Captain Jack Says The Bobcats Shut Him Down

The biggest deal of the NBA offseason so far has been the draft day deal that sent Stephen Jackson  from Charlotte to Milwaukee. That nay be the biggest for a while since the NBA will be heading for a lockout.

The question I asked myself when this trade was made was, why does Jackson keep getting traded to these middling teams? Nothing against the Bucks, but they aren't going to win a title or contend for one anytime soon.  

Jackson doesn't seem fazed by getting traded to Milwaukee. He says he's surprised by the city and had some words, not hateful, for the Bobcats.

"The only perception that I've had from other teams is coming to a boring city," Jackson said. "That's what they always say. But since I've been here, the weather's been great. I didn't expect the weather to be so great. When I come, there's snow everywhere."

I have a friend who visited Milwaukee and he said it wasn't that bad, so Jackson may want to explore what they have to offer.

As far as the trade, I feel the Bobcats could've gotten more for Jackson. But he's not bitter or holding any grudges. He just feels that they could've made a playoff push last season, but they decided to shut him down and go in a different direction.

"I didn't want to be on a team where they're going younger and they want to win three years from now," Jackson said. "I'll be at the end of my career. So winning now is important to me, and this is a great place to win now."

"The last 10 games, I could have played," Jackson said. "But they shut me down. The team shut me down. So I kind of assumed they didn't want to make the playoffs."


I do like Jackson as a player, but he's not a difference maker. He seems supremely confident in his abilities, which is the confidence you need to play in the NBA. He feels that he can be the player that can make the Bucks a contender in the Eastern Conference.

"I know what I can bring to this team, and I know what it takes to get to the playoffs," Jackson said.

"For us to win, we have to be all on the same page," Jackson said. "And I'm pretty sure that coach is going to give me the room to police all that. If guys don't want to play, you need to let us know that, because you're not going to be a part of us. And I'm going to make that known."


The Bucks could be scary if they're healthy, I'll say that much. But the unknown dynamic is whether Jackson and coach Scott Skiles will be able to get along. 










 







   

Bartolo Colon Set To Start Saturday Against Mets

Bartolo Colon, who has been on the 15-day DL since June 12, is set to return as the New York Yankees starter against their cross-town rivals the New York Mets on Saturday.  On Thursday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi claimed Colon threw well enough in a bullpen session earlier that morning to be activated for Saturday's inter-league game.

Colon threw the ball and ran through some fielding drills before the Yankees Thursday afternoon game against the Milwaukee Brewers to Girardi's satisfaction.  If everything continues to check out, the hefty righthander will start the second of the three game series at Citi Field.

Colon strained the hamstring on his planting leg against the Cleveland Indians back on June 11 but says he is more than ready to get back to throwing.

 "I felt good," Colon said through a Yankees source.  "I'm ready to come back and help the team.  My bullpen went well.  I'm happy to be back with everyone.  I'm looking forward to Saturday."

Barring a freak accident, Colon will be on the mound for Saturday's 4 p.m. game.

While Girardi was not so confident about Colon's return last night, Yankees GM Brian Cashman painted a brighter picture and said Colon would return if Thursday's bullpen session went according to plan.

"I think there's a good likelihood you'll see him back this weekend," said Cashman.  "That's our mind-set."

To make room in the rotation, the 38 year-old Colon will replace Brian Gordon, who was 0-1 with a 5.13 ERA in two starts.

Colon, who was out of baseball since injuring his elbow and shoulder in 2009, was a surprising 5-3 with a 3.10 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 78 innings before he went to the DL.

If Colon's return is a success, the Yankees will have the luxury of five good arms in the starting rotation and one sitting on the back burner.

The anticipated return of Phil Hughes next week might lure the Yankees into the extravagance of having too many live arms for the team to go around.

Not so says Girardi.  He knows the overabundance of starting pitchers is better than too few.  Girardi looked at the situation like an artist surveying his canvas.

"Do we feel a guy needs an extra day off, do we skip a guy to give him a little rest?," said the manager.  "There are some different things you can do to be creative with a six-man rotation, if you do a six-man."

Too many pitchers, it's a problem any team would like.

The Yankees are 14-4 over the last eighteen games, their starters have a 3.15 ERA and the team has overtaken the Boston Red Sox for first place over that span.

Imagine, the Yankees with a surplus of pitching arms.  Take that Phillies.

Shia LaBeouf Akui Pernah 'Jalan' Dengan Megan Fox

Shia LaBeouf mengaku saat diawancarai majalah Details bahwa ia pernah 'jalan' dengan Megan Fox saat memfilmkan Transformers.

"Bayangkan kau berada di set selama enam bulan, bersama seseorang yang memang dimaksudkan untuk tertarik padamu, dan kau juga dimaksudkan untuk tertarik padanya. Aku tidak pernah memahami perbedaan antara pekerjaan dan kehidupan nyata dalam situasi seperti itu," ujarnya.

"Saat-saat yang aku habiskan bersama Megan adalah milik kami sendiri, dan aku rasa kau bisa melihat chemistry-nya di layar."

Dalam film, sang aktor memerankan tokoh utama Samuel Witwicky yang merupakan pasangan dari Mikaela Banes yang diperankan oleh Megan Fox.

Namun, LaBeouf tak memberikan detil dan tak yakin tentang status Megan dengan Brian Austin Green yang kini menjadi suami aktris seksi itu.

"Aku tidak tahu," LaBeouf berkata. "Yang lalu biarlah berlalu."

Kobayashi Will Compete in Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Via Satellite

Takeru Kobayashi won't be on the Coney Island boardwalk for this year's Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest but will compete from a distance via satellite TV.

Kobayashi, who can't compete because he refuses to sign an exclusive contract with organizer Major League Eating, says he will unofficially compete from a remote location to protest his ban from the Super Bowl of competitive eating.

Kobayashi still refuses to sign any exclusive contract with MLE and insists he will down hot dogs on July Fourth, simultaneously with the other competitors, in a mid-town Manhattan restaurant--a D train ride away from Nathan's.

