How to fix a bad call
World No.1, Lee
Chong Wei, a Malaysian, was knocked out of the Badminton World Championships quarter-finals in Madrid last Friday, apparently a victim of two disputable line calls.
Many a times we have seen the protagonists at tournament level getting rattled by disputable line calls in tennis that went against them, and, feeling shortchanged, were unable to put it behind them. They defeated themselves.
The word fix gained new notoriety following the PM's pre-election speech. In a not so political situation on the tennis court, how do you fix your opponent with a penchant to call out on the slightest doubt?
Well, do you grind and grin like this?
Grrrgh! I am not referring to a call in which you are only half sure it’s in which case you have no right to doubt your opponent's call. By a bad call I mean you are absolutely certain the ball was in and your opponent chose to exercise his right of call against you. Having the right of call is not the same as to be right in making the call. I personally know of players who, with complete audacity, shamelessly abused this right of call right under my very nose and acted nonchalant about it so as to give an impression of supreme certainty. Go, figure out, if this is happening at friendly social games, what will it be like in unrefereed tournament matches?
It's been said that every act of dishonesty claims two victims: the one we think of as the victim, and the other - the perpetrator. Each little dishonesty gives rise to another rotten spot in the perpetrator's psyche. In this sense, it is said that cheaters never win.
=============
Funny that a comedy movie starring Kevin Kline should come to mind simply because it was called “In & Out”. However, the concept of “In & Out” to describe Howard’s sexuality cannot be applied to a game of tennis since it has nothing to do with sex. It is either in OR out. It cannot be both.
Talking about 'on the line', what or who could be more 'on the ball', to borrow an army slang, than this sultry babe?! Here's looking at you, kid!
"But I still know who she is!"
It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watchand decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.
On exam it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation I asked him if he had a doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such hurry.
The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer Disease.
As we talked, and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him. "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled as he patted my hand and said. "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."
I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. With all the jokes and fun that are in e-mails, sometimes there are some that come along that have an important message, and this is one of those kinds. Just had
to share it with you all.
"The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along their way."
Peace is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank.
BodyBuilding
Book link in AmazonBy Frederick Hatfield, Ph.D.
Published by Contemporary Books
Chicago
Soft cover/276 pages/1984
With advances in science and technology, our lives are becoming easier and at the same time more complicated. And so it is with sport as science unveils new and fresh insights in improving human performance with the application of science itself.
Touted as the first book in the field of bodybuilding to look at the subject from a scientific point of view, it gathers, interprets and relates them to training advice. The reader is spared the tedium of wading through volumes of research materials, irrelevant data or obscure esoterica to get to the crux of bodybuilding as an applied science. Athletes today are better than their forebears because they apply science in their training. If you want to quickest possible results in the shortest possible time, this is the way to go… the scientific approach.
The author identifies 23 different sources of muscular strength of which only 2 are genetically predetermined (muscle fiber arrangement and musculoskeletal leverage). This implies that you can argument or in some way positively modify the other 21 through training and the book sets out how you do that.
For years scientists told us that genetic endowment alone would determine the number of muscle cells each one of us have and that nothing could be done to increase that number. Now, we are not so sure.
Tips for the experiment-oriented athlete:
- Hyperplasia (the splitting of cells induced by server overload observed in some animals) may be a reality but present bodybuilding methods don’t promote it.
- Laboratory animal studies together with research on champion swimmers, suggest that high-speed/high tension exercise is the only way to promote hyperplasia (or fast-twitch muscles)
- While high-tension/slow speed movements make the muscle bigger, they also end to make it slower in contraction speed.
- Hyperplasia does not occur in laboratory animals engaged in high-tension/slow speed training.
- It is unknown whether hyperplasia can increase the ultimate potential for a muscle’s size in humans or if it can even take place in humans in the first place.
- To derive the benefits of potential hyperplasic, you should incorporate both traditional muscle building exercises as well as compensatory acceleration training, which requires explosive movements against heavy resistance.
The key to promoting muscle growth is accelerated stress application or, going by another name, ballistic training techniques. The author makes no pretension that anaerobic power is the way to go, as opposed to aerobics. Virtually 95% of everything you do in life is anaerobic, i.e., without oxygen. In lay terms, anaerobic power is the ability to continue to perform maximum muscle contraction over time. By far the most effective way to increase the anaerobic power is to engage in high-intensity training of white fast-switch muscle fibers.
The book is divided into four Parts. Part I details basic concepts in bodybuiding and builds a case for heavy and high intensity training, the importance of isolation exercises , single rep, the overcoming the source of over-0training and injuries. Part II delves further into the systems and techniques of bodybuilding while Part III discusses drugs and nutrition, including sport supplements. Part IV concludes with the role of Psychology in motivation, bridging the mind-body gap and control of personal tension.
