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Three Indians named in MIT’s Technological Review

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Three Indians named in MIT’s Technological Review

Three Indians have been named in Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) prestigious annual ‘Technology Review’ list of top young innovators under the age of 35 “who exemplify the spirit of innovation in business and technology.”

Rikin Gandhi, 29, Ranveer Chandra, 34 and Indrani Medhi, 32 are in the ‘2010 TR35′ - list of 35 “outstanding men and women” compiled by Technology Review, an independent media company owned by MIT, that focuses on identifying emerging technologies and analysing their impact for leaders.

“This year’s winners have created innovations over a wide variety of fields, including energy, biomedicine, communications, IT, transportation and web.

“Their groundbreaking work is liberating patients from sleep clinics, shaping the rules for social networks and helping populations cope with crisis. The 2010 TR35 are transforming technology and tackling problems in a way that is likely to benefit society and business,sportsjerseyswholesale” editor in chief and publisher of Technology Review Jason Pontin said.

Since 1999, the editors of Technology Review have honoured young innovators whose inventions and research they find most exciting.

The TR35 is a list of technologists and scientists, all under the age of 35.

“Their work - spanning medicine, computing, communications, electronics, nanotechnology, and more - is changing our world,” Pontin added.

Gandhi is the founder of the nonprofit ‘Digital Green’ that focuses on educating farmers about farming techniques through locally produced videos, in which local farmers are featured.

“Gandhi demonstrated that for every dollar spent, the system persuaded seven times as many farmers to adopt new ideas as an existing programme of training and visits,” the Technology Review said.

He helped launch the programme as a 2006 project at Microsoft Research, India and spent six months testing various video schemes in villages in Karnataka before concluding that featuring local farmers was the key.

Villagers produce the videos using handheld camcorders; workers from partner nongovernmental organisations then check the quality of the videos and the accuracy of the advice before screening them in the villages with handheld projectors.

So far 500 videos have been made, but three times that number - which should reach four times as many villages - are currently planned.

Chandra of Microsoft Research worked on delivering high-speed wireless Internet connections over longer distances.

He made the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington his laboratory for the first large-scale network to demonstrate the potential of using white spaces to deliver broadband wireless as a solution to the problem that Wi-Fi uses frequencies that can’t carry a signal more than a few tens of meters.

“If such a system gains currency, all of us should be connected and better connected, and not just here in the US,” says Chandra.

Spectrum regulators from Singapore, India, Brazil and China have visited his prototype network to explore the potential for white-space signals to connect large rural areas with minimal infrastructure.Ed Hardy wholesale

Medhi focuses on “building interfaces for the illiterate”.

Based at Microsoft Research India’s Bangalore lab, she has conducted field research in India, South Africa and the Philippines to design text-free interfaces that could help illiterate and semi-literate people find jobs, get medical information, and use cell-phone-based banking services.

Computer icons differ from one culture to another, so Medhi used symbols, audio cues and cartoons that are specific to particular poor communities.Mbt shoes

Through a short video dramatisation, her target audience is shown how an application is supposed to work.

The 2010 TR35 were selected from more than 300 submissions by Technology Review editors in collaboration with a panel of judges from leading organisations such as Carnegie Mellon University, Hewlett-Packard, MIT, Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Yahoo Labs.

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Cartoonist RK Laxman hospitalised

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Cartoonist RK Laxman hospitalised

RK Laxman,GHD Pure White India’s greatest cartoonist and creator of the Common Man, has been admitted to hospital following a stroke in Pune.

Laxman’s work which spans over six decades chronicled India.

He is best known for his fearless lampooning of politicians, from Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi during the repressive days of the Emergency, to Vajpayee and other leaders.5816 Style Women Boots

The 86-year-old cartoonist had suffered a stroke earlier also and was admitted to Sahyadri Hospital, where he suffered two more mild strokes affecting his right portion and speech.

The Magsaysay award winner had suffered a stroke six years ago which affected the left portion of his body.UGG 30th Anniversary He was doing fine since then and residing at his Pune residence.

Laxman has been honoured with the Pamda Vibhushan.

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Dhoni loses top spot, Sehwag rises in ICC ODI rankings

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Dhoni loses top spot, Sehwag rises in ICC ODI rankings

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lost his number one spot but opening batsman Virender Sehwag gained eight places to return to the top-10 at eighth in the ICC ODI rankings issued on Sunday.CHI Camo Blue

India held on to the second spot in the team rankings despite losing the tri-series final to Sri Lanka last night.

Sri Lanka, sixth before the series, are just behind India, and in front of South Africa, who drop to fourth, when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.CHI Pink Ceramic

New Zealand drop to sixth from fourth as Australia, at the top, and England, in fifth spot, remain unchanged.

In individual rankings, Tillakaratne Dilshan broke into the top five of the batting chart.

Dilshan’s match-winning effort of 110 in the final against India last night was enough to earn him a three-place boost in the rankings and he now sits in fourth position, level with Hashim Amla of South Africa.

Amla’s team-mate AB de Villiers has benefited from Dhoni’s slip with the 26-year-old from Pretoria taking over at the top of the rankings.

The other main mover upwards in the top 10 is Sehwag, who was declared Man-of-the-Series in Sri Lanka.

The hard-hitting opener was the series’ top-scorer with 268 at an average of 67 and that effort has moved him up eight places on the rankings to eighth place.

Sachin Tendulkar, who was rested from the tri-series, lost four places and now sits in 10th position. A player loses half a per cent of his rating for every ODI he misses.

In the list for bowlers, India pacer Praveen Kumar has gained five places to break into the top 10 for the first time in his career.