Six-time champ Kobayashi was once the face of the sport and pretty much brought the Nathan's event to ESPN on his own.  The one-time Babe Ruth of the sport has now become an outcast and even had his image removed from the Nathan's Wall of Fame last April.  Even Al Capone's visit to Nathan's lives in infamy on it's website.

Last summer, Kobayashi, was unable to compete in the Nathan's FFJHDEC because Major League Eating's contract stipulates that he can only participate in it's tournaments and the league has to have total control over Kobayashi's endorsement deals.  He refused to sign.

"I hope to create awareness about the nature of this kind of business," said Kobayashi.  "At least they cannot erase history," he said of his removal from the Wall of Fame.

While Kobayashi becomes a sort of pariah in the sport he once dominated, the current champ, Joey Chestnut has been getting all the glory.

Chestnut, 27, realizes the event isn't the same without Kobayashi.

"He's an awesome eater," said Chestnut.  "He pushes me to work harder."

Some people are wondering if Kobayashi is making a big deal over nothing after setting a world record and personal-best of 64 1/2 downed barkers in 2009.

Some think Kobayashi is just losing his mind.

In 2010, while banned for the first time and watching the Nathan's competition from the crowd, Kobayashi leaped onto the stage in protest after Chestnut won and was arrested.  He spent the night in a New York City holding cell.  Charges were later dismissed.

This year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest will have a women only competition for the first time.

It's a shame Kobayashi and Chestnut won't meet again this year.  It's sort of a Pacquiao/Mayweather predicament in the world of competitive eating. There may be competitions against others, but if the two best don't meet, it doesn't really matter.

Charlie Sheen Used Steroids for "Major League" Film Role

Charlie Sheen, the star of the classic 1989 baseball movie "Major League" admits in the new Sports Illustrated "Where Are They Now" issue that he used steroids to boost his fastball for the film, according to the New York Daily News.



Talk about method acting.  Is this what Sheen meant when he says Tiger Blood runs through his veins?

"Let's just say that I was enhancing my performance a bit," admits Sheen.  "It was the only time I ever did steroids.  I did them for like six or eight weeks.  You can print this, I don't give a f---.  My fastball went from 79 to like 85."

"Wild Thing" would have approved.

The actor carried over his portrayal of the wild and crazy "California Penal League" pitcher, Ricky Vaughn, from the film set to his personal down time during the shoot.

Sheen's character sported a lightning bolt haircut and, combined with Vaughn's nasty stuff on the mound and 'roid rage, made Wild Thing a cult figure and the most popular and enduring character in the movie about a down-and-out Cleveland Indians team.

The then-22-year-old Sheen said the character didn't make him a winner off the set and his juicing only intensified his rage.  Sheen said he stopped using the drug after the actor got into too many confrontations.

"I didn't like the haircut because it generated so many comments in bars.  I've got  enough of that already," said Sheen.  "Add that to the mix, and it's a recipe for a fistfight."

Drugs and Charlie Sheen, what a shock.  What no Goddesses?

And I thought Sheen's portrayal of a 'roid-raging pitcher was just good acting.

Chris Bosh's Four-Day Bachelor Party Filled With Guns, Booze and Levitation

Chris Bosh's bachelor party sounded a lot more fun than his NBA Championship series and lasted almost as long.  Bosh, the last wheel in the Miami Heat's Big Three, and his pals partied like rock stars during a four-day Las Vegas bacchanal dubbed "The Hangover 3."   Bosh celebrated, alongside 11 of his closest friends, with guns, liquor, steak dinners and magic shows. 

"It was everything these guys don't get to do during the season," said a source close to the party.

Funny, it sounds like a typical NBA season to me.

Miami teammates, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, were nowhere to be seen.  They probably had colds.

Bosh's Dirty Dozen, which included New Orleans Hornets players Jarrett Jack and Pops Mensah-Bonsu, kicked off the weekend by taking in Criss Angel's magic show "Believe" at the Luxor.  Angel pulled the guest of honor onstage and made him part of the act.  Backstage, Bosh was levitated by the greasy illusionist for a photo shoot.

The New York Post reported that Bosh and his posse's manly fun included blowing off steam at a gun range as soon as they hit the Strip and pigging out on steak dinners at some of the top restaurants in Vegas.

Other Sin City activities for Bosh and his posse included partying at Tao and a day of paintball.

The crew capped off the festivities on Sunday with a "Rack Pat" casino night at Caesars and the comedy-styling of Mark Curry.

Bosh will marry Adrienne Williams at the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami in July.

"Fanny" Of The Week: Annie Thao

This week's "Fanny" of the week is Annie Thao.

Emma Watson Sempat Naksir Pada Draco Malfoy

Emma Watson, 21 tahun, mengaku naksir berat pada Tom Felton, pemeran Draco Malfoy selama dua film pertama Harry Potter saga.

"Dia adalah gebetan pertamaku," Watson berkata pada majalah Seventeen. "Dia tahu kok. Kami membicarakannya, kami masih menertawakan hal itu. Kami berteman baik sekarang."

Sementara Felton, 23 tahun, saat ini tengah berpacaran dengan Jade Olivia.

Emma mengakui bahwa dia tidak pandai dalam urusan kencan. "Aku tidak sabaran. Itu salah satu sifat burukku," katanya.

"Teman-temanku selalu bilang padaku aku harus berusaha keras untuk mendapatkan cowok yang aku suka karena aku biasanya cuma bilang, 'Aku suka kamu, yuk jalan.' Tapi teman-temanku bilang, 'Jangan seperti itu! Kau harus nempel terus sama cowok itu.'"

"Itu mimpi buruk," dia berkata."Aku tidak pernah memikirkan hal itu."

