out and Spencer has hired a friend, a former Marine, to stand guard. Reportedly, Heidi just sits and stares at herself in the mirror while Spencer is online all day reading and generating press about himself and his wife.

Well, it's working.

What happened to this guy to make him so batshit crazy?

Perhaps Spencer's parents could answer that question, but it seems they're distancing themselves as well; even going so far to remove any photos of Spencer from their home, according to Us Weekly. That seems harsh. Which makes me wonder what else they did to help create a sociopath like Pratt.

In more parenting news, Heidi's father weighed in on yesterday's drama as Heidi called the cops on her own mother for daring to knock on her daughter's front door. Heidi's dad says he's as confused by her behavior as the rest of us are, and that she hasn't spoken to him either.

Sounds isolating for Heidi and completely unhealthy. As if the surgeries, crystals, and attacking anyone who dares to say a word to either Spencer or Heidi haven't already shown us that there's something very wrong in the Montag-Pratt household. Let's hope Heidi doesn't cut anything else off or plump anything else up until she sees a shrink.

Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

 

This chart shows how the default privacy settings on Facebook have gotten less, well, private, from 2005-2010. Created by Matt McKeon based off an EFF timeline, it helps visualize how Facebook has grown increasingly permissive with your data as it has grown in size, power, and revenue. What might tomorrow bring? Perhaps in the future Facebook will create placeholder profiles for people who haven't signed up yet, using data gleaned from Zabasearch and LexisNexis. Check out Matt's site for an interactive version.The Evolution of Privacy on Facebook [mattmckeon via NPR] ...

This chart shows how the default privacy settings on Facebook have gotten less, well, private, from 2005-2010. Created by Matt McKeon based off an EFF timeline, it helps visualize how Facebook has grown increasingly permissive with your data as it has grown in size, power, and revenue. What might tomorrow bring? Perhaps in the future Facebook will create placeholder profiles for people who haven't signed up yet, using data gleaned from Zabasearch and LexisNexis. Check out Matt's site for an interactive version.The Evolution of Privacy on Facebook [mattmckeon via NPR]

There's a lot of Vince Cable love out there. You just have to admire the originality of the people who keep these amazing videos coming. Sex Pistols yesterday, Europop today, what will tomorrow bring? Sadly, Dr Cable may be Almighty but he isn't invinceable (get it?) He was grounded, like everyone else in the country by some massive cloud of volcanic ash. Former Scottish Lib Dem Leader Nicol Stephen stepped in to accompany Willie Rennie to visit a motorcycle shop in Dunfermline which has been badly let down by Labour's failure to get the banks lending to sustainable businesses. Nicol ...

It seems that several of you readers have actually been around Dongjiadu/come across the Dongjiadu family that we pointed out this morning. In fact, one of you had even gone and photographed their protest. According to freelance journalist Remko Tanis, these nail house residents are the Wang family and they'd rather die than move out (with the compensation the city's planned for them):

Over the past weeks, they have been living in a desert of rubble, kinda like a little house on the prairie, but then in downtown Shanghai.

The local government offers them a six room apartment in the suburbs. The Wangs refuse. They demand at least RMB 100,000 for their troubles, on top of the new apartment way out of town.

In the morning, they dragged their old, sick father onto the roof. With them, they carried two plastic bottles they claimed were filled with poison. To the crowd below, many of them former neighbors of the Wangs, they shouted they’ll drink the poison as soon as the bulldozer starts eating their house.

The son, lying on the lower roof, shouted “Let’s die together! When we’re dead, the government will not have to pay us any compensation anyways. You want to see our old father die here? Shame!”

They sound a little crazy! At least for now, they've managed to stayed one extra night in their nail house (it was slated for destruction yesterday), but who knows what tomorrow will bring? Let's hope nobody actually drinks poison. Tanis has also taken a bunch of pictures of their protest and onlookers at Tianshenggang Lu - the flickr gallery is here.

Meanwhile, the good folks of BEAN were just in the area earlier this week for a Dongjiadu migrant school visit. The migrant school is, besides the Wang house, the only structure still standing in the midst of this rubble. BEAN volunteer 3kes took these pictures while he was there:

For the next few weeks, I will be posting a few items about a technology and the law symposium that I am chairing on April 9, 2010 for the Connecticut Bar Foundation.  It is a free program that should be of interest to attorneys and non-attorneys alike.  While it is not strictly "employment-law" related, I hope you will indulge me in a few of these posts as a public service for the CBF whose website (how do we put this delicately) is in need of some free technology help.  

Thirty years ago, people discovered that Apples were more than something you ate.  And yet, ten years ago, tweeting was something birds did, cell phones were just for making calls and electronic filing was a quaint dream.

Today, attorneys can file a motion from home in pajamas, can look up a case on their smart phone, and can text a client from a beach -- in Portugal.  

What does tomorrow bring?

On April 9, 2010, a free symposium -- hosted at UConn Law School -- will explore multiple facets of the changing practice of law and begin to answer that question. The scope of the symposium is wide-ranging: From social media and Facebook, to the rise of internet self help sites; from Google and iPhones to cloud computing.  You can download the entire program here.

With nationally-recognized speakers (Ross Kodner, Kevin O'Keefe, Brent Robertson, Professor Jane Moriarty, Wesley Horton and Robert Ambrogi to name drop a few) and local expert attorneys, the symposium will discuss how each generation is embracing (or shunning) these changes and how each generation is using (and can use) different tools to accomplish the same goals. The symposium will also explore how 20th century rules apply to today's changes and discuss ways of adapting those rules to future needs.  Social media and technology tips are also on the agenda.

But not to be missed is a unique lunchtime discussion on "Would Lincoln get LinkedIn? Or Would He Tweet? Technology, Then and Now", bringing a historical perspective to the changing practice.  

No matter if you're plugged in or think an 'app' is still something you order before dinner, this program promises to be one of the most talked about programs of the year. And did I mention that breakfast and lunch are ALSO included, free of charge? (Thanks to generous sponsorship by my firm, Pullman & Comley LLC.)

Space really is limited.  We fully expect it to fill up.  But you can print out the RSVP form and e-mail it back to ctbf@cbf-1.org to guarantee your spot.

And what to do if you're out of state? Well, it just so happens that the Connecticut Law Tribune and Brandon Smith Reporting & Video have teamed up to provide a free webcast. Details on that broadcast will be available soon.  

I'll be announcing more details in the upcoming days including a Twitter contest.  (You can follow all symposium tweets on Twitter with the hashtag #cbftech.)   In the meantime, be sure to RSVP. You won't want to miss this one.   

