Latest news with #Expos
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Brownstein: Satirist Roy Wood Jr. will win hearts at Just for Laughs
Festivals By Roy Wood Jr. should touch all the bases when he hits Just for Laughs — both literally and figuratively. One of the sharpest satirists on the continent, the former Daily show correspondent and host of CNN's Have I Got News for You news-panel series is equally adept at discoursing on American political buffoonery as he is on baseball. Audiences may even catch him sporting his beloved Expos jacket when he takes to the stage hosting a Gala, July 25 at Théâtre Maisonneuve, or when he does his solo 'experimental talk-show,' Today, Tonight … Tomorrow, July 26 at Théâtre Ste-Catherine. Though a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, Wood can feel our city's collective pain on the loss of the 'Spos. He makes his living taking shots at the powers-that-be, but baseball remains his holy ground, and little is more sacred to him than the power of a home run as exemplified in his new TV special, Going, Going, Gone: The Magic of the Home Run, now streaming on Roku. Wood was in suburban Atlanta on Tuesday, both taking in the baseball All-Star Game in suburban Atlanta and commenting on the pure poetry of hitting dingers for the MLB Network. As always, Wood, who played some high-school and college ball, took his glove to the game — just in case. 'I love that old-school Expos logo and I'm also a big Andre Dawson fan,' says Wood in a Zoom interview, referring to the star outfielder known here as the Hawk, who spent most of his career with the Expos and Cubs. Wood, like many an up-and-coming comic, got his start in the JFL New Faces series in 2006 and came back a decade later to perform in another show. But this is the first time he'll do the fest as a solo artist. 'I felt that an Expos jacket as a non-Canadian would be the safest thing to wear,' he cracks, noting he purchased the jacket in — yikes — Toronto on a JFL tour — that didn't come to Montreal — two years ago. As a non-Canadian, he is also up to speed on the angst his president is imposing on Canadians with his ever-volatile trade tariffs. 'It's definitely a time now when as an American you're paying the price for someone else's policy,' he says, before jumping in with this chestnut: 'I just almost want that our voting results be made public so I could just go through Customs in the I-Didn't-Vote-for-Him Lane.' 'Regardless of what's happening on the federal level, Americans still have to pay close attention to state and local politics — when you look at the flash flooding that's happening in Texas that's taken over 100 lives. And when it's time to figure out who to blame, it's state and local … But I'm thankful to get up to Canada and argue with you guys about your politics,' he quips. Anything to get his mind off the current state of affairs back home. 'It's almost surreal what's happening now. You've got one group of Americans who are basically still celebrating the (Trump) win, but still can't really tell you what they won. There's another group of Americans still fighting it. And then there is a third group who are in their own Dystopian let-me-know-when-this-is-over type situation. It's like a roller-coaster … you've got people up front with their heads down and their eyes closed, and you've got people in the back hanging on for dear life. 'People who love Trump still love him, but we will still need more time on blowback of some of his policies. It will be interesting to see what happens with his cuts on Medicaid in the next couple of years, with his spending-bill cuts. I'm not calling it 'a Big Beautiful Bill.' That's part of the problem: Americans want to give everything a title to make everything more glorious than what it is. … Stop it. 'It used to be kick-ass to be an American … now you just have to tuck your head down and go whoops and say 'sorry about that.'' The good news is American political parodists have an abundance of fodder, and Wood's career has been going gangbusters of late. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that with his carving skills, Wood headlined the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2023 — under Biden as president — to its highest ratings since 2017. He also served as a Daily Show correspondent for eight years and later guest-hosted it for a period. Apart from his baseball special, he appears in the coming film comedy Outcome, alongside Keanu Reeves and Jonah Hill. And his book memoir, The Man of Many Fathers, will be released in October. 'That book is about all the dads who helped raise me after my father passed when I was 16,' elaborates Wood, the father of a 9-year-old son. 'We all encounter various people from whom we get our values. I don't feel our parents are exclusive instructors of a child's moral core. This is a collection of stories of random people, some of whom I can't even remember their names, and others like high-school coaches and Trevor Noah, all of whom helped me in one capacity or another. I'm just thankful to all these people who saw enough in me to take me under their wing. 'And I just want my son to learn and appreciate failure, because that is the key to success.'
