Sunday, September 26, 2010
Fundraising and Recruiting
I was pleasantly surprised at the similarities between recruiting and fundraising. I like the fact that this article shows the comparables between the two "professions". I would love to be a fundraising director at a college or to have my own business that did it for non-profit organizations. I think that if you can fundraise then their is always a job open for you. Every non-profit organization needs someone who can bring in the money especially when it is needed most. As the Intramural director for my college I was forced to do community involvment projects that purpose wat to raise money. It is all about who you know when it comes to this industry. When you know people who have money then you know a group that has money and then your in.
Endorsements
The celebrity that i find the most amusing with their endorsement deal is Jamie Lee Curtis and her endorsing pro-active. I think it is just funny that someone wants to promote good digestion. I am sure the money is worth it and all but do you really want your fans and family to refer to you as the "poop" lady. She goes from being an absolute Icon in the Halloween movies and is known as a talented actress to doing commercials for digestion. In my opinion she has fallen about as far as someone can fall. I am sure she can make the same amount of money endorsing something diffrent then yogurt that makes you regular. She is a very attractive woman and she could endorse clothes, cars, etc. The choices are really endless for her, but she chooses to do yogurt. Is she smart for doing this?
Saturday, September 25, 2010
WOW
SAN DIEGO – Aroldis Chapman(notes) was summoned from the bullpen one batter too late to make a difference in the game. No matter. The 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds left-hander made do by making history Friday night, throwing the fastest pitch recorded in a major league game, a 105-mph fastball.
The blazing pitch pushed a white-hot pennant race to the back burner. Yes, the San Diego Padres won the game 4-3 to pull ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League wild-card race. Sure, the San Francisco Giants all but buried the Colorado Rockies thanks to a dominant performance by Tim Lincecum(notes).
But the lingering memory was of a now-you-see-it, did-I-actually-see-it fastball to Tony Gwynn(notes) in the eighth inning. The pitch was not a fluke: Chapman threw 25 pitches in his 1 1/3 innings of relief, and every one was at least 100 mph. He didn’t throw a slider. He didn’t throw a changeup. Why would he?
From Walter Johnson to Bob Feller to Steve Dalkowski to J.R. Richard to Nolan Ryan to Stephen Strasburg, blistering velocity is etched forever in baseball lore. Rush Chapman to the head of the list. Has anybody in the history of the game had a comparable 25-pitch sequence?
“I didn’t see it until the ball was behind me,” Gwynn said. “I was trying not to look at the radar reading because I’d be intimidated. I saw how hard he was throwing and just tried to be slow and work my hands.”
The 105-mph pitch was inside for a ball and evened the count at 2-2. Gwynn had fouled off the previous two pitches and fouled off the next before striking out. He ought to be pleased with his effort, forcing Chapman to make seven pitches, the slowest of which was 102 mph.
Gwynn’s father, Tony, a Hall-of-Famer and one of baseball greatest hitters, never saw a pitch as fast as the one Chapman threw. Maybe nobody else has, either. Since radar guns were introduced in the 1980s, the fastest pitch recorded was 104.8 mph by Joel Zumaya(notes) of the Detroit Tigers in a playoff game Oct. 10, 2006. Chapman, who defected from the Cuban national team in 2009, was clocked at 104 on Sept. 1 in his second major league appearance and also hit 105 mph with a pitch for Triple-A Louisville earlier this season.
Chapman, speaking through an interpreter with bags of ice strapped across his arm, credited his stepped-up velocity Friday to the fact that he’d pitched only once in the last week. He didn’t allow an earned run in his first eight relief appearances after being promoted Aug. 31, but the Astros nicked him for two runs a week ago. He pitched a scoreless inning on Monday against the Brewers, then had three more days off.
“My arm had been a little sore and the rest helped,” he said. “I felt as good as I did a couple weeks ago. Not the best I’ve ever felt, but I felt good.”
Reds manager Dusty Baker appreciated the moment, but the loss grated on him. Chapman was warming up in the bullpen when Miguel Tejada(notes) delivered a bases-loaded, two-out single in the seventh against Nick Masset(notes) that drove in the Padres’ third and fourth runs. Chapman came in and struck out Adrian Gonzalez(notes) on three fastballs that registered 101, 102 and 103 mph.
