Wild card Taro Daniel defeated Jordan Thompson on Thursday to join qualifier Yasutaka Uchiyama in the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships quarter-finals, marking the first time since 1972 that two Japanese players have accomplished the feat. For former Japanese ATP Tour star Shuzo Matsuoka, it has been a long time coming.

Im always dreaming [of this]. Thats why I started helping with the juniors 20 years ago, said Matsuoka, who runs a Japanese camp for kids ranging in age from 10 to 18. All the mens tennis [in Japan] is coming together like one. Even 10-year-olds to Davis Cup players, the whole team is on one street. This is the biggest weapon for us. We have to keep going on like this.

Before Kei Nishikori, Matsuoka was the biggest star in Japanese tennis. Matsuoka was so big that Project 45 was tagged to Nishikori to inspire him and other Japanese players to try to surpass Matsuokas career-high ATP Ranking of No. 46, which he set in July 1992.

So it was inspiring for Matsuoka to see four Japanese players reach the second round of this ATP 500 event, the first time that had been done since 2003, when there was a 48-player draw compared to todays 32. Matsuoka made only one quarter-final from 13 tries at this event.

The two Japanese through to the last eight Daniel and Uchiyama have followed different paths. Daniel, who has climbed as high as World No. 64, won an ATP Tour title last year in Istanbul and has defeated Novak Djokovic. Now 26, he first cracked the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings when he was only 22.

Ive been telling him from [the] first year [I knew him], you have a chance to be at least Top 30, but you have to play big, Daniel said. He can run, but when he just pushes balls back, you can be maybe Top 100, but thats it: a Challenger player. Now hes playing ATP Tour tennis.

As Daniel himself admitted, he did not arrive in Tokyo with much momentum. In his previous five tournaments, he made four ATP Challenger Tour quarter-finals and lost in the first round of US Open qualifying. And Matsuoka believes that after falling in Flushing Meadows, a switch went off.

I know he was growing up in Spain and I was saying to him that, You will have a big tennis. He is very tall, strong, but he was just playing so far back, very close to the umpires. He has to get in and hes tried to change. But especially this year, he lost his mind, especially after the US Open, Matsuoka said. After that he really had to change his tennis and be more aggressive and enjoy. [He] won [his] first round and got lots of confidence. The way he plays now, he can be tough.

After upsetting second seed Borna Coric in the first round, Daniel said he did not have high expectations entering the week. But against Thompson, he began to feel more nerves as his own expectations grew.

I think its a big deal for the Japanese people, especially two Japanese [making the quarter-finals] without Kei. Its a pretty rare occasion, obviously, Daniel said. Tennis-level wise, I think its not that surprising, but when Japanese guys do this in Japan, its a special occasion.

Although this is a special moment for Daniel, he has been under the spotlight before. Uchiyama is a year older, but at a career-high No. 136, he is first finding his stride. The Japanese made his first ATP Tour quarter-final in Brisbane this year and won a Challenger crown in Shanghai last month.

To Matusoka, Uchiyamas success has been a long time coming.

Ive known him since hes 10. Hes a great player. Hes tall, strong. But he didnt have a strong mentality finally he realised that he has to change. This is the first time, hes changed his life. His tennis and his life are going to change for sure, Matsuoka said. When [he came to my] camp, he was so negative. Every time he said, I cannot do this. Its amazing the negative things. So I made him go back home twice and his mother came to me and he was crying he didnt want to go back.

If he can make it, he can start playing good tennis and be a good player, a singles player. Ive been telling him, You should play only doubles. Your personality, your attitude and your mental [game], youre not for singles. I always said that to him. He said to me, Shuzo, I can play the singles. You can see it. He was coming back and this is the first time he made it.

Uchiyama lifted the doubles title in Tokyo two years ago alongside countryman Ben McLachlan. But this is the first time he is into an ATP 500 quarter-final.

Hes always been a guy who Ive always wondered why his [ATP] Ranking has been a little bit lower than he should be, because whenever I practise with him, I feel like hes really good, Daniel said. So finally hes starting to step into where he should be playing. Im glad to see him doing well.

Even though Daniel and Uchiyama are in the middle of a historic run, Nishikori has redefined expectations from the home fans. The Japanese icon has ascended as high as World No. 4 and lifted the Tokyo trophy twice, in 2012 and 2014.

Its a little bit different because when I was playing, there was no one near the Top 100 except me, so all the attention came on me. But now, its Kei. They are happy to win maybe the first round, maybe the second round. Its an unbelievable thing [to make it to] the quarter-finals, Matusoka said. Kei is winning, hes won a couple times over here, so they always compare with Kei. The other Japanese players have it very tough. When it was [my] time, if this was happening, its amazing, all newspapers itd maybe be the first page. But now with Kei, its a little bit different.

Neither players run is over yet. On Friday, Daniel will face John Millman and Uchiyama will play Reilly Opelka, both of whom are unseeded. Based on their performances so far this week, theres no reason to believe that the Japanese cant continue making history.

For Japanese tennis, its the biggest thing in a couple years, Matsuoka said. We still have a chance with good draws, so we hope they keep going.

Originally posted here:
Matsuoka's Dream Of Historic Japanese Week Comes To Fruition In Tokyo - ATP Tour

Saddled with a silly title, unconvincing performances, annoying aspect-ratio stunts, and a disjointed script that cant decide if it wants to be soap-opera trashy or intellectually sublime, Lucy in the Sky is an all-systems-no disaster. Thats especially disappointing because this is the first feature film directed by until-now critical darling Noah Hawley, creator of the two intriguingly offbeat FX TV series Fargo and Legion.

Natalie Portman stars as Lucy Cola, a contemporary astronaut whose 10 days in space were so awe-inspiring that life back on Earth feels so small. In what looks like a Dorothy Hamill wig and sleeveless tops that show off her athlete-fit body, Lucy is a former Naval Academy valedictorian who is as goal-focused as a cyborg. Self-destructively competitive during training, she recites mission checklist items like a mental-case mantra when shes under pressure. She can fix the plumbing under her kitchen sink by herself, though, so shes clearly empowered.