What does tomorrow bring? IHAVEANIDEA a community for the international advertising industry is looking to find out with an initiative called the Tomorrow Awards. Most award shows have defined categories that separate entries, this award show will take a shot at the bow and remove categories [...]

A little housekeeping note to start the week. We're going to try something new and hopefully it works well.  

If you look to your left you should now see a button that reads "Page 2."  Stories that are relevant for a certain amount of time and then not relevant at all afterwards (event announcements, starting lineup changes, etc.) will be moved from the front page to Page 2 once they lose their relevance.  That way, bigger news stories, analysis and previews/recaps will see more light on the front page.  It's a small change aiming to get the best of both worlds: all the fast-breaking updates when you need them without burying the longer-form, bigger-picture stuff. If you think you're going nuts and can't find an update you were looking for, chances are it's on Page 2. If you like this change or hate it, let us know via email.

Here's what you might have missed on Blazersedge this weekend....

Jazz Media Row Report | Jazz Recap | Celtics Media Row Report | Celtics Recap | Shake Charts

Alright, click through for the back and forth about Roy's hamstring, new details on the Marcus Camby trade, a positive update from Petteri Koponen, questions about Nate's new rotations and more.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter 

If there's one piece to read this morning, it's probably this interview with Blazers Trainer Jay Jensen conducted by Brian T. Smith.  A few of the eyebrow-raising quotes...

To the observer that's watching him practice and watches him play, they say that he looks good. If you were to ask the players, if you were to ask the coach, if you were to ask the trainers, if you were to ask anybody that watches him, they say he moves good. But he also plays like a guy that's been off, not playing for five weeks. So, for me right now, it's a matter of him getting his confidence; it's a matter of him getting his timing and rhythm down, and that's what it's about for me. Plus, the fact that he says with confidence, 'Jay, I'm ready to play.'
...

I think I would say 'setbacks.' I don't think he's had any setbacks with this thing. And I think we want to keep moving forward. I don't think rest right now is the correct thing to do. We've talked to every possible person that has knowledge. We've talked to guys in football that deal with hamstring injuries all the time. We've talked to track (doctors) that deal with track athletes and their hamstrings. We've been very aggressive with our treatment of him with the (platelet-rich plasma) injection. We've exhausted with acupuncture. We've done massage. We've done rest. He's done an extensive rehab program to get his hamstring very strong. And he's passed all those tests. What you cannot test is how he feels. And that's something that Brandon has to tell you. And he'll tell me, 'I don't feel good today.' And hopefully, we'll get him over this hump. Part of it is him learning - 'learning' is not the right word - well, yeah, learning to deal with a little discomfort. Because he's a tough cookie. But when he tells you that he can play, you have to believe him. And when he says he can't play, you have to believe him. Because if you don't, you cannot believe him one time and then not believe him the next. But for me? The objective part of his evaluation, he's passed all of those.

SJ from Rip City Project counters...

Roy's hamstring looked about as good as a grizzled stripper in her 10th year in the business on a Monday afternoon.    

Geoffrey C. Arnold spoke with Roy for quite awhile after Friday's game and then wrote this weekend...

I just wonder if there is a higher power inside the team who is "pushing" or "strongly suggesting" or "kind of demanding" or  "borderline begging" that Roy play. You know, the old "take one for the team" mentality. Yes, the Blazers are in the playoff race, but is it really a smart idea to continue to have your best player possibly risk further and more long-term damage for a short-term gain of say, winning the seventh or eighth spot in the conference and probably losing to the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets or Utah Jazz?

Brian T. Smith with quotes from Nate over the weekend about about Roy's hamstring...

On whether it's rhythm or his hamstring being the main issue:

Again, all that should come with more time on the floor. That's just like being off for the summer. And normally your (shooting) percentage is about 40, 38. And by November, December, you get it back. And he's been off for a few weeks, so sometimes you get that rhythm right away, and sometimes it takes a bit of time. It may take some games for him to get it, but he'll get it.

On whether the team is better having a less-than-100-percent Roy in the lineup so he can get his wind and find his rhythm, and if that is the main theory supporting why Roy is playing, rather than being held off the court:

We can't put a time limit on it, whether it's a week or two weeks. ... He's at a point now where he feels he can play, and that's what we're doing. We're not - if he felt he needed more time, then we would give him more time. But he feels that he can play right now, and he knows that he's got to play to (find) rhythm. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Or next week after those five games on the road? So, we're where we're at. To say, 'Should we give him another day or another week or two?' We have to listen to Brandon and his body. And, as I said before, when he feels he can go, we're going to put him out there.

Wendell Maxey on the 15th roster spot...

"If a big man became available and maybe just wasn't playing a lot, I think we would definitely look at that. You're always looking for big bodies. There's nothing like having a 6'9 or 6'10, 260 or 265 pound body you can put out there," explained Born, knowing Portland's depth is at small forward and guard positions.

Hey, Shav, all you have to do is put on like 24-29 pounds.

Kevin Pelton writes...

In his second game in a Portland uniform, center Marcus Camby showed why the Blazers added him in a trade last week. Camby was a huge factor on the glass, finishing with 18 rebounds--including eight of Portland's 21 on the offensive glass. His ability to tap the ball back out to teammates (something he tried to do even once when he had no defender around him and had the chance to cleanly secure the ball) returned a dimension to a Blazers offense that has been short on second chances without offensive-rebounding dynamos Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla.

Likewise, Camby offered production missing without Oden and Przybilla at the defensive end, where Camby blocked four shots, mostly as a weak-side defender coming in to swipe at Boozer's shot attempts. While Camby was not quite as stout a defensive anchor in the paint in this matchup as I had anticipated, he did a better than expected job of coming out to defend Paul Millsap on the perimeter. Overall, Portland's defense was much more effective than in the last two matchups against Utah. At the same time, Camby's 1-of-7 shooting was something of a drain on the offensive end.

Dwight Jaynes dissects the late-game stagnation...

My point is, this team continues to use "We need another guy who can get his own shot in the fourth quarter" as a convenient excuse for not coaching. Man, watch the Jazz and see how often they just hand the ball to a player and ask him to beat the defense by himself. It just doesn't happen.

And watch how easy it is for the good defensive teams - like Boston and Utah in the last two games - to lock in on Portland's stagnant offense. You've got to move the ball and move bodies, which the Blazers so infrequently do, to get good shots.

My goodness, the Jazz had 50 points in the paint. It's not because they're handing it to one guy and letting him create his own shot, either. It's because they pass, cut and move the ball.

Mike Barrett looks back and ahead...

