Nov 1, 2011

Q & A: Pau Gasol on his confidence, team chemistry, positivity, and more

Q & A: Pau Gasol on his confidence, team chemistry, positivity, and more

As a group, the Lakers have taken plenty of criticism following their rather unceremonious dumping from the 2011 NBA playoffs. Individually, no single player has absorbed more heat than Pau Gasol. While nobody, Pau included, would defend the quality of his play, the big questions around El Spaniard now point to the 2011-12 season, assuming for the time being we actually get one.

Personally, I find the hand-wringing over Gasol's future kind of silly. He's a four-time All-Star, a two-time champion, and arguably the most skilled post player the NBA has to offer. These things don't disappear after one bad spring. It's worth noting, too, how well he responded to the public flogging following L.A.'s loss to Boston in the '08 Finals. Then as well, no Laker took more criticism individually. A few months later, though, Gasol outplayed Dwight Howard in the Finals and helped lead the Lakers to a title.

I expect Gasol will return to form, but others believe he's damaged goods. This is just one of the many subjects we covered in a phone conversation Friday afternoon.

Q: What was your reaction to Friday's labor news?

Gasol: "Obviously it's not good news for anyone. We want the lockout to come to an end, and want to get to a [solution] that's fair and positive to all of us. So it's not a great day. Not happy.”

Q: How are you following the talks? Are you someone taking a hard line, or are you leaving the leadership to do what they do? Some guys are more aggressive than others.,cheap LV handbags,

Gasol: "The guys that are already in the meetings, they’re obviously a lot more aware of the negotiations, and do the talking. Obviously I have faith in the guys that are representing us. If I was at the meetings, I'd have all the information and might be a little more vocal, but I think that players are supporting [them] being involved. It just tells people and our fans how committed they are to make this work, and that we want to play and have a season as bad as anybody. But aside from that, I don't think it's a good idea to talk too much about it if you don't know all the details."

Q: Looking at your summer, and reflecting on the end of last season, what did playing for the national team do for you?

Gasol: "It's always positive for me to play with my national team, as far as that atmosphere, competing, defending my country and trying to get championships and medals for Spain, and ourselves, too. It's always positive to be part of that. The downside of it is obviously you add up a little more load on your body, But this year worked out because of the lockout,,adidas lover series shoes, and how we've been able to get rest, and a break for us to recover from the championships. So we have a great team, and it's always exciting and encouraging for us, and that we continue to make history for [Spanish] basketball."

Q: Physically, were you healthy going in, were you healthy coming out?

Gasol: "Yeah.,fashion juicy handbags, I twisted my ankle during the championship, and had to miss a game because of it. But I was totally healthy going into it, not as healthy coming out of it. That's the price you sometimes pay to compete. Obviously you're exposed to risks when you're out there."

Q: Are you healthy now?

Gasol: “Yeah, absolutely. After a month and a week, more or less now, I think our bodies have had the chance to heal and recover."

Q: How important was it to get on the floor and play well, given how the season ended for you personally? Was that important to you?

Gasol: "That's kind of my need regardless. I love to play. I love to play well, and obviously last year didn't finish well for me personally, and for us as a team. I have a great desire to get on the floor and perform at my highest level."

Q: Have you reflected at all on the Dallas series?

Gasol: "I didn't dwell into it too much, but obviously I analyzed. It wasn't so much about the Dallas series. They played a great playoffs, not just against us. They won a championship, and became champions for a reason. Unfortunately, we weren’t at our best at our particular time. We self-analyzed things, but that’s about it. Hopefully it was a needed experience for us in order for us to continue to work, and continue to try and be the best [team] again."

Q: When you say it wasn’t the Dallas series specifically, are you saying the problems with last year’s team wasn’t simply a matter of those four games, but things happening all year long?

Gasol: "I wouldn’t say all year long, but I think the end was just the end. You go back to the series before against the Hornets, it was also not a very good series on our part. We just played well enough to move on to the next round. Obviously the next round it was tougher because we lost, and we got eliminated from the playoffs. And [in] the way we lost, too. That doesn't mean that it was just that period of time that we didn't play well. Obviously it was something that I guess -- how can I say it -- it wasn't like, I would say, a coincidence. There were things that weren't working out at the time, and things we have to work on for next season."

Sep 28, 2011

Anna Kendrick Injects Herself

Anna Kendrick Injects Herself Into '50/50' Character

Though "50/50" is just loosely based on writer Will Reiser's experience navigating cancer in his mid-20s, nearly every character in the movie is based on a real person who was involved in Reiser's life during that confusing time. Most prominently, Seth Rogen, Reiser's best friend and co-writer, plays a twisted version of himself, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, a fictionalized big screen Reiser.

Anna Kendrick, on the other hand, takes on one of the few major roles in the film with no true backstory. But that hardly means that she didn't find a way to inject life into her character.

Kendrick plays Katherine, a 24-year-old psychotherapy graduate student who is charged with somehow comforting a terse, scared -- and three years her senior -- Adam. Hot on the role from the moment she read the script,,cheap nfl jerseys china, Kendrick said she felt a certain empathy with Katherine from the start.

