Neurological tests led Dario Franchitti to retire

Neurological tests led Dario Franchitti to retire

"A repeat of that kind of concussion could be serious," team owner says.

INDIANAPOLIS — Dario Franchitti couldn't risk another head injury, his IndyCar Series team owner said Friday.

"A repeat of that kind of concussion could be serious," Chip Ganassi said in a conference call.

Franchitti suffered a concussion in his Oct. 6 crash in Houston, and while specifics of his injury haven't been revealed, Ganassi said recent neurological tests in Miami led doctors to advise retirement.

Franchitti, who is in Scotland, has not been reached for comment. But he said in a press release Thursday that head and spinal injuries suffered in the crash — in which his car went airborne into a catchfence on the last lap and landed back on the track -- forced him to stop racing.

FRANCHITTI: Shocks motor sports world with retirement

INDYCAR: Suffers blow with Franchitti's retirement

Ganassi said Franchitti was "heartbroken" to give the news, saying that the telephone call he received from the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time IndyCar Series champion sounded different than all other conversations he's had with him.

"His voice was different, his demeanor was different," Ganassi said. "He was certainly heartbroken. He's a bit of a realist about it, too. I went through all the obvious questions. He said, 'Look, I don't want to go forward. I'd never want to go forward and risk hurting somebody else or risk further injury, much less hurt somebody else.' He wouldn't dare risk giving a black eye to the sport or something by trying some sort of end around. That was out of the question. He respects professionals."

Franchitti had two surgeries on his broken ankle, one in Houston and one in Indianapolis, before traveling in the last two weeks to Miami to see IndyCar consultant Steve Olvey. The 40-year-old Franchitti then returned home to Scotland to continue his recovery.

He was in Scotland when he was advised to stop. Olvey, the associate professor of Clinical Neurology/Neurosurgery at the University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine, told RACER.com that Franchitti has suffered three concussions since 2002 and the one at Houston "was a big one, a significant concussion.

"He's got a higher risk for future concussions with less energy involved in a crash," Olvey told RACER. "And, as we've seen in pro football, repeated concussions can lead to early dementia, so he's got to think of his future. It's just too great a risk to take."

Ganassi said Franchitti will heal.

"Medically he has been told he'll make a 100 percent recovery, we've been told that from day one," Ganassi said. "These are all injuries that are recoverable. I don't want anybody thinking he's maimed for life."

11-15-2013 dario franchitti walker

In this photo provided by Team Chip Ganassi Racing, IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti, poses with his dogs, Shug and Buttermilk, in a photo taken by his brother, Marino Franchitti, at Memorial Hermann-

Texas Medical Center in Houston, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013.(Photo: Marino Franchitti, AP)

Continuing against the recommendation of experts "is not even close to his style," Ganassi said.

NASCAR: Mandates baseline concussion testing in '14

REPORT: Calls for action on concussions among kids

Baseline testing in NASCAR

Franchitti's retirement was still reverberating through the sport. Jimmie Johnson, who goes for his sixth NASCAR championship Sunday, said he feels horrible for his good friend.

"In one light, it shows just how bad his crash was. I'm just happy he is in good health," Johnson said. "My heart goes out to him from the perspective of having racing taken from him before it was time. That's got to be so tough to deal with. Everyone wants to walk away on their terms."

Franchitti's mentor, Jackie Stewart, said the four-time IndyCar champion is exiting on top and will be an asset outside of the car.

"There's not much more he could achieve in American motor racing," Stewart said at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin. "I think he's one of the real players in the business. He's got a strong future in front of him because of the success he's achieved in racing. Sad for motor racing because he's a great asset to us: A great looking guy, very eloquent and he's very fast."

Franchitti could also be the unofficial face of the importance of baseline concussion testing in racing.

NASCAR is mandating the testing beginning next season, in part because of the two concussions Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered last year. Earnhardt Jr. missed two races while recovering.

NASCAR will use the ImPACT test to measure verbal and visual memory, processing speed and reaction time, and determine if a driver is medically able to race following a concussion.

NASCAR President Mike Helton did not say Friday that Franchitti's injury validated NASCAR's decision to implement the testing. But he acknowledged the industry takes note when a champion driver has to get out of the car. Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart has been out since August with a broken leg, and Denny Hamlin missed several races earlier this year with a fractured vertebra.

"I think it has a huge effect on all of the motorsports industry when a caliber of driver like Dario says he's not going to get back in the car," Helton said.

Defending NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski has been outspoken in his opposition of the testing, which has long been required in IndyCar.