Portman also employs a dubious Texas twang that sounds condescendingly corny, and walks with a defiant swagger. Attitude and accent-wise, she seems to be trying out for either an Annie Oakley rodeo revival, or maybe the Jessie role in Toy Story on Ice.

Legion star and former Downton Abbey heartthrob Dan Stevens plays Lucys amiably bland husband Drew, a mustachioed and grace-saying square who has all the emotional resonance of a cartoon character. And that cartoon characters name is Flanders. (Speaking of The Simpsons, the movie blatantly swipes a whered you get that brownie gag from the episode that guest-starred George Harrison.)

The weak-wristed (literally; the guy cant open jars) Drew is stuck with delivering dialogue like, Babe, you went to space! Im so proud of you. When a drunk and distracted Lucy comes in the front door at one point and announces, Im home, Drew meaningfully gets to reply, No, I dont think you are.

Drew has a public-relations position at NASA, giving him plot-convenient access to personnel files that will come in handy later. Thats because while hes at work or dutifully stripping wallpaper at home, Lucy is getting adulterously astro-naughty with fellow 200-miles-high club member Mark Goodwin (Jon Hamm).

Like Lucy, Mark is played as a longneck-drinkin half-a-redneck who is as at home in a pick-up as he is in a space shuttle. Maybe the implication is supposed to be that astronauts are basically no more than long-haul truckers with a different means of transportation, but both he and Lucy seem too blue-collar earthy to be believed.

Hamms chiseled, Superman-level good looks make him easy to accept as a smart and sophisticated ladies man. The onetime dapper Don Draper has a hard time impersonating a not-so-good ol boy who likes bowling and is dumb enough to leave his e-mail password in his top desk drawer, however.

Casting against type that way may have worked if this had been an absurd Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt-style farce. (Hamm played Kimmys amusingly nutso kidnapper in that series.) Unfortunately, the first three-quarters of Lucy in the Sky play more like a dimly lit Terrence Malick dirge than a dark comedy. Most of the movie is nearly as deadly dull as First Man, to use another NASA nod-off for comparison, except nothings that tedious.

Zazie Beetz (Domino in Deadpool 2) plays astronaut-in-training Erin Eccles, Lucys spunky rival for both Marks affections and a place on the next shuttle mission. Lucys teenage niece Blue Iris, staying with Lucy and Drew because her father is a flake, is played with detached adolescent angst by Pearl Amanda Dixon (young Syd Barrett on Legion).Ellen Burstyn portrays Lucys brassy Nana, the kind of tough old bird who keeps a handgun in her purse and still smokes even though shes on oxygen.

Text at the beginning of the movie notes it was inspired by real events, but the screenplay (by Brian C. Brown, Elliott DiGuiseppi, and Hawley) changes every name and numerous details about the 2007 news story that was the basis for the films final-act antics. Then again, Hawley begins each episode of his completely fictional Fargo TV series with the lie that This is a True Story, so credibility obviously isnt one of the directors priorities.

When the Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds song awkwardly appears behind a gimmicky transitional scene, its a slow-sung goth rendition performed with funereal flatness by Lisa Hannigan. In other words, it sounds like the kind of creepy kiddie songs heard in nearly every horror-movie trailer these days.

Lots of shots in the movie are from above, looking straight down on houses and roads as an unsubtle visual reminder that Lucys head is constantly in the clouds. Hawley also keeps changing aspect ratios throughout the filmwidening, narrowing, shortening, and lengthening the framepossibly to break up the monotony until things finally get hopping. Thats when Lucy as the woman scorned decides to take some cross-country road-trip vengeance on the man who done her wrong. Why her niece would tag along, even though she can see that Lucy is plainly loopy by then, is a mystery.

At the beginning of the movie, theres a tonal head fake implying that Lucys story might be a spooky psychological science-fiction fantasy instead of a clich love quadrangle. An anecdote about Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins reveals that he was so consumed by I am now truly alone darkness that he wept as he circled the moon by himself. That sounds like a set-up for Lucy to be enlightened with cosmic consciousness or transformed by deranged despair that leads to something supernatural. Instead, her single-minded determination to get off Earth again seems borne more of selfish ambition than spiritual compulsion.

Lucy eventually takes part in one of those tedious seeing and talking to the recently deceased scenes that keep popping up in popular entertainment, and later gets to impart some sisterly #TimesUp advice about men: We have to be better, or they win! Theres also a heavy-handed chrysalis/butterfly metaphor throughout the film.

Lucy in the Sky is the second flick in two weeks about an emotionally broken astronaut who goes rogue with no regard for the consequences. Both films have their flaws, but Brad Pitts much better Ad Astra easily wins this space race.

James Dawson has written more than 1,000 movie reviews and featurearticles for various print publications and websites. His work has appeared in places ranging from The Los Angeles Times to Penthouse Forum to a Marvel Comics "Silver Surfer" anthology. His personal website is iDawson.com.

Excerpt from:
Natalie Portman's Disappointing 'Lucy In The Sky' Is Definitely No Diamond - The Federalist

Graphic by Jacob Newman

Many musical groups of the late 1960s and early 70s displayed exceptional bravery in various ways. John Lennon and Yoko Ono displayed bravery as they openly loved each other, opening themselves up to scrutiny, racism and hatred for being an interracial couple. James Brownand Nina Simone spoke up against the hatred people of color faced. Trailblazing pioneers such as The Village People, Sylvester and Elton John, among others, brought LGBTQ+ culture to the masses at a time when someone could go to prison for simply being queer.

There is one story from this era that is seldom told in the U.S. That is the tale of Tropicalia, a Brazilian countercultural movement of the late 1960s that transcended genre to protest the brutality of Brazils military regime. The idea of Tropicalia was to craft a cultural collage that told a story and protested both conservatism and nationalism. Carmen Miranda, a famous film star of the 1930s and performed largely in the U.S., was deeply despised in her native Brazil but became a mascot for Tropicalias defiant attitude.

Artists such as Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben Jor and the eccentric Tom Ze were some of the most prominent figures of this movement. A 1968 record called Tropicalia acted as a manifesto of sorts.