'[She] was such a mess.Nfl bears jersreys cheap She was so vulnerable and terrified on the inside.Golf Ladies Clubs I liked that a lot," Kendrick told The Huffington Post in an interview on Monday. "I felt like a lot of people didn't see that, and maybe that's because I projected some of that on to the character, I guess I'll never really know."

Reiser, she said, didn't quite realize the extent to which they could mine Katherine's background and dialogue for compassion, palpable fear and professional uncertainty. Instead, the initial version of the script envisioned the character as the apathetic daughter of a well-regarded therapist, thrust into the field without any sort of enthusiasm or desire to help her patients. Unable to reconcile that with what she saw on paper, Kendrick revealed that she spoke to the film's director, Jonathan Levine,Louis Vuitton Handbags wholesale about making a major change.

Sep 26, 2011

Argentina will announce its team today

Rugby World Cup: Lawson to lead against Pumas

Halfback Rory Lawson will again lead Scotland in its crucial Rugby World Cup match against Argentina on Sunday, with lock Alastair Kellock missing selection in the match squad despite being appointed captain before the tournament.

Lawson is unbeaten in four matches as Scotland's captain, leading the team to a 15-6 win over Georgia in its previous Pool B match.

Kellock, who captained Scotland to a 2-0 series win over Argentina last year, has been omitted from the 22-player squad. Richie Gray and Jim Hamilton have been selected in the second row with lock Nathan Hines on the bench.

"To be fair to Al, as always he has taken it very well. He's an outstanding character," coach Andy Robinson said. "For us going into this game we have to be able to play with ball in hand, but we also have to be able to move Argentina around. It's important that we don't just get into a kicking game.

"This is phase two of our operation in the World Cup and we've got two games to win. I said to the squad yesterday, I think that we've got 28 guys that could be selected for this match."

The side announced by Robinson yesterday includes five players who started Scotland's opening match against Romania but missed out against Georgia.,Moncler jackets,

John Barclay takes over from Ross Rennie on the openside flank while Gray returns at lock ahead of Hines and Geoff Cross at tighthead prop in place of Euan Murray, whose religious beliefs prevent him playing on a Sunday.

Ruaridh Jackson returns at first five-eighths in place of Dan Parks and Chris Paterson, who replaces Rory Lamont at fullback, will play his 14th World Cup match, equalling the Scotland record of lock Doddie Weir.

"It's going to be an incredibly tight game, a close game, two good sides who often play close games against each other," Paterson said.

Robinson has sought to match what he expects to be a physical Argentina forward pack by bulking up his own tight five. It is partly for that reason he has gone for the 2.07m Gray and the 127kg Hamilton in the second row ahead of Kellock.

"The right hand side of the scrummage is important for us and Euan is our best scrummager. Euan is not playing in this game, so there's some real weight (needed) behind Geoff Cross on that right hand side and that's what Jim Hamilton gives," Robinson said. "Jim has led the lineout well in the games he's played in and also in the Ireland match early on in the warm-ups. We're putting together a second row to work with Jim that could give us the ability to play quickly.

"I believe that Richie Gray, who is an outstanding second-row forward, has that ability to work for us in the open play.Abercrombie"

Scotland is seeking its sixth straight test win on Sunday, a feat the team hasn't achieved since it won the Grand Slam in 1989-90.

A victory over Argentina would also maintain its record of reaching the knockout rounds of every World Cup tournament.

Argentina will announce its team today.

Scotland v Argentina
Wellington, 8.30pm, Sunday
Referee: Wayne Barnes

Chris Paterson, Max Evans, Nick De Luca, Graeme Morrison, Sean Lamont, Ruaridh Jackson, Rory Lawson (c), Kelly Brown, John Barclay, Ally Strokosch, Jim Hamilton, Richie Gray, Geoff Cross, Ross Ford, Allan Jacobsen.Anime toys merchandise distributor
Reserves: Dougie Hall, Alasdair Dickinson,Moncler Jacket Nathan Hines, Richie Vernon, Mike Blair, Dan Parks, Simon Danielli.

Sep 22, 2011

Some of HTC's Google patents may be worthless

Some of HTC's Google patents may be worthless

That's according to Tyron Stading, founder and chief technology officer of Innography, a software company that pores through data related to intellectual property. His company's analysis found that Google may not have had the right to sell two of the nine patents.

At issue were missing signatures from the original inventors of patents bought from Palm and Motorola. In both cases,wholesales mac Lip gloss inventors didn't assign the technology to the company, meaning they weren't in the position to sell the patents. Stading said that in past instances where this has happened, the court will throw out a case if the plaintiff doesn't prove proper ownership of the patents.

"This could have been avoided had they done the proper due diligence,2012 nfl super bowl jerseys" Stading said. "This causes a huge issue for strategic defense."

Representatives for HTC and Google weren't immediately available for comment.

