For years, folks who have worked in the TV biz (although in this case, generally TV News) have gone to a site called FTVLive.com for insider gossip. For whatever reason, this guy Scott Jones in Florida seemed to have it.

Over the years, he developed a lot of contacts, because the truth is, as much as people love reading gossip, they also love being the source of it.

And so, it wasn’t so surprising to me when I read that the guy who broke the news about Jay Leno’s ten o’clock show been canned, that it came from Scott Jones at FTVLive.

Why can’t you just leave my timeslot alone!?!

Via The Florida Times-Union:

Jones actually first reported the possibility of NBC moving Leno back to 11:30 p.m. in a Dec. 16 story that did not cause the same splash as last week’s news.

“In December, I knew NBC was having meetings at the highest level,” he said. “All I was saying was the executives were talking about it. It wasn’t a done deal.” But on Jan. 7, FTVLive reported that NBC “made the decision to pull the plug on the failed Jay Leno show at 10 p.m.” According to Jones, Leno didn’t even know that. Shortly after his story appeared on the Web site, Jones was interviewed on a Los Angeles news radio station that Leno was tuned to, he said.

“That’s how Jay Leno found out he was being taken off 10 o’clock,” Jones said.

Release From UMBC Athletics:

UMBC head men’s lacrosse coach Don Zimmerman and his staff are pleased to welcome 19 newcomers to the Retrievers’ program for the fall of 2009. The largest incoming class in UMBC’s Division I history includes 18 freshmen and one transfer and is comprised of a dozen attackmen/midfielders, six defensemen/long-stick midfielders and one goalkeeper.

“We are excited to have this group of newcomers join the UMBC community,” Coach Zimmerman said. “In addition to providing the program with additional depth, these players have exhibited the strong character and work ethic we believe is the trademark of Retriever lacrosse.”

The Retrievers will compete in a pair of fall tournaments in October. On Saturday, Oct. 10, UMBC will take part in the Third Annual Nick Colleluori Classic in Folsom, Pa, facing Hofstra at 3:00 p.m. and Villanova at 5:00 p.m. Each year the HEADstrong Foundation hosts this lacrosse tournament with all proceeds going towards blood cancer research.

The following Saturday, Oct. 17, Coach Zimmerman’s team will compete in the 12^th Annual Lacrosse for Leukemia Fall Invitational Tournament at Cedar Lane Park in Bel Air, Md. The Retrievers face St. John’s (12:50 p.m.) and Air Force (2:30 p.m.) . Sponsored by Price Modern, Lacrosse for Leukemia showcases top NCAA lacrosse teams while raising funds to further The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.

A Glance at the Newcomers

David Brown (M/A, 5-8, 165 lbs., Coopersburg, PA/The Hill School) Brown was named to the Mid-Atlantic Prep League First-Team in his senior year. The four-year varsity starter scored was a career-best 17 goals in the 2008 season.

Adam Cohen (G, 5-7, 170 lbs., Arnold, Md./The Severn School) Cohen was ranked as of the top 15 incoming goalkeepers in Inside lacrosse. A 2009 Ensign C. Markland Kelly award finalist posted a sizzling 68% save percentage in his senior campaign for the Admirals and earned Second-Team All-County honors. Cohen also competed in the 2008 Under Armour game for underclassmen.

Nick Doub (M, 5-10, 170 lbs., Annapolis, Md./St. Mary’s) Doub scored 20 goals and added 40 assists and earned Capital Gazette First-Team All-County honors in 2009. He was the Saints’ team captain and named their “Unsung Hero” last spring. Doub was recently listed amongst Inside Lacrosse’s top incoming 40 attackmen.

Matt Gregoire (A, 6-2, 180 lbs., Crofton, Md./South River) Gregoire led the Seahawks to a 4A/3A state championship in 2009, scoring five goals in the title game. He was selected to the First-Team All-County in both his junior and senior seasons and was a Washington Post Second-Team All-Metro honoree  after amassing 46 goals and 16 assists last spring. Gregoire was recently listed amongst Inside Lacrosse’s top incoming 40 attackmen.

Jamie Grimm (LSM, 5-9,200 lbs., Black River, N.Y./Carthage Central) Grimm was named to the Frontier All- League team in all four years of varsity lacrosse for the Comets. Also a two-year letterwinner and Scholar-Athlete in football, he helped lead the team to the state championship game in his junior campaign. Jamie is the younger brother of 2009 America East All-Rookie team member and Retriever attackman Rob Grimm.