"Doctors don't understand our sport. They never have. Doctors aren't risk takers. We are," Keselowski has said. "That's what makes our sport what it is. When you get doctors involved, you water down our sport."

While not asked specifically about Keselowski, Ganassi referenced his stance while supporting the testing.

"Let's just say I'm probably 180 degrees different than the current NASCAR champion feels about having doctors around, their input," he said. "That statement comes from experiences that I've had personally. To break a bone is one thing, or to have a surgical procedure is another.

"But when it comes to your head, I think it's important that everybody understands that's probably the least known area of expertise by any doctor, and certainly there's a lot of expertise out there. They're just in the last four or five years understanding what injuries and implications of those injuries are."

Who will replace Franchitti at TGR?

As for Franchitti's replacement in the Target-sponsored No. 10 car, Ganassi conceded that Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan, who was signed to the team before Franchitti's accident, will be a candidate. The team is committed to fielding four cars, he said, with IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon driving the No. 9 car and Charlie Kimball the No. 83.

Ganassi said hiring a young driver is something team officials will consider in the coming weeks, but he seemed more likely to follow the advice of longtime friend and former staff member Morris Nunn, who often said, "You need to take the best driver available and don't think about anything else."

"I would love the opportunity to give a young guy a chance," Ganassi said. "I think there are better places for young people to come into the sport than into that 10 car.

"Whoever fills that seat not only has obviously big shoes, if not the biggest shoes to fill in the sport, but you're also somebody that has to be a huge teammate and able to help Scott Dixon, as well, and Kanaan and Charlie.

One former IndyCar champion who has said he is not interested in replacing Franchitti is Sam Hornish Jr.

Hornish, who won IndyCar championships in 2001, '02 and '06, said Target Chip Ganassi Racing reached out to his representatives this week but he is committed to remaining in NASCAR. Hornish will battle Austin Dillon for the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"I expressed I was very grateful even for the call," Hornish said Friday. "A door opens and the reason still stands to not do it. It's just any time I've had a thought or thought about that at all, it's been like very minimal.

"I've said it a million times: I did everything over there that I wanted to do, and way more. The only goal I had when I started racing was to go to the Indianapolis 500. I look at that as a chapter in my life."

This story was compiled from Curt Cavin, who writes for the Indianapolis Star, and the Associated Press.

Source : http://www.usatoday.com/

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PS4 launch review roundup: How are the console and the games?

PS4 launch review roundup: How are the console and the games?

The Playstation 4 has landed, the midnight releases are over, games are being played, and now the hype turns to critical review. All of the pre-release marketing, as persuasive as it may have been, ends up meaning nothing if the console doesn't please the Playstation faithful and persuade others to buy the console. So is the PS4 worth your $399?

As with many next-generation consoles, reviewers seem to agree that the PS4’s technical capabilities are sound -- though the system still has plenty of hurdles left ahead if Sony wants to re-create the massive success of the earlier PlayStation and PlayStation 2.

Los Angeles Times games critic Todd Martens praised the console’s appearance, its efforts to integrate social functions, such as recording and sharing gameplay footage with friends, and its ease of installation. But a glaring problem remains.

"Whereas the PS4 was fast and relatively painless to hook up -- the system went from out-of-the-box to operational in about 20 minutes, -- the system lacks must-have content, therefore an initial 'wow' moment," Martens wrote.

PHOTOS: PlayStation 4 launch, midnight mania

Others have similar praise, and concerns.

“The PS4 is packed with gaming-focused features and brimming with future-looking, community-driven possibilities,” Entertainment Weekly's Matt Cabral said.

“The Playstation 4 has an excellent controller, decently powerful hardware, some intriguing, well-executed new features and an interface that shows belated acknowledgment of some of Sony’s most user-unfriendly past designs,” Ars Technica’s Kyle Orland wrote.

But at the end of the day, it comes down to games, and the PS4’s launch lineup, particularly its exclusives, isn’t exactly wowing critics.

Kotaku’s Stephen Totilo expressed excitement about the console’s potential, but as he wrote in his ongoing review: “I just wish the launch games were better.”

Flagship first-person shooter “Killzone: Shadow Fall” has been featured prominently in pre-release promotions, and the game has been widely praised for its visual leap forward. But critics are finding, underneath the sheen, significant problems.

“For all the next-gen bluster of its visuals and the repeated blunt-force attempts to ram a message home, [developer] Guerilla’s first shot on the PS4 retreads shooter cliches, and poorly,” wrote Polygon’s Arthur Gies.