The 23-year-old took nine wickets in the Sri Lanka tri-series at an average of 23.GHD Kiss66 and now sits in 10th position in the ladder, level with Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi.

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Older people play catch-up on Facebook Study

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Older people play catch-up on Facebook Study

Social networking groups are no more an exclusive domain of teenagers or youngsters as it was a few years back, but now it is catering more for all those who are older but still young at heart.

The phenomenal growth of Facebook,GHD Black Twitter and other social networking sites in the past year has come in part because of a surge in adoption by older members, with a national poll released Friday providing a surprising new measure for how fast baby boomers and seniors are adopting online social networks to bridge generations and geography.

A new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project says the number of social networking users ages 50 and older nearly doubled in the past year, continuing a trend of strong growth that was first spotted last year.

In fact, for adults 50 to 64 years old, the use of social networking sites have jumped by 88 per cent in the past year, the study found. For those 65 and older, it has doubled.

The younger generation remains the biggest users of Facebook and other sites.

But the report shows that seniors currently make up the fastest-growing group.

“It’s surprising to see just how fast they are growing,” said Mary Madden, senior research specialist and author of Pew’s study.

The Pew Centre points to several factors Instylerthat contribute to why facebook is no more for kids anymore.

Using Facebook to find old friends and colleagues isn’t unique to any one demographic, but Pew says roughly seven out of ten people have used social networks for this purpose.

Roughly half of adults ages 50 and over have been contacted by someone from their past through a social network.

As people retire or change careers, social networks can be a way to stay in touch or get support.

Pew notes that Internet users with chronic diseases are more likely to blog or participate in online discussions,CHI Camo Green and older folks are more likely to have these diseases.

Put those two factors together, and you’ve got a strong argument for social networking as a way to find communities of people with similar experiences.

Pew says older folks may use social networks to connect with their progeny, despite results that “can sometimes be messy”.

The group doesn’t provide hard data to support this claim, but it should seem like common sense to anyone whose parents use Facebook.

Pew doesn’t mention the prevalence of social games such as Farmville as a reason Facebook attracts older users, but it seems obvious when you look at the demographics of players.

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Tony Gonzalez is one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Tony Gonzalez is one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, maybe the greatest. Among active players, he ranks in the top five for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TDs. He’s made 10 Pro Bowls, and not just on reputation. With NFL training camps getting under way, Tony took time to answer a few questions about the past and the present.
Thanks for taking time out of your schedule for this interview. How has offseason training been going?
Been going great, same old thing, lifting weights and staying conditioned.To many people Christian Louboutin is a symbol of status and class. We’re just about to head into camp and I’m feeling great.
Last year, you moved from the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom you had spent your whole career, to the Atlanta Falcons. How do you like Atlanta ? Has the transition been pretty smooth?
It’s been smooth at times and frustrating at others. Overall, it’s worked out well and we had a winning season last year. Atlanta is a great city and I’m looking forward to this year.
I think everyone agrees that Matt Ryan has a lot of potential, and he’s already shown that he can be successful in this league. What does he have to do to take the next step?
Experience. The more experience he gets the more confident he’ll get. It’s not a matter of if, just a matter of when as far as him being one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Hopefully that will come this year.
You began your career playing for Marty Schottenheimer, who is the winningest coach never to reach the Super Bowl. Why do you think Marty’s teams tended to underachieve in the postseason? Do you see him as a Hall of Famer?
I only played with him for one year, so I don’t know him too well. Football is a tough game, I don’t know if I would say he underachieved. I think he’s one of the best coaches ever. Without a doubt, he is a Hall of Fame coach. Just because he didn’t win a Super Bowl doesn’t mean he isn’t; football is the ultimate team sport and to win a Super Bowl, everyone needs to come together.
You hold virtually ever major receiving record for tight ends, and many people view you as the finest ever to play the position. Do you ever think about your place in history? How do you feel about those kinds of accolades and comparisons?
I don’t think about it too often. My approach has always been to take it one year at a time and then all of that other stuff will add up. It’s one of those things that when I’m all done I can look back, but right now, I’ve got things to accomplish, so I’m looking forward.
In Kansas City , you played the Chargers twice a year. How well do you know Antonio Gates? Are there any young tight ends in the league right now who remind you of yourself?
I know him pretty well actually, he’s a good guy. As for tight ends that remind me of myself, I think Kellen Winslow, Jr. does.coach bags is a well-known brand on the world ,it will fit your body perfectly. He’s got a lot of talent and it will be interesting to see what he can accomplish.
Who’s another opponent you admire?
Ray Lewis from the Ravens. He’s been around for ever and kept himself in shape. He’s still at the top of his career and you have to respect that.
You’ve recently endorsed a new product called All-Pro Science.makeup wholesale Can you tell us a little about it and what drew you to this product?
Actually, I’m not endorsing it, I am the co-founder. A lot of people know I’ve changed my diet a lot and have become really conscious of what I put into my body. I felt there was a lack of a healthy natural supplement designed for athletes. I actually went out and partnered with an FDA-certified facility to make APS. Now we’ve expanded and have our original veggie protein, but also a whey that comes from grass-fed cows and a recovery drink that is great after practice. It’s real good quality stuff and tastes great, too.
You’ve made 10 Pro Bowls. Last season, for the first time in 30 years, the Pro Bowl was not held in Hawaii, instead being played at the Super Bowl site in Miami the week before the game. Do you view that as a good idea, or is there something special about Hawaii? Is it strange to you that the league held an all-star game without anyone from the two best teams in the league?
I love Hawaii, but you have to understand why the NFL made the move. They had the highest ratings in 30 years. When the Pro Bowl is after the Super Bowl, people have already checked out of football mode and they don’t tune in. Let’s not kid ourselves, this is a business. Of course it’s special for us players to go to Hawaii and of course we love it. I think that’s just what we have to deal with. You can’t have it all.
Last question, and thanks again for your time. Fans and writers love to debate this question, so I’ve got to ask you: Tom Brady or Peyton Manning?
Hmm … both of them. Haha, I’ll take both. I know no one is going to like that answer. Really, it doesn’t matter, just flip a coin and whoever it lands on you’re going to be all right.