However, one group from this period has captured my imagination. Os Mutantes, meaning the mutants, was a trio of musicians from this time who, perhaps more than any other group, captured the aesthetic absurdity, deviance and willingness to experiment that was the essence of the movement.

They got their start, much like the Monkees, on a television variety show. However, unlike the Monkees, they not only were proactively pioneering advanced musical experiments, but they began using their platform to broadcast it to an unprepared nation. (In fairness, the Monkees made a fantastically absurd film called Head with Jack Nicholson which gets a gold star of approval in my book.)

Brazil was not prepared for Os Mutantes. There are many famous stories of how poorly Mutantes was received by a conservative nation under the iron grip of a military dictatorship. Even if the lyrical content of the groups music did not explicitly criticize the military dictatorship, every other aspect of the groups presence did. They performed covers of various American countercultural icons on their records and played in a style that was clearly influenced by American artists at a time when American influence was deeply resented in South America. The group openly spoke out about the right-wing politics of the era and connected their struggles to those of other liberation movements worldwide, like the American Black Liberation Front. One listen to the record makes it clear why it was so deeply resented by cultural conservatives.

In one such instance of cultural backlash, Mutantes played a music festival with their guitar distortions, medieval costumes and heavy makeup, and the audience turned their back to the band in protest. So in a way that only Mutantes could, the band turned their back to the audience and continued playing.

The backlash that the band faced was far more serious than the disapproval of a crowd of festival-goers. Like many members of the movement, they faced the prospect of imprisonment, torture, and even death for their protest. Sergio Dias, Arnaldo Baptista and Rita Lee, all the members of Mutantes, were exiled to England by the military where they continued their output of innovative music. The music that they recorded in England, captured on Technicolor (later rereleased by John Lennons son Sean), is some of their best.

Nothing would stop Mutantes and other Tropicalia artists from creating innovative music. Many years of house arrest due to a drug charge would not stop Rita Lee from recording prog rock, disco, and new wave that competes with anything recorded by American and English artists of the time. Even while struggling with mental health issues and substance abuse, Baptista recorded Loki?, a record that is widely regarded as one of the best Brazilian albums of the era.

No conversation about Os Mutantes is complete without the bands first and self-titled record. It epitomizes the protest, anxiety, anger and uncertainty that plagued the group and its beloved nation. It withstands the trials of time. I consider it the greatest experimental rock and roll album of the era.

Many great artists from this time faced palpable risks as they put out experimental music. But the music of Os Mutantes and the Tropicalia movement put these artists at exceptional risk and underscores the bravery that these artists had to make this music.

If you enjoy the likes of Hendrix, the Turtles, Brian Wilson or Bob Dylan, I implore you to listen to Os Mutantes. There is no way to truly understand the iconic countercultural movement of this era without paying attention to the contributions made by the Tropicalia movement.

Jake Havoc is a comic strip written and illustrated by Jacob Newman. Through homage and parody, it attempts to poke fun at the sometimes absurd nature of our daily lives, while celebrating American culture and iconography. You can find Jacob Newmans work on Instagram @jakehavoc.

Jacob Newman is a senior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You can contact him at jane3083@colorado.edu.

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Jake Havoc: Os Mutantes, a comic and the backstory - cuindependent

Hayden Lavigne crouched between the posts, knees bent, head up and readied himself for the oncoming shots.

Down the ice, 200 feet away, Strauss Mann mirrored a similar stance.

And somewhere in the middle, Jack Leavy, the third goaltender, stood, awaiting the signal to switch with Lavigne or Mann.

Then it happened.

Lavigne raised his hand, and Leavy headed towards him mid-drill. As he reached the left post, a puck was shot at Lavigne. With Lavigne guarding the right post and Leavy on the left, the two goalies came up with a save. Then Leavy took over for the remainder of the drill a seamless transition.

It was an example of the type of synergy and ability they lacked all last year.

Looking at the goaltending stats from last season, the numbers dont lie. Theres nowhere to hide. Mann and Lavigne struggled. Out of the 60 teams playing NCAA Division I hockey, Michigan finished 59th in goaltending. It finished the year with 13-16-7 record.

New goalie coach Kris Mayotte knows this season has to be different.

I think theyd be the first ones to tell you that it has to improve, Mayotte said. But I think from what Ive spoken with them about, and from what Ive heard, they went into this last offseason with that mindset and that goal that they could come in this year and improve on that. I think their work ethic has been really good, their attention to detail has been good and their desire to improve.

From the end of last season to now, the coaching staff has been watching, observing and taking notes all in an effort to answer the question that haunted Michigan last season who will be the starting goaltender?

Despite the efforts, there are still kinks to be worked out. Mayotte spent the last month working to break any bad summer habits the three might have developed.

One of the biggest shifts between summer training and season training is the focus required. In the summer, goaltenders face multiple shots back-to-back, sometimes all from the same spot one player after another. But in the game, theres only one puck to focus on.

Mayotte matches the enthusiasm of Mann and Lavigne. Prior to arriving in Ann Arbor, he reached out to introduce himself and begin forming the important bond between players and coaches. The day of his first practice as goalie coach, he wasted no time.

Two words broke apart the huddle signaling the end of practice: Go Blue.

Slapping their sticks against the ice, the players skated for the locker room. But the goalies, upon changing, headed straight for Mayottes office to review film.

Having him not be shy at all and jump right in to giving us advice right away has been a good way to just start the season, Lavigne said. To make the most of these limited practice hours that weve had. Hes done a good job of just acclimating real quick and getting us adjusted to his new coaching style real fast.

For Lavigne, the biggest obstacle between him and the starting spot, is his mental game.

A disappointing performance in net and a lack of consistency knocked his confidence last year. During the 2017-18 season, Lavigne was in net for the Wolverines throughout their Frozen Four run. But last year, the goaltending he displayed during that run was nowhere to be found. He ended the season with a losing record, going 7-8-3 with an .883 save percentage and a 3.16 goals averaged against.

Lavignes mental struggle was so taxing that he couldn't work much on the technical side of his goaltending like he wanted.