Portland is now 4-5 in the month of February, and is 11-13 in 2010. There is still time for a recovery, but time is not on their side. Of all the emotional body blows this team has taken this season, this one, self-inflicted as it was, may be the toughest to bounce back from. Monday we head out on a five-game road trip that could decide if this team makes it to the post season or not.

The trip has us at New Jersey, Toronto, Chicago, Minnesota, and Memphis. There are winnable games on this trip, but only if this team finds its offense. For whatever reason, the Blazers are in their biggest offensive funk in the last couple of years. The Blazers shot just 33 percent against Boston on Friday, and shot only 35 percent in this game.

Brian T. Smith with some follow-up details about the Camby trade...

However, it was not until a two-day period surrounding the All-Star break that Camby wearing black and red became a real possibility. And even then, there was as much uncertainty surrounding the veteran's future in Los Angeles as there was a chance he could truly become a Blazer. Camby was told either he or young Clippers center DeAndre Jordan would be in L.A. team after the break, not both.

"No one (knew) what was really going on," Camby said.

But everything changed Feb. 14, when Camby received a call from his agent wondering how he would feel about playing in Portland.

Andrew R. Tonry laments the final play that slipped away.

Down two with the final shot, Deron Williams missed a decent look from 20 feet, but Carlos Boozer grabbed the rebound-his 21st of the game-and flipped it back in just before time expired. Boozer finished with 22 points, while setting new career highs in total rebounds (23) and offensive boards (eight).

And although Marcus Camby had a mostly terrific outing in his second game as a Blazer-he finished with 18 rebounds and four blocks-that final rebound he allowed Boozer to grab as regulation ended was the nail in the coffin. Sure, there was overtime and the Blazers technically had a chance, but it was clear that the Jazz, who came out flat, were finally engaged and in control.    

Coup from Rip City Project says cut Jerryd Bayless some slack...

And finally Jerryd Bayless. I'm sure there will be some hate for him tomorrow after nine ineffective minutes when the Blazers desperately needed him. One thing to remember is that in the last couple weeks, and especially now that Blake is gone, he is essentially playing a new position at point guard than even earlier in the year, when the call was to supply as much self-induced offense as possible. And in that new position where he has to be a new sort of player, that new player has hit a rookie wall. As such, we are in standby mode with Bayless.

Casey Holdahl on Nicolas Batum...

I spoke to Batum after the game with no intention of mentioning the miss that would have sent the Trail Blazers into a five-game road trip with a win. I was more interesting in discussing Nate McMillan decision to go with Batum rather than Martell Webster through almost all of the second half, but Nico, unprovoked, brought up the miss himself.

"My last shot, I have to make this one," said Batum. "I'm wide open. I cannot miss this shot because you don't have a lot of chance like that. I remember I got one last year, I made it against Jersey. I have to score this one. If I score this one, put away ... We have the game; I just miss. I put the team in a bad situation. I feel very bad tonight."    

Hippo, our Finnish friend, writes via email...

Petteri Koponen continued his impressive performances last Sunday, when Virtus Bologna played against undefeated Montepaschi Siena in Italian Cup Final.

Virtus Bologna were able to hang with Siena for the full 40 minutes, but didn't have enough firepower in the end to upset powerhouse Siena. Siena snatched a 83-75 (38-33) victory, adding yet another trophy to their impressive track record.

For Portland Trailblazers fans, the most interesting fact concerning the game was that Petteri Koponen was the leading scorer of Virtus Bologna with 19 points. In the fourth quarter, Virtus was already down 70-55, but Koponen orchestrated a furious Virtus comeback in the final minutes draining 13 points and bringing his team to just down five, 77-72. However, Siena made their free throws in the end and Virtus couldn't get any closer.

Koponen had 19 points in the final, the most points in the game tied with Italian Cup MVP Shaun Stonerook.

The whole Italian Cup weekend was an impressive showing by Koponen. In the quarterfinal, Koponen scored 12 points in second half while ending the first-half scoring run of Pepsi Caserta's shooting guard Robert Hite. Koponen also had five assists, two steals and no turnovers in the game.

In the semifinal, Bologna easily knocked out Air Avellino 73-61 with their grinding defense. Koponen had an off-day (field goals 2-8), but he played the biggest minutes of his team (33) and had the second best +/- number of his team with +16.

Here are Koponen's averages in the Italian Cup weekend. Koponen's high AS-TO and ST-TO numbers and field goals percentages are worth noticing. (However, it might raise some questions why Koponen didn't earn one single trip to the line in three games.)

Games 3, Minutes 30,0 , Points 12,0 , Rebounds 2,7 , Assists 2,0 , Steals 2,0 , Turnovers 0,7 , field goals 60,0% , 3pt field goals 50,0%

Seth Johnston of BustaBucket with a fun reference...

Once it was bonus basketball Portland couldn't overcome the mighty Ha Seung-Jin like powers of Kyrlo Fesenko (seriously) and ended up losing the stinking game after Roy's potential game tying three rimmed out. Bummers all around.    

Sophia Brugato of BustaBucket wrote regarding Friday night's loss...

Before the game started during a pre-game interview on Comcast Sports NW,  the head coach of the Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers  lavished Nate McMillan with generous praise, stating "he's been the best in the league, with all the injuries and the record they have, McMIllan has done a heck of a job".

As it turned out, it appears McMillan set out to prove Rivers wrong by not starting superior-in-every-way Nic Batum in lieu of inferior-in-every-way Martell Webster, playing the hobbled Brandon Roy for more than 30 minutes when much of the time the game was clearly out of reach, and playing Rudy Fernandez instead of Jerryd Bayless .

BlazerGuy.com writes...

What I found most discouraging tonight, however, was the way the addition of Roy and Camby seemed to affect the overall rotation.  In particular, I was bothered by the fact that Batum played only 5 minutes in the first half, Bayless played only 3, and Dante Cunningham played only 1.  Those three players provide more energy than anyone else on the team, energy that was conspicuously missing in the first half.  I'm glad the Blazers now have help at the center position now, but it is not in the short or long term interest of the team to have Camby and Howard take up all of the available front court minutes.  Dante Cunningham has been playing fantastic basketball lately and should be getting more minutes than Howard.  He's a better defender than Howard and, unlike Howard or Camby, is likely to be a part of the Blazer rotation beyond this season.     

Quick Hits

• Video: Nicolas Batum's chase down block of Deron Williams.
• Enter a SMART raffle to win 2 courtside Blazers tickets, a gift certificate for dinner and a night at the Heathman.
• a 16 man 1 on 1 tournament of NBA players with no bigs.  Who do you rank in order as your top 16?  Mine are in the comments.
• Free Darko on basketball in the Phillipines.
• HoopData.com writer Joe Treutline guests on NYTimes.com and examines whether the Lakers are better without Kobe.
• Travis Outlaw to debut for the Clippers tonight? I'll be watching.
• The book learning is coming easy for Marcus Camby.
• KD for MVP?