Riley Hansen (D, 6-1, 185 lbs., Annapolis, Md./The Salisbury School) As a senior, Hansen received the Salisbury School’s Corkery Medal, which goes to a senior that participates in three sports (lacrosse, cross country, and basketball). He has competed in the Maryland Freestate Top 44 game and the Under Armour game for underclassmen. His older brother, Pat, lettered in lacrosse at Ohio State  and Stevenson.

Scott Hopmann (M, 5-11, 165 lbs.,Annapolis, Md./St. Mary’s) Hopmann scored 20 goals and added 16 assists for the fifth-ranked (Inside Lacrosse) Saints in 2009. His best effort was a four-goal, five-point effort against St. Paul’s.  His older brother, Alex, graduated from UMBC in 2009 and earned All-America honors as a senior midfielder.

Joseph Impallaria (M, 5-8 175 lbs., Lutherville, Md./Calvert Hall College) Impallaria won the Calvert Hall Ground Ball Award in 2007, 2008, and 2009, recording 305 ground balls in that span. He won 471 face-offs and maintained a 73% face-off winning percentage from 2007-09. His father, Joseph J. Impallaria, Jr., played lacrosse at the former Western Maryland College (McDaniel College) from 1979-82 and has served three tours of duty in Iraq.

Scott Jones (A, 6-4, 225 lbs., Port Moody, B.C./Terry Fox) Jones was selected as a 2009 Junior A British Columbia First-Team All-Star. He scored 44 goals and added 46 assists in 21 games for the Port Coquitlam Saints last season. Jones’ older brother, Jeff Ratcliffe, lettered in lacrosse from 1997-2000 at UMBC and is currently tenth on the all-time list with 104 goals scored.

Casey Lasda (A/M, 5-9 165 lbs., Syracuse, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) Lasda was selected to the OHSL Section 3 First-Team All-League in 2008 and again in 2009. He earned Honorable Mention All-CNY honors in 2008 and 2009 and played on the Central team in the 2008 Empire State Games. Lasda was recently listed amongst Inside Lacrosse’s top incoming 40 attackmen.

Neill Lewnes (M, 5-7, 160 lbs, Arnold, Md./St. Mary’s) Lewnes scored 11 goals, added 14 assists, corralled a team-best 108 ground balls and won 63 percent of his draws for St. Mary’s.  He was selected to the First-Team All-County and All-MIAA team in 2009. Lewnes was the team’s Most Valuable Player and its team captain and the All-County tailback, who rushed for over 1,200 yards,  also captained the Saints’ football team in 2008.

Joe Lustgarten (A, 5-10, 150 lbs, Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River)  In prep career, Lustgarten scored 105 goals and added 149 assists, including a senior campaign which featured 33 goals and had 43 helpers. He earned All-America honors from the state of New York (Suffolk County) in 2009. Lustgarten was three- time All Suffolk County Selection and a three-time All-Division selection. As a sophomore, he scored a career-best 38 goals and 100 points and led the Wildcats to a state championship.

Sam McKelvey (D, 6-0, 175 lbs., Davidsonville, Md./South River) McKelvey was the winner of the prestigious 4A/3A C. Markland Kelly Award after a brilliant senior campaign. The close defender was selected First-Team All-Metro (Washington Post) and First-Team All-County and Second-Team All-Metro by The Baltimore Sun.  He also earned First-Team Mid-Atlantic/South honors by U.S. Lacrosse and earned a 4A/3A state title with the Seahawks last spring.

Ethan Murphy (D, 6-0, 180 lbs., West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca East) During his prep career, Murphy had 514 groundballs, 27 goals, and 13 assists. He earned All-America honors as a senior for the New York-Buffalo region. Murphy was named West Seneca’s Male Athlete of the Year, by the West Seneca Bee and was a two-time First-Team All-Western New York honoree.

Joey Placek (M/A, 5-10, 170 lbs., Laurel, Md./Atholton) Placek was named the Raiders’ Most Valuable Player as a senior. He earned All-County honors in both 2007 and 2009 and served as the team captain last spring. Placek scored a career-high eight goals and added four assists in an overtime win over rival Hammond in his sophomore campaign.

Tony Spada (M, 5-11, 165 lbs, Kingston, N.Y./Saugerties) Spada is a two-time U.S. Lacrosse All-American from the New York-Mid-Hudson region. He was the first junior in New York state Section 9 history to be named an All-American. Spada was a three-time Section 9 First-Team midfielder and was the 2009 Times Herald Record Lacrosse Player-of-the-Year. His Saugerties teams have won six consecutive Section 9 championships.