“Knack,” a game geared toward younger audiences, has met with even harsher criticism.

“Whether you’re 5 or 25, Knack is boring throughout its 10-hour duration,” GameTrailers said in its review.

REVIEW: Is the PS4 worth your money?

The PS4’s launch lineup is rife with other high-profile installments in the “Call of Duty,” “Battlefield” and “Assassin’s Creed” series -- but those same titles, barring some graphical differences, are already available, or soon will be, on the PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PCs.

The lack of must-play titles is common with new consoles, though some shake off that problem sooner than others. Sony, whose Playstation 3 was plagued by the “PS3 has no games” meme early on in the last generation, appears aware that much of its upcoming fight with Microsoft will be decided by whether it can follow through with top-notch titles.

After all, as Martens wrote: "Followers of the PS3 know that the system’s best games were not among the initial wave, and Sony cemented its deserved game-first reputation in 2013."

During its launch event Thursday night, Sony teased several titles, some of which will be exclusive to the PS4, including new installments in the popular “Uncharted” and “inFAMOUS” series and exclusive content from “Destiny.”

Watch the trailers below and see if those titles are enough to persuade you to be an early adopter, or wait a year or two for the PS4 library to grow.

Source : http://www.latimes.com/

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4 Marines killed in Camp Pendleton accident

4 Marines killed in Camp Pendleton accident

Marine Corps says accident took place during range maintenance operation on the base.

Four Marines were killed Wednesday in what the military described as a range accident at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

The Marine Corps said the accident took place during a range maintenance operation around 11 a.m. on the base along the Pacific Coast north of San Diego.

Lt. Ryan Finnegan, a base spokesman, said the accident came during regularly scheduled maintenance of the Zulu impact area, where artillery, mortar and aerial bombs strike during training exercises. Area Zulu is near the center of the sprawling, 125,000-acre base.

Camp spokesman Cpl. Michael Iams said there were no other injuries. NBC News reported that the accident involved the detonation of unexploded ordnance.

The names of the dead and the units they were assigned to were not immediately announced pending notification of families.

"We offer our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the families of the Marines lost today in this tragic accident," said Brig. Gen. John Bullard, commanding general, Marine Corps Installations West-Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. "Our first priority is to provide the families with the support they need during this difficult time.''

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, Jim Michaels in Washington; Gary Strauss in McLean, Va.

Source : http://www.usatoday.com/

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Officials say 4 Marines killed in accident at Camp Pendleton

Officials say 4 Marines killed in accident at Camp Pendleton

Four U.S. Marines were killed Wednesday during a range maintenance operation at Camp Pendleton in California, the base said in a press release.

The base did not provide any other details on what it called a “fatal incident,” but said it would release the names of those killed after their families were notified. 

The Marines were clearing the range of unexploded ordnance, and it was not a live firing range, a Marine official said. No further details were released.

"We offer our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the families of the Marines lost today in this tragic accident. Our first priority is to provide the families with the support they need during this difficult time," said Brig. Gen. John W. Bullard, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations West at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

The base said the cause of the accident is under investigation, and more information will be released as it becomes available.

The deaths come about eight months after a mortar explosion killed seven Marines during a live-fire training exercise in Nevada.

A military investigation determined human error was to blame for that accident. According to the probe's findings, a Marine operating a 60 mm mortar tube and ammunition did not follow correct procedures, resulting in the detonation of a high explosive round at the mortar position.

The investigation also determined that the mortar team involved in the accident had not conducted "appropriate preparatory training."

Source :http://www.foxnews.com

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Andy Kaufman still alive, claims 'daughter'

Andy Kaufman still alive, claims 'daughter'

Comedian Andy Kaufman, who died nearly 30 years ago, is still alive – that's according to a 24-year-old woman claiming to be his daughter.

She says her father faked his own death in 1984 to be a stay-at-home dad.

More a performance artist than a comedian, Kaufman wanted his audiences to question reality.

The entertainer died suddenly from cancer in 1984, but ever since there have been rumours that his death was an elaborate hoax.

At the annual Kaufman Awards this week  his brother Michael brought along a young woman, who told the crowds she was Andy Kaufman's daughter and that her father is still alive.

It's not the first time someone has claimed Kaufman as their father.

One story was that his long-lost son tracked him down in Albuquerque and posted a video online after Kaufman shunned him.  Whoever posted the video claims the footage shows Kaufman walking through a parking lot in New Mexico.