Last year obviously was a tough one for me, Lavigne said. But I think I learned a lot out of it from the mental side of things and how to handle certain situations. How to hold myself accountable and the things that I wanna do that I didnt do very well last year. So it was a good learning stone from there.

Statistically, Mann didnt fare much better. He posted a 6-8-4 record, though slightly edged out Lavigne with a .895 save percentage and a 2.91 GAA.

Strauss obstacle is identical to Lavignes. Throughout the summer, he emphasized the importance of getting in the right headspace following a tough season.

Mentally, he emphasized just playing and staying relaxed rather than overthinking every save. Once things clicked, he focused on staying loose to allow for more explosiveness out of his set up and fundamentals.

Because being mentally strong is such a crucial part of being a goaltender almost more important than the physical strength in the eyes of Michigan coach Mel Pearson.

Goaltenders have a variety of resources available to them. During talks between the netminders and coaching staff, coaches stress the importance of attitude, preparation and focus on things that can be controlled rather than what cant.

A confidence boost came Lavignes way on Monday when the Big Ten Coaches Poll was released and his name was on the list of honorable mentions.

Thats a huge honor, Lavigne said. After not coming off a great season last year, it still means that the coaches and the people that participate in that poll still see what Im capable of.

Even now with both goaltenders mentally strong, the question of who will be Michigans starting goaltender is no closer to being answered. The exhibition match Sunday offers a chance for some clarity. Pearson wants both players to have an opportunity to show what theyre capable of and how far theyve come.

Theyre both going to get an opportunity in the first game, Pearson said. Theyll both play some minutes, and well just go from there. A lot of its based even on just how they do there.

You take it week by week right now especially early in the season because they both havent played for so long. You just hope one of thems ready to go, if not both of them. Id like to see both of them really have a great competition and make it hard on the coaches to decide whos gonna play.

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As the season approaches, Mann and Lavigne battle for the starting spot - The Michigan Daily

Moments after shrugging off all that suffocating pressure by obliterating her rivals to win her first 200m world championships gold medal on Wednesday, an exhausted Dina Asher-Smith took a deep breath and her mind wandered back to where everything began. It was something I dreamed about as a pipe dream when I was younger, when I started running, when I was eight years old, she said.

All those years ago, the 23yearold never imagined her dreams would come true in Doha. Even her arrival into the world of athletics seems a fluke only a bribe in the form of an ice-cream convinced the Perry Hall Primary School pupil to attend a running club where they ran cross country, a discipline she detested. It was her future coach John Blackie who saw her and put her on the right path, recruiting her to the Bees Academy in Bromley at the age of eight.

By the time Asher-Smith left primary school and arrived at Newstead Wood School in Orpington, she was beginning to break records. However, for Vikki Eason, her PE teacher and athletics coach, it was Asher-Smiths overall athleticism that was striking.

She was always a really able sportswoman in many different sports, not just athletics; good at school games, she swam I taught her as a PE teacher but also as athletics coach and she still used to come and compete for the athletics team.

The records continued. At 13, Asher-Smith recorded the 300m agebest in a time of 39.16sec. Even as her athletics career took off and she began her long journey of juggling sport and academics, she continued to be an integral part of her school.

There was never any question [that she was committed to school], said Eason. She took part in sports days and she represented the school at local athletics meets. She managed. She even went to primary school events and she did talks.

For all her lofty dreams, AsherSmith kept them to herself. Eason did not know that her pupil harboured Olympic goals until she watched Asher-Smith appear at the 2012 Olympic games as a kit carrier.

Asher-Smith returned to school emboldened and inspired, finally ready to embrace her potential.

Thats when she told me that she wanted to be an Olympian, says Eason. She was so keen and so enthusiastic to be so close to the athletics stars. She was keen to take part in all aspects of athletics; she wasnt just one of the ones to perform and not do anything else.

Bubbly is the word constantly used to describe Asher-Smith, and that is also how Eason remembered her. But that does not quite explain how Asher-Smith has been so ruthless in the face of pressure in a sport that relies so heavily on mental fortitude. Early last year, AsherSmith gave a Tedx talk where she spoke only of her career, her mindset and goals. Her opening line revealed plenty:

Im Dina Asher-Smith and I am motivated by a fear of failure, she said. OK, motivated isnt a strong enough word to express how I feel. Its more like an allergy to me an itching, nagging feeling deep inside of me that gives me the inability to be complacent about anything.

Most sporting champions are forged in the smothering heat of adversity and no season prepared Asher-Smith for this week more than the nightmare of 2017, when she fractured her foot in training five months before the 2017 world championships in London.

Ever since her Olympic experience, Asher-Smith had dreamed of London, so when doctors told her it was over, she refused to hear it. She worked tirelessly on her comeback and won a 4x100m relay silver after a fourth-place finish in the 200m. As wellmeaning people congratulated her simply on returning to the track, she realised that her attitude could not have diverged more.

The focus from then on was not just being healthy, not just running painlessly but it was being world class, she said. It was being as close to my best as possible. So many people have told me: Oh my god, its so good that youre running. Youve been so positive. Its great. But I wasnt in the business of just being positive. I dont just go into the championships being positive. If Im there, I want to be the best I can be and London was no different.

In 2013, as a 17-year-old, she received a surprise call from British Athletics to run in the 4x100m team. She was shocked at that and even more so when the British quartet secured a bronze medal. Those days are no more. Now, she calls herself a championship performer, and after she won the 100m and 200m double at the European Championships last year, she returned home to pandemonium. She is learning how to be famous.

Lots of people have been referring to me as a role model, which I still find very odd, she said. But at the same time I am rolling with it, because I do have a social responsibility to make sure young people have a positive person to look up to.

With a world title forever wed to her name and the Olympics on the horizon, there will only be more attention, more fame and more people looking up to her success as an example to emulate. But for all the fans she gains, it is telling that those who knew her first still back her all the way.

Its absolutely amazing, Eason said. Its just a real privilege to have taught her at school. For her to have worked with me and to now see her come through in the way she has? Shes just worked so hard and shes so enthusiastic. Its really lovely.

