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Series note: The Storm conducted exit interviews on Thursday, giving me the opportunity to ask players everything from views on their season to fashion and hair tips. I'll post conversations from each in the upcoming days. Centers Ewelina Kobryn (Poland) and Ann Wauters (Belgium) won't be featured due to their quick return home. Here's a conversation with wing Katie Smith, a two-time WNBA champion who had a better season with the Storm in 2012. She averaged 6.7 points and 2.7 rebounds and was moved into the starting lineup after a year on the bench.

Q: You're still finishing school this offseason, right? Katie Smith: School (master's in dietetics) has been kinda going on anyways. I'll get back in it on Tuesday (Oct. 9). We've started our supervised practice rotations -- it's more of an internship. My first rotation is WIC -- Women, Infants,and Children -- in downtown Columbus. You go out in the community and you do that, then we'll do a food-service rotation and a long-term care rotation. Then a clinical rotation. We'll get our hours in and see how it applies to the real world after you've been in the classroom for a year.

Q: So, with WIC, what will you actually do? Is it a person-to-person experience? Smith: There's an RD (registered dietician) already there who I'll go and basically follow/work with. It's basically like your residency with medical school. You're going and working with them and asking questions. They might ask you to do stuff and use you. You might volunteer, you might be hands-on. I don't know how it's all going to pan out, but your preceptor...it's nerve-racking. It'll keep you on your toes. It's going to be challenging. But it's going to be nice to see real life. What you like and what you may want to get into when it's all over. So, I'm excited/really kind of nervous about it.

Q: Going forward with WNBA play, I know you like to sign one-year deals, will that be the case next year? Smith: Right now, I'd like to play. That's my mindset right now, I want to play next summer. We'll see how it pans out, where I'll be, who wants me and all of that. But, yeah, right now I feel pretty good. I still feel like I can help a team out.

Q: Is that because of the way you played the second half of the season and in the playoffs? Smith: It's the whole year. In the beginning of the season, I was a little banged up. But I feel good. I still feel like I can contribute to a team, you know. I still feel like I'm an asset and that's what I want to be. Sure, I'm not your franchise (player). I'm not here carrying everything, but we (veterans) can be pieces that can help a team win games and win championships. And that's how I feel. I still feel like I have a lot to physically give a team, to (be) whatever pieces to help them win.

Q: Have you talked to (Storm coach) Brian Agler about that, yet? Smith: Yeah, I told him I'd like to play, again, so...they've got to figure out who, what, salary cap, that, this. You know, they (Storm president and CEO Karen Bryant, Agler, and the ownership group) have a lot of decisions and things they need to worry about. When the time comes, I know Brian and enjoy playing for him. I think he likes what I bring to the team, but there's a lot of other factors that go into things. We'll see how that all plays out down the road. There's a lot of other things they have to worry about before me. They'll take care of it.

Q: But he didn't tell you to hang it up, though? Smith: No, he'd be happy to have me, again.

Q: I know, but one of things I wanted to ask was that with getting older -- especially since Brian tends to like veterans -- how do you explain that philosophy and its benefits? Particularly since it seems time for the franchise to take a bump and get younger for the betterment of the future. Smith: Yeah, but it's just their choice. Yeah, you could take a bump. He could have taken a bump this year, but it's just a choice. You either do it or you don't. Their core is at a good place because they're sort of middle-aged, I suppose, in basketball age. You've just got to figure out the pieces, You've got a good draft pick this year (No. 6 in 2013). Then you just work with it -- do we, do we not? Who can we get? It's not always, 'Hey, this is what we want.' It isn't like you just go pick people off the street. People are under contract, people that you want you may not want to lock them in. Maybe it's not worth that money. There's a lot of factors that go into it. And maybe there's a young free agent. There are so many scenarios and pieces that go into their final roster. Money. How many years. It's a tough (decision). But, at the end of the day, you have to say, 'This is what we're doing. We're going to take some bumps and get some young ones, maybe they'll pan out, maybe they won't.'

Q: Yes, it's all a gamble. But that last game, you guys looked like that Hall of Fame team and it was really impressive. Maybe vets are a good idea? Smith: It would be fun to have that team maybe all year. Maybe even for the whole second half of the season. It would be great to have everybody feeling great. But that's the nature of the beast. We battled. We gave ourselves a shot. Sure, a couple more plays here and there -- we put ourselves in a great position to win that series. Did not, but sure, it'd be nice if everybody was feeling 100 percent. We would have had more time with each other, but it was still fun to compete and battle and play cat-and-mouse to try to figure out how to win that series. You know, only one person is happy at the end of the season. Ours was a little shorter than what we wanted. I don't know, Seattle will have to figure out how they want to go and that's exciting/nerve-racking because, like you said, any sport is kind of a gamble.