Selamat Hari Keluarga

Peluk terhangat untuk keluargaBelai terlembut untuk keluargaSenyum yang terindah untuk keluargaKasih paling tulus untuk keluargaTerima kasih IbuTerima kasih AyahUntuk Kasih dan sayangmuSelamat Hari keluargaDemikian lagu dari iklan layanan masyarakat menyambut hari Keluarga 2011. Hari Keluarga yang diperingati setiap tanggal 29 Juni sejatinya lebih dimaksudkan untuk meningkatkan kesadaran

Yankees Fans: Where Have You Gone Russell Martin?

Russell Martin, in his first year as New York Yankees catcher, started the season at a blistering pace and made Yankee fans forget about not seeing Yankee stalwart Jorge Posada crouching behind the plate a lot easier to fathom.

The former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher had four home-runs and 13 RBI's by his thirteenth game in pinstripes and he became more than a just a transitional bridge between the Posada Era to the Yankees future catching star, Jesus Montero.

One problem, since May 24, Martin doesn't have an extra-base hit and is batting .136 (8-for-59) in his last 17 games?

What the hell happened?

Surprisingly,  Martin is still the leading vote-getter for the American League's starting catcher's spot--probably based on his early-season offensive explosion-- for this year's All-Star Game.  Martin currently has a 400,000 vote lead over the Texas Rangers Alex Avila who is slowly creeping up to the Yankee for the starting position.  Avila is batting .304 with 10 home-runs in his second season.

A two-time National league All-Star with the Dodgers, Martin was released by the team after slumping in 2009 and having a serious hip injury in 2010.

The 28 year-old backstop was signed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Yankees.  It immediately looked like the Yankees GM Brian Cashman salvaged an Antiques Roadshow-type find mixed in with his box of off-season garage-sale buys.  Martin looked like the early favorite for the comeback player of the year.

Along with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, the deal made Cashman look brilliant by landing Martin and his potential at a risky, but relatively bargain basement price.  It also kept the catcher from going to the Boston Red Sox.

By the beginning of May,  Martin had pounded nine home-runs, had 26 RBI's, stole six bases and had a slugging percentage hovering around .600.  Martin's early success helped take the pain out of the Yankees Cliff Lee fiasco.

Only today, the native Canadian is still stuck with nine homers and knocked in only four runs since.  Martin's slugging percentage has dipped to a pedestrian .398.

Give credit where it is due.  Martin has been solid behind the plate and, with the Yankees M*A*S*H unit full of starters and relievers, Martin is more Hawkeye than Frank Burns.  Yankees players say Martin's sense of humor and team work make him a popular and welcome figure in the locker room as well.

Two weeks ago, a back problem took Martin out of the line-up for a couple of days, but he resisted going on the 15-day DL.  It is quite possible he is still feeling the ill-effects of that injury and came back too soon.   Martin said he "felt pain when swinging."

It makes you realize that extending Derek Jeter's stay on the 15-day DL might not be such a bad thing after all.

Eli Manning: Giants Would Take Back Ex-Con Plaxico Over Ex-TV Host Tiki

Eli Manning was asked if the New York Giants players had to chose between former Giants wide-out Plaxico Burress or former running back Tiki Barber returning to the team, the Giants quarterback said he believes the recently released ex-con, Burress, would be more readily accepted than the ex-"Today" show reporter.

According to the New York Post, Manning, speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, claimed Barber slammed the door on his Giants career when he bolted the team for a career in broadcasting.

Even though there is little chance either Burress or Barber will return to the team, Manning said at least Plax chipped in by catching the winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII and the Giants players have long and heartfelt memories of the victory and Burress' part in it.

Manning thinks Burress stands a better chance of joining the G-Men; even after a 20-month stint in the joint.


"Probably Plaxico just because he has fonder memories of winning a Super Bowl and that catch for the touchdown in Super Bowl XLII," said Manning.  "Tiki ended on a bad note and it's really a shame, he should be remembered as a great Giants running back and a terrific player, because he was.  Just kind of the way he went out and burned a few bridges with the fans and kind of went after me a little bit, it's unfortunate.  I'm not happy about it in that sense, so I think Plaxico would probably be welcomed back a little quicker."

Neither former-Giant was ever considered a team player and both players couldn't keep their opinions of head coach Tom Coughlin to themselves.  Burress was mainly prone to missing team meetings but is still dissing the old disciplinarian Coughlin, even after his release from prison.

Barber, meanwhile criticized Coughlin, even though the taskmaster helped the running back with his "fumblitis."  Barber went on to have his best seasons because of Coughlin's adjustments of the running back's flawed mechanics.  Grateful is apparently not in Barber's vocabulary.

Barber's worst transgression was criticizing a young Manning before announcing his retirement in the out of nowhere in the middle of the season.  Barber's self-promoting stunt stunned the Giants players and alienated Big Blue fans from the grinning back for good.

Barber claimed Manning's leadership skills were lacking and called them "comical."  

Manning didn't take kindly to the remarks and called Barber's premature announcement a distraction to the team.  The counter punch at Barber raised Manning's esteem and his profile with the veteran players.

"When I kind of responded, I think guys kind of liked to see that from me, since I've always been pretty quiet and never really tried to create any controversy," said Manning.  " I just felt this was a little different.  This wasn't a media guy or reporter attacking me, this was a teammate coming after me...but I couldn't sit there and do nothing."

After Barber's verbal attack on Manning, the proud QB didn't just do nothing.  He went on to win a Super Bowl that Barber could only watch from his living room.

Fakta Dan Tips Merawat Telinga

Ternyata terlalu sering membersihkan telinga dengan cotton bud dapat menyebabkan infeksi dan bahkan gangguan pendengaran permanen. Inilah 22 fakta dan tips seputar merawat telinga.

Telinga adalah organ yang kompleks dan terbagi dalam tiga bagian utama. a. Bagian luar telinga melindungi gendang telinga dari cidera langsung dan menyalurkan gelombang suara melalui kanal telinga ke gendang telinga. b. Bagian tengah, yang terpisah dari bagian luar, adalah ceruk berisi udara yang terhubung dengan bagian belakang hidung melalui tabung Eustachea yang membuka ketika kita menelan atau menguap.