HTC had counted on these patents in its legal counterattack against Apple. Last week, the company filed a new lawsuit in the federal district court in Delaware and amended its complaint with the International Trade Commission to incorporate the new intellectual property.cleveland cavaliers jerseys

For Google, it represented the first direct support of one of an Android partner. Several companies, including HTC, Samsung Electronics, and Motorola Mobility, had been targets of lawsuits by Apple. In response, Google bought Motorola and its 17,000 patents (with 7,500 pending).

Stading said that all of the parties have been Cheap Christian Louboutinnotified of the ownership issues with the two patents. He said he wouldn't disclose if Innography was working with either side.

If the patents are found to be invalid, there's little HTC can do about it. The company would have to re-file its case using the other seven patents. Google and HTC also can't retroactively get the inventors' signatures.




Logan motorcyclist thanks rescuers

Logan motorcyclist thanks rescuers: ‘They saved my life’

When Tom Timplen arrived at the scene of Monday’s fiery motorcycle crash, he was pretty certain Brandon Wright was dead.Roger Vivier flat shoesNike shox shoes

"It was just a nightmare," he said during a press conference in Logan on Tuesday afternoon. "Huge flames shooting up in the air."

But a lady, laying on the ground and peering under the car, realized that Wright, 21,Golf Equipment Wholesale though wedged beneath the car, was still alive amid the burning debris.

Wright on Tuesday remained in Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, where he was listed in critical condition after his eastbound motorcycle collided with a BMW sedan about 11:40 a.m. on U.S. Highway 89 in Logan.

Matt Barney said he saw it happen, and he, too, thought the worst when both vehicles burst into flames and he realized Wright was trapped beneath.

"Dead or alive I don’t want to sit here and watch this guy burn," Barney, a radiation therapist, said he thought.

Timplen said he quickly pulled on a pair of gloves, and then witnesses said they watched him try single-handedly, but unsuccessfully, to lift the heavy car off Wright.brand name watches Then two or three more people tried to help.

When Logan patrol Sgt. Jason Olsen pulled up, he saw the woman laying on her belly and Timplen and the few others trying to move the heavy car. Olsen said he went for a jack to try to prop the car up, but within 3 to 5 seconds, a dozen people materialized and worked together to push the car off Wright’s body.

Sep 12, 2011

Djokovic beats Nadal to win first U.S. Open title

Djokovic beats Nadal to win first U.S. Open title

No.Chicago Bears Jerseys 1 Novak Djokovic won his first U.white black cocktail dressesS. Open championship after holding off defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1.

Djokovic improved to 6-0 against Nadal this year -- beating the world No. 2 in six finals.

With the win Djokovic improved his 2011 record to 64-2 with 10 titles, including three of four majors: the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. The Serbian now has four career Grand Slam titles.

:23: Dj0kovic earns championship point after 4 hours and 9 minutes with a backhand down the line. He closes the match out with a crosscourt forehand winner to win 6-2, 6-4,the north face jackets 6-7 (3-7), 6-1.

Djokovic quickly jumps out to a 0-40 lead on Nadal's serve. He has three chances to break and serve for the championship.juicy sunglasses wholesale Djokovic breaks Nadal at love as the Spaniard hits shot long and wide. Djokovic gets the double break and is four points from the title.

Two quick holds by Nadal and Djokovic sends the fourth set to 4-1 in favor of the Serb. Djokovic again two games from his first U.S> Open title, as Nadal will serve to keep himself alive. Since the medical timeout, Djokovic has only allowed Nadal one point in two service games.

Djokovic serves to consolidate the break and takes a 40-0 lead with a dropshot, a lob and finally an overhead smash. A service winner at 40-15 gives Djokovic the game and a 3-0 lead.

Sep 5, 2011

He now faces American wildcard Donald Young

Murray, who had to come back from two sets down to defeat Dutchman Robin Haase in the second round, didn't concede a point on his own serve in a brutal first set on Sunday which set the tone for the one-sided tie.

He now faces American wildcard Donald Young, the former world junior number one, who reached the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 win over Argentine 24th seed Juan Ignacio Chela.Moncler jackets sale

Argentine 18th seed Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 champion, who missed last year's title defence because of a serious wrist injury, saw his hopes dashed by Gilles Simon in a four-hour marathon.

The French 12th seed booked his place in the last 16 for the first time with a 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) win over del Potro who committed 72 unforced errors and squandered three set points in the 10th game of the fourth set.

Simon will face 28th seed John Isner who defeated fellow American Alex Bogomolov 7-6 (11/9),Human hair Full lace wigs 6-4, 6-4.

Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer, a semi-finalist in 2007, beat German 26th seed Florian Mayer 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) and next tackles 2003 winner Andy Roddick.

The American 21st seed breezed past French wildcard Julien Benneteau 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) and then laughed off the incident involving Nadal.

"When you go to bed and your foot cramps, it's the same thing but your entire leg," said Roddick, who said he wasn't surprised that Nadal had ended on the floor.

"That's just a matter of what part of your body cramps. Cramp in your ass, you can't sit on it anymore. Makes it tough."