Week #11 for Roger's Creative Photography Contest...click on the banner above if you want to learn more and enter or just feel like sliding around the Bloggosphere and checking out some really fantastic photos...
ALL PHOTOS CAN BE ENLARGED...
All I did to this is neutralize the colors some. Not grayscale it though. There is still a color curve in this. The original (below) had a reddish tint to it. This was due to the stormy skies (which are out of frame) and it being late in the afternoon. It was 1983 in Colorado. This is McClure Pass.
My bud Rich was living out there and I went to visit and we spent 10 days skiing Aspen Highlands, Aspen, Keystone and the mother of all mountains, Arapaho Basin.
Hope you like it.
Do you like AC/DC? I personally have always been a huge fan.
Well, here is some cool news...
Columbia Records will release No Bull: The Directors Cut, a newly edited, comprehensive DVD of the band's famed July 1996 Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas concert in Madrid , Spain, on September 9, 2008
No Bull: The Directors Cut also available on Blu-ray, features over 2 hours of classic AC/DC in concert with bonus features including "Angus-cam" songs and 2 rare performances from the Ballbreaker tour.
No Bull: The Directors Cut will be available for purchase exclusively at walmart.com and at acdc.com.
You can see the Trailer for No Bull: The Directors Cut in windows media HERE; and in quicktime HERE.
Want to preorder No Bull: The Directors Cut? You can do that HERE.
I will be getting a copy to review soon and might also be getting a second copy to use as a give-away. Stay tuned for more details.
What else would we play today?
ENJOY...
ALL PHOTOS CAN BE ENLARGED...
All I did to this is neutralize the colors some. Not grayscale it though. There is still a color curve in this. The original (below) had a reddish tint to it. This was due to the stormy skies (which are out of frame) and it being late in the afternoon. It was 1983 in Colorado. This is McClure Pass.My bud Rich was living out there and I went to visit and we spent 10 days skiing Aspen Highlands, Aspen, Keystone and the mother of all mountains, Arapaho Basin.
Hope you like it.
Well, here is some cool news...
Columbia Records will release No Bull: The Directors Cut, a newly edited, comprehensive DVD of the band's famed July 1996 Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas concert in Madrid , Spain, on September 9, 2008
No Bull: The Directors Cut also available on Blu-ray, features over 2 hours of classic AC/DC in concert with bonus features including "Angus-cam" songs and 2 rare performances from the Ballbreaker tour.
No Bull: The Directors Cut will be available for purchase exclusively at walmart.com and at acdc.com.
You can see the Trailer for No Bull: The Directors Cut in windows media HERE; and in quicktime HERE.
Want to preorder No Bull: The Directors Cut? You can do that HERE.
Track Listing:
1. Back In Black
2. Shot Down In Flames
3. Thunderstruck
4. Girl’s Got Rhythm
5. Hard As A Rock
6. Shoot To Thrill
7. Boogie Man
8. Hail Caesar
9. Hells Bells
10. Dog Eat Dog
11. The Jack
12. Ballbreaker
13. Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution
14. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. T.N.T.
18. Let There Be Rock
19. Highway To Hell
20. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
1. Back In Black
2. Shot Down In Flames
3. Thunderstruck
4. Girl’s Got Rhythm
5. Hard As A Rock
6. Shoot To Thrill
7. Boogie Man
8. Hail Caesar
9. Hells Bells
10. Dog Eat Dog
11. The Jack
12. Ballbreaker
13. Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution
14. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. T.N.T.
18. Let There Be Rock
19. Highway To Hell
20. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
I will be getting a copy to review soon and might also be getting a second copy to use as a give-away. Stay tuned for more details.
Have you heard the story of 9-year old 10-year old (today is his birthday) Jericho Scott from New Haven, CT. Well, Jericho plays in a small league comprised of 8 teams and about 100 youth called the Youth Baseball League of New Haven.
Jericho is ahead of most of his league-mates in regard to baseball skills. It is estimated he can throw a baseball 40 mph. On the small field that is wicked-fast (five years in Massachusetts showing there!).
Now let's keep in mind that Jericho was invited to play on another team - the defending league champions - at the beginning of the season and decided to stick with his friends. That team is sponsored by the employer of one of the league administrators. Rut-ro...messing wit da man....
Jericho's team is 8-0 as of about a week and a half ago. Jericho is mowing them down. Jericho is faster than any other pitcher in the league.
Here it comes kiddies....the league has now ruled that Jericho can no longer pitch!
League officials say they first told Jericho's coach Wilfred Vidro that the boy could not pitch after a game on Aug. 13. On August 16th Jericho played second base for his team. Last Wednesday Jericho took the mound for his team, ready to pitch and then BAM!, the other team walked off and a forfeit was called.
There was screaming and Jericho's mom even called the police to stop the injustice from happening.