But the latest claims by the woman calling herself Andy Kaufman's daughter are by far the strongest.

She even said he had considered going to the awards that night - but backed out at the last minute.

Source : http://www.3news.co.nz

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HackPrinceton site What Would I Say passes 1 million hits, gains national attention

HackPrinceton site What Would I Say passes 1 million hits, gains national attention

“We lured a girl into the Large Hadron Collider.”

“Herman Cain has already received a carefully groomed mustache.”

“We tried to eat our spectacular students.”

These are just three examples of the randomly generated non sequiturs produced by What Would I Say, a website developed by seven Princeton graduate students during last weekend’s HackPrinceton event. The website, which generates fake, semi-coherent Facebook statuses based on a user’s prior Facebook activity, has gone viral, receiving over 1 million hits from 300,000 unique visitors. The site was featured in The New Yorker and Business Insider.

Pawel Przytycki GS, Ugne Klibaite GS, Vicky Yao GS, Edward Young GS, Bolong Cheng GS, Daniel Jiang GS and Alex Furger GS collaborated to create the website, which was entirely designed and built during HackPrinceton’s 48-hour timeframe. The team, which said it never expected the site to become as big as it has, noted that its sudden popularity has brought unforeseen problems.

“I think it’s funny to note that the site is actually losing money right now,” Young said. “So we have no ads right now, and we are paying for server costs out of pocket. And server costs are cheap until you start getting like 600,000 hits.”

The team has discussed putting up advertisements to cover the costs but isn’t sure how it will proceed.

“We thought server costs would be minimal,” Furger said, “but once you hit like one million page views, it’s like, ‘Oh, god.’ We don’t want to have ads, but we might need to do something small or an ad on our Facebook page.”

“We don’t care about making any money,” Furger added. “We just don’t want to lose money.”

The idea for the site originated at HackPrinceton, as the team sat down to discuss ideas for its 48-hour project.

“It happened really organically,” Przytycki said. “We were just throwing around ideas at the hackathon, and I said, ‘Oh, this is something I’ve always wanted to try out.’ People had already been building bots that would chat with you based on responding to what you would say, and … we figured that Facebook was a great source of information.”

Furger and Klibaite said they were also motivated to create the site by a prize that Facebook was offering for the HackPrinceton project that best used Facebook information. What Would I Say takes information from a user’s previous statuses, posts on his or her own wall and captions on his or her photos.

“We talked about making the bot, and then we were trying to decide where we would find the data,” Furger said. “Since Facebook was offering a prize for the best integration of their website …”

“We wanted swag,” Klibaite interrupted, referring to the Facebook gear the company gave away at the event. The team received four laptop bags and two Facebook hats, and it will receive hoodies, they said.

The team members said they met a Facebook employee at HackPrinceton who is currently in communication with them about improving What Would I Say and its Facebook integration. HackPrinceton was integral to the website’s creation for the creative atmosphere it provided and the connections they were able to build from it, Young said.

“HackPrinceton was amazing,” Young said. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without HackPrinceton. Ultimately, we would have spent our weekend dicking around watching football or something.”

While the idea emerged organically, the creation of the website involved a lot of testing and hard work, the group said. The website is based off of a Markov chain, a famous mathematical system that can generate real-looking random text given a sample document. Markov chains are often used to generate fake text that seems to make sense. They provide the mathematical background for a number of Internet applications, most notably Google’s PageRank algorithm that determines the order in which websites appear on Google searches.

“We did a lot of tuning to make sure it was random enough that it was funny or amusing,” Young said, “but not so much that it was just random phrases. We also had the problem where it would just print out an old status. That’s no fun. Balancing those two and trying to make the fake statuses have that right feel was our main focus.”

Despite the server costs, the team said it was delighted at the website’s success and the publicity it has attracted.

“We immediately got in the same room as soon as we heard from The New Yorker,” Furger said. “We were all like, ‘This is incredibly cool.’ ”

Klibaite said her parents were perplexed by the website.

“I forwarded it [the article in The New Yorker] to my mom and my dad, and my parents were like, ‘Why would anyone do this?’ ” Klibaite said.

Natalie Villasana, a freshman at Oberlin College, discovered What Would I Say Tuesday afternoon. Villasana said she felt like the site was a “throwback” because most of her statuses were from a few years ago.

“It’s kind of addictive,” Villasana said. “There’s definitely an element of narcissism that appeals to people because they feel like they created the fake status. And, in a way, they did.”

Source : http://dailyprincetonian.com

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