NEW : GONZALEZ DEAL UNLIKELY … FOR NOW

Hi all ,

As you know I type the newest news here in the blog . So I wanted to share this with you :

According to multiple major-league sources, there’s very little likelihood of a deal between the Red Sox and Padres involving Adrian Gonzalez in the near future. As has been the case since last summer, the Sox continue to check in with the Padres on Gonzalez and to monitor his availability, but the team has not made a concerted push for the slugging first baseman in the aftermath of signing pitcher John Lackey and outfielder Mike Cameron. Indeed, one source suggested that there was absolutely nothing to the idea that a deal might soon be hatched.

That said, the Sox are in a position of greater strength than they were before the signings to explore a deal. Sox GM Theo Epstein noted in the press conference to introduce Lackey that his club is in better position to explore deals now that it has added two pieces to its 2010 puzzle.

“We like the position we’re in right now. We have some depth, some options, and some flexibility going forward,” said Epstein. “This puts us in a position to have some flexibility if we need to make a move down the road to have some offense.”

Lackey could, for instance, allow the Sox to consider moving a pitcher like Clay Buchholz as the centerpiece of a package. The signing of Cameron to a two-year deal gives the Sox four outfielders — Cameron, Jacoby Ellsbury,J.D. Drew and Jeremy Hermida (the latter of whom the Sox believe will receive his fair share of playing time, in contrast to the possibility that Hermida would be limited to spot bench duty had the Sox signed Jason Bay or Matt Holliday) — who are under team control for the next two years. With Cameron’s arrival, the Sox would find it easier to deal some of the young, athletic outfielders in their system, such as Josh Reddick, Ryan Kalish and Ryan Westmoreland, whom the Padres would be almost certain to seek, along with complementary players to add to a potential package. (It is worth noting that some in the Sox organization consider Westmoreland nearly untouchable.)

Even so, there is no sense that there is a fit right now between the clubs. The Padres, understandably, would seek a Brinks truck return for Gonzalez, whose skill set (40-homer power, Gold Glove caliber defense) and salary ($4.75 million in 2010, $5.5 million in 2011) make him as desirable a trade target as there is in the game. San Diego has shown little inclination to compromise on its asking price.

That may change during the season. If the Padres conclude they will not contend either in 2010 or 2011, then they would likely make Gonzalez available before this year’s trade deadline. At that time, the Padres would have a greater incentive to deal the first baseman, since they would face the prospect of dealing him before this year’s deadline or trying to move him next offseason, when the potential return would be diminished by the prospect of getting just one year of Gonzalez’ services, rather than two. And if the Padres do make Gonzalez available, the Sox would undoubtedly be one of the most aggressive teams to pursue his services.

The Sox have a strong track record in adding major position players mid-year, as evidenced by the acquisition ofJason Bay in 2008 and Victor Martinez in 2009. No doubt, they would love to continue that trend with Gonzalez.

But for now, it would seem, such a trade scenario remains far more likely to unfold during the season than it is this offseason. Padres GM Jed Hoyer and manager Bud Black are both on record as saying they expect Gonzalez to remain in San Diego at the start of next year, and there has been little evidence that there has been a status change amidst the swirl of events at Fenway Park in recent days.

source : http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2009/12/16/gonzalez-deal-unlikely-for-now/

NEW : Quantum mechanical version of Borromean Rings finally proved

First let us take a look at the "Borromean Rings" from wikipedia :

In mathematics, the Borromean rings consist of three topological circles which are linked and form a Brunnian link, i.e., removing any ring results in two unlinked rings.

Although the typical picture of the Borromean rings (left picture) may lead one to think the link can be formed from geometrically round circles, they cannot be. (Freedman & Skora 1987) proves why a certain class of links including the Borromean links cannot be exactly circular. Alternatively, this can be seen from considering the link diagram: if one assumes that circles 1 and 2 touch at their two crossing points, then they either lie in a plane or a sphere. In either case, the third circle must pass through this plane or sphere four times, without lying in it, which is impossible; see (Lindström & Zetterström 1991).Mathematical properties

It is, however, true that one can use ellipses (center picture). These may be taken to be of arbitrarily small eccentricity, i.e. no matter how close to being circular their shape may be, as long as they are not perfectly circular, they can form Borromean links if suitably positioned: for example, Borromean rings made from thin circles of elastic metal wire will bend.

Standard diagram of the Borromean rings

A realization of the Borromean rings as ellipses

Coat of arms showing padlocks locked in Borromean rings configuration

Linking

There are a number of ways of seeing that the Borromean rings cannot be unlinked.

Simplest is that the fundamental group of the complement of two unlinked circles is the free group on two generators, a and b, by the Seifert–van Kampen theorem, and then the third loop has the class of the commutator, [a, b] = aba⁻¹b⁻¹, as one can see from the link diagram: over one, over the next, back under the first, back under the second. This is non-trivial in the fundamental group, and thus the Borromean rings are linked.