Now the league says they will disband Jericho's team and move the kids to other teams. Parents and team members from Jericho's team have said they will not allow that to happen. The league also stated that Coach Vidro has quit the league. Coach Vidro responds by saying that he has not quit. This past Saturday the parents, players and Coach held a protest at the league's field to push for Jericho to play and pitch.
Get this kiddies... do you think Jericho would be pitching if he accepted the position on the team sponsored by the administrators employer???
League attorney Peter Noble says the only factor in banning Jericho from the mound is his pitches are just too fast.
"He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," Noble said. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."
Wait...back that up please..."This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."
Get that? Where kids are supposed to learn. Evidently, playing against someone with skills more developed then yours at your age is not good for your development. Oh and let us not forget these kids are 9-years old, developmental leagues in my experience are for 5, 6 and maybe 7-year olds.
What do you think? Is this a group of parents who tell their kids every night "You are perfect...you are great...that teacher should have given you an A+ not a B-...you got an A+ as far as we are concerned...."
This comes back to a rant we posted HERE. This 'entitlement stuff...and 'no child left behind' rubbish. Schools ending competitive sports ...towns where kids play but no one keeps score (except the kids..they always know what the score is)...just so little Camden or Ashley do not have their feelings hurt because Bobby and Sally happen to be better than they are at something...
HAVE I SAID RUBBISH?!?!!?!?!?
So Jericho has been told..."Sorry son, you can not do something you love, you are too good at it." WTF?!?!?!?!?!
When Matt was playing Little League there was a boy one year younger than he was. Kevin was 6'1" when he was 12. Pitching off a mound 45' from the batter...When he released the ball he was probably 40' away and he could bring the heat. No one ever backed down. Hell, when someone got a hit off of him it was HUGE for them.
It builds character to get knocked down in life. We have all experienced it. Oh and since I just said 'knocked down', Jericho has not hit one batter all season! This is not a safety issue...this is about the parents on the other teams (and I bet one team in particular), complaining that their kids are getting beat.
Oh --- so sorry, we forgot, in your world everyone wins and no one is ever allowed to lose. Hope your kids boss understands that when Camden goes psycho on him if he does not give Camden a big raise for sitting on his arse and not doing anything...
This is wrong kiddies...just so so wrong.
Let the kid finish the season with his team and then next year, if his skills continue to develop, move him up an age group...let him play as a 10-year old with the 11's and 12's.
But stop trying to coddle your kids and protect them from the real world, because when they finally make it to the real world, they will be swallowed whole and never be heard from again....
Oh and how does Jericho feel? "I feel sad," he said. "I feel like it's all my fault nobody could play."
INCREDIBLE!
Jericho is ahead of most of his league-mates in regard to baseball skills. It is estimated he can throw a baseball 40 mph. On the small field that is wicked-fast (five years in Massachusetts showing there!).Now let's keep in mind that Jericho was invited to play on another team - the defending league champions - at the beginning of the season and decided to stick with his friends. That team is sponsored by the employer of one of the league administrators. Rut-ro...messing wit da man....
Jericho's team is 8-0 as of about a week and a half ago. Jericho is mowing them down. Jericho is faster than any other pitcher in the league.
Here it comes kiddies....the league has now ruled that Jericho can no longer pitch!
League officials say they first told Jericho's coach Wilfred Vidro that the boy could not pitch after a game on Aug. 13. On August 16th Jericho played second base for his team. Last Wednesday Jericho took the mound for his team, ready to pitch and then BAM!, the other team walked off and a forfeit was called.
There was screaming and Jericho's mom even called the police to stop the injustice from happening.
Now the league says they will disband Jericho's team and move the kids to other teams. Parents and team members from Jericho's team have said they will not allow that to happen. The league also stated that Coach Vidro has quit the league. Coach Vidro responds by saying that he has not quit. This past Saturday the parents, players and Coach held a protest at the league's field to push for Jericho to play and pitch.
Get this kiddies... do you think Jericho would be pitching if he accepted the position on the team sponsored by the administrators employer???
League attorney Peter Noble says the only factor in banning Jericho from the mound is his pitches are just too fast.
"He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," Noble said. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."
Wait...back that up please..."This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."
Get that? Where kids are supposed to learn. Evidently, playing against someone with skills more developed then yours at your age is not good for your development. Oh and let us not forget these kids are 9-years old, developmental leagues in my experience are for 5, 6 and maybe 7-year olds.
What do you think? Is this a group of parents who tell their kids every night "You are perfect...you are great...that teacher should have given you an A+ not a B-...you got an A+ as far as we are concerned...."
This comes back to a rant we posted HERE. This 'entitlement stuff...and 'no child left behind' rubbish. Schools ending competitive sports ...towns where kids play but no one keeps score (except the kids..they always know what the score is)...just so little Camden or Ashley do not have their feelings hurt because Bobby and Sally happen to be better than they are at something...
