QuickSilver Controls new 48 page catalog provides a review of the full range of QuickSilver's motors, drives, and controls that feature their high pole count, 2phase permanent magnet motors when operated in a vector control made as a full 4 quadrant servo motor system. QuickSilver's electronic drives and controls utilize size 17, 23, and 34 hybrid step motors as full brushless servo motors. Copious motor performance torque-speed curves are supplied.
Continuous torque for the smaller Size 17 brushless PM motors starts at 35 oz-in at 900 rpm (35 watts) duty up to 700 oz-in at 1500 rpm (700 watts) for the Size 34 brushless servo motor. Maximum speeds are 4000 rpm. The SilverDust controls product line RS232, RS435, and CANopen protocols with Ethernet and Modbus TCP as an option. Voltages range from 3.5 amps in the smaller Size 17 and 23 SilverDust drives and up to 10 amps in the large Size 34. Typical input voltages are 12 vdc to 48 vdc.
The SilverDust controller uses sophisticated motion control algorithms to maximize the high torque capability and properly handle very high load inertias reaching 100:1 inertia mismatch.
2011年6月29日星期三
Sean McKeever Talks About Upcoming Marvel Trading Cards "The Avengers Kree-Skrull War"
"This July Marvel and Upper Deack are coming together and releasing five new comics that took place during the Kree-Skrull War. But these comics are going to be told through the trading cards and are apart of real comics continuity.And they are written by Fear Itself author Sean McKeever It will be a 190 card set and will have these stories for you to put together":
- The Sacrifice, a 20-page story that focuses on Cap, Thor, Iron Man and Vision, with art by Manuel Garcia.
- Power, a four-page story about Super-Skrull with art by Carlos Paul.
- The Debt, which tells a story of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in an eight-page comic drawn by Andy Smith.
- The Fall, which is about Nick Fury and features six pages of art by Allan Patrick.
- Soldier's Honor, a four-page story that focuses on Captain America and has art by Fabio Jansen.
and more in over 40 pgs. of comics on trading cards.
"Each card has a front and back, with nine cards fitting together to make a two-sided page. The cards will be sold with nine cards per $3 pack, and 24 packs per box. Upper Deck will also have additional insert cards in the collection, including "cover art" for the stories."
Newsarama: OK, Sean, when this was announced, it sounded more like it was about the cards instead of a real comic. But I guess since they got a real comic writer to do this, it's legit?
Sean McKeever: It is! It's a real Marvel comic. It's the first time Marvel has done something like this, and it's part of continuity. And it ties into a major storyline, with the Kree-Skrull War.
Nrama: How does it tie into the Kree-Skrull War?
McKeever: The great thing about Kree-Skrull War is that it started out in smaller stories that were hinting it, but then it grew more and more epic in scale.
So if you read the story, there are a lot of personal stories, and then once it gets big, there are a lot things going on in different places, like the big battle between some of the Avengers and the Skrull armada, and then there's Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch trapped on the Skrull homeworld.
So as they're jumping around from issue to issue, from one place to another, editor Bill Rosemann and I found these gaps in the story. And we thought, well what happens during that time? What can glean more insight into the story, and also glean more insight into the characters during that time period?
- The Sacrifice, a 20-page story that focuses on Cap, Thor, Iron Man and Vision, with art by Manuel Garcia.
- Power, a four-page story about Super-Skrull with art by Carlos Paul.
- The Debt, which tells a story of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in an eight-page comic drawn by Andy Smith.
- The Fall, which is about Nick Fury and features six pages of art by Allan Patrick.
- Soldier's Honor, a four-page story that focuses on Captain America and has art by Fabio Jansen.
and more in over 40 pgs. of comics on trading cards.
"Each card has a front and back, with nine cards fitting together to make a two-sided page. The cards will be sold with nine cards per $3 pack, and 24 packs per box. Upper Deck will also have additional insert cards in the collection, including "cover art" for the stories."
Newsarama: OK, Sean, when this was announced, it sounded more like it was about the cards instead of a real comic. But I guess since they got a real comic writer to do this, it's legit?
Sean McKeever: It is! It's a real Marvel comic. It's the first time Marvel has done something like this, and it's part of continuity. And it ties into a major storyline, with the Kree-Skrull War.
Nrama: How does it tie into the Kree-Skrull War?
McKeever: The great thing about Kree-Skrull War is that it started out in smaller stories that were hinting it, but then it grew more and more epic in scale.
So if you read the story, there are a lot of personal stories, and then once it gets big, there are a lot things going on in different places, like the big battle between some of the Avengers and the Skrull armada, and then there's Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch trapped on the Skrull homeworld.
So as they're jumping around from issue to issue, from one place to another, editor Bill Rosemann and I found these gaps in the story. And we thought, well what happens during that time? What can glean more insight into the story, and also glean more insight into the characters during that time period?
2011年6月26日星期日
This story begins during the Gold Rush
The Gold Rush … many men joined it. And the stories of the land, the climate, the possibilities of this new area, were also reasons for migration. Did the women want to come to California? Or, were they just expected to come with their husbands?
Helen Wilmans was born June 14, 1831, in Fairfield, Ill. She was raised in an atmosphere of aristocracy, her ancestors being very wealthy. She was highly intelligent, a college graduate, and valedictorian of her college class.
In later life she was an American journalist, publisher and the leader of the mental science movement which stressed control of mind over matter. She started her own paper, The Woman’s World, and published a weekly magazine, Freedom.
She married, in 1856, John Caldwell, Baker, M.D. She may have expected to live a comfortable life as a doctor’s wife, somewhere in the eastern or Midwestern states.
But Dr. Baker got caught up in the stories of California, where Helen was taken as a bride. Dr. Baker purchased part of a Spanish grant in Solano County and they are listed in the 1860 census as living in Suisun, Solano County.
By 1870, Dr. Baker and his family, which now included four children, Ada, Florence, Claude and Jennie, had relocated to Lake County. Their property was located at the western edge of Morgan Valley and five miles from the closest community of Lower Lake. There, they farmed and Dr. Baker had Baker Quicksilver Mine.
In her book, “The Conquest of Poverty,” Helen wrote: “I was tortured day and night by fear of actual want. Where the next dollar was to come from was my continual thought. It was the last thing in my thought at night; it haunted my dreams, and in the morning I would be awakened by becoming gradually conscious of a weight at my heart. Arising and sitting on the side of my bed the day would face me with threats that I had no courage to meet. A thousand times in my weakness and inability to resist the present, my tears would fall all the minutes I was hastening to clothe myself. There was no valid reason for all this torture except that which existed in my mind. I had been so unappreciated that I had come to regard myself as an inferior creature. But at last my reasoning powers showed signs of awakening and I began to see light.”
Helen went on to write that she was a farmer’s wife and had done her work without flinching, although they lost money each year, and the place was mortgaged and finally sold for debt. It’s hard to say just what caused her to make her next move; it’s not known exactly when she did. Perhaps it was with the death of her youngest child, Jennie, in 1877. That might have been the final push. (She never mentions her children in this book.)
But, on a certain day she stood on a roadside with all of her possessions in a valise, waiting for a wagon to come along that would carry her into Lower Lake. She had no money and no idea of how she was going to live. She was going to San Francisco and intended to find work that was more meaningful than the work she had been doing for more than 20 years.
When she reached Lower Lake, a place where everyone knew her, she tried to borrow $10 to pay her traveling expenses to San Francisco. She asked one friend after another only to be refused; some of them did not have the money; others were afraid to do so.
She went through the streets until 9 p.m. when she saw a light in the village shoemaker’s rooms. Both the man and his wife were startled, and Helen believed that she frightened them out of that $10.
After spending the night with a friend in Lower Lake she was on the stage for San Francisco the next morning. She found a place to live, which took the last of the $10, and went without anything to eat for a full three days.
She found work in a little newspaper, but it went out of business after about six months. She found work with another paper and moved steadily upward. After two or three years, a large Chicago paper, the Chicago Express, hired her at an excellent salary and she moved there.
In the meantime, back in Lake County, Dr. Baker had divorced her Nov. 18, 1879. What seems strange is that in the 1880 census, she is listed as living with him (both listed as divorced), which may just mean that he still considered his wife. Who knows?
In Chicago Helen started The Woman’s World and became the founder of the school of Mental Science. She met Charles C. Post, a writer and someone who thought as she did. They married and later moved south to Georgia, where they lived for five years, and then in 1892 moved to Volusia County, Fla.
In 1895 Charles Post and Charles Ballough, who had homesteaded an area which at that time was known as Halifax, platted the property into town lots. Helen Post named it “The City Beautiful,” but was really originally called East Daytona.
In 1897 the settlers of East Daytona, who at the time outnumbered those of the settlement to the south, successfully petitioned to have the Peninsula's post office moved to their area.
Glastonbury Festival
Unlike the apocryphal Inuit vocabulary for snow, the English language does not have enough words to describe the many varieties of mud. Nowhere was this lack more in evidence than at Glastonbury.
Softened by wet weather in the weeks preceding the festival and host to rain on Friday, the Somerset site was churned into a quagmire by 177,000 pairs of boots. Connoisseurs of mud had a field day. There was sticky mud that felt like you were walking through molasses; slippy mud that felt like you were walking on ice; oozy mud that gathered in treacherous lakes; and stray mud that insinuated itself into your sleeping bag. It was, in short, a very muddy experience.
Please respect FT.com's ts&cs and copyright policy which allow you to: share links; copy content for personal use; & redistribute limited extracts. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights or use this link to reference the article - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/54aa47e0-a00b-11e0-a115-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1QR5bz9SW
The wretched conditions called for an anthem-friendly rock band to make the wet huddled masses gaze heavenwards and think inspiring thoughts. By chance, Glastonbury had two on hand: U2, who headlined the Pyramid stage on Friday, and Coldplay, who followed on Saturday. (The final headliner was Beyoncé, who was due to close the festival last night, the first woman to headline Glastonbury in its 41-year history. A Financial Times review of her show will be published tomorrow.)
U2’s set was stripped-down and forthright, the work of a band with a point to prove. The Irish foursome had flown in especially from the US where they are on their “360 Degree” world tour. They were booked to play Glastonbury last year but had to pull out after Bono injured his back.
The singer’s vertebrae aren’t the only sign of frailty in the U2 behemoth. The album they’re working on has been pushed back to next year after initial recording sessions didn’t work out, and they’ve been under fire for moving part of their business affairs from Ireland to a lower tax jurisdiction in the Netherlands, leading tax-avoidance protesters to threaten to disrupt their performance.
The protest duly materialised with an inflatable balloon reading “U Pay Tax 2” appearing during the opening song, but it deflated after a violent intervention by security staff. The usually loquacious Bono made no allusion to the subject. “Have you come here to ask forgiveness?” he sang cryptically during “One”, rain splashing his sunglasses. Incandescent guitar playing from The Edge lit up the damp scene. Without the high-tech stagecraft of their usual shows the quartet were focused and hungry. But the heavy-handed suppression of the protesters left a sour taste. Glastonbury’s reputation as a haven for freethinking was dented.
Friday’s surprise was an unannounced show by Radiohead on a small stage in a far-flung part of the site, playing a low-key set drawing on their new album The King of Limbs. It was an ill-kept secret, however; the space was overwhelmed and many disconsolate festivalgoers were turned away.
The weather added to the downcast mood. Getting wet and cold sharpens one’s temper towards pop stars, with their comfortable dressing rooms. When Bobby Gillespie moaned, “C’mon Glastonbury, you can do better than that,” during Primal Scream’s underwhelming set you wished someone would unfurl a banner reading “So can you”.