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Mock drafts, no matter the sport, are about as useless an exercise as it gets

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Mock drafts, no matter the sport, are about as useless an exercise as it gets. We spend months pouring over scouting reports, reading team reports, and looking for hidden innuendo in trying to decipher which team will take which player at which spot.
An you know what the result of all that work is?
Maybe about a 30% success rate — if you’re lucky.
Take last year’s NFL mock draft from Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post, the NFL Network, and various other outlets. The guy lives and breathes the NFL. He headed the Raiders’ and Browns’ personnel departments. He worked with the 49ers, Eagles, and Broncos. This time of year, he’s everywhere with all the latest info and insight.
Out of 32 first-round picks in his mock draft last year, do you know how many Lombardi got right?
One. He called Darrius Heyward-Bey to Oakland with the seventh pick, and missed every single other first-round pick. That’s one out of 32 correct, or a 3.1 percent success rate. Not too hot.
Now this isn’t to pick on Lombardi. By all accounts, he seems like a jovial guy, good at his job as a correspondent and all that. But when you have a guy like that, with all his connections within the league, and he comes up one for 32, then you get the sense of just how much of a crap shoot this mock draft business can be.
But of course that’s not going to stop us. I’ll probably never get a perfect NCAA tournament bracket either, but I’m still going to go at it year after year, because that’s what we do. We love football. And so we mock on.
I used to have a complex formula for grading out mocks in my annual NFL Mock Draft Mock Challenge, but Sports Central’s Matt Thomas found it a bit too complex for his liking. So we simplified the formula as such: player/team/draft position all correct = 3 points; team/player = 1 point; player/draft position = 0.5 points; highest point total wins.
To recap last year’s results:
Mike Mayock (NFL.com): 30
Me (Sports Central): 28
Todd McShay (ESPN): 26
Rick Gosselin (Dallas Morning News): 24
Rob Rang (CBSSports): 24
Tab Bramford (Bleacher Report): 23
Don Banks (CNNSI): 23
Peter King (CNNSI): 20
Mel Kiper (ESPN): 19
Matt Thomas (Sports Central): 14.5
Pete Schrager (FOXsports.com): 9
Mike Lombardi (NFL.Ed Hardy wholesalecom): 6
Matt has submitted his 2010 mock draft. And now for the official Doria entry into this years’ battle royal, the fifth in the NFL Mock Draft Mock Competition:
1: St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
What the Rams should do: take Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh, then grab Texas QB Colt McCoy with the first pick in the second round (since I highly doubt he goes in the first). I’d take the Suh/McCoy combination over Sam Bradford/Pick 33 combination, mainly because I don’t think there’s near as much difference between Bradford and McCoy as there is between Suh and Pick 33. Suh will also come at a significantly lower price than the Oklahoma QB.
But…LV Handbags
What the Rams will do: succumb to the need to create a splash and redefine the franchise by taking a quarterback with a once-damaged shoulder, even though his representation has indicated he won’t sign a contract before the draft. I’m not saying Bradford won’t be a good pro, but there’s too much risk for my mind to pass on Suh, who is a lock to dominate.
2: Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
There’s some debate over whether Suh or Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy will be the best pro, but I heavily subscribe to the notion that the will to dominate is just as important as any other intangible in assessing these players. Watching Nebraska play last year, you couldn’t help but notice just how much Suh wanted to dominate the opposition. I never got that sense from McCoy. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz wants to build a dominant, mean, nasty defense, and Suh is the better fit.
3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
The Bucs are playing with house money here. If the Rams take Bradford, the Bucs take either McCoy or Suh, depending on who the Lions choose. If the Rams go Suh or McCoy, that means Bradford falls to three and they can trade the pick for a ransom. There’s no way they can screw this up.
Then again, these are the Bucs.
4: Washington Redskins - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
I’m putting my faith in NFLDraftScout.com Senior Analyst Rob Rang here. The chalk pick is Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung, but Rang insists Williams is the better fit for Mike Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme. And as I’ve said many a time these past years, the path to the best mock draft is in listening to the people who actually do the work scouting and talking to team executives (not all of them, mind you, just the ones who have a track record of success, which Rang does — last year, he had Tyson Jason to KC, Heyward-Bey to Oakland, and Michael Crabtree falling to San Francisco at 10).
Just a note: this would be the fourth straight player from the Big 12 to open the draft. If that comes to pass, it would be the first time four players from the same conference led off the NFL draft since 1945.
5: Kansas City Chiefs - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Atlanta GM Tom Dimitroff was quoted earlier this offseason commenting how former Patriots boss and current Chiefs GM Scott Pioli isn’t a huge fan of picking safeties early in the draft, which is how Tennessee safety Eric Berry continues to fall despite being the unquestioned top defensive back in the draft for a league that is more and more becoming pass heavy. With Washington’s decision to jump on Williams, Okung is left for the taking by KC.
(And that would make five straight players from the same conference to lead off the draft, something that has never happened since the NFL draft began in 1936. You find me another mock with that kind of historical detail.)
6: Seattle Seahawks - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