David Stock (Jr., D, 6-0, 175 lbs., Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township/CCBC –Essex) At CCBC-Essex, Stock was named First-Team All-American by the NJCAA. He also earned Region XX Most Valuable Defensive Player in 2009. Stock was named to First-Team All-Region and to the First-Team All-Maryland JUCO squad.  He was selected First-Team All-League, and was an All-District defenseman while at Manheim Township.

Lucas Wood (D, 6-2, 185 lbs., Columbus, Ohio/Worthington-Kilbourne)  Wood was a three-time First Team All-Region selection and was named to First-Team All-OCC. He also earned First-Team All-Midwest and Second-Team All-Ohio honors in 2009. He helped the Wolves win a state championship as a last spring. Wood also captured the school’s Gold Key Award winner, which is given to a student for having a 3.5 grade-point average through the senior year.

Jake Zimmerman (5-11, 170 lbs., Baltimore, Md./Boys’ Latin)  Zimmerman received the Jack Williams Cup for Sportsmanship in his senior year with the Lakers. The son of UMBC head coach Don Zimmerman, Jake also earned the captain’s award for varsity lacrosse. He also lettered in football for Boys’ Latin and earned academic honor roll recognition during the 2008-09 academic year.

Brian Jones

British police said Monday they will review the death of Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones, whose 1969 drowning was ruled an accident but sparked decades of speculation that he was murdered.

Sussex police in southeast England said they will examine new documents received from an investigative journalist relating to Jones’ death.

“It’s too early to comment at this time as to what the outcome might be,” the Sussex duty inspector said, reading a statement over the telephone. Police did not give further details.

“The Mail On Sunday” reported that journalist Scott Jones, who is not related to the musician, has handed over 600 documents to Sussex police.

Brian Jones, one of the founding members of the Rolling Stones, was the person who reportedly came up with the band’s name. Formed in 1962, the band branched out from blues covers to become a pivotal group in the so-called British Invasion, drawing fans attracted by their rebellious image and surly but sexy style.

Jones was quickly eclipsed by swaggering lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, whose songwriting propelled the band’s popularity. Increasingly marginalized and drawn to drugs and alcohol, Jones quit the band a month before his death and was replaced by Mick Taylor.

Jones stood out even among his bandmates for his flashy clothes and prodigious appetite for drugs. He died on July 2, 1969 at age 27, his body found in the swimming pool at his 11-acre [4.5-hectare] Sussex estate.

A coroner said Jones drowned while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, but the ruling did not quiet speculation that Jones’ death was not an accident.

Two 1994 books claimed that Jones was murdered by a London builder who had been hired to help renovate Jones’ home : “Paint It Black : The Murder Of Brian Jones” by Geoffrey Guiliano and “Who Killed Christopher Robin ?” by Terry Rawlings.

Both claimed that builder Frank Thorogood confessed on his deathbed in November 1993 to killing Jones to a road manager for the Stones.

“It was me that did Brian. I just finally snapped,” Thorogood reportedly said to road manager Tom Keylock, Rawlings’ book quoted Keylock as saying.

It was not clear why British police did not reopen an investigation after those books were published.

Keylock died in July 2009, according to the British newspaper, “The Times”.

Scott Jones interviewed Janet Lawson, the person who discovered the guitarist’s body, shortly before she died last year. In the interview, published in “The Mail On Sunday” last November, Lawson claimed that her boyfriend, the Rolling Stones tour manager Keylock, had asked her to visit Brian Jones as he was worried about tensions between Jones and Thorogood.

She told the investigative reporter that she saw Jones and Thorogood fooling about in the pool, and later saw Thorogood come into the house, shaking badly.

She told Scott Jones her original police statement did not mention any tensions between Jones and Thorogood.

“The police were trying to put words into my mouth,” she is reported as saying.

The title of Rawlings’ book is a reference to Jones’ estate, which was formerly the home of the late author Alan Alexander Milne, author of “Winnie The Pooh,” which features the character Christopher Robin.

The Rolling Stones are now one of the most influential, biggest-selling rock bands in the world, with album sales estimated at more than 200 million copies. The band’s long list of classic hits include “[I Can't Get No] Satisfaction,” “Street Fighting Man” & “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

The band is now made up of Jagger, Richards, Ronnie Wood, who replaced Taylor in 1975, and drummer Charlie Watts.

The Stones topped Forbes’ rich list for music acts in 2007, earning some $ 88 million between June 2006 and June 2007, mostly from their tour, “A Bigger Bang”.

