Mexico

Speedy Faith describes it as a picturesque day in Albuquerque, N.M., five or six years ago. He and longtime Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher had just finished dinner — on Urlacher, of course — after running a football camp and stepped outside. “It was beautiful. With the mountains. Everything,” Faith said. But Urlacher had a beef to settle with his high school coach from Lovington, N.M. “He said, ‘Coach, I think I’m mad at you,’ and I looked at him and said, ‘Brian, you’re mad at me? You’re an NFL superstar,’?” Faith explained. “He said, ‘But, yeah, if you had played …

It’s a big Friday night in college baseball as the draft is now just 13 days away. With the Pittsburgh Pirates picking #9 and #14, they are getting some last looks in at the players in their range. A lot of the talk recently has centered around players that have either dropped in the rankings, like Georgia HS outfielders Clint Frazier and Austin Meadows, or we have heard about college bats that they may be looking at. Those bats for the most part are guys who were ranked lower this year, but have surpassed some of the college pitchers that have faltered recently. Some of these players mentioned below are ones to watch in the second round, possible guys that could fall and give the Pirates a strong pick at the 51st spot in the draft. Kris Bryant and San Diego, took on San Francisco today, facing off against Alex Balog. The big right-hander has been getting mention recently as a possible first round pick. Baseball America had a special article on him recently worth checking out. It was a tough outing for Balog, who gave up six runs on 11 hits and four walks in six innings. Bryant went 1-for-4, with a walk and two runs scored. The walk was intentional and the hit was a single to lead off the game. Bobby Wahl from Ole Miss never got to pitch this weekend because his team was eliminated from the SEC tournament on Thursday. Also not pitching this week is Jonathon Crawford, as his team was eliminated on Tuesday by Texas A&M. Colin Moran from North Carolina seems to be the best bat from the college ranks that could possibly fall to the Pirates. On Friday night, his team took on Clemson. North Carolina scored five runs in the ninth inning to send it to extra innings. Moran didn’t help much in the win on the offense side, going 1-for-7, with a walk and no runs scored or RBI’s. The hit was a seventh inning single. North Carolina won 12-7 in 14 innings. Stanford took on UCLA on Friday night with Mark Appel on the mound. He had a great outing, going eight innings, with one run allowed on three hits, two walks and a hit batter. He recorded nine strikeouts and threw 123 pitches. Austin Wilson went 1-for-3, with a single in Stanford’s 2-1 win. DJ Peterson from New Mexico has been linked to the Pirates recently, more times than anyone else. He took on UNLV on Friday night and went 2-for-4 in his team’s 7-1 win. He had two singles, scored a run and struck out twice. Aaron Judge went 1-for-4, with two strikeouts in his team’s 4-0 loss. Fresno State was eliminated from the Mountain West tournament with the loss. Judge had a single, run scored and walk in a 10-1 win over Nevada earlier in the day. Yesterday he hit his 12th homer of the season in a 6-4 with over Navy. Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo went 2-for-3 Wednesday in the first game of the Big East tournament. He had his 18th double and drove in two runs. On Thursday, he went 1-for-4, stealing his third base of the season. Notre Dame has won both games so far and they will play again tomorrow. Ryan Eades from LSU, pitched today against Alabama and went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk, while striking out four batters. He left with a 2-1 deficit, but LSU came back and won it late, helping Eades avoid what would have been just his second loss all season. Last night, Marco Gonzales lost to San Francisco in the WCC tournament. The lefty from Gonzaga has really slipped in the rankings since being highly rated early on and his start on Thursday didn’t help. He went seven innings, giving up six runs on 11 hits and three walks. He struck out four batters and threw 130 pitches. It could be possible that he slips to the second round, giving the Pirates a chance at a polished/athletic lefty, with four pitches. He may not project to have huge upside, but he could move quickly through the system and being a lefty helps at PNC. Draft Notes Earlier today, we posted a recap of Baseball America’s second mock draft, which can be