More here:
Dina Asher-Smiths short sprint from an ice-cream bribe to a gold medal - The Guardian

Zach Collins was thrilled when he found out in July that six-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol would be joining the Portland Trail Blazers on a one-year contract. He immediately reached out to friends to acquire Gasols cell phone number and shot the 39-year-old a text.

I texted him and said how much of a sponge Im going to be, Collins said. Just a guy like that, a Hall of Famer, a legend, someone that has gone up against the best, in the biggest moments and shown up -- Hes just an extremely good player, an extremely good dude... He just seems very open to teaching as well, which is huge for us.

Collins and fellow Blazers big man Skal Labissiere both grew up watching Gasol during his heyday with the Los Angeles Lakers. Collins was glued to his television back home in Las Vegas, while Labissiere watched on a small TV set from Haiti when Gasol helped lead the Lakers to the NBA Championship in 2009, and again in 2010.

The two young players -- Collins is 21 and Labissiere is 23 -- are now excited to spend the year learning from the future Hall of Famer. Both players believe that competing alongside a player of Gasols status will help them quickly take their own games to the next level.

I told him already, I want to work with you throughout the year, just learn some things, Labissiere said. Ive been asking him a lot of questions, just trying to pick his brain a little bit. Thats the first time I think in my career that Ive had somebody pretty much playing the same position as me that reached that level of success in his career."

Gasol is ready to embrace the mentorship role.

He has been giving his young teammates pointers and leading by example during the first few days of training camp, even as he has been limited in what he can do in practice as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in his left foot.

Im excited to work with these guys, Zach, Skal, Gasol said. They kind of share the mindset and attitude that Ive had throughout my career as far as getting better, as far as going out there and giving your best, knowing that some nights are going to be better than others, putting in the work, taking it seriously, doing whatever it takes, handling the emotions, the ups and downs of the season, which sometimes can be challenging. With all that, Im going to be there and I want to be there to help and support and (provide) guidance.

How Gasols relationship with Collins develops over the season both on and off the court could be particularly important for the Blazers.

Collins is projected to start at power forward this season after an inconsistent 2018-19 campaign where he showed promise early in the year and in playoffs, but struggled with mental lapses, shaky shooting and foul trouble. Collins averaged 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.9 blocks and 17.6 minutes in 77 games (zero starts) last year. But the Blazers believe that the talented 7-foot forward is primed to take the next step this year and develop into a consistent presence on the court. Collins believes that working with Gasol, who is entering his 19th season in the NBA, will only aid his development.

(Weve had) a couple conversations when were doing post drills and stuff, him just telling me little things here and there to help me out, Collins said. Ive more been observing what he does as a guy who has been in this league. He knows what he needs to do to get his body right. He knows what he needs to do to be ready. Its helping a lot.

While Gasols leadership and experience will be a huge asset for the Blazers, the Spanish legend is expected to be much more than just a mentor in Portland. The cerebral and versatile 7-footer might be well past his prime, but the Blazers still anticipate that he will play an important role off the bench as a center or power forward, assuming he can stay healthy.

I think primarily hell play the five, but if he and Zach are playing together, they have the ability to complement each other where each guy can play both spots, Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. If there are times that he plays with Hassan (Whiteside), hes improved his three-point shooting from an offensive standpoint. He can hurt a mismatch if they put an undersized guy on him and hes a very smart defender.

The Blazers first pursued Gasol back in free agency in 2016, but he ultimately signed with the San Antonio Spurs. After making a run to the Western Conference finals last spring, the Blazers once again aggressively pursued Gasol this summer. This time, Gasol felt it was the right fit. He said that he was impressed with the talent and maturity within the team and wanted to do his part to help put the Blazers in the best possible position to make another run this spring.

As big as the coaching staff wants me to be, the coaching staff believes that I can be, said Gasol about his role this year. I hope to add leadership on and off the court, experience and also quality play. Im excited after a difficult health year, frustrating, Im excited just to work on my body... I can do what I know on the court, just have fun with the guys and compete and play as hard as I can.

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg

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Portland Trail Blazers center Pau Gasol embracing role as mentor: Im excited to work with these guys - OregonLive

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Good Mornings will help you out of your morning rut.

Are you hurting your career and stifling your possibilities without even realizing it? Far too many of us focus our energies on others, forgoing opportunities to turn our gazes inward. Yet by giving away our energies, we wind up depleting ourselves.

Lean on the following books as resources to begin lifting yourself up so you can lift up others down the road. Prepare to be surprised: Spending just an hour a day reading any of these works will have you thinking and acting differently if you employ their sometimes deceptively simple, but ultimately transformational tips.

I Heart My Life by Emily Williams

Its tough not to get motivated when you read about someone like Emily Williams, who was the unlikeliest of future millionaires. Like so many dreamers, she clung to the belief that following her heart would lead to greatnessand it did. Now a well-respected life coach, Williams shares methods any professional can use to move forward toward bucket goals. Im especially interested in applying her novel methods for dealing with unexpected outcomes. After all, not everything works out as planned, but that doesnt mean it doesnt work out the way it should.

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How We Work by Leah Weiss

When the Dalai Lama gives a book the thumbs up, you know its worth the price of admission. In this guide, Leah Weiss extols the power of mindfulness to help us workaholics stop trying to compartmentalize our experiences. By removing barriers between what is deemed personal and professional, we can all grow exponentially as humans. For years, Ive been trying to bring ever-increasing levels of authenticity to my work. How We Work has helped me take more steps toward being wholly myself in all situations.

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Happy Money by Ken Honda

If your 2 a.m. bouts of insomnia always have money at their core, pick up this book. In Happy Money, Ken Hondas philosophy of looking at money with a welcoming, positive attitudeeven as its going out the doorwill vastly reduce your financial anxiety. Whether you have a little or a lot in the bank, this bestseller will transform your relationship with cash. Already I feel a healthier bond between me and my Washingtons, Lincolns and Hamiltons.