Gelombang suara membuat gendang telinga bergetar. c. Di dalam telinga bagian tengah terdapat tulang-tulang kecil yang mengirimkan getaran dari gendang telinga ke cochlea atau telinga bagian dalam. Di bagian ini terdapat sebuah tabung berisi cairan yang disebut rumah siput karena bentuknya yang mirip, dan memiliki sel-sel rambut halus yang menerjemahkan gelombang suara menjadi rangsangan syaraf yang diteruskan ke otak.

Kotoran telinga atau cerumen adalah substansi antibakteri yang diproduksi oleh kelenjar dalam saluran telinga untuk mencegah infeksi dan membantu membersihkan telinga dari sel-sel kulit mati.

Kulit saluran telinga dirancang untuk membantu kotoran telinga bergerak keluar.

Cotton bud memiliki lebar yang sama dengan saluran telinga dan justru mendorong kotoran telinga masuk kedalam. Tapi tidak masalah jika Anda menggunakannya untuk membersihkan bagian pinggirnya saja (bagian yang dapat dilihat dari luar). Cotton bud juga dapat mengarah pada terjadinya infeksi dan menusuk gendang telinga jika Anda mendorongnya terlalu dalam.

Beberapa orang menggunakan minyak untuk memudahkan kotoran telinga keluar, namun itu justru dapat menghambatnya.

Menggunakan lilin Hopi untuk menyedot keluar kotoran telinga ternyata tidak efisien dan gagal dalam tes keamanan dan manfaatnya dan FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Amerika telah melarang penjualannya sebagai barang kesehatan.

Jika Anda ingin membersihkan telinga, kunjungilah dokter yang menggunakan peralatan khusus untuk melihat kedalam telinga untuk mengetahui apakah ada yang menyumbat saluran pendengaran Anda dan apa penyebabnya.

Kotoran telinga orang berbeda-beda. Ada yang memiliki kotoran telinga berwarna oranye dan lembek sementara yang lainnya memiliki kotoran telinga lebih kering dan cokelat.

Kotoran telinga yang menandakan adanya infeksi adalah yang berwarna hijau dan tebal.

Jangan digaruk jika telinga terasa gatal dan risih. Ini adalah gejala eczema atau psoriasis. Temui dokter, dan ia akan memberikan Anda salep khusus untuk meredakan rasa gatalnya.

Ada dua tipe utama infeksi telinga. a. Infeksi luar telinga biasanya terjadi setelah terkena air kotor. Ini umum terjadi bagi penderita eczema di saluran telinga dan tapat terulang jika kulit tidak mendapatkan waktu yang cukup untuk memulihkan diri dengan baik.

Telinga terasa sakit, bengkak dan tersumbat nanah. Ini biasanya disebabkan oleh bakteri atau infeksi jamur.

Perawatan dilakukan dengan membersihkan nanah dan memberikan obat tetes antibiotik kedalam saluran telinga. b. Infeksi telinga bagian tengah akut sering diikuti dengan demam. Telinga tersumbat oleh cairan di bagian tengah telinga yang terkadang membuat gendang telinga pecah. Biasanya infeksi ini disebabkan oleh virus, namun bakteri juga dapat menyerang telinga bagian tengah. Infeksi bakteri bisa dirawat dengan antibiotik yang diminum.

Benjolan atau lepuh di saluran telinga bisa terasa sakit dan harus diobati dengan obat tetes antibakteri.

Syaraf telinga terhubung dengan banyak syaraf dari anggota tubuh lain yang berdekatan sehingga terkadang infeksi tenggorokan atau bahkan masalah dengan leher dapat menyebabkan rasa sakit di telinga. Kanker tenggorokan, lidah dan amandel dapat menyebabkan telinga ikut terasa sakit, tapi ini jarang terjadi.

Kehilangan pendengaran tiba-tiba bisa terjadi yang disebabkan oleh kerusakan sel-sel rambut halus di bagian dalam telinga.

Kehilangan pendengaran yang berangsur biasanya dihubungkan dengan usia lanjut, tapi jika hanya satu telinga yang terpengaruh atau jika ada perbedaan yang signifikan antara pendengaran pada kedua telinga, kunjungilah spesialis.

Sejumlah pengobatan dapat menyebabkan ketulian, meskipun jarang.

Mendengarkan musik dengan suara keras dalam jangka panjang dapat membunuh sel-sel rambut di bagian dalam telinga. Telinga manusia tidak dirancang untuk mendengar suara diatas 85db (desibel), sementara konser musik rata-rata memiliki tingkat suara 120db.

Dengungan di telinga setelah mendengar musik yang kuat disebut tinnitus dan itu merupakan sebuah gejala rangsangan yang berlebihan.

Suara sehari-hari juga dapat menyebabkan kerusakan pendengaran. Jika Anda berjalan dan ada perbaikan jalan, menyeberanglah. Karena para pekerja yang menggunakan bor angin biasanya memakai pelindung telinga, sementara Anda tidak. Pengguna earphone harusnya memakai selipan khusus untuk meredam suara-suara diluar dan jangan menaikkan volume terlalu tinggi.

Tamparan di telinga dapat memicu lubang-lubang pada gendang telinga, yang terasa sangat sakit. Dalam kebanyakan kasus membran akan sembuh dengan sendirinya dalam enam minggu, tapi telinga harus dijaga agar tetap kering sepanjang waktu agar infeksi tidka berkembang.

Jika telinga terkena pukulan saat berenang dapat menyebabkan kerusakan karena air masuk dan memberikan banyak tekanan terhadap gendang telinga dan dapat membuatnya pecah.

Trauma tengkorak dan patah jiga dapat merusak bagian dalam telinga.

Saat terbang dengan pesawat, tekanan dalam kabin tidak dapat menyamai tekanan pada tanah, sehingga perubahan ketinggian menyebabkan tekanan di luar telinga menjadi lebih tinggi dari bagian tengah telinga, sehingga gendang telinga menggembung kedalam.