The Seahawks have some huge needs on offense, so the choice comes down to Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga and Berry, the two-time unanimous All-American safety and reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year out of Tennessee. And though the Seahawks desperately need to bolster its offensive line, they finished just 30th in pass defense in 2010. Berry would fill a huge void.
7: Cleveland Browns - Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Haden is a perfect need and value combination platter for Mike Holmgren in his first year as shot-caller for the Browns.
8: Oakland Raiders - Taylor Mays, S, USC
The Raiders are a cliche of a cliche. They could go with Bruce Campbell,Discount Fendi Handbags the Maryland tackle who seems better suited for doing combine tests than holding up against NFL defensive ends. They could reach for a corner in preparation for losing Nnamdi Asomugha. Hell, they could pick Tim Tebow and just blow the whole damn thing up for all we know. So since we have no idea what Al Davis will do, I’ll just pick a major reach in Mays, a big kid with off-the-charts speed and athleticism who skips out on technique and goes for the big hit and highlight play. In other words, Al Davis’ kind of guy.
9: Buffalo Bills - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Buffalo actually had a pretty decent season running the ball in 2009, especially considering the lack of a passing game to keep defenses honest. I’m not in the camp that believes Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen is any sort of franchise savior (or even better than Trent Edwards or Brian Brohm), so they are better off continuing to build from the inside out, and that means upgrading the offensive line.
10: Jacksonville Jaguars - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
McClain is a winner, leader and general all-around bad-ass, the exact kind of guy head coach Jack Del Rio will fall in love with as he tries to save his job.
11: Denver Broncos - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
This is a good place to point out that anybody who comes to the mock draft detail spouting certainty is full of it. Nobody knows anything. The teams don’t even know what they are going to do. They just have varying degrees of hypotheticals and what-ifs. And so when somebody like Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson tell you there’s no way the Broncos are taking Bryant, it’s just hot air. He doesn’t know any more than you do.
So why risk it and go Bryant here? Because the Broncos’ top two receivers are Eddie Royal and Jabar Gaffney, and Bryant is the clear best at the position. That’s why.
12: Miami Dolphins - Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
Even before the eight-game suspension handed to DT Jason Ferguson, the Dolphins had to be thinking about adding some depth in the middle of their 3-4 defense. But with Ferguson out for the first half of the season, the 327-lb Williams becomes even more of a need.
13: San Francisco 49ers - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
I don’t think Clausen is the second coming of anybody, let alone the last quarterback the 49ers drafted out of Notre Dame. Clausen’s career stats are more likely to approximate those of Jim Druckenmiller than Joe Montana. But word out of San Francisco is Mike Singletary and Co. are digging on Clausen, so that’s what we’ll go with. Personally, I’d rather have Colt McCoy.
14: Seattle Seahawks - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
It will take exactly 4.38 seconds for the Seattle rep in the draft room to hand in the card with Spiller’s name on it.
15: New York Giants - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
The Giants have to have a pass rush in order to succeed, and last season’s ineffectiveness in getting to the opposing quarterback (only 32 sacks, down from 42 the year prior) was one of the main reasons behind the Giants’ descent into mediocrity. With Morgan on board, New York will have some flexibility if the Osi Umenyiora situation doesn’t resolve amicably.
(Note: I’m not advocating they trade Umenyiora, just that if they can get a good price for him, which I think they could, it wouldn’t be the dumbest move in the world.)
16: Tennessee Titans - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
Like the Giants, the Titans’ step back from championship contender to out of the playoffs can be tied to their inability to get to the opposing quarterbacks (44 sacks in 2008, 32 in 2009). I’m not personally sold that Pierre-Paul is the answer, because there are some serious questions about his ability to hold up against the run, but the man has speed off the edge, and Tennessee is going to need to get to Peyton Manning if they have any hope of climbing back atop the AFC South.
17: San Francisco 49ers - Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
The 49ers need to find a bookend to Joe Staley, and Davis is a much better fit for Singletary and the toughness-first mindset of this franchise than the more athletic Bruce Campbell.
18: Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
With the Steelers’ needs along the interior of their offensive line, the choice will come down to Iupati and Florida center Maurkice Pouncey. Iupati is bigger by about 25 pounds and a better run-blocker, and should push for an immediate starting job in 2010.
19: Atlanta Falcons - Earl Thomas, S, Texas
The Falcons’ pass defense ranked just 28th in the league last year and both Thomas DeCoud and Eric Coleman will be free agents after the 2011 lockout/season. Thomas and 2009 second-round pick William Moore (Missouri) will combine to form the backbone of the secondary for the next five or so years.
20: Houston Texans - Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
I wanted to give the Texans running back Ryan Matthews from Fresno State to prop up a pathetic run game from 2009 (just 3.5 yard-per-carry average), but the loss of Dunta Robinson to Atlanta in free agency forces Gary Kubiak to fortify his defensive backfield.
21: Cincinnati Bengals - Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
The Bengals offensive line played well beyond expectations last year, but there’s no long-term stability on the interior. Even if Pouncey can’t break into the first team from the onset, he would provide valuable depth at center and both guard spots.