When I was 20, an adventurous Kentucky youngster, and a sophomore in the capitol of the big blue, I got in a car with four guys for a weekend in New York City and brought the last $35 to my name.  Five of us slept in the car (an early 90’s Honda Accord), sitting up straight in a motel parking lot in New Jersey.  Next, in a Manhattan parking garage, and then finally back in New Jersey at the same motel.  I can tell you how I spent my $35: a slice of pizza, a box of poptarts, a $7 pack of cigarettes (extraordinarily expensive for 2002), and then shamefully got hustled out of $15 in the back of an East Village gift shop trying to beat the con artists at their game. Street smarts? I didn’t have any.    

In those glorious and glamorous hours I decided that one day I would return to live in the city who had worked her claws into me so endearingly.  As our love affair matured, so did my dream of a mix tape I would make for my voyage home to her:      

New York New York,  Ryan Adams

New York State of Mind, Billy Joel

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, Elton John and Bernie Taupin

Doin’ It, LL Cool J  ”…I represent Queens, she was raised out in Brooklyn” (you may have forgotten that one)

Englishman in New York, Sting

New York’s Not my Home, Jim Croce 

New York, Cat Power

Either because I never actually made the tape, or returned instead with another woman, the city has not been altogether kind.  She continues her cold, playful way with me.  A jealous lover, she has done this before- envious even of my fun in upstate New York in following years.  Scott Jones and I were hassled by state troopers, then ravaged by a bear and nearly killed in a white-out while high in the Adirondacks as we scampered hypothermically for two days back to the car, having lost nearly everything to the bears and then the storm.  

Scott Jones M.D., climbing partner and team physician

Ah, New York.  When will you give in to me?  

I walked 81 blocks today in the rain, trying to find places taking applications.  Today I did coffee shops and cafes.  Tomorrow I’ll do retail establishments.  If by chance you are reading today because you Googled my name after receiving my application, you have the wrong Levon Walker.  Please read no further.  

I was thinking about a favorite Elton song the whole time:

“And now I know, Spanish Harlem are not just pretty words to say, I thought I knew, But now I know that rose trees never grow in New York City….This Broadway’s got, it’s got a lot of songs to sing, if I knew the words I might join in. I’ll go my way alone, grow my own, my own seeds shall be sown in New York City… Until you’ve seen this trash can dream come true, you stand at the edge while people run you through, and I thank the Lord that there’s people out there like you, I thank the Lord that there’s people out there like you.”           

from Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

Laura Jennings drawing for Shard Studios

Laura Jennings grew up surrounded by animals in the Texas Hill Country town of Kempner.

“I trained my first dog, a Rottweiler for obedience when I was 12,” she says.

Maybe that’s why the dynamic animals she’s created for the role playing game Shard  look like people you might  know — almost  old friends you wouldn’t mind going with you on a harrowing adventure.

 Oh, humans played their parts in her youth, too, and books – fantasy novels mainly — and video games.  “I used to sit and watch my brother play Zelda and Mario for hours,” she says.

After studying fine arts at Central Texas Community College and Texas Tech University, Laurie enrolled in the design art  programming and animation sequence at Austin Community College, She has set her sites on the fields of video game art and character creation.  

“The Lion King changed my life.  I loved the action, the movement.   I don’t have the patience for animation, but that’s what I’m into,” she says.

“At school we’re doing the old  pegboard animation, like the crews did for Bambi , they still ask for the same kind of detail in the industry. 

“Everybody going into this wants to design, do storyboards and be a lead character artist. It’s the very first graphic the public sees.

“I do go for games, and it is pretty astonishing – the emerging media and the economic growth that’s been predicted for games and computer art in the next 50 years. 

“Austin has something like 50 studios; they’re mostly small. In this room there’s an animator and you can walk right next door and take it to the programmer.”

“Video game art is  a combination of animated movie and comic book and it’s  interactive. Some of the most gorgeous art I’ve seen has been in the animation of Nintendo and Capcom games, such as Squaresoft Final Fantasy series and Legend of Zelda.    

Laura also feels pulled by graphic novels and children’s books and attends meetings of the Austin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (Austin SCBWI). 

“People think children’s book illustration is easy. It’s actually cutting edge. There are similarities to game art, such as the storyboarding and the composition and how you have to know your story visually so very well. The work of James Gurney holds its metal against any fine art happening today and he (and others like him) have chosen literature, which I thank them for.”

"Puffy pants" character from the Shard land, drawing by Laura Jennings

Laura “liked the idea of puffy pants” for her fantasy
character for the game Shard, designed by art director Scott Jones.