Untuk mengatasi ini, tabung Eustachea harus dibuka sedikit untuk membiarkan sejumlah kecil udara di bagian tengah telinga dan menormalkan tekanan telinga. Ini bisa dilakukan dengan cara menutup hidung dan menghembuskan nafas dengan perlahan. Menyemprotkan obat decongestant atau obat anti sesak satu jam sebelum terbang dan mendarat juga dapat membantu telinga menyesuaikan diri secara alami.

Pengumuman Hasil SNMPTN 2011

Pengumuman Seleksi Nasional Masuk Perguruan Tinggi Negeri (SNMPTN) tinggal menghitung jam. Setelah hampir sebulan siswa dihantui ketegangan luar biasa dalam menghadapi pelaksanaan ujian tertulis, kini intensitas yang dirasakan sejumlah siswa peserta SNMPTN lebih berat lagi.Perasaan mendebarkan memang tidak nyaman, ditambah lagi dengan pikiran-pikiran tentang berhasil atau tidaknya masuk di

Jeter's Return Halted By Rain Delay

New York Yankees Derek Jeter spent his 37th birthday taking 39 swings off a tee and then 35 more attempts at some soft-toss pitching before a rain storm cut short the shortstop's plan to take some ground balls on grass Sunday.

Jeter, who was notably missing at yesterday's Yankees Old Timer's Day, is planning to start a running and light-jogging program either today or tomorrow.

While Jeter rehabs his strained calf at the Yankees minor league complex in Tampa, the Captain's absence at yesterday's festivities was duly noticed--especially because two of the Old Timer's game first-time participants included Jeter's mentor, former-manager Joe Torre, and his teammate for twelve years, Bernie Williams.

Williams was asked what he thought about Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits and his place in Yankees history.

"He has to be right up there," said the normally quiet Williams.  "He's in the unique position of being the only Yankee that going to have 3,000 hits.  That really puts him in a category by himself as far as hits are concerned.  He's earned it.  He's been the face of the franchise.  He is one of the most popular Yankees that ever put on the uniform."

According to the Associated Press, Jeter said he "hopefully" will start the running program, but won't comment on a target date for his return.  He is currently six hits shy of the 3,000 hit milestone.

"You've got to run.  Once you start running, then we'll have a better sense," said Jeter, who has been lingering on the 15-day DL since June 14.  "If it was up to me, I'd be playing now, but you have to be smart."

Right now, Jeter's scheduled return is in doubt.

It must have been quite a dilemma for Jeter to pass on yesterday's ceremony in the Bronx.  It's hard to imagine that he would ever consider missing Torre's long-awaited, and overdue, return to pinstripes after his former-manager's contentious release from the Yankees.
 
Torre was like a father-figure to Jeter.  He helped mold the young shortstop's career and personality both on and off the field.

Torre understands Jeter's decision to take one for the team.  He fostered that trait in him.

Google Update PageRank Juni 2011

Setelah menunggu sekian lama terutama bagi anda yang bermaksud untuk memonetize blog, mungkin saatnya sekarang sudah tiba. Beberapa saat yang lalu saya baru melihat ternyata Google sudah mengupdate PageRank.Beberapa blog saya ada yang mengalami peningkatan, tapi banyak juga yang turun seperti halnya blog ini dari PR 5 ke PR 4, Alhamdulillah....Kawan-kawan blogger mungkin juga mengalami hal serupa

Hikmah Isra' Mi'raj Nabi Besar Muhammad SAW

Hari ini Senin tanggal 27 Juni 2011 M bertepatan dengan 25 Rajab 1431 H. Bulan Rajab yang didalamnya ada momentum Isra' Mi'raj merupakan pintu menuju bulan-bulan mulia lainnya. Yaitu bulan Sya'ban dan Ramadhan. Tentunya sebagai seorang muslim kita diingatkan kembali sebuah peristiwa besar dalam sejarah umat islam yang biasanya kita peringati setiap tanggal 27 Rajab.Lalu apa pelajaran yang

Peringati Hari Jules Verne, Gajah Mekanik Masuk London

Ini adalah penemuan nyentrik sekaligus mengagumkan Francois Delaroziere yang diminta untuk membuatnya untuk perayaan memperingati hari kematian Jules Verne, penulis cerita klasik A Journey To The Center of The Earth pada Februari lalu.

Gajah purba mekanik ini membutuhkan sedikitnya duapuluh orang untuk mengendarainya dengan pengungkit hidrolik dan tombol-tombol untuk mengendalikan sang mammoth.

Uniknya, ia juga bisa menyemprotkan air dari belalainya, layaknya gajah sungguhan.

A-Rod Helps CC Become Major's First 10-game Winner of Season

CC Sabathia, the New York Yankees big lefthander, pitched another stellar game and, in the process, became the major league's first 10-game winner this season.  Sabathia (10-4) pitched eight dazzling innings in the Yankees 8-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Alex Rodriguez chipped in with a couple of singles and 3 RBI's.  A-Rod also started a rally-killing double play in the 6th inning that was the only threat Colorado posed to CC all day.

Sabathia tortured the Colorado batters with a fastball consistently in the 96-97 mph range but it was his perfect slider which left the Rockies shaking their heads.  Five of Sabathia's nine strikeouts were of the little burger's namesake.



The big guy also came through in the clutch.  The befuddled Rockies hitters were 2-15 with runners on base.  Sabathia finished the game allowing only one run, one walk and seven hits to go with the nine K's.

Sabathia has been consistent all season.  After a couple of early-season no-decisions, the victory today gave the 2007 Cy Young winner his seventh win in his last eight starts.  He is a sure bet to make the All-Star game.

The win also gives Sabathia his 50th victory in pinstripes in 85 starts.  The leftie matches Chien-Ming Wang as the fastest Yankee pitcher to reach that total in thirty years.

Manager Joe Girardi couldn't stop singing the praise of his workhorse starter.