One may snicker at bodybuilding as a competitive sport without knowing how much discipline it takes. It goes beyond the aesthetics. I believe that weight resistance training is the only insurance against loss of skeletal muscle or bone density, a precursor of osteoporosis, joints aches, pains and such, although the author made no reference to this.
Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time time for illness. - Edward Stanely
============================
Training Wisdom (extracted from POWER A SCIENTIC APPROACH by the same author)
Note: Vince Lombardi was a legendary coach in the history of American football, so much so that after his death, the Super Bowl was renamed after him.
Vince Lombardi was a helluva man. Why, in his way, Ol’ Vince’s very presence would inspire an entire platoon of quasi humans to perform magnificent feats of sport prowess. He was a winner. By toady’s standard, however, Vine was a dinosaur.
Consider this. Vince is know for his statement, “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. That’s what he said. Perhaps they were prophetic words back when he was alive, and Lord knows many top coaches believe those words to this day.
But we’ve learned much since then, a point to which I shall return later. Let’s peruse the gym wall slogans around the country, and have a look at what else Vince and his disciples have had to say about sports, training, and success in general over the years. You won’t be bored. Your training efforts, after all, are ‘ten percent perspiration and ninety percent inspiration.’
The wisdom of the ages is contained in the Bible. I suspect Vince was a student thereof.
In a race, every runs but only one person get the prize. So, run the race to win. – lst Corinthians 9:24
Could Vince have been a great athlete with an attitude like that? Maybe, but he was a gifted leader. He had a lot to give. However,
When a man has a great deal given to him, a great deal will be demanded of him. – Luke 12:48
The question is, can you becomes a great athlete by wanting to win badly? Remember that a vast majority of athletes want to win. The will to win is not enough. You must truly believe you can win!
Belief is the thermostat which regulates success.
The above was no doubt written by an inspired hearing equipment salesman. Vince, no the other hand, took belief a step further. He believed that commitment was all-important in traveling the road to winning.
We know how rough the road well be, how heavy here the load well be, we know about the barricades that wait along the track but we have set out soul ahead upon a certain goal and nothing left from hell to sky shall ever turn us back. - Vince Lombardi
Ah, character, Vince was one. Character is a blend of commitment, discipline, and pride. In equal parts. With a dash of ambition.
If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven’t done much today.
Notice that I didn’t say anything about those fortune few who are gifted but never realize their true potential because of complacency.
Some men are bigger, faster, strong, and smarter than others – but not a single man has a corner on dreams, desire, or ambition. – Duffy Daugherty
Or, more pointedly,
Talents will get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. – John Wooden
No, talent alone isn’t everything, to paraphrase Vince. Neither is being disciplined.
Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability. – Roy Smith
But let’s not forget the dash of ambition in our stew that comprises the strength athlete’s the strength of athlete’s lifestyle.
Progress comes from intelligent use of experience.
Well, perhaps for some. Perhaps that was true in Vince Lombardi’s day. Experience is, at best, a poor teacher by today’s standards. For,
You are today where your thoughts where your thoughts have brought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. – James Allen
Now, I don’t mean to pick on poor ol’ Vince. If he were alive today, he’d surely take exception to my ribbing. But, in truth, Vince had some strange ideas about what a man must do to win. And he had some stranger notions about why men fail. Said he, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” As in a previous chapter, I disagree. Fatigue is the spark that ignites. It is the means to an end. It is the vehicle to success. Fatigue only makes cowards of the uncommitted. Sure it’s tough. I like that word. I see it in practically every gym that hangs slogans on the wall. For example:
Nobody said life would be easy… and you only make it tougher if you feel sorry for yourself. – Morley Fraser
If it ain’t tough to get, it ain’t worth having.
Fatigue and tough both conjure images of hard work, and in truth, hard work is what it takes to become a champion.
If hard work is the key to success, most people would rather pick the lock. – Claude McDonald
The difference between good and great is just a little extra effort. – Duffy Daugherty
But it isn’t just hard work that ensures success, it’s smart work. To work hard, you have to be enthusiastic, but to truly get anything accomplished in your quest for the stars, you’ll also have to be a little smarter than the other guy who’s intent on making the same journey.
Enthusiasm without knowledge is like running in the dark.
What your predecessors, great men all, did to become great is no longer enough. You, my friend, have to battle with men infinitely more knowledgeable than the greats of yesterday fought with.
A closed mind is usually empty… because it won’t allow anything to enter.
Complacency is often the culprit in cases where athletes think they know enough to become the greatest thee ever was. Any complacency is preceded by vanity and misplaced pride.
Too many fellows think they can push themselves forward by patting themselves in the back.
Such men have made the cardinal mistake of losing sight of what the possibilities are:
There is no mistake so great as the mistake of not going on.