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Enoughness by Alison Robertson

Many people look outside themselves for the sources of happiness and satisfaction. Alison Robertson turns the tables on this common habit by urging readers to look inside themselves instead. As she points out, we already have the skill sets and inner voice to accomplish breakthroughs. The trick is to learn how to apply our unique abilities in a regret-free way. After readingEnoughness, Im eager to tap into dormant strengths that I believe will help me be a better entrepreneur and family man.

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Good Mornings by Linnea Dunne

Dont let the title of this book fool you: Linnea Dunne doesnt expect you to be a lark who rises with the sun. Whenever you start your morning, even if its closer to noon, you can put her recommendations into action. Ive been implementing daily rituals into my wake-up routine for a while now and enjoying the way they prepare me for what lies ahead. Dunnes Good Mornings book has encouraged me to elevate some of those observances to get a bigger bang for my introspection buck.

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Success Is Inevitable by Thibaut Meurisse

Weve all talked ourselves out of success through self-sabotaging behavior. Thibaut Meurisse cuts through the mental clutter to help readers hone their innate ability to shape their futures. I would liken this book to a basic confidence primer. The more you read Success Is Inevitable, the more you realize all the small ways youre torpedoing surefire wins. Thanks to Meurisse, Im increasingly examining my thoughts and actions to make certain Im not getting in my own way when a goal sits almost within my grasp.

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The Four Sacred Secrets by Preethaji and Krishnaji

For centuries, people have tried to build bridges between the unconscious and conscious. Preethaji and Krishnaji believe theyve come up with the solution. Their playbook lays out a strategy to meditate your way to freer thinking. Even if youre not someone who practices yoga or quiet time, youll gain tremendous insights about yourself and your beliefs while readingThe Four Sacred Secrets. What Ive learned about myself has brought about moments of peace and inner growth. I look forward to experiencing more such moments.

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7 Books That Will Help You Help Yourself - Forbes

Caught up in yet another epic binge watching of anything and everything Anthony Bourdain, I find myself grieving over our loss. The worlds loss. His familys loss. Anthony Bourdain was one-of-a-kind. Perhaps imitated. Never repeated. Then I remember that he took his own life and feel personally cheated.

When I think of writers who inspire me, they are in order C. S. Lewis, Helen Hanff, Anthony Bourdain, M. K. Fisher, G. K. Chesterton and William Shakespeare. Sorry, Willy, but you cant hold a candle to Tony!

The man was eloquent. Unabashedly profane, urbanely eloquent. He always knew the perfect turn of phrase. He never used a short word when a longer word would do. Loved adjectives. Never passed up a double entendre.

Now, according to every poll, prophesy and Moms disapproving scowl, someone like me shouldve never read Kitchen Confidential in the first place. Much too dirty.

But Anthony is grittilly, wholly honest. And honesty will always charm me much more than fake religiosity and disapproving prudery.

Anthonys genius was brought home to me last night when, unbeknownst to me, the Travel Channel auto-advanced to a different, non-Anthony travel/food program while I was out of the room making a fish sandwich.

When I returned, plate in hand, something struck me aswrong. The narrators voice had lost its whiskey quality. The script wastoo clean. No sarcasm, no bleeps, no perfect turn of phrase. Then the narrator appeared on screen, standing stock still, perfectly groomed eyebrows, robotically reading his lines to the camera with not a swear word in sight.

In other words, it sucked. There was no magic and I instantly turned that wannabe off and went in search of more Anthony.

When people ask me for writing advice, I tell them, Just write the way you talk. Anthony personified that. He wrote exactly as he spoke and he spoke exactly as he thought. His books and shows were the overflow of a mind so brilliant, so deep, so profound, so fast-moving, so well read, so cultured, so intelligent, so sensitive and so witty that despite his intense self-loathing, I find myself hanging on his every word.

When he toured the garbage mounds of Nicaragua being picked over for food by children younger than his own daughter, he hid his eyes behind dark glasses. The next day, he was still talking about it. It shook him to the core. He felt that continuing to shoot footage of him eating was obscene. His feelings do him credit.

When a survivor and whistleblower of the wars of Portugal teared up during an interview, Anthonys big brown eyes grew warm. He didnt embarrass the man by pulling away but didnt embarrass him by hugging him either. He remained, eyes full of sensitivity and empathy, as the man recovered his composure. That was Anthony. People who met him said he was genuinely interested in their lives. He really listened.

He hid his depth and sensitivity behind sarcasm without ever sounding sarcastic. I know because I lived it. When during my Junior year of homeschool my father despaired of teaching me to write, (leading to that now infamous episode when he angrily flung all my tearful drafts of A Descriptive Paragraph across the room), he discovered that the only time I could write was when I was sarcastic.

So Dad assigned me to write radio commercials. My favorite was for a fictional anti-aging lotion. I wrote, Im sixty, feel fifty, act forty and look thirty!. Tongue-in-cheek sarcasm like this gave Anthony a way to hide his jaded worldview in a robe of eloquence. And we are the richer for it.

What makes him even more interesting, and his suicide even more upsetting, is that he wore his mental health on his sleeve. He made no bones about his feelings, indeed, he shouted them from the television. The themes of self-loathing, depression, anger, suicide and longing for death run through his shows, especially No Reservations, as obviously as his alcoholism.

He makes me remember my old depressed days. When a laugh was like a quick burst of sunshine stabbing through gray clouds. A stab of joy quickly snuffed out. Id forgotten just how bad depression can be.

When I feel naked in the wind and embarrassed for spewing my own psyche out in this blog, I think of Anthony and feel comforted. We both wear our mental health on our sleeve.

Some have blamed his suicide on a recent break-up with his girlfriend, Asia Argento. I dunno. Anthony had already weathered two break-ups of long marriages. With his celebrity status and that irresistible world-weary, alcoholic charm and whisky voice, all he wouldve had to do is stand still in one of his beloved dive bars and hed have women swarming all over him.

Maybe it was exhaustion. Maybe his celebrity and constant travel, travel, travel became a trap from which he saw no escape.

