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If you go

What: Colorado Music Festival, Week 6

Sunday, Aug. 4: Chamber Orchestra with violinist Calin Lupanu and guest conductor Courtney Lewis, 7:30 p.m. $12-$48. Talk Under the Tent with Kelly Dean Hansen, Daily Camera, on "The Dramatic Beethoven," 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 6: Elephant Revival, a Nederland-based alt-country/folk band, with orchestra, 7:30 p.m. $25-$45

Thursday, Aug. 8-Friday, Aug. 9: Season finale, featuring flutist Alexa Still and the world premiere of "Devil's Thumb" by Kristin Kuster, 7:30 p.m. $12-$48. Talk Under the Tent with veteran music journalist Marc Shulgold, on "Pay the Piper: Shostakovich vs. Stalin and the Pied Piper vs. the Citizens of Hamelin," 6:30 p.m.

Tickets: All concerts at Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road

Info: 303-440-7666 or comusic.org

Kristin Kuster will make a triumphant return to Boulder this week with the world premiere of one of her works.

And, fittingly, the accomplished composer will pay tribute to her hometown Thursday and Friday when the Colorado Music Festival performs "Devil's Thumb," which was inspired by the time she spent in the shadows of the Flatirons.

Kuster attended three Boulder Valley schools, including Fairview High School, where she was known as Kristi Peterson and graduated in 1991.

She said the outstanding music programs at those schools laid the foundation for her development. She also obtained her master's degree in composition in Boulder, studying at the University of Colorado with Richard Toensing.

Kuster, who currently works at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, won the American Composers Orchestra Underwood Commission in 2004. The work written as a result of that commission, "Myrrah" (for three sopranos, male chorus and orchestra), was premiered at Carnegie Hall.

Despite her acclaim as a composer and her strong local background, the CMF performance, conducted by Michael Christie, represents the first time one of her compositions for orchestra will be performed in Colorado.

"It's so exciting that it will be with the CMF," Kuster said. "I heard this orchestra as a kid and also when I waited tables at Chautauqua during summer breaks from college."

She describes the 10-minute work as an encapsulation of her memories from Boulder. The title comes from the name of a rock atop Bear Peak above South Boulder, near the house where she grew up.

"It's meant to be a picture of Boulder, both its natural beauty and its emotional significance for me," Kuster said. "In addition to a lot of joy, there is a lot of grief, since both of my parents died there.

"I meant to illustrate that life is simultaneously joyous and heartbreaking. There are bright, louder sections that contrast with smaller, darker moments, some of which represent changes since my youth."

Kuster's "Devil's Thumb" represents the last installment, at least for now, of the CMF's community commissioning project.

But that's not the only highlight of the CMF's closing week.

The week opens impressively tonight with only the second true concert for classical chamber orchestra.

Tonight's program, led by guest conductor Courtney Lewis, features longtime CMF concertmaster Calin Lupanu, who will perform Mozart's Violin Concerto in A major, known as the "Turkish."

Lewis, who hails from Belfast, Northern Ireland, is founder and music director of Boston's Discovery Ensemble chamber orchestra and Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Lewis said his engagement with the CMF germinated after he met outgoing music director Michael Christie when the latter was announced as music director of the Minnesota Opera.

"Michael and I built the program around the Mozart concerto based on the size of the orchestra for the concert," Lewis said. "It is about the same as my ensemble in Boston."

He believed the music he wanted to play would mesh well with the high-caliber musicians of the CMF.

"I wanted to do something from the 20th century, something that chamber orchestras do not typically play," he continued. "The Chamber Symphony by Franz Schreker was my suggestion, and Michael loved the idea."

Schreker, a German-Jewish composer who was once regarded as one of the great musical figures of the early 20th Century, died in 1934 after the Nazis took power and subsequently lost that status. Because of that, his inclusion as part of Christie's "Rediscovered Masters" initiative is natural.

Lewis and Christie said they decided to balance the excellent, but less familiar, Schreker piece with not one but two Beethoven overtures, which will begin and end the concert.

One of the most familiar of these, the "Leonore Overture No. 3," will close the evening after the Schreker piece. That overture is associated with Beethoven's only opera, "Fidelio."

Before intermission and preceding the Mozart concerto, Lewis opens with the less familiar but brilliant "Consecration of the House" overture. Beethoven wrote it in 1822, contemporarily with the Ninth Symphony.

And Kuster's world premiere is not the only highlight on the CMF's final two days. After "Devil's Thumb" on Thursday and Friday, Christie conducts the Pied Piper Fantasy, a concerto for flute and orchestra by respected American composer John Corigliano. Flutist Alexa Still, a former faculty member at the CU College of Music, returns to Boulder as soloist in the work.

The piece has symbolic significance for Christie at this concert.

"It was one of the works I did with the Brooklyn Philharmonic for (Corigliano's) 70th birthday," Christie said. "Alexa was the soloist at that concert. I worked closely with John and learned how he wants his music to sound."

Christie said their relationship led Corigliano to suggest him as conductor for the 2009 revival of his opera "The Ghosts of Versailles," a moment that ignited his opera career.

"In a way, I wanted to pay homage to John for his 75th birthday this year," Christie said, "but I also wanted to send a message to the CMF audience about why my career is taking this new path as I leave the festival for a full-time opera position (in Minnesota). John was instrumental in the chain that started that path."

There is a theatrical component to the performance involving a student flute ensemble and the Frequent Flyers aerial dance company.

"It's just that extra something people expect from my concerts," Christie said.

The concert closes with the great -- and difficult -- Fifth Symphony by Shostakovich.

"It's a bit of an epilogue to the Russian mini-Festival," Christie said, "and a great way to showcase the incredible talent of this orchestra as I close my last full season."


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"Spaceship Earth" -An Update
Large Hadron Atom Smasher Reaches Near Speed of Light

Does The Earth Harbors a Huge, Natural Nuclear Reactor at its Core -New Discovery Proves "No"

6a00d8341bf7f753ef0120a81f3477970b-320wi Using a delicate instrument located under a mountain in central Italy, two University of Massachusetts Amherst physicists are measuring some of the faintest and rarest particles ever detected, geo-neutrinos, with the greatest precision yet achieved. The data reveal, for the first time, a well defined signal, above background noise, of the extremely rare geo-neutrino particle from deep within Earth.

The small number of anti-neutrinos detected, however, only a couple each month, helps to settle a long-standing question among geophysicists and geologists about whether our planet harbors a huge, natural nuclear reactor at its core.

Geo-neutrinos are anti-neutrinos produced in the radioactive decays of uranium, thorium, potassium and rubidium found in ancient rocks deep within our planet. These decays are believed to contribute a significant but unknown fraction of the heat generated inside Earth, where this heat influences volcanic activity and tectonic plate movements, for example. Borexino, the large neutrino detector, serves as a window to look deep into the Earth's core and report on the planet's structure.

Borexino is located at the Laboratorio Nazionale del Gran Sasso underground physics laboratory in a 10 km-long tunnel about 5,000 feet (1.5 km) under Gran Sasso, or Great Rock Mountain, in the Appenines and operated by Italy's Institute of Nuclear Physics. The instrument detects anti-neutrinos and other subatomic particles that interact in its special liquid center, a 300-ton sphere of scintillator fluid surrounded by a thin, 27.8-foot (8.5-meter) diameter transparent nylon balloon. This all "floats" inside another 700 tons of buffer fluid in a 45-foot (13.7-meter) diameter stainless steel tank immersed in ultra-purified water. The buffering fluid shields the scintillator from radiation from the outer layers of the detector and its surroundings.

100329083039-large Neutrinos and their antiparticles, called anti-neutrinos, have no electric charge and a minuscule mass. Except for gravity, they only interact with matter via the weak nuclear force, which makes them extremely rare and hard to detect, as neutrinos do not "feel" the other two known forces of nature, the electromagnetic and the strong nuclear force.

Borexino is one of only a handful of such underground detectors in the world and is supported by institutions from Italy, the United States, Germany, Russia, Poland and France. Designed to observe and study neutrinos produced inside the Sun, it has turned out to be one of the most effective observatories of its kind in the world, with 100 times lower background noise, in part due to extremely effective scintillator purification and use of radiation-free construction materials.

Borexino is not the first instrument to look for geo-neutrinos. In 2005, a Japanese-United States collaboration operating a similar detector in Japan was able to identify some of these rare particles. But those measurements were affected by radioactive background noise, anti-neutrinos emitted from several nuclear reactors operating in Japan.

The small number of anti-neutrinos detected at Borexino, only a couple each month, helps to settle a long-standing question among geophysicists and geologists about whether our planet harbors a huge, natural nuclear reactor at its core.

Based on the unprecedently clear geo anti-neutrino data, the answer is no, say the UMass Amherst physicists.

"This is all new information we are receiving from inside the Earth from the geo-neutrino probe," Cadonati explains. "Our data are exciting because they open a new frontier. This is the beginning. More work is needed for a detailed understanding of Earth's interior and the source of its heat, with new geo-neutrino detectors above continental and oceanic crust."

In the future the international researchers hope that observations from similar detectors in Canada, Japan and Borexino in Italy can be coordinated to improve geo-neutrino detection and analysis even further.

Adapted from materials provided by University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Does the who what now?

It stands to reason that all the heaviest elements gravitate towards the center of the earth. Perhaps it's not the weight per se but the density at temperature and pressure that keeps the core from becoming some sort of nuclear reactor. Maybe a ball of tungsten and gold at the center of the earth is preventing the layers of uranium and plutonium and whathaveyouum from making a working pile.

we live by the earth's gravity. and we shall die by it too.