Succour came from an unlikely quarter. Hardcore New York rappers The Wu Tang Clan are about as far from Glastonbury’s touchy-feely image as it’s possible to get without being arrested, but they strong-armed an initially lukewarm audience into submission with a belligerent hip-hop masterclass at the Pyramid stage, led by chief rapper Method Man, a mud-defying spectacle in box-fresh white trainers and white towelling robe.
The weather picked up on Saturday. The mud, however, remained. Jessie J performed sitting on a throne, lame with a broken foot. Both the singer’s chutzpah and her immobility summed up the festival, hobbled by the mudbath but making the best of it. A Stonehenge of discarded Wellington boots appeared in the dance area. Elsewhere some wag placed banana peel on an evil-looking slick of mud, cordoned it off and left a sign reading “Caution: slip hazard”.
When sunshine finally appeared on Saturday afternoon, the atmosphere was transformed. At the West Holts stage, one of Syria’s most popular singers, Omar Souleyman, performed a vibrant set mixing up-tempo dance beats with traditional Arab music. There was no mention of the unrest roiling his nation. Janelle Monáe played her quicksilver R&B as the sun set. The uplift in mood extended to the mercurial dub reggae pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry: the 75-year-old was reluctant to leave the stage after his pulsating midnight show.
After nightfall, the Pyramid stage looked majestic. A light beamed into the night sky from the apex of the pyramid and flares were let off. It was an open goal for headliners Coldplay and they didn’t miss; but nor did they execute it very memorably. Chris Martin’s yearning falsetto pressed the right buttons but the sense of transcendence they engendered felt too formulaic, too easily won.
Mud-spattered festivalgoers deserved better – and they got it from Pulp, Saturday’s secret guests. Led by an irrepressible Jarvis Cocker, the reformed Britpop band played a well-judged mix of rarities and hits, climaxing with a stirring rendition of “Common People”. The audience sang each word with Cocker before streaming off into the night. It was the moment of renewal for which Glastonbury was crying out.
Softened by wet weather in the weeks preceding the festival and host to rain on Friday, the Somerset site was churned into a quagmire by 177,000 pairs of boots. Connoisseurs of mud had a field day. There was sticky mud that felt like you were walking through molasses; slippy mud that felt like you were walking on ice; oozy mud that gathered in treacherous lakes; and stray mud that insinuated itself into your sleeping bag. It was, in short, a very muddy experience.
Please respect FT.com's ts&cs and copyright policy which allow you to: share links; copy content for personal use; & redistribute limited extracts. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights or use this link to reference the article - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/54aa47e0-a00b-11e0-a115-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1QR5bz9SW
The wretched conditions called for an anthem-friendly rock band to make the wet huddled masses gaze heavenwards and think inspiring thoughts. By chance, Glastonbury had two on hand: U2, who headlined the Pyramid stage on Friday, and Coldplay, who followed on Saturday. (The final headliner was Beyoncé, who was due to close the festival last night, the first woman to headline Glastonbury in its 41-year history. A Financial Times review of her show will be published tomorrow.)
U2’s set was stripped-down and forthright, the work of a band with a point to prove. The Irish foursome had flown in especially from the US where they are on their “360 Degree” world tour. They were booked to play Glastonbury last year but had to pull out after Bono injured his back.
The singer’s vertebrae aren’t the only sign of frailty in the U2 behemoth. The album they’re working on has been pushed back to next year after initial recording sessions didn’t work out, and they’ve been under fire for moving part of their business affairs from Ireland to a lower tax jurisdiction in the Netherlands, leading tax-avoidance protesters to threaten to disrupt their performance.
The protest duly materialised with an inflatable balloon reading “U Pay Tax 2” appearing during the opening song, but it deflated after a violent intervention by security staff. The usually loquacious Bono made no allusion to the subject. “Have you come here to ask forgiveness?” he sang cryptically during “One”, rain splashing his sunglasses. Incandescent guitar playing from The Edge lit up the damp scene. Without the high-tech stagecraft of their usual shows the quartet were focused and hungry. But the heavy-handed suppression of the protesters left a sour taste. Glastonbury’s reputation as a haven for freethinking was dented.
Friday’s surprise was an unannounced show by Radiohead on a small stage in a far-flung part of the site, playing a low-key set drawing on their new album The King of Limbs. It was an ill-kept secret, however; the space was overwhelmed and many disconsolate festivalgoers were turned away.
The weather added to the downcast mood. Getting wet and cold sharpens one’s temper towards pop stars, with their comfortable dressing rooms. When Bobby Gillespie moaned, “C’mon Glastonbury, you can do better than that,” during Primal Scream’s underwhelming set you wished someone would unfurl a banner reading “So can you”.
Succour came from an unlikely quarter. Hardcore New York rappers The Wu Tang Clan are about as far from Glastonbury’s touchy-feely image as it’s possible to get without being arrested, but they strong-armed an initially lukewarm audience into submission with a belligerent hip-hop masterclass at the Pyramid stage, led by chief rapper Method Man, a mud-defying spectacle in box-fresh white trainers and white towelling robe.
The weather picked up on Saturday. The mud, however, remained. Jessie J performed sitting on a throne, lame with a broken foot. Both the singer’s chutzpah and her immobility summed up the festival, hobbled by the mudbath but making the best of it. A Stonehenge of discarded Wellington boots appeared in the dance area. Elsewhere some wag placed banana peel on an evil-looking slick of mud, cordoned it off and left a sign reading “Caution: slip hazard”.
When sunshine finally appeared on Saturday afternoon, the atmosphere was transformed. At the West Holts stage, one of Syria’s most popular singers, Omar Souleyman, performed a vibrant set mixing up-tempo dance beats with traditional Arab music. There was no mention of the unrest roiling his nation. Janelle Monáe played her quicksilver R&B as the sun set. The uplift in mood extended to the mercurial dub reggae pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry: the 75-year-old was reluctant to leave the stage after his pulsating midnight show.
After nightfall, the Pyramid stage looked majestic. A light beamed into the night sky from the apex of the pyramid and flares were let off. It was an open goal for headliners Coldplay and they didn’t miss; but nor did they execute it very memorably. Chris Martin’s yearning falsetto pressed the right buttons but the sense of transcendence they engendered felt too formulaic, too easily won.
Mud-spattered festivalgoers deserved better – and they got it from Pulp, Saturday’s secret guests. Led by an irrepressible Jarvis Cocker, the reformed Britpop band played a well-judged mix of rarities and hits, climaxing with a stirring rendition of “Common People”. The audience sang each word with Cocker before streaming off into the night. It was the moment of renewal for which Glastonbury was crying out.
2011年6月22日星期三
Waves softball teams all finish second
All three Half Moon Bay Wave softball teams finished second in their respective age divisions at the Salinas Tournament, held over the weekend.
The 16-and-under team fell to San Carlos, 10-4, in the title game.
The Waves scored all of their runs in the sixth inning. Abbey Donovan knocked in one run with a triple. She scored moments later on Katie Carlevaris' single.
The Waves made it to the finals with a 3-2 win over Fremont. Fremont entered the game undefeated, including an 8-3 win over Half Moon Bay at the start of pool play Saturday. Harlee Donovan's run-scoring triple scored Carlevaris with the game-winning run.
Morgan Jones picked up the win. She retired the final five batters to get the win.
Half Moon Bay rolled San Jose, 10-2, in the quarterfinals.
Lead-off hitter Chandra Anderson was 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Stevie Hallgren singled twice and scored three runs.
Harlee Donovan hit a three-run homer. Cassidy Brazil doubled. Monica DiMartino scored twice.
Half Moon Bay went 1-2 in pool play. Its lone win was a 4-2 win over Cabrillo in the final pool game Saturday night. The Waves picked up three hits, but took advantage of five errors and two walks.
Half Moon Bay was limited to three hits in a 9-3 loss to Carmel. In the loss to Fremont, Harlee Donovan collected two hits, including a triple, and scored.
12 Waves
Scotts Valley rallied for two runs in the seventh to beat the Waves, 8-7, in the title game.
Madison Rice paced the offense. She scored and drove in a run.
Allyson Sarabia singled and drove in two runs. Angela Brazil collected two hits, including a triple, and scored three runs. Olivia Hedding singled and scored twice.
Half Moon Bay knocked off Hollister in the semifinals, 7-3. Hedding paced the Waves with two hits. She scored along with Sarabia, Rice, Alexis Gonzalez, Willow Gelphman, Sophia Padua and Brigitte Canty. Padua keyed the five-run rally in the fourth with a two-run single.
Half Moon Bay powered past the Renegades, 10-3, in the quarterfinals.
Brazil was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Canty and Sarabia each collected two hits, with Sarabia driving in two runs. Carolyn Inglis scored twice.
Half Moon Bay went 1-0-1 in pool play. The Waves knocked off Spirit of Morgan Hill, 9-3. Brazil was once again 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Hedding and Sarabia both went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Sarabia tripled twice.
Half Moon Bay concluded pool play with a 6-6 tie with Cabrillo.
Gelphman got two of Half Moon Bay's nine hits. Grace Falvey hit a run-scoring triple. She scored on an infield out by Brazil. Sarabia added a two-run triple.
10 Waves
Half Moon Bay's offense was in evidence until a 2-0 loss to Quicksilver in the title game.
The Waves were limited to a base runner in that game.
In the first four games of the tournament, Half Moon Bay had 38 hits.
Half Moon Bay picked up nine hits in a 10-0 win over the Chaos. Winning pitcher Grace Garcia helped her own cause with two hits, including a home run. Kathryn Caravalho added two hits. Lily Moffitt doubled. Garcia fired a no-hitter, striking out nine and walking one.
The Waves biggest explosion came in the quarterfinals, where they pounded out 14 hits and their way to a 16-0 win over Hollister.
Garcia picked up three hits with Myranda Rivera, Marissa Terra and Riley Donovan each getting two hits. Terra homered and doubled, Riley also doubled, as did Jerika D'Acquisto.
Garcia threw a non-hitter, striking out seven, while walking two and hitting a batter. Garcia caught a pop and threw to Caravalho at first for a double play.
Pool play began with an 11-1 win over the Pleasant on Phantom. Donovan paced the offense with two hits.
That was followed by a 7-2 win over the Chaos. Terra, Garcia and Moffitt combined to get seven of Half Moon Bay's nine hits.
The 16-and-under team fell to San Carlos, 10-4, in the title game.
The Waves scored all of their runs in the sixth inning. Abbey Donovan knocked in one run with a triple. She scored moments later on Katie Carlevaris' single.
The Waves made it to the finals with a 3-2 win over Fremont. Fremont entered the game undefeated, including an 8-3 win over Half Moon Bay at the start of pool play Saturday. Harlee Donovan's run-scoring triple scored Carlevaris with the game-winning run.
Morgan Jones picked up the win. She retired the final five batters to get the win.
Half Moon Bay rolled San Jose, 10-2, in the quarterfinals.
Lead-off hitter Chandra Anderson was 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Stevie Hallgren singled twice and scored three runs.
Harlee Donovan hit a three-run homer. Cassidy Brazil doubled. Monica DiMartino scored twice.
Half Moon Bay went 1-2 in pool play. Its lone win was a 4-2 win over Cabrillo in the final pool game Saturday night. The Waves picked up three hits, but took advantage of five errors and two walks.
Half Moon Bay was limited to three hits in a 9-3 loss to Carmel. In the loss to Fremont, Harlee Donovan collected two hits, including a triple, and scored.
12 Waves
Scotts Valley rallied for two runs in the seventh to beat the Waves, 8-7, in the title game.
Madison Rice paced the offense. She scored and drove in a run.
Allyson Sarabia singled and drove in two runs. Angela Brazil collected two hits, including a triple, and scored three runs. Olivia Hedding singled and scored twice.
