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The Washington Demons season ended last night, on a low note by losing to Winterset in round two of the 3A state football playoffs 27-21.
The Demons got the ball to start the game, and held on to it for six minutes in the first quarter, but was stopped on a fourth down attempt.
Winterset then got the ball, and took the ball 80 yards down the field on 14 plays to score their first touchdown off of a balanced offense attack, with Noah Kaldenberg punching it in from a yard.
Washington's offensive struggles continued, as they had to punt the ball away on their second possession which went into the start of second quarter, but Tanner Knupp took charge of the defense to get them fired up, stripping the ball from Trae Gilliland, and Alex Coker recovered to take it 42 yards to paydirt to tie up the game, and that is how it went into half time, as Winterset's kicker Drue Coffman missed a field goal from 24 yards out late in the half.
In the second half, it looked like it was going to be a new game with the Demons fired up and holding Winterset to a punt and scoring off a seven yard touchdown run by Alex Coker to take the lead 14-7.
But things can change in a hurry, after forcing Winterset to punt again, the Demons took over deep in their own zone, but the option toss from Daryn Sebelius to Coker got fumbled, and Winterset took advantage of the field position to score again with 5:23 left in the third, but Knupp again fired up the team by blocking the PAT.
Momentum shifted quickly again, with bad penalties and broken plays leading to the Demons punting again. The punt was high and took a Winterset bounce, and Tanner Knupp stopped the ball's advance backward, but failed to pick up the ball, which Lucas Nolan took full advantage of and scooped it up and ran it in on a 38 yard touchdown punt return. The Huskies converted on the two point conversion and made the score 21-14.
Into the fourth quarter the Demons get a punt that lands inside the Winterset zone with the Demons down a touchdown, but when it rains it pours and when it pours turnovers become a problem, as a high pass is stripped and Winterset recovers. The Huskies once again marched down the field to go up 27-14 off a 25 yard touchdown run by Kaldenberg and missed PAT.
Washington made their best attempt at a come back, as they went to the air and moved down the field scoring with 1:09 left in the fourth on a two yard run by Coker, but the onside kick was recovered by the Huskies, and the game was over.
Sebelius was 13-16 with 125 yards, while Alex Coker had two touchdowns, and 34 yards on the ground.
After the game head coach Randy Shrader talked about the final drive of the game, and the seniors playing their last game of their career.
"You know our kids didn't quit, we had a chance at the end to do some things," Shrader said. "I'm just proud of our seniors, I've talked all along this year that I believe that no one gave us a snowballs chance to be where we were at. We're normally out manned in size, and our kids just have a lot of fight in them."
Washington ends their season at 7-4 and will graduate 12 seniors from this year's team.


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Rich Brooks' app ideas for keeping your New Year's resolutions | News
Rich Brooks is the President of Flyte New Media, a web design and internet marketing company in Portland.
For more information click here: FLYTE NEW MEDIA
The new year is a traditional time to make resolutions, and chances are you already have. And, maybe you've already broken a few. Here are a few apps that can keep you on your path to success.
Quit Smoking: One of the best things you can do for yourself is quit smoking, but as we all know it's difficult. There are several stop smoking apps out there, including Livestrong's MyQuit Coach.
Features include:
* customizing your quitting plan (either cold turkey or incrementally)
* track your daily progress
* share your success/get support with the Livestrong community and share w/your FB or Twitter friends
* earn badges
* see your progress over time
* log your cravings
Lite version is free, $3.99 for full version. Not for Android, but there are plenty of Droid apps including the well reviewed Quit Smoking.
Lose Weight/Eat Healthy: Exercising alone won't help, you need to reduce your caloric intake. GoMeals makes it easy, plugging in calories for all your meals. You can also get calorie counts from many chain restaurants.
Features include:
* Ability to track your meals
* Get calorie counts for full day
* Track protein, carbs and fat, too.
* Track your activity.
This app is free and is available on iOS and Droid.
Getting In Shape: There are plenty of running apps for your mobile device, but few offer a zombie storyline. With Zombies, Run! your jogging takes on an apocalyptical twist with a narrative that lets you know when the zombies are chasing you and when you need to sprint.
There are missions you can go on to move the story along and keep you interested in your run.
Getting Things Done: We all want to get more done, and do it better. Although LifeHacker.com is not actually an app, you can visit the website on your phone OR download the podcast.
Basically, everything you want to do, or do better, LifeHacker has you covered.
They even had a post recently on tips on keeping your NY resolutions!

subset: commoncrawl


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Anthony Hughes of Ledford High School understands the pain other people go through when recovering from an injury.
This is the 10th in a series of 14 stories profiling a student from Davidson County's public, private and home schools.
Anthony Hughes understands the pain other people go through when recovering from an injury. The Ledford High School senior used a personal experience to decide to study physical therapy when he attends Campbell University in the fall.
