I see that my colleagues are referring to the new online Encyclopedia of Libertarianism as a Wikipedia for libertarianism. I suppose thats sort of true, in that its an online encyclopedia. But its not exactly Hayekian, as Jimmy Wales describes Wikipedia. That is, it didnt emerge spontaneously from the actions of hundreds of thousands of contributors. Instead, editors Ronald Hamowy, Jason Kuznicki, and Aaron Steelman drew up a list of topics and sought the best scholars to write on each one people like Alan Charles Kors, Bryan Caplan, Deirdre McCloskey, George H. Smith, Israel Kirzner, James Buchanan, Joan Kennedy Taylor, Jeremy Shearmur, Leda Cosmides and John Tooby, Norman Barry, Richard Epstein, Randy Barnett, and Vernon L. Smith, along with many Cato Institute experts. In that regard its more like the Encyclopedia Britannica of libertarianism, a guide to important topics by top scholars in the relevant field.

The Britannica over the years has published articles byAlbert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Marie Curie, Leon Trotsky, Harry Houdini, George Bernard Shaw, Bertrand Russell, Milton Friedman, Simon Baron Cohen, and Desmond Tutu. They may have slipped a bit when they published articles by Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Lee Iacocca. And particularly when they chose to me to write their entry on libertarianism.

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Is the Encyclopedia of Libertarianism like Wikipedia? - Cato Institute (blog)

Working with business leaders, I am struck by the challenges that my clients experience, leading companies in such a radically changing and dynamic world.

I believe there are two key traits that are crucial for todays business leaders to help them meet those challenges adaptability and self-awareness.

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Because todays marketplace is so unpredictable, leaders need to be ready to learn fast and move quickly. Their role is to help their organisations adapt and flourish amid the constantly changing political and economic landscape a very different role from the more traditional and structured hierarchies that most of us witnessed earlier in our careers.

The choices are hard, especially when it comes to letting go of some of our core beliefs and ways of thinking that have worked for us in the past. Todays business leaders now need to step back, look at whats happening and what lies ahead, keep asking what is working, learn from their mistakes, and most importantly, learn to thrive from this approach.

A recent McKinsey article, based on research from the worlds largest organisations, highlighted how different everything feels from just a decade ago. Leaders are operating in a bewildering new environment in which very little is certain; the pace is quicker, and the dynamics far more complicated. Business leaders worry that its impossible to stay on top of all the things they need to know. And yet, there are great examples of success where adaptive organisations are leading the way in the market.

Take Amazon for example. I find being a customer so easy, and their response matches what I want. A lot has been written about their CEO Jeff Bezos, but his philosophy of making bold investment decisions, building the culture, taking risks and thinking long term, has resulted in huge global success.

200 Voices: find out more about the people who have shaped Scotland

In todays economic environment, a leader being adaptable is no longer a nice to have, its the new normal if you want your company to deliver a real competitive advantage. There is a Chinese proverb that says that the wise adapt themselves to circumstances, just as water moulds itself to whatever vessel it is in.

Adaptive leaders show clear direction, dedication and ambition traits that inspire others to follow them. These individuals are willing to experiment, take calculated risks, encourage innovation, and have a style that is very open. The essence of this approach is that they learn how to follow, and followers learn how to lead.

Perhaps a more difficult skill to craft is self-awareness. This requires digging deep and looking closely at your personality all of your strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Its a quality that allows you to understand other people and how they perceive you, your attitude and how you respond to them.

So why do we need to develop greater self-awareness now? Quite simply, because in todays economic climate we need to make changes in how we think, in our emotions and reactions.

Self-awareness is the first step in creating what we want and mastering where we focus our attention, our emotions, reactions, personality and behaviour, determining where we go in life. Until we are aware of this and regularly take a good look at ourselves, we will find it difficult to respond appropriately and keep up with the 21st century challenges.

Any high-performing sports person or musician is relentless in honing their craft. Business leaders need to apply the same principles. That might be learning how to play to their strengths and improving the areas they are weaker on, or surrounding themselves with people whose strengths will complement their own and learn from each other.

Either way, its time for our captains of industry to take a good look at themselves and start building up their leadership muscles!