Q: You've been here for two years, how have you seen Camille Little develop? Smith: She's consistent. She plays hard. She's a go-to. You know if you get her touches, especially on the block, she going to find a way to either get to the free-throw line or make tough, tough shots. She also can guard anybody. She's agile, can keep up with a lot of people, so it's really easy to switch (defense on opponents) with her. She can do a lot of things and is real versatile. It's fun because she's a gamer. Somebody that's a competitor that you like and have confidence in when you give her the ball and on the defensive end. She knows what she's doing.

Here is the original post:
Storm Exit Interviews: The word from Katie Smith

NEW YORK (AP) There's nothing I like more than getting some writing done at my favorite neighborhood coffeehouse. It's relaxing, I'm more productive and the place makes a great cappuccino.

But after I bought my iPad about a year ago, I didn't want to go back to schlepping around my laptop, which suddenly seemed so heavy and clunky by comparison.

We all know that tablets are great for watching online videos of frolicking kittens, updating your Facebook status and checking email. But can they really substitute for a laptop when it comes to doing actual work?

To find out, I downloaded software for using word processing and spreadsheets on mobile devices. One works with just iPhones and iPads, while another works with devices running Google's Android system as well. I also test drove an upcoming update to Microsoft Office, one designed to seamlessly link work on PCs, tablets and smartphones.

All of the programs store and access files over the Internet rather than the individual devices. That approach can be pretty handy once you get the hang of it.

Unfortunately, the programs also all involve, well, typing on a tablet. That can be downright painful after a while.

Here's my experience with the three programs:

Quickoffice

This program is designed to make Apple and Android mobile devices compatible with Office even if the software isn't installed on them. While Microsoft does have a Web-based application that can be accessed on an iPad, it doesn't make a downloadable app for the device yet. Google Inc. bought Quickoffice this summer as part of its attempts to siphon sales away from Microsoft Corp.

The $20 app includes programs similar to Microsoft's Word for documents, Excel for spreadsheets and PowerPoint for presentations. But the programs have some shortcomings and don't mesh perfectly with the Microsoft versions.

Read more here:
Review: Tablet apps fill in gap, won't replace PCs

Series note: The Storm conducted exit interviews on Thursday, giving me the opportunity to ask players everything from views on their season to fashion and hair tips. I'll post conversations from each in the upcoming days. Centers Ewelina Kobryn (Poland) and Ann Wauters (Belgium) won't be featured due to their quick return home. Here's a conversation with power forward Camille Little, who was the only player to start all 34 games. She was the Storm's second-leading scorer (11.3) and rebounder (5.1), not counting Lauren Jackson, who missed 25 regular-season games. Little attempted a career-high 33 three-pointers and shot a best 33.3 percent when attempting 20 or more in a season.

Q: You flew home first-class, is that the norm for you during the season? Camille Little: Yeah, unless (Storm coach) Brian (Agler's) on the flight. He always gets the upgrades first because he's platinum. I'm close to platinum, but haven't got it yet. Delta just changed it to where if you use your miles, you keep your miles. You used to lose your status when you used your miles. Now you keep it, so I've accumulated more now. I think they just changed it two years ago. It's a big difference.

Q: You're going back to Shanghai this offseason, why is that? Little: It's a combination. The experience was nice -- the team I was on, the location, the people, the organization, the length of the season. I mean, I play three months. The first game is the 27th of October and the last game is like in January. The playoffs start after that and that can't last but a couple of weeks. Compared to a six-month season, I played in Israel and you don't get done playing until April. There's no argument and the money is the same, if not more (in China). It's a no-brainer.

Q: It's not the same team as Australian Liz Cambage, right? Little: No because it's only one foreigner on a team. A lot of teams don't have any foreigners at all.

Q: Going over there last season, it seemed you really worked on your three-point shot, will you continue to work on that or add something else? Little: China is a good place to just expand. I have the green light to do whatever. When you play like that, it's probably the best when you have no worries. I can just shoot when I want and I can work on my offensive aggression. It helped me for sure this year.