After Hughes was named captain of the basketball team, he broke his foot only four games into the season. "It wasn't a good experience, but it gave me a perspective about what people go through," he said.
Hughes is the son of Diane and Kelvin Hughes of the Hasty community and has two younger sisters, Emilie and Alice. He says that even though his personal experience solidified his decision to study physical therapy, he has always had an interest in the subject.
"I remember going to physical therapy with my grandfather," Hughes said. "I remember how nice the therapist was and how she had studied all over the world. I just thought what she did was interesting. Plus, I have an aunt near Nova Scotia, Canada, who is an occupational therapist, and she really enjoys her job."
Throughout his high school years, Hughes has been active in sports, especially running. He has been the captain of the school's cross country team and runs track and field in the spring. He is attending Campbell University with a four-year track and field scholarship.
During his time off his feet recovering from surgery on his broken foot, he spent more time studying but admits he did watch a bit more television than usual.
It didn't seem to do him any harm though because Hughes has an A average and is ranked seventh in his class. His favorite subjects were anatomy and physiology. He plans on studying kinesiology, which is the scientific study of human movement. He hopes this will further his career to eventually become a physical therapist.
"I know I want to do something in therapy, but it doesn't necessarily have to be sports-related," he said.
Hughes was involved with Health Occupations Students of America, which is a national student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Education Division to promote career opportunities in the health care industry.
He has been pair-teaching at Hasty Elementary School, which is when older students are paired with younger students to aid them in their studies.
"I love working with kids. It's the highlight of my day," he said. "I plan on going back at the end of the year to check up on them."
Hughes ran in Terry's Challenge, a 5K event commemorating the life of Terry Page, a long-time staff member of the YMCA of Greater High Point. He also helps his father teach faith formation to sixth-graders at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Lexington and has volunteered at Crisis Ministry of Davidson County.
Hughes says he is sad to leave Ledford High because he has had such good experiences there.
"I'm biased, but I think Ledford is the best high school in the country. I couldn't be happier to be a Panther. There are a lot of people I am going to miss," he said.
Some of those who had an influence in Hughes' life include guidance counselor Randy Mercer.
"He is much more than an authority figure to look up to," Hughes said. "He has helped me fill out college applications, trained with me and has just been there whenever I have a problem. I consider him a friend, but technically he is still a teacher."
Another person Hughes is thankful to have guide him during his time at Ledford is his coach, Shawn Loggins.
"He's another one of those people who has always had my back," Hughes said. "His door is always open if you have a question. He helped me with my senior project by lending me a bike and teaching me about cycling.
Hughes' project was learning the sport of cycling and cross-training to recover from his foot injury.
"I learned there is a lot of difference between stationary biking and the sport of cycling besides to avoid the cars," he said.
But not just teachers and coaches have influenced Hughes. He credits a long-time teammate, Blake Lassiter, who actually encouraged him to run in the first place.
"He called me when I was in eighth grade and said his older brother had told him that I should try out for the cross country team. That's when it all started. We've been teammates for a long time, and I'll miss running with him," Hughes said.
Hughes says he is not nervous to be out on his own because his family has always given him responsibilities, like doing his own laundry. He is more interested in expanding his experiences on a larger scale.
"I am looking forward to furthering my studies and to continue with my running. There will be more resources and more people to train with. It's the opportunities that I am looking forwards to."
Sharon Myers can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 228 or at email@example.com.


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More than 140 high school juniors from across Tennessee experienced an in-depth look at our nation's capital during the 2013 Rural Electric Youth Tour.
Samantha Tucker, Liz Gurley and Carrie Rozar, all from Lincoln County, were rewarded with a weeklong tour of Washington, D.C., for writing winning short stories titled, "Electric Cooperatives: Powering Your Communities" describing how locally owned, locally operated rural electric systems provide valuable community-building support in addition to reliable and affordable electric service.
"Washington is an incredible place," said Fayetteville Public Utilities' CEO and General Manager Britt Dye. "These three students had the opportunity to meet Tennessee's representatives and senators and see some absolutely remarkable things. FPU is proud to offer this opportunity to our youth."
The Washington Youth Tour is a joint effort of Fayetteville Public Utilities, the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Each school year, FPU and local high schools sponsor a short story contest for high school juniors. Winners are awarded spots on the expense-paid trip to our nation's capital the following June as part of the Washington Youth Tour. This year's tour ran June 14-20 and included meeting with Tennessee's elected officials, visits to Washington's popular tourist stops and time to visit with winners representing other electric utilities across the state.
"The youth tour is one of the most rewarding things I do all year," said Gina Warren, FPU's public information specialist who served as a Youth Tour chaperone. "These students not only learn about our nation and their electric system, but they also learn leadership skills that will benefit them in college and beyond."