 ”I was trying to turn a lot of the animal motifs on their heads.  So I wanted to make this Aesop’s-like skunk a bit coquetish, like she’s waiting for Pepe Le Pew.”

 Shard is a table-top  role playing game “of heroic fantasy, set in the Realm of Dardunah, World of the False Dawn,”
the website says.   “Players may choose from a wide variety of animal  people who are the main cast of the many adventures the world offers.” 

Dardunah is a medieval Shangrila, far east of Middle Earth. (I spent some time poking around the site. I must say I’m ready for the movie to come out.) 

Laura recalls, “I don’t know what it was that got their attention, but they saw some of my art and told me, ‘We see that you’ve done a bunch of animal creatures.’”

“Actually there were  three of us working on the game’s characters. We had to make it look like all of the illustration was done by one person. We each worked in our own category – I didn’t want  the insects, snakes and reptiles so I raised my hand and said, ‘I’ll take the mammals!’ “

One of the animal people drawn by Laura Jennings for the RPG "Shard"

 She had to research animals in their natural settings, and come up with props, costumery and accessories that  ”fit” into this world with its Persian and Asian flavors, she says. 

“I had to find out what old armour looks like, leggings and foorwear, what kind of robes students of a temple would have worn.” 

For the fellow in the game at the right, a seashore dweller, she found photo reference of an otter, stopping by a river, panting.

Pencil drawings were scanned and values were added in Photoshop using the smudge tool and the dodge and burn tool.

“I had a lot of fun with the textures in Photoshop, learning to push things around.

“I was asked to  re-do a squirrel monster because the armor looked too much like beat-up metal. Metal is a material of our world  – whereas in Dardunah, the armor is made of crystal.

 ”The  foundation was in natural media,” she says. “But there was a little bit of cleanup in Corel Painter 9, which replicates whatever natural medium you’re using — in this case it was pencil. The art  was finished and polished in Corel Painter 9.

 ”There’s a lot of movement and dynamic in my own work,” Laura says.

“I’ve been very gestural for a long time. I’m only just now starting to work on the edges, the contour.

“My sketches are half reference — half imagination. Many of them are just from little thumbnail sketches. As I look at these  I’m seeking that pose that speaks about inner character. I’m asking, ‘What has punch. What is moving, or defining,” Laura says.

“In video games, the silhouette is so important. Their silhouettes define who they are in the game.”

Ursine warrior realized by Laura Jennings. He's a character from the role playing card game, Shard.

Laura Jennings’ fun blog  is now on our blogroll.  You’ll find her art there, too and on her Deviant Art gallery page, where she’s posted some graphic novel panels, backgrounds and more of her exquisite characters.  Deviant Art features concept art by teen and young adult artists from around the world.

                                                           * * * * *
Mark Mitchell hosts How To Be A Children’s Book Illustrator. 
Check out the free lessons of his short course, Power Color: The Keys to Color Mastery  here.  

That is just…peas…compared to Scott Jones’ palatial estate. Considering Scott’s background (Scott invented VOICEMAIL, ChaCha, MOG, Gracenote, etc.), it seems only fitting that he owns a 27000 sq. foot mansion filled with tech treats and … I did not even know MTV Teen Cribs existed (Thank you, Phil), but the episode above (well…I only watched the first crib: Scott’s home presented by his son Andrew) is far more satisfying than any other Cribs episode I have ever seen. …[More..]

Scott Jones, the CEO of human powered voice/sms search engine ChaCha (our recent coverage), has one of the awesomest computer setups I’ve seen. It can be seen, along with everything else in his house, in this MTV Teen Cribs video (also …[More..]

On the anniversary of Wu-Tang co-founder Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s death, his mother Cherry Jones is speaking out about the infighting and controversy that continues to surround her son, even in death. In an exclusive statement to …[More..]

This quote from Bishop Jones came at the Kansas East Residency Retreat in response to a question about what characterizes an effective clergy person.

Effective clergy lead congregations to increasing missional effectiveness.

I really appreciated this answer. I believe it is the right answer for the renewal of the denomination and for encouraging pastors in ways that are helpful.

In January I had the opportunity to hear Bishop Scott Jones speak several times. It was unusual for me to have this much contact with the bishop and I want to share with you some of the things that I heard him say that have made an impact on me. Bishop Jones said…

I don’t need preachers going off crazy, doing stupid things.