Power Rankings

• Schuhmann: Blazers are 12th
• Parker: Blazers are 11th
• Stein: Blazers are 13th
• Hollinger: Blazers are 13th
• Hollinger's Playoff Odds: 68.2%

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Oh, Symbian, you tease! For an organization as committed to openness and sharing its roadmap (and its code) as the Symbian Foundation, it's pretty unusual that they'd be counting down to a big unveiling of anything -- but sure enough, they've been tweeting decreasing numbers with the hashtag "#symbiancountdown" starting back on January 26 with 108. Today we're down to 12 (it's hard to say what sort of jacked-up counting system they're using here) with a note of "what will tomorrow bring?" so it looks like we can expect this all to go down in just a few short hours. One thought is that they could announce that Symbian^3 has gone Functionally Complete, a key milestone in getting it pushed to devices -- but that's a shot in the dark. Don't disappoint, guys.

Update: Looks like it may be the full source for Symbian^2, the Foundation's first open release.

Symbian's revealing something tomorrow, but what? (update: open source!) originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink hdblog.it  |  Twitter (Symbian Foundation)  | Email this | Comments

The official Mumbai deviantART Meet!

#Mumbai is organizing the very first deviantMEET of the decade on Sunday, 24th January 2010.

Here's what you need to know

WHAT:
Calling all Mumbai & Pune-based deviants. Come one, come all, bring your deviant friends along.

WHEN:
Sunday, 24th January, 10:30AM onwards (yes, you can drop in anytime and leave before we officially wrap things up!)

WHERE:
All over town (Kala Ghoda, Fort, Colaba, etc.)
Starting point: Kala Ghoda steps (map: http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2324/kalaghodamap.jpg)

CARRY:
Your phone, camera (if any), your favourite creation if you'd like and money to cover your own expenses (food, travel, entry fees for galleries)

COST: Free! (apart from the expenses listed above)

MORE INFO:
Hit up: http://mumbai.deviantART.com
Or call: Aditya @ 99300 16360


AGENDA:

For the early birds, the plan is to meet up for breakfast/coffee at about 10:30AM.

Post 11AM, we will start visiting galleries for a few hours before breaking for lunch. Given the number of confirmations, it would be impossible to book a place for all of us, so we'll decide how to manage things on the day, so that it suits everybody's budget/preferences.

Post lunch, we will regroup to head to some place where everyone can socialize/network/show off their works.

For the second half activities, if you'd like to show off your works, you are welcome to do so! (please carry your sketchbooks, paintings, prints, laptops/netbooks, etc. in that case) We'd love to see how talented you are and it would be a good point of conversation.

Just so that everyone's expectations are set right: this is a CASUAL meet organized to get art enthusiasts together.

Our aim is to promote local artists and provide a platform for art enthusiasts to get to know the faces behind those deviantART nicknames in real life. Of course our meets are not just restricted to those who are present on deviantART, so you're welcome to bring your friends along (just make sure everyone RSVP's to the event!)

---

WHAT TO BRING?

- Yourself (that's a given!)
- Money to cover your expenses (entry charges to galleries - if any, travel and food/drinks)
- Your favourite creation(s) (OPTIONAL!)
- Anything else that you think the rest would find amusing

Shutterbugs, please bring your fancy cameras along so that we have plenty of pictures to document the meet!

---

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

For those of you who are planning to join in at 10:30AM, PLEASE call/text me (number given at the end of this mail) and CONFIRM the same. Accordingly we can plan things out and I can be prepared.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF:

Would request all attendees to please introduce themselves either on the Facebook event page or on the journal entry on the #Mumbai page so that everyone at least has an idea about their fellow attendees and have something to talk about.

YES, YOU CAN JOIN US MID-WAY THROUGH THE MEET:

If you are planning to join us mid-way, please call/text me so I can fill you in on about our whereabouts.

GOT IDEAS?

If you have any suggestions about things we can do/places we can visit, please reply/call/text and let me know - we'll try to incorporate it into our plans!

CONTACT:
For any queries/clarifications/confirmations, please call/text me:
Aditya (iamlame) - +91 99300 16360

Look forward to meeting each one of you wonderful folks tomorrow (Sunday)


Cheers,

Aditya
#mumbai | #indians

It was a crazy, exciting, and sometimes depressing year for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Last spring was as hot of a stretch there could be for the 'Canes, who came back from 10th place last New Year's Day to finish sixth and then make a miraculous run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

But the most recent season, autumn, didn't bring a lot of success for the 'Canes. Once again, they enter the New Year of 2010 in a tough spot, in last place and 10 points out of 14th. The Hurricanes have just 27 points and only 10 wins in a whopping 40 games.

December was a slightly better month than the previous two were, as the Hurricanes recovered a bit to finish the month with a record of just 5-6-2, good enough for 12 points in 13 games.

Just as the standings point production picked up a bit in December, so did the team chemistry and morale. In recent games, there have been little things clicking for Carolina that have earned them a bit of success and some hope that the New Year could be a sign of better things to come for Carolina.

In the three-goal comeback in the third period against Philadelphia on Saturday the 26th, as well as the 6-3 win in Washington last Monday, it was the unusual but effective line of Matt Cullen, Jussi Jokinen, and Eric Staal that produced six goals and 11 assists in just over four periods.

You can read more about that in another recent article of mine .

Also, the interesting combination of Eric Staal, Ray Whitney, Tuomo Ruutu, and Joni Pitkanen on a four-on-three man advantage against the Rangers on New Year's Eve ended up producing three scoring chances in just 1:30, and eventually, the Hurricanes' only goal of the contest, which ended in a 2-1 loss.

These little bits of achievement that have gone overlooked in an very overall depressing season could be the spark that gets the 'Canes at least up into the mix a bit more by the end of the season in April.

Things like Andrew Alberts now ranking in the top five in hits, and having a speedy, up-and-coming youngster on the top line like Brandon Sutter. Maybe Eric Staal's recent scoring streak could bring back his leadership of last season. In the big picture, who really knows what 2010 will bring?

However, we do know that in order for the New Year to bring new success to the Hurricanes, they are simply going to have to win more games, starting right now.

The Hurricanes are not going to have a very easy time with that either, as their upcoming January 2010 schedule is no piece of cake.