Students on the tour visited the White House and memorials to past presidents, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as monuments honoring the sacrifices of veterans of World War II and the Vietnam and Korean conflicts. Strolls through the varied museums of the Smithsonian Institution afforded the students opportunities to learn more about science, history and art. Other fun and interesting stops included homes of former presidents – George Washington's Mount Vernon and Jefferson's Monticello – a performance of "Shear Madness" at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a boat cruise down the Potomac River and tours of the National Museum of Crime and Punishment, Ford's Theatre and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
The youth tour also included a solemn and sobering visit to Arlington National Cemetery, where the group laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The Tennessee group marveled at the precision and skill of the U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon at the Sunset Parade, performed in front of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial's iconic statue re-creating the flag-raising over Iwo Jima during World War II.
No trip to Washington, D.C. would be complete without a lesson or two in government and civics. The group was welcomed to the U.S. Capitol by Reps. Marsha Blackburn and Stephen Fincher, and their staff members treated students to a special after-hours VIP tour. Students also met Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, as well as former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen. Representative Scott DesJarlais also spent some time with his constituents outside the Capitol and posed for photos.
Tennessee's Youth Tour delegation joined other trip winners from across the country for Youth Day on Monday June 17. More than 1,500 students came together to swap stories of their Washington experiences. They listened to presentations by former Nebraska State Senator David Landis, who told, in character, the story of the late U.S. Sen. George W. Norris of Nebraska, explaining the formation of and the politics surrounding the creation of electric cooperatives and the Rural Electrification Act. And, Mike Schlappi, a four-time Paralympic medalist and two-time wheelchair basketball champion, urged the young attendees, "Just because you cant stand up, doesn't mean you cant stand out."
"Our communities and our hometown utilities need strong leadership, and the Washington Youth Tour is one way we can help prepare students for the roles they may one day fill," said Dye. "The tour and similar educational opportunities made possible by Fayetteville Public Utilities are designed to help students understand what it takes to be a leader in their communities and why leadership is so important."


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The trade union organisation for healthcare managers
helping you make healthcare happen
We give you personal support and employment advice, an influential
voice and management skills to help you deliver high quality healthcare
to patients and the public.
Latest issue of Healthcare Manager is out now where we are rethinking NHS management and looking back at the MiP members' summit
Mon 12 Mar 2012
Now's the time to make your NHS organisation greener, says Stephen Heard, MiP national committee member and sustainability expert.
This is Climate Week, when we put the spotlight on sustainability. We are also gearing up for the first NHS Sustainability Day on 28 March. So here are some tips and links to help you get the sustainability show on the road.
What is sustainable development?The Sustainable Development Commission defines it as 'the integration of environmental, social, political and economic considerations and impacts within decision-making'.
And in the NHSThe NHS nationally has a carbon footprint of 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, composed of energy (22%), travel (18%) and procurement (60%). Despite increased efficiency, the NHS carbon footprint has increased by 40% since 1990.
The NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy for England, 'Saving Carbon, Improving Health', was launched in January 2009. It sets out the NHS pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, with intermediate targets of 10% reduction by 2015 and 26% by 2020.
Sustainable development is included in the pre-authorisation process for Clinical Commissioning Groups and the application process includes signing up to the following statement: "CCGs are committed to promoting environmental sustainability through their actions as a corporate body as well as a commissioner"
If you know of a good project, why not nominate it for the NHS and Health Sector Green Apple Awards for environmental best practice. The closing date is 30 June.
No need to reinvent the wheel The NHS Sustainable Development Unit has a wealth of information, resources and guidance for the completion of Sustainable Development Management Plans. Check out their 5 to survive leaflets.
The Good Corporate Citizen is a tool produced by NHS SDU and the Sustainable Development Commission to help trusts contribute to sustainable development in their local economies.
The Faculty of Public Health makes a good business case for sustainability. Traditionally Directors of Public Health have taken the lead on sustainability for PCTs. It will be interesting to see how the restructuring of public health will impact on this.
NHS Reuse is a secure web-based system for recycling furniture and equipment in the NHS, delivering financial and environmental savings.
The NHS Sustainable Procurement Forum allows the exchange of knowledge, views and experience on all aspects of sustainable development relevant to procurement, commissioning and commercial activities across the NHS.
The Conclude Consultancy has used occupancy analytics to study outpatient facilities for Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, testing whether space could be better utilised to reduce energy and clinical equipment.
The NHS Forest initiative is an innovative project to increase trees and green space on NHS estates, bringing health benefits for staff, patients and the local community.
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS), the professional body for procurement, has a section dedicated to sustainability. Their trade magazine Supply Management has useful information on sustainable procurement, ethical sourcing, corporate social responsibility and supplier diversity.