22: New England Patriots - Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
Every year, pundits seem to want to give the Patriots a DE/LB hybrid in the first round, and it’s never happened under Bill Belichick. Not once. And it’s not going to happen this year either. Personally, I think Belichick trades out of this pick with no real great value-need combination and several players that other teams might covet. But since I’m staying true to the order (predicting trades is a sucker bet), I’m giving them Dunlap, a bit of a reach, but a winner (Defensive MVP of the BCS National Championship Game) from a program Belichick is intimately familiar with and respects. He may not be the next Richard Seymour, but he can help get back some of that defensive line push that they sorely lacked last season.
23: Green Bay Packers - Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
The Packers could go offensive line, but Wilson is great value and puts in place the next generation with Charles Woodson (34 in October) and Al Harris (36 in December) getting up in age.
24: Philadelphia Eagles - Everson Griffin, DE, USC
The Eagles are all about the defensive line rotation and getting heat on the opposing quarterback. Griffin is strong (position-high 32 reps on the bench press at the combine) and fast (4.66 40-tard dash), plus he has experience dropping into coverage, which provides defensive coordinator Sean McDermott flexibility for his exotic blitz schemes.
25: Baltimore Ravens - Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
All the world has Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens continuing their stockpile of offensive skill players, either with Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas or Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham, but Kindle fits into the line of 3-4 OLB that are the lifeblood of the Ravens’ defense. Plus Newsome is as much a value drafter as there is in the league, and the TE depth will be there in the next few rounds, while WR isn’t as much of a need with the additions of Anquan Boldin and Donte’ Stallworth.
26: Arizona Cardinals - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Any time you have Anthony Becht atop your TE depth chart, you need an upgrade. Gresham is the clear cut top player at the position and a steal at 26.
27: Dallas Cowboys - Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
Jerry Jones may not be able to hop in the hot tub time machine to stop himself from giving Roy Williams that ridiculous contract, but he can at least ensure he has a capable replacement opposite Miles Austin if Williams doesn’t show up to play in 2010.
28: San Diego Chargers - Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
This one will send mild shock waves through the draft room, but the 3-4 has to have the big NT anchoring the middle, and San Diego lost the aging Jamal Williams to Denver this offseason. Cody certainly carries some baggage (and then some), but as long as he can get out there on first and second downs and clog up the middle, he’ll do just fine.
29: New York Jets - Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
For some reason, the Jets are in must-win-now mode, throwing all conventional wisdom aside. Like the whole rule about not adding a bunch of underachieving ego players looking for their own stats so they can get paid? Yeah, never mind about that. Of anybody on the board, Odrick best seems able to contribute in a rotation role in 2010, which apparently is the only season the Jets care about.
30: Minnesota Vikings - Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State
What? Why on Earth would the Vikings, with superstar Adrian Peterson in the prime of his career, take a first-round running back? Well, they lost Chester Taylor to the Chicago Bears, so they clearly need a new number two. Plus, and I don’t want to bring up bad memories for Vikings fans, but Peterson has a bit of a fumbling issue. It’s probably not a bad idea to remind him that there are other alternatives for carries. And if AP gets hurt, you don’t want Albert Young as your only option.
31: Indianapolis Colts - Brandon Graham, LB, Michigan
There’s been a lot of talk of Graham converting over to a 3-4 OLB, but I don’t think backing up in space is the place for him. He’s a line-of-scrimmage play maker, and his “questionable” frame (6-1, 270) is just about the exact same size as current Colts starting DEs Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney.
Just another note: the Colts are all about the Big Ten, having drafted 11 Big Ten players in the past five years. That’s the most of any NFL team, followed by Pittsburgh (10), the Jets (9), and Miami and New Orleans (8 each). The 11 picks of Big Ten players by the Colts represents more than a full quarter of their draft picks over the past five drafts (11 of 43). Just in case you were wondering.
32: New Orleans Saints - Jahvid Best, RB, California
This is the perfect situation for Best — an imaginative play-caller in head coach Sean Payton, an established run game with Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush so Best won’t be expected to carry the ball 20 times per game, an opening/need for an explosive kick and punt returner (only San Francisco was worse than the Saints’ 4.6 average yards per punt return in 2009), and a schedule that will include almost all dome or warm-weather games (at least 14 of 16 depending on weather at Baltimore and Cincinnati).
And with the pick of Best, queue what will be an incredible day of speculation and action on Friday leading up to the second and third rounds on Friday night. You could make a whole day of just sitting back and watching the NFL Network checking up on the various trade scenarios and updated draft boards. And if you’re stuck at work, you better be following Adam Schefter (@Adam_Schefter) and Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) on Twitter. (What the hell — give @michaelombardi a follow, too. And of course @sportcentral.)
(Note: Before the draft, I’ll post the link to the other mocks in this year’s competition. And depending on how things go, we’ll have the results up on Monday or so.)