This quote was in response to a question about the too common occurence of leading out of fear. Jones’ suggestion was that fear should not guide leadership, but taht sometimes fear helps temper ideas that are not going to be good. I believe that this gets played out in many different contexts – from new ministries to finance to personal boundaries.

Well played, sir. Well played.

Today through Thursday I am at the 2009 Kansas Area Seminar for Professional Ministry this year with the theme – The Methodist Movement: Revival not Survival. You can download a PDF with more information about the event here. I am grateful for the opportunity to take time a way for renewal and learning. I will be taking notes and publishing them live in a Google Document. You can check it out throughout my time here and afterward at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d3ggnsj_382dkbpsqc7

I am starting out in the session with Randy Maddox and will be in session with Scott Jones tomorrow. If you have any questions that you would like for me to ask Maddox or Jones, leave them on a comment and I will try to get them in. Enjoy!

enter pain

you may have noticed that last sunday i participated in the detroit marathon. i signed up at the request of danielle briones, who gathered a group to run as a relay team. jimmy hoben, beth poz, and scott jones filled out the squad.

i originally agreed to run as part of a relay team before i ran the columbus half about a month ago. finishing so strongly in that run made me wonder if i can run a full marathon. it slowly picked up steam as i went from, a goal of 15-18 miles, to, one week before the race deciding i’m going to run the whole thing. employing my europe strategy (i.e. telling everyone i saw that i was going to run the whole marathon to put too much pressure on myself not to finish), completing one long run of 17 miles, and constantly asking pat, nate, and dr for tips, i prepared myself for the real deal.

the plan was for me to run the first leg of our relay and then just keep going. it was slow going in the beginning because of the sheer numbers participating in the race. all said, there were roughly 18,000 people running that day (marathon, relay, half, walkers, 5k). i didn’t cross the start line until 8 minutes after the start and at two points, early on at a turn and while running up the ambassador bridge, the pack was slowed to a walk.

the first half my pace was slower than i typically run. i was held back by the numbers, running a decent portion on the sidewalks, and held my pace back so i didn’t fall apart late in the race. my legs first felt the pain around mile 10. it helped considerably that i ran with my teammates from mile 7-20. jimmy held his pace back to stay with me, and danielle and scott were consistent with my pace when i was with them.

beth had our final leg which began at mile 20. she’s a very strong runner and by that time my pace had slowed too much to keep up with her. the last 6 miles were brutal. the miles dragged on and on. but by that time i figured i had gone too far to quit. i knew that i could run 6 miles and that the pain would end sooner or later – sooner if i kept running. i completed the marathon in 4:20:44. my legs were pounding once i stopped running. it was very difficult to walk and i had to sit down twice before leaving the finish area.

i am so excited about running the entire race (if you want to be picky, i did go to the bathroom twice and walked through the fluid stations). it’s one of the coolest and probably the hardest thing mentally and physically that i’ve ever done. i’ve looked for excuses all week to tell people about it – so forgive me for being longwinded here or if we talk and i randomly turn the topic to the marathon.

while the entire race wasn’t exactly smooth, i thought the route we ran was really neat. we crossed over the ambassador bridge into canada and came back through the tunnel. running over the bridge in the early morning was really cool. you could see both cities – detroit and windsor – just as the sun was waking up. the route also took us to belle’s isle and through the villages, which is kind of like toledo’s old west end but completely renovated and nice.

i’ve learned that i really enjoy running races. it’s a great excuse to stay in shape and gives me a reason to train. race days are lots of fun. there are people cheering you on, holding signs, and playing music. (my favorite sign from detroit was a young couple with their child in a stroller. the dad had a sign that said ‘you’re better than the lions’. the mom had a big sign that simply said ‘go’ with the center of the ‘o’ cut out. she placed it so her kid’s head was inside the ‘o’. my favorite fan was canadian. he was taking photos on a ladder just as we entered canada from the bridge. as i passed, he yelled, ‘hey people! welcome to canada!’ canadians are the best.) the half marathon i ran in columbus also had great food after. the detroit marathon was a huge let down in terms of post race food. in the end, it’s really exciting running down a packed street to the finish while people watch and cheer you on. that feeling of support and achievement can’t be beat.

you can see photos of the race at runphotos.com. to see our team, enter the bib number 5310. for some reason the photos of me crossing the finish line are stuck in with bib 2622. you can even see video of me crossing the finish line at the detroit free press. click this link and forward to the 1:12 mark.