Half Moon Bay knocked off Hollister in the semifinals, 7-3. Hedding paced the Waves with two hits. She scored along with Sarabia, Rice, Alexis Gonzalez, Willow Gelphman, Sophia Padua and Brigitte Canty. Padua keyed the five-run rally in the fourth with a two-run single.
Half Moon Bay powered past the Renegades, 10-3, in the quarterfinals.
Brazil was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Canty and Sarabia each collected two hits, with Sarabia driving in two runs. Carolyn Inglis scored twice.
Half Moon Bay went 1-0-1 in pool play. The Waves knocked off Spirit of Morgan Hill, 9-3. Brazil was once again 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Hedding and Sarabia both went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Sarabia tripled twice.
Half Moon Bay concluded pool play with a 6-6 tie with Cabrillo.
Gelphman got two of Half Moon Bay's nine hits. Grace Falvey hit a run-scoring triple. She scored on an infield out by Brazil. Sarabia added a two-run triple.
10 Waves
Half Moon Bay's offense was in evidence until a 2-0 loss to Quicksilver in the title game.
The Waves were limited to a base runner in that game.
In the first four games of the tournament, Half Moon Bay had 38 hits.
Half Moon Bay picked up nine hits in a 10-0 win over the Chaos. Winning pitcher Grace Garcia helped her own cause with two hits, including a home run. Kathryn Caravalho added two hits. Lily Moffitt doubled. Garcia fired a no-hitter, striking out nine and walking one.
The Waves biggest explosion came in the quarterfinals, where they pounded out 14 hits and their way to a 16-0 win over Hollister.
Garcia picked up three hits with Myranda Rivera, Marissa Terra and Riley Donovan each getting two hits. Terra homered and doubled, Riley also doubled, as did Jerika D'Acquisto.
Garcia threw a non-hitter, striking out seven, while walking two and hitting a batter. Garcia caught a pop and threw to Caravalho at first for a double play.
Pool play began with an 11-1 win over the Pleasant on Phantom. Donovan paced the offense with two hits.
That was followed by a 7-2 win over the Chaos. Terra, Garcia and Moffitt combined to get seven of Half Moon Bay's nine hits.
Bulls and Bears on the Trenches - Quicksilver Resources
Shares of Quicksilver Resources Inc. (NYSE:KWK) closed the trading day higher by $0.06 or 0.4% from its previous close. Quicksilver's shares price action formed what is considered to be a doji close, where the open and close prices are very close to each other, mainly signaling an indecision between buyers and sellers.
Quicksilver Resources Inc. (NYSE:KWK) is an exploration and production company engaged in the development and production of long-lived natural gas and oil properties onshore North America. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, the company is widely recognized as a leader in the development and production of natural gas from unconventional reservoirs including shale gas, coal bed methane and tight gas sands.
Quicksilver's current stock range is defined by a trough, which marks calculated support at $14.46 and by a peak that marked the resistance point at $15.29. These levels are closely watched by traders managing their positions.
Traders wanting to establish a position in Quicksilver Resources or traders that are already holding the stock can use the doji close to their advantage, since the pattern present a short term pause in the stock's price action. This pause results in an entry point for traders depending of which way the stock resolves this short term indecision.
Doji are important candlesticks that provide information on their own and as components in a number of important patterns. Doji form when a security's open and close are virtually equal. The length of the upper and lower shadows can vary and the resulting candlestick looks like a cross, inverted cross or plus sign. Alone, doji are neutral patterns.
Any bullish or bearish bias is based on preceding price action and future confirmation. In the case of Quicksilver Resources, given that the stock finished the session higher, bulls should monitor their positions for confirmation that stock will continue higher by taking today's intraday high.
Quicksilver Resources Inc. (NYSE:KWK) is an exploration and production company engaged in the development and production of long-lived natural gas and oil properties onshore North America. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, the company is widely recognized as a leader in the development and production of natural gas from unconventional reservoirs including shale gas, coal bed methane and tight gas sands.
Quicksilver's current stock range is defined by a trough, which marks calculated support at $14.46 and by a peak that marked the resistance point at $15.29. These levels are closely watched by traders managing their positions.
Traders wanting to establish a position in Quicksilver Resources or traders that are already holding the stock can use the doji close to their advantage, since the pattern present a short term pause in the stock's price action. This pause results in an entry point for traders depending of which way the stock resolves this short term indecision.
Doji are important candlesticks that provide information on their own and as components in a number of important patterns. Doji form when a security's open and close are virtually equal. The length of the upper and lower shadows can vary and the resulting candlestick looks like a cross, inverted cross or plus sign. Alone, doji are neutral patterns.
Any bullish or bearish bias is based on preceding price action and future confirmation. In the case of Quicksilver Resources, given that the stock finished the session higher, bulls should monitor their positions for confirmation that stock will continue higher by taking today's intraday high.
2011年6月20日星期一
Changing fortunes of a mercurial asset manager
Divine messenger and god of commerce and trade, closest planet to the sun and quicksilver metal. The investment firm Mercury, at one time one of the biggest names in European asset management, shared characteristics of sublimity, overheating and capriciousness with its namesakes. In 2001 it was almost brought to its knees by a negligence lawsuit, mass defections of star managers and an exodus of clients.
Just three years after Merrill Lynch bought Mercury Asset Management for £3.1bn, or £17 a share in 1997, the investment business that grew out of SG Warburg in the 1960s and floated on the London stock market in 1987 for 90p a share, was heading for ruin.
Poor performance struck, Mercury fought and then settled a lawsuit by its client Unilever, 40% of the 200 Mercury managers who had been made millionaires in the Merrill takeover had left, and half its business walked out of the door. When co-heads Carol Galley and Stephen Zimmerman stepped down, few thought it would recover.
But after another three years it had done just that, and in 2006, BlackRock issued shares worth £9.3bn to acquire Mercury and the rest of the Merrill Lynch Investment Managers business – doubling its assets under management in the process.
Former Mercury chief operating officer in Europe, Rob Fairbairn, now head of global clients at BlackRock, said Mercury’s expertise in operations and recruitment proved the doubters wrong. “We survived an ordeal which would have wrecked other firms. BlackRock runs a different business now – broader and risk-aware – but there are similarities with Mercury,” he said.
Rigorous hiring process
Peter Stormonth Darling chaired Mercury between 1979 and 1992 and wrote City Cinderella: The Life And Times of Mercury Asset Management. He said: “The key to Mercury was its people. And the key to that was a disciplined recruitment process, involving multiple interviews.”
There was also a common trait in the type of people hired, according to former UK equity manager Charlie Curtis: “We knew we had an edge. We were edgy people as well.”
Fierce loyalties developed. Curtis quit Mercury along with co-managers Nicola Horlick and James Goulding, when Leonard Licht, the head of the specialist equities team and MAM vice-chairman, joined Jupiter. The exodus “opened up something of a gap”, said Stormonth Darling.
But Mercury filled it thanks to its skill in finding and developing talent from a range of universities and disciplines. Casting the net wide also gave Mercury an edge over rival managers who preferred male economics graduates from Oxford or Cambridge.
As well as women, Mercury was alive to hiring executives with a military background, tapping into their organisational skill and readiness to look out for others. Stormonth Darling himself fought as an infantry officer in the Korean War.
It was aggressively meritocratic. Its executives carefully ranked potential recruits in interviews, rating conviction highly.
Once appointed, graduates were expected to spend two years in the back office. Galley started her career in the library. Mercury did not like rookies to take short cuts.
Leadership
Managers say Zimmerman and Galley were intolerant of stupidity but backed conviction to the hilt.
“They made us jump,” said one former colleague, who added that they often backed down when it looked like they would lose an argument. Zimmerman and Galley made all the key decisions on pay but were generous to their favoured managers.
They pushed for Mercury to be floated 25 years ago, when they realised everyone (themselves included) deserved equity incentives. According to one former colleague: “There was a kind of restrained greed at the top of the business, which worked its way down.”
Individual performances were mapped internally and closely analysed. Managers competed against each other, seeking to access companies and brokers at the highest possible level and the fastest speed.
Business and investment strategies were dominated in the early years by Andrew Smithers, whose level of self-belief was only equalled by his faith in Mercury.
Similar levels of conviction trickled through the firm by the 1980s, often to the benefit of performance.
The firm liked big bets.
Just three years after Merrill Lynch bought Mercury Asset Management for £3.1bn, or £17 a share in 1997, the investment business that grew out of SG Warburg in the 1960s and floated on the London stock market in 1987 for 90p a share, was heading for ruin.
Poor performance struck, Mercury fought and then settled a lawsuit by its client Unilever, 40% of the 200 Mercury managers who had been made millionaires in the Merrill takeover had left, and half its business walked out of the door. When co-heads Carol Galley and Stephen Zimmerman stepped down, few thought it would recover.
But after another three years it had done just that, and in 2006, BlackRock issued shares worth £9.3bn to acquire Mercury and the rest of the Merrill Lynch Investment Managers business – doubling its assets under management in the process.
Former Mercury chief operating officer in Europe, Rob Fairbairn, now head of global clients at BlackRock, said Mercury’s expertise in operations and recruitment proved the doubters wrong. “We survived an ordeal which would have wrecked other firms. BlackRock runs a different business now – broader and risk-aware – but there are similarities with Mercury,” he said.
Rigorous hiring process
Peter Stormonth Darling chaired Mercury between 1979 and 1992 and wrote City Cinderella: The Life And Times of Mercury Asset Management. He said: “The key to Mercury was its people. And the key to that was a disciplined recruitment process, involving multiple interviews.”
There was also a common trait in the type of people hired, according to former UK equity manager Charlie Curtis: “We knew we had an edge. We were edgy people as well.”
Fierce loyalties developed. Curtis quit Mercury along with co-managers Nicola Horlick and James Goulding, when Leonard Licht, the head of the specialist equities team and MAM vice-chairman, joined Jupiter. The exodus “opened up something of a gap”, said Stormonth Darling.
But Mercury filled it thanks to its skill in finding and developing talent from a range of universities and disciplines. Casting the net wide also gave Mercury an edge over rival managers who preferred male economics graduates from Oxford or Cambridge.
As well as women, Mercury was alive to hiring executives with a military background, tapping into their organisational skill and readiness to look out for others. Stormonth Darling himself fought as an infantry officer in the Korean War.
It was aggressively meritocratic. Its executives carefully ranked potential recruits in interviews, rating conviction highly.
Once appointed, graduates were expected to spend two years in the back office. Galley started her career in the library. Mercury did not like rookies to take short cuts.
Leadership
Managers say Zimmerman and Galley were intolerant of stupidity but backed conviction to the hilt.
“They made us jump,” said one former colleague, who added that they often backed down when it looked like they would lose an argument. Zimmerman and Galley made all the key decisions on pay but were generous to their favoured managers.
They pushed for Mercury to be floated 25 years ago, when they realised everyone (themselves included) deserved equity incentives. According to one former colleague: “There was a kind of restrained greed at the top of the business, which worked its way down.”
Individual performances were mapped internally and closely analysed. Managers competed against each other, seeking to access companies and brokers at the highest possible level and the fastest speed.
Business and investment strategies were dominated in the early years by Andrew Smithers, whose level of self-belief was only equalled by his faith in Mercury.
Similar levels of conviction trickled through the firm by the 1980s, often to the benefit of performance.
The firm liked big bets.
Can Technology Rescue the Sprouts Industry?
While scientists are scrambling to pinpoint the cause of the E. coli outbreak linked to bean and seed sprouts in northern Germany, a veteran sprouts system designer believes he has developed the technology that can produce "the perfect sprout."
As of June 20, the outbreak had killed 39 people and sickened more than 3,000.
"If this technology had been used in the EU, those people would still be alive. I have no doubt about it," Lincoln Neal, president of Tennessee-based Quicksilver Automated Systems (www.qasc.com/index.html), told Food Safety News.