Finger skate are used by a range of people from those utilizing them as toys to skateboarding and related sports professionals envisioning not only their own skating maneuvers but for others as well and can include the use for planning out competition courses as skating boarding develops into an international sport.

Skate with your fingers, another feeling

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The Daily Gazette
The Locally Owned Voice Of The Capital Region

Four casinos in updated plan from the governor

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is amending his casino-siting proposal to include a first round with four casinos.

The increase from three to four was announced this morning by the governor during an interview on the Capitol Pressroom.

"Under my proposal, four casinos statewide," he said of the planned first round.

The four casinos would benefit from five years of exclusivity, with three more casino licenses then up for bid. The governor said his amended bill would not specify where the final three casinos would be located, saying a lot could change by the time the state is ready to place them.

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Breaking News Bar
posted: 2/14/2013 5:00 AM

Music notes: Local H, Waco Brothers playing this weekend

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'Local' band
Local H, a power duo consisting of Lake County natives Scott Lucas and Brian St. Clair, released one of its most acclaimed records in 2012, "Hallelujah! I'm a Bum," a double-LP that bristled with political songs. (The web magazine called it "the best rock album of 2012.") The band is always a powerful force on stage, and it is making a stop in Palatine this weekend at a special free show!
9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. For a free ticket, go to

Worth the trip
The Waco Brothers, Chicago's legendary country-punk band, consistently delivers one of the most chaotic and exhilarating live shows you're likely to see. The band, led by Jon Langford, combines a deep love of country music's heart and wit with an anything-goes punk aesthetic. The Wacos' albums are excellent, including the most recent, "Great Chicago Fire," a collaboration with Nashville musician Paul Burch. But it's on stage where this band really shines. The Wacos are playing this weekend at the intimate Beverly Arts Center on the South Side; it's a trek from the suburbs, but in this case, it's more than worth it.
8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St., Chicago. $23. Go to

Heartland rockers
The BoDeans exploded out of Wisconsin in the mid-1980s with a classic debut record, "Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams," which featured literate and rootsy rock songs. Singer-songwriter Kurt Neumann is the only original member remaining, but the band continues to make compelling rock 'n' roll.
8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. Tickets start at $34. Go to

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Vampire bats' secret method of hunting for the best blood uncovered by scientists

Their reputation for accurately targeting the jugular has earned them legendary status in horror stories.

Now vampire bats’ ability to go straight to the best spots for blood has been explained by science – they use infrared sensors.

Researchers found the nocturnal creatures, which need to feast on blood almost every day, are guided by a heat-detecting molecule called TRPV1 covering nerve-endings on their noses.

Blood sucker: Vampire bats have infra-red sensors which detect exactly where to bite to extract the largest amount of blood

Blood sucker: Vampire bats have infra-red sensors which detect exactly where to bite to extract the largest amount of blood

This leads them to areas where blood is flowing close to the skin.

TRPV1 is present in many animals and in humans, allowing them to sense extreme heat.

But bats have evolved a much more sensitive form,  which they can use to detect temperatures from just 30c (86f).

This allows them to home in on blood vessels from up to 20cm away.

Dr David Julius, of the University of California and the study’s author, said: ‘Vampire bats feed on blood, and it’s useful for them to have an infrared detector to be able to find the circulation.’

Elena Gracheva, co-author of a study of Venezuelan bats published yesterday in the journal Nature, said: ‘Without this adaptation the bats probably wouldn’t survive as a species.’

Dr Julius added that because nerve fibres are associated with pain sensation, drug companies were looking at TRPV1 from bats in painkiller development.

Hungry bat: They can gorge themselves on half their body weight in blood in just a few minutes

Hungry bat: They can gorge themselves on half their body weight in blood in just a few minutes

He said: ‘There is a double-edged sword with pain. Pain is necessary as a warning system to let us know when we are in danger of injury but, at the same time, pain can outlive its usefulness as a warning system when it fails to resolve and becomes chronic and debilitating.

  • Their bizarre diet is thought to be evolutionary - at some point their regular food source may have been wiped out and their bodies have adapted to an entirely liquid diet which fascinates experts.
  • A typical bat weighs 40g and can consume over 20g of blood (2 fluid ounce) in a 20-minute feed. As they feast on large animals, their attacks on animals are not usually fatal.
  • Dozens if not hundreds of people have been killed by their bites in South America but they die from rabies not blood loss. They bite humans when their usual livestock such as cattle are taken away.
  • Despite their scary reputation vampire bats are one of the most caring and social creatures - doting on their young and unlike other bats, even taking in and feeding orphans so they don’t die.
  • A 2003 study found an anti-coagulant drug derived from bat saliva called desmoteplase can help stroke patients.
  • Despite the association with Dracula, there are no vampire bats in Europe, only in the Americas.
  • Vampire bats live in groups of up to 1,000 in dark places such as caves and mineshafts and their communities involve a few males and a harem of around 25 females each.
  • They live around nine years in the wild, but without blood can starve to death in as little as 48 hours.

'There is a lot of stuff in our environment that we want to stay away from.’

Once locked on to their prey, the bats can gorge themselves on half their body weight in blood in just a few minutes.

And as the only creatures to survive purely on blood, it explains how they have evolved to be such efficient hunters.

They feed only at night and because their teeth have no enamel, they are razor-sharp and can delicately cut through the skin of their prey – usually sleeping cows or goats – without waking them.

Like other types of bats they have excellent night vision, and acute hearing, as well as an ability to emit high-pitched sounds which helps them navigate.

But it was not previously known that they could effectively ‘see’ veins by heat-sensing them, Dr Julius explained.

He and his fellow researchers looked at wild vampire bats in Venezuela where they are common, as well as in most of South and Central America.

Once they have located a vein and made an incision, their saliva is injected into the victim, as it contains anti-coagulants which stop the blood clotting around the wound.

They have grooves in their tongue which draw up the blood through capillary action and it passes through their system at lightning speed to allow them to fly away immediately.

Previous studies have shown vampire bats are genetically more similar to mammals such as cows, horses and dogs than they are to rodents, although they look rather like rats with wings.

They can fly but unlike other bats they have strong hind legs and often land and gallop towards their prey at speeds of up to 5miles an hour.

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4672 total / 38 in 2016

Losing 15 Lbs; PR at Door County Half and Chicago Tri; Maybe a Metric or Century thrown in for good measure.

Whitney Schmidt ran: Ran again with a few ...

Track and share your training!

Dailymile makes it easy to keep track of your workouts. Map your routes and share with a community of active people.

  • 3 miles
  • 00:33 time
  • 10:15 pace
  • 371 calories
  • 505 ft climb
  • 0 max hr
  • 0 avg hr
    • Currently /5 Effort.
    effort /5
good HB Run Club 3.26 mi 00:33 10:15 pace

Ran again with a few people from work. I was glad to have the company because I was really not in the mood for a run. Missed doing a speedwork with CES but it was hot and humid so just glad to get in some miles.


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Anglesey man doused girlfriend's dad with petrol and threatened to torch him

Judge jails man for three years and bars him from entering village of Llanfechell

Mold Crown Court
Mold Crown Court

A man doused his partner’s dad with petrol and threatened to torch him a court has heard.

A couple of days earlier, David Lee Owen had threatened to pour lighter fuel over his girlfriend. He told the terrified woman he would put her and her family “through hell” if she ended their relationship.

He was jailed for three years at Mold Crown Court today after he admitted arson and other charges following the incident at Llanfechell on Anglesey. He was also banned from approaching his victims or entering the village of Llanfechell in Anglesey.

Judge Philip Hughes branded him “a bullying man.”

In June, Owen, 23, now of Thornton Lodge, Huddersfield, was found guilty of affray and of threatening to destroy property and not guilty of assault

He had earlier pleaded guilty to the arson charge following the incident back in September 2012.

“After a row with your partner you terrified her by threatening to set fire to her underwear drawer with lighter fuel.

“You left her crouching on the floor and screaming for help from neighbours,” the judge said.

“You threatened to pour lighter fuel over her.

“The situation calmed down and you left and went to your own bedroom.”

The judge said that over the weekend they continued to quarrel and on Sunday, September 16, “you lost your temper”.

Her partner contacted a friend so she could come and take her young child away.

“Shortly after, your partner’s father heard how you were talking to her because she had left the telephone line open.

“He asked you to leave and you refused.

“You were angry and told her if she ended the relationship you would put her and her family through hell and that if her father came to the house you would slash him.

“When he came over you had placed weapons nearby including a chair leg, a hammer and a knife.

“You threatened him with violence. You had petrol in a can and poured it over him so that his legs and feet were soaked.

“You threatened to torch him and threatened to set him alight and the house if he did not stop talking to police on the telephone.”

The judge said that when the defendant was alone in the house he threw a bundle of clothes outside in the doorway, poured petrol and set them alight, damaging the door and the door frame.

“The fire brigade and the police attended although the fire was extinguished by a neighbour,” Judge Hughes said.

Owen ran off but was later arrested.

His partner was too frightened to return to the semi-detached house.

Tom Davidson
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Daily Press

Michael Phelps breaks record for most Olympic medals with gold in 4x200-meter freestyle relay

On the night in which Michael Phelps ascended to a truly Olympian peak, he never seemed closer to the ground.