Q: Before going over last year, you also said you wanted to feel what it was like to be a Lauren Jackson or Sue Bird, where you have to carry a team. You were a constant, so how did you feel about being that person this year? Little: Personally, it wasn't anything that made me feel a certain way. I just tried to do what I could for the team. We struggled all year from so many different standpoints. If my job was to be the constant, then that's what I wanted to be. If my job was to be the best defender or whatever, then that's what I wanted to do. Because we struggled with our chemistry and to get points on the board, when I had time to be aggressive and I felt like I could score, then I did that. In the past, I don't think a lot of teams (I was on) paid much attention to me. I had more time and more space, more of a green light to do that with Lauren not being here. Ann Wauters was new to the team, Tina Thompson was new to the team, I was the only post player that's been here, so, I took the responsibility to lead the way without saying anything. I think sometimes the best way to lead is to do it by example. I just wanted to make sure I had a presence inside and that it was felt on a regular basis. If that makes sense.

Q: With that, does it bother you that other teams or maybe even the league hasn't respected your abilities? Little: Not really. It's not why I'm here. I don't play in the league to get respected, you know what I mean? I love playing basketball. I love this group of women here and the friends I've made in this organization. I really like being here. I couldn't see myself playing on any other team, you know. It's just something I love to do. I look forward to the season every year. Not just from the basketball standpoint, but I miss my teammates. Me and Lauren were talking last night and it's weird cause I've only seen her for a couple of weeks. I was like, 'Man I haven't seen you and now you're leaving, again.' So, this is where I feel like I'm supposed to be. Every year, if my role changes, I'll accept it.

Q: You're under contract for one more season, is an opportunity in the future to play a bigger role on a different team of interest to you? Little: No. This is a good organization and this is my second home. I can't predict the future, what the owners' plans are or what Brian's plans are but for me, I love being here. If they'll have me, I'll continue to play here as long as the situation presents itself in the right manner. And I feel like what they're offering is correct, I'll be here until I retire, you know what I mean? I just feel like this is a great opportunity. I've played on a couple of teams and I feel like things happen for a reason. I feel God has a plan. I've played on different teams and had situations where I wasn't used in a way where I thought I could be effective. Then I get here and it's off to the races. My whole career changed from hardly playing at all in Atlanta to just kind of being a screener, passer in San Antonio to a starter here. I think it matters where you are. What kind of coach you have, can they use you in the correct way? I think Brian, he saw potential in me, he's trusted me and let me grow as a player.

Q: Are you a verbal player? If you feel you're not being used the right way, would you say something to your coach? Little: As a rookie, you don't have those kinds of talks. I was just happy to be playing in San Antonio (in 2007-08). At that point, I'm 21, 22. When I saw opportunities to do something, I took advantage of it. But you don't realize those things until after the fact. I wasn't the player that I am now then anyway, you know what I mean? A lot of things that I am now, I learned from them. You just have to have an opportunity to do more and until you do that, you don't know what you're capable of. There have been players that play on teams and they get traded and their whole career changes because they are put in a different situation. Like I said, everything happens when it's supposed to happen. If I was put here too soon, maybe I wouldn't be starting. Maybe I wouldn't have been ready to start. The things I experienced on other teams, I'm sure prepared me for being here. Those things humble you and make you appreciate where you are. When I left Atlanta (in 2009), I was 0-13, I never lost that many games in my life...

Q: Until you got to this season, right? Little: Not in a row. No way. I mean 0-13. Back to back to back. I leave there and become a winner the next day. That's just the nature of the beast. What can you do? You live and you learn. Now, I feel like I'm in a great position.

See original here:
Storm Exit Interviews: The word from Camille Little

Right now I cant remember what I was looking for, but when I reached into an old briefcase a few weeks ago I pulled out a wad of rubber surgical gloves [--] the kind that make grown men cringe.

They made me think of Dick Pettys.

Monday night, when I heard Dick Pettys had died, I thought about those rubber gloves. They're part of an old story that is part of state capitol lore and one I often told when I was promoting my 1997 biography of Zell Miller.

Long ago, when Democrats roamed the halls of the Gold Dome, Miller was the governor of Georgia. The old Marine had a peculiar relationship with the press corps -- a group led by Pettys, the chief of The Associated Press Capitol Bureau.

Reporters constantly got in Miller's way, which didn't set well with a control freak who always figured he could do their jobs better than they could.