According to the company's website, Quicksilver provides state-of the art purification, propagation and processing systems for the largest sprout companies in North America.
Neal thinks the pathogen that caused the E. coli outbreak in Germany likely came in on the seeds, a conjecture that echoes warnings to sprout growers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that seeds are most often the source of most sprout-associated outbreaks.
For that reason, the agency recommends that sprout growers soak the seeds in a strong disinfecting solution, such as 20,000 ppm calcium hypochlorite, before sprouting them.
But Neal, a mechanical systems designer with a focus on disinfection, who describes himself as "a bit of a germophobe," said soaking the seeds in a strong disinfecting solution at the onset just isn't enough because the pathogens can lodge themselves into cracks and crevasses in the seeds.
Those cracks and crevasses, which he said in the microscopic world can be as large as the Grand Canyon, can provide safe harbor for the wily pathogens.
To make things more challenging yet, the seeds have a "somewhat oily surface" that can repel water. As a result, the surface tension on the outside of the seed can prevent the disinfectant from going into the cracks and crevasses in the seeds.
Neal compares that situation to the water that pools into droplets on the surface of a freshly waxed car.
He warns that if a sprout grower only disinfects the seeds at the beginning of the sprouting process, pathogens could still be lurking in the seeds, especially since sprout growers typically soak their seeds in disinfectant for only about an hour.
Neal also said that contrary to what some people in the industry assert, bacteria such as E. coli can not only hide in the microscopic cracks but can also get inside the sprouting seeds through those cracks.
Neal believes that the solution to that dilemma is easy enough: Use a method that sanitizes the seeds as they're sprouting.
"We focus on the first 24 to 36 hours," he said of his method
According to the company's information about its Emerald Purifier/Sprouter, the equipment can get rid of embedded pathogens inside the seed shell by repeatedly flushing the inside of the seed hull with disinfectant solution at the moments it "changes, opens, 'morphs,' and detaches to release the sprout.
"Bacteria-occupied air cups and pockets are flushed out and disinfected," says the company literature. "Full automatic wash cycles occur as the seed pops open and the microbes become exposed."
"We go in when the seed is changing and by doing that we can get into the seed," Neal said. "The machine persistently and automatically washes the product."
Neal said that if the pathogens aren't caught early on in the process, they can get into the sprouts themselves and that no amount of spray misting a disinfectant onto them can reach every square micron of the sprouts.
"Nipping it in the bud early on in the process is essential," he said, adding that persistent disinfection doesn't erode the nutritional value of the seeds and "is in full accord with the life process of the sprouts."
"It doesn't compromise germination or weaken it," he said.
Looking at another FDA guideline for producing sprouts that involves testing the spent irrigation water that has flowed over the seeds, Neal sees drawbacks. FDA's thinking behind that approach is that if there were any pathogens on the seeds themselves, they would multiply under the warm, moist conditions the seeds are sprouted in. If the testing, which typically occurs 48 hours into the sprouting process, reveals the presence of pathogens, then that batch can be thrown away, thus keeping it out of the marketplace.
But Neal said that as valuable as testing is, sprouting is a "hurry-up" sort of industry when it comes to shipping the fresh sprouts out to customers. For that reason, sometimes the sprouts are sent out before the test results of the spent irrigation water come back.
And even if a test-and-hold approach were adopted, Neal said that if the pathogens are deep inside the seed, the water won't be able to reach them. They could actually be trapped and not be able to get out.
"It's rare, but it could happen," he said.
Then, too, Neal said that even with the safeguards many sprout growers are using, including FDA's guidelines, a sobering fact keeps emerging: "Somehow these pathogens are getting by these sprouters."
"That's why I think upfront methods must be incorporated," he said. "You've got to come in again and again and again to get the pathogens out. You have to be persistent -- more persistent than the microbes. They've got brilliant programming in them to stay alive."
These pathogens can be virulent. According to the FDA, a single surviving bacterium in a kilogram of seed can be enough to contaminate a whole batch of seeds.
Neal, who says he was called upon by the industry in 1985 to develop a sprout manufacturing package, has focused on modernizing an industry that had previously been more of a "flower-child kind of business."
Fast forward to the present, and Neal says he's probably designed more sprouting equipment "than anyone on the planet."
Back then, immediate questions before him were "How can this problem be solved?" "And where are these pathogens coming from and what's allowing them to proliferate."
When evaluating the potential of his equipment to produce the perfect sprout, Neal said there are no "absolutes in microbiology."
"But if the sprout growers follow our methods and don't cheat, they can virtually eliminate the pathogens," he said.
As of June 20, the outbreak had killed 39 people and sickened more than 3,000.
"If this technology had been used in the EU, those people would still be alive. I have no doubt about it," Lincoln Neal, president of Tennessee-based Quicksilver Automated Systems (www.qasc.com/index.html), told Food Safety News.
According to the company's website, Quicksilver provides state-of the art purification, propagation and processing systems for the largest sprout companies in North America.
Neal thinks the pathogen that caused the E. coli outbreak in Germany likely came in on the seeds, a conjecture that echoes warnings to sprout growers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that seeds are most often the source of most sprout-associated outbreaks.
For that reason, the agency recommends that sprout growers soak the seeds in a strong disinfecting solution, such as 20,000 ppm calcium hypochlorite, before sprouting them.
But Neal, a mechanical systems designer with a focus on disinfection, who describes himself as "a bit of a germophobe," said soaking the seeds in a strong disinfecting solution at the onset just isn't enough because the pathogens can lodge themselves into cracks and crevasses in the seeds.
Those cracks and crevasses, which he said in the microscopic world can be as large as the Grand Canyon, can provide safe harbor for the wily pathogens.
To make things more challenging yet, the seeds have a "somewhat oily surface" that can repel water. As a result, the surface tension on the outside of the seed can prevent the disinfectant from going into the cracks and crevasses in the seeds.
Neal compares that situation to the water that pools into droplets on the surface of a freshly waxed car.
He warns that if a sprout grower only disinfects the seeds at the beginning of the sprouting process, pathogens could still be lurking in the seeds, especially since sprout growers typically soak their seeds in disinfectant for only about an hour.
Neal also said that contrary to what some people in the industry assert, bacteria such as E. coli can not only hide in the microscopic cracks but can also get inside the sprouting seeds through those cracks.
Neal believes that the solution to that dilemma is easy enough: Use a method that sanitizes the seeds as they're sprouting.
"We focus on the first 24 to 36 hours," he said of his method
According to the company's information about its Emerald Purifier/Sprouter, the equipment can get rid of embedded pathogens inside the seed shell by repeatedly flushing the inside of the seed hull with disinfectant solution at the moments it "changes, opens, 'morphs,' and detaches to release the sprout.
"Bacteria-occupied air cups and pockets are flushed out and disinfected," says the company literature. "Full automatic wash cycles occur as the seed pops open and the microbes become exposed."
"We go in when the seed is changing and by doing that we can get into the seed," Neal said. "The machine persistently and automatically washes the product."
Neal said that if the pathogens aren't caught early on in the process, they can get into the sprouts themselves and that no amount of spray misting a disinfectant onto them can reach every square micron of the sprouts.
"Nipping it in the bud early on in the process is essential," he said, adding that persistent disinfection doesn't erode the nutritional value of the seeds and "is in full accord with the life process of the sprouts."
"It doesn't compromise germination or weaken it," he said.
Looking at another FDA guideline for producing sprouts that involves testing the spent irrigation water that has flowed over the seeds, Neal sees drawbacks. FDA's thinking behind that approach is that if there were any pathogens on the seeds themselves, they would multiply under the warm, moist conditions the seeds are sprouted in. If the testing, which typically occurs 48 hours into the sprouting process, reveals the presence of pathogens, then that batch can be thrown away, thus keeping it out of the marketplace.
But Neal said that as valuable as testing is, sprouting is a "hurry-up" sort of industry when it comes to shipping the fresh sprouts out to customers. For that reason, sometimes the sprouts are sent out before the test results of the spent irrigation water come back.
And even if a test-and-hold approach were adopted, Neal said that if the pathogens are deep inside the seed, the water won't be able to reach them. They could actually be trapped and not be able to get out.
"It's rare, but it could happen," he said.
Then, too, Neal said that even with the safeguards many sprout growers are using, including FDA's guidelines, a sobering fact keeps emerging: "Somehow these pathogens are getting by these sprouters."
"That's why I think upfront methods must be incorporated," he said. "You've got to come in again and again and again to get the pathogens out. You have to be persistent -- more persistent than the microbes. They've got brilliant programming in them to stay alive."
These pathogens can be virulent. According to the FDA, a single surviving bacterium in a kilogram of seed can be enough to contaminate a whole batch of seeds.
Neal, who says he was called upon by the industry in 1985 to develop a sprout manufacturing package, has focused on modernizing an industry that had previously been more of a "flower-child kind of business."
Fast forward to the present, and Neal says he's probably designed more sprouting equipment "than anyone on the planet."
Back then, immediate questions before him were "How can this problem be solved?" "And where are these pathogens coming from and what's allowing them to proliferate."
When evaluating the potential of his equipment to produce the perfect sprout, Neal said there are no "absolutes in microbiology."
"But if the sprout growers follow our methods and don't cheat, they can virtually eliminate the pathogens," he said.
2011年6月14日星期二
Pittsfield's medals of honor
Sabic Innovative Plastics and Hi-Tech Mold & Tool teamed up to create 3,000 limited-edition, commemorative medallions to mark the 250th anniversary of Pittsfield’s incorporation.
Designed by Pittsfield 250 Steering Committee member Peter Drozd, one side of the medallion depicts an historic image of Park Square and the old elm tree; the other side commemorates the plastics industry’s long and innovative history in Pittsfield.
The medallions are made of Lexan, the virtually indestructible plastic invented in Pittsfield and produced by Sabic. While Sabic donated the plastic in three different and precise colors, Hi-Tech Mold & Tool donated one of its master mold frames to form the medallions.
The project took more than six months to complete from its initial concept to the completed product.
The medallions will be available at the city’s Welcome Back Reunion Weekend, July 1-4. Each will sell for $3 or for $5 with a display sleeve.
Designed by Pittsfield 250 Steering Committee member Peter Drozd, one side of the medallion depicts an historic image of Park Square and the old elm tree; the other side commemorates the plastics industry’s long and innovative history in Pittsfield.
The medallions are made of Lexan, the virtually indestructible plastic invented in Pittsfield and produced by Sabic. While Sabic donated the plastic in three different and precise colors, Hi-Tech Mold & Tool donated one of its master mold frames to form the medallions.
The project took more than six months to complete from its initial concept to the completed product.
The medallions will be available at the city’s Welcome Back Reunion Weekend, July 1-4. Each will sell for $3 or for $5 with a display sleeve.
Quicksilver shares jump as domestic sales rise
Shares of Quiksilver Inc (ZQK.N) rose more than 12 percent on Friday, a day after the clothes retailer posted results that beat Wall Street expectations, buoyed by strong domestic sales.
The Huntington Beach, California-based company was the third-biggest gainer on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, even as the bigger S&P Retail Index .RLX was down 2 percent in morning trade.
Quiksilver, which makes clothes inspired by surfing and other action sports, had seen sales weaken in the U.S. and Europe, its two key markets. But a turnaround has made analysts positive about its prospects.
"Perhaps the most encouraging data point was an accelerating 23 percent U.S. comparable sales growth against tougher sequential comparisons," Jefferies analyst TaposhBari wrote in a note.
The analyst, who holds a "buy" rating on the stock, said sales at the company is likely at an inflection point, which could trigger an upgrade cycle on the stock.
"Going forward, we are modeling gross margins to be down in the second half of the year, but see an improving European business, favorable FX currents and continued retail outperformance providing an upward bias to gross margins," analyst Bari said.