Caroline Donaldson is director at Kynesis Consulting

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Caroline Donaldson: Self-awareness is key to leadership - The Scotsman

WorkshopTheInternal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) ofSt. Edmunds College is organising a 1-day workshop on Higher Education: Reshaping The Learning Space onSaturday at theCollege Auditorium. Prof K.V. Nagaraj, HOD DepartmentMass Communication, Mizoram University will be the chief guest and the resource person on the occasion.IQAC is also preparing for the NAAC re- accreditationfor the third cycle which will take place toward the end of the year.

DemonstrationThe United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), in its meeting held in Mumbai last month has decided to hold a centralised joint demonstration on Friday at 5:30 pm in front of SBI Zonal office Shillong, Bawri Mansions and Dhankheti. All the employees, both supervising and award of different bank branches and offices within greater Shillong are requested to take part in the programme.

Freshers meetThe Kuki Students Organization, Shillong will organize its 56th Freshers social function on Saturday at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Indian Culture, Auditorium, Bivar road.

Cleaning drive As part of the observance of Swachhta Pakhwara, the NSS Unit of the College in collaboration with NSS Cell, NEHU organised a special cleaning drive in Police Bazaar and its adjoining areas on Tuesday.

Felicitation Shillong Socio-Cultural Assamese Students Association will felicitate meritorious Assamese students in the SSLC and HSSLC examinations from MBOSE, CBSE, ICSE and other boards, and rank holders in the graduation level on September 9. Eligible students can contact 9615072576 before Sept 4.

Originally posted here:
News Capsule - The Shillong Times

It is 11 years since agronomist M.S. Swaminathan handed over his recommendations for improving the state of agriculture in India to the former United Progressive Alliance government, at the height of the Vidarbha farmer suicides crisis, but they are still to be implemented. To address the agrarian crisis and farmers unrest across the country, he urged the government to take steps to secure farmers income. As India marks 50 years of the Green Revolution this year, the architect of the movement says sustainability is the greatest challenge facing Indian agriculture. Excerpts:

The greatest challenge facing Indian agriculture 50 years back was achieving self-sufficiency in foodgrain production. What is the greatest challenge today?

There are two major challenges before Indian agriculture today: ecological and economical. The conservation of our basic agricultural assets such as land, water, and biodiversity is a major challenge. How to make agriculture sustainable is the challenge. Increasing productivity in perpetuity without ecological harm is the need of the hour. In Punjab, and in other Green Revolution States, the water table has gone down and become saline. Further, during the Green Revolution the population was about 400-500 million; now it is 1,300 million and it is predicted to be 1.5 billion by 2030. The growing population pressure has made it pertinent to increase crop yield.

Also, the economics of farming will have to be made profitable to address the current situation. We have to devise ways to lower the cost of production and reduce the risks involved in agriculture such as pests, pathogens, and weeds. Today, the expected return in agriculture is adverse to farmers. Thats why they are unable to repay loans. Addressing the ecological challenge requires more technology while the economics requires more public policy interventions. In my 2006 report, I had recommended a formula for calculating Minimum Support Price, C2+50% (50% more than the weighted average cost of production, classified as C2 by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices). This would raise the current MSP and has now become the clamour of farmers and the nightmare of policymakers.

The NDA government has said it wants to double farmers incomes by 2022. But they havent implemented the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission Report that you submitted to the UPA government in 2006.

Yes. All kinds of excuses have been given by governments for not implementing this recommendation like food price inflation. But the question is, do the farmers of this country, who constitute nearly half of the working population, also not need to eat? The government is willing to pay Seventh Pay Commission salaries to insulate government servants from inflation, but they cannot provide a higher income for farmers to improve their lot? If you really look at what is happening now, farm loan waivers are posing a bigger burden on the government exchequer compared to what higher pay for farm produce will incur. But the government is not prepared to give the Rs. 20,000 crore or so for farmers by way of higher MSP. In 2009, the UPA government gave Rs. 72,000 crore as farm loan waiver, but no government is prepared to take long-term steps to ensure the economic viability of farming.

There are three ways to improve the incomes of farmers. MSP and procurement is one. We also need to improve productivity. The marketable surplus from agriculture has to be enhanced. We should also look at making a value addition to biomass. For example, paddy straw is a biomass product that could be used to make edible mushrooms.