Miller didn't even appreciate longtime reporter Bill Shipp's concern about his health. Writing in his monthly political newsletter, Shipp reported that the governor was secretly suffering from prostate trouble, a scoop that compelled others to write a follow-up.

Pettys served news outlets all over the state so he had to call the governor's office. He got the perfunctory comment from Miller's press secretary and put a story on the wire that denied the governor was ill.

That could have been the end of it, but Miller, as usual, wanted the last word. Weeks later, as his driver wheeled into his reserved parking place outside the capitol, Miller spied Pettys crossing the street.

"Hear you've been asking about my health?" Miller said.

While they talked, the governor fumbled around in his coat pocket and then asked Pettys to hold out his hand. In that outstretched hand, Miller put one of those thin rubber gloves.

See the rest here:
Richard Hyatt: Dick Pettys still gets the last word

The OS X text-editor market is burgeoning, especially with the advent of the Mac App Store and the capability to store documents on iCloud (and otherwise in the cloud). These writing apps range from minimalist text editors with few options to relatively powerful tools that approach the feature sets of word processors. MOApps $7 Write 2 (; Mac App Store link) straddles the line between a simple text editor and a more-powerful word processor. It manages to not cross that line, stopping short of overwhelming you with too many features.

To start with, Write 2 has an uncluttered, alluring interface. A simple toolbar provides access to the most-important settings youd want in a text tool: font, size, line spacing, character styles, and alignment. A Command buttonit sports the actual symbolat the right edge of the toolbar displays a menu with many less-frequently used settings. A styles button at the left edge of the toolbar lets you choose and configure styles.

Styles, common to text behemoths like Word and Pages, are one of the features that make Write 2 stand out from many other inexpensive text tools. Styles allow you to quickly apply a set of commonly-used character and paragraph settingsfor example, a particular font, text size, alignment, and more. You can either click the styles button and choose a style, or you can choose Write 2 Styles (or press Control-Tab) to display a small window that shows what all your configured styles look like.

If youre used to styles in programs such as Microsoft Word, youll find a big difference here, however. With Word, if you click anywhere in a paragraph, then apply a paragraph style, that style will change the text of the entire paragraph. In Write 2, you must select the complete block of textsay, an entire paragraphyou want to change and then apply the style. Also, once youve applied a style, the Styles window closes; it would be useful to be able to keep that window open until you manually close it.

Curiously absent from the Styles window are list styles, for either bulleted or numbered lists. You can create lists using the Format menu and then create your own styles, but bulleted and numbered lists are common enough that they should have their own styles or commands. Also, you cant edit styles, so if you create a style and later want to modify it, you need to make a new style; this also means that to update any text that had the original style applied, you need to manually apply the new style to all that text. This is not the way styles should work.

Write 2 comes with many advanced features. In addition to styles, it offers a full range of formatting options, such as lists, tables, tables of contents, comments, and a template chooser. (A number of preset templates are available, and you can create your own.) You also have extensive control over text display: You can zoom, display text in pages, use a ruler to set margins and tabs, and much more. Write 2 also supports full-screen mode, although Write 2s full-screen view isnt the best of the writing apps Ive seen, as it merely extends the Write 2 window from the top to the bottom of your display, with a linen background on each side.

One other display thing that irks me is the fact that the program has no real plain text modein other words, an uninterrupted flow of text. Theres always a very big white space between pages, even if youre not viewing your document in layout mode (which shows actual pages with borders).

Other nice features in Write 2 include typewriter scrolling (where the line you type remains in the center of the display all the time), headers and footers, support for right-to-left languages, and even vertical display. The app also offers iCloud support for document storage, and theres OS X gesture support for zooming, toggling views or invisible characters, and showing and hiding word count or displaying the inspector. Write 2 can also open and save files in .doc, .docx, .rtf, .rtfd, .otd, and .txt formats.

Some of the features that youll miss if youre used to Word or Pages are endnotes and footnotes, change tracking, overly customizable toolbars, better support for image handling and text wrapping, and some of the other power-user features that make these programs complicated.

Still, while there are plenty of things Write 2 cant do when compared to, say, Microsoft Word, and I have some quibbles with a few of the apps interface choices, most users will find Write 2 to meet all of their word-processing needs. Its an impressive app, and at just $7, its almost a no-brainer for anyone who wants sophisticated features and the capability to make complex documents while maintaining an easy-to-use, minimalist interface.

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Mac Gems: Write 2 offers advanced word-processing features, minimalist interface