Quiksilver shares were trading at $4.94 around midday on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Huntington Beach, California-based company was the third-biggest gainer on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, even as the bigger S&P Retail Index .RLX was down 2 percent in morning trade.
Quiksilver, which makes clothes inspired by surfing and other action sports, had seen sales weaken in the U.S. and Europe, its two key markets. But a turnaround has made analysts positive about its prospects.
"Perhaps the most encouraging data point was an accelerating 23 percent U.S. comparable sales growth against tougher sequential comparisons," Jefferies analyst TaposhBari wrote in a note.
The analyst, who holds a "buy" rating on the stock, said sales at the company is likely at an inflection point, which could trigger an upgrade cycle on the stock.
"Going forward, we are modeling gross margins to be down in the second half of the year, but see an improving European business, favorable FX currents and continued retail outperformance providing an upward bias to gross margins," analyst Bari said.
Quiksilver shares were trading at $4.94 around midday on the New York Stock Exchange.
2011年6月12日星期日
My Whites playing days - Huckerby INTERVIEW
Darren Huckerby had spells at several big clubs, but his time at Leeds proved far from successful. Leon Wobschall chats with the striker who is now enjoying his retirement in Norfolk. speed merchant Darren Huckerby’s career took him to bona fide footballing giants in Yorkshire, the North East, North West and the East Midlands – with glorious stop-offs in East Anglia, the heart of England and sunny California along the way.
In a dashing career which was most definitely whirlwind in more ways than one, Huckerby had the proverbial joyride, right from the time he left Lincoln City as a teenage prodigy for £500,000 to join a club who were simply box office in the mid-1990s – Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United.
So a breakneck journey began, which saw him later call in at Coventry City, Leeds United, Manchester City, Norwich City and San Jose Earthquakes, along with loan spells at hometown club Nottingham Forest and Millwall.
Looking back, Huckerby – now 35 and settled with his family in Norfolk – insists he wouldn’t change much save for a frustrating spell that never truly got off the ground at Elland Road when he spent so much time on the bench his team-mates would have been forgiven for nicknaming him “The Judge”.
Rated as one of the hottest young talents in English football with a penchant for the spectacular, United forked out a cool £4m to land Huckerby from the Sky Blues in August 1999.
most people thought United were on to a sure-fire winner at an enterprising club tipped to firmly threaten the entrenched top tier establishment of Manchester United and Arsenal at the time.
But not so, with the crowd-pleaser – alerted to United’s attention when he scored a stunning hat-trick for Coventry at Elland Road near the end of the 1997-98 season – starting a mere 15 games for David O’Leary’s buccaneering outfit.
He also made a gargantuan 42 substitute appearances before switching across the Pennines to the blue half of Manchester for £3.4m in December 2000.
United supporters will get their chance to see Huckerby again in the famous white jersey in the Northern Masters later this month, with the quicksilver wing man unquestionably Leeds’ stellar recruit when they take the stage at Sheffield’s Motorsport Arena on June 26.
It’s a fair bet that having just turned 35, Huckerby will give a few oldies the runaround – but expect sage Whites fans present to mutter “if only” if that’s the case.
Huckerby, who spent just 16 months in West Yorkshire, told the YEP: “Considering I started off in the old Division Four, I didn’t do bad and worked my way up to play in the Champions League and scored for Leeds. I’m quite happy with that for a 16 or 17-year career.
“I had good spells at Coventry and then at Norwich at the end of my career, where I think I played my best football. I had a good time at Man City as well, to be fair.
“When I look back at my career, probably my only real regret was not really doing myself justice at Leeds, which is kind of strange, considering the team we had.
“The move came out of the blue. I was playing for Coventry, week-in, week-out and the most difficult thing was going from that, being a regular in the best league in the world to being a bit-part player.
“it was a great time for the club and I played in the Champions League and Uefa Cup. But sometimes, as a player, things just don’t happen for you. I didn’t play as well as I could when I got the chance, although I didn’t get that many! There’s different ways to look at it.
“Maybe we bought too many big-name players at one time. When we were doing well we had a settled side with Bridgey (Michael Bridges) up front and Harry Kewell on the left.
“It was a bit of a feeling at the time of us buying some players just for the sake of it.
“But looking at it, we were a good bunch of young lads who gave it a go against the best, there’s no doubt about it.
“Maybe, we didn’t have enough to beat the Man Uniteds of this world (to win trophies), but we had a good go and you look at how things changed pretty quickly for Leeds after that.
“In my career, I was fortunate to play for some really big clubs, like Leeds and Man City. You look at City now and they have gone on to do something even crazier now!
“It shows what can happen; Leeds will always be a massive club in England because of their history and heritage and one day they will get back to where they belong in the Premiership.”
Settled in one of the most tranquil and picturesque areas of England, Nottingham-born Huckerby is happy to call Norfolk his home, with Norwich fans quickly bestowing idol status on the striker who they soon claimed as one of their own.
A love affair for the yellow-and-green hordes began in September 2003 when Huckerby joined the club, initially on loan, quickly earning the Division One player-of-the-month award.
fans got the perfect belated Christmas present on Boxing Day 2003 when the loan star signed permanently and it proved money well spent with the frontman widely seen as the main reason Norwich won promotion to the Premiership in 2003-04.
The following campaign, Huckerby was named player-of-the-season, scooping the award again in 2006-07, while finishing second in 2003-04 and 2005-06, testimony to the high regard he was held in – and still is – by the Canaries faithful.
Huckerby wound down his career in the states at San Jose and was named MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2008 before hanging up his boots in September 2009 and eventually returning to his adopted home of Norfolk.
His playing career may be over, but Huckerby is living his working life at the same hectic pace that frequented his life on the pitch.
His Darren Huckerby Trust has already raised pots of cash for charities and schemes in Norfolk, with Huckerby kept busy arranging events and publicity, while also finding time to run his own website and take his coaching badges – with the odd bit of recreational football thrown in!
On life after leaving Norwich in the summer of 2008, Huckerby said: “I went over to the States towards the end of my career and it was a good experience. There was maybe even a chance of coming back to Leeds when I got pushed out of Norwich, but I decided to try something a bit different.
“I’ve been lucky enough in my career to play for a few big clubs, but this was something different in terms of trying another culture, although it’s similar to England in some respects. It was quite easy to settle over there and the fans do like their soccer there – the game is coming on.
“After coming back to England after retiring, I started taking my coaching badges and have got a website up and running. I’ve also started a charity in Norfolk, so my diary is pretty full.
“I love it in Norfolk. I’ve been pretty lucky in that I’ve lived in a lot of nice places, but I’m really settled in Norwich, as are my family.”
Huckerby admits his competitive juices are starting to flow ahead of his debut in the Masters with Leeds, with the Whites also containing one familiar face to him in ex-Sky Blues team-mate and Leeds lad Noel Whelan.
In a dashing career which was most definitely whirlwind in more ways than one, Huckerby had the proverbial joyride, right from the time he left Lincoln City as a teenage prodigy for £500,000 to join a club who were simply box office in the mid-1990s – Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United.
So a breakneck journey began, which saw him later call in at Coventry City, Leeds United, Manchester City, Norwich City and San Jose Earthquakes, along with loan spells at hometown club Nottingham Forest and Millwall.
Looking back, Huckerby – now 35 and settled with his family in Norfolk – insists he wouldn’t change much save for a frustrating spell that never truly got off the ground at Elland Road when he spent so much time on the bench his team-mates would have been forgiven for nicknaming him “The Judge”.
Rated as one of the hottest young talents in English football with a penchant for the spectacular, United forked out a cool £4m to land Huckerby from the Sky Blues in August 1999.
most people thought United were on to a sure-fire winner at an enterprising club tipped to firmly threaten the entrenched top tier establishment of Manchester United and Arsenal at the time.
But not so, with the crowd-pleaser – alerted to United’s attention when he scored a stunning hat-trick for Coventry at Elland Road near the end of the 1997-98 season – starting a mere 15 games for David O’Leary’s buccaneering outfit.
He also made a gargantuan 42 substitute appearances before switching across the Pennines to the blue half of Manchester for £3.4m in December 2000.
United supporters will get their chance to see Huckerby again in the famous white jersey in the Northern Masters later this month, with the quicksilver wing man unquestionably Leeds’ stellar recruit when they take the stage at Sheffield’s Motorsport Arena on June 26.
It’s a fair bet that having just turned 35, Huckerby will give a few oldies the runaround – but expect sage Whites fans present to mutter “if only” if that’s the case.
Huckerby, who spent just 16 months in West Yorkshire, told the YEP: “Considering I started off in the old Division Four, I didn’t do bad and worked my way up to play in the Champions League and scored for Leeds. I’m quite happy with that for a 16 or 17-year career.
“I had good spells at Coventry and then at Norwich at the end of my career, where I think I played my best football. I had a good time at Man City as well, to be fair.
“When I look back at my career, probably my only real regret was not really doing myself justice at Leeds, which is kind of strange, considering the team we had.
“The move came out of the blue. I was playing for Coventry, week-in, week-out and the most difficult thing was going from that, being a regular in the best league in the world to being a bit-part player.
“it was a great time for the club and I played in the Champions League and Uefa Cup. But sometimes, as a player, things just don’t happen for you. I didn’t play as well as I could when I got the chance, although I didn’t get that many! There’s different ways to look at it.
“Maybe we bought too many big-name players at one time. When we were doing well we had a settled side with Bridgey (Michael Bridges) up front and Harry Kewell on the left.
“It was a bit of a feeling at the time of us buying some players just for the sake of it.
“But looking at it, we were a good bunch of young lads who gave it a go against the best, there’s no doubt about it.
“Maybe, we didn’t have enough to beat the Man Uniteds of this world (to win trophies), but we had a good go and you look at how things changed pretty quickly for Leeds after that.
“In my career, I was fortunate to play for some really big clubs, like Leeds and Man City. You look at City now and they have gone on to do something even crazier now!
“It shows what can happen; Leeds will always be a massive club in England because of their history and heritage and one day they will get back to where they belong in the Premiership.”
Settled in one of the most tranquil and picturesque areas of England, Nottingham-born Huckerby is happy to call Norfolk his home, with Norwich fans quickly bestowing idol status on the striker who they soon claimed as one of their own.
A love affair for the yellow-and-green hordes began in September 2003 when Huckerby joined the club, initially on loan, quickly earning the Division One player-of-the-month award.
fans got the perfect belated Christmas present on Boxing Day 2003 when the loan star signed permanently and it proved money well spent with the frontman widely seen as the main reason Norwich won promotion to the Premiership in 2003-04.
The following campaign, Huckerby was named player-of-the-season, scooping the award again in 2006-07, while finishing second in 2003-04 and 2005-06, testimony to the high regard he was held in – and still is – by the Canaries faithful.
Huckerby wound down his career in the states at San Jose and was named MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2008 before hanging up his boots in September 2009 and eventually returning to his adopted home of Norfolk.
His playing career may be over, but Huckerby is living his working life at the same hectic pace that frequented his life on the pitch.
His Darren Huckerby Trust has already raised pots of cash for charities and schemes in Norfolk, with Huckerby kept busy arranging events and publicity, while also finding time to run his own website and take his coaching badges – with the odd bit of recreational football thrown in!
On life after leaving Norwich in the summer of 2008, Huckerby said: “I went over to the States towards the end of my career and it was a good experience. There was maybe even a chance of coming back to Leeds when I got pushed out of Norwich, but I decided to try something a bit different.
“I’ve been lucky enough in my career to play for a few big clubs, but this was something different in terms of trying another culture, although it’s similar to England in some respects. It was quite easy to settle over there and the fans do like their soccer there – the game is coming on.