Baker had been reluctant to summon Chapman to face Tejada with the bases loaded and the Reds holding a one-run lead, envisioning a wild pitch or a walk.
“A guy throwing that hard, looking back you can say I should have brought him in earlier, but he can’t pitch against everybody all the time,” Baker said.
Asked if that was the hardest he has seen Chapman throw by a small degree, Baker replied, “By a big degree.”
Padres officials said the stadium radar gun is not known for inordinately high readings, unlike the Fox TV gun that recorded Zumaya at 104.8. Chapman had three other pitches Friday clocked at 104 mph.
This wasn’t the first time Chapman had pitched at Petco Park. He started for the Cuban team in the World Baseball Classic in the spring of 2009 and was knocked out of the game in the third inning against Japan and took the loss. His fastest pitch was 101 mph.
“I’ve grown up and improved so much since then,” he said. “I remember that night and losing my composure a little. I couldn’t find the strike zone. That seems like a long time ago.”
After defecting during a tournament in the Netherlands in July 2009, Chapman signed a six-year, $30.25 million deal with the Reds in January. It was widely predicted that he would sign a much more lucrative deal with a deep-pocket team such as the Yankees or Red Sox, but some teams backed off because of concerns about his maturity.
“We’ve got to make bold moves sometimes,” Reds GM Walt Jocketty said at the time.
Now the signing looks genius. And maybe by the time the playoffs begin, Baker will go to Chapman earlier, even with the bases loaded.
“When a guy is throwing that hard, you feel sort of helpless,” Gwynn said. “We’re just glad we had enough runs to win before he came in the game.”
Ardolis Chapman's 25 pitches on Friday night (each registering 100 mph or faster, including his record-breaking 105 mph heater) must have been a blur to Padres batters.
(Christopher Hanewinckel/US Presswire)
(Christopher Hanewinckel/US Presswire)
But the lingering memory was of a now-you-see-it, did-I-actually-see-it fastball to Tony Gwynn(notes) in the eighth inning. The pitch was not a fluke: Chapman threw 25 pitches in his 1 1/3 innings of relief, and every one was at least 100 mph. He didn’t throw a slider. He didn’t throw a changeup. Why would he?
From Walter Johnson to Bob Feller to Steve Dalkowski to J.R. Richard to Nolan Ryan to Stephen Strasburg, blistering velocity is etched forever in baseball lore. Rush Chapman to the head of the list. Has anybody in the history of the game had a comparable 25-pitch sequence?
“I didn’t see it until the ball was behind me,” Gwynn said. “I was trying not to look at the radar reading because I’d be intimidated. I saw how hard he was throwing and just tried to be slow and work my hands.”
The 105-mph pitch was inside for a ball and evened the count at 2-2. Gwynn had fouled off the previous two pitches and fouled off the next before striking out. He ought to be pleased with his effort, forcing Chapman to make seven pitches, the slowest of which was 102 mph.
Gwynn’s father, Tony, a Hall-of-Famer and one of baseball greatest hitters, never saw a pitch as fast as the one Chapman threw. Maybe nobody else has, either. Since radar guns were introduced in the 1980s, the fastest pitch recorded was 104.8 mph by Joel Zumaya(notes) of the Detroit Tigers in a playoff game Oct. 10, 2006. Chapman, who defected from the Cuban national team in 2009, was clocked at 104 on Sept. 1 in his second major league appearance and also hit 105 mph with a pitch for Triple-A Louisville earlier this season.
Chapman, speaking through an interpreter with bags of ice strapped across his arm, credited his stepped-up velocity Friday to the fact that he’d pitched only once in the last week. He didn’t allow an earned run in his first eight relief appearances after being promoted Aug. 31, but the Astros nicked him for two runs a week ago. He pitched a scoreless inning on Monday against the Brewers, then had three more days off.
“My arm had been a little sore and the rest helped,” he said. “I felt as good as I did a couple weeks ago. Not the best I’ve ever felt, but I felt good.”