Business News Wales
3 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Meet the Buyers Expo Series Returns – Unlocking £36.1bn in Business Opportunities Across Wales
Following the overwhelming success of last year's events, the Business Wales Meet the Buyers Expo series returns for another year. Designed to support and strengthen the Foundational Economy in Wales, the Expo connects Welsh suppliers with buyers across public and private sectors to unlock billions of pounds in procurement opportunities. The Expos will be taking place on 10th September at Swansea Arena, and Venue Cymru, Llandudno on 16th October. Both events will be taking place between 9:00am – 2.30pm. This year's events are set to be even more impactful, underlining the Welsh Government's ongoing commitment to the Foundational Economy, supporting local businesses, building sustainable supply chains that benefit communities across Wales. In 2024, the Meet the Buyers series brought together over 1,000 attendees across two events in Swansea and Llandudno, 110 exhibitors, and 872 live contract opportunities. Exhibitors last year included Transport for Wales, NHS Shared Services Partnership, Natural Resources Wales, Crown Commercial Service, Swansea Council, DVLA, and leading construction firms such as Wynne Construction, Morganstone, and Morgan Sindall. These events also featured crucial support organisations like Business Wales, Constructing Excellence Wales, Development Bank of Wales, and Social Business Wales, offering advice and resources to help local businesses scale, innovate, and compete for major contracts. The upcoming Meet the Buyers Expo series promises even greater opportunity for Welsh businesses to engage with buyers, understand future pipelines, and position themselves as competitive suppliers. With a strategic focus on sustainability, regional investment, and inclusive economic growth that delivers greater social value, the 2025 events will continue to shape the future of procurement in Wales. Each event will also feature a dedicated Support Zone, providing essential guidance and resources. This zone offers attendees the chance to learn effective strategies for finding, bidding, and securing contracts and tenders with major buyers, gain invaluable insights to overcome barriers, and access live opportunities. The aim is to dispel the myth that large organisations only work with big suppliers and ensure that businesses leave the events equipped with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. Attendance at the Expo is free, and registration can be booked via: The Business Wales Meet the Buyers Expos are presented by the Foundational Economy team and Business Wales, and fully funded by the Welsh Government.
Fox Sports
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Nationals Lineup
One franchise, two countries. The Nationals' story can only be told through its Montreal Expos roots. Whether it's in D.C. or in Montreal, this squad has always had headliners. Still, let's file legislation to bring back that iconic Expos look. Manager: Felipe Alou Alou, who played for Montreal in 1973, became the franchise's manager during the 1992 season, and it was arguably the best run the Expos ever had, as they went 238-163 under Alou from 1992-94. While the Expos never made the playoffs under Alou and tapered off in the second half of his 10-year stint (1992-2001), his 691 career managerial wins with the franchise puts him first in Expos/Nationals history. The 1994 season (they were 74-40 before the season abruptly ended), which saw Alou win National League Manager of the Year honors, is the biggest what-if in Expos history. Starting pitcher: Stephen Strasburg The No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, Strasburg got to the big leagues and lived up to the hype with the Nationals, while overcoming Tommy John surgery in 2010. A three-time All-Star, Strasburg was one of the best starting pitchers in MLB last decade, posting a combined 3.24 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over a career 247 starts. Furthermore, Strasburg had a career 1.46 postseason ERA over nine appearances/eight starts and was the 2019 World Series MVP for the Nationals. Strasburg, who made just eight starts after 2019 due to various injuries, is first in franchise history with 1,723 strikeouts, second with 113 wins and third among pitchers with a 31.0 WAR and 1,470.0 innings pitched. Reliever/closer: Jeff Reardon Montreal acquired Reardon during the 1981 season, and he was just what the doctor ordered. Over his six seasons with the Expos (1981-86), Reardon averaged 25.3 saves per season, posting a combined 2.84 ERA and led MLB with 41 saves in 1985. His 152 saves are first in franchise history. Two of Reardon's four All-Star nods came with the Expos. Catcher: Gary Carter One of the best catchers in MLB history spent the bulk of his career in Montreal (1974-84). A seven-time All-Star with the Expos, Carter was one of the driving forces of the 1981 Montreal team that reached the NL Championship Series, with the backstop recording a hit in each of their 10 postseason games and posting a combined .429/.488/.714 slash line. Carter, who won each of his three Gold Gloves and three of his five Silver Slugger awards with the Expos, is first in franchise history with a 55.8 WAR, fourth with both 220 home runs and 823 RBIs and fifth with 1,427 hits, 707 runs scored and 5,303 