The clock is tickingThe first UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) has been laid before Parliament and individual reports are available here. It looks at the predicted consequences of climate change on society, the economy and the environment. Detailed analysis has been carried out over 100 impacts across 11 key sectors, including health.
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (previously known as the Carbon Reduction Commitment) is a mandatory carbon emissions reporting and pricing scheme covering all organisations using more than 6,000MWh per year of electricity (equivalent to an annual electricity bill of about £500,000). You can find out where your organisation sits in the CRC league table
And finallyI'm fanatical about sustainability and I'm happy to help. I'm available for sustainability presentations ranging from a 10 min board presentation through to a detailed 4 hour sustainable procurement training session. Contact me on firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
As specialists in healthcare management we provide expert employment advice and representation and fast access to legal services to make sure you are treated fairly. You also receive our quarterly magazine and have access to leadership networks.
Reasons to JOIN MiP >
MiP members get all the benefits provided by our sister unions. FDA has launched a portfolio of benefits offering a range of discounts, legal support and financial advice. Click through from the MiP members' area for details.
We provide a range of advice and information for healthcare managers
on issues that affect your employment. We produce factsheets and
briefings to keep you informed about your rights and opportunities.
Find out more >
Contact Us | Copyright | firstname.lastname@example.com Tel: 020 7121 5146 Fax: 020 7401 5552


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Both feel that DotA should remain a "community-owned product that modders, independent developers and game fans can continue to modify and play as often as they'd like," explained in a statement to Joystiq.
Mescan thinks Valve's move is an attempt to exercise "control over its future." He feels the "DotA name should remain the property of the community at-large, as it always has." The current developer of DotA-Allstars, IceFrog, has been maintaining the project since Feak left. He was hired by Valve late last year and it appears that his team will release a version of DotA through Valve.
Feak and Mescan's comments make a few assumptions about Valve's intentions for DotA. For all we know, it will be a free game that ships with a full SDK like the recently released Alien Swarm. It could go the other way and be a regular, paid release. Valve has not made any announcement yet, but Gamescom is this week and might be a great place for an announcement.


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That's entertainment?
Andre Villas-Boas caused a stir this week by criticising the levels of support his team receives at White Hart Lane. Adam Bate takes a look at some of the reasons why his Tottenham team are failing to inspire some fans despite currently sitting in the top four of the Premier League...
By Adam Bate - Follow @GhostGoal
Last Updated: 30/10/13 1:39pm
"It was a victory where we had to dig deep in ourselves, because we weren't getting any help from anybody. We played in a difficult atmosphere with almost no support. We have a wonderful set of fans, but they can do better. We don't need the negativity that was in White Hart Lane today. I'm extremely happy with the crowd normally. Fans represent the essence of football. This stadium, with the noise it can generate, can be so difficult to play. But not like this."
Andre Villas-Boas is getting results. But contrary to the old maxim about football management, it seems there is more to this lark than that. Some Tottenham supporters are uneasy with the style of play. A cursory perusal of just one of the many articles discussing the manager's criticism of his fans this week reveals one below-the-line botherer, claiming to have followed Spurs for 46 years, who has never been so bored. Given that the club currently sit fourth in the Premier League and have never finished higher than third in that time, it's clear something is going on here.
Two P words - or should that be a lack of them - seem to be at the heart of the debate. Villas-Boas is calling for patience. Sections of White Hart Lane are demanding more purpose. Tottenham's slow build-up play through midfield differs from the expressive cut-and-thrust of Harry Redknapp's side and is proving particularly testing for some. Here we take a look at some of the issues making it more difficult than it should be for Spurs supporters to fall in love with the current crop...
|Tottenham - Premier League Rankings
|Touch % in opp half
Lack of urgency
As shown in the above table, Tottenham have enjoyed more possession of the ball than any other team in the Premier League so far this season. The scoreline will always be the key statistic in football but given that Barcelona top La Liga for possession and Bayern Munich rank No.1 for Bundesliga ball retention, the link between keeping the ball and winning matches is clear. The concern for Spurs supporters is that much of it has been too sterile.
Two of Tottenham's back four - Kyle Walker and Michael Dawson - are currently averaging over 60 passes per game. The only other defenders to be hitting those kinds of numbers this season are the Swansea centre-backs Ashley Williams and Chico Flores. Much like the mid-table Swans, retaining the ball appears to act as a defensive measure rather than an attacking one. Ponderous approach play allows the opposition to set themselves and exposing their weaknesses can then become a trickier task.
Home comforts?
"We managed to beat the record of away wins because we don't find situations of pressure and our fans are amazing," added Villas-Boas in his comments at the weekend. "Sometimes, at home, it is difficult, and it looks like it drags the ball into our goal instead of the opponents' goal." It's all relative. While Tottenham's 10 away wins last season were bettered only by champions Manchester United, five of their eight defeats came on the road. In fact, even this season, the home and away records are remarkably similar. Those fraught one-goal wins a home to Swansea and Hull mirror narrow away victories at Crystal Palace and Cardiff.
