Water polo clinic and all stars

American Water Polo is proud to inform you of the 2010 Collegiate Water Polo Association's Eastern's Clinic and All-Star game hosted at Bucknell University on Saturday, November 20^th.

 The Eastern's Clinic will begin at 8:45 am and run until 11:15 am. Immediately following the clinic will be the all-star game, starting at 11:30 am. Once again, two-time Olympian Brad Schumacher will be making the trip from California to host the clinic. It is open to male and female athletes ages 10 to 18. We ask that your athletes register by November 5^th.

This year the Eastern's All-Star game will be between the Pennsylvania all- stars and the East Coast all-stars. The East Coast all-stars will be comprised of all athletes from all states other than Pennsylvania. The decision to make a Pennsylvania all-star team is based on the fact that the Eastern Championship is hosted in Pennsylvania. Each all-star team will have a roster of 14 players. In order to determine the top 14 players, we ask each coach to nominate 1 to 3 players, in order of rank, and have their nominations in by noon on Wednesday October, 27^th. We will be announcing the team by Friday October, 29^th. If your team is a public high school, your nominees must be seniors.

The Eastern's All-Star game and Clinic are both great opportunities for your athletes to be scene by college coaches. American Water Polo has specifically coordinated these two events to be held on the same weekend as the Men's Division I Eastern Championship. The top eight east coast programs will be competing to advance to the Men's Division I final four. Your athletes also have the opportunity to witness first hand some of the best water polo being played on the east coast.

Please contact myself or Tom Tracey as soon as possible. We will be selecting the all- star team in the afternoon of Wednesday October 27^th. Nominations that are received after 12 pm on the 27^th will not be considered for nomination.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

 

Alex Bond

American Water Polo, Membership Services

320 West 5^th Street, Bridgeport, PA 19405

610-277-6787 Office 610-277-7382 Fax

The death of an open water swimmer in a meet at UAE is so sad.

Wow. We are shocked at this news.

Fran Crippen, 26, died Saturday during the last leg of the Marathon Swimming World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

This is bad, bad news.

My wife and I went to the UAE in May of this year. We did visit a beach but didn't swim in open water -- but -- I wanted to do so. And, we even had a companion, a master swimmer from Omaha, that was about to join us. Swimming around The Palm was in our sights, but, the hours were pressing. We went to the pool instead.

UAE has some places that have great skin diving along a reef.

UAE's tradition also includes lots of pear diving where guys in boats worked with weights tied to their legs to easily get to the depths -- and then are pulled topside with bags while wearing gloves.

Ugh.

We are in South Africa now and did a little swim today at the resort pool. No open water is in our future here -- yet. Durbin would be the place to do it but we didn't have any time there. Just into the new airport and a drive to the Campagne Sports Resort at Drakensberg. Won't be interested in open water in Kruger either.

Our driver the other night told us of some folks who swim to South Africa from the neighbors to the north, fleeing border guards. They travel the width of the river with a chicken on a rope at the end of a stick on the back of a croc. No joke. They use the animal for a ride by climbing on its back.

I asked what about another joining in to grab the chicken before one had covered the width of the river. Then what.

This had been a rumor here, but, was confirmed by a journalist who went to find the area and witnessed such a crossing.

Later in South Africa there is a water polo match and it would be great to find its location and try to get there, but, we'll see.

Had a great talk yesterday with a ENT doctor from Cape Town who had been to Pittsburgh twice. He has two sons, like us, who are exactly the same ages as Erik and Grant. And he is a master swimmer. He would have been in the SA Masters Championships this weekend, but this conference is in the way.

We are at the 46th Congress for South African Society of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in assocation with the South African Association of Audiologists and South Africa Head & Neck Oncology Society.

Got to run. Tennis under the lights is in ouer future. Played 18 holes of golf today. Grant is hitting par and often 1 over par by a foot. We are hitting the cup with the putt from 10-foot, and it rims out.

RIP Crippen. Peace to all.

Save the date: Nov 8, 9 and 18th at 6 pm

There are some public meetings slated for 6 pm to 8 pm on November 8, 9 and 18th at various Pittsburgh Public School buildings. Details later. Save the date. Your participation welcomed!