Marathons have nothing on team red truck

Originally uploaded by juplife

Members Beth Poz, Jimmy Hoben, Danielle Briones and Scott Jones
www.jupmode.com

Epic toledo – race team 15

Originally uploaded by juplife

We’ve got some work to do to catch up today. the 577 river walk is very misleading. They’re good on solar panels though
boo

last night the a-team (yes that actually was our name. no it is not in reference to my last name.) held their soccer awards ceremony. it was an excellent event. shannon provided some delicious treats, chris and jimmy provided shade and shelter, and i provided the awards.

we had a great season. we didn’t actually win too many games, but we really enjoyed ourselves – and that’s all i need to get out of anything in life. i’m already excited for next season. many of the awards you may not understand because you don’t know everyone on the team, but just trust me, they’re funny.

This award goes to our most social and outgoing member. There in the clutch on several occasions this season, no other player took a loss so personally or rejoiced as much with a victory. This is the player with a unique combination of abilities that can bring everyone together and has the willingness to do so. This teammate is always quick with a joke and a laugh. The Dale Carnegie, how to win friends and influence people award goes to Jimmy Hoben. (jimmy and danielle took a dale carnegie class during the season. they talked about it almost every week. jimmy was also amazed last week when joe and i went on for almost ten minutes talking about sonic. amazingly, he grew up near a sonic and rarely went there. he obviously has malfunctioning taste buds. his first award was a gift certificate to sonic. jimmy frequently broke out games when we hung out at his place. his favorite is apples to apples and last week his girlfriend brought catchphrase. since jimmy had a 4.0 gpa with a double major, i figured the 1981 trivial pursuit game i found at savers was perfect for his intellect and keenness for board games.)

This award goes to our most stylish and energetic teammate, who was never afraid of the competition, who if she couldn’t distract them with her beauty, was caught threatening an opposing player with a scowl and the words, ‘I will murder you.’ For always being dressed up and ready to go, the Dennis Rodman, ‘I wear makeup when I really shouldn’t be’ award goes to Shannon. (shannon was torn all season because she didn’t have shin guards and thought she should. we even went to dick’s before the second to last game and almost bought some. since she’ll be playing with us again next year, i thought it would be a good idea to eliminate this dilemma well before the season began with some cute pink shin guards.)

danielle and melissa

This award goes to our toughest player. Who never backed down, who fearlessly defended our territory and punished those that threatened us and for being our most improved player. The player that always gave 100% – even in pants – the Zinidane Zidane award goes to Melissa. (melissa was renown for attempting to kick the ball, missing, and then watching her shoe somersault through the air. to prevent this from happening again, shannon had the great idea of presenting her with brand new shoelaces.)

This award goes to our spriest senior member. Who despite his age, penchant for injury and ball and chain, still managed to keep up with the young-uns. This player did more to keep us in games than any other player on our team, surprised us with his athleticism and managed to keep his dignity even after being punk’d by a girl. The Nancy Kerrigan ‘injuring my leg was the best thing that ever happened to me’ award goes to the greatest addition to our team from season 1 to season 2, joe pesci. (joe pesci did not show up last night. therefore, he does not get a photo. his award was a pair of goalie gloves. i actually spent more money on him than for any other award. his name really is joe pesci.)

This award goes to the team sex symbol. For bringing the ladies out in droves, for being gossip fodder for young girls everywhere, for drawing attention not for how well he played but for how he dresses and for sticking with is gal in the face of all of his groupies. The David Beckham pin-up award goes to Chris Winslow. (nothing makes me happier than the photo above, which i framed and gave to chris as his award.)

This award goes to our most reliable player. Who has had the not so easy task of erasing our errors all season and making us look good against all odds. To the player who has somehow managed to play the entire season without kicking the ball with his left foot, our defensive mastermind and stronghold. The ‘this is Sparta and tonight we dine in hell’ award goes to Scott Jones. (scott received the 300-esque sword to continue to protect us.)

This award goes to the best athlete on our team. For being the most pivotal player in every game, making the big plays when we needed them most and providing the offensive power that we couldn’t find anywhere else. The Pele Team MVP award goes to our best and most outstanding player, Lindsay. (all champions receive large, fancy, expensive awards. lindsay received the champions wreath in recognition of being the team’s best.)

the frame picture danielle received. i was just a little guy

And finally, this award goes to the person responsible for us being here. The one person that has provided us with something to look forward to each Thursday and convinced us to reallocate $160 that we normally would have spent on beer and late night food. Most importantly, she gave us an excuse to have fun, stay in shape, and make friends that we wouldn’t have otherwise. The Timothy Alter excellence in leadership award goes to Danielle. (Danielle really loved this team. I wanted to give her a framed photo of the team. however, the only good team photo i had wasn’t high enough resolution so i ended up putting a photo of myself in the frame. which is better if you ask me.)