Another way is that the cohomology of the complement supports a non-trivial Massey product, which is not the case for the unlink. This is a simple example of the Massey product and further, the algebra corresponds to the geometry: a 3-fold Massey product is a 3-fold product which is only defined if all the 2-fold products vanish, which corresponds to the Borromean rings being pairwise unlinked (2-fold products vanish), but linked overall (3-fold product does not vanish).

Hyperbolic

The Borromean rings are a hyperbolic link: the complement of the Borromean rings in the 3-sphere admits a complete hyperbolic metric of finite volume. The canonical (Epstein-Penner) polyhedral decomposition of the complement consists of two ideal octahedra.

Connection to braid

The standard 3-strand braid corresponds to the Borromean rings.

If one cuts the Borromean rings, one obtains one iteration of the standard braid; conversely, if one ties together the ends of (one iteration of) a standard braid, one obtains the Borromean rings. Just as removing one Borromean ring unlinks the remaining two, removing one strand of the standard braid unbraids the other two: they are the basic Brunnian link and Brunnian braid, respectively.

In the standard link diagram, the Borromean rings are ordered non-transitively, in a rock-paper-scissors order. Using the colors above, these are red over yellow, yellow over blue, blue over red – and thus after removing any one ring, for the remaining two, one is above the other and they can be unlinked. Similarly, in the standard braid, each strand is above one of the others and below the other.

History of origin and depictions

Valknut on Stora Hammar stone

The Borromean rings as a symbol of the Christian Trinity, from a 13th-century manuscript.

A monkey's fist knot.

The Discordian "mandala", containing five Borromean rings configurations.

The name "Borromean rings" comes from their use in the coat of arms of the aristocratic Borromeo family in Italy. The link itself is much older and has appeared in Gandharva (Afghan) Buddhist art from around the second century C.E., and in the form of the valknut on Norse image stones dating back to the 7th century.

The Borromean rings have been used in different contexts to indicate strength in unity, e.g. in religion or art. In particular, some have used the design to symbolize the Trinity. The psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan famously found inspiration in the Borromean rings as a model for his topology of human subjectivity, with each ring representing a fundamental Lacanian component of reality (the "real", the "imaginary", and the "symbolic").

The Borromean rings are also the logo of Ballantine beer.^[1]

Partial Borromean rings

In medieval and renaissance Europe, a number of visual signs are found which consist of three elements which are interlaced together in the same way that the Borromean rings are shown interlaced (in their conventional two-dimensional depiction), but the individual elements are not closed loops. Examples of such symbols are the Snoldelev stone horns and the Diana of Poitiers crescents. An example with three distinct elements is the logo ofSport Club Internacional.

Similarly, a monkey's fist knot is essentially a 3-dimensional representation of the Borromean rings, albeit with three layers, in most cases.

Balancing knives

Using the pattern in the incomplete Borromean rings, one can balance three knives on three supports, such as three bottles or glasses, providing a support in the middle for a fourth bottle or glass.^[2]

Multiple Borromean rings

Some knot-theoretic links contain multiple Borromean rings configurations; one five-loop link of this type is used as a symbol inDiscordianism, based on a depiction in the Principia Discordia.

Molecular Borromean rings

Crystal structure of molecular Borromean rings reported by Stoddart et al. Science 2004, 304, 1308–1312.

Molecular Borromean rings are the molecular counterparts of Borromean rings, which are mechanically-interlocked molecular architectures.

In 1997, biologists Chengde Mao and coworkers of New York University succeeded in constructing molecular Borromean rings from DNA(Nature, volume 386, page 137, March 1997).

In 2003, chemist Fraser Stoddart and coworkers at UCLA utilised coordination chemistry to construct molecular Borromean rings in one step from 18 components. This work was published in Science 2004, 304, 1308–1312. Abstract

Quantum-mechanical rings

A team of physicists led by Randy Hulet of Rice University in Houston achieved a quantum-mechanical version of Borromean rings predicted by physicist Vitaly Efimov and published their findings in the online journal Science Express.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borromean_rings

Now let us check the news : 

Houston, Dec 16 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Physicist Vitaly Efimov’s theory has finally been proved after almost 40 years. Efimov had predicted a quantum-mechanical version of Borromean rings, a symbol that first showed up in Afghan Buddhist art from around the second century. The symbol depicts three rings linked together and if any ring were removed, then they would all be undone.
Efimov had theorized an analog to the rings using particles: Three particles (such as atoms or protons or even quarks) could be bound together in a stable state, even though any two of them could not bind without the third. The physicist first proposed the idea, based on a mathematical proof, in 1970. Since then, people have tried their best to prove this theory but they didn’t succeed for almost 4 decades.
But now physicists at the Rice University have used atoms at temperatures colder than deep space. And they have delivered concrete proof for a once-ridiculed-at theory that’s become a hotbed for research some 40 years after it first appeared in 1970. In a paper available online in Science Express, Rice’s team offers experimental evidence for a universal quantum mechanism that allows trios of particles to appear and reappear at higher energy levels in an infinite progression. The triplets, often called trimers, form in special cases where pairs cannot.
“It’s such a remarkable phenomena,” said team leader Randy Hulet. “There are examples, like the Borromean rings, where having a third component is crucial. Any two of the rings will unbind if the third is removed, and these trimers are similar. The particles want to bind, but no two can do it. They need the third one to make it happen.”


source : http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sci-tech/quantum-mechanical-version-of-borromean-rings-finally-proved_100290497.html

New : Tiger Woods is named AP athlete of the decade

Uh oh, Tiger Woods is in the news again. But this time it's good, really, as the Associated Press has named Woods the AP Athlete of the Decade.