Fw: Urgent.. Are you attending the Lights On After School Event TODAY?

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: RFlanag@aol.com

Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:32:04 EDT

To: <rflanag@aol.com>

Subject: Urgent.. Are you attending the Lights On After School Event TODAY?

Show your support for After School Programming.  Attend today's event.

 

 

 

 

 

Contact: Stephen MacIsaac, Executive Director                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tel. 412.363.1914 office - Tel. 412.519.6793 cell

macisaac@wireless-neighborhoods.org

 

'LIGHTS ON AFTERSCHOOL' EVENT CELEBRATES CITY-WIDE PROGRAMMING

After-school programs to be celebrated through national awareness campaign

 

(Pittsburgh, PA –October 20, 2010) – After-school programming, an essential function of the development of Pittsburgh's youth, will be celebrated tomorrow at the "Lights On Afterschool" event.

 

This event, one of 7,500 similar events nation-wide, is part of the Afterschool Alliance's effort to raise awareness about the importance of afterschool programming. It is an exciting chance to learn more about programs taking place in the community, and it a great opportunity this year to show support for American youth.

 

Afterschool programming plays a significant role in Pittsburgh's communities.

·         26 % of Pennsylvania's K-12 children are left unsupervised after school (American After 3 PM, 2009)

·         The hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. show the highest instance of juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2002)

·         32 % of PA Children not in an afterschool program would attend, were one available. (America After 3 PM, 2009)

 

Activities will include:

·         "Best Practices" Showcase: An opportunity to see afterschool programs in action!

·         Provider Fair: Meet the community partners who make afterschool programs possible

·         Youth Entertainment: Our kids aren't just smart, they're talented too!

·         Guest Speakers: Local leaders share how afterschool programs have affected their lives.

 

This event is hosted by Wireless Neighborhoods, Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, Pittsburgh Public Schools and many valued community and faith partners. Attendees will send a strong message to lawmakers and community leaders that Pittsburgh's youth are valued and afterschool programming is recognized and plays in the growth and development of Pittsburgh's children.

 

                   Where:          Pittsburgh Peabody High School

                                      515 N. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

         

When:           Thursday, October 21, 2010

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

         

 

For more information on Wireless Neighborhoods, please visit www.wireless-neighborhoods.org.

###

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of my favorite golfers

Playoffs with me, Daniel, Grant, grade 9, and Erik, grade 12. This would have been after a round at the playoffs. 

I was Obama's golf coach.

Fw: First Tee Mentor Program

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Firstteepitt@aol.com

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:16:18 EDT

To: <firstteepitt@aol.com>

Subject: First Tee Mentor Program

Hi First Tee Friends,

 

The First Tee of Pittsburgh (TFTP) will be starting a mentor program with our friends at East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) this fall and we are looking for male mentors, (our program for girls will begin in six months).

 

TFTP is a non profit youth development agency that uses golf instruction as a vehicle to teach kids life skills in four target areas: interpersonal communication, self-management, goal setting and resilience skills.

 

EECM is a faith based social service agency whose youth programs reach out to kids facing the challenges of delinquency, family dysfunction, social detachment, academic underachievement, and violence in their neighborhoods.

 

At this stage we are planning to hold our sessions on Thursday evenings from 5:30 - 7:30-ish every other week for a total of 32 sessions.

 

These sessions will include a First Tee Life Skills clinic, led by one of our coaches who will prepare a complete lesson plan, an informal dinner with the mentees, and opportunities for dinner speakers, mini-workshops, tutorials, and more.

 

In order to let potential mentors better understand the scope of the program and the commitment we are inviting everyone to attend an informational meeting at the Bob O'Connor Golf Course in Schenley Park on Thursday, November 4 at 7 PM.  At that time we will present all information and answer your questions.

 

We are very excited to be launching "Phase II" of our mentor program and to have EECM as a program partner.  This is a wonderful way to have a positive effect on a young person that will have life-long impact.

 

Please share this with any friends or fellow employees who may be interested. We look forward to seeing you on November 4.