Reds manager Dusty Baker appreciated the moment, but the loss grated on him. Chapman was warming up in the bullpen when Miguel Tejada(notes) delivered a bases-loaded, two-out single in the seventh against Nick Masset(notes) that drove in the Padres’ third and fourth runs. Chapman came in and struck out Adrian Gonzalez(notes) on three fastballs that registered 101, 102 and 103 mph.
Baker had been reluctant to summon Chapman to face Tejada with the bases loaded and the Reds holding a one-run lead, envisioning a wild pitch or a walk.
“A guy throwing that hard, looking back you can say I should have brought him in earlier, but he can’t pitch against everybody all the time,” Baker said.
Asked if that was the hardest he has seen Chapman throw by a small degree, Baker replied, “By a big degree.”
| Fastest Recorded MLB Pitches | |||
| Name | Team | Year | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aroldis Chapman | Reds | 2010 | 105 |
| Joel Zumaya | Tigers | 2006 | 104.8 |
| Aroldis Chapman | Reds | 2010 | 104 |
| Mark Wohlers | Braves | 1995 | 103 |
| Armando Benitez | Giants | 2002 | 102 |
| Jonathan Broxton | Dodgers | 2009 | 102 |
| Neftali Feliz | Rangers | 2010 | 102 |
| Bobby Jenks | White Sox | 2005 | 102 |
| Randy Johnson | Diamondbacks | 2004 | 102 |
| Matt Lindstrom | Marlins | 2007 | 102 |
| Robb Nen | Marlins | 1997 | 102 |
| Justin Verlander | Tigers | 2007 | 102 |
Padres officials said the stadium radar gun is not known for inordinately high readings, unlike the Fox TV gun that recorded Zumaya at 104.8. Chapman had three other pitches Friday clocked at 104 mph.
This wasn’t the first time Chapman had pitched at Petco Park. He started for the Cuban team in the World Baseball Classic in the spring of 2009 and was knocked out of the game in the third inning against Japan and took the loss. His fastest pitch was 101 mph.
“I’ve grown up and improved so much since then,” he said. “I remember that night and losing my composure a little. I couldn’t find the strike zone. That seems like a long time ago.”
After defecting during a tournament in the Netherlands in July 2009, Chapman signed a six-year, $30.25 million deal with the Reds in January. It was widely predicted that he would sign a much more lucrative deal with a deep-pocket team such as the Yankees or Red Sox, but some teams backed off because of concerns about his maturity.
“We’ve got to make bold moves sometimes,” Reds GM Walt Jocketty said at the time.
Now the signing looks genius. And maybe by the time the playoffs begin, Baker will go to Chapman earlier, even with the bases loaded.
“When a guy is throwing that hard, you feel sort of helpless,” Gwynn said. “We’re just glad we had enough runs to win before he came in the game.”
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Olympics
Politically the olympics are a time for countries to flex there muscles. Each host city has the support of their entire country. With this support, the cities try to out due the previous year host city. The spend millions of dollars to show the world what they are as a country. The last olympics CHina went all out and really impressed the world with their culture, planning ability, and there athletes. There have been political statments throughout olympic history. There have been boycotts because of political relations between countries, terroist attacks, and even racial statements being made. My favorite olympic moment is when Jesse Owens went and took on the "Nazi power" sentiment. He faced every "white" person Germany could throw at him and he beat them away with his technique and speed. Hitler was forced to see a black person beating his Arian race concept first hand. This statement made a huge impression on everyone and it helped changed the way the world thought about blacks.
Playbooks
This blog is about something I think all high school coaches should begin to employ as soon as posible. As a high school athlete I remember coaches diagramming plays in basketball and football that were messy at best. Kids ran the wrong plays simply because they misread the scribbles that were on the the board.
Introduction
I am going to use a small high school in Northern California. I am encouraged that the athletic director and the the two major coaches are able to be present at this meeting. I ask both coaches to come up and diagram a very tricky play on the board. Then I call in some of their players and ask them to tell us what the plays were. 3 of the 10 get it completely right, but the other 7 make mistakes that could cost their respective teams some points in the long run. Both coaches have a sheepish kind of look and I explain the new technology that I want to employ.