HAVE I SAID RUBBISH?!?!!?!?!?
So Jericho has been told..."Sorry son, you can not do something you love, you are too good at it." WTF?!?!?!?!?!
When Matt was playing Little League there was a boy one year younger than he was. Kevin was 6'1" when he was 12. Pitching off a mound 45' from the batter...When he released the ball he was probably 40' away and he could bring the heat. No one ever backed down. Hell, when someone got a hit off of him it was HUGE for them.
It builds character to get knocked down in life. We have all experienced it. Oh and since I just said 'knocked down', Jericho has not hit one batter all season! This is not a safety issue...this is about the parents on the other teams (and I bet one team in particular), complaining that their kids are getting beat.
Oh --- so sorry, we forgot, in your world everyone wins and no one is ever allowed to lose. Hope your kids boss understands that when Camden goes psycho on him if he does not give Camden a big raise for sitting on his arse and not doing anything...
This is wrong kiddies...just so so wrong.
Let the kid finish the season with his team and then next year, if his skills continue to develop, move him up an age group...let him play as a 10-year old with the 11's and 12's.
But stop trying to coddle your kids and protect them from the real world, because when they finally make it to the real world, they will be swallowed whole and never be heard from again....
Oh and how does Jericho feel? "I feel sad," he said. "I feel like it's all my fault nobody could play."
INCREDIBLE!
ENJOY...
I heard the story, and simply shook my head. "Hitting against that boy is hard...It's just too hard."
Yo ninny parents, shut the hell up and let your kids develop some balls.
Cheers Vin!!
Damn you Vinny! I was planning a post on Jericho Scott today! Now I'll look like a copycat and we can't have that *wink*
Looking forward to the AC/DC review. One of my "classic" favorites!
MATT-MAN: Ninny parents is being too kind... A**HATS is more like it
COMFORTABLE: Ah heck, you can write it also...ummm who are you?
I could see having a rule where the same kid can't be your starting pitcher every single game would be fair. Maybe like every other game. I mean we don't want little league baseball to like fast pitch softball where each team only has one pitcher to dominates every night out. And you would want to be able to develop other pitchers.
But, disbanding the team and all this other crap is ridiculous. And the parents of the players on the team that walked off the field should be ashamed of themselves for letting their kids do that. I would never let my kid walk off and refuse to play against someone just because he's too good.
Interesting photo ~ doesn't look like an inviting place, though. I'm not brave enough to ski. I guess you have to start when you are young.
As for the baseball story, we've heard about it. It's in our paper, actually the one for which I write.
I agree that parents need to stop coddling their kids. And games should always have scores. Kids need to learn how to lose and be gracious about it, right?
Not only do I LOVE AC/DC I have flashed the girls and made the jumbotron at one of their concerts. Good times =)
I read about Jericho, but did not see the quote from him about feeling sad. These parents need to beaten about the head and neck with a big old HARDBACK version of Atlas Shrugged.
Granted Ayn's philosophy of the "virtue of selfishness" would never work as humans lack the moral compass to not turn that into a big ole mess.
Yet there are some inherent lessons in that novel about the sucking dry of talented people forced to produce and/or downplay their talents for the ego needs and entitlement complexes of those less shall we say, "Gifted."
Now that I have begun philospophy 101 for ya I'll hope off my soapbox and get me more coffee. Cause I am just not riled up enough yet :P
Hi Vinny,
Wow, you posted a really great photo! I have never skied...I was always afraid. I didn't get the name "Graceful" for nothing! Ha! I am still very clumsy.
As for the little league baseball story, it is a darn shame. I saw the boy and his parents on the "Morning Show" today and he is just a cute kid wanting to play. He said he was given a gift and he can't help that. He doesn't want to play with the older kids because all the ones in the league are his friends. I say just "play ball" and for God's sake, the parents should freakin' get over it. Geesh!
Hugs,
Kimmie
JAY: Correct, he can not pitch every day..This just infuriates me so
PATTI: Actually a beautiful place...Thanks for chiming in
STARRLIGHT: Any pictures of you flashing the girls? Perfect example of this situation...not get the coffee and get riled up!
KIMMIE: Thanks on the photo and thanks on weighing in. I also caught him on TV this morning...He is just a KID..it was made clear today...
Hey I like what you did with the color cut back, just enough left, interesting shot.
Great photo, Vinny! Nice job! Good Luck in the contest! The baseball story is unbelievable! Grown-ups get so stupid about their kids playing sports! :)
BOBJ: Thanks --- appreciate it
TEACH: Mary, thanks...Isn't it true about parents
It is a sad day when a young man is not allowed to be all he can be, what the hell is going on here....
