The Lucore Forehand Volley

Jeff

Jennifer Lucore, national champion pickleball player, offers her advice on the forehand volley. Of course, the first thing she emphasizes is to “get the ball in the court.”

Assuming the ready position with paddle held high and realizing that the ball is coming to the forehand while you are at the nonvolley zone line, these are the steps she advises one to use:

  • Keep your eyes and head steady

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  • Align the face of the paddle with the ball early

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  • Adjust the paddle rotation in accord with the height of the ball in relation to the net

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  • Hit the ball well in front of you

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  • Propel the ball forward and rotate your shoulders through the ball to impart the power with trunk rotation

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  • Finish of the stroke is toward the opposite shoulder with a tight rotation; no wide, loopy rotation

    •  

  • Maintain a firm wrist and keep the paddle head above the wrist in a cocked fashion.

There is a video on Jennifer Lucore’s website demonstrating the above steps and giving a bit more detail. You can view both at the link below:

The Lucore Forehand Volley Video and Details

STATUS QUOtes — 20150608

Jeff

“You don’t have to know exactly where you’re going to be headed somewhere great.” — Unknown

“Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.” — Francis Bacon

“You don’t always have to chop with the sword of truth. You can point with it too.” — Anne Lamott

“Normal people … believe that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet.” — Scott Adams

Blackboard over 100 years old discovered

Jeff

As time marches on and technology advances, schools are renovated to bring more sophisticated resources into the classrooms. During an update of blackboards at Emerson High School in Oklahoma City, as workers began removing the blackboards that were to be replaced with whiteboards a remarkable discovery was made.

Under the blackboards were the old blackboards from 1917 just as they had been left. It is hard to explain why pictures like the one below are so fascinating, but I think they allow us a glimpse into the past and force us to think of those who were in these spaces teaching and learning more than 100 years ago. View the complete story and other pictures of the 1917 blackboards at the link below:

 

100 year old school blackboard work

Via the Washington Post

See video from the Produced by NewsOK.com website

Your face, their house – Mighty Mites

Jeff


Demodex mite

Picture courtesy of the Obfuscation of Reality blogspot

According to a a piece updated on June 1st, on the Vox Media website, almost all of us host millions of mites that live on our bodies and crawl along our faces to look for food and places to live. We may not like it, but it has been this way for a long, long time and scientists really don’t know if this is a good or bad thing.

According to the article, Holly Menninger is working on a study to find out more about these mites and she is quoted saying: “‘We joke that the mites come out to party, because they have sex on your face at night.'”

The video below shows you an up close and personal look at Demodex, forehead mite (400X zoom).



Read the rest of the article at the link below:

Don’t freak out, but there are thousands of mites living all over your face

STATUS QUOtes — 20150607

Jeff

“There’s no need to be perfect to inspire others. Let people get inspired by how you deal with your imperfections.” ― Ziad K. Abdelnour

“He who praises you for what you lack wishes to take from you what you have.” ― Don Juan Manuel

“Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.” ― Benjamin Franklin

“I hate brushing my teeth at night because that signifies that you can’t have any more food and I’m just never ready for that kind of commitment.” ― Unknown

Losing Our Marbles, But Having Fun

Jeff

Jelle Bakker is an apt name for someone who creates a machine that leads us to believe we are losing OUR marbles. Similar in fascination to those domino chain reactions many of us love to watch, this is a virtual “Marble Tsunami” which I believe is called a Knikkerbaan.

I don’t know why so many people enjoy watching this type of controlled mayhem, but we do!

As Jelle says in the about page from his website:

“My biggest passion is making Marble Machines and Rolling Ball Sculptures, the marbles speeds through the tracks hitting bells, chimes, nails, woodblocks. My Marble Machines differs from other ones because of a cacaphony of sounds produced from the marbles and moving parts like tipovers, seesaws, levers and unique track parts like jumps, loops, funnels, pinball courses and more. My Marble Machines commonly made from wood.

My biggest milestone was setting the guiness record for the Longest Marble Run in 2009, unfortnately, it’s now broken by someone else. In 2012 i start building my first international project outside of the Benelux in the MAD Museum in Stratford upon Avon (UK), after it’s succes a second machine from me is now exhibited inside the darkroom, a Rolling Ball Machine with glowing balls lit by uv-LED’s.”

Read more about this cacophonous hobby at jellekknikkers: the marble master

The Apple of the Film Maker’s Eye

Jeff

Apple World Gallery - iPhone 6

I make no secret about the fact that I am a long time, I mean really long time, user of Apple, Inc. products. I started with an Apple IIe and and Imagewriter and have had a number of Macintosh computers as well. I also own other Apple products besides computers so I am well committed to the Apple ecosystem; so-to-speak.

Having said that, I must also state that I have had several PCs too. I use them for a variety of tasks and my wife uses an HP as her main computer although she loves her iPhone.

I don’t get into the “computer wars” with my friends. Generally speaking, whatever one can do on a Macintosh could be done on a PC. At this time in the evolution of technology, the capabilities of operating systems is fairly equal and it is just a matter of preference.

One thing I must say about Apple is that, over the years, they have had excellent marketing. Their advertisements are usually top notch. They showcase their products and do so in some clever ways. Apple has set up a World Gallery of Movies shot on an iPhone 6.

Two examples appear below. They are very short and worth watching and if you like these two, you can visit the link at the bottom of the page to see others.



Sparrow thinks like a Hummingbird

Shot on iPhone 6 by Antoine D.
2015, Lyon, FR
Song: “The Birdwatcher” by Vulfpeck

Seagull Waves



Shot on iPhone 6 by Araby P.
2015, Hermosa Beach, CA
Song: “Coming Home” by Leon Bridges

Apple’s World Gallery iPhone 6 Films

STATUS QUOtes — 20150606

Jeff

“The language of friendship is not words, but meanings.” — Henry David Thoreau

“Live as if everything you do will eventually be known.” — Hugh Prather

“Life should be touched, not strangled.“ — Ray Bradbury

“The best way to get a puppy is to beg for a baby brother… they’ll settle for a puppy every time.” — Winston Pendelton

More than a One Man Band (Orchestra)

Jeff

Here’s an interesting photography idea, this picture (below) may appear to be a complete orchestra and it probably is, however the same person is playing all of the instruments. Alexander Light, a violinist for the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, created this image which is highlighted on PetaPixel’s website.

Alexander Light's One Man Orchestra

It is hard to tell from this small version of the photograph, but if you head on over to the website linked below, you can see close up images and realize that, indeed, the same person is playing every instrument in this musical entourage.

He even conducts the orchestra!

Fun!


One Man Orchestra: 100 Clones in 1 Photograph