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One of the most important things for runners and athletes is choosing running shoes that are appropriate

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

One of the most important things for runners and athletes is choosing running shoes that are appropriate. There are many varieties available in the market, and to make a decision about the best running shoes is one that should be handled with a certain degree of caution. Most people make the mistake of buying a running shoe based on the way it looks, and its brand. This is a completely baseless way to buying running shoes, as the foot type and other factors need to be taken into consideration.

The importance of choosing running shoes is that a bad shoe can cause many physical problems, either in the short term or the long term. You may be familiar with the sensation that comes when you run in shoes that are too tight around the toes, and this can lead to blisters and can even cause cramps. More serious injuries would have something to do with the ankle of the individual,Authentic NFL Jerseys as this also plays a major part.BlackBerry Wholesale

Some people have a different foot shape, and it is crucial for them to know how to measure shoe size to pick the best running shoe for themselves. Others may have a running style that is unconventional, and this will also require a special type of shoe that would suit this running style. The surface that one runs on is another factor that comes into play, as some running shoes are better for running on hard surfaces, whereas some are more useful on softer surfaces. You can also learn more about the best running shoes for women and running shoes for high arches.

How to Choose Running Shoes

The first thing that you should do is to avoid choosing running shoes from bargain sales. Here you may find shoes that are slightly defective, or you may even be compelled to opt for an inferior quality shoe. You must not hold back those few extra dollars when you are buying running shoes, because if you ignore this advice, you will develop an injury on your foot. Next, you need to understand the concept of pronation of the foot. Pronation is the way in which your foot lands on the ground while running, and how the weight is transferred from the heel to the toes.

Some people suffer from under-pronation (they put too much force on the outside of the heel), while some people suffer from over-pronation (the foot rolls too much and the inside of the foot bears maximum weight). By observing the sole of a shoe you have been using, you can determine which condition afflicts you. Take this old shoe to the shoe dealer if you must, and ask him to tell you the answer to this, as this will help you in choosing running shoes for yourself. There are specific shoe types for both condition that will be available in major shoe stores, and you will easily find running shoes for underpronators and running shoes for overpronators.

Some foot stores also help you determine your foot type, by wetting your feet and standing on a paper bag. According to the imprint that you leave, they will recommend certain types of shoes for you. They may charge you a bit of money for this, but this is not something you should be complaining about. They will also determine your gait and the manner in which you walk for this purpose. You will also easily find some running shoes for supinators.

Choosing Running Shoes Review

Once you have determined all these factors, you can choose an appropriate running shoe for yourself. You can buy shoes that are classified as overpronators (they will have a straight shape), or underpronators (they will have a curved shape) or normal shoes (that will have a semi-curved shape). The sales person at the specialty store will point out the various different models that are available to you. You must then proceed to try on these shoes, and then attempt running around in them a little bit. This is the only way to determine if you have chosen the right pair of shoes or not.

Some people have flat feet and still tend to overpronate in their steps. There are some motion control running shoes for flat feet that are perfect for this condition,Discount Ugg Boots and these should be your only choice. These are the most rigid and control-oriented shoes, and they will prevent your foot from rolling too far due to their inherent shape. Every major shoe manufacturer will have some models of motion control running shoes to choose from.

You must carry out the process of choosing running shoes with extreme care, as this can make a lot of difference. Consult a specialist if you have to, and do not be embarrassed by your attention to detail. After all, it is your foot and your physical well being that is at stake here.

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Racquetball Rules and Regulations

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Racquetball is a racquet sport in which competitors stand on either side of a court and use a racquet to hit and return a ball. It can be played by two people (singles) or four people (doubles). A single match of racquetball consists of 2 games of 15 points each. If each side wins 1 game,LED display then a third game is played for 11 points. Racquetball rules involve rules regarding servers, receivers and scoring. Read this article to understand the simple racquetball rules and you’ll soon be playing like a pro!

Racquetball Rules and Regulations

Here, some easy racquetball rules for dummies will be explained, so that you don’t look lost the next time racquetball comes up in a conversation. These racquetball tips help you build a good racquetball strategy to defeat your opponents too!

The Serve
The serve in racquetball is similar to tennis. Meaning, it is the first step of the game. The server is the person who serves the ball to the opposing person/team. The server is decided by the toss of a coin. In a doubles’ game, the first server remains the server throughout the game. The rules regarding serves are as follows. The server will not serve until the receiver is ready.The server can bounce the ball within the service zone (the area marked from the outer border and the service line) only thrice before serving. The serve must be such that it bounces on the serving zone floor once,wholesale edhardy touches the server’s racquet and then crosses the short (center line dividing the court) and proceeds to the front wall.Any other path that the ball may take as a result of the serve may be disqualified as a defective serve. These defective serves are deadball serves (hits the partner, impedes the eyeshot of the returning side or hits a random part of the court), fault serves (server or partner move out of service zone before the serve is completed, the ball does not cross the short line, hits the ceiling, reaches the back wall directly or goes out of the court) and out serves (server bounces ball more than thrice before serving, server misses to strike the ball in the first attempt, ball hits partner of server or any other part of the court before crossing the short line and in case of doubles, if a server serves out of order/turn).Returning the Serve
Once the server has served, the game continues by the receiving team, which returns the serve. The receiving side must keep the following points in mind while returning the serve. The receiver cannot hit the ball unless it crosses the short line. The receiver must be careful that no part of his body or his racquet crosses the receiving line, which is clearly marked on his side of the court.The only instance in which the receiver or his racquet can go beyond the receiving line (without breaking the short line’s plane), is, if the ball has been hit by him after rebounding from the back wall.When a receiver identifies and the referee calls a defective serve, the receiver must not strike the ball. The receiver must hit the ball after the first bounce after it crosses the short line or when it is on the fly (in the air before first bounce). No more than 1 bounce in the receiving side is permitted before returning the serve. Scoring
According to the official racquetball rules of USA Racquetball, only the serving side can score points.Polo Shoes This is done when it wins a rally (a continuous, uninterrupted play). A rally is lost if the following take place. The striker bounces the ball more then once before serving.A person switches the racquet holding hand. The ball hits any of the players.The ball goes into any area that is outside the marked court.A player misjudges the velocity of the ball and it hits him.A player carries or slings the ball with the racquet. A penalty hinder takes place. Hinders are any occurrences that put the game on hold. They may be avoidable (moving enough to let a partner take a shot, player being hit by ball after it is hit by his partner or when a player gets rough with an opponent) or dead ball (explained above). The ball hits the front wall, not on the fly, but by a player of the opposing team. If it is discovered that a player is not using a wrist safety cord. These were the racquetball rules in a nutshell. You’ll get good only with practice and you’ll get practice only after knowing the rules. So now that the first step is complete, go out there and enjoy this sport thoroughly!