Laid-off welders in Ontario sit idle, while oilsands employers in Alberta are chronically short-handed. High-skill jobs go unfilled, yet university graduates can’t find work. Canada has 1.33 million unemployed workers, yet business hired 338,000 temporary foreign workers last year, citing shortages in such low-skilled jobs as fast-food servers.Why? One reason cited has been called the skills mismatch or skills shortage, phrases that refer to the growing gap between the skills Canadian employers say they need and the ones job seekers can provide.Employers say it’s one of the toughest challenges they face; the federal government made it the centrepiece of its 2013 budget, with a training incentive grant for employers called the Canada Job Program.Labour groups, meanwhile, say the skills crisis has been overblown by employers looking for a way to keep a lid on wages and training costs.On all sides, there’s precious little agreement about what the skills shortage is, how to address it, and whether it even exists.There is, however, agreement on the need to address the growing problem of what one observer has called “People without Jobs: Jobs without People.”How pressing is the ‘skills gap’?Like other advanced economies, Canada has an aging population and a rapidly changing economy.As the first wave of baby boomers hits retirement age and younger people stay in school longer, the percentage of Canadians in their prime earnings years begins to shrink, taking with it Canada’s capacity to fund everything from pensions to education.John Manley, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, has called it a “demographic time bomb.”Critics say the impact of this demographic shift is being overstated, saying the warnings ignore the fact many baby boomers are already staying in the workforce longer, either because lifespans are lengthening or they need to recover retirement savings lost in the recent economic downturn.The federal government’s own data shows the overall labour market will remain “in balance” over the next decade, much like it is today.The Canadian Occupational Projection System predicts Canada will create 6.5 million new jobs and 6.3 million new job seekers — including recent graduates and immigrants — between 2011 and 2020.Retiring baby boomers will play a huge role in the creation of job openings, the study acknowledges, creating nearly two-thirds of the vacancies, while economic growth will account for the rest.At the same time, globalization has intensified the competition from lower-cost countries, creating a growing pool of jobless Canadians at the low-skilled end of the workforce, while technology changes the nature of work.“The new jobs require more education, more specific skills than the professions of the past,” said Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at CIBC World Markets. “And we are competing with China and Mexico. And we lose low-skilled employment to those countries.“The nature of those jobs is changing. So the nature of training and education is changing. The labour market is changing faster than our ability to adapt to it.”Business groups like the Canadian Chamber of Commerce say if nothing is done to address these challenges, we could have a shortfall of 1 million skilled workers by the end of the decade. That could mean lower productivity and longer waits for service. “A crisis that had been hidden by the recession has become fully apparent,” the chamber said in a policy paper outlining its top 10 public policy priorities.Labour groups, however, say the skills crisis has been overblown. “In very rare industries and very rare regions, labour markets are tight,” said Jim Stanford, economist with the Canadian Auto Workers. “But we should not for a minute accept at face value the claim that there

The Cruz Azul vs. America Final 2013 will feature a lot of good players battling it out in the second leg of the Liga MX Final.Cruz Azul took the first leg by a score of 1-0. What do they need to do to score a second upset? And what can America do to advance? Cruz AzulCruz Azul needs a superhuman performance from goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona. Corona stopped all 22 shots in the first leg, and held Club America scoreless. Corona is probably the best goalie in Mexico. He was the starting goalkeeper on the 2012 Mexican gold medal-winning Olympic team. He has 81 saves in 21 games this year. In order to advance, Corona needs to be at his best. In the second half of the first leg, America dominated. Top scorers Cristian Benitez and Raul Jimenez will be threats, and Jesus Molina and Juan Carlos Medina ran circles around Cruz Azul and midfielder Gerardo Torrado in the first leg.Club America dominated possession in the first leg, meaning they will have more time to get quality shots off. With Cruz Azul only getting six shots off in the last match, they will need all they can get from Corona.If he's up to the task, then Cruz Azul has a chance. However, Club America needs just one goal to advance. Corona needs to pitch another shutout against a top offensive team. It will be quite the task. Club AmericaClub America has to keep up their performance from the second half of the first leg. Despite losing, America dominated possession, keeping the ball for 58 percent of the time. They had 22 shots and looked like the much better team.Their offense had an easy time getting around the Cruz Azul defense. If not for Corona, America could have scored at least three goals.They will take that momentum into the second leg. By keeping the pressure on Corona, it will make it more likely that the goalkeeper will make a mistake. With Cristian Benitez, Raul Jiminez and Jesus Molina making life tough for the shaky Cruz Azul defenders, a goal will eventually squeak by Corona. Final ThoughtsClub America is a better team that Cruz Azul. Without Corona's top performance, it's likely that America would have won. They'll bring an offensive assault, something that even Corona will be hard-pressed to stop. Look for Club America to win this one pretty easily, and advance in the Liga MX final.

While some, we are sure, will view this brief clip as partisan showmanship by Representative Steve Pearce, the questions he asks Treasury Secretary should surely be responded to in some manner that is anything but the typical perfunctory shrug these matters normally garner. From Lew's apparent disbelief that the IRS Audits debacle was in any way 'political' to Lew's "waiting for the investigation' on Jon Corzine's misappropriation of funds, and finally to the "War on the Poor" that Pearce describes the current administration's policies (for the benefit of Wall Street); these few minutes are well worth some time as we 'remember' this weekend. "For New Mexico, we recognize a war on the poor when we see it" (h/t Sense On Cents)

Mexico Beach is all about the good time vibes - the perfect soundtrack for your Memorial Day weekend. All five members of the Brooklyn-based band are transplants from Georgia, and their raw sound captures an energetic, live feel that is so often missing from rock music these days. I'm A Goner is a track from Mexico Beach's debut EP, appropriately titled "No Tan Lines." Combining melodic bass and guitar lines with a driving drum groove and energetic group vocals, you can't help but relax and groove to the beat. As Mexico Beach would say it, "sit Read MoreBlog: Et Musique Pour TousRelated: EMPT Presents Indaba Music Weekly Guest Post: AMBASSADORS UnconsolableEMPT Presents Indaba Music Weekly: Ace Reporter Collected WorksEMPT Presents Indaba Music Weekly: Emily Greene Starting FreshEMPT Presents Indaba Music Weekly: Foxkit Could Be WrongEMPT Presents Indaba Music Weekly: Rachel Brown Cooler Than Me