Given that teams visiting White Hart Lane are likely to be less inclined to push forward and leave the sort of space for Spurs to exploit on the counter attack, perhaps patience is a particular virtue on home turf. And besides, midfielder Mousa Dembele has another theory - pointing to the size of the pitch. "It's not easy for us," he told the Evening Standard. "We know that some teams are going to come here and make a block, and we don't have a big pitch so it's even more difficult. A small pitch makes it harder. If we have more space, it's easier for us, but we have to find a way."
Congestion charge
The search for space that Dembele highlights is a challenge arguably made more difficult by Tottenham's use of inverted wingers on both flanks. While man of the moment Andros Townsend is utilised on the right wing, right-footers such as Gylfi Sigurdsson and more recently Aaron Lennon have been asked to cut in from the left. It often leaves Spurs with five midfielders operating in front of opponents who are content to defend deep.
Tottenham have had more shots this season than any other Premier League team. But when it comes to shots on target their record dips below Liverpool and Arsenal. With Townsend and Sigurdsson frequently cutting in on their stronger foot in midfield areas, it is perhaps no surprise. After all, such a high proportion of these efforts are coming from long range. Villas-Boas' side are taking 57 per cent of their shots from outside the area. Only Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Fulham can match that and they are hardly teams to seek to emulate.
Furthermore, inverted wingers are best complemented by attacking full-backs able to exploit the space vacated down the flanks. But since the injury to Danny Rose following the convincing win over Norwich, Villas-Boas has been forced to move Jan Vertonghen from centre-back or use the right-footed Kyle Naughton at left-back. Not getting to the by-line and testing teams by getting in behind has proven a problem.
Striker struggles
Strikers thrive on service. Roberto Soldado and Jermain Defoe more than most. It's been a slow start for Soldado at Spurs with three of his four Premier League goals coming from the spot and the team's style of play has contributed to that. As noted by WhoScored, seven of the Spaniard's league goals last season came from either right-footed crosses from the right or left-footed crosses from the left. The use of inverted wingers is not aiding the expert poacher.
Indeed, Tottenham's lone striker - whether Soldado or Defoe - has struggled to get involved in play at all. Despite Spurs having a higher percentage of their touches in the opposition half than any other Premier League team, their striker has cut an isolated figure. While Everton's Romelu Lukaku and Arsenal's Olivier Giroud average at least 30 passes per 90 minutes in the lone forward role, Soldado manages just 24 and Defoe is making only 19 passes per match. And despite the long-held belief that selfishness is a virtue in strikers, this appears to correlate with their goalscoring contribution too.
Is that the fault of a lack of incisive and imaginative movement or is it poor service? That's a judgement call. Either way, the fact that no Spurs player has managed more than one accurate through-ball all season is damning. Jack Wilshere has made four, David Silva five. Albeit a negative statistic in itself, the fact that Tottenham have been adjudged offside on fewer occasions than any other side also suggests the runs are either being missed or not being made.
|Premier League striker comparison
|Goals (exc pens) per 90
|Passes per 90
|Romelu Lukaku
|Sergio Aguero
|Daniel Sturridge
|Olivier Giroud
|Roberto Soldado
|Jermain Defoe
Midfield creativity
Christian Eriksen might be the man to change that. Sigurdsson and Townsend are effectively operating as wide attackers rather than suppliers, with four Premier League goals and no assists between them so far this season. Paulinho is the man described by Juan Roman Riquelme as the 'Tropical Lampard' so it is no great surprise that he should prefer the role of bursting into the box from deep rather than creating for others. Lewis Holtby is a fine athlete too. But the young Dane is different.
Eriksen assisted 17 goals in the Eredivisie last season and has shown glimpses of this quality in the Europa League already this season. But just one assist from 333 minutes of Premier League action suggests it may take a little longer to produce a similar return in England's top flight. A total of just six goals from open play - the same as Norwich, who sit in the relegation zone - indicates that his imagination is much needed if Tottenham are to get that midfield balance right.
It's not all bad
Amid all the concerns, there are obvious signs of encouragement. Villas-Boas has a well-drilled team with the second-best defensive record in the league, having conceded just five goals so far this season. It's no coincidence either. They are one of only three teams to conceded fewer than 10 shots per game and this defensive reliability has allowed them to rack up four 1-0 wins already this term. In short, they are winning matches.
Recent research by StatsBomb indicates that this ability to restrict opponents is a familiar trend for Villas-Boas teams. While Chelsea were a conspicuous success under Roberto Di Matteo, they conceded significantly more shots following the exit of their Portuguese coach. In addition, Villas-Boas has sparked a marked decrease in the number of shots Tottenham are conceding in comparison to the reign of his predecessor.