at-bats. 1B: Andres Galarraga Galarraga spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career in Montreal (1985-1991) and was a consistent power plug. From 1987-90, Galarraga averaged 21 home runs and 89 RBIs per season, while posting a combined .280/.337/.462 slash line and earning two Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger and one All-Star honor with Montreal. Galarraga, who spent one more season with the Expos in 2002, is 10th in franchise history with 473 RBIs and is tied for 10th with 115 home runs. 2B: Jose Vidro Vidro is one of a handful of players who suited up in both an Expos jersey (1997-2004) and a Nationals jersey (2005-06). The middle infielder was one of the best contact hitters in the sport during his time with the Expos, batting north of .300 in five consecutive seasons (1999-2003), totaling 200 hits in 2000 and earning three All-Star honors. In total, Vidro is tied for second in franchise history with a .301 batting average, is third with 304 doubles, sixth with both 1,280 hits and 4,257 at-bats, seventh with 550 RBIs and 614 runs scored and tied for 10th with 115 home runs. 3B: Ryan Zimmerman The first pick in the history of the Nationals franchise (No. 4 pick in the 2005 MLB Draft) spent his entire career with the team that drafted him (2005-2021, excluding 2020) and was one of its best all-time players. A two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and one-time Gold Glover, Zimmerman was one of the best third basemen in the game before moving full-time to first base in 2015, posting a combined 60 DRS at the hot corner from 2007-10. Zimmerman, who played first base during Washington's road to winning the 2019 World Series, is first in franchise history with 1,846 hits, 284 home runs, 1,061 RBIs, 417 doubles, 963 runs scored and 6,654 at-bats and fourth with a 40.1 WAR. SS: Trea Turner Turner became a full-time player for the Nationals in 2016, which is precisely when he became an impact player. After hitting .342 and stealing 33 bases in just 73 regular-season games, Turner quickly became one of the best shortstops in the game, moving to his primary position (shortstop) on a full-time basis in 2017. Turner, who started on Washington's 2019 championship team, had blazing speed, a quick and powerful bat and was swift at the middle infield position for the Nationals, with whom he played from 2015-21. Turner is fourth in franchise history with a .300 batting average, 32 triples and 192 stolen bases, seventh with a .486 slugging percentage and ninth with a 22.3 WAR. OF: Andre Dawson Dawson was a terror in the batter's box for the Expos, with whom he played the first 11 seasons of his MLB career (1976-86). The Hall of Fame outfielder's most productive season in Montreal came in 1983, when Dawson totaled 32 home runs, 113 RBIs and posted a .539 slugging percentage. Dawson, who started in both center and right field for the Expos, is second in franchise history with 67 triples, third with 225 home runs, a 48.4 WAR and 5,628 at-bats, fourth with 1,575 hits and tied for 10th with a .476 slugging percentage. He also won six Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger awards across his stint in Montreal. OF: Tim Raines Raines spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Expos (1979-90) and was one of the best all-around hitters in the sport during his time in Montreal, highlighted by winning the 1986 batting title and hitting above .300 in five seasons. Furthermore, Raines led the NL in stolen bases in four consecutive seasons (1981-84). Raines is first in franchise history with 635 stolen bases and 82 triples, second with 947 runs scored, tied for second with a .301 batting average, is third with 1,622 hits and fourth with 5,383 at-bats. OF: Vladimir Guerrero Guerrero is one of the most intimidating hitters in MLB history, and it all started in Montreal, where he played the first eight seasons of his career (1996-2003). The 6-foot-3 outfielder logged 100-plus RBIs in five consecutive seasons (1998-2002), 40-plus home runs in back-to-back seasons (1999-2000) and was a three-time Silver Slugger with the Expos. Guerrero is first in franchise history with both a .323 batting average and .588 slugging percentage, second with 234 home runs, fifth with 702 RBIs, sixth with a 34.7 WAR and seventh with 1,215 hits. One could argue that the best seasons of Guerrero's career came in Montreal. DH: Bryce Harper The Nationals took Harper with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, and the outfielder made his big-league debut at 19 years old, with his quick road in the big leagues captivating the baseball world. Harper joined a Nationals team that made the playoffs in his first season (2012), and he would soon become the face of the franchise, cemented by winning the 2015 NL MVP. Across his seven seasons in D.C. (2012-18), Harper was one of the premier players in the sport, averaging 26 home runs per season, holding down right field and earning six All-Star nods. Harper is third in franchise history with a .512 slugging percentage, sixth with 184 home runs, eighth with a 27.7 WAR, ninth with 521 RBIs and 10th with 922 hits. Honorable mentions: Dave Martinez (manager) Max Scherzer (starting pitcher) Gio Gonzalez (starting pitcher) Pedro Martinez (starting pitcher) - I added this one, and Randy Johnson briefly pitched for Montreal Patrick Corbin (starting pitcher) Jordan Zimmerman (starting pitcher) Tim Burke (reliever/closer) Chad Cordero (reliever/closer) Drew Storen (reliever/closer) Wilson Ramos (catcher) Kurt Suzuki (catcher) Adam LaRoche (1B) Howie Kendrick (2B) Daniel Murphy (2B) Ronnie Belliard (2B) Danny Espinosa (2B) Anthony Rendon (3B) Ian Desmond (SS) Juan Soto (OF) Alfonso Soriano (OF) Marquis Grissom (OF) Jayson Werth (OF) Michael Taylor (OF) Jose Guillen (OF) Moises Alou (OF) Adam Dunn (1B/DH) Josh Willingham (OF/DH) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Washington Nationals recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Scoop