The machine-like swimmer, who seemed to run on motor rather than muscle and scooped up medals by the handful, had become an actual human being, one whose less than golden perfection made the victories that much sweeter when they came as they did on Tuesday night.

"This has been an amazing ride," Phelps said almost pensively Tuesday night, when he won the 19th medal that made him the most-decorated Olympic athlete ever.

"It was a cool feeling. I'm sure I'll be able to put it more in words once we get through the meet and then probably down the road," Phelps said of how on Tuesday he first tied and then surpassed the 48-year-old record for most Olympic medals previously held by Soviet-era gymnast Larisa Latynina.

The race that allowed him to surpass Latynina's 18 medals, the 4 X 200-meter freestyle relay he anchored, was won quite easily. But what perhaps was most impressive was that it came about an hour after he suffered a heartbreaking, second-place finish by .05 of a second in his signature event, the 200-meter butterfly.

"I have never been prouder of him," his longtime coach Bob Bowman said, his eyes reddened from the emotion of the night, seeing how the now 27-year-old Baltimore swimmer swallowed his anger and disappointment and rallied to the next race. The younger Phelps, Bowman said, may not have been able to do that.

No one has ever dominated the Games as Phelps has, become its veritable face really, and yet on this night he seemed eager to talk about other swimmers. He has always said that his primary goal has been to elevate his sport, and it is clear that in many ways he has done that. There are swimmers who, indeed, wanted to be like Mike and they are now his teammates, and competitors.

The first thing Phelps said after winning the relay gold medal Tuesday night, huddled on the pool deck with the three other swimmers, was thank you.

"I thanked them for being able to allow me to have this moment," he said. When they gathered on the medal platform, he had one more message for them.

""Sorry boys, I'm not going to be singing this with you guys," he said of the anthem that would be played. "There are too many emotions that are going on, I'm never going to be able to get a word out. I tried to hold myself together as much as I could, my eyes were getting watery."

Part of that emotion surely comes from seeing that the end is in sight. Three more events and he will close out a swimming career that surely won't be duplicated or surpassed soon -- if ever. Already, he has evolved into something of its elder stateman, the mentor to not just his own teammates, but all swimmers, everywhere.

Perhaps the most-touching part of an extraordinary night was the way Phelps, having just been beaten by South African swimmer Chad Le Clos, took the 20-year-old under his wing to navigate the medal ceremony. Le Clos, who as a 12-year-old watched Phelps win his first six gold medals and carries videos of his many races on his laptop, said that during the dream-like state he was in, Phelps told him to take it all in.

"Live the moment," he said Phelps told him as the older swimmer led him on the victory lap medalists take, showing him where to stop for the photographers and how to hold his new medal close to his face. "Enjoy it. It's special."

"Coming from him, it is special," Le Clos said.

Le Clos said the lessons he learned having watched Phelps' races "a million times" came to bear on this night, particularly the 100-meter butterfly race in the Beijing Games in which the Baltimore swimmer out-touched Milorad Cavic by a fingernail.

"I actually thought I was Michael," Le Clos said of what went through his mind in the homestretch of Tuesday night's race. "I remembered how he did it... The last 25 meters came in slow-motion."

Before he left his press conference, Le Clos had one last thing to say.

"I want to say congratulations to Michael and his team," he said, "for achieving something great."

The 4 X 200 free relay, after the surprising falters earlier in these Games by Phelps and Ryan Lochte, was refreshingly never in doubt. There would be no sneaking up in the last leg by the French swimmer Yannick Agnel, who grabbed victory in the 4 X 100 free relay from Lochte on Sunday.

Instead, Lochte led off and touched first after his 200 meters, something that made him his old "happy-go-lucky" self again coming off of two disappointing swims. Conor Dwyer and then Ricky Berens kept the lead, and handed it off to Phelps.

He brought it home, not just for himself, but for his dispirited rival Lochte, and the entire U.S. team, who no doubt felt some unease seeing their biggest stars struggle.

"Michael thanked us," Berens said, which he found amazing because, "we're usually thanking him."

The gratitude Phelps' teammates feel toward him, for shining a greater spotlight on a sport that used to get ignored except every four years, has been palpable this week as they face his exit. They talk about how he gives them pep talks before evening meets. When there were questions whether Phelps, coming off his 400-IM loss would even be named to the next day's 4 X 100 free relay, they publicly said if they were the coaches, he of course would be in.

Bowman said that in Beijing, with Phelps having to focus entirely on his ambitious program to win eight gold medals in his eight races, he couldn't be as much of a teammate as he is now.

"And it's not just his teammaes," Bowman said, pointing to Phelps' embrace of even other teams.

After the relay, Phelps sought out Agnel, also 20, not to crow about the victory but to rave about his 200-free gold-medal race.

"I've been able to see a lot of great races and a lot of great performers throughout the sport," Phelps said. "Watching Yannick's 200 free yesterday, I said, 'Your 200 free from yesterday is probably one of the top five swims of all time.' "

Bowman joked earlier that the other four were by Phelps.

"How he swam it," Phelps continued, "he's swimming amazing this meet. It's something cool for me to watch.

"I will say, I'm glad I was not in that race," he said with a laugh. "Those guys would have smoked me."

Phelps will swim in the 200-meter individual medley, the preliminary heats of which will be held Wednesday morning, then the 100-meter butterfly and, finally, the 400-meter medley relay. And then, it will all be over, a an athletic career that achieved superhuman heights.

"I've been a human being," Phelps demurred, "my whole life."

What's left for Phelps?

The remaining schedule for Baltimore's Michael Phelps. All times are local. Viewers whose cable or satellite subscriptions include MSNBC and CNBC can access live streams of every event at NBCOlympics.com through LiveExtra. Taped coverage will be shown on Ch. 11 between 8 p.m. and midnight.

200-meter individual medley, heat, 6:06 a.m.; semifinal, 3:36 p.m.

100-meter butterfly, heat, 6:14 a.m.; semifinal, 3:51 p.m.

200-meter individual medley, if qualify final, 3:16 p.m.

400-meter medley relay, heat, 6:49 a.m.

100-meter butterfly, if qualify final, 2:38 p.m.

400-meter medley relay, if qualify final, 3:27 p.m.

Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


text:
Daily Press

Five things we learned at the Ravens' annual draft luncheon

The Ravens held their annual draft luncheon on Tuesday. What did we learn? Well, the NFL players really are locked out and the Ravens’ chef grills up a mean turkey burger. Other than that, useful information is usually hard to come by in these Q&A sessions with general manager Ozzie Newsome and the Baltimore brain trust.

But there were a few tidbits to take away from the 45-plus-minute news conference with Newsome, head coach John Harbaugh, Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta and Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz. And it wasn’t that they, too, enjoyed the turkey burgers. Here are five things we learned Tuesday afternoon:

1. Even one of the NFL’s smartest personnel departments is unsure how this unique draft will play out: Due to the lockout, the draft will be held before free agency -- Newsome was a player the last time that happened -- and players can’t be traded during the draft. That means there is plenty of uncertainty as to how things will play out next weekend. Will there be more or fewer trades? Are teams more likely to draft for need because they couldn’t address holes in free agency? And how will a potential rookie wage scale impact the draft? “Each and every team will probably be as prepared for this draft [as] they will ever be because … that’s all they’ve been able to do,” Newsome said. “Now what does that mean for the draft? We don’t know.” You can count on one certainty, though: the Ravens drafting the best player available. Newsome said that mindset hasn’t changed. “What we try to do is to look at our board and to try to get players to come into Baltimore that are going to be able to contribute early then be here for a long time."

2. A lot of teams will find defensive linemen they like in the first round (and maybe even the Ravens): The first round of the draft is stockpiled with defensive linemen. Players such as Marcell Dareus, Nick Fairley, Robert Quinn and Da’Quan Bowers could each go in the top 10 picks, and DeCosta estimated that 13 or 14 defensive linemen could be drafted in the first round. Hortiz believes there’s something for everyone. “It’s a really deep draft in terms of [defensive] linemen,” he said. “And there’s a different variety of guys. You have your nose tackles, your D-tackles and your D-ends, pass rushers [in the 3-4]. From a talent standpoint, it’s to each your own.” The Ravens could be in the market for a defensive lineman or a hybrid end at pick No. 26.

3. The Ravens expect to draft at least one wide receiver, and they expect him to be a good one, too: T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Donte Stallworth are both free agents, and Derrick Mason is 37, so the wide receiver position is considered to be one of the Ravens’ most pressing draft needs. The top tier at the position -- A.J. Green and Julio Jones -- will be long gone by the Ravens’ selection, but there is a sizable group of second-tier receivers who can be had in the second and third rounds. "It’s a very good board for receivers this year,” Newsome said. “I do foresee, unless something changes, of those nine picks we have, probably one of them will be a receiver." Hortiz, who cited Steelers wideout Antonio Brown as an example of a rookie who had an impact in 2010, expressed confidence that the Ravens can get contributions from a rookie receiver in 2011.

4. The pass rush needs to be addressed, but the Ravens haven’t yet closed the book on Sergio Kindle: The Ravens must take steps to improve their pass-rushing personnel, whether it’s a hybrid linebacker to tag-team with Terrell Suggs or a five-technique lineman who could potentially provide interior production like Trevor Pryce did in his prime. But the Ravens’ expectations for Kindle -- and they haven’t revealed them publicly -- could dictate how they address the pass rush. For what it’s worth, Newsome said the Ravens are still holding out for contributions from Kindle. “To be able to sit here the day we picked Sergio and to say that he was going to fall down a flight of stairs? I couldn’t have predicted that one,” he said. “But that story is not written yet.”