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By making Weber State’s Tim Toone the last of 255 players selected in the 2010 draft

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

By making Weber State’s Tim Toone the last of 255 players selected in the 2010 draft, the Detroit Lions left another 1,100 hopefuls looking for work last week as roster building across the National Football League moved off Radio City Music Hall’s center stage and into the football community theater of the undrafted free agent — or UDFA — market.
Toone’s anointing as this year’s Mr. Irrelevant stands at a decided ridge-line in the NFL offseason. On the heels of the veteran free agency period, a record 45.4 million viewers tuned in to the three days of televised draft coverage, and 12,000 more filled Radio City Music Hall for the show. But once the curtains went down and the lights came up Saturday, the vitals of this UDFA class were entrusted to a handful of team websites and hardcore blogs smattered across the Internet.
This is NFL off-roading, as 32 teams race roughshod across the twilight side of the hill — and oftentimes each other — looking for the best of the rest. According to James Christensen of NE Patriots Draft — which, despite its name, is a nationally-acclaimed central repository of all UDFA signings — the first of the undrafteds was snatched amid the Mr. Irrelevant fanfare,NFL Jerseys China as the San Diego Chargers announced the signing of Tulane’s Jeremy Williams a mere five minutes after the last pick. NE Patriots Draft went on to report 275 UDFA signings before midnight Saturday. A process requiring three days to place 255 draftees had been surpassed in less than seven hours.
While it can be a whirlwind, this period also offers collateral benefits to the undrafted player, who is given a freedom of choice not enjoyed by his drafted peers. In his senior year at Boston College, Indianapolis Colts safety Jamie Silva earned first-team All-ACC and All-America honors, as well as the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl MVP. Despite a pedestrian 40-yard time at the NFL Combine, his accomplishments should have landed him as a late-rounder in the 2008 draft. Nonetheless, Silva’s name was never uttered from the Radio City Music Hall podium.
“It was disappointing the second day of the draft when names were getting called and mine wasn’t,” admits Silva. “There were guys getting called at the safety position I had never heard of. When you’re going into it as a player, you’re thinking, okay I’m probably listed as the number whatever safety, and you hope to go higher. I obviously dropped below that. It was kind of a letdown.”
His disappointment had a short shelf life, however, as Silva soon became a centerpiece in undrafted free agency. Eight teams immediately called on his services. “Once the last draft pick went, I started to get a lot of phone calls,” he recalls. “I’d be on the phone with one team, and they’re trying to sell their organization to me as another team is calling. It was pretty hectic for a while.”
Silva found himself with the opportunity to decide everything from where he’d work to what he’d be doing, and the chance to play for Tony Dungy in a Tampa-2 defense won the day. By contrast, the Oakland Raiders’ Darren McFadden, the fourth player drafted in Silva’s 2008 rookie class, had little choice; two years, five touchdowns, and eight fumbles later, he’s now cloaked in anonymity in a city and a system that hasn’t worked. For Silva, with so much so hastily thrown in his lap and eyes wide with wonder, he had to feel the choice from within. “There were teams putting the pressure on — some teams more so than others. I had to make a quick decision, and I felt that I couldn’t really go wrong with choosing the Indianapolis Colts.”
Of course, most UDFAs don’t have eight teams from which to select an employer. Many will be lucky to have even one. It’s not unusual for upfront interest to wither in the fickle suitor’s eye, and when it doesn’t, the road gets even rougher. Like the mountain banshees of Avatar, a team that has locked in on their UDFA will next try to kill him. There is no guaranteed roster spot accompanying this courtship. Some players will be expected to retool their games considerably, if not change positions altogether. Others will spend training camp as glorified tackling dummies for drafted and established players to demonstrate their worth.
Nor is there a $45 million contract laying in these weeds. Last year, in a CNBC Sports Biz column, Darren Rovell pegged the largest signing bonus among Silva’s 2008 UDFA peers at $23,000. As Rovell observed,Mauri Shoes these bonuses typically don’t equate to even a single year’s worth of scholarships, making the UDFA the NFL’s version of the unpaid intern. But just as legions line Wall Street for these opportunities in the corporate world, so do players in the NFL. Take Brown University’s Bobby Sewall.
Despite his blazing 4.4-second 40-yard Pro Day speed, the All-Ivy wide receiver had no misgivings about his draft status, even as sites like NFL Draft Scout projected him with sixth-round upside. “I’d just be happy to get on a team,” Sewall admitted in the days leading up to the 2010 draft. “It’s a lifelong dream of mine.”
Sewall was not invited to the NFL Combine and, as a Rhode Island resident, was limited to the lightly-scouted Pro Day held on Brown University’s Providence campus. Many teams never saw him work out. Nevertheless, interest was high, largely due to his athleticism and versatility. “I’m getting tons of calls from teams I didn’t work out for,” Sewall reported before last week’s draft, “Hopefully those numbers — 4.39, 41-inch vertical — show teams that I have the ability to play at this level.”
In college, Sewall played quarterback, tailback, and receiver, returned kicks, and even saw a few snaps on defense. “I pride myself in the ability to play multiple positions. I have a good football IQ. The more you can do, [the] more reasons to keep you around.”
And Sewall has another key resource in fellow Rhode Islander Jamie Silva, who knows first-hand the difficulty in securing a roster spot as an undrafted free agent, let alone one from his home state — only seven have produced fewer NFL players, and Silva is one of only three Rhode Islanders currently active in the league. It’s an albatross that can only be overcome with hard work and determination. That’s the message Silva will be spreading to local kids this June when he hosts his first youth football camp and seven-on-seven tournament in hometown East Providence, and it’s the same message he has for aspiring NFL players like Sewall. “I tell the younger guys going into camps to have confidence,” he says of his role as counselor. “They’re getting brought in for a reason. Play like you belong there.”
It looks like Sewall will get that chance; he went undrafted last weekend but signed on with the Tennessee Titans early Sunday afternoon. And when he reports to rookie camp in Nashville later this week, he’ll bring Silva’s advice with him.
“He said to get in there and work as hard as you can,” says Sewall.Cheap Wedding Apparel “‘You’ll realize there’s a lot more parity than you think between the big-name guys and small-school guys who may have been overlooked earlier on.’”
At one time, both Silva and Sewall would have preferred the distinction of draftee over UDFA, even if it meant playing for teams and in roles not of their choosing. But with the light of day following the long NFL roster-building process, they can each establish a legacy in what they leave on the field, not on what they didn’t take from Radio City Music Hall.