Carolina will play 14 games in the next 30 days in January, beginning tomorrow night in Madison Square Garden, where they will face the Rangers, who did defeat the 'Canes 2-1 in Raleigh last night, but are just 1-7 in their last eight games at MSG.

They will then take most of the week off before going on a Western Conference back-to-back, playing at Nashville on the 7th and then hosting Colorado. The game against the Avs will begin a stretch where Carolina will play a game every other day for their next six games.

That run continues early in the next week with games against Ottawa and Toronto, and will then lead out to Detroit to face the injury-laden Red Wings. The Hurricanes then return to the East with three straight division games, facing Atlanta on the 16th and Tampa Bay on the 18th at the RBC Center before going to the home of the Thrashers on the 21st day of January.

The Hurricanes will finish out the month with some testing games against some solid but not overwhelming teams, with home dates against Boston and the Islanders and road games at the Flyers and Rangers. The Canes then wrap up their month in Chicago for a huge battle with the Blackhawks on Jan. 30.

As you can see, January will be quite a testing, but not overwhelming, month. The Hurricanes have a balanced schedule, with seven home and seven away games, and no streaks of more than two games at the RBC Center or on the road.

If there's any time the Hurricanes need to set their goals reasonable but not too easy, it's this month. The Canes have been (it's really hard to say it, but it's true) pathetic through their first half of the season.

It would be incredible to see how even just an 8-4-2 month would affect them, and how much confidence it could restore in the fact that "this is just a rebuilding season", and not the beginning of an ugly decade for Carolina.

 

 

 

Mark Jones is currently Bleacher Report's featured columnist for the Carolina Hurricanes. In his 16 months so far with the site, he has written over 150 articles and received almost 100,000 total reads.

Visit his profile to read more.

By Linsey Knerl

As everyone relaxes from a whirlwind of holiday activity, cleans their houses and settles back into their regular routine, many are looking ahead to a bright future in 2010.  Others aren't so convinced of the new year's promises, as the job market may be bleak in their area or tax time signals new financial difficulties. 

With each passing year, however, we like to reflect upon the old and look hopefully toward the new, and this year is no different.  What about you?  Are you hopeful for what 2010 may bring?  Are you scared?  Do you prefer to just keep doing what you've been doing with little regard to the changing of the dates?

Share your thoughts here in our comment thread or on Twitter, and you'll be entered to win one of two $10 Amazon giveaways.  Dozens of readers have already won. You could be next! 

We encourage you to continue looking up, supporting one another, and being such a loyal part of our online community.  And to celebrate what we think will be a FANSTASTIC 2010, we'd like to suggest these uplifting reads:

• 5 Tips for Making Do with the Right Now
• Feeling Stuck? 100 Ways to Change Your Life
• Live Like There's No Tomorrow

Win a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate

We're doing two giveaways — one for random comments, and another one for a random tweets.

How to Enter:

1. Post your answer in the comments below, or
2. Tweet your answer. Include both "@wisebread" and "#WBAsk" in your tweet so we'll see it and count it.

If you're inspired to write a whole blog post, please link to it in the comments or tweet it.

At the end of the drawing, we'll update this post to include (and link to) all of your helpful responses.

Giveaway Rules:

• Contest ends Friday, January 1st at 11:59 am CST. Winners will be announced after January 1st on the original post and via Twitter. Winners will also be contacted via email and Twitter Direct Message.
• You can enter both drawings — once by leaving a comment and once by tweeting.
• Only tweets that contain both "@wisebread" and "#WBAsk" will be entered. (Otherwise, we won't see it.)

Good luck!

Permalink | Comments | Linsey Knerl">Linsey Knerl's blog | Channel: Giveaways

Similar entries:

This article is from Wise Bread.

[quote user="Lisa "]

Oblivion Unleashed:

Stratus Blue:
Visiting the East Coast (North Carolina). Can't imagine how cold it is in Philly or Ohio or Canada. How DO you do it?

You should stop by up here bro. We just got another foot of snow overnight and it's about 20 degrees right now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring??? :)

I know you were rather upset at the time but I cant help thinking and smiling a bit (no malicious pleasure though, you just sounded so funny) when you told us about last year, when that snowplough dude mowed down every mailbox along your street...leaving you there..."WTF?"

But he got his punishment later - didnt he![/quote] Well like I said before the female stalker striked in...

[quote user="Oblivion Unleashed"]

Stratus Blue:
Visiting the East Coast (North Carolina). Can't imagine how cold it is in Philly or Ohio or Canada. How DO you do it?

You should stop by up here bro. We just got another foot of snow overnight and it's about 20 degrees right now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring??? :)[/quote] I know you were rather upset at the time but I cant help thinking and smiling a bit (no malicious pleasure though, you just sounded so funny) when you told us about last year, when that snowplough dude mowed down every mailbox along your street...leaving you there..."WTF?" But he got his punishment later - didnt he!

[quote user="Oblivion Unleashed"]

Stratus Blue:
Visiting the East Coast (North Carolina). Can't imagine how cold it is in Philly or Ohio or Canada. How DO you do it?

You should stop by up here bro. We just got another foot of snow overnight and it's about 20 degrees right now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring??? :)[/quote] If I were on my own, I would be headed up your way to meet you and Patti. Alas, I am with family, and not as mobile as I would be solo. It was 44 degrees here today, and that was cold enough for me. I am actually enjoying the chilly weather. Wish you well, shredder!!!

[quote user="Stratus Blue"] Visiting the East Coast (North Carolina). Can't imagine how cold it is in Philly or Ohio or Canada. How DO you do it?[/quote] You should stop by up here bro. We just got another foot of snow overnight and it's about 20 degrees right now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring??? :)

Danny Gokey nearly done recording debut

Danny Gokey laid down vocals this morning for the next to last song for his forthcoming debut. He’ll be done with his recording by the end of the week.

“Today, then Saturday, and I’m done,” Danny told me today at Nashville’s Starstruck Studios after making a couple runs through a song called Crazy Not To, written by Wendell Mobley, one of Rascal Flatts’ go-to songwriters, along with Marv Green and David Lee Murphy. “From that point, it’s all overdubs.”

So far, four songs from the album — likely to come out in March, though a release date and title have yet to be set — are finished and mixed: It’s Only, the ballad initially intended as Danny’s first single; My Best Days Are Ahead of Me, the uptempo tune eventually chosen as the lead single; Tiny Life, a Jeffrey Steele/Marv Green ballad that takes a big-picture view of life starting from the window of an airplane; and I Still Believe, which is essentially a statement of faith, penned by Kara DioGuardi, Michael Busbee and Barry Dean, with lyrics like, “I don’t really know what tomorrow will bring, but I’m open to all possibilities.”