5. The Ravens are really impressed with Cam Newton, even though it pains Ozzie to admit it: Newsome said that in the first round, the Ravens would not hesitate to take a player they feel can help them beat the Steelers in the AFC North, no matter the position. That seemed to include Newton, a Heisman-winning quarterback and national champion at Auburn. Of course, the possibility that Newsome -- an Alabama alum -- would want to get an Auburn jersey tattooed onto his torso is more likely than that of the Ravens landing Newton late in the first round. Still, consider Ozzie impressed with his skill set. “I saw what he did to Alabama when they were down 24-0. In Tuscaloosa. Against Nick Saban. You don’t do that unless you’ve got some rare, rare ability,” Newsome said. “How it’s going to translate to the National Football League? We’ll see.”

Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


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Buck Showalter is in the hunt for AL Manager of the Year

The grind of the baseball season had just hit Memorial Day and the Orioles were struggling. They had lost six straight in tough-luck fashion, including a three-game sweep in Toronto.

The bats were struggling, pitchers were frustrated and Orioles manager Buck Showalter called his team together for a meeting that many players pointed to months later as a testament to their skipper's ability to get the most of his club.

Instead of a fiery speech, Showalter inspired his team with calm.

"It was a two-minute special," Showalter said. "I think they were expecting something else, but I just felt they didn't need it. When I walked away and I saw what happened that whole day, I took a deep breath because I knew that's what that team needed versus the other thing. It didn't need what's typically done there. It was just, 'I trust you. It's one of those bumps in the road. I'm only going to get [angry] if you give in to it.'"

It was just one example of how Showalter helped turn the Orioles into a winner in his second full season as manager. Selected by many to be the AL East doormat, the Orioles went from 93 losses to 93 wins, competed in a pennant chase, made the postseason for the first time in 15 years and came within one win of beating the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.

As a result of his leadership, Showalter could be rewarded Tuesday night with his third AL Manager of the Year Award. He's won the award following the strike-shortened season of 1994 with the Yankees and then again award in 2002 as manager of the Texas Rangers.

Showalter's success with the Orioles is the latest in an established managerial career, where he quickly made winners of the Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Rangers — all within his second full season at the helm.

This season, Showalter's main competition is Oakland's Bob Melvin, who led the A's to an unlikely American League West division crown won on the final game of the regular season. White Sox rookie manager Robin Ventura is the third finalist, but the race between Showalter and Melvin appears to be the tightest in years.

Only once since 2004 have two AL managers received double-digit first-place votes and it could happen again this year with votes split between coasts..

Oakland built a winner in the competitive AL West despite financial restraints — their $55.37 million payroll was the second lowest in baseball — overcoming big-money rosters of the Rangers and Angels to win the division.

But Showalter overcame injury and adversity, shuffling through 52 different players, including just one pitcher — rookie left-hander Wei-Yin Chen — who made more than 20 starts in his starting rotation. Through 16 straight extra-inning wins and a 29-9 record in one-run games, he maneuvered his bullpen to perfection. The Orioles went into the second-to-last game of the season with a chance to win an AL East division title.

FoxSports.com senior writer Ken Rosenthal, for one, said he couldn't pick between the two.

"In both cases, virtually no one thought [their success] was possible," Rosenthal said. "So what's better? What's the harder job? In some ways it's Buck's because of the pitching. That would be the one thing. If he wins, that should be in my view, the reason he does win because they patched that rotation. In Oakland's case, yes they had young starters, but extremely talented starters."

Voting for the AL Manager of the Year is done by 28 AL market members of the Baseball Writers Association of America — and the results will be broadcast Tuesday at 6 p.m. on MLB Network.

While BBWAA members aren't supposed to release their votes publicly, one voter selected Showalter for two reasons.

"There was tremendous amount of back and forth between Melvin and Showalter," the voter said. "Obviously both guys were very worthy of it. Both guys did a great job, but to me you kind of get into who did more with less and who did more with the context of their situation.

"I think that Buck did more with less in terms of putting the team together and the incredible number of players they ran through and getting contributions from guys like [Nate] McLouth and Lew Ford and those guys and secondly, he did it in the American League East. I know the AL West had a great year and there were three good teams there, but it's still the American League East."

Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds played for both manager of the year favorites — he played his first 2 1/2 big league seasons under Melvin in Arizona — said that Showalter put his players in situations where the could excel.

"He puts guys where they can succeed," said Reynolds, who blossomed defensively when he was moved from third to first. "He put me at first. He put Jake [Arrietta] and [Brian] Matusz and [Tommy] Hunter in the bullpen. Him and Dan brought [rookie] Manny [Machado] up at the right time. He managed Chris Davis in outfield and DH and kept him fresh. He does a lot of things that fans hardly notice."

Reynolds also points to that meeting when the Orioles had lost six in a row as an example of how Showalter pushed the right buttons off the field.

"We came in and most managers would — you'd have a session you really couldn't repeat — but he just told us to keep working hard and keep our heads up and things would work out in the end," Reynolds said. "He didn't panic at any point and that didn't make us panic. He always kept it on an even keel for us."

The only two playoff seasons in Reynolds career came this season under Showalter and during his rookie year of 2007 under Melvin, so he's seen both manage with success.

"[Melvin] and Buck actually have a lot of similarities," Reynolds said. "I think that's why they're in the position they're in. The biggest thing I've noticed about both of them is that they take all the blame. If guys mess up, it's on them. They never shift blame to the team. They always take it on themselves. That's why their job is so hard. They take it on themselves. I think they're two the best in the game."

As for Showalter himself, he considers the award a great honor, but he also shuns the individual accomplishment. If he wins, he would be the third Orioles manager to receive the honor since it began in 1983 and the first since Davey Johnson won it in 1997.

"It's such an organizational award," he said. "It's basically the team that exceeded the expectations the most I guess. That can be true with Oakland or Chicago too."

"A lot of it clicked, I'll be the first to say that," Showalter said of the Orioles success. "But it clicked because of the homework that was done by so many people. I sincerely mean what I say when I say what an organizational award this would be. It doesn't change the way I feel about it. I saw the morale that we had this spring, and it was just a matter of getting a return for that."

Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


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'Breakout Kings' actress gets in the zone

South Miami native Yara Martinez has had recurring roles on several TV shows, including TNT's police drama "Southland" and A&E's new action-packed "Breakout Kings." She was born in Puerto Rico to Cuban parents and moved to South Miami as a child, where she stayed through college before moving to L.A. To stay primed physically and mentally, she spins, shadowboxes and does The Bar Method five days a week while eating healthy (and drinking some red wine occasionally).

Why do you keep fit?

Obviously I'm an actress, so the way you look is important for the roles you want to play, especially for a lead role. You have to maintain a look. And emotionally, [exercising] keeps me in a better state. It helps me release negative energy when I go sweat.

What's your workout routine?

It varies. When I'm in the zone, I go five times a week: spinning, shadowboxing and doing The Bar Method, which is for strength based on ballet and yoga. Spinning is my most common [activity], and I do it for 45 minutes. Boxing is for an hour, and Bar Method is an hour. I don't do weightlifting. Bar Method is what I go to for my muscles.

Do you do any recreational activities that are fitness related?

I live in Los Angeles so every once in a while I go hiking like everyone else here.

Are you physically active on your TV shows?

I did a role on [NBC's] "Chase," where I played a fugitive on the run. I did a lot of running through the woods, a stunt jumping off a cliff, shooting people. It was definitely physically active.

Does your acting lifestyle make it easy or tough to keep in shape?

My schedule varies a lot, so it's hard to find [workout] classes. And I tend to have a lot of visitors, so you tend to go out and eat and drink a little more. So when that happens, I try to walk everywhere, be active some way. It's hard to sneak in the routine. That's definitely something I'm learning how to balance.

Did you play any sports in school?

I did ballet for 10 years, was a cheerleader and was on the dance team. Cheerleading is definitely a sport. I joined cheerleading for fun in high school, and it was way more intense than I'd realized. I went to Our Lady of Lourdes Academy and was a cheerleader for [Christopher Columbus High School in Miami].

When I was younger I used to water ski and went to sailing camp in Coconut Grove.

Do you have a personal fitness philosophy?

If I can release negativity while I'm doing it, that's great.

Does your family keep fit?

My two sisters are definitely active. And my dad. He lives in San Juan, [Puerto Rico], and swims and jogs around San Juan. And my sisters jog in Tropical Park. I hate jogging but we live close to Tropical Park so sometimes I go with them. Both of them did a half-marathon.

What's your typical daily diet?

I like to do all my shopping at the farmers market and try to eat organic fruits and vegetables, fish. That's during the week. And during the weekend, I like to splurge. I definitely eat more sweets, go to brunch with friends and don't worry what I'm eating. I love to go out to dinner with friends and have a bottle of wine, so I let myself go.

I try to figure it all out, a balance with fitness, but I'm still figuring it out.

What do you drink typically?

A lot of water. I don't have a problem with water. I try for 3 liters a day, room temperature. I don't drink soda or juices. Every once in a while I'll have a fresh-squeezed juice. And red wine. I keep it very biblical.

Do you take any vitamins or sports nutrition products?

A women's multivitamin, and I take a tablespoon of flaxseed oil because it's good for your skin. And I recently discovered an acidophilus probiotics thing for your stomach.