"CC has won 50 games in the 2 1/2 seasons he's been here," marveled the manager.  "That's just in the regular season."

 This year, Sabathia is continuing that trend.  He has a 3.25 ERA with 93 strikeouts and has allowed 119 hits in 122 innings.

"CC's a great guy to be around," said Girardi.  "He's the same guy every day.  He works quick and teammates like to play behind a pitcher who is quick."

It's also no coincidence that, as the Yankees beat up on the National League during their current intra-league jag, A-Rod has been lighting up every ballpark since Wrigley.  The aching third baseman is on a blazing hot streak and has 10 hits in his last five games while batting a sizzling .556 during that span.  Currently,  A-Rod is the only .300 hitter in the Yankees line-up.

A-Rod also reached base in the seventh on a missed communication between the Rockies' Chris Nelson and Eric Young in shallow right field. 

When asked why he pulled Rodriguez in the eighth, Girardi claimed it wasn't for anything more serious than sore legs.

"A-Rod's a little beat-up," answered Girardi.  "He's been sore since Chicago."

Sabathia also put an end to Troy Tulowitzki's New York City home-run streak.  The Rockies shortstop hit four dingers against the Mets in Flushing last week before jacking one last night against the Yankees in the Bronx.  He was the first visiting player to homer in five straight games since Ernie Banks.

Mark Teixeira chipped in with his 22nd home-run of the season in the eighth.

The Yankees are now 44-31 and could take over first place in the AL East if the Boston Red Sox lose tonight.

Suku Pedalaman Amazon Tertangkap Gambar Satelit

Pejabat pemerintahan Brazil telah mengonfirmasi keberadaan sebuah populasi yang tak terjamah dunia modern di hutan hujan Amazon setelah suku bernama 200 itu tertangkap dalam gambar satelit.

Diidentifikasi berlokasi di area baratdaya dekat batas kawasan Peruvia, keberadaan suku ini baru dipastikan setelah ekspedisi menggunakan pesawat terbang yang dilakukan pada bulan April untuk mengumpulkan lebih banyak data.

Agen pemerintah lokal, National Indian Foundation menggunakan pesawat terbang agar tidak terlalu mengusik kelompok terisolasi itu.

Brazil memiliki kebijakan untuk tidak melakukan kontak suku-suku pedalaman seperti itu untuk mencegah penyerangan terhadap tanah mereka dan untuk melestarikan otonomi mereka.

Agen pemerintahan, yang dikenal dengan singkatan Funai, memperkirakan ada 68 populasi terisolasi yang hidup di Amazon. Suku yang paling baru teridentifikasi diketahui hidup di empat bangunan beratap jerami besar-besar dan menanam jagung, pisang, kacang dan lain-lain.

Menurut Funai, observasi persiapan mengindikasikan populasi itu nampaknya milik kelompok bahasa pano, yang berkembang dari Amazon ke hutan Peruvia dan Bolivia. Komunitas tersebut dekat dengan perbatasan Peru di kawasan hutan lindung besar Vale do Javari, yang luasnya nyaris sebesar Portugal dan rumah bagi setidaknya 14 suku pedalaman.

Koordinator Funai untuk Vale fo Javari, Fabricio Amorim, mengatakan, "Usaha untuk mengidentifikasi dan melindungi kelompok-kelompok terisolasi adalah bagian dari kebijakan publik Brazil."

Budaya mereka semakin terancam oleh pemancingan, perburuan, penebangan hutan dan penambangan ilegal di areanya, belum lagi pembakaran lahan oleh para petani, aktivitas misionaris dan penyelundupan narkoba di sepanjang perbatasan Brazil, kata Amorim.

Namun disamping itu, kelompok-kelompok pribumi ini masih mempertahankan bahasa dan tradisi-tradisinya. Sejauh ini, 11% kawasan Brazil dan 22% kawasan Amazon telah terbagi-bagi dalam kelompok-kelompok seperti ini.

Donovan McNabb Isn't Too Fond Of Twitter

I thought I was the only one that is anti-Twitter. I actually don't mind it, it's just that I really don't care to hear about every detail of someone else's life. I also feel that it gets athletes and entertainers in trouble. When they say something that's on their mind they often speak before they speak.

Apparently current (at the moment) Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb thinks along the same lines as myself. I'm not trying to give myself or McNabb any credit, but I just find it strange that we have the same feelings about Twitter.

McNabb feels that athletes shouldn't use it. In an interview on ESPN 1000's Waddle & Silvy, McNabb let his feelings be known about athletes and Twitter.

“First of all I’m not a fan of Twitter,” McNabb said, via a transcript provided to PFT by ESPN 1000. “Nothing against their program or what they have, but as an athlete I think you need to get off of Twitter. All these social networks of you tweeting about you watching a game when you wanna be playing in it but you’re mad you’re not playing in it, so you’re gonna criticize someone that’s playing in it. I don’t believe that that’s the right deal. That’s not professional by any means and, you know, we’re all in a fraternity, so if you see a guy who’s struggling, this isn’t the time to jump on him or kick him while he’s down, you know, because that same guy will come against you and kinda blast your team out the water. So I think for an athlete to be Twittering is the wrong move, it’s one that [athletes should] leave to the fans and let them comment on certain things, but athletes need to get off Twitter.”


I agree with McNabb to a certain extent. Some of the Twittering actually is entertaining, like the tweets done by the Cincinnati Reds' Brandon Phillips, Shaq, or Chad Ochocinco. But a lot of it is unnecessary, excessive, and makes them backtrack on a lot of things they said.    


    

The Real Scary Job: Pembangun Jalan Setapak Di Pinggir Pegunungan

Inilah keseharian para pekerja di pegunungan Shifou, provinsi Hunan, Cina. Yang pasti pekerjaan ini bukan untuk orang-orang yang takut pada ketinggian dan vertigo.

Saat selesai dibuat, jalan setapak ini akan merentang sepanjang 1,8 mil, jalan setapak untuk pemandangan terpanjang di Cina.