There is a lot right with Tottenham at the moment. As a result, perhaps patience and cautious optimism should be the watchwords. After all, it's worth noting that some of the criticisms valid of Roberto Mancini's Manchester City side in the season before their title triumph are applicable here. This is a defensively strong team succeeding in controlling matches without really firing as they might. If Villas-Boas finds the right blend and as is able to unleash his players, things could be anything but dull for those sceptical Spurs supporters.


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Having recently experienced War Horse, that British megahit from the National Theatre, I was eager to see the Bristol Old Vic's production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, which stopped at ArtsEmerson in Boston earlier this month on a U.S. tour. The common denominator? South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company, which created the lifesize steeds for War Horse and here was responsible for the midsummer fairies and more.
Compared to the intricate architecture of War Horse's majestic stallions, Handspring's creations for this Dream are homespun. And so is Tom Morris's production, which is set, well, in a theater, really. The stage of Emerson's Cutler Majestic Theatre was cluttered with props, workbenches, ladders and other backstage paraphernalia, from which artistic jumble the play emerged.
A company of 12, mostly young, Brits performs it, all but the four actors playing the young lovers doubling and tripling roles. In fact, three of them play one character, Puck—or rather, they create "that merry wanderer of the night" by picking up a wicker basket, four hand tools and an oil can to embody the sprite's body, limbs and head, and have him dancing and dissolving in midair.
Other Handspring inventions include Oberon, the fairy king—an actor holding a plaster mask in one hand and a fully articulated arm and hand in the other—wooden birds with flapping wings, soaring on the ends of long poles (a device borrowed from War Horse), a collection of rough-hewn planks that, in the ensemble's hands, represent the ever-moving enchanted forest, and two epic-size figures formed from hoops of bent wood for the reunion of the fairy king and queen in the finale.
Simon Annand photo
The visual style, of the costumes as well as the set, is what you might call scruffy modern. Duke Theseus wears an armored motorcycle jacket, the lovers favor torn-denim chic and the "horny-handed men" who perform the "Pyramus and Thisbe" playlet are a collection of dirty-overalled laborers. These "rude mechanicals," by the way, really are rude, in the sense of smutty. That climactic play-within-a-play is not only one of the wittiest I've seen, but also the coarsest. And this is certainly the first time I've seen a literal interpretation of the lead thespian's name, Bottom, and the fact that he's magically turned into an ass.
This *Dream invites comparisons to the version Julie Taymor unveiled in New York last fall, and they're almost all invidious. The Lion King's creator conjured some stirring stage images, including Puck riding a bed up into the sky (a dream, get it?), Bottom nesting with Titania in a billowing cloud of fabric, and puppet deer and other forest creatures—her puppetry invoking the natural world where Handspring's represents the supernatural. But Taymor failed to knit her visions into a coherent whole, and didn't even bother to forge a consistent acting style among her often mismatched cast. Handspring's humbler and wittier images, together with Morris's well-meshed ensemble, make this Dream as fresh and convincing a rendition of the perennial favorite as any I've seen.
Okay, one niggle. The show falters at the end, when one of its strokes of brilliance is pushed too far. In "Pyramus and Thisbe" the part of the lion is played by the shyest of the would-be thespians, who protests he's "slow of study" but is reassured that his part demands "nothing but roaring." Here, he's played as a recent immigrant from India who speaks practically no English, thus his hesitancy to take on a speaking role. Saikat Ahamed's performance as the eager but generally baffled young man is hilariously touching. But at the end of the play—in lieu of Puck's famous epilogue—the actor, and by implication the character, is called into service as the Indian boy over whose custody Oberon and Titania have been feuding—an interpolation that's both gratuitous and obscure.
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Piner-Olivet School District is adding back five classroom days to the current school year as a result of the successful passage of Proposition 30.
The district also eliminated five planned furlough days for the 2013-14 school year. Piner-Olivet serves about 1,500 students in five schools west of Santa Rosa.
The district board of trustees approved the reinstatements Wednesday night. The reinstated days for the current school year are June 3-7.
Proposition 30 temporarily increases the state sales tax by a quarter-cent and income taxes on the wealthy by 1 to 3 percent, preventing what state officials said would have been $4.8 billion in cuts to K-12 education in the current school year.
Area school districts were directed to build their school year budgets on the assumption that the measure would fail. Its passage has allowed them to reinstate days they had cut. Over the long term, Proposition 30 maintains current levels of funding.
Santa Rosa City Schools, Sonoma County's largest school district, voted last month to reinstate three school days this spring: March 29, April 1 and April 29. Two classroom days and one teacher work day at the start of the school year in August were cut.
Staff Writer Kerry Benefield writes an education blogat extracredit.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. She can be reached at 526-8671 or kerry.benefield@press democrat.com.