Where did you acquire your fitness and nutrition knowledge?

Definitely not from my family. I think, honestly, living in L.A. you can't help but be surrounded by all these health gurus, and all your friends have worked with a nutritionist so it becomes a way of life. You try things and see how your body reacts.

Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


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Boehringer Ingelheim

An aerial photo of Boehringer Ingelheim pharmaceutical company located on the border of Ridgefield and Danbury Connecticut. The campus houses 2,500 of the 11,000 employes the German company employs in United States. The photo shows the Administrative Office Building, in the upper left, and the R&D complex at right.
Photo Courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim
Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


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Fit to be Surgeon General?

Chicago Tribune Staff Writer

As a registered dietitian, Sharon Salomon of Phoenix teaches clients how to eat right and lose weight. But despite her expertise, Salomon says there's just one word to describe her own physique: "fat."

To some, Salomon's 5-foot-2-inch, 170-pound body would be a professional deal-breaker. After all, are chubby dietitians or portly physicians in any position to advise others how to get healthy?

That question is at the heart of a debate set off when Dr. Regina Benjamin was nominated for surgeon general and is MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" recipient who set up a medical clinic in hurricane-ravaged Alabama.

Her supporters say she is being treated unfairly; after all, many previous surgeon generals - most of them men - weren't so skinny themselves.

But with the nation's obesity crisis worsening, some advocates say it's increasingly critical for health care workers and those with visible, influential roles to "walk the walk" and serve as role models.

"A doctor doesn't need to be perfect, but it'd be hard for me to take financial advice from a CPA who had just filed for bankruptcy," said Dr. Timothy Harlan, medical director of the Tulane University School of Medicine, who says he believes physicians should make a genuine effort to be healthy.

On the other hand, Harlan said, he once had an obese partner who was well loved by his overweight patients. Many doctors and psychiatrists listed on a "fat friendly health professionals" Web site are overweight themselves, which some argue makes it easier for them to understand what their patients are going through.

"The weight of a health professional is irrelevant," said Roki Abakoui, assistant director for clinical services at Northwestern University's Counseling and Psychological Services and an activist for size acceptance. "People come in all shapes and sizes," and everyone should be represented in health professions, she said.

Moreover, some research widely circulated in the online "fatosphere," an arm of the fat acceptance movement, suggests that carrying around a little extra flesh doesn't necessarily mean you're unhealthy. Weight, the activists say, is just one measure of health and is affected by genetics in addition to lifestyle choices.

"Weight and health are not the same thing," Abakoui said. "There are thin people who are unhealthy and there are fat people who are healthy."

Yet substantial research has shown that weight is inextricably linked with both personal and economic health. Obesity, which disproportionately affects African-Americans and other minority groups, is a risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

The costs to the U.S. health system caused by obesity could be as high as $147 billion each year, according to a study released Monday at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Weight of the Nation conference.

Patients, meanwhile, have more confidence in their doctors if they aren't obese, according to a 2003 study in the journal Preventive Medicine.

"If (health officials) don't hold themselves accountable to healthy standards, what are they going to be able to do for me?" asked Leesa Drake, 42, of Chicago. "These are presumably people to whom I would pay money for their services and expert opinions. I want to know that they know what they're talking about by walking the talk themselves."

Drake, an endurance athlete, might naturally be drawn to a fit-looking physician or personal trainer because "patients initially judge doctors on the basis of superficial demographics such as age, sex and similarity to oneself," said Dr. Ronald Epstein, a professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center who studies how to improve patient-physician communication and relationships.Others struggling with weight issues might be intimidated by a doctor who runs marathons.

Ultimately more important, said Epstein, is the ability to communicate. "Later we tend to connect on the basis of personality, a deeper level," he said. "The better the communication, the less those superficial differences seem to matter."

Those bonds influence how willing patients are to work closely with physicians, said Dr. Michael Dansinger, a nutrition and obesity researcher at Tufts Medical Center.

"What makes a physician credible is whether they practice what they preach and heed the lifestyle recommendations they propose, said Dansinger. "Whoever the surgeon general is can set the best example by actually practicing the lifestyle recommendations that are necessary in order to turn around an obesity epidemic. That's slightly different than judging someone on weight."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declined comment on flap over Benjamin's weight - which has not been disclosed - but it provided a statement calling her "a highly qualified physician who has dedicated her life to providing care to her patients. She is a role model for all of us, and will be an outstanding surgeon general."

Salomon, 65, who calls herself "Fatty Matty" on her blog "Diary of a Dieting Dietitian," says she wouldn't want to be lectured by a naturally lean person who had never known any moments of despair over being too fat."I was never destined to be a twig. I'm muscular and short. I don't have long limbs," she wrote in an e-mail.Salomon is working out six days a week for two hours a day in preparation for the power lifting event in the Arizona Senior Olympics, but she remains candid about her size in hopes of using her personal struggles to help others.

"I am fat because I eat too much," she admitted. "I exercise plenty but I just eat too much. In fact, burp, I just did."

Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


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Rupert Murdoch's newspapers, free at last!

Octogenarian media mogul Rupert Murdoch began his rise to global power and riches when, at 21, he inherited his father’s newspaper business in Australia. Under his tough hide, Murdoch has had a soft spot in his heart for newspapers ever since, which is why he is splitting off the publishing side of his empire from the entertainment side.

At Murdoch’s urging, News Corp shareholders have approved the division. Remaining under the News Corp umbrella will be 120 newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, The Times of London and the Australian, plus HarperCollins book publishers. Murdoch’s more profitable operations — Fox News, Fox broadcasting, the Fox sports networks, cable channel FX and the 20th Century Fox movie studio — will be gathered under a new entity called 21st Century Fox. The separation is set to take effect June 28.

PHOTOS: Hollywood Backlot moments

Without this step, the likely scenario was that the newspapers would be sold off about 10 minutes after news of Murdoch’s death. Too many shareholders saw the publishing side as a drag on the company and harbored no feelings of nostalgia about print media. Murdoch still believes his newspapers can weather the current slump in the business of journalism, and now they will have a chance to give it a good shot. Besides having the support of the investors who are sticking with News Corp, the newspapers will start fresh with no debt and a $2.6-billion operations and acquisitions fund.

The TV and film divisions have accounted for 85% of News Corp revenues in recent years. The publishing side, meanwhile, has been on a steady slide. Murdoch has saved the newspapers from a premature death. Now the world will see if they can do more than totter along to an eventual demise.

"Red Wedding" massacres cast on "Game Of Thrones"

Summer Blockbusters by David Horsey

David Horsey: A Year in Cartoons

ON LOCATION: People and places behind what's onscreen

PHOTOS: Biggest box office flops of 2013

PHOTOS: Celebrity production companies

Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


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Plan for 3-D 'Thriller' movie, Jackson TV show revealed in court

The promoters of Michael Jackson’s highly anticipated comeback concerts were interested in pursuing a 3-D version of a “Thriller” movie and a TV special of one of his sold-out concerts at the O2 arena in London, an accountant testified Tuesday.

Arthur L. Erk, a certified public accountant from New York who has previously worked with musical acts such as Britney Spears and Notorious B.I.G, testified that Jackson’s planned “This Is It” concerts stood to make well over $1 billion if he took his show on a global tour.

Erk said the fact that Jackson had sold out 50 shows at the London venue in just minutes was proof that the pop singer’s marketability remained unmatched.

“It never happened before, and it still hasn't happened again,” said Erk, who calculated that Jackson stood to make as much as $1.5 million if he went on a worldwide tour, as the promoter -- AEG Live -- had hoped.

Erk said that if Jackson had ultimately pulled off a 260-date world tour, envisioned as spanning several years, he could have sold 12.9 million tickets.

The testimony marked the first time in the 2½-month wrongful death case that the attorney representing Jackson's mother and children has tipped his hand on what type of money the family might be seeking from AEG. Jackson died while he was rehearsing in Los Angeles for the planned 2009 tour.

During cross-examination Monday, AEG attorney Sabrina Strong attacked Erk's projections, pointing out that Jackson had a history of drug use, had never toured for as long as the CPA anticipated and had been sued in the past for backing out of concerts and other business deals.

Strong played a short portion of the deposition of Katherine Jackson, the singer's mother, in which she said she was surprised when he announced the "This Is It" concert series.

"Because I know Michael didn't want to do any more," she said.

Katherine Jackson said her son joked that he didn't want to moonwalk on stage when he was 50, his age when he died of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.

Erk said he wasn't aware of those problems but insisted there was plenty of evidence that Jackson would have gone through with the concerts and that AEG executives certainly thought so.

"He needed the work," Erk said, referring to Jackson's financial problems.

On Tuesday, Erk said that his work wrongful death case has cost $300,000.

Hearing postponed for Menifee teen accused of killing half brother

Zimmerman protests: Wal-Mart shoppers recall chaos, trashed store

Abcarian: Kisses, headlocks and groping: San Diego mayor's lurid scandal

Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


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Bethel's boys off to a surprising (or not) 3-0 basketball start

To say Bethel boys basketball coach Craig Brehon is surprised by his team’s 3-0 start wouldn’t be accurate. Reason being, Brehon had no idea what to expect from this team in the first place.

Never before had he carried 18 players on his varsity roster, and never before were so many so young. The team includes six players who are freshmen or sophomores. The top returning scorer averaged 3.5 points per game last season.