The incidence of farmers committing suicides has shown no signs of abating. What needs to be done to address the crisis?

We are not really analysing the causes of farmer suicides. Instead, we are simply attributing it to the inability to pay off debts. Some serious thought needs to be given to how we could reduce the cost of farm production, minimise risks and maximise returns. The solution for ending farmer suicides is not only paying compensation. Ive seen in Vidarbha so many men have committed suicide and their families are left in the lurch. One of the first projects we initiated in Vidarbha at that time was to rescue children and give them education. Farming is the most important enterprise in this country and farmers are an integral part of our country. In China, farms are owned by the government, and farmers are mere contractors. In our case, land is owned by the people. How do you treat this largest group of entrepreneurs? Unfortunately, all policies today are related to corporate powers. What about food security and 50 crore farmers? We need to think about them too.

The Green Revolution of 1967-68 may have resolved the food crisis in the short run, but the heavy use of pesticides and high-yielding varieties of paddy have resulted in environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity. How do we cope with these adverse effects?

After the Green Revolution, I came up with the concept of the Evergreen Revolution. In this we will see increase in farm productivity but without ecological harm. This will include integrated pest management, integrated nutrient supply, and scientific water management to avoid the kind of environmental damage witnessed during the Green Revolution. Ive addressed these issues in my 2016 paper on Evergreen Revolution. I recommended mandatory rainwater harvesting and introduction of fodder and grain legumes as rotation crops to be adopted by wheat farmers in States like Punjab to ensure sustainability of farming. We can also declare fertile zones capable of sustaining two to three crops as Special Agricultural Zones, and provide unique facilities to farmers here to ensure food security. Soil health managers should be appointed to monitor and ameliorate the soil conditions in degraded zones and rectify defects like salinity, alkalinity, water logging, etc.

The Prime Minister recently went to Israel. We have several practices to emulate from there. They have a clear sense of where water is needed and where its not. The idea of more crops per drop has been implemented well in Israel. We should adopt those practices here. You should see how a water controller works in an Israeli farm. Everything is remote-controlled. They know exactly which portion of the field requires how much water and release only the exact amount. We cannot sacrifice on productivity now, because land under crop cover is shrinking. Post-harvest technologies like threshing, storage, etc. will have to be given greater attention now.

Opinion is divided on the benefits of genetic modification technology to improve yields of food crops. Can GM technology help address food security challenges?

There are many methods of plant breeding, of which molecular breeding is one. Genetic modification has both advantages and disadvantages. One has to measure the risks and benefits before arriving at a conclusion. First, we need an efficient regulatory mechanism for GM in India. We need an all-India coordinated research project on GMOs with a bio-safety coordinator. We need to devise a way to get the technologys benefit without its associated risks. At MSSRF (M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation), we used GM technology with mangroves to create salt-tolerant varieties of rice. For this we took the genes from the mangroves and inserted them it into rice. To make the most of GM technology we must choose a problem where there is no other way to address the challenge.

Barring the U.S., most countries have reservations about adopting GM technology. Europe has banned it on grounds of health and environmental safety. Id say GM in most cases is not necessary. Normal Mendelian breeding itself is sufficient in most cases 99% of what is being done under GM initiatives is not justifiable. Parliament has already suggested a law based on the Norwegian model where there are considerable restrictions on GMOs.

What is the scope for organic farming when it comes to addressing food security?

Organic farming can have a good scope only under three conditions. One, farmers must possess animals for organic manure. Two, they must have the capacity to control pests and diseases. Three, they should adopt agronomical methods of sowing such as rotation of crops. Even genetic resistance to pests and diseases can help organic farmers.

If you look at the organic farms in Pillaiyarkuppam near Puducherry that were started by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, it is a good model to follow for organic farming. They have adopted the requisite crop-livestock integration.

Climate change has upset rainfall patterns and we have this cycle of droughts and floods, which has rendered farming risky. How do we address these challenges?