Marc Field
Executive Director
The First Tee of Pittsburgh
5370 Schenley Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
(412) 682-2403
(412) 682-2405 (Fax)
www.thefirstteepittsburgh.org

The First Tee of Pittsburgh is a United Way Donor Choice Agency.
You may direct your United Way contribution to #1436656

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A Big Step for the Independent Sports Blogosphere

A Big Step for the Independent Sports Blogosphere

Want To Reduce Concussions NFL? Ditch The Helmets

Want To Reduce Concussions NFL? Ditch The Helmets

The foolish thing about all this is that the easiest way the NFL can actually prevent helmet to helmet hits is to do one very simple, yet controversial thing…get rid of the helmets.

That’s right, get rid of em. Ditch em. Forget about em. There have been a number of studies that show that the helmets themselves are probably the cause of a lot of these injuries, if you wanna read an excellent article on it, check this out from the Wall Street Journal last year.

NFL fines Steelers' Harrison $75,000; Harrison: 'It was a legal hit'

NFL fines Steelers' Harrison $75,000; Harrison: 'It was a legal hit'

Steelers linebacker James Harrison has been fined $75,000 by the NFL for his helmet-leading hit that caused Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi to receive a concussion. Harrison was not suspended.

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10292/1096447-66.stm#ixzz12qMfRHmn

Ouch.

I told my sons that in 10 years, football will be dead. Boxing is. Football is next. Just a prediction. I don't really want to see that come to pass, but all this buzz about head injuries is not to be ignored.

Education Week: Gwinnett County, Ga., Wins $1M Broad Prize

Education Week: Gwinnett County, Ga., Wins $1M Broad Prize

The Gwinnett County, Ga., school district, located just outside Atlanta, has been awarded the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education for 2010. The annual award, announced today, honors large urban school systems that demonstrate the strongest student achievement and improvement while narrowing performance gaps between different groups based on family income and ethnicity.

Fw: [school-discuss] 21st Century Classroom and Slate's crowdsource project

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Kahn <jj2kk4@yahoo.com>
Sender: owner-schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:51:10
To: <schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net>
Reply-To: schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net
Subject: [school-discuss] 21st Century Classroom

Slate has launched what it calls "a crowdsourcing
project on the 21st-century classroom" here:

http://www.slate.com/id/2269307/

I saw one response already that pushed Linux, but
I think it is too limited and narrow. This should
be an important opportunity to connect FLOSS with
a wide range of different educational concepts.
What should terms like "free" and "open" really
imply when we are asking what the word "classroom"
ought to mean over the coming decades?

My own thoughts are very disorganized right now,
and I'm not sure if I'm going to have something
submitted by the October 29th deadline. But many
of you have much better credentials for this than
I do anyway. Some of the threads we've had on
this list lately might be relevant.

I look forward to seeing what happens.

Joel

Fw: Do you value after-school programming? Citywide Thursday Event/Job Fair Info

From: "Justin Davis" <justin@bloomfield-garfield.org>

Are you planning on attending the October 21st event that will communicate to all that you want to listen?

After School Programming Is Important!

Do you value after school programming as a way to keep kids safe, healthy, and well educated?

If so, attend the October 21^st Lights On Afterschool event and let the world know that you value after school programming.

SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO POLICY MAKERS AND FUNDERS THAT AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING SHOULD BE FULLY FUNDED BASED ON THE NEED FOR SERVICES!

Have fun at the event…   (See attached for more info)

Organizations: Wireless Neighborhoods, Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, Pittsburgh Public School, and many valued community and fair partners

Encourage those who are seeking employment and those seeking a better job to attend the November 9^th job fair at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Liberty. Over 60 top employers will be recruiting workers that day.

>If the job seekers need help getting ready for the job fair call the Eastside Neighborhood Employment Center at 412-362-8580 and ask for Brittany.

Lead Organization: East End Works Collaborative

Ravenstahl says he expects state to take over city pension plan

All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again. But, if only all the people worked on the plan, then things would be different. Ravenstahl says he expects state to take over city pension plan

Mr. Ravenstahl said he and his staff have spent nearly two years working on a plan that would parlay proceeds from a leasing parking facilities to a private operator into a pension fund bailout. He said the plan would avert a state takeover that would lead to dramatically higher pension payments that the city could make only by raising taxes or cutting services.