“After coming back to England after retiring, I started taking my coaching badges and have got a website up and running. I’ve also started a charity in Norfolk, so my diary is pretty full.
“I love it in Norfolk. I’ve been pretty lucky in that I’ve lived in a lot of nice places, but I’m really settled in Norwich, as are my family.”
Huckerby admits his competitive juices are starting to flow ahead of his debut in the Masters with Leeds, with the Whites also containing one familiar face to him in ex-Sky Blues team-mate and Leeds lad Noel Whelan.
Oscar-winner Colin Firth
There were large crowds at the first of the Green Days to see the beginning of the 45th Bedford Park Festival. Despite dark clouds and predictions of rain, it remained dry with even occasional glimpses of sunshine.
The proceedings kicked off with a special ceremony involving two of the area’s best-loved personalities.
Richard Briers, who has lived in the area for over 40 years, made a presentation to Mr Lad, who ran the newsagents on Bedford Corner for more than 30 years. He was given a painting of the shop by the Bedford Park Society’s president, Nigel Woolner.
The newsagents closed just before Christmas, when its lease ran out. This was the first time Mr Lad, whose real name is Kishur Mistry, has returned to Chiswick.
In another farewell to Chiswick, the world-famous Rambert Dance Company performed on the festival stage, Rambert’s youth dancers, Quicksilver Dance, performed on the Green on the Saturday afternoon. The Company is leaving the area soon after being based here for 40 years.
And in Strictly Rambert, on Wednesday June 15th, the company’s artistic director, Mark Baldwin, will discuss its distinguished past, new repertoire and exciting future plans, with video clips.
Richard Briers then judged the children’s fancy dress competition at the Green Days fete, which attracts thousands of people each year with its mix of live music, children’s events, stalls, refreshments, Craft Fair and funfair. The crowds were well up to typical levels despite the uncertain weather and there was the usual scattering of well known faces including this year Michael Gambon, a regular visitor to the event.
On the Sunday, a church service on the Green is followed at noon by WorldBusk, aiming to beat the record for the world’s biggest combined busk.
Green Days weekend opens a fortnight of community and arts events in aid of charities and St Michael & All Angels Church, supported by dozens of local businesses. Events include comedy, opera, dance, concerts, exhibitions, talks and open gardens.
Another Chiswick star, West End diva Rosie Ashe, who’s appeared in Les Miserables, Mary Poppins and the original production of Phantom of the Opera, will sing her favourite songs from the world’s great musicals at the Tabard Theatre. She’ll be accompanied by Jonathan Cohen, from TV’s Play Away and Music Time.
Other stars of this year’s Festival include Covent Garden tenor Justin Lavender; poet and biographer Blake Morris; actor Dudley Sutton (best-known as Tinker in TV’s Lovejoy); and the London Tango Quintet. The vicar of St Michael’s, Father Kevin Morris, will take the title role in The Mikado, performed by one of the brightest young opera companies Opera Novella, featuring Sally-Ann Stephenson and other singers from the D’Oyly Carte.
Oscar-winner Colin Firth and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star Kevin McNally, who both live in Chiswick, are on the jury for a new film-making competition to encourage young talent. The winning films will be screened on the last night, as part of the Bedford Park Film Festival, featuring entertaining clips set in Chiswick.
“We’ve got a fantastic range of entertainment this year, with something for everyone” says Torin Douglas, the Festival co-ordinator. “And to encourage people to make a real fortnight of it, we’ve introduced a special offer – 10 per cent off, if you buy any 10 tickets for Festival events.”
The proceedings kicked off with a special ceremony involving two of the area’s best-loved personalities.
Richard Briers, who has lived in the area for over 40 years, made a presentation to Mr Lad, who ran the newsagents on Bedford Corner for more than 30 years. He was given a painting of the shop by the Bedford Park Society’s president, Nigel Woolner.
The newsagents closed just before Christmas, when its lease ran out. This was the first time Mr Lad, whose real name is Kishur Mistry, has returned to Chiswick.
In another farewell to Chiswick, the world-famous Rambert Dance Company performed on the festival stage, Rambert’s youth dancers, Quicksilver Dance, performed on the Green on the Saturday afternoon. The Company is leaving the area soon after being based here for 40 years.
And in Strictly Rambert, on Wednesday June 15th, the company’s artistic director, Mark Baldwin, will discuss its distinguished past, new repertoire and exciting future plans, with video clips.
Richard Briers then judged the children’s fancy dress competition at the Green Days fete, which attracts thousands of people each year with its mix of live music, children’s events, stalls, refreshments, Craft Fair and funfair. The crowds were well up to typical levels despite the uncertain weather and there was the usual scattering of well known faces including this year Michael Gambon, a regular visitor to the event.
On the Sunday, a church service on the Green is followed at noon by WorldBusk, aiming to beat the record for the world’s biggest combined busk.
Green Days weekend opens a fortnight of community and arts events in aid of charities and St Michael & All Angels Church, supported by dozens of local businesses. Events include comedy, opera, dance, concerts, exhibitions, talks and open gardens.
Another Chiswick star, West End diva Rosie Ashe, who’s appeared in Les Miserables, Mary Poppins and the original production of Phantom of the Opera, will sing her favourite songs from the world’s great musicals at the Tabard Theatre. She’ll be accompanied by Jonathan Cohen, from TV’s Play Away and Music Time.
Other stars of this year’s Festival include Covent Garden tenor Justin Lavender; poet and biographer Blake Morris; actor Dudley Sutton (best-known as Tinker in TV’s Lovejoy); and the London Tango Quintet. The vicar of St Michael’s, Father Kevin Morris, will take the title role in The Mikado, performed by one of the brightest young opera companies Opera Novella, featuring Sally-Ann Stephenson and other singers from the D’Oyly Carte.
Oscar-winner Colin Firth and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star Kevin McNally, who both live in Chiswick, are on the jury for a new film-making competition to encourage young talent. The winning films will be screened on the last night, as part of the Bedford Park Film Festival, featuring entertaining clips set in Chiswick.
“We’ve got a fantastic range of entertainment this year, with something for everyone” says Torin Douglas, the Festival co-ordinator. “And to encourage people to make a real fortnight of it, we’ve introduced a special offer – 10 per cent off, if you buy any 10 tickets for Festival events.”
2011年6月8日星期三
Royal Danish Ballet’s ‘A Folk Tale’ has the human touch
“A Folk Tale,” which the Royal Danish Ballet performed Tuesday night at the Kennedy Center Opera House, is exactly that: a story of the folk, of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. It is a sophisticated, shadowy garden-party ballet, rather like Hans Christian Andersen meets “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with a little disquieting Ibsen thrown in. Dance-wise, this is not an evening that delivers flashy pyrotechnics. Rather, one of its chief charms is the subtle way that movement and body language are used to distinguish one type of folk from another.
But we’re not talking only about people in this ballet, which springs from the 1854 original by Danish choreographer August Bournonville but was reworked earlier this year by Artistic Director Nikolaj Hubbe and his associate, Sorella Englund. Half the cast members are fantasy creatures; some of the key characters are trolls. One troll, Birthe, thinks she’s human — as a result of a baby mix-up, she’s been raised in a wealthy landowning family, and at first her ungainliness and beastly temper (she likes to whip servants with her riding crop) seem merely the antics of a grown-up spoiled brat. We learn later that her behavior is the key to her true origins.
Then there’s a human, Hilda, who lives among the trolls (she, too, was part of the mistaken baby swap) and is presumed to be part of their world, though she’s gentle and willowy and moves with a kind of floating grace that no underground creature possesses.
The rest of this story of mistaken identities, greed and the power of true love is complicated. But I’d wager you can follow most of it even without the program notes (though I recommend reading them), because the tale is so well told in the body. The characters are put over with vivid conviction by dancers who seem to have absorbed acting ability through every pore. This is the great and lasting achievement of the Danish ballet tradition.
Not every one of these dancers is a beneficiary of the famed Danish schooling in dramatic projection — for instance, Alba Nadal, whose Birthe is imperious with a colorful dose of mania, is from Spain — so credit is also due Hubbe, the former New York City Ballet star, for sharpening the collective talents. As Hilda, Susanne Grinder is as different from the trolls as the sun is from storms. She is not the strongest technician I’ve ever seen and, in fact, was rather wobbly in spots on Tuesday. But her expressive powers are a delight, and she never forgets who she is onstage. You see this in how elegantly she carries herself, the expansive sweep of her arms, even in how she inclines her neck a little to show a shade of hopelessness in Act 2, after she learns she must marry one of the hairy little trolls.
Grace, such as Grinder demonstrates, is the defining mark of humanity here. Hubbe has secularized the ballet — Bournonville’s original contained Christian references, entwining religious grace with physical grace. But the spiritual message is largely the same. Love, kindness, consideration for others — these traits set the virtuous apart, and so it is that Hilda eventually marries her true intended, Junker Ove, danced as a sensitive, quiet lad by Marcin Kupinski. The nicest guy finishes first here.
That is, unless he’s a troll. Sweet little Viderik, performed Tuesday by the compelling character dancer Lis Jeppesen, is in love with Hilda, but there is no place for him in her happily-ever-after. The look on his rubbery face — and especially the stoop to his furry, misshapen body — is utterly wrenching as he watches the happy nuptials at the end. Prepare yourself.
Poignant as it is, this is not a ballet of high physical drive. The Bournonville style is understated, though the flashes of quicksilver footwork and light, airy jumps in “A Folk Tale” are splendid. Hubbe, who took over in 2008, has said refining the company’s technique is a priority. This production shows us that ballet is a theatrical art, not just an athletic one.
In this unhurried work of subtlety, Mia Stensgaard’s sets and costumes are the most emphatic element and wonderfully so. Her lacy laser-cut designs create intriguing patterns of shadows and light and take us into a world of Victorian pop-up cards with a 21st-century edge. Here, the human realm is not so different from the hidden fairy burrows; one unfolds to reveal the other, challenging our perceptions of both and plunging us into the unsettling origins of folk tales as a way to explain the unexplainable.
But we’re not talking only about people in this ballet, which springs from the 1854 original by Danish choreographer August Bournonville but was reworked earlier this year by Artistic Director Nikolaj Hubbe and his associate, Sorella Englund. Half the cast members are fantasy creatures; some of the key characters are trolls. One troll, Birthe, thinks she’s human — as a result of a baby mix-up, she’s been raised in a wealthy landowning family, and at first her ungainliness and beastly temper (she likes to whip servants with her riding crop) seem merely the antics of a grown-up spoiled brat. We learn later that her behavior is the key to her true origins.
Then there’s a human, Hilda, who lives among the trolls (she, too, was part of the mistaken baby swap) and is presumed to be part of their world, though she’s gentle and willowy and moves with a kind of floating grace that no underground creature possesses.
The rest of this story of mistaken identities, greed and the power of true love is complicated. But I’d wager you can follow most of it even without the program notes (though I recommend reading them), because the tale is so well told in the body. The characters are put over with vivid conviction by dancers who seem to have absorbed acting ability through every pore. This is the great and lasting achievement of the Danish ballet tradition.
Not every one of these dancers is a beneficiary of the famed Danish schooling in dramatic projection — for instance, Alba Nadal, whose Birthe is imperious with a colorful dose of mania, is from Spain — so credit is also due Hubbe, the former New York City Ballet star, for sharpening the collective talents. As Hilda, Susanne Grinder is as different from the trolls as the sun is from storms. She is not the strongest technician I’ve ever seen and, in fact, was rather wobbly in spots on Tuesday. But her expressive powers are a delight, and she never forgets who she is onstage. You see this in how elegantly she carries herself, the expansive sweep of her arms, even in how she inclines her neck a little to show a shade of hopelessness in Act 2, after she learns she must marry one of the hairy little trolls.