MEDIA ADVISORY
Former FC Dallas Midfielder signs with the Puerto Rico Islanders.

Winston Salem, NC – The Puerto Rico Islanders announced this week that they signed MLS player Scott Jones. Able to play both the role of attacking midfielder and forward, Jones has the versatility that is very useful when making a playoff run late in the season. With the loss of Marco Velez to Toronto FC, the Puerto Rico Islanders hope to use the off-season as a time to bring in some new talent.

A representative from MLF Sports said, “Scott has set the long-term goal of playing overseas, and his recent move to the Islanders will provide the needed foundation in reaching these goals.”

Jones has often been described as a very aggressive and strong player whom enjoys the challenge of taking on defenders with his skill and technical ability. His ball handling skills are even more evident when combined with his greatest asset in the cross; he gives quality crosses and through balls that nearly always creates dangerous scoring opportunities.

Scott Jones attended University of North Carolina Greensboro where he earned the status of a three-time Al-American. He has also played on many national and club teams that have even been ranked as highly as 5^th in the nation. Jones is joining the Islanders after playing a year in the MLS with FC Dallas. He hopes to be able to help lead the Islanders into the playoffs and beyond.

The Islanders start their 2008 season with a 10:00 p.m. match on Thursday, April 17^th. They travel to PGE Park in Portland to take on the Timbers. They follow that with back-to-back matches against Miami FC and hope to use these games as a platform to get on a nice roll for beginning the season.

Scott Jones inventore dei sistemi di voice mail, IVR, risponditori (digita 1 per parlare con…., 2 per assistenza,…) ecc., creatore di mille prodotti, generatore instancabile di idee eccetriche. Scrive continuamente dappertutto le idee che gli saltano in mente.

Per sviluppare la sua creatività si impone di fare le cose più strambe e inusuli. Fa cose ordinarie in modo diverso (mangia con la sinista, guarda la tv a pochi centimetri dallo schermo), così scaturiscono idee nuove, intuizioni trasformabili in prodotti o servizi da vendere.

Non c’è dubbio che l’ambiente conta: Google consente a ogni dipendente di impiegare il 20% delle ore di lavoro a progeti innovativi di iniziativa personale. In tutta la Silion Valley al bar si parla di idee innovative!

Ma anche le situazioni difficili aguzzano l’ingegno: quando non hai più niente da perdere devi dare sfogo alla tua creatività e puoi permetterti tentare di mettere in pratica idee apparentemente folli.

Tecniche per sviluppare la creatività:

• concentrarsi
• meditare in solitudine
• in gruppo, lasciar libera l’immaginazione e discuere a ruota libera di idee, soluzioni
• trovare applicazioni diverse a soluzioni esistenti
• trasferire a settori diversi idee, metodi, soluzioni applicate in una determinata area
• modificare le proprie abitudini
• fare le cose in modo diverso
• utilizzare le mappe mentali pe stimolare lato destro e sinistro del cervello

Liberamente tratto da “Trova un’idea geniale (e trasformala in un business)” di Maria Spezia – Millionaire aprile 2008

a proposito di creatività..

Oggi ho compreso la forza della creatività

Grazie Scott

	L’Eccezionale Tecnica degli Schemi Mentali Il sistema per stimolare la creatività, alimentare la memoria e migliorare l’apprendimento – Pnl Eric De La Parra Paz – Maria del Carmen Madero VegaCompralo su il Giardino dei Libri
	Lo Spirito del Silenzio Dare spazio alla creatività John LaneCompralo su il Giardino dei Libri
	L’Intuizione Accrescere le proprie possibilità, sviluppare la creatività, rinnovare la vita Claude DarcheCompralo su il Giardino dei Libri

Essere creativi – Francesco Martelli – La strategia e le tcniche pe avere più creatività nel lavoro e nella vita

Most entrepreneurs want to refer themselves to as “serial entrepreneurs”, which seems like they may not really have a clue to the meaning of the word, serial entrepreneurs.

And for a minute, just forget about the hype of the Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, etc.

The real serial entrepreneur is Scott Jones. He is the definition, the epitome, and the true serial entrepreneur. I admire him.

He’s not so well known in the mainstream public views, but he has created some of the world’s best, highly used, but may be underrated companies and services than anyone else.

“Ever heard of voice mail? Well, when Scott was only 25, his company Boston Technology invented the system used by nearly all the telephone companies around the globe.” (ChaCha.com, founder too).