10-07-2025
- General
- Scoop
30 Years Of Service And Still Smiling: Shona Graham's Gift To Katikati
Press Release – Volunteering Services Nicky Austin from the Katikati Community Centre says,It would be impossible to count the hours Shona has given to the Katikati community. Shes cheery, positive, hardworking, and we couldnt survive without her. When Shona Graham first answered a newspaper ad calling for volunteers to help with Katikati's Christmas Float Parade, she never imagined it would spark a 30-year journey in community service. 'There was an ad in the paper for volunteers, and I thought that would be a good way to meet people,' Shona recalls. 'It all started from there.' Since then, she's supported a huge range of centre-led initiatives — from School Holiday Programmes and After School Care to the Festival of Cultures, Spring Clean events, Health Expos, and more. Alongside her helping hands, Shona is also known for her kind heart and the fresh fruit and plants she donates from her garden. Nicky Austin from the Katikati Community Centre says, 'It would be impossible to count the hours Shona has given to the Katikati community. She's cheery, positive, hardworking, and we couldn't survive without her.' Volunteering has always been a family affair for Shona. Her mum was a volunteer, and Shona herself started while pregnant with her youngest daughter — who later worked on reception and still volunteers at the Centre today. Shona laughs that after nearly three decades, she's practically part of the building. 'The Centre's been such a big part of my life — and I guess I've become part of it too.' 'Some of the kids I'm working with now are the children of people I did classes for years ago,' she says. 'It's pretty special.' In June, while attending Kati Chat, Shona was enjoying hearing others being celebrated when something unexpected happened. 'I was listening to all the amazing things happening, and suddenly realised they were talking about me!' she says. 'I looked at my workmate and just went, 'Oh no!'' Shona received the Lifetime Volunteer Award, presented by Volunteering Services, in recognition of her 30 years of outstanding contribution. When asked what she'd say to someone considering volunteering, her advice was heartfelt and simple: 'Volunteering is so good for the soul. Once you start, you'll see how if everyone gave a little bit back, our communities would all be thriving.' Volunteering Services offers support, connection, and opportunities for both volunteers and community organisations across the Western Bay and surrounding areas. Whether you're keen to give your time or looking for volunteers to join your kaupapa, we're here to help.
09-07-2025
- Science
International Organization Pavilion
Five international organizations are participating as co-exhibitors at the Osaka Expo: the World Expo Museum, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), International Solar Alliance, ITER, and the International Science and Technology Center. The World Expo Museum, which opened on the former site of the 2010 Shanghai Expo, is the only museum in the world to have been authorized by the Bureau International des Expositions to present information about past Expos. The museum's exhibition area features a giant LCD screen and a 20-screen multi-monitor setup, showcasing the history of the World Expo right from its start back in London, 1851. ASEAN aims at promoting the attractiveness of its ten member countries, including a virtual reality experience for the various World Heritage sites across the region. A special stamp rally is also being held, encouraging visitors to make their way around all the ASEAN country pavilions to collect a stamp at each one. For the International Solar Alliance, which has more than 90 member countries, explanatory panels and videos are used to emphasize the importance of solar energy in future society. ITER, meanwhile, compromising seven countries and regions, features a model of a fusion reactor and CGI to provide an explanation on the future of energy. Finally, visitors to the exhibit for the International Science and Technology Center can see videos and use touch panels to learn about the collaborative efforts of the nine member countries and the EU toward the goal of preventing the proliferation of technology related to weapons of mass destruction. The International Organization pavilion is located in the Empowering Lives zone. ( See the official map for details.) National days take place at the Expo National Day Hall. The assigned days are Sunday, July 13 for ITER, Friday, August 8 for the ASEAN, and Wednesday August 27 for ISTC. An exterior view of the pavilion. (© ) (Originally published in Japanese. Reporting and text by Uchiyama Ken'ichi and . Photographic assistance by Kuroiwa Masakazu of 96-Box. Banner photo © .)