It’s still early, but the Bruins are off and rolling after wins against Hampton, Phoebus and Warwick. Freshman Cameron Bacote (younger brother of Old Dominion’s Aaron) is averaging 11 points per game off the bench. Sophomore Justin Nedd scored 16 in Tuesday night’s win over the Raiders, and senior Khalil Barnette has been steady at the point.

“I guess I didn’t know what to expect, but what I’ve found out is that this group of guys competes,” Brehon said. “We had only three kids returning, but when you have guys who compete, that gives you an opportunity.

“We don’t have that one guy who we like to get shots. This is an opportunity system. Tonight might be your night, but on other nights, it might be somebody else. That’s how we are.”

Case in point: Nedd came into Tuesday’s game against Warwick with 10 points in two games. He was the Bruins’ top scorer with 16 points in a 71-55 win.

Brehon has been around long enough to know a fast start doesn’t guarantee anything. Bethel’s next three opponents are Menchville (2-1) Friday night, Green Run (4-0) Saturday in the King’s Fork Showcase and Heritage (3-0) next Tuesday.

“That’s when the rubber meets the road,” Brehon said.

Crabbers break through

For the first time in more than a decade, Hampton’s boys basketball team had dropped its first two games. The losses came by a total of seven points, which isn’t too surprising given how young the Crabbers are this season.

Tuesday night, with two freshmen again seeing significant minutes, Hampton beat Woodside 61-53 for its first win of the season.

“It’s a confidence-builder,” Crabbers coach Walter Brower Sr. said. “The guys had been very close and for some reason let the ballgames slip away. That happens when you’re playing freshmen and sophomores. Hopefully, they’re growing up a bit.”

All-region football

Denbigh’s passing combination of quarterback Terrence Dingle and wideout Jaquan Jenkins made the All-Group 4A South team, which was voted on by the coaches last week.

Dingle completed 183-of-321 passes for 2,572 yards, the second-highest total in Peninsula District history. He threw 29 touchdown passes, also No. 2 all-time, and rushed for 679 yards.
Jenkins caught 52 passes for 946 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Also making the first team were running back Marshawn Williams, offensive lineman Walt Brantley, defensive tackle Kevin Lyles and cornerback/punt returner Robbie Robinson of Phoebus, lineman Robert Sheppard and kick returner Timothy Holden-Bethea of Heritage, and linebacker Patrick Prosser of Denbigh.

Baseball commitment

Tyler Wood, a multi-position baseball player at Gloucester, plans to attend Christopher Newport next fall and play for the Captains.

Wood batted .321 with 13 RBI and scored 15 runs for the Dukes last season as a catcher, pitcher and third baseman. On the mound, he was 2-1 with 18 strikeouts in 17 innings.

Football recruiting

The Hampton Roads Youth Foundation and will host a college football recruiting jamboree for high school seniors at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Hampton.
The program is designed to help senior athletes meet college coaches, with the possibility of earning a college scholarship. There is no cost.

For further information, contact Keith Powell at 757-304-8172 or

Johnson can be reached by phone at 757-247-4649.

Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


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Helen Thomas

Digby Solomon: A Farewell

Digby Solomon: A Farewell

Dear Readers,

A neighbor and wise friend once told me no man should stay in the same job for more than five years. To be precise, 4.8 years is the time before one starts going stale in a job, according to a 2013 study on top CEO's conducted by researchers at the University of Texas.

So with more than nine years at the helm of the Daily Press Media Group, I'm overdue to retire and let fresh blood come up with new ideas.

Effective today, our editor Marisa Porto will take up the reins of the Daily Press, Virginia Gazette and Tidewater Review. They will be in excellent hands.

I approached my boss at Tribune Publishing...


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Spellbound: Sorcerers of Magic Kingdom game designed to enchant guests

Sure, you've fantasized about spending the night in Cinderella Castle. But dare you plot to make the Magic Kingdom your private summer home? That's the bright idea of Hades, the animated bad guy in 1997's "Hercules" and the upcoming Walt Disney World interactive experience, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.

The walk-around activity, which places guests in the role of World-savers, is in testing mode and is planned to be available to the public in late February.

Imagineer Jonathan Ackley, producer and creative director of Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, walked me through portions of the game at Magic Kingdom this week.

"It's a combination between role-playing games — like Dungeons and Dragons or videogame-role playing games — along with trading-card games," he says. "[We are] mixing the two together, adding in location-based entertainment and turning it into something that nobody's ever tried before."

Folks can try one of eight missions that center on Disney villains in cahoots with Hades. The guests — now officially sorcerer's apprentices — are dispatched by Merlin to defeat the baddies using their issued "spell cards."

At designated spots, participants activate "mystical portals," which are incorporated into the everyday landscape of the theme park. For example, a stone wall turns into a video presentation, a message appears in a curtain, a fireplace lights up and reveals a clue.

"We wanted to choose locations that weren't obvious because a good portion of the game is the treasure-hunt aspect of it," Ackley says. "We wanted to put things out of the way, places people don't usually go."

At the portal, players present a spell card, which causes a chain reaction, the exact manner of which depending on the card and the situation. The cards portray spells inspired by Disney characters, such as Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blaster, Quasimodo's Bell, the Queen of Hearts' Card Army and the Sugar Plum Fairies' Dewdrop Spiderweb. We watched Frozone's Ice Blast spell card cool off (yet not defeat) Maleficent.

It's a simple game loaded with complications. Different spells work better on different villains. Presenting a combination of cards can yield greater results. The previous player might encounter a different villain than you will. The longer you play, the stronger your spells become. Show the spell card too late and it fizzles. There are 70 spell cards to collect, although players are issued five for a mission, along with a map of the portals, which are scattered over Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Liberty Square and Main Street U.S.A.

"It's probably the most complicated project I've worked on," Ackley says. He wouldn't share more about the technology of the portals, playing the usual "It's magic" card, keeping the Disney trade secrets confidential.

Likewise, Disney doesn't share what it has spent on the project. Although no structures were built for the Sorcerers game, there were modifications to buildings and a lot of brainpower used. The cards feature new art of the characters, all in "action" poses, and there are smaller touches, like a two-line verse on each card. The Queen of Hearts card says "Go on, give the cards a shuffle / That will cause a fine kerfuffle."

More than 90 minutes of content was created using known Disney characters.

"They're new stories, but the stories are appropriate to the character," Ackley says. "Obviously, Cruella really just wants puppies, so that's what she's after, but in an entirely different context."

Guests can stop after one mission, which should take 30 minutes or less, but if they complete eight missions, there will be a ninth one available that features Hades.

Right now, the game is set on "easy" for its testing. But players can be elevated to a "medium" level, which features additional complications.

"We will probably be testing medium, but the harder the game is, the longer it takes people to finish," Ackley says. Disney is still trying to determine the perfect duration, he says.

And the advanced level?

"Let's just say it's very, very hard," he says. "You have to choose your spells particularly careful on the hard level, and it's likely the villains will beat you many times. So that one's not for the faint of heart." or 407-420-5477

Copyright © 2016, Daily Press


text:
Effort aims to curb underage drinking

July 6, 2013
By Jenny Lancour - Staff Writer , Daily Press

ESCANABA - Local youth, adults and law enforcement are teaming up to prevent underage drinking by reminding people of the legal consequences of buying alcohol for minors.

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Cubmobiles tear down Pershing hill

Cubmobiles tear down Pershing hill

Aug 20, 2012 - Staff

Riverton Cub Scout Pack 76 held its "cubmobile" races Saturday morning on the Pershing Avenue hill.

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text:
Lady Knights take down Jaguars

PASCO - The 1B Sunnyside Christian Lady Knights opened the season with a victory against 2B Tri-Cities Prep last night (Tuesday) in a non-league match-up in Pasco.

"We started the match really pumped up and ready to play," said Lady Knights Coach Stephanie Dalrymple. "We got an early lead thanks to the serves of Danika DeGroot."

The Lady Knights held onto the momentum and won the first game easily, 25-13. Game two went the other way, with the Jaguars building up an early lead. The second game went to Tri-Cities Prep 25-9.

Set three was a close one as Sunnyside Christian struggled to get back to their winning ways. The Lady Knights eventually triumphed in the game 29-27.

"I was very happy with how the girls kept fighting and never gave up," said Dalrymple. "Going into set four, I told the girls we needed to keep our serves in and stay in control and we would walk away with a victory."

The final game was more Sunnyside Christian's usual style as the team led on the strength of Alexandra Newhouse's serving and stayed in control to defeat the Jaguars 25-17.

The victory was a team effort led by solid serving. Danika DeGroot went 15-for-17 in serves with nine digs and 19 assists.

Stormee Van Belle slammed in five kills and made 11 perfect passes as well as going 14-for-14 in serving.

Alexandra Newhouse, who led the team in the final game, went 16-for-20 serving in the match, digging out the ball seven times and managing 12 perfect passes.

Annie Brouwer contributed nine perfect passes and went 10-for-11 in serves. Kate Newhouse went 13-for-14 behind the service line, spiking the ball for five kills, saving the ball with eight digs and making 15 perfect passes. Brittany Broersma slammed the ball over the net for 16 kills and went 6-for-8 in serves.

The Lady Knights next play in Mabton on Thursday, Sept. 6.

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Could cost the company tens of thousands of euros

It looks like Apple isn't the only company Germany is looking to pick a bone with regarding user privacy. A German data protection official has prepared legal proceedings against social networking giant Facebook, which has had a history of privacy related problems in the past.