USA Today

The Idolator Interview: Ryan Tedder

The year’s almost over. Have you made amends with Kelly Clarkson after the whole “Halo”/”Already Gone” drama?
Man, I haven’t talked to her, to be honest, since that went down. She has my email. Her attorney or somebody from her camp told somebody from my camp that she’s willing to work with me again. I was like, oh, thank you. I mean, I’m looking at your song right now and it’s #1 for the fourth week on Hot AC, so I’m sorry that I helped with that. I was absolutely livid when that whole thing came out because she had no idea what she was talking about when she said that.

One of the best albums you had a hand in was Blake Lewis’ first one, Audio Day Dream. It had to be disappointing that it didn’t take off like it should have.

But something weird happened on that project, and I can’t really go on the record saying exactly what it is. I have my suspicions. I feel like the label was in a transitional period when that album came out. They were switching heads of state, more or less, and that was one of those albums that had singles, I think, for days. I know it did. I know for a fact, because they researched the crap out of that album, and there were five songs that tested Top 10—which is astronomical, as far as research goes.

Idol Headlines after the JUMP…

Jackson radio host Jessika Baier remembered by family and friends; funeral arrangements announced

Jessika Baier could nail a fake British accent, plan a happening theme party or hold captive a karaoke audience, her friends said.

A bubbly and spontaneous extrovert with a messy car and maybe 100 pairs of high heels, she had big, if ever changing, plans.

“She never wanted to do just one thing. She wanted to do it all. She wanted to travel the world,” said Baier’s boyfriend, David Beaton.

MLive

Clay Aiken Responds To Allegations Of Voter Fraud

Recently, I expressed my views and concern about the direction in which the newly elected members of the School Board propose to take Wake County schools. In a private blog, I stated strong opposition to the campaign rhetoric of the newly elected Board members. In response, the Wake County Republican Party has challenged my voter registration in Wake County.

It just goes to show the lengths to which some folks will go to silence an opposing view. I’ve remained registered at the permanent address that I’ve long used here in Wake County because I consider Raleigh home. While I believe my registration is perfectly valid, I’ve decided to change my registration from Wake County rather than get into a technical dispute.

MyNC.com

Barbara spices up lineup this year

It’s a little like the “Seinfeld” creed — no hugging, no learning — with Barbara Walters as Larry David.

This fall, Walters set out deliberately to come up with an unusual list of characters for her annual, year-and-a-tear “10 Most Fascinating People” special.

Glenn Beck, Lady Gaga, Kate Gosselin, Jenny Sanford (the wife of wandering South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford), Tyler Perry, Michael Jackson’s three kids and, now famously, Adam Lambert.

“A lot of people nobody had ever heard of last year,” Walters told The Post. “And a lot of it is about sexuality.”

NY Post

So Who’s Up For an Adam Lambert Appearance at the Oscars?

Adam Shankman’s Twitter followers, that’s who. The Oscarcast producer last weekend solicited show-planning suggestions from his 48,000 devotees, sparking a torrent of feedback and burgeoning transparency that — according to at least one report — isn’t making the Academy terribly comfortable. But with the downmarket promise wielded by solicitations like, “So weird question; would u watch the oscars with more exitement [sic] if I cast some sytycd dancers if there are musical #s,” who wouldn’t want to see just how far the hoi polloi can influence Hollywood’s grandest show?

Movieline

Hey, Adam Lambert Fans: I Take It All Back!

I’m sorry, Adam Lambert fans. I’ve been thinking, and I take back those nasty things I said about your guy.

I would love to see him performing on the Oscars, just as you all suggested to producer Adam Shankman on Sunday.

I read your comments on Twitter after I suggested otherwise, and you forced me to reconsider with remarks like this:

“What is your problem? How you homophobic or just plain hater?”

The Wrap

The Top 10 of Everything 2009

10. “Mad World” by Adam Lambert

“Talent is a trend,” goes the old record-company proverb, and Adam Lambert proved it repeatedly on the reality talent show that no one remembers he didn’t win. In particular, Lambert’s performance of this slowly building Tears for Fears track shows off his ability to interpret a song and create dramatic tension — a lost art in pop music. It also helps that he holds his notes with remarkable clarity and has such obvious vocal star power that America couldn’t help but make him the … well, whatever.

Time

Unique plot lines mean stellar year in television

2. “Glee”

By far the season’s best new show, “Glee” has taken that wannabe performer in all of us and given it a spotlight, while also making high school drama kids cool again.

Equal parts comedy, soap opera and musical, “Glee” is responsible for talk of phantom pregnancies, confused football players and their homoerotic tendencies and a rendition of “Gold Digger” that’ll have Taylor Swift interrupting Kanye to talk about who really is the best of all time.

10. “American Idol”

America’s favorite reality singing competition began a rapid decline two years ago after the departure of Chris Daughtry. A revamped format and what producers hoped was a fresh approach were put in place this year to save the flagship program.
In reality, it was controversial glam rocker Adam Lambert that did the saving. Lambert’s off-the-wall antics, insane vocal range and intriguing song choices single-handedly attracted viewers and put “Idol” back on the right track.

DailyTexan.com

Decade’s best: Eminem tops in sales; Beatles get No. ‘1′ album

The race to dominate the decade in music has come down to Eminem and The Beatles in the stretch. The winner?

Both. The rapper emerges as the top-selling artist of the past 10 years, and the Fab Four have bragging rights to the best-selling album.

With 32.2 million copies sold, Eminem leads the pack in overall album sales, followed by The Beatles with 30 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan, which releases its decade tabulations today. Data were tallied through Nov. 1, and though figures could rise through Dec. 31, they won’t alter the rankings.

USA Today

The Best Songs Of 2009, In Bigger Than The Sound

17. Kelly Clarkson: “I Do Not Hook Up” Originally written for Katy Perry, it’s probably a good thing she passed on it, since I can’t imagine anyone other than Clarkson doing it justice. It’s breakneck electro-pop with a big, rushing chorus and vocal fireworks galore. The best Kelly Clarkson song in years, from the best Kelly Clarkson album in years (All I Ever Wanted). We all win, even Katy Perry.

MTV.com

David Archuleta sings from the heart in Christmas album

Christmas songs are intrinsically beautiful for imparting the message of love and hope. This means singers need only to render these well to deliver their magic and purpose.

David Archuleta does just that. In the CD “Christmas From The Heart,” the “American Idol” runner-up passes up on grand ambitions, opting instead to use his soaring pipes for simple yet soulful renditions of the 13 tracks here.