Both less rainfall and a higher mean temperature affect farming adversely. Currently we are witnessing drought, excess rainfall, sea-level rise There are both adaptation and mitigation measures to follow in this regard. Ive evolved a drought code and a flood code... some of the recommendations Ive made in recent times include setting up a multi-disciplinary monsoon management centre in each drought-affected district, to provide timely information to rural families on the methods of mitigating the effects of drought, and maximising the benefits of good growing conditions whenever the season is normal. Animal husbandry camps could be set up to make arrangements for saving cattle and other farm animals because usually animals tend to be neglected during such crises. Special provisions could also be made to enable women to manage household food security under conditions of agrarian distress.

In the case of temperature rise, wheat yield could become a gamble. We should start breeding varieties characterised by high per day productivity than just per crop productivity. These will be able to provide higher yields in a shorter duration.

Indias ranking on the Global Hunger Index has become worse over the years and we missed out on the Millennium Development Goal of halving hunger. What are the steps we should take to address the matter?

India has done well in production, but not in consumption. What we are witnessing today is grain mountains on the one side and hungry millions on the other. The Food Security Act must be implemented properly to address the situation. We should also enlarge the food basket to include nutri-millets.

The idea of more crops per drop has been implemented well in Israel. We should adopt those practices here.

Farm loan waivers are posing a bigger burden on the government exchequer compared to what higher pay for farm produce will incur. But the government is not prepared to give the Rs. 20,000 crore or so for farmers by way of higher MSP.

Read the rest here:
'Why can't the government provide a higher income for farmers?' - The Hindu

When India celebrates its rebirth, memory becomes tradition, project and canvas. India marked its 70th Independence Day on 15 August 2017 the day Gurdeep Singh Khurana celebrated his 70th birthday. Khurana ji, as he is addressed fondly by neighbours in New Delhis Batukeshwar Dutt Colony, where he has been living since 1947, was born in Mianwali, Pakistan.

For this Midnights child, events that led to his exit from the family home in Pakistan, weigh more than the clock, hour, minute, and moment of his birth. For him, 15 August is a spiritual milestone not merely a date, and 15 August 1947, a beginning. He celebrates it. He celebrates it with prayers at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and his home, with neighbours and family members at the special gathering. He says, this year, my neighbours are demanding a treat. They tell me that 70th is a milestone. It is a milestone for the country. I am about to go. A young man of immortal India.

A bit about the day before we know the man. What does being born on 15 August mean? Many things. From my experience of the (birth)day, it resembles a collage of headlines displayed at a newspaper office. It becomes your own. Events happening in the countrys seamless calendar, over years, get added to the mad collage of birthday. The collage smells of dust flying and dust settling, a bit of marigold, desi gulab, sometimes. A ball of history rolls towards you. You pause it, with a birthday cake or laddoos. Nothing big. Nothing worth a story.

Singhs tryst with destiny is a ball of history and narrative. It has a huge momentum. You can pause it (only) with tears. It took place after a political jigsaw was set on a storm, it goes back to a bunch of people, their decisions and moves, and their share of shares; millions sharing divided and divided sharing. The day, 15 August 1947, was erected before us Indians like a monument, in the life of a civilisation immortal India.

Read it again. This year, my neighbours are demanding a treat. They tell me that 70th is a milestone. It is a milestone for the country. I am about to go. You can pause it with tears.

August 15 the day Sri Aurobindo was born. The day India was reborn. My own consciousness of 15 August transformed with the birthday ritual of reading bits from the vast heritage of thoughts from Sri Aurobindo. On Indias 60th, the ritual led to a beginning of a churning. It led to an appetite for meeting people who share the birthday, and to know what they think or feel about it and about themselves. I was waiting to meet people like Singh.

Last year, on 15 August, while being wished birthday over phone, I got to know about him. Last week, after a conversation with Kishwar Desai, who will be in Amritsar on 17 August to mark the opening of the Partition Museum, her memory project, I couldnt wait to hear Singhs story. I approached him with a simple qualification of being born on 15 August. It helped break ice, some dhokla and samosas. Hamara din hai (it is our day), he declares.

I approach Singh with a lid on my own perception of the day. A good decision. Singhs perception is much bigger. I get no opportunity to tell him that this day suddenly sits upon my head, like a conical birthday cap made of kite paper. Or that, on some, national sentimentalism sits in the throat, like a boondi laddoo soaked in desi ghee, melting in an instant to emotion from Lata Mangeshkar or Mohammad Rafi or A R Rahman. I neither tell him that for some born on this day, 15 August brings a storm of wrath, circling along, with page loads of views and news; in crazy mutations of amber and brown of dry disagreements, disappointments and wrath, especially, if the government or party in power is not the one the birthday girl or boy have voted in. Or worse, have voted in to disappointment.