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10291/1096246-100.stm#ixzz12jpCS33I

MapMyFitness Marketplace - Fitness Sensors

MapMyFitness Marketplace - Fitness Sensors

Blair, smiles and says nothing so as to not offend. Very wise move.

Coach makes "Facebook" curfew .... Blair "no comment" on City League

Blair keeps to self on City joining WPIAL

Former Schenley basketball star DeJuan Blair was in town Thursday night playing for the San Antonio Spurs against the Cleveland Cavaliers in an NBA preseason game. Shooting the breeze a little with Blair before the game, I told him that the City League is seriously considering disbanding and joining the WPIAL. He hadn't heard of the idea, but I asked him of his opinion.

"That's interesting," Blair said.

I then said, "Well, what do you think? Do you think it would be a good or bad idea?"

Blair said, "I can't saying anything else. I'm going to have to no comment on this one because if I said what I really want to say, it wouldn't come off too good."

Don't know if Blair thinks it's a good or bad idea, but he obviously thought it best to keep his thoughts to himself. Maybe it was a smart move, but I'm still curious what he thinks.

Contest wants students to think about city's future

Contest wants students to think about city's future

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program today will kick off a contest designed to get high school students thinking about the city's future.

Students may work individually or in groups to address the question "What is your promise to Pittsburgh?" Responses must be submitted or postmarked by Nov. 24.

While the city prefers video responses, students may submit essays, photos, artwork or responses in other media. Mayoral spokeswoman Joanna Doven said she didn't want to limit students' creative expression.


Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10291/1096236-100.stm#ixzz12ihf7hAF

Today's Math Homework

http://blog.ted.com/2010/10/16/benoit-mandelbrot-and-his-legacy/

1 killed, 2 injured in shooting in California, Pa.

1 killed, 2 injured in shooting in California, Pa. A post-homecoming party in California, Pa., turned violent early this morning, leaving a Pittsburgh man dead and two injured. The incident happened at an off-campus apartment complex near California University of Pennsylvania.
Jeron Xavier Grayson, 18, of Washington Place, Uptown, was shot and killed, according to the Washington County coroner's office. He was pronounced dead at 2:42 a.m. in an ambulance just before he was to be transported by medical helicopter.
Two others who were injured were treated at Mon Valley Hospital then released, according to Sgt. Chester Kowalski of the Pennsylvania State Police Belle Vernon barracks. While no details were available about the injuries to a young man, police said a young woman sustained facial injuries from flying shrapnel.

This is a good reason why the Pittsburgh Promise should be able to transfer to schools beyond the borders of Pennsylvania. The opportunity to get out of town to a college is great, but for some, it needs to be farther away. Sure, there are mix-ups and trouble in plenty of places out of the region too. However, some of the trouble can be avoided with a fresh start some states away.

Grumbling aside, China's ready for Asian Games - More Sports - SI.com

Grumbling aside, China's ready for Asian Games - More Sports - SI.com

The Asian Games get underway in one month's time in this leafy city of urban bustle and charming alleyways, bringing together more than 11,500 athletes competing in 42 sports. The Olympics-style event is shaping up to be another well-run, well-organized spectacular by the Chinese government, though wide-ranging preparation projects set off grumbling among some residents who see them as an inconvenience and waste of money.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/more/10/11/asian.games.ap/index.html#ixzz12XH476V0

Grumbling aside, China's ready for Asian Games - More Sports - SI.com

Grumbling aside, China's ready for Asian Games - More Sports - SI.com

The Asian Games get underway in one month's time in this leafy city of urban bustle and charming alleyways, bringing together more than 11,500 athletes competing in 42 sports. The Olympics-style event is shaping up to be another well-run, well-organized spectacular by the Chinese government, though wide-ranging preparation projects set off grumbling among some residents who see them as an inconvenience and waste of money.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/more/10/11/asian.games.ap/index.html#ixzz12XH476V0