But I sense something more. I think he had a shy streak. Was uncomfortable in his own skin. No moans of gastronomic ecstasy for him. If food was good, he said so. If it was bad, he said so. But ask him to partake in a game or, even worse, dance on camera! You could almost see his skin crawl. He had to be pretty well embalmed with the alcoholic beverage of the moment to engage in physical activity. He didnt seek the limelight, much more comfortable to watch others show off while he kept his elbows firmly on the bar.

Alcohol was his social lubrication. It allowed him to convincingly say yes when his authentic self was screaming no. There wasnt any food he wouldnt try. No dangerous plane flight he wouldnt take. With a world weary, resigned que sera sera attitude, he abandoned himself to the tender mercies of the network.

Maybe thats what killed him. Wearing the suit. Playing the game. Inauthenticity comes at a high, high price I know from experience. Maybe he felt like a fraud with a lifetime of regret and shame for his past drug use.

Interestingly, as I recall, Anthony never blamed anyone for his drug use but himself. He chose that path cognitively. It was what he wanted. Nothing in his background or breeding made him susceptible. He wasnt a victim and, as far as I can tell, he wasnt a narcissist either. No yelling in anyones face, la Gordon Ramsay.

Personally, call it denial or whatever, but Ill never be quite convinced that it was suicide. Everything about it is wrong: the timing, the place, everything. It rings wrong for me.

Hed tangled with some pretty powerful characters in the months before his death. If hehad done it, this man of letters wouldnt have gone silently. He wouldve tipped off his best friend, Eric Ripert. He wouldve left the most eloquent, profane F- U, World suicide note like George Sanders wrote for his 1972 suicide:

Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored.I feel I have lived long enough.I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool.Good luck.

And Tony wouldnt have done it in a girly chateau like the Hotel Chambard. He wouldve done it in an eloquently macabre wayperhaps in one of his beloved Museums of Brothel History. That wouldve been so Tony!

What hurts the worst is that he left behind his daughter, Ariane. I love how he always talked about her on the show and bought things for her. You could feel his love for her.

Call me selfish, but I feel personally cheated. Cheated! My favorite celebrity chef, ranking right up there in my affections with Julia Child and Michel Roux Jr, robbed me of himself. There wont be any more delightful quotes like, Gentlemen, when cooking duck, always wear pants.

Maybe one Angie Eaton Norris summed it up best. She tweeted the following:

Im just a normal homemaker, stuck in nowhere America.But with Tony, I got to travel the world.I got to see places that I never would have seen,learned about food and people that I never would have,except for No Reservations & Parts Unknown.I grieve with you, your daughter andall of Tonys friends and fans.

So heres to Tony! The most brilliant, eloquent celebrity chef to ever grace the small screen.

Therell never be another like him.

We are the poorer for losing him much too soon.

Photo by Peabody Awards

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The Genius that was Anthony Bourdain: A Retrospective - PsychCentral.com

For decades, the 14th Dalai Lama has said that kindness is the only religion, and that differences can be put aside if people see themselves as belonging to a larger world community. Gandhis words, as well as the teachings of Buddhist masters, have guided him, he says. While accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in 1989, he said it was a tribute to the man who founded the modern tradition of non-violent action for change, Mahatma Gandhi, whose life taught and inspired me". To mark Gandhis 150th birth anniversary, the Dalai Lama spoke to Mint about the continuing relevance of Gandhi and the ideas of non-violence and kindness.

What is it about Mahatma Gandhi that continues to inspire you?

He was the most influential person of the 20th century with his idea of non-violence, ahimsa. He took a 3,000-year-old Indian tradition of ahimsa and karuna (compassion) and made it something living and relevant. He made it relevant by fighting for Indias freedom through non-violencethats great.

At that time, some people may have felt that Gandhis non-violence was a sign of weakness, but non-violence under difficult circumstances is a strength, not a weakness. As far as I know, Nelson Mandela totally followed Mahatma Gandhis way. As did Martin Luther King (Jr).

Personally, since childhood, we often heard about Mahatma Gandhi of India". On one occasion in a dream, I met Mahatma Gandhiji (chuckles). We didnt talk, just his face (appeared). In winter, I stayed in the Potala Palace, in summer in the Norbulingka Palace. So once, during winter in the Potala, in my dream, Mahatma Gandhiji appeared. Not like in the pictures but a real Gandhi (laughs).

What is the relevance of Gandhis ideas and non-violence today?

It is quite simple. Now, many scientists say basic human nature is compassionate because we are social animals. In ancient times, the community meant your own family and your own village; in the modern sense, community is the whole world. The world is the same human community. If you think of that, non-violence is very relevant. As individuals, our future and our prosperity depends on the world community, on all communities.

We Tibetans consider India our sacred neighbour because the Buddha dharma came from India. I jovially tell people, traditionally, for thousands of years we considered Indians our guru, and we were the chela (disciple), the very reliable chela. In the gurus own land, the Nalanda tradition has been seeing many ups and downs. During these periods, we, as the reliable chela, kept the Nalanda tradition intact.

Previously, you were the guru and we the chela; now I think its different (laughs). You have forgotten the Nalanda tradition, but weve kept it alive. Here in exile, we have our own organized community and have re-established all those historical monastic traditions in this country. So now, one of my commitments is to revive the ancient Indian knowledge of ahimsa and karuna, not through prayer but through training the mind and emotion.

Do you think Mahatma Gandhi was an influential guru or a humble chela?

First, he was a chela of Indias thousands-years-old tradition. Then, many millions of followers came along and they considered Mahatma Gandhi a guru

Do you think Gandhi was influential because he never thought of himself as a guru but as a chela?

Completely agree. Thats true. Frankly speaking, I also have many followers. I have always considered myself a simple Buddhist monk. The seven billion human beings in the world are the same mentally, emotionally and physically. This conviction brings a sense of oneness with seven billion beings. Some Lamas, including some Indian gurus, they feel they have something special (laughs).

I, too, face some danger of people praising me too much. Then, at that time, you must tell yourself, You are a humble follower of Buddha." Thats very important. If you yourself become a slave of destructive emotion, how can you teach other people?Dalai Lama

So do you think weakness is part of greatness?