Purpose and Goals for the System
I unveil what looks like a Kindle or an Ipad but it is only used by coaches. Coaches will submit their playbooks to an indepently owned company that will upload all their plays into the kindle. The Kindle can also be plugged into a larger TV so it is more usuable for teams. The plays will show all blocking assignments, motions, and even audible calls. The goal is to cut down on mistakes made by players and allow the coaches to trust their players knowing that they have all the information that they can have.
Product
THis a kindle device that has a teams playbook uploaded into its memory. It also has jacks that can make a regular TV play the information. It is slim and light weight so the coaches do not feel that they are carrying around a rock. We also know that coaches get animated and sometimes throw their teaching tools. That is why we are making these products with the same durable material that the military uses for their phones and laptops. These things are almost industructable. They are also waterproof for obvious reasons.
Features
Colors will be optional
Long Battery Life
WiFi capable
These are just the highpoints of the product for a complete listing of features please see your local reprsentative
Benefits Claimed
The benefits are for your team. The players will be able to say with confidence that they understand all the plays. Mistakes should be cut down by at least 50%. With mistakes cut back we can only see teams learning more and being able to be more competitive inside their respected sports.
Analysis of Performance
Since this is a new product we only have our sample audiences to pull information from. They have given us high remarks as of today and have not reported any "bugs" with the programming. We know that coaches will be worried about confidentiality and that is something we are working out with a lawyer as we speak.
Reccomendations
We recommend that your school purchases this product as soon as you can. COaches and players will need time to learn the program. It is an easy operating system and anyone who can work a computer will be able to learn this product quite quickly.
Introduction
I am going to use a small high school in Northern California. I am encouraged that the athletic director and the the two major coaches are able to be present at this meeting. I ask both coaches to come up and diagram a very tricky play on the board. Then I call in some of their players and ask them to tell us what the plays were. 3 of the 10 get it completely right, but the other 7 make mistakes that could cost their respective teams some points in the long run. Both coaches have a sheepish kind of look and I explain the new technology that I want to employ.
Purpose and Goals for the System
I unveil what looks like a Kindle or an Ipad but it is only used by coaches. Coaches will submit their playbooks to an indepently owned company that will upload all their plays into the kindle. The Kindle can also be plugged into a larger TV so it is more usuable for teams. The plays will show all blocking assignments, motions, and even audible calls. The goal is to cut down on mistakes made by players and allow the coaches to trust their players knowing that they have all the information that they can have.
Product
THis a kindle device that has a teams playbook uploaded into its memory. It also has jacks that can make a regular TV play the information. It is slim and light weight so the coaches do not feel that they are carrying around a rock. We also know that coaches get animated and sometimes throw their teaching tools. That is why we are making these products with the same durable material that the military uses for their phones and laptops. These things are almost industructable. They are also waterproof for obvious reasons.
Features
Colors will be optional
Long Battery Life
WiFi capable
These are just the highpoints of the product for a complete listing of features please see your local reprsentative
Benefits Claimed
The benefits are for your team. The players will be able to say with confidence that they understand all the plays. Mistakes should be cut down by at least 50%. With mistakes cut back we can only see teams learning more and being able to be more competitive inside their respected sports.
Analysis of Performance
Since this is a new product we only have our sample audiences to pull information from. They have given us high remarks as of today and have not reported any "bugs" with the programming. We know that coaches will be worried about confidentiality and that is something we are working out with a lawyer as we speak.
Reccomendations
We recommend that your school purchases this product as soon as you can. COaches and players will need time to learn the program. It is an easy operating system and anyone who can work a computer will be able to learn this product quite quickly.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
A True Hero
Brian Wood spent his life thrilling millions of faceless gamers, but his last moment was spent saving the lives of those he loved most.