Woods received 56 votes (nice bit of symmetry: he won 56 PGA Tour tournaments in the 2000s), including 12 majors. Most of the ballots were returned before Woods' car accident on Nov. 27 and the ensuing scandal.

Lance Armstrong finished in second place with 33 votes, Roger Federer third with 25 andMichael Phelps fourth with 15. Tom Brady received six votes, sprinter Usain Bolt four.

Strangely, Woods was unavailable for comment on his award.

-- Houston Mitchell

source : http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/12/tiger-woods-is-named-ap-athlete-of-the-decade.html

Man Wins Lottery, Leaves Wife

By LILY FU

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - A woman has been evicted from her home after her husband won the lottery and left her.

Donna Campbell is getting help from a moving company who offered to help move her out of the home she once shared with her husband after the house went into foreclosure and was auctioned, according to the Orlando Sun-Sentinel . Campbell never held title on the house with her husband, Arnim Ramdass.

Campbell's woes began in June 2007 when Ramdass bought a winning lottery ticket for a $19 million jackpot with his co-workers. They shared a lump sum of $10.2 million and received $450,000 after taxes.

Campbell said she noticed Ramdass immediately cut cable, phone and Internet at their home. She eventually found out he was hiding his lottery winnings and asked for her share of the money, but he refused. Campbell went to court to fight Ramdass, but lost since she didn't have any right to Ramdass' winnings.

"I thought winning the lotto was supposed to bring together a family, a husband and his wife," Campbell told the Miami Herald . "But all I got was deception and lies."

Campbell, a former runner-up in the 1979 Miss Trinidad and Tobago beauty pageant, said police and private investigators haven't been able to located Ramdass, but she believes he's still in the area.

Authorities in Florida are offering a $5,000 reward for a lottery winner who has gone missing . Abraham Shakespeare won $31 million in the Florida Lottery in 2006. "We have a man who certainly has the means, being a lottery winner, to take himself into seclusion. If that's what he has chosen to do, no law says can't do that," police said.

source : http://www.myfoxspokane.com/dpp/news/dpgo-man-wins-lottery-leaves-wife-lwf-200912161260993843906

HOT : Political Leaders Remember Fred Honsberger

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― 
Political figures from the Pittsburgh area are voicing their sadness and well wishes to the family of famed KDKA Radio broadcaster Fred Honsberger.

Honsberger died at his home Wednesday morning at age 58.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl issued a statement praising Honsberger's body of work in his career.

"Fred Honsberger was an extremely dedicated, talented, and passionate man who will be greatly missed by the thousands of Pittsburghers who tuned in to his daily talk show. The iconic role that Fred played in engaging the public on political issues will be extremely hard to replace. My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and dedicated listeners," Ravenstahl said.

U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire admired Honsberger's unique style and the passion he had for the city of Pittsburgh.

"Over the past 30 years, Fred Honsberger achieved a legendary status on Pittsburgh's airwaves. He was a hard-hitter who was never afraid to speak his mind and fight for his beliefs. I liked Fred very much. His wit, his love for Pittsburgh, and his unyielding passion will be sorely missed," Altmire said.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato spent a good deal of time with Honsberger and developed a working relationship with him.

"This region has lost a broadcasting icon and a great independent voice for our region. I had the pleasure and honor of working with Fred my entire political career and whether you agreed or disagreed with him, he was always fair and a consummate professional. We will all miss Fred and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family," Onorato said.

State Sen. Sean Logan was a frequent guest on Honsberger's KDKA radio show on over the last few years.

"As a repeated guest on Fred's show, he treated me with respect and courtesy. While we may have disagreed at times about an issue or my position, we were never disagreeable," Logan said.

He went on to compliment Honsberger's journalistic style and professionalism. 

"Fred was a constituent, an award-winning journalist and above all a radio professional. He was a quick study, knew his subject matter well and was unafraid to ask challenging questions of public policymakers," Logan said. "My thoughts and prayers go out today to Fred's family and his many friends. Fred will be greatly missed by his listeners, colleagues and those who knew him well."

Honsberger worked at KDKA Radio for 30 years -- starting his career there as a reporter. Before moving into the role of talk show host in 1989, he worked as news director at the radio station for five years.

Honsberger is survived by his wife, Chris, and two sons, Kevin and Kyle.


Source : http://kdka.com/local/Fred.Honsberger.remembered.2.1373880.html