This is quite a philosophical question (laughs). It is important to know your own weakness. Then you can improve. If some Tibetan and Hindu Lamas consider themselves great, it is important to test, to criticize, to tease them. If they still remain completely calm, that shows they truly practice or implement what they teach other people.

Today, how do people live in simplicity, with older traditions, without ego or anger, when there is so much inequality and distraction due to technology?

Modern education came from the West, introduced by the British. This system does not know how to tackle emotional problems through meditation. Modern education is oriented towards material wealth. So, when people face anger, hatred, fear or jealousy, they do not know how to tackle it. India must revive ancient knowledge through analytic meditation to reduce destructive emotion, and increase constructive emotion.

My latest commitment is to try to revive this ancient Indian knowledge in modern India. It is the only nation that can combine modern education, technology, science, these things that are very useful, with ancient Indian knowledge of how to bring peace of mind.

Was Gandhi a link between the ancient and modern?

Gandhiji totally dedicated himself to non-violence but I dont know how much he contributed to combine modern education and ancient Indian education about the mind. Gandhiji was a very practical person and educated in England. He was committed to ahimsa, but karuna (compassion), I dont know.

How do you make Mahatma Gandhi, 150 years after his birth, relevant today? The younger generation only sees him on Indian currency notes...

(chuckles) The world needs Mahatma Gandhijis teachings and practice of non-violence. Many problems in the world today are of our own creation. Whenever we see a problem, our first reaction is to ask how to tackle this by force. Thats totally wrong. Violence may be a sincere motivation, but the method is wrong. Violence is mutual destruction. In human history, the weapon has become very important. That is the outdated way. One nation cannot eliminate the rest of the nations who are not very friendly with it. Whether we like it or not, we have to live side by sidethats the reality.

A modern education is very much oriented towards material wealththats not adequate. How to tackle anger, fearthese are not religious matters, these are a question of health of the mind of the human being. Education should include education about peace of mind, not based on religious faith but on common sense.

Mahatma Gandhi preached ahimsa and you talk of kindness. How are the two different or similar?

I dont know. You should examine. But sometimes, I feel my work is more at a mental level, his was more at an action level (laughs). Im a student of the Nalanda tradition. From childhood, we learn logic and psychology.

Do you think Mahatma Gandhi was more of a politician or a spiritual leader?

After he returned from England, Gandhi started the non-violence movement in South Africa. This was purely a moral and spiritual issue. Then he came to India, and practised non-violence. In India as he himself is an Indian, maybe there was some political implication. In South Africa, it was pure theory and philosophy; he was a spiritual leader.

I always consider myself a follower of Mahatma Gandhiji. In the philosophical field, my knowledge may be better than Gandhiji (chuckles) because we study from childhood the Nalanda texts, which deal with quantum physics. When I have discussions with scientists on quantum physics, I respect them, but mentally, I feel I know better (laughs). Quantum physics clearly explains the differences between appearance and reality. In order to tackle our destructive emotions such as anger and extreme attachment, we need to understand this gapthat nothing exists objectively as it appears but is entirely dependent on the observer.

Like Gandhiji, you have faced great challenges in your life in the pursuit of your objective. How do you remain an optimist?

First, I consider myself one of seven billion human beings. I see no difference. Chinese, Tibetan, Indian, European... We are the same, emotionally, physically, mentally. On that level, my commitment is to try to promote peace of mind among seven billion beings, to offer compassion or karuna, strictly secularly, not based on religion.

My second commitment as a Buddhist monk is promotion of religious harmony. I have full confidence that religious harmony is possible. Look at India. For more than 2,000 years, so many religions from outside have lived together alongside the home-grown traditions. There are little problems, but thats mainly because politicians manipulate; but basically, religious harmony is very much alive here.

I always tell Tibetans, it is much better to keep Chinese as our brothers and sisters than consider them as our enemyno use. For the time being, there is a problem with the Chinese neighbour, but that is a few individuals in the Communist Party. A number of Chinese leaders now realize that their 70-year policy regarding Tibet is unrealistic. There was too much emphasis on the use of force. So now they are in a dilemma: How to deal with the Tibetan problem? So things are changing. I think within one or two years, there is a possibility of me visiting China. But I love freedom and I enjoy Indias freedom. Indian freedom over 60 years has spoilt me (laughs).

Is there a link between the conflict in the world and the way we live?

The source of the problem is a self-centred attitude. The antidote is altruism. With greater altruism, the self-centred attitude reduces. This attitude brings anger, hatred and fear. Science has found that the basic human nature is compassionate. Our basic nature is to be social, appreciate the others kindness, smile. Live in kindness.

You said at the start of the interview that you saw Gandhi in your dream. If you were to really meet him today, what would be the first thing you would say to him?

I very much want to meet him, and first, touch his feet. Then, I think he may have some idea about how to deal with China.

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Our world is in need of the Mahatmas teachings: Dalai Lama - Livemint

Big Brother is back, baby.

The mystical world of turkey slaps, bum dances, cheating spouses and weird sleep disrupting games will be joining us in our lounge rooms once again in 2020.

Given the OG Big Brother house was recently incinerated, were super keen to see where the new digs will be but first, the new owners of the reality TV show (Channel Seven) have to find them some willing participants to chuck into the fishbowl.

Remember in 2005 when the Logan brothers went in as one and had to get in the nude to change spots? Ah, mems. Post continues after video.

You can apply to be on the show here, but to save you the trouble of filling in a few pages of boring details to get to the juicy bits, weve fake applied for you and wowza, are the questions intense.

We also thoroughly enjoy that we no longer have a name, we are a number, applicant: b5213a-1-774105.

It felt a little bit like we might actually be applying for ASIO, except the questions arent trying to find out if wed be suitable spies, theyre mining us for every little bit of juice in our backstory.

Heres what they want to know:

So if and when you get past the 90 questions stripping you bare of every last secret in your life, where to then?

Well, its likely youll have to send in a little video introducing yourself and then if you get past THAT stage, you get to go back to drama class

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All the pervy questions you'll have to answer if you want to apply for Big Brother 2020. - Mamamia