Resources To Help
North Bay Suicide Prevention 24-hour hotline: 855-587-6373
NAMI Sonoma County warmline: 707-527-6655
Sonoma County Psychiatric Emergency Services: 707-576-8181
For information on Sonoma County support groups, call 707-527-6655 or go to namisonomacounty.org


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Normally a cable of this length would require minimum 24 AWG conductors to support High Speed HDMI features but the RedMere chip in this cable allows it to support all High Speed HDMI features with only 36 AWG conductors. The connector heads measure a mere 5/8" wide and 1/4" thick. The connector head at the source is only 9/16" long while the connector head at the sink (TV) which houses the RedMere chip is only 13/16" long.
Note that HDMI Cables with RedMere are directional. One end must be connected to the source device (e.g. blu-ray player) and the other end to the sink/display (e.g. HDTV). Hooking them up backwards will not damage anything they just won't transmit a signal. Also note that these cables are fully compatible with switches splitters matrix devices etc. They can be used in any application in which a normal HDMI cable can be used and many applications where HDMI extenders would otherwise be required!
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The March attacks, which culminated in the master boot record of thousands of South Korean PCs being deleted by attackers, has been dubbed "Dark Seoul." But according to a new research report published by McAfee, Dark Seoul was just one of many attacks launched as part of a long-running campaign known as Operation Troy. That name was inspired by the frequency with which the word "Troy" features in the compile path strings of the group's malware.
"The prime suspect group in these attacks is the New Romantic Cyber Army Team, which makes frequent use of Roman and classical terms in their code," said McAfee's report. McAfee said that after identifying similarities between malware variants used in disparate attacks -- including 2011 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks -- it finally identified what appears to be the gang's raison d'être.
[ How deep does U.S. hacking go? Read Snowden Says U.S. Hacking Chinese Civilians Since 2009. ]
"The missing element was military espionage," said McAfee threat researcher Ryan Sherstobitoff in a blog post. "One of the primary goals of this group was a covert military spying operation that attempted to target military forces in South Korea," including U.S. Forces Korea.
New Romantic Cyber Army Team had already claimed credit for the March wiper malware attacks, saying it had erased 180,000 South Korean PCs, in contrast to official South Korean government estimates, which said that about 32,000 PCs were affected. The hackers also boasted that prior to wiping the systems, they'd stolen information on 2.5 million members of an organization -- the name of which was blacked out by McAfee -- plus content management system information pertaining to 50 million people, as well as unspecified bank information.
McAfee said that the group's claims that it stole massive amounts of data from infected PCs appeared to be true, because in the weeks prior to the March mass wiping of master boot records, the attackers appeared to have already infected the systems and enjoyed unrestricted access. That would have allowed them ample time to mine PCs for interesting information.


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Israel in Political Isolation Over New Palestinian Government
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 04 (IPS) - The United States' decision to "work with" the new Palestinian government has virtually isolated Israel: the only country so far to have publicly rejected the political alliance between Fatah and Hamas.
Israel is the only country to have rejected the alliance between former rivals Hamas and Fatah. Credit: Zack Baddorf/ZUMA Press/IPS
"Not a single nation has heeded Israel's futile call to boycott the new unity government," said Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine to the United Nations.
The new government, joining rivals Fatah, which controlled the West Bank, and Hamas, which ruled Gaza, was enjoying support from countries around the world, except Israel, he said
"This is a significant development and in line with the national interests of the Palestinian people," Mansour added.
3Israel, one of the closest allies of the U.S., has already launched a scathing attack on the administration of President Barack Obama, describing U.S. recognition as "American naivete".
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the United Nations stands ready to lend its "full support" to the newly formed government in its effort to reunite the West Bank and Gaza, in line with the intra-Palestinian unity agreement of Apr. 23, under one legitimate Palestinian authority.
This, he pointed out, includes addressing the serious political, security, humanitarian and economic challenges in Gaza, and holding long overdue elections.
Asked if this means "U.N. recognition" of the new unity government, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters: "The issue of recognition of governments is one that is up to member states.
Dr. James E. Jennings, president of Conscience International and executive director of US Academics for Peace, told IPS, "The new Palestinian government has already conceded to Israel what the Zionist state has long demanded: that Palestinian leaders recognise Israel, thus essentially conceding Israel's right to exist."
Further, he said, Fatah's leadership of the coalition, with its built-in security agreement with Israel, means the new Palestinian government also agrees to operate behind the apartheid wall as a demilitarised entity dismembered by scattered Jewish settlements under the protection of Israel and its intrusive security services.
"Even if the new government survives, the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza will continue to be dominated by realities imposed by Israel backed by its indulgent uncle, the United States," said Jennings.