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Workers use shovels and rakes to look for tarballs

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

Workers use shovels and rakes to look for tarballs in the surf in mid-August in Longbeach, Miss. Tweet Digg
Spend some time on the Gulf Coast, and you’ll quickly find out that people are worried. They’re worried about the environmental effects of the BP oil spill,orgasm what 4.9 million bbl. of crude — and some 2 million gal. of chemical dispersants — might do to the coastline, the marshes and the underwater ecology of the Gulf of Mexico. They’re worried about the economic future of their region, whether fishing will ever bounce back, whether the tourists who stayed away from the Gulf Coast this summer will return once the spill has been cleaned up.
But they’re also worried about what the oil spill might be doing to them. Cleanup workers are worried about the effects of being around the spill, of breathing in oil fumes and handling tarballs. Diners are worried about whether Gulf seafood is safe to eat. Parents are worried about what the oil might do to sensitive children, whether there could be some long-term impacts that aren’t obvious right now. (See pictures of the oil spill’s victims.)
The government has tried to offer some assurance. The Food and Drug Administration is testing Gulf seafood and so far hasn’t found any evidence of lingering toxicity. The Environmental Protection Agency is testing air and water quality; again, so far, so good. President Barack Obama even took his family to the Florida panhandle for a brief vacation this past weekend and was photographed swimming in the Gulf. “Beaches all along the Gulf Coast are clean, they are safe, and they are open for business,” Obama told reporters on Aug. 14.
But as a new paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows, we still don’t have a very good fix on what the health impacts of such a major spill might be. Though we know that oil contains dangerous chemicals and carcinogens and that dispersants can be irritating, the truth is, we’re only now beginning to do the studies needed to get a complete idea of the total risks. “Previous studies of the health impacts of other oil spills have been pretty thin,” says Dr. Gina Solomon, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “There’s still a lot we don’t know.” (See 12 people to blame for the oil spill.)
What we do know is that exposure to fresh oil, especially in large quantities, can make people immediately sick. Oil contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene and toluene. Such VOCs evaporate relatively quickly once the oil hits the surface, but they can cause respiratory distress if people come into contact with them. Benzene is also a known carcinogen, though given how long the oil would have been on the water’s surface before it reached the coastline, it likely evaporated along the way. But other substances, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), can linger much longer. “Those are the sort of chemicals we might worry about,China Manufacturer and exporter of Jerseys, Nfl Jerseys, Sport Shoes, mlb jerseys, Nhl Jerseys, Clothing.” says Solomon. (Comment on this story.)
So far there haven’t been reports of major health impacts from the BP spill. The JAMA paper reports that in Louisiana during the early months of the spill, some 300 individuals — three-quarters of them oil-spill workers — sought medical care for symptoms like headaches, nausea,Reebok nfl jerseys chest pain and respiratory distress. As Solomon notes, many of those symptoms are typical of exposure to hydrocarbons, but it’s difficult for doctors to distinguish illnesses that might come from oil exposure from health problems that could have appeared for another reason. Cleanup workers in particular were laboring under difficult conditions, working outdoors in the brutally hot Gulf summer. Heat exhaustion and dehydration could explain some of those complaints, but without close studies, it’s hard to know for sure.
The problem is that there have been shockingly few studies done on the health impacts of previous oil spills. That includes the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill; though a great deal of research work has been done on the ecological impacts of the spill, comparatively little has gone into the long-term health effects on cleanup workers and residents. “The first thing we did when working on this paper was go back and look at what was done on the Exxon Valdez,” Solomon says. “I was shocked at how little there was.” Work done on other spills offers some areas of concern: researchers studying the 2002 Prestige spill in Spain found evidence of genetic damage among cleanup workers, though it’s not clear how serious that might be. (See more pictures of the Gulf oil spill.)
Beyond cleanup workers, Solomon has concerns about how seafood might be affected by the crude. Vertebrate species are generally able to filter out PAHs without too much trouble, but in invertebrates like oysters and shrimp, those chemicals can accumulate for years. That’s bad news for Louisiana, where shrimp and oysters are major parts of the seafood industry (though the FDA and EPA will be keeping close tabs on seafood quality).
As the spill winds down, what’s really needed are major studies that can provide firm answers on what health effects the spill is or isn’t having. The good news is that the National Institutes of Health is launching major studies on the spill, tracking thousands of cleanup workers. With the right methodology, those studies can help researchers discern which illnesses really can be traced back to the oil. Still, with the oil-spill battle lines shifting from the coasts to the courtroom as Gulf residents fight for compensation, any answer researchers come up with is likely to be controversial.
Watch TIME’s video “Portraits from the Oil Spill.”
See pictures of critters caught in the Gulf oil spill.

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