Singhs celebration of India, life and faith, continues. He offers his Saturday prayers at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj, where he also offers ghee brought in a steel box from home, to the flame. You must go to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. I used to take my daughters there for Raksha Bandhan. They dont have a brother, he tells me at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj.

What does being born on 15 August mean? How is it different from celebrating birthday on 15 August? The difference is of hours and meanings. Singhs birth and birthday are hours apart, they live in his conscience, through stories and storytelling from his parents and grandparents. He begins with the usual birthday pride alphabet. He says, Mera janmdin poora desh manata hai (the nation celebrates my birthday). Desh India, where his family moved, flowing with the red rupture of twin freedom.

Singh pulls out pages from his memory. He says, my mother shifted to my maternal grannys house in Mianwali, from my fathers house in Sarghoda, for my birth. My siblings and my father were in Sarghoda. His mothers account places the time of his birth moments after the ringing of a bell outside my maternal grandmothers home. Was it a warning bell? Was it a school bell? Perhaps, his mother, engrossed in giving birth, did not register the message in the bell-ringing. Perhaps, pain numbed that memory.

In the following hours their number now fading from his narrative his maternal uncle took charge of protecting the entire family from any attack expected and unexpected. In the following years, my mother told us that our neighbours had politely warned us regarding attacks resulting from the Partition. Now, my daughter tells me that my mother had often recalled, in her accounts of those painful days, how she had turned around to have the last glimpse of her mothers house, as they moved away, only to see the neighbours looting it.

His eyes widen. He adds, my family left the house only with a utensil used for boiling milk. It was their only material possession. Hours preceding the exit from home were emotionally wrenching. He adds, there was no news from my fathers family in Sarghoda. My mother was anxious regarding safety of her older children, especially daughters. Men in my mothers family were well-built. My uncle, Dharam Singh, was a very brave man. His kesh were not very long. He used this to his advantage, I was told. He would wrap a blanket around his body, revealing only a part of his face, his eyes and beard. He would barely look like a Sikh after this makeover. He would hide a kirpan under the blanket, and use it during those challenging hours. He would come back with milk for the family members." Milk.

For Singh, past seems to be a divided country sitting on the surviving cracks and fissures of anger, resentment and retaliation. He feels the fissures and cracks even today. Rebuilding, restarting and recreating have become the inherent tradition of his life its seeds sown by his grandfather and father.

Singh celebrating his birthday on 15 August isnt a matter of chance, but a conscious decision, which gives the day bigger meaning. My mothers family travelled from Mianwali and my fathers from Sarghoda. We found them after a lot of difficulty at a refugee camp in Bhatinda. When they reached Delhi, they were lucky to find some space in basements here.

Years later, when it was time for my admission at Khalsa school, my mother, for some odd reason, shared with the authorities her memory of the bell ringing outside our home in Mianwali; drew a blank, and told people at the admission desk that I was born on 19 August! Four long days! What could be the reason? Memory, or memories. Memory of pain physical and emotional. Perhaps. What did it? The memory of turning around to see her house being looted by their neighbours in Mianwali. Perhaps. I declared that I would celebrate my birthday on 15 August. I have been celebrating it on 15 August. It is mine. It is 19 August on papers. It is 15 August in my head and calculation of events.

Accounts of Singhs memory of the Partition are oral heritage. They were passed on by his mother, grandmother, father, maternal uncle and sisters. His journey from his place of birth, between two countries born a day apart, happened in the arms and embrace of the elders. He was cushioned by his mothers anxious breathing, perhaps, in the therapeutic wrap of his grandmothers smell, perhaps, against the thudding wall of his uncles anger-ridden and alert chest. He wasnt given such details. If given, he doesnt remember them.

He uses the notepad for scribbles that help him in daily life. His Partition memory canvas has been painted by different strokes and lines. There is nothing his own on its coarse surface. Not a line, not a dot. It is a memory canvas that has transformed into a solid and pretty memento decorated with coloured glass pieces. He holds borrowed memories in it, under the layers of more memories. Memories of 1984, when his shop, where he sold shoes, was set on flames by rioters. Neighbours saved us and our business. Shoes stored in the shop got damaged. Neighbours and friends told me that they would still like to buy them. Some friends helped in wiping the soot off those shoes, he adds.