Who wants to bet that the Yankees rotation in 2018 includes rookie Jericho Scott, Danny Almonte, veteran Jeffrey Meier and CC Sabathia in the final year of his ten year contract that he'll be signing this off season?
when you enlarge your photo the detail of the pass really wows you! wouldn't want to be lost out there!!
I coached little league football and I was a trend setter (if I do say so myself). First of all my son didn't play on my team, he played for someone else. Anyone disrupting practice or a game was invited to go sit in their car. I got into more than a few "discussions" with asshat parents wanting to live the Glory Days through their kids.
The only valid point about this kid not pitching to his friends is that he's so fast he could really hurt someone and LL insurance is a bitch! BUT - they should let him finish the season and then move him up an age bracket as you said.
And all those parents should be ashamed of the horrid example they are setting for their children.
Great write-up on the b-ball conflict. When legislation and adults' RULES start getting involved in our kids' sports, SOMETHING is desperately wrong!!!!
Oh, well. I just wanted to thank you for dropping by and commenting on my entry this week. :) Yours is great; like Kimmie, I've never been skiing - and it's more because no one who KNOWS me wants to spend eight weeks taking care of me if I were to attempt it. I'd definitely break SOMETHING.... ;D
Have a wonderful week!
The mount makes for a really nice picture. The starkness makes this shot appear as a pen and ink drawing. Like lots of little black pixels on a snowy background...
It always seemed to me as if many youth sports are rigged to a degree. Like the proverbial 'smoke-filled rooms' where the standings for the season are predetermined before it begins. There isn't always a level playing field...the kids learn that finesse isn't always practiced on the field...
Bond, the last Patti comment was actually from me. You'd think after nineteen months of blogging bliss, I'd check the profile first!
I believe that kids should have fun when they play sports. And I believe all the kids should get to play. But all the kids aren't going to be good at it and we need to let them fail so they can discover the things they enjoy and are good at.
Kids should participate so they learn their limits. It isn't a bad thing to have limits and know what they are...that's how we find our way in the world. And it's how we develop the drive and determination to be better at the things we do.
Unfortunately, we really can't all be anything we want to be. We can try though, because that's how we find the thing that we really do want to be.
I read about that young boy on SI.com, and I shook my head in amazement. I can't believe that this "entitlement" topic has reared its ugly head again, and on the heels of the Olympics no less. The kid can play. Great. He can REALLY play. Wonderful. So, LET HIM PLAY WITH HIS PEERS. Maybe they'll learn something. Like how to raise the level of their own games.
Sheesh.
Lets go skiing Vin, awesome shot and great tunes to enjoy it by. I am going to have to get that thanks for the links!
Oh and that comment about the self portrait day of judging tch.. tch.. tch.. lol!
SARGE: Exactly!
DOC: Funny guy
DIANNE: Thanks on the photo...Jericho has not hit one batter. he is pretty accurate. When I coached, in my dugout, a coach could not talk to his son directly during a game...me included.
LORI: Thanks for coming by and contributing on The Couch...
RALPH & PATTI: LOL Thanks on the photo and for chiming in...this is an important topic
TRAVIS: Excellent...thanks for the opinion...
SONGBIRD: Entitlement will continue to raise it's head as long as we allow it
ROGER: Have not been in a while, but sure!
LOL ...sorry...it was just there for the taking!
Your pictures are very special, good luck for the contest !
Can't say anything to the rest of your post. Never heard of !
In the fourth,fifth and sixth grade I faced a pitcher that was bigger and faster than anyone else in the league. He seemed to strike out everybody, including me. I don't remember anyone "pitching a fit" over his ability. He was big, intimidating and fast! Finally one night I swung at a pitch that was up out of the strike zone and hit a grand slam home run! You will never improve your skills if you settle for mediocrity. Let him play and get over it.
Nice entry and i like that creativity of yours.
The photos are great! The New Haven kid was robbed. Although, he sure got his 15 minutes of fame...
GATTINA: Thank you...
DRILLERAA: Perfect example about why this is so wrong...thanks for sharing
GENNY: Thank you
BUD: Thanks...he was robbed and I think he would have preferred not getting the fame but being able to play
Can we just let the kid play? People please!
The road to mediocrity is continually being paved by idiots! I caught this story yesterday and nearly did a post about it too.
What kind of message are they sending to this kid? "Make sure you don't excel in life because you'll just be made an example out of." B.S. I say.
Excellent photo Bond honey.
As for the kid, he's proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's more mature than the so-called adults running the league. I honestly think that this is all due to the fact that the sponsor's league when he was a kid constantly lost and now the big bad boss is trying to make up for it by fielding a winning little league team.
Makes me ill to think that adults are taking all the fun out of being a kid.
Wow, that's insane about Jericho - are they standing behind that decision; have you heard any more??