Men do no fail. They just give up easy.
A lot of people seem to be preoccupied with the possibility of failure. That’s another word I see often on gym walls. If I owned a gym, the word would never appear anywhere. Just look at the stuff I see!
Success is never permanent. And fortunately neither is failure.
When success turns a person’s head, he’s facing failure.
Defeat must be faced, but is need not be final.
Failure is something you know in your heart. Success is something that lies in the eye of the beholder.
Failure is the line of least persistence.
Even Vince Lombardi had failure on his mind when he uttered his famous statement: You cannot comprehend the concept of winning unless you first know of failure.
No Vince didn’t have the answer. Indeed, there is not a single gym wall on which the true answer is to be found. You can take all these quotes recorded here and else and stuff them. They’re cute, but ‘cute’ doesn’t cut it. Only passion does. For, passion is the ultimate ingredient in becoming the greatest there is, or ever will be.
Hell Has Known No Fury Than Feathers Ruffled
I am writing to give vent to my indignation with the mindset of some condo residents with whom I made tennis appointments. Take this recent case as an example:
I specifically asked for the necessary info to enable security clearance at the entrance and he gave me the impression that he wasn't going to be forthcoming with that, at least not yet.
I took his word for it. Arriving at the entrance, I called him on the phone.
“Just tell the guard you’re going in to play tennis”, he said. I did accordingly.
“His unit number?” enquired the guard.
“I only know his name” I replied. “He said to tell you I'm here to play tennis,” I continued.
“That's not good enough. There are many people with that name. Like that anyone can come in and use the toilet lah! Our rule is that you must give name and unit number!”
Piqued by his toilet remark, I drew closer to him and said, "So are you alleging that I'm here on a false pretext!?"
In confronting him, I felt I had lost my dignity.
In the muted silence, what raced through my mind was that son of a gun should know his house rules better than to set me up for a tiff with the guard.
“Let me call him!” I said grimly.
No reply.
“He’s probably in the court that’s why his phone’s not answered” I said.
After some deliberation with his co-guard, he directed him to escort me to the court to obtain the required particulars. Before that could happen, my phone rang.
Information that should have been given me in good faith was deliberately withheld despite specifically asked beforehand and disclosed only as if under duress. What kind of a suspicious mindset is that for a condo dweller? Did he feel his privacy compromised as a result? Was I taken for a rogue? Or was he a snob?
By definition, a snob is someone who judges all things, from shoes and dinner parties to love and beauty, according to their social rating, right down to tennis playing.
Age-old Myths and Old Age Myths
The local media today reproduced an article from The New York Times. In “Age-old Myths” the article examines the changing views that health scientists have over the past decades, beginning with the emphasis on environment, eating right, exercising, and getting good medical care. Then the view switched to genes, the idea that one’s longevity is determined by inherited genes. In other words, with the right combination of genes, you can flout all the rules of healthy eating or living and still live to be a 100. But no one can vouch for that. We see that the scientific view of what determines a person’s life span or aging process keeps swinging back and forth with the current view, supported by recent studies, that genes may not be that importance after all. With very exceptions, a strong family history of genetically linked disease does not guarantee a person will get it.
This brings me to the myths of age when we fail to separate it from dotage. Obsolescence is a word we readily tag along with people besides machines, home appliances and computers. In an age when too much premium is placed on youth, it is hard not to feel obsolete.
In Singapore, the government-run Community Clubs have an endless round of social activities to instill a sense of well being in senior citizens. While such support groups are to be applauded, I found it astounding that people from age 45 could join in such activities. Are people already qualified as senior at 45?
Being organized to go on short excursion trips, karaoke, folk or hip hop dancing and the like is not my idea of fun or fulfillment at any age, let alone old age. Nevertheless, senior citizens seem happy enough with even a few participants making the news for becoming romantically linked even though the organizers may deny any matrimonial objectives.
Our life span expectancy is greater now than at any other time and I ask myself what is the use if much of our extended time on earth includes a greater number of years in declining function before death. Living a life longer than our ancestors did but with far less quality is not an inviting trade-off. The sight in a nursing home where nonfunctional people spend their twilight years is scary for contemplation. Aging has been defined as "an increase liability to die" but it is not so much death itself that we fear but the fear of the physical and mental faculty on the wane Will euthanasia ever be legalised in Singapore?
Staying fit physically and intellectually is supremely vital and we shouldn’t be married to our careers to the extent that when we finally stop working, we have no sense of purpose in life. That high stress job may be doing more harm than thought. Researchers have shown direct evidence that that prolonged exposure to stress can step up the aging of brain cells. This in turn led to impairment of learning and memory. It was reasoned that stress made he brain cells work harder and thus left them more vulnerable to damage from other causes. Likewise, fatigue and exhaustion make you more susceptible to colds and flu.