What makes Singhs story and narrative unique? It is pure. As pure as a baby. History didnt register itself in this viewer. Birth brought with it real freedom, freedom from fear, freedom from compulsions of recording, recalling and responding. Unlike his family members accompanying him in this monumental march to uncertainty, he, bundled in cloth, was unaware of the weight of decisions, the swinging pendulum of expected outcomes, various illusions of safety, mirages of home and the grief of leaving behind belongings, that chased his elders. He was between sleep and wakefulness, growing up to a tradition of rebuilding life, again and again. When my family came to Delhi from Pakistan, my father bought a cow to meet his familys need for milk. He bought a couple more, then, he bought some buffaloes. Soon, it was a dairy. My grandfather stitched clothes on his sewing machine, at the Mehr Chand Mahajan market pavement. He was honest to the core. He would return the tiniest strips to the customers. I picked honesty from them.

Singhs family had left their home in Pakistan for the two-way displacement, to become one with the millions crawling and moving in opposite directions, to become dots in a painful magnitude, to part, meet and part and meet, finally. He was unaware of the killing, maiming, crippling, burning of trust, friendships, bonds, and years. In a way, he was fortunate. Birth and its timing helped him escape from the burden of memorising, memory miles, nostalgia rituals that make and bind archives. He is a specimen of hope and freedom, who cannot contribute to an archive; or lend a memento to a museum dedicated to Partition, but, he can lend a story. A story told over and over again about his birth.

Among people who left Mianwali that night or morning, or evening or afternoon, Singh would be the youngest, and the only person meant to see India building, shaping, sculpting, chipping, constructing, deconstructing, remembering, and recalling, on its 70th. He is celebrating. He adds, I cant celebrate without listening to Mera rang de basanti chola and Ae mere watan ke logon... He holds back tears. I wish him a good celebration of life and immortal India. His wish list is short. He concludes, I wish to sign off while visiting gurudwaras. I want to sign off from this Hari ka dwaar.

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The Birthday Is His, Still: How A Midnight's Child Celebrates 15 August - Swarajya

The North remembers is a catch phrase from the HBO show Game Of Thrones that is also true for the Jordan High football program. The only Moore League school in North Long Beach has an ingrained sense of pride, but after years of disappointment, the Panthers are looking for a bright future while respecting the past.

Jordan alums John Ross and John Timu have made that connection a lot easier. Both All-Moore League stars attended the University of Washington and are now on NFL rosters. Timu is playing linebacker for the Chicago Bears, and Ross was the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft after setting the NFL combine record with a 4.24 40-yard dash.

We talk about it a lot, head coach John Kane said of Ross and Timu. They lifted weights in that weight room. (Ross) ran 40s out here. He caught passes and played defense on this field. And now hes doing the same thing for the (Cincinnati) Bengals. The kids see anybody can do it if they set their mind to it and work hard. I mean, they watch him on TV. Whats better than that?

Jordan found success running the ball last year and will continue to develop its rushing attack in a variety of formations. Senior Maesean Misher will be the featured running back in a stable full of capable runners that Kane calls fast and shifty. Senior Isiah Clark is also returning after rushing for almost 1,000 yards last season.

The running backs will be working behind a rebuilt offensive line led by new senior center Joe Torres and left tackle Omar Escotto, who is 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds. The Jordan lineman won the beach press competition at Warren High last month after Torres put up 185 pounds a record 38 times. Top-ranked Mater Dei and other Division 1 teams competed.

Winning at Warren helped boost our confidence as a unit, Torres said. The weight room is going to help us finish blocks. We are going accomplish big things for our football program.

We line up in multiple offensive sets, and our kids like it, so we use that as one of our strengths, Kane said. The (offensive line) is new at it, but when you work hard from December to August, its not that hard if you have the strength and toughness.

In the defensive secondary, Clark and fellow senior Josh Wofford are the key returning starters. The 6-1, 190-pound Wofford will be moved back to safety after having to play out of position at linebacker last year.