Lagi-lagi, siapakah orang yang cukup berani untuk melewati jalan setapak selebar tak sampai satu meter ini nanti?

Ecci, Robot Pertama Di Dunia Yang Memiliki Otot Dan 'Belajar Dari Kesalahan'

Ecci adalah robot pertama yang memiliki jaringan otot dan tendon, serta kerangka yang membantunya bergerak layaknya manusia. Semuanya terbuat dari bahan plastik yang dikembangkan secara khusus.

Ia juga memiliki otak yang mampu mengoreksi kesalahan-kesalahannya.

Dikembangkan oleh sebuah tim ilmuwan di Universitas Zurich, Ecci adalah singkatan dari Eccerobot. Ecce adalah kata Latin untuk Behold ("lihatlah [betapa bagusnya]").

Robot ini menggunakan serial motor elektrik untuk menggerakkan kumpulan tendon yang saling terhubung. Sebuah komputer ditempatkan di otaknya sehingga ia mampu belajar dari kesalahan-kesalahannya.

Misalnya, jika gerakan yang ia buat membuat dirinya tersandung atau menjatuhkan suatu barang, maka informasi tersebut tersimpan dan dianalisa di otaknya untuk menghindari ia mengulangi kesalahan yang sama.

Para ilmuwan berharap robot ini dapat mengawali generasi baru robot-robot yang dapat digunakan sebagai organ tubuh buatan di masa depan.

Rolf Pfeifer, direktur laboratorium untuk kecerdasan buatan di Universitas tersebut mengatakan, "Ini membuka banyak kesempatan namun secara khusus ini akan membantu kita memahami lebih baik bagaimana rumitnya saat tubuh manusia menggerakkan barang-barang. Jika kita dapat membuat tangan robot seperti tangan manusia maka itu membuka semua jenis kemungkinan bagi organ tubuh buatan. Itu juga berarti sebuah robot yang bergerak seperti manusia dapat mengatasi beberapa pekerjaan yang membutuhkan tangan manusia."

Para ilmuwan telah mengerjakan proyek jutaan pound ini selama tiga tahun dengan dana yang disediakan secara terpisah oleh perusahaan swasta dan juga dua juta euro dari dana EU.

Saat ini tim tengah berencana menghadirkan versi lengkap Ecci dalam jangka dua bulan kedepan.

Louisville CB Ashley Suspended Indefinitely

Louisville junior cornerback Darius Ashley recently received his second DUI in six months  and usually that spells doom for a student-athlete. You know how it goes, player committs crime or in this case gets a second DUI and gets kicked off the team and is left trying to find a school and convincing the adminstrationn that he's worth the risk.

Louisville coach Charlie Strong is taking a different stance with Ashley. Instead of giving Ashley the boot, he's suspending him indefinitely. This doen't mean that Strong will let him back on the football field. Instead Strong sees this is a bigger issue. The issue of fighting alcohiolism and trying to get Ashley's life back in order.

“He may not ever run down that field and make another tackle; he may not make another interception on this football field,” Strong said at a Friday news conference. “But our major concern right now is to help him tackle what he is fighting right now, and that's the issue of alcoholism.”

“Any time you talk about do you dismiss a young man,” Strong said, “when you see what has happened, two within seven months, you dismiss him from the team — What does he become? Just another statistic in society? So what did we accomplish and how did we help him? You have to help people. Here’s a young man who has never been an issue on our team until those two issues that he had, which are two serious issues, but he’s a young man, he went to class, never had a class issue with him, did all the right things. … We have to help young people.”

I won't agree or disagree with what Strong is doing here. I do think what he's doing is pretty noble. He doesn't want to leave the young man on an island and take away his support system which is the sport of football and the football team. On the other side is that Ashley did this to himself. He knew what he was doing when he went and got loaded and decided he was going to drive home or wherever he was going.

All in all let's hope Strong can turn this negative into a positive and Ashely can beat his alcoholioc demons.

Romar Unlikely To Leave Washington

When the Minnesota Timberwolves fired Kurt Rambis one of the names floated out there to be the new coach was the University of Washington's Lorenzo Romar.

However Romar has no plans on leaving Seattle anytime soon and it sounds like he has no desire to coach in the NBA in the foreseeable future. In an interview in the Seattle Times, Romar sounds comfortable in his current position and knows he has it good where he's at.

"No. 1 I went to school and played here. I've been pulling for this university and the athletics here and the basketball program for over 30 years. I'm invested in this program. I've always been a fan of the Pac-8, the Pac-10 and now what will be the Pac-12. I love Seattle. My wife loves Seattle and it's a place that when we first got here even though some were very skeptical, I thought it was a place where we could be successful. To take a place where you attended, played and went to school and to take that program potentially to great heights is a great, great fun challenge."



"I did play in the NBA so that mystique of what it would be like up there doesn't exist. I know things have changed. It was a long time ago that I played. ... Even though it was eons ago, I still played and saw a little bit of what it was like up there. I'm still fairly close to it because you have your own players on NBA teams. There's guys that I played with that are coaching or in management so I still have an idea of what's going on. So I don't have that itch to go do that."


Sounds like someone that has a lot of pride in their alma mater and loves the area. He knows the grass isn't greener on the other side, especially in this case. Only a fool would take the timberwolves job and that fool will be named in the next few months. As long as David Kahn is running things up there in Minnesota things aren't going to get a whole lot better and they'll be going through a a bushel of coaches if the win-loss record doesn't improve.  

Yankees Old-Timer's Day Ceremony for the Unceremoniously Dumped

Expect to hear some of the most heartfelt cheers bellowing through the Bronx this Sunday afternoon in a long time.  No, the applause won't be for Derek Jeter's long-awaited milestone hit or even for any of the New York Yankees on the field.  The roar will be for three of the most beloved Yankees ever to don pinstripes--Joe Torre, Bernie Williams and Lou Piniella--who will be making their Yankees Old-Timer's day debuts.  All three will stand in the middle of Yankee Stadium for the first time after being unceremoniously dumped by the team.