MB.com

‘Idol’ finalist Archuleta in Waukegan for holiday concert

As Adam Lambert proves, being an “American Idol” runner-up isn’t a bad thing.

It certainly has worked out well for David Archuleta, the smiley, clean-cut, Utah teenager who finished second to David Cook on 2008’s “American Idol.”

In his life after “Idol,” Archuleta has had three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, put out two CDs and become a teen heartthrob.

Daily Herald

So Much to Love About the Carrie Underwood TV Special

After watching Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special last night for two straight hours, I couldn’t help but feel a little up in the air. Yes, Underwood did a wonderful job entertaining the world. But what about her poor sister, Stephanie? Carrie tried repeatedly to find her sister a man, but by the end of the show, nothing.

That family drama aside, the special really did have something for everyone. It wasn’t even all that Christmasy. Just kind of an old-school variety show. But Underwood managed to show her range vocally (which she always does) and dramatically (which is kind of new for her).

CMT

Exclusive ‘American Idol’ Katharine McPhee clip: ‘The music inspired the hair’

It’s no secret “American Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee has a new sassy blonde ‘do to go with her new album. Watch our exclusive clip to find out why she decided to try a new look, plus brand-new pictures of this blonde having more fun.

In about a month, Katharine McPhee will be giving a live performance for Soundcheck and Zap2it is your source for exclusive previews, videos and photos. Today (Tuesday, Dec. we’re teasing her new look and next week tune in for an exclusive preview of Katharine’s January performance, which coincides with the release of her second album.

Zap2it

‘Idol’ Alum Kimberley Locke Wants Diamond Ring for Christmas

‘American Idol’ season 2 contestant Kimberley Locke has one item on her Christmas list: a diamond ring. But she tells PopEater that it likely won’t happen. “I don’t think I’m going to get it, but I think that’s a good thing. My boyfriend is like, ‘I don’t want to do it around the holidays. I want it to be your special day,’” Locke says. “I’m like ‘I don’t care when you do it. Just do it.’” Locke is dating the notoriously tough trainer Harvey Walden from VH1’s ‘Celebrity Fit Club’. Their romance developed after Locke finished her stint on the fitness reality show in 2007. Watch PopEater’s exclusive interview >>

Popeater

CMA makes largest music education donation to date

Mayor Karl Dean paused for a moment on Tuesday, as he pondered the day’s good news: The Country Music Association is donating $1,066,632 this year — its largest music education donation to date — to Nashville public schools through its “Keep the Music Playing” campaign.

Nine “All-Star” groups comprised of Nashville public school students performed on Tuesday evening at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center at an event in which the CMA’s donation was announced. Country artist Kellie Pickler was there to introduce some of the students and to make the check presentation.

Music City

Tony Cummings charts the fascinating journey to a CCM recording contract for singer/songwriter PHIL STACEY

There are plenty of critics lambasting the huge influence TV talent searches have had on the British and American music industries. But few can deny that such programmes undoubtedly bring to light some fine vocal talents. This truth was again demonstrated in September when Integrity-Provident released the ‘Into The Light’ album by American Idol finalist Phil Stacey. The Cross Rhythms reviewer enthused, “Stacey’s vocal performance is almost flawless, from husky sensitivity to gutsy emoting on the choruses.” ‘Into The Light’ was produced by one of Christendom’s most talented studio men, Brown Bannister (Steven Curtis Chapman, MercyMe). Bannister himself was hugely enthusiastic. “Working with Phil was such a gift. It’s been a long time since I’ve produced someone with his abilities as a writer and vocalist. This distinctive, powerful voice is a breath of fresh air in this market.”

Crossrhythms.co.uk

Lots of noise, little heart in touring “Grease”

Finally, there’s Taylor Hicks, he of the multiple cardboard cut-outs in the lobby and zero acting and dancing talent. As Teen Angel, Hicks descends in glory from a metallic ice cream coffin atop the Burger Palace, croons “Beauty School Dropout” to an amusingly stunned Frenchy (Kate Morgan Chadwick), then retreats into darkness. It’s not so bad, though for the tour to claim he “stars” is a major stretch.

Lucky for fans of the former American Idol, Hicks returns for a tacked-on bit following the curtain call. Out of costume and strumming his guitar, Hicks races through the countrified “Seven Mile Breakdown,” the second release from his new album.

It’s a fine song, and it’s better than anything Hicks does during “Grease.” But it feels perfunctory and unasked-for. As Hicks strums, an older couple tries to sneak out without attracting notice.

Trapped in our seats, we jealously watch them go.

Madison.com

Scott Brown wins GOP primary, readies for race vs. Coakley

NEWTON — State Senator Scott P. Brown, a telegenic triathlete and military lawyer who has won nine consecutive elections since the mid-1980s, tonight won an easy victory in the Republican primary for US Senate, launching him on an uphill battle to become the first Republican to represent Massachusetts in the United States Senate in 30 years.

Brown, who boasts that he can run two miles in just over 13 minutes, garnered some notoriety at age 22, in 1982, by posing nude for an issue of Cosmopolitan magazine about “America’s Sexiest Man.” But his family members are even better-known — one of his daughters, Ayla, was a finalist on “American Idol’’ in 2006 and is a four-year starter on the basketball team at Boston College. And Brown’s wife of 23 years, Gail Huff, is a veteran reporter at WCVB-TV. The couple also have another daughter, Arianna, a freshman at Syracuse University.

Ayla was actually a semi-finalist

Boston.com

‘So You Think You Can Dance’ recap: Pulling Out All the Stops

Does time fly or what, fellow SYTYCD fans? We’re just one week away from the finale, and from the looks of last night’s bizarre two-hour performance night, our dancers are starting to feel the pressure. Why else would they have pulled out gimmicks to stay in the competition? Jakob performed gymnastics(!) during his solo. Legacy whipped out a cell phone. And Russell inexplicably dressed like Santa Claus.

EW.com

‘So You Think You Can Dance’: Russell Ferguson, your table is ready

Top8IMG_0734Now is the time I can finally admit this: For me, Russell Ferguson had never really popped this season the way I had wanted him to. I think the first time we met him, we all could tell that he was something special: a krumper who could take on different genres like it was nothing. But I was waiting for him to really light up the stage, and while he had done a good job before, he never blew me away.

Tonight he finally brought it.

LA Times

X FACTOR bosses sprung a surprise by revealing one finalist will be axed on Saturday.

Stacey Solomon, Olly Murs and Joe McElderry were expecting to discover their fate on Sunday’s results show.

But the one with the lowest public vote will go home early.

Olly will duet with Robbie Williams, Joe with George Michael and Stacey with Michael Buble.