The data protection official, Johannes Caspar, who works in the Hamburg branch, has accused Facebook of illegally "accessing and saving personal data" of those who do not have a profile registered on the site.

Facebook changed its privacy settings in April in order to allow any user to block access to their e-mail contacts. But for Germany, a country that has strict privacy laws that outline the kind of information and amount of information that can be accessed and by whom, this slight privacy change wasn't enough.

Caspar has said the contacts that have been previously saved have not been erased, and are now being used for marketing-related purposes. He made it clear that this is a breach of data privacy laws and that it's important to save this information from third parties.

"It is a system that is designed around making it possible for Facebook to expand, for its own benefit," said Caspar. "Given that several million people in Germany alone are members, this is a very unsettling notion."

Caspar reported that many people have contacted his office with complaints regarding the Facebook privacy invasion. Facebook has until August 11 to formally respond to Germany's complaint. These legal allegations against Facebook could result in the company paying tens of thousands of euros.

Ilse Aigner, Germany's consumer protection minister, has already taken a proactive stance against Facebook by opting to delete her Facebook account, saying that the company isn't doing enough to secure the privacy of its users.

In addition to problems with Facebook, Germany has initiated an investigation that will look into Google's Street View mapping program and continues to battle with Apple over the company's tracking and collection of iPhone users' data.

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RE: Love it
By Aloonatic on 7/9/2010 2:52:50 AM , Rating: 2
What I love is the typically conceited "I know better, everyone else is stupid" tone to your commnet :o)

You do have something of a point tho, but what is often not taken into account is that we are treating these websites and businesses like age old companies and businesses. However, they are in fact very new and the way that they work, along with the ramifications/risks of what being part of them actually means is still being worked through.

Sure, some things might be obvious to you and others on this site, but to most people, the average consumer (who get treated with such contempt on here, I know you guys really don't care about them and think they only exist to be exploited most of the time) who do not have the knowledge, nor do they think for too long (yes, I'm not saying that they are totally innocent either) about theses things, as they trust the sites, especially big sites like facebook, to do the "right" thing. However, what you guys often forget is that there are many other business areas, many non-essential/opt-in areas in which you neither have the knowledge, or inclination to think too hard about what you are doing either, and trust in the fact that governments and consumer groups have worked out, together with the business owners, ways for companies to operate in a reasonable manner to allow them to both run their business and for you to be protected.

Also, lets not kid ourselves that anything is free either shall we? At the very heart of this issue is the cost of taking part in facebook, and how your the information that you hand over is the price you pay, but people are not aware of it, or the value of it. Like a bunch of Native Americans swapping land for some beads because they don't know better. It doesn't make it OK that because you do, so everyone else is fair game.

I'd wager that in the end, rules/codes of practice will be decided on by governments about how they want the people that they are voted in to represent to be treated and what can and cannot be done by sites such as facebook, along with any other social networking site that comes along. We're still learning about the internet and the implications of taking part in it, from both sides as a business and consumer. I know that it's tempting to just call everyone stupid and saying that companies should just be able to exploit everyone they can in order to make money, but that's not how the business world works usually, and IMHO I don't think that it should work that way either. I might know better in this case, but I'm not arrogant enough to think that in every area of commerce I am totally aware of everything that is going on and the risks of taking part in activities within that sector, and frankly, nor do I have the time to learn about every sector either. Yet I am willing to take part in them because I know that I will have some protection and people looking out for me.

In the end, if businesses like facebook want to grow and make money they will need to be trusted. As such, I think all this privacy business will be resolved and it will be win-win. The more people are able to trust them, the more information that people will give, but as it is, people are learning, slowly but surly, that they are being exploited (possibly) or treated a little shabbily (at best) by companies like facebook. As such, they are sorting this stuff out themselves and withdrawing information and the good-will that went along with it, which could well cost facebook more in the end than having a clear policy that people can trust dictated to them by an external body.

"It's okay. The scenarios aren't that clear. But it's good looking. [Steve Jobs] does good design, and [the iPad] is absolutely a good example of that." -- Bill Gates on the Apple iPad

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text:
Anyone can gain access to call history and other private info on iOS 4.1

Commenters on Mac Rumors forums are reporting that Apple's iOS 4.1, the current software running on the iPhone, contains a security loophole that allows anyone who knows the easy trick to bypass the passcode entry screen and gain access to the Phone app.

Here's how it works: At the passcode entry screen, select "Emergency Call." Input any number, hit "Send" and the phone's sleep button in quick, almost simultaneous, succession. You will now have full access to the Phone app, which includes Contacts, Call History, Voicemail, and the Dialer. If you hit "Share Contact" and the camera button, you will also gain access to the Photos app. Simply hitting "Share Contact" or "Email" will allow you to send an e-mail or MMS, Boy Genius adds (see video). And that's about all you can do.

According to The Unofficial Apple Weblog, the loophole doesn't exist on the beta version of iOS 4.2, so it's possible that Apple is already aware of the problem. TUAW also makes the common sense point that the best way to ensure the security of your iPhone (or any other device that may contain sensitive information) is to prevent anyone from gaining physical access.

Then again, iPhone users may not need to worry about someone happening upon their lascivious text messages in the near future, if Apple does indeed implement its recent patent that prevents "sexting".

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This was a good thing.
By SunAngel on 10/26/2010 8:55:46 AM , Rating: -1
This was a good loop hole, but too bad it had to be published to the web. It was great in the fact if for some reason you forgot a recently changed passcode you were able to continue to get to your contact information. This was a blessing when out and about and the unfortunate happened.

I am even more terrified now because I have to either keep my passcode a little longer or keep a copy in my wallet until I feel comfortable enough with remembering it to throw it away.

Ah, how published media continues to destroy the world one reader at a time.

RE: This was a good thing.
By R3T4rd on 10/26/2010 9:10:06 AM , Rating: 5
I agree with you that this loop hole was good. Most Apple users are too caught up in looking cool and forget thier passcode but can remember thier own 10 digit phone number but can't remember a 5 digit code - case and point, you're exibit "A". But then most Apple owners have a hard time pressing one button let alone two, so the point is moot.

RE: This was a good thing.
By Shatbot on 10/26/2010 9:40:37 AM , Rating: 1
Ah, how published media continues to destroy the world one reader at a time.

When I find some unpublished media I'll let you know, but by then it'll be too late.

RE: This was a good thing.
By The Raven on 10/26/2010 12:58:28 PM , Rating: 2
Why have a passcode at all then? It would be impossible to lock yourself out of it! Now that would be a feature!!!

I wouldn't want a passcode that I could override. What the hell would be the point? If you are afraid of losing the data, then back it up. Or don't forget the password.

If you are someone who doesn't care about security such as yourself, then use President Scroob's combo. Even a Spaceball wouldn't forget that.

This was a good loop hole, but too bad it had to be published to the web.

If it wasn't published to the web then how would it benefit anyone? "If a tree falls..."

"If you mod me down, I will become more insightful than you can possibly imagine." -- Slashdot
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Apple Granted Patent to Block Sexting
October 13, 2010, 9:30 AM

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text:
Top processor maker predicts $599 multi-touch ultrabooks, 13 hour battery life

For those unhappy with Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) touch-driven operating system turn with Windows 8, it's about to get worse.  Intel Corp. (INTC) announced at its Monday afternoon press conference at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada that all next generation Core i-Series "Ultrabook" machines will be required to have touch.

In other words, for OEMs less than enthusiastic about touch displays for laptops, you will be forced to either begrudgingly add touch or may be bumped down the supply ladder when it comes to Intel's latest and greatest upcoming Ultrabook-aimed chip -- the new 22 nm architecture Haswell (a "tock" release).

Thus Intel appears to be following an approach similar to Microsoft's with Windows 8 -- shoving innovation down the throat of the market.

Both device designers and customers will now be forced to deal with this force-feeding -- whether or not they feel ready for it.  Ultimately that may be a wise decision for both companies; Microsoft otherwise would risk being overrun by master marketers and innovators like Google Inc. (GOOG) and Apple, Inc. (AAPL), while Intel would risk losing more ground to ARM Holdings Plc. (LON:ARM)

For OEMs who play nice, there will be rewards.

Intel showed off a 13-inch reference design that delivered 13 hour battery life, when in laptop mode (10 hours when in tablet mode, detachable via a one-touch latching mechanism). Intel is claiming that the battery bump from Ivy Bridge to Haswell is the "largest generation on generation battery life increase in the history of Intel."

The processor maker believes that by the holidays $599 USD or below touch laptops will be available to consumers, with the latest Intel Core processors.

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RE: Very Apple-esque, Intel...
By macdevdude on 1/7/2013 6:38:36 PM , Rating: -1
Sounds like they're taking a page from Apple's playbook...
Yea right if they were they woul stop making POS ultracrap and come crawling back to apple begging them to keep them.

I can't wait for Apple to start making its own computer chips, then intel and microsoft will die off. Intel's only smart move was sneaking onto the mac.

You can't make an ultrabook without touch? Who cares... Windows 8 is a disaster. You may all hate me, but I'm right. YOu've said it yourself.

Face it I'm right. Google and Microsoft are headed down towards the cliff, while my Apple stokk is laughing its way to the bank. Have fun, WinTools!