Wood, a 33 year-old lead designer at popular game developer Relic Entertainment, was on his way back to his Washington home when his wagon was struck by an oncoming Chevy Blazer being driven by a 21 year-old woman believed to be driving under the influence. With his pregnant wife Erin in the passenger seat, Wood swerved his car to put himself directly in the path of the oncoming SUV -- a decision that ultimately cost him his life, but protected his wife and unborn child from harm. Two other passengers riding in the backseat of the Blazer were also killed.
"All the policeman say that if we had hit the car head-on all of us would be dead," Erin Wood told The Province. "At the very last second (Brian) braked really hard and turned right so that he would be put in the path of the SUV and not me and the baby, and that is the only thing that saved us both."
"He was always sacrificing himself for me and the baby," she added.
But while Wood's impossibly brave act left a permanent void in the life of Erin Wood, the same people who Brian strived to please with his work have returned the favor with a striking show of support for his bereaved widow.
A memorial trust was set up within days of the accident. Countless game developers, journalists and fans posted links on Twitter and Facebook, leading to literally thousands of supportive comments, messages and financial donations, prompting Wood to send an open letter to the gaming community to popular game blog Kotaku.
"Brian always told me about how close-knit and wonderful the video game community was, but I had no idea until this tragedy just how special a group it really is," she writes. "From all the articles and comments, to the emails and donations, I am simply stunned and so touched by the love, kindness, and generosity shown to me and my family."
At the time of his death, Brian Wood was working on Company of Heroes Online, a free-to-play version of Relic’s award-winning strategy game. It's currently in open beta-test.
To help Erin, please visit the Brian Wood Memorial Trust .
Wood, a 33 year-old lead designer at popular game developer Relic Entertainment, was on his way back to his Washington home when his wagon was struck by an oncoming Chevy Blazer being driven by a 21 year-old woman believed to be driving under the influence. With his pregnant wife Erin in the passenger seat, Wood swerved his car to put himself directly in the path of the oncoming SUV -- a decision that ultimately cost him his life, but protected his wife and unborn child from harm. Two other passengers riding in the backseat of the Blazer were also killed.
"All the policeman say that if we had hit the car head-on all of us would be dead," Erin Wood told The Province. "At the very last second (Brian) braked really hard and turned right so that he would be put in the path of the SUV and not me and the baby, and that is the only thing that saved us both."
"He was always sacrificing himself for me and the baby," she added.
But while Wood's impossibly brave act left a permanent void in the life of Erin Wood, the same people who Brian strived to please with his work have returned the favor with a striking show of support for his bereaved widow.
A memorial trust was set up within days of the accident. Countless game developers, journalists and fans posted links on Twitter and Facebook, leading to literally thousands of supportive comments, messages and financial donations, prompting Wood to send an open letter to the gaming community to popular game blog Kotaku.
"Brian always told me about how close-knit and wonderful the video game community was, but I had no idea until this tragedy just how special a group it really is," she writes. "From all the articles and comments, to the emails and donations, I am simply stunned and so touched by the love, kindness, and generosity shown to me and my family."
At the time of his death, Brian Wood was working on Company of Heroes Online, a free-to-play version of Relic’s award-winning strategy game. It's currently in open beta-test.
To help Erin, please visit the Brian Wood Memorial Trust .
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Does this make sense to you?
Wed Sep 15 06:23am PDT
Clijsters drops two spots in rankings after winning Open
Kim Clijsters got some nice parting gifts for winning the U.S. Open: a check for $2.2 million, a nice, shiny trophy, a hug from her daughter and a two-spot drop in the rankings.
Yeah, you read that correctly. After winning the biggest event in the sport, Clijsters slipped from No. 3 to No. 5 in the WTA rankings. Here's how it went down:
Clijsters earned 2,000 rankings points for winning this year's tournament, but it had no net effect on her old ranking because she was defending 2,000 points via her win in '09. No matter what she did in New York, she couldn't earn any more points.
Vera Zvonareva and Venus Williams could though. Both players were bounced in the fourth round of last year's tournament and earned 280 points in the WTA rankings as a result. This year Venus made the semifinals and Vera advanced to the finals, gaining 620 and 1,120 points, respectively. This enabled both players to catapult past Clijsters.
The lesson to be learned here is the same as always: Rankings don't mean a thing
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