Grace, such as Grinder demonstrates, is the defining mark of humanity here. Hubbe has secularized the ballet — Bournonville’s original contained Christian references, entwining religious grace with physical grace. But the spiritual message is largely the same. Love, kindness, consideration for others — these traits set the virtuous apart, and so it is that Hilda eventually marries her true intended, Junker Ove, danced as a sensitive, quiet lad by Marcin Kupinski. The nicest guy finishes first here.
That is, unless he’s a troll. Sweet little Viderik, performed Tuesday by the compelling character dancer Lis Jeppesen, is in love with Hilda, but there is no place for him in her happily-ever-after. The look on his rubbery face — and especially the stoop to his furry, misshapen body — is utterly wrenching as he watches the happy nuptials at the end. Prepare yourself.
Poignant as it is, this is not a ballet of high physical drive. The Bournonville style is understated, though the flashes of quicksilver footwork and light, airy jumps in “A Folk Tale” are splendid. Hubbe, who took over in 2008, has said refining the company’s technique is a priority. This production shows us that ballet is a theatrical art, not just an athletic one.
In this unhurried work of subtlety, Mia Stensgaard’s sets and costumes are the most emphatic element and wonderfully so. Her lacy laser-cut designs create intriguing patterns of shadows and light and take us into a world of Victorian pop-up cards with a 21st-century edge. Here, the human realm is not so different from the hidden fairy burrows; one unfolds to reveal the other, challenging our perceptions of both and plunging us into the unsettling origins of folk tales as a way to explain the unexplainable.
X-Men Destiny News and Images from E3
You control the destiny of 1 of 3 mutants in the upcoming X-Men: Destiny game. Choose to uphold the ideals of Professor X and attempt to co-exist with humanity peacefully or follow the doctrine of Magneto and exterminate "homo superior's" inferior cousins. Confirmed to appear in the game are Magneto, Cyclops, Wolverine, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Quicksilver, and Surge (yeah, all mutant A-listers and then Surge?...really?). However, I am sure we will be treated to a bevy of cameos and easter eggs.
Standard gameplay tactics are in effect here as you will be able to choose from standard punch and kick attacks, mutant power attacks and a special attack which unleashes a potent explosion of your mutant abilities but also leaves you vulnerable for a few seconds afterwards.
As for our 3 main characters? Adrian, is a former Pure Fire member who's father was killed by mutants. He struggles to cope with the discovery that he is actually the very thing he hates. Aimi is the daughter of mutant parents, however she has become an outcast in her family and has since been sent to San Francisco for reasons not yet revealed at this time. Finally, there is Grant, the proto-typical All-American boy who has never paid much attention to the mutant/human conflict until his latent mutant powers start to manifest.
As for villiains, Magneto is obviously in the game but whether he is a primary antagonist is unknown. Also confirmed at E3 was the presence of the U-Men, making it a possibility that the game may loosely follow the storyline of the current ongoing X-Men anime.
Standard gameplay tactics are in effect here as you will be able to choose from standard punch and kick attacks, mutant power attacks and a special attack which unleashes a potent explosion of your mutant abilities but also leaves you vulnerable for a few seconds afterwards.
As for our 3 main characters? Adrian, is a former Pure Fire member who's father was killed by mutants. He struggles to cope with the discovery that he is actually the very thing he hates. Aimi is the daughter of mutant parents, however she has become an outcast in her family and has since been sent to San Francisco for reasons not yet revealed at this time. Finally, there is Grant, the proto-typical All-American boy who has never paid much attention to the mutant/human conflict until his latent mutant powers start to manifest.
As for villiains, Magneto is obviously in the game but whether he is a primary antagonist is unknown. Also confirmed at E3 was the presence of the U-Men, making it a possibility that the game may loosely follow the storyline of the current ongoing X-Men anime.
2011年6月6日星期一
3 Names to Watch as Markets Look for Bottom
While the markets appear to be fighting to find a bottom, I continue to cull for longer-term patterns in anticipation of better times ahead. While we may be in the clutches of a summer slowdown, I am always vigilant to keep a several watch lists handy in the event that volatility increases. One list will have shorter-term swing names at my disposal. These are based on the daily chart and this list is updated a couple of times a week.
The other list I keep looks at weekly patterns through a much larger lens. When I do the weekly chart work, I am looking for monster breaks of multi-year levels of support or resistance. Sometimes this comes in the form of new highs or new lows. At other times it may merely be a breakout from many months of consolidation. The names highlighted below fit this latter pattern.
Quicksilver Resources (KWK) has been in a wedge pattern going into its second year. Primarily a natural gas play, KWK is currently enjoying support at a flat-lining 50-week moving average. Because of the duration of sideways consolidation in KWK, the lack of slope in the moving average does not concern me in the least. If the overall averages pick up steam, I will be looking for weekly patterns such as this one in KWK.
There are two key levels I am watching in KWK. The first would be $15.06 which corresponds to recent highs in May 2011. On a break of this area I would be inclined to consider a half position in KWK. The second area of resistance is a bigger level, and I would wait for a break of $16.02 to complete the KWK buy. Recent lows in mid April of $13.00 would provide an excellent place to put a stop.
LTX-Credence (LTXC) has provided traders quite the ride over the past several years as it plummeted from 2007 highs losing 95% of its value in the way down. Just as quickly however, it staged a monster V-shaped reversal that recouped half of those losses. Since early 2010, the action has been a bit more subdued allowing a base pattern to emerge.
While a bit difficult to see on the chart above, LTXC may have formed a double bottom on the weekly. The next step in the process for LTXC will be to break through the overhead resistance going back to those 2007 highs. The psychological impact of LTXC breaking the level around $9.40 could be immense. With a stop below the double bottom around $7.80, LTXC will make my short list once it takes out that overhead resistance.
Electronic parts maker Flextronics (FLEX) has an interesting pattern going that traces back to mid-2009. For most of this time, FLEX has been in a channel between $6.30 and $8.50. Drawing in those parameters, it is easy to see the support that FLEX garners at the low end of this range. Add in support from the 50-week moving average and FLEX looks attractive at these levels.
If a trader wanted to play for a bounce back to the top of the channel, the current risk reward is excellent. Since I am looking for a much larger move on a wider time frame, I will wait for FLEX to at least move back into the mid-point of the channel. $7.70 would be an area that I would consider starting a partial position, and adding on it with a break above the upper channel line. A stop should be considered around $6.50.
Patterns that develop on charts are nothing more than a consensus of price over time. These patterns reflect the reality of what traders are willing to pay for a security at any given moment. When prices find equilibrium the chart flattens out and many time traders lose interest and move on to more volatile issues. Once prices reach the outer limits of this equilibrium, they either reflexively pull back to a central tendency or they draw more attention and embark on a fresh move. Although the indexes are currently struggling to find their own footing, keep an eye on these bases as they get close to breaking new ground. Many times a flurry of buying on the break will produce the opportunity for some quick profits.
The other list I keep looks at weekly patterns through a much larger lens. When I do the weekly chart work, I am looking for monster breaks of multi-year levels of support or resistance. Sometimes this comes in the form of new highs or new lows. At other times it may merely be a breakout from many months of consolidation. The names highlighted below fit this latter pattern.
Quicksilver Resources (KWK) has been in a wedge pattern going into its second year. Primarily a natural gas play, KWK is currently enjoying support at a flat-lining 50-week moving average. Because of the duration of sideways consolidation in KWK, the lack of slope in the moving average does not concern me in the least. If the overall averages pick up steam, I will be looking for weekly patterns such as this one in KWK.
There are two key levels I am watching in KWK. The first would be $15.06 which corresponds to recent highs in May 2011. On a break of this area I would be inclined to consider a half position in KWK. The second area of resistance is a bigger level, and I would wait for a break of $16.02 to complete the KWK buy. Recent lows in mid April of $13.00 would provide an excellent place to put a stop.
LTX-Credence (LTXC) has provided traders quite the ride over the past several years as it plummeted from 2007 highs losing 95% of its value in the way down. Just as quickly however, it staged a monster V-shaped reversal that recouped half of those losses. Since early 2010, the action has been a bit more subdued allowing a base pattern to emerge.
While a bit difficult to see on the chart above, LTXC may have formed a double bottom on the weekly. The next step in the process for LTXC will be to break through the overhead resistance going back to those 2007 highs. The psychological impact of LTXC breaking the level around $9.40 could be immense. With a stop below the double bottom around $7.80, LTXC will make my short list once it takes out that overhead resistance.
Electronic parts maker Flextronics (FLEX) has an interesting pattern going that traces back to mid-2009. For most of this time, FLEX has been in a channel between $6.30 and $8.50. Drawing in those parameters, it is easy to see the support that FLEX garners at the low end of this range. Add in support from the 50-week moving average and FLEX looks attractive at these levels.
If a trader wanted to play for a bounce back to the top of the channel, the current risk reward is excellent. Since I am looking for a much larger move on a wider time frame, I will wait for FLEX to at least move back into the mid-point of the channel. $7.70 would be an area that I would consider starting a partial position, and adding on it with a break above the upper channel line. A stop should be considered around $6.50.
Patterns that develop on charts are nothing more than a consensus of price over time. These patterns reflect the reality of what traders are willing to pay for a security at any given moment. When prices find equilibrium the chart flattens out and many time traders lose interest and move on to more volatile issues. Once prices reach the outer limits of this equilibrium, they either reflexively pull back to a central tendency or they draw more attention and embark on a fresh move. Although the indexes are currently struggling to find their own footing, keep an eye on these bases as they get close to breaking new ground. Many times a flurry of buying on the break will produce the opportunity for some quick profits.
Lim, Lee and Bungert medalists at Skylinks
Long Beach resident Kevin Lim shot a 7-under-par 65 Sunday at Skylinks Golf Course and was one of three players to tie for medalist honors in the 36-hole stroke-play qualifying portion of the Long Beach Match Play Championship.
Lim finished with a two-round total of 9-under 135. Kevin Lee of Cerritos shot 68 Sunday to equal Lim's two-day score, and first-round leader Alex Bungert shot 72 for 135.
Philip Chian (71) and Pete Fernandez Jr. (68) tied for fourth at 138.
The top 64 finishers advanced to the match play portion, which begins at 7 a.m. Saturday at Skylinks. The tournament concludes June 19 with a 36-hole final match.
Men's volleyball
The Long Beach-based Quicksilver Legends posted a 25-13, 25-14 victory over a team from Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday to claim the National Indoor Senior Championship. Former U.S. Olympian Jon Stanley was selected tournament MVP while Rich Leong and Will Lapp were All-America selections. The Legends went 7-0 during the four-day tournament in Dallas.
Lim finished with a two-round total of 9-under 135. Kevin Lee of Cerritos shot 68 Sunday to equal Lim's two-day score, and first-round leader Alex Bungert shot 72 for 135.
Philip Chian (71) and Pete Fernandez Jr. (68) tied for fourth at 138.
The top 64 finishers advanced to the match play portion, which begins at 7 a.m. Saturday at Skylinks. The tournament concludes June 19 with a 36-hole final match.
Men's volleyball
The Long Beach-based Quicksilver Legends posted a 25-13, 25-14 victory over a team from Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday to claim the National Indoor Senior Championship. Former U.S. Olympian Jon Stanley was selected tournament MVP while Rich Leong and Will Lapp were All-America selections. The Legends went 7-0 during the four-day tournament in Dallas.
2011年6月1日星期三
Celebrate McDowell with gold panning, livermush tossing
This weekend, McDowell County will celebrate its heritage of both gold mining and livermush making.
The eighth annual North Carolina Gold Festival will be held Friday and Saturday in Old Fort while the fifth annual Livermush Festival will be held Friday evening in downtown Marion. Admission for both events is free.