Were trying to make sure were not asking guys to play both ways, Kane said. Its the tired, mental mistakes at the end of games thats cost us.

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Jordan was a win away from the CIF playoffs but gave up a 19-0 lead to Lakewood in the season finale. The Panthers lost three other games in the fourth quarter.

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Jordan High football using NFL alums as motivation - Long Beach Press Telegram

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa

Thousands of fans from all over the world came to West Des Moines Friday to watch some of the best female golfers.

Fans said the amount of support for these golfers was inspiring. They were proud that West Des Moines was hosting the tournament.

Among the sea of American fans wearing red, white and blue, it can be hard to spot the European fans wearing blue and yellow.

You feel a little bit outnumbered but at the same time youve just got to make your voice heard and like I said, people are very friendly and when they hear you shouting for Europe then its a case of where are you from, who are you following? said Julie Ballantyne, of Scotland.

Friday afternoon, there was a huge following for American golfer Michelle Wie.

I mean, shes been killing it since she was 16 years old on the tour, so tons of respect for her, Des Moines resident Will McDonald said. I mean, its unbelievable to watch what she does and what she does for the game of womens golf.

I love coming out and watching the women playing as well because it tends to be dominated by the guys quite a lot, especially in the UK, theres not so much womens golf on TV, Ballantyne said. And something like this, an event thats effectively the equivalent of the Ryder Cup, its really, really encouraging to see so many people out supporting the women as well, which is great.

It proved encouraging for some of the golfers biggest supporters.

I golf a couple times a week, follow all the LPGA players on Twitter and social media and Facebook and all that, so its kind of neat to see them in person, said Krissy Halbur of Cedar Falls.

The support is inspiring for future players of the game.

It means a lot, said Esther Henseleit, a junior golfer from Germany. Its my dream to somebody also play in the Solheim cup for Europe, and so its really inspiring to see them play and to see them compete.

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Solheim Cup serves as motivation for aspiring young golfers - KCCI Des Moines

RAPID CITY, S.D. -

It was a tale of two halves for the Hardrocker football team last season. After winning five of their first six games, the Hardrockers lost their final fives games of the season to finish below .500.

But this year, head coach Zach Tinker is convinced his team will be more competitive in the RMACConference.

South Dakota Mines kicked off practice for the 2017 season onMonday, Aug.7. The Hardrockers are coming off a year in which they finished 4-6in the conference and 5-6overall.

Last year, the Rockers were hit hard by injuries which contributed to their losing streak at the end of the season. Coach Tinker feels his teamis motivated by last year's poor finish.

"What we didn't do great last season was we weren't able to recover and get that next one when we did lose one," Tinker said. "So that's what it's all about. You got to finish. Get in to those 11 games. Our goal is to get in to 11 games. Be tight in 11 games and see if we can finish those games because we know we're doing the things that good teams do to finish games."

South Dakota Mines has a few holes to fill on bothsides of the ball. But overall, the Hardrockers return a core group of players including quarterback Jake Sullivan.

The junior passed for nearly 1,900yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for eight scores before missing the last two games of the season with an ACLinjury.

"I'm just blessed to be out here with my team," Jake Sullivan said. "My second family actually. At first it was frustrating. Any injury really is. But when you have the support system like I have with my family and coaches and my teammates, it goes by pretty smoothly. These last couple days of fall camp, it feels like nothing even happened and I'm blessed to be out here."

"We've got a lot of guys back who have started games," Tinker said. "How you call them starters, I'm not sure. I really don't know how you call that. I mean we feel like we have four returning starters on the offensive line. We've got Jake back. So we feel like we probably have about seven returners on offense probably. And probably eight returners on defense when it comes to starters so."

South Dakota Mines opens the season on August 31at William Jewell College in Missouri. The Hardrockers home opener is Saturday, Sept.9against Dixie State.

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Hardrockers have same lofty goals, extra motivation - Newscenter1.tv

IN the cottage where I grew up, Dad had a little study where he would do all his writing. I didnt understand why hed pasted hundreds of letters to the walls, which turned out to be rejection letters from publishers.

Instead of being discouraged every time he received one, he stuck it to the wall and used it to motivate himself on to better things. Thats why he persisted after having 13 separate novels rejected by countless publishers before his first one eventually made it to print. Im so impressed by people who possess this unshaken self-belief in the face of countless disappointments, where others would simply give up and walk away.