All three former-Yankees have witnessed the pomp from the dugout.  Now it is their turn to bow and the gratitude extended to these former-Yankees will be both long overdue and bittersweet.

In a tradition that seems to have been around almost as long as the 65-year old ceremony, the Yankees are welcoming back fan favorites who were sent backing by the team.  In return, they triumphantly return to the Bronx as conquering heroes.  Remember Yogi Berra?

Why do the Yankees continue to perform this sado-masochistic act?



The appearance of Torre, Williams and Piniella should stir up memories of some not-so-good teams, dynasties and the turbulent reign of George Steinbrenner.

All and all, good memories, even though the trio all left the team under strained circumstances.

Individually, the former-Yankees' personalities are as different as the reasons for their walking papers.

Torre, the Brooklyn-born manager who guided the early careers of the Core Four--Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Jeter-- during the team's late-90's dynasty.

In 2007, the classy Torre rejected a one-year, $5 million take-it-or-leave-it contract by the Yankees.  He called the offer "insulting."  He was replaced by current manger Joe Girardi.

The parting wasn't amicable.  Don't even mention Torre's remarks about his time with the team or excerpts from his bitter 2009 book, "The Yankee Years," during this forgive-and forget weekend.

In the book, the 70 year-old Torre referred to A-Rod as "A-Fraud" and publicly aired out his dirty socks by ruminating about his contentious relationship with GM Brain Cashman and president Randy Levine.  Not exactly a Hallmark thank you card.

After a stint as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Torre is now MLB's executive vice-president of baseball operations.

Torre may have buried the hatchet, but if you look closely, part of it is still in Cashman's back.

Sunday's reconciliation tour continues with another of Cashman's castoffs showing love.

Bernie Williams, the quiet, guitar-playing ex-centerfielder is also coming to his first Old-Timer's game.  It still sounds weird saying old-timer and Bernie Williams in the same sentence.

Williams was shamefully excluded from the Core Four equation --it should have been known as the Fab-Five or Jive-Five or a more pertinent name that included the five-time All-Star in that Yankees core group--but not as disgraceful as his banishment from the Yankees.

The clutch Williams played the game just like he exited--with class.  Even after Williams contract wasn't renewed by Cashman in 2007, the fan-favorite and life-long Yankee retired with the gracefulness he covered the middle ground for 16 years in Yankee Stadium. Bernie's #51 is still one of the most worn jerseys.

Finally, Piniella joins the ranks of another incendiary former-Yankee player then manager who was fired--Billy Martin.

Like Martin, Piniella had success with the team on the field and in the dugout.  Unlike Martin, Sweet Lou was not canned five times.

It's been 23 years since Piniella has squeezed into a Yankee uniform after managing stints with the Reds, Mariners, Rays, and Cubs.

Torre has to remember the glaring omission of his name and image from the video tribute on the closing of the original Yankee Stadium in 2008.  That slight had to hurt more than the feeble contract offer but makes his trot into the stadium a cleansing of the soul.

""I know the way it ended the last couple of years in New York was something that both the Yankees and myself didn't know how to say goodbye and it turned out to be something uncomfortable," Torre said.  "Looking back, I never would have traded anything for those 12 years."

Get ready for 50,000 fans and 50 other Yankees old timers to salute the three first timers with a rousing welcome back. The trinity of new kings won't come empty-handed.  They'll come bearing 10 World Series rings.

All three Yankee greats will wear Yankee pinstripes for the first in a long time but, what must seem like eons in Yankees years to each of them.  

Sunday's appearance of Torre, Williams and Piniella beckons back to the time when Steinbrenner ruled the team with passion and an iron hand, not the cookie-cutter corporation it seems to have become. 

Torre, Williams and Piniella will discover, like the exiled Martin, Reggie Jackson and Berra before them, you can go back home.

Call it Yankee love.

Jose Reyes' Response to Yankees Non-Interest: Who Cares

Jose Reyes made it clear on Tuesday that he had no interest in discussing contract negotiations with the New York Mets until the season was over.  Today, Reyes said he had no prior knowledge of all the stories claiming Yankees GM Brian Cashman never had any interest in the Mets third baseman and it's a non-factor as far as Reyes is concerned.

Reyes claims he has not seen the New York headlines about Cashman denying the Yankees have any interest in acquiring the Mets speedster.

"I don't know nothing about that, I don't worry about that," Reyes said on Thursday afternoon.  "I play for the New York Mets, so I really don't care what they say, because I'm focused on this team."

While Derek Jeter rehabs on the 15-day DL, rumors swirled about the Yankees picking up Reyes before the trade deadline on July 31.



It's hard to believe the Yankees didn't give Reyes some thought.  It sounds like Cashman is in spin control mode--especially with Jeter scheduled, but not certain, to return on June 29 and still six hits away from his milestone 3,000th  basehit.  It would be a PR nightmare.

"It's just not going to happen," said Cashman about getting Reyes.  "We have an everyday shortstop in Derek Jeter and I think we have an everyday shortstop that would be playing for a lot of clubs in Eduardo Nunez.  The Yankees don't have a need now or in the future for a shortstop."

On Tuesday, Reyes publicly said he doesn't want to discuss trades or contracts--with anyone--and hopes to put an end to all the speculation.

"Right now, I don't want any distractions," he said.  "I just want to continue to play."

Reyes refusal to talk with the Mets could send the team into panic mode and unload him for a truckload of young talent.  There must be some uncertainty in Metville that the financially-strapped team could compete with other teams if Reyes throws his name in the free-agent pool.

The Mets third baseman is batting .335 with 13 triples, 105 hits and 26 stolen bases.  Reyes is having an MVP caliber season and even if the Yankees back away, there are plenty of teams with money which could use a player like Reyes down the stretch run.

There is still over a month until the trade deadline and, if the Mets fall out of contention, expect a deal of some kind.