All three will also perform a Christmas song for judges including Simon Cowell.

The final two will battle it out on Sunday. An insider said: “This shocked the finalists.”

The Sun

Will Cowell lose X-Factor Christmas Number 1 battle to The Muppets?

Simon Cowell could be set to lose his iron tight grip on the Christmas Number 1 spot.

A Muppets version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is the latest competitor taking on the X-Factor machine having taken YouTube by storm, a single of the track will be released, download-only, on 14 Dec.

Whether the song without the video will have the same appeal, time will tell. The video will also be available for download – the label insist on calling this a ‘vingle’ – though it is unclear whether that counts in terms of chart position.

Some hope the Muppets doing Queen might have the novelty appeal to finally stop the ‘X-Factor’ winner from automatically getting the once coveted Christmas number one spot in the singles chart.

The London Daily News

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.@lillianwong(can't work with secrets rnot revealed/ gve up on crackerjack longtime! comon on what rule did I break

Saracens 15-13 Sale

Saracens will not exactly have made any new friends — and, despite their ever more intimate flirtations with Wembley, numbers in the stands remain an issue — but they ensured top spot for Christmas with this ruthless win in the drizzle. Six points is the size of their lead over the rest, which is a bigger one than they usually enjoy on the field.

Brendan Venter, their director of rugby, talks about building his side from the foundations up, which means they will perfect the nitty-gritty basics before they move on to anything that might be called ambitious. It is clearly of some joy to him that his side can be so far clear before they have moved on from phase one. Indeed, it looks increasingly as if phase one is what they are going to stick with for now.

"We're definitely good enough [to win the title]," said Venter. "That's not an issue. But it's just so far away, it's actually scary. We have a saying in the team: 'Today is a good day.' Tomorrow? I don't know what tomorrow will bring. We genuinely don't even remotely look there."

These are not words to herald the start of phase two. Not that Saracens are as dour as popular opinion would have it. They have some richly gifted (and English) youngsters, but this was not the night to showcase them. Indeed, Alex Goode and Andy Saull, two of the brightest, both withdrew early, the former before the first quarter was out. He had just dropped a try-scoring pass which might have had the game sewn up rather earlier than it was.

The endless rain and the excellence of Saracens' lineout did for any hopes of a more free-flowing encounter. As a spectacle it could have been a lot worse, but Sale were the more ambitious side, and they had about half as much of the ball.

Still, it was enough for Charlie Hodgson to show that he remains England's most gifted fly-half. Venter wondered how, from scrambled ball in the pouring rain, he was able to land a 60-yard kick on a dime for Ben Cohen to gather and launch an assault on the Saracens line in the final 10 minutes. It was from a pinpoint cross-kick to Cohen's wing in the first half that Sale managed what so few others have this season — to cross Saracens' line. Sisa Koyamaibole, a beast of a No8, finished it off to earn the lead at half-time.

"I just think Charlie's a wonderful rugby player," said Venter, before pointing out that his own No10, Derick Hougaard, had won his side the game. Kingsley Jones, Sale's director of rugby, conceded that England had closed the book on Hodgson – the management have not discussed the player with him since the ill-fated 2008 tour of New Zealand.

Jones could not believe that Saracens' best playmaker, Glen Jackson, was not injured but was simply being "rested on rotation". For the time being, Hougaard has the gig at No10 for the pacesetters. It is not exactly the pace of a rip-roaring roller coaster, but it is enough to have the others struggling to keep up.

Saracens Goode (Penney, 18); Cato, Ratuvou, Powell, Wyles; Hougaard, Rauluni; Gill, Brits (Reynecke, 51), Nieto (Skuse, 51), Borthwick (capt), Smith (Vyvyan, 51), Van Heerden, Saull (Barrell, 52), Joubert.

Pens Hougaard 5.

Sale Macleod; Vakacegu, M Tait, Bishop, Cohen; Hodgson, Wigglesworth, Roberts, Briggs, Forster (Halsall, 71), Schofield (capt; Gaskell, 31), Cox, Fearns, Seymour, Koyamaibole.

Try Koyamaibole Con Hodgson Pens Hodgson 2.

Referee D Pearson (Northumberland) Attendance 7,101.

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am only for myself, what am I?

And, if not now, when?” –Hillel

The meaning and interpretation of these questions, posed by Hillel (rabbi and scholar) many years ago, have long been the subject of discussion and debate. They are questions that force us to look inward and truly consider the way we are living our lives.

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” When it comes down to it, we have to take care of ourselves. We can’t fully depend on others, or let others depend fully on us. There comes a time when we need to be selfish. Go to that doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off. Take a day off from work and do nothing. Call it a “mental health day.” If there’s a movie you really want to see, but all of your friends laugh when you suggest it, go by yourself. (You won’t have to share the popcorn!) If you’ve got too much on your plate, say no. Stand up for what you believe in. Take a hard look at the people in your life. If you’re giving 110% to a friendship and the other person is only giving 30%, cut your losses. It’ll hurt at first, but you’ll be better for it in the end. Look at yourself in the mirror until you can see your own beauty. Buy yourself that special something you’ve been admiring for months. If you need justification, call it a holiday present to you, from you. It’s great to be a giver, to be generous and take care of others, but you have to accept things from others sometimes too.

“If I am only for myself, what am I?” Be careful with this one, because the answer could easily be “an asshole.” Let yourself be selfish sometimes, but not all the time. Put yourself first, but be conscious of the feelings of those around you. Find something that brings you joy and brightens the lives of others, whether it be sending holiday cards to friends and family, or volunteering at a local food bank. It may take time, but find a balance between selfish and selfless. Too much of either will undoubtedly affect your quality of life.

“If not now, when?” Carpe diem, seize the day! The truth is, that we never know what tomorrow will bring. We don’t know how much time we have left on this Earth. So, ask yourself this third question whenever you have doubts about doing something fulfilling. Don’t wait for a “better time,” because there may not be one. One of my mantras is “make every moment count,” and it’s all about not taking a single moment of our lives for granted.

This all sounds fine and dandy, but sometimes life gets in the way. We are faced with crippling challenges and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But, no matter how crappy our lives might be at any given point, we are still so lucky to be alive. Be there for others, but remember to be there for yourself too. It’s okay to be sad for a little while, as long as you pick yourself up afterwards and keep on going. It all comes back to Hillel’s first question: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” Sure, we all have amazing people in our lives who love and care for us, but in the end, if we are not for ourselves, then the chances are that no one else will be either.

How would you answer these questions? Do you think they apply to anyone of any age and background? Are they a good moral compass?