Nopalito started it. In the past few years, restaurants such as Tacolicious, Rosa Mexicano, and Mamacita have been putting the Mission burrito in its place, broadening our palates for Mexican flavors with mid-priced sit-down spots. Call them gringo-fied, or call them upscale Mex. Either way, they have lines out the door. Now, the crew behind Mamacita and The Tipsy Pig is serving south-of-the-border fare in ?Cole Valley at the already bustling and likeable Padrecito. Given all the tequila and baskets of tortilla chips making the rounds, the ranchero-style dining room, with glass walls overlooking the neighborhood, is more lively and loud than in ?its previous incarnation as Eos. At the crowded bar a few steps upstairs, bar manager David ?Ruiz slings margaritas and a dozen unique house cocktails, several highlighting mezcal, the oft-maligned, smoky cousin of tequila. The Misterioso, for instance, is a well-balanced drink with cassis, lemon, and allspice syrup. Tacos take the spotlight on executive chef Luis Contreras’ menu of elevated-taqueria fare, which is similar to but more polished than the food at Mamacita. The best among them is the darkly spiced, arugula-topped skirt steak taco. Unusual spins on Mexican classics are also a welcome surprise—think chilaquiles topped with smoked bacon, Brussels sprouts, and bright salsa amarilla, as well as a Mexico City-style bowl of ceviche with mahi mahi submerged in a tart citrus-serrano aguachile. The lamb albondigas (meatballs) with guajillo mole and ?cilantro-flecked rice show the most promise. Topped with Manchego and crispy Brussels sprout leaves, the meatballs are both comforting and complex—totally worth going back for more. This article was published in 7x7's May issue. Click here to subscribe.

We know some ladies that would have LOVED to win this prize! Russian Millionaire Pays $1.29 Million At Auction For Space Expedition With Leonard DiCaprio Via NYDailyNews A trip to space with Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio raised 1.2 million euros ($1.5 million) for charity at a glitzy fundraiser at the Cannes film festival on Thursday. At the 20th annual event organized by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, DiCaprio emerged as the mystery guest to accompany the winner on a Virgin Galactic flight into space. DiCaprio stars in the film “The Great Gatsby,” which opened the 66th Cannes film festival. Actress Sharon Stone said the winning bidder would spend three days in training with DiCaprio in New Mexico before blast-off. “You don’t get to go to outer space every day with a handsome movie star,” said Stone, dressed in a tight-fitting white dress with a gold snake trim down the back. The bidding started at 1 million euros ($1.29 million). The auction brochure for the star-studded gala held at the five-star Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, near Cannes, said DiCaprio and the winning bidder would be among the first 1,000 people to leave the planet. The winner, Vasily Klyukin, 37, a Russian living in Monaco, said he had always wanted to go into space. “I want to be a bit daring,” Klyukin, who works in real estate, told Reuters. “I will have to give up smoking now for sure!” After the successful bid from Klyukin – who also bought a gold and diamond necklace for 400,000 euros ($517,000) – Stone announced two other tickets were available on the flight. They raised another 1.8 million euros ($2.3 million). We can think of a lot of other things that we’d rather do with $1.29 milli than be on a rocket to outer space with ol’ Leo, but hey, have fun comrade. Image via WENN

(Credit: University of Kentucky; W.J. Henney and M. Peimbert, Vanderbilt University; G.J. Ferland, National Autonomous University of Mexico; David Thompson, NASA; ESA; C.R. Robert O'Dell, University of Arizona) Hubble has been doing some interesting work with nebulae recently, it seems. About a month ago, we saw new images of the Horsehead Nebula in the infrared spectrum, revealing new details of the famous gas formation. The newest nebula to get the fine-detail treatment is the equally famous Ring Nebula. Combining visible-light images from Hubble with infrared data from the ground-based Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona has revealed that the structure of the nebula is more complex than was previously believed. Image of the Ring Nebula captured in 1998. (Credit: NASA/Hubble Heritage Team) "The nebula is not like a bagel, but rather, it's like a jelly doughnut, because it's filled with material in the middle," said C. Robert O'Dell of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., who leads the research team that obtained the images. "With ... [Read more]Related Links:Hubble captures possible 'comet of the century'If Earth had rings like Saturn, the sky would look like thisNASA's Fermi telescope dodges a 3,100-pound bulletGawk at new images of Saturn's super-sized hurricaneFiery annular solar eclipse to be broadcast live on Internet

Deepwater and Ultra-Deepwater exploration and drilling have shown a remarkable increase over the past few years. This is due in part to the development of new technologies which have reduced operational costs and risks, as well as the finding of reservoirs that will produce high production wells. There are many zones throughout the world that possess the potential for high quality production that not so long ago were "out of reach."Oil and gas service companies such as Halliburton (HAL), National Oilwell Varco (NOV) and Baker Hughes (BHI) have pushed the envelope with their engineering and technological advancements. Many of these advancements have opened up a greater amount of opportunities in areas such as the Pre-Salt region off the coast of Brazil, the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the Barents Sea off the northern coast of Norway.Each of these regions will looking to increase production and capitalize on their