that its purpose is a mystery.
using a sample from the Natural History Museum in Paris.
tympanic bulla of a fin whale, the skull bone that previously held the record.
average mammalian bone,” says Currey.
that other specialised cells later filled with more mineral-rich bone.
But this channelled structure makes the bone like a brittle ceramic material.
it a very fragile material.” Because of this, the bone’s purpose is a mystery.
sound waves,” he adds.
I'd like to formally apply for hype man/fishing buddy/personal historian/private chef/handyman/driver for any Knicks players, coach or staff. I didn't see anything I don't know anything I'm just  a guy. 


I just need 120k and a good work environment. My car got a flat this morning and I wasn't even late taking my Granny to her appointment. I'm just gunna keep throwing applications into the void. Anyone got a lead on a decent career I'm willing and able to move. I'll even clean toilets if the pay is right.I met Aaron Judge in Tampa, Florida, this spring near his locker in the corner of the Yankees clubhouse. Prior to the interview we shook hands, that most culturally traditional way of greeting a stranger. He engulfed my right hand with a catcher’s mitt of an appendage, and a grip something like a vice tightening. Thankfully for the structural integrity of my metacarpals, he relaxed the grip.
It should come as no surprise that he has as much raw power as any player in the game. It should come as little surprise that he already holds the Statast record for exit velocity of a batted baseball (119.4 mph), surpassing that of Giancarlo Stanton (119.2 mph), whom is his most commonly cited, best-case comp, and a fellow could-have-been Division I tight end.
Judge, of course, is off to a tremendous start — a start documented yesterday by FanGraphs’ Craig Edwards, who notes that the young outfielder has enjoyed one of the most power-laden Aprils on record. Judge is one of the most compelling young assets Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has accumulated, a player who could be part of the next Yankee dynasty. While few expect Judge to continue his torrid pace, he has answered questions about his ability to serve as a quality regular, and he’s reduced the distance from the floor to his considerable ceiling.
The question with Judge — as with Stanton or any hulk of a player — has been clear: can he make enough contact? Can he translate more of his raw power into game power?
The answer has been mostly in the affirmative so far this year. After striking out at a staggering 44.2% rate in his first 95 major-league plate appearances last season — raising alarms in the process — Judge struck out in just 26.7% of his April plate appearances. After posting the sixth-worst zone contact percentage (73.8%) among hitters with at least 90 plate appearances last season, Judge has improved his zone contact percentage to 86.5%. He has cut his swinging-strike rate from 18% last year to 12% this spring.
Many seem quite surprised by the breakout, and we should be surprised by the depth and level of it. But we also should have probably seen it coming, because it happened before the season began. Judge began doing this in March and it meant something.
The Brits gave us rounders, the beginnings of baseball, and also proof that some spring-training statistics matter — including strikeout rate. Judge dramatically reduced his strikeout rate this spring, K-ing just 15 times in 69 plate appearances, for a 21.7% rate. That meant something.
And it meant even more in context, when you learn that Judge spent his winter studying the swings of the game’s best hitters, and larger-framed hitters like Stanton and Miguel Cabrera. He was often glued to his phone or tablet searching YouTube for swings to study. He was focused on reducing the length of his swing. He knew what he had to fix and he was motivated to make the adjustment. He traveled to New York this winter to retool his swing with the Yankees hitting instructors.
After producing a negative linear-weight value against fastballs last season (-2.5), he’s produced positive value early this one (2.5). Judge is better catching up to major-league fastballs, he’s better identifying and contacting pitches in the zone.
Judge is tightening his zone.
Of course, even those spring-training statistics that we regard as more predictive, like strikeout rate, can be misleading. Byron Buxton struck out 11 times in 53 spring plate appearances. He hasn’t carried that performance into the season. But there was evidence of Judge closing the gaps in his swing this spring, there were signs of improved process and approach. So as impressive as Judge’s April was, really, we should have seen it coming. Well, maybe not all of this amazing-ness, but some of it. Sometimes what happens in March carries meaning. We shouldn’t be so quick to erase all meaning from spring-training improvement. Judge is the largest living example of that.
Should The Nationals Move Trea Turner to Center Field?
The problem with spring stats is you don’t necessarily know by looking at ST numbers in full what is the level of competition the player went against (although after a certain number of PAs you figure these things would even out).
For example, Buxton could’ve faced many more minor league pitchers vs. Judge this spring.
I typically don’t view good ST stats as being a positive indicator, but if a player has bad ST stats to me that can be a red flag.
Ironically, I’m the opposite. Good results can’t be faked, but bad results can be the result of experimentation; new pitch, new swing, etc.
I think what we need is a measure of how a hitter did relative to the other hitters against the same pitcher.In this edition of Culture Corner where we show you behind the scenes at Outsource Access we bring you some holiday cheer!
Come check out the photos from our incredible holiday party with nearly 170 in attendance with talent contests, speeches, and top award winners for the year!
All our VAs are excellent at what they do, but there is always someone whose performance stands out from the rest. For this year, it’s Muznah Gadiaware. Muznah without question, emanates our Core Values “G.R.E.A.T”. (Gratitude, Relationship Driven, Everlong Quest for Improvement, Attention to Details and Thoughtful Communicators). This is shown on her KPI score month over month. On her Thank You speech she said “When I first started, I was lacking in so many areas, I am thankful to Kyle-my client and my teammates for their patience and guidance for me to become the VA I am today”. Keep it up Muznah!
Birthdays and Anniversaries are always special, so we celebrate it with people dear to our hearts. We want to say thank you to the celebrants for spending another year of your lives with us. To many more!November 2019 – FOCA’s comments on the proposed changes to the Aggregate Resources Act
October 2019 – FOCA’s comments on the 2019 proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS)
September 2019 – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is responsible for managing Ontario’s aggregate resources, through the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA). The Ministry has proposing changes to the ARA, to “reduce burdens for business while also ensuring the environment is protected.” These changes were posted as ERO 019-0556. The MNRF summary of proposed changes include:
- strengthening the protection of water
- asserting that the application of municipal zoning on Crown land does not apply to aggregate extraction and that duplicative municipal zoning by-laws will be eliminated
- clarifying that appeals about licenses cannot be made relative to aggregate haulage routes
- providing more flexibility for regulations to permit self-filing of routine site plan amendments
As a significant group of rural landowners, FOCA believes that the siting and operation of aggregate resources should be subject to open and transparent public discourse and this activity needs to adequately consider adjacent and proximate land uses, due to the potentially intrusive nature of these operations.
The Province posts information about the Aggregate Resources Act, here.
September 2019 – The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) contains policies to direct land use decisions involving matters of provincial interest, such as:
- building strong/healthy communities;
- ensuring wise use/management of resources; and
- protecting public health/safety
The proposed 2019 PPS update includes changes to current policies in relation to natural heritage, water, agriculture, mineral aggregate resources & hazards.
Details, supporting materials & links regarding the 2019 PPS Review was posted on the Environmental Registry: see
• The deadline for public comments was October 21, 2019
What is the Planning Act?
The Planning Act sets out the ground rules for land use planning in Ontario, describes how land uses may be controlled, and who may control them..
Notes from the Executive Director of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI):
%.”
The Planning LPAT (formerly OMB) for a public hearing.
Public participation is an important part of land use planning. There have been efforts undertaken related to this process, and to protect individuals who want to speak up against “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation” (SLAPP