North Carolina Gold Festival
The eighth annual North Carolina Gold Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, said organizer Don Markum. Breaking from tradition of past years, the festival will be held this year at the Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort.
“We’ve been working toward a combined Rutherford-McDowell-Mitchell festival,” he said, bringing all of the region's historical association with gold prospecting into perspective.
For the first time ever, the gold festival has the support of the Gold Prospectors Association of America, a national group with lots of interested amateur and professional gold bugs.
With the growing interest in recent years, he explained, more has been learned about the early experiences in gold mining in the area, confirming what Markum has known all along.
“People settle in places for a reason,” he said. “History shows people settled here for gold.”
To help gather and organize as much information as possible about the local history of gold prospecting, this year’s event will feature an oral history booth. Those with lore to share of family history in the gold business can tell their story for a video and audio archive.
Among all the attractions will be one original Bechtler coin -- a $1 gold coin minted near Union Mills. Markum said the emphasis is on fun, food, entertainment and “lots of laughs.” Co-organizer Liz McCormick said the schedule is packed full. The fun starts at noon Friday and resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday, continuing through 5 p.m. both days. There will be karaoke and live bands, such as Old Fort’s own Possum Creek.
“We’ll have live demonstrations of panning, dredging and new mining equipment,” she said. “We’ll also have a new technique of smelting using your microwave oven -- this is definitely a ‘don’t-try-this-at-home’ technique.”
Of course it's not a festival without inflatables, and Bouncing Kids will be there to keep the tots happy and help them burn off the calories from all the “festival-style food.” There is a fee for the inflatables. Watch for door prizes, gold nugget raffles and a “nugget race” in the creek, which is basically a ducky derby. The first and last over the finish line will win a gold nugget.
Markum said he also looks forward to gold assaying and gem panning demonstrations as well as faceting, the art of gem cutting.
There are vendor spaces still available. Those interested should call Markum at (800) 939-9033.
Livermush Festival
Friday evening, folks can come to downtown Marion and celebrate the local livermush heritage with bluegrass music and inflatables for the youngsters.
The Fifth Annual Livermush Festival will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the courthouse lawn on Main Street. The free event celebrates the livermush heritage of Marion and McDowell County. Hunter’s Livermush, founded in 1955, is one of the sponsors of the event.
Like last year, the festival will feature bluegrass music provided by the Moore Brothers. Jacob Moore is a 13-year-old who enjoys playing the mandolin, fiddle and guitar. He currently studies the mandolin with Wayne Benson of IIIrd Tyme Out and the fiddle with Alan Johnson, formerly with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Isaac Moore is an 8-year-old who plays the mandolin and a few songs on the guitar. Together, they play in as the Moore Brothers, which also includes their dad, Jeff Moore, on rhythm guitar and their mom, Patti Moore, who helps with the vocals. Richard Penland is the lead guitarist, and Johnny Pons plays bass.
“The band loves to perform bluegrass, gospel, blues and spread lots of smiles,” read a news release from the Marion Business Association. “They have been playing together for the last two years. The Moore Brothers bring a high energy show to the stage.”
The festival will also feature the annual livermush cookoff. Entries must contain livermush and be provided in an 8-inch by 8-inch disposable pan. Dishes and written recipes have to be presented by 6:15 p.m. Friday at the entrance of MACA. Winners will be announced later that evening and the winner will get a $25 grand prize. For more information about the cookoff, contact Bobbie Young at 652-2215.
The festival will also feature the livermush toss contest. Free livermush sandwiches will be available.
“Any homage to livermush is welcome and encouraged, such as a costume or poem,” read the MBA news release.
MACA will sponsor the sidewalk chalk art. Hospice of McDowell County will hold a bake sale. Hula hoops and inflatable bouncies will be available for the kids.
The eighth annual North Carolina Gold Festival will be held Friday and Saturday in Old Fort while the fifth annual Livermush Festival will be held Friday evening in downtown Marion. Admission for both events is free.
North Carolina Gold Festival
The eighth annual North Carolina Gold Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, said organizer Don Markum. Breaking from tradition of past years, the festival will be held this year at the Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort.
“We’ve been working toward a combined Rutherford-McDowell-Mitchell festival,” he said, bringing all of the region's historical association with gold prospecting into perspective.
For the first time ever, the gold festival has the support of the Gold Prospectors Association of America, a national group with lots of interested amateur and professional gold bugs.
With the growing interest in recent years, he explained, more has been learned about the early experiences in gold mining in the area, confirming what Markum has known all along.
“People settle in places for a reason,” he said. “History shows people settled here for gold.”
To help gather and organize as much information as possible about the local history of gold prospecting, this year’s event will feature an oral history booth. Those with lore to share of family history in the gold business can tell their story for a video and audio archive.
Among all the attractions will be one original Bechtler coin -- a $1 gold coin minted near Union Mills. Markum said the emphasis is on fun, food, entertainment and “lots of laughs.” Co-organizer Liz McCormick said the schedule is packed full. The fun starts at noon Friday and resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday, continuing through 5 p.m. both days. There will be karaoke and live bands, such as Old Fort’s own Possum Creek.
“We’ll have live demonstrations of panning, dredging and new mining equipment,” she said. “We’ll also have a new technique of smelting using your microwave oven -- this is definitely a ‘don’t-try-this-at-home’ technique.”
Of course it's not a festival without inflatables, and Bouncing Kids will be there to keep the tots happy and help them burn off the calories from all the “festival-style food.” There is a fee for the inflatables. Watch for door prizes, gold nugget raffles and a “nugget race” in the creek, which is basically a ducky derby. The first and last over the finish line will win a gold nugget.
Markum said he also looks forward to gold assaying and gem panning demonstrations as well as faceting, the art of gem cutting.
There are vendor spaces still available. Those interested should call Markum at (800) 939-9033.
Livermush Festival
Friday evening, folks can come to downtown Marion and celebrate the local livermush heritage with bluegrass music and inflatables for the youngsters.
The Fifth Annual Livermush Festival will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the courthouse lawn on Main Street. The free event celebrates the livermush heritage of Marion and McDowell County. Hunter’s Livermush, founded in 1955, is one of the sponsors of the event.
Like last year, the festival will feature bluegrass music provided by the Moore Brothers. Jacob Moore is a 13-year-old who enjoys playing the mandolin, fiddle and guitar. He currently studies the mandolin with Wayne Benson of IIIrd Tyme Out and the fiddle with Alan Johnson, formerly with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Isaac Moore is an 8-year-old who plays the mandolin and a few songs on the guitar. Together, they play in as the Moore Brothers, which also includes their dad, Jeff Moore, on rhythm guitar and their mom, Patti Moore, who helps with the vocals. Richard Penland is the lead guitarist, and Johnny Pons plays bass.
“The band loves to perform bluegrass, gospel, blues and spread lots of smiles,” read a news release from the Marion Business Association. “They have been playing together for the last two years. The Moore Brothers bring a high energy show to the stage.”
The festival will also feature the annual livermush cookoff. Entries must contain livermush and be provided in an 8-inch by 8-inch disposable pan. Dishes and written recipes have to be presented by 6:15 p.m. Friday at the entrance of MACA. Winners will be announced later that evening and the winner will get a $25 grand prize. For more information about the cookoff, contact Bobbie Young at 652-2215.
The festival will also feature the livermush toss contest. Free livermush sandwiches will be available.
“Any homage to livermush is welcome and encouraged, such as a costume or poem,” read the MBA news release.
MACA will sponsor the sidewalk chalk art. Hospice of McDowell County will hold a bake sale. Hula hoops and inflatable bouncies will be available for the kids.
Royal Danish Ballet review: Superb 'Sylphide'
Cal Performances kept a long-delayed date with living history Tuesday evening at Zellerbach Hall. The glorious Royal Danish Ballet, absent from local stages for a half century, returned with an engrossing production of August Bournonville's "La Sylphide," its culture's most familiar and venerable (1836) ballet, given here in an expansive 2003 staging by artistic director Nikolaj Hübbe and Anne Marie Vessel Schlüter.
This is one of the world's most distinctive and enduring classical dance traditions, one in which speed, airiness, softness and humanity dominate every gesture. Bournonville's only tragic work, a moral fable on the perils of pursuing fantasy at the cost of worldly contentment, encompasses an encyclopedia of emotions, translated throughout into an exhilarating pageant of linked steps and mime that epitomize this legendary choreographer's movement style and philosophy. With Bournonville, one cannot separate the two.
Every fresh staging of his works prompts a measure of consternation among Bournonville savants, who regard the loss of a traditional detail as a major crime. Not to worry here: this production sustains the narrative thread, highlights the iconic set pieces and finds particular pleasure in the ensembles of the wedding guests and 16 attendant sylphs. In Mads Blangstrup's James, the Danes have brought us a superb protagonist, an arrogant Scots fellow who engineers his dire destiny. In Blangstrup's buoyancy, smoothness in transitions and quicksilver emotional responses, one finds the best of the tradition. The Sylph of veteran (American-born) Caroline Cavallo maintains a lovely teasing quality and sustains the awesome balances, although at this stage of her career, her elevation seems circumscribed.
Nicolai Hansen dispatched the hapless Gurn with wondrous specificity of gesture; Camilla Ruelkkye Holst was the uncomprehending Effy. And Lis Jeppesen, in earlier decades a haunting Sylph, has transitioned to Madge, the witch whose ravaged beauty, sense of injustice and emotional yearning precipitate the tragedy; a brilliant portrayal. In the pit, Henrik Vagn Christensen conducted the Berkeley Symphony in a stout reading of the Lovenskiold score.
To open this long but infinitely rewarding evening, Hübbe revived former artistic director Flemming Flindt's "The Lesson," that eerie 1964 number about the homicidal dance master who cannot abide imperfection. Thomas Lund delivered a stunningly deranged characterization. Ida Praetorius' leggy, annoyingly pert student, made an ideal foil.
This is one of the world's most distinctive and enduring classical dance traditions, one in which speed, airiness, softness and humanity dominate every gesture. Bournonville's only tragic work, a moral fable on the perils of pursuing fantasy at the cost of worldly contentment, encompasses an encyclopedia of emotions, translated throughout into an exhilarating pageant of linked steps and mime that epitomize this legendary choreographer's movement style and philosophy. With Bournonville, one cannot separate the two.
Every fresh staging of his works prompts a measure of consternation among Bournonville savants, who regard the loss of a traditional detail as a major crime. Not to worry here: this production sustains the narrative thread, highlights the iconic set pieces and finds particular pleasure in the ensembles of the wedding guests and 16 attendant sylphs. In Mads Blangstrup's James, the Danes have brought us a superb protagonist, an arrogant Scots fellow who engineers his dire destiny. In Blangstrup's buoyancy, smoothness in transitions and quicksilver emotional responses, one finds the best of the tradition. The Sylph of veteran (American-born) Caroline Cavallo maintains a lovely teasing quality and sustains the awesome balances, although at this stage of her career, her elevation seems circumscribed.
Nicolai Hansen dispatched the hapless Gurn with wondrous specificity of gesture; Camilla Ruelkkye Holst was the uncomprehending Effy. And Lis Jeppesen, in earlier decades a haunting Sylph, has transitioned to Madge, the witch whose ravaged beauty, sense of injustice and emotional yearning precipitate the tragedy; a brilliant portrayal. In the pit, Henrik Vagn Christensen conducted the Berkeley Symphony in a stout reading of the Lovenskiold score.
To open this long but infinitely rewarding evening, Hübbe revived former artistic director Flemming Flindt's "The Lesson," that eerie 1964 number about the homicidal dance master who cannot abide imperfection. Thomas Lund delivered a stunningly deranged characterization. Ida Praetorius' leggy, annoyingly pert student, made an ideal foil.
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