"The Space Elevator will be built about 50 years after everyone stops laughing" -- Sir Arthur C. Clarke
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text:
Surface Pro starts at $899

Microsoft originally told us that Surface Pro would bow in the January of this year, but it looks as though the Redmond, Washington-based company is running a bit behind schedule. Microsoft announced today that Surface Pro would actually launch on February 9 in the U.S. and Canada.
Unlike Surface RT, which runs Windows RT and lacks Windows software backwards compatibility due to its use of an ARM processor, Surface Pro can handle the entire Windows library thanks to Windows 8 Pro. The tablet packs in a Core i5 processor, 1080p display, Mini DisplayPort, and a USB 3.0 port. The tablet is also much pricier than its Surface RT counterpart, which starts at $499. The 64GB version is priced at $899 while the 128GB model will cost you $999.

Source: CNN

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RE: It's already doomed.
By Ramstark on 1/22/2013 7:43:20 PM , Rating: 1
Why? Because you come from December 2013 after using your time traveler phone booth?
Check the reviews and even the comments here on DT, the Surface Pro is the gadget that the Surface RT wanted to be. It's "the coolest touch ultrabook" out there and it is definitely well priced (not like the RT).
So, get off the hateo'rade and accept when a good product pushes the market forward...

RE: It's already doomed.
By Nortel on 1/22/2013 9:09:51 PM , Rating: 2
Take a step back from the 'techniness' of the tablet and look at it from your typical consumer. A consumer looks at a 10 inch tablet for $499 and then looks at this for $799 (plus $ for keyboard). How can someone justify the price difference, especially when most actual users hate windows 8.

RE: It's already doomed.
By jimbojimbo on 1/22/13, Rating: 0
RE: It's already doomed.
By xti on 1/23/2013 3:49:42 PM , Rating: 1
cuz they can install their copy of office on this tablet.

"Death Is Very Likely The Single Best Invention Of Life" -- Steve Jobs

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text:
Ford's F-Series only manges seventh place

The Prius is often the butt of automotive jokes for its oddball styling, pokey acceleration, and tree-hugging persona, but it appears that Toyota is having the last laugh -- at least in California. When the sales numbers were tallied up for 2012, the Prius reigned supreme as the best-selling vehicle in California with 60,688 units sold. In fact, over one-quarter of all Prii sold in the United States for 2012 were purchased in California.
Economical cars from Toyota and Honda made up the top five sold cars in California with the Civic, Camry, Accord, and Corolla taking second, third, fourth, and fifth place respectively. The Ford F-Series, which is the best-selling vehicle for the entire United States, only managed to place seventh on the sales list in California.
Toyota's Prius is rated at 51/48/50 (city/highway/combined), which makes it a perfect fit for California's congested highways.

“Environmental consciousness and changing trends are large contributors,” said Peter Welch, Chief Executive of the California New Car Dealers Association. “Eight years ago everyone was driving sport utilities and trucks, now it’s almost trendy to drive a fuel-efficient hybrid or plug-in.”
Toyota's Prius may be sitting high on its throne right now, but there are plenty of challengers to its hybrid dominance. Volkswagen is looking to win over some consumers who aren't sold on its TDI diesel engines with the Jetta Hybrid, and Ford has two competent hybrids -- the Fusion Hybrid and the C-MAX -- in its stable that promise 47 mpg combined (although real world results suggest otherwise).
All three of the aforementioned models achieve lofty fuel economy numbers with conventional styling that is more appealing to the masses.

Source: LA Times

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RE: Maybe...
By Spuke on 1/24/2013 10:35:16 PM , Rating: 2
Wow, and I thought I didn't get much of a deal when I bought my house with three acres of land for $42k.
Dude I'm in the desert where it seems no one in CA wants to live and my 2000sf house on 2.5 acres costs just over $300k (today's prices...bought in 05, it was $400k then). Go 30 mins south and my same house/land is $700k. 30 more mins and it's over $1 million. We sold a horse a couple of years ago. The buyers could not believe how "cheap" our house was. In their town (Camarillo), our place would cost $8 million easy.

"We shipped it on Saturday. Then on Sunday, we rested." -- Steve Jobs on the iPad launch

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Print 24 comment(s) - last by Spuke.. on Mar 17 at 10:05 AM

A true, full reform will likely take awhile, he says

If you have a bad customer service experience at a store or restaurant, you usually ask to speak to a manager, right? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took this to the next level when voicing his complaints about the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).

According to Reuters, Zuckerberg called U.S. President Barack Obama recently to complain about the NSA's spy programs on the Web.

"When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we're protecting you against criminals, not our own government," said Zuckerberg. "I've called President Obama to express my frustration over the damage the government is creating for all of our future. Unfortunately, it seems like it will take a very long time for true full reform."

Zuckerberg took to his personal Facebook page to talk about his concerns and conversation with the president. The White House confirmed Zuckerberg and Obama's talk on Thursday.

"The president spoke last night with Mark Zuckerberg about recent reports in the press about alleged activities by the U.S. intelligence community," said a White House official.

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden started revealing the NSA's spy programs and other activities early last year, which revealed some unsettling behaviors for tech companies like Facebook, Google and Yahoo.

It was recently revealed that the NSA created fake Facebook pages that led targets to believe they were logging into the real Facebook. Once they logged in, the NSA used malicious code to draw data from their computer.

Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook encrypted all of its pages in an attempt to thwart such attempts.

The NSA also intercepted communications and data of Google and Yahoo users through cables placed between the data centers. Neither Google nor Yahoo had any idea that this was happening.

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said that the NSA's spying on data centers is "outrageous" and that its strategies of pulling hundreds of millions of records to find a few hundred is "bad public policy" and even "illegal."

Soon after, Zuckerberg said in an interview that the government "blew it" with the NSA spy programs, and added that the agency needs to find a balance between protecting the country and staying transparent.

Source: Reuters

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RE: Pot calling kettle?
By retrospooty on 3/14/2014 2:01:12 PM , Rating: 1
Not that either is great, but Facebook is a free service where you sign a service agreement. The NSA spying is an unconstitutional invasion of privacy. It's really not scary that the NSA is looking at your facebook, its them looking at your web browsing, and everything else they are doing that scary. No, sorry, the 2 dont compare in any way.

"And boy have we patented it!" -- Steve Jobs, Macworld 2007

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text:
The FCC won't allow net neutrality to regulate the way companies like Netflix connect to the Internet

Netflix was hoping for an end to internet tolls by calling to expand the scope of net neutrality, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) isn't having any of it.
According to National Journal, the FCC denied Netflix's call to expand net neutrality so that it covered companies and their methods of connecting to the internet.
More specifically, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings wanted the FCC to regulate the way companies like Netflix connect to the internet so that they wouldn't have to pay tolls to other companies (like Comcast, for example) to make sure its video gets to customers quickly and without any issues.
"Peering and interconnection are not under consideration in the Open Internet proceeding, but we are monitoring the issues involved to see if any action is needed in any other context," said an FCC spokesperson.
Netflix agreed last month to pay Comcast to ensure that its movies and TV shows stream easily without traffic jams on Comcast's broadband network. While it's not clear how much Netflix is paying Comcast, the new deal will span several years and Comcast said it would connect to Netflix's servers at data centers operated by other companies.
But Netflix wanted this to be a one-time deal until it managed to push laws in place that eliminated these tolls.

Having to pay Comcast means Netflix could end up having to pay tolls to other providers like Verizon and AT&T -- and there's no way these tolls come cheap. The streaming company already pays high prices for content licensing from content providers, and having this extra fee on the table (and potentially from many big cable companies) would really put a damper on Netflix's cash flow.

"Some big [Internet service providers] are extracting a toll because they can—they effectively control access to millions of consumers and are willing to sacrifice the interests of their own customers to press Netflix and others to pay," said Hastings.
"If this kind of leverage is effective against Netflix, which is pretty large, imagine the plight of smaller services today and in the future."

Big cable got even bigger this year when Comcast acquired Time Warner Cable (TWC) in February for $45.2 billion USD. Comcast has about 25 percent share of the broadband market while TWC controls around 12 percent. As far as the subscription cable TV market goes, Comcast currently controls roughly 19 percent and TWC controls around 9 percent. Together, the pair would control about a third of the markets (37 percent of broadband; 28 percent of cable TV).

Source: National Journal

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Corporate Greed
By Ranari on 4/1/2014 4:56:58 PM , Rating: 2
I don't get it. Customers are already paying ISP's for their bandwidth. What they use for it is their own business, and I don't feel ISP's have any right to regulate that. So really, who cares if Netflix is a good portion of the internet traffic. That's bought traffic when you pay your $79.99/month (or however much you pay) internet bill every month.

Comcast has no right to limit Netflix traffic.

RE: Corporate Greed
By Milliamp on 4/2/2014 3:03:55 AM , Rating: 2
Why do they have any right to charge you or limit your traffic? Is your traffic not limited to the connection you have?

What if you called up comcast, refused to give them another dime, and told them you would file a net neutrality complaint if they don't donate to you an unlimited amount of connectivity?

The only difference is your name isn't Netflix. If you had to draft a law that made charging Netflix any amount greater than free illegal, what would it say? Should Netflix get their own law or should the law apply to other companies as well? What is the criteria for having your connectivity provided for free by law?

Keep in mind, we both agree that overcharging is anticompetitive and should be illegal.

RE: Corporate Greed
By snyper256 on 4/3/2014 12:37:16 AM , Rating: 2
It's just anti-competitive behavior by the cable corporations.

"Mac OS X is like living in a farmhouse in the country with no locks, and Windows is living in a house with bars on the windows in the bad part of town." -- Charlie Miller

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