I recently watched a TV programme about sprinter Usain Bolt, and what surprised me most was that he claimed to lack motivation to train, especially, after hed won his first Olympic gold medal. Once hed become the best in the world, where else could he go? The trigger that shook him out of his apathy was when he discovered that people thought he was not the best anymore, and that his nearest rival declared he would beat Usain at the following Olympics. As soon as he heard that, he was back training harder than ever, and as he retires this month, he remains champion in the Olympic 100m, 200m and 100m relay. Like my Dad, people telling him he couldnt achieve something just spurred him on, and that takes a particular kind of mental strength that many of us simply dont possess.

In his column from 13th August 1977, Dad talks about cleaning his study and having to remove pictures from the walls, which prompted him to think about the superstitions associated with them.

Apparently, if a picture falls from a wall, it foretells the death of one of the inhabitants of the house. The belief varied from place to place, with some saying it was only valid if the glass broke, whereas for others, just the picture falling was enough to prophesy a loved ones demise. There are other variations too, such as if the picture is a portrait, then that person will die, with others saying it doesnt matter what is in the picture for it to spell doom. A similar bad omen is associated with mirrors - if one falls unexpectedly from the wall, then a death is imminent.

This made me wonder what other signs we should be mindful of if we are to avoid an untimely death.

Black cats have long been associated with both good and bad luck, and if you hear one meowing at midnight, it means a death is coming (although at midnight, it might be hard to see what colour the cat is!). Be afraid if a black cat sits on a sick persons bed, and if one crosses the path of a funeral procession, as that foretells another death is not far away. A similar fear is held about white rabbits crossing your path.

Birds of varying kinds are portents of doom. Seeing a single crow or magpie is bad luck, although seeing two is good. Seeing six, though, spells death. If you open your door to a magpie staring at you, then go increase your life insurance policy at once, and if a bird flies into your house, cancel any plans youve made for the future. I could go on, but I fear you might never again open your front door if I do!

We moved from that cottage to a new house in 1981. We brought our pet cat, Marmalade, with us and at first she hated it! She fearfully slithered between rooms on her belly until finally she settled under the desk in Dads new study. The reason? Shed found the only piece of carpet that had come from the old house.

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Countryman's Daughter: From motivation to superstition - Darlington and Stockton Times

BARCELONA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said on Friday his players will dig deep in the face of adversity as they begin the new season shackled by a transfer ban and with key players missing.

Atletico will be without striker Kevin Gameiro and left back Filipe Luis for the opening game at newly promoted Girona. Thomas Partey and Diego Godin are suspended, deepening the deficiencies of a squad banned from registering new players.

The ban, imposed by FIFA for the illegal transfer of minors and upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in June, means Atletico cannot count on the services of their one new signing, Vitolo, who is spending the first five months on loan at Las Palmas before joining up with Simeone's side in January.

The squad has been further weakened by midfielder Tiago retiring and Theo Hernandez leaving for Real Madrid, while the club has parted ways with Matias Kranevitter and Rafael Sante Borre.

Crucially, however, Antoine Griezmann, Saul Niguez and Koke have all been persuaded to stay, signing new long-term contracts, while Fernando Torres agreed a one year extension.

"The club has made a huge effort to keep its most important players and it's clear that the players who have stayed have a huge sense of belonging here and that reflects well on the club," Simeone told a news conference on Friday.

"Now we have to reflect that on the pitch. Some would see not being able to sign players as a weakness but we've taken it as a positive because we all know each other, we know how we want to play, and that boosts the essence and ideas of the team."

Forward Luciano Vietto is reported to be on his way out to Italian side Sampdoria but has been named in the squad for the trip to Girona.

The Catalan side are gearing up for a first season in the top flight in their 87-year history and have signed experienced Liga players such as goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz from Athletic Bilbao and former Espanyol forward Christian Stuani from Middlesbrough in their bid for survival.

Girona have also brought in four players on loan from Manchester City, whose parent company, City Football Group, is reported to be close to purchasing a majority stake in the club.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Excerpt from:
Simeone says Atletico can use transfer ban as motivation - Eurosport.com