While Mahmoud Abbas will continue to remain President of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, the new 17-member cabinet will be headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, described as a linguist and a former university president.
Clarifying the political nuances of the agreement, the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) said the new government is "composed of a consensus cabinet consisting of individuals agreed upon by all of the major Palestinian political parties."
The cabinet does not include members of the two largest Palestinian parties, Fatah or Hamas.
Instead, it is made up of independent technocrats whose job is to prepare the groundwork for elections for the Palestinian Authority.
Although Hamas supports the government, none of the members of the new cabinet is affiliated with Hamas, IMEU said in a statement released Tuesday.
Hamas remains designated a "terrorist group" by Israel, the United States and some of the Western European nations.
"Fascinating development," Vijay Prashad, Edward Said chair at the American University in Beirut (AUB), told IPS. "But it is taking place for all the wrong reasons."
Hamas is weakened by the strangulation of the Gaza economy by a combination of the (normal) Israeli garrote and the Egyptian closure of the tunnels and checkpoints, he added.
"With little easy access to regional and international markets, Gaza faces financial desperation - and this on top of the normal de-development and financial pressures."
Prashad said Hamas had no good choices available to it because Gulf money is not a long-term solution or (in this time of a shakeup) a short-term option.
The international agencies (the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank) all ask for reforms that are not an option for a small region that is essentially a permanent sanctions economy, he said.
"Hamas had to surrender to the neo-liberal policy slate that has become the main policy agenda for the Abbas-led government in the West Bank," said Prashad, co-editor of 'Dispatches from the Arab Spring'.
Asked if it was really a government of national consensus, he said: "No. More like a government of desperation".
Hamas had to back off on its demand for its person to run both religious affairs and prisoner affairs. This shows you that it is not based on consensus, he noted.
"Israel is going to do all it can to undermine even this consensus situation. It will do everything possible to break the unity, including sabotaging the elections slated to take place in six months," Prashad predicted.
"And it is in Israel's interest to have the two parts of Palestine in a kind of political congestion suffocating for lack of a pathway to liberation and peace," he added.
Jennings told IPS it was clear from the beginning of the rift between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Hamas that it would hopelessly divide Palestinian political ambitions and serve only the interests of Israel.
In fact, it has been a disaster for the Palestinian people.
"The question, now that a lacuna of seven years has separated the two factions and vast changes have taken place in the Middle East, is whether the April reconciliation agreement can possibly hold, and whether it is already too late to repair the damage."
An even more daunting - and very doubtful - issue is whether the Obama Administration's willingness to do business with the new unity government can withstand being crushed between the upper- and-lower-millstone coalition of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his numerous sycophants in the U.S. Congress, he noted.
The irony of that situation is analogous to the time when the ancient Israelites were reduced to having their weapons blocked and their tools sharpened by their arch-enemies, the Philistines.
There is no agreement with Israel on political rights leading to statehood, no human rights guarantees for Palestinians, no control of its own borders, and no realistic chance for the massive economic programmes that are needed to empower Palestinian growth and development.
The caretaker technocrat government installed by President Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah with the concurrence of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza is a step in the right direction, Jennings noted.
However, it has very little time to perform before scheduled elections take place six months from now. Over the past few years humanitarian needs in the Palestinian territories have grown exponentially.
Caught between Israel's destructive policies and remaining elements of Hamas rejectionists in Gaza, it is very doubtful that the new leadership will be able to withstand Israeli attempts to torpedo it and inspire the full support of the international community that is sorely and urgently needed, Jennings declared.
© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
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Israel in Political Isolation Over New Palestinian Government, Inter Press Service, Wednesday, June 04, 2014 (posted by Global Issues)

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Israel in Political Isolation Over New Palestinian Government, Inter Press Service, Wednesday, June 04, 2014 (posted by Global Issues)


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METAMOD is a portal solution providing Discovery, Access and Retrieve functionality for scientific datasets along with tools for DAR metadata like automatic extraction, manual editing, and conversion between different formats. Metadata can be converted to different formats and exposed using different search interfaces, i.e. ISO23950 and OAI-PM. It has been designed to be easily integratable with OpENDAP or FTP data servers, and allows data to be uploaded through FTP and HTTP interfaces. A WMS client is built in for visualizing the data.
A tool to get users started with master data.
A domain name server.


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Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
195 Little Albany Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08903-2681
New Brunswick, N.J. – The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Cooper University Hospital -- a Major Clinical Research Affiliate of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey -- are working together on a non-therapy research study that examines factors related to the early development of breast cancer in African American women. Investigators will explore how these factors compare to those in Caucasian women. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Compared to Caucasian women, African American women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age and at a later stage, and often have more aggressive features associated with a poor outcome. The reasons for these differences remain unknown. Through the Women's Circle of Health study investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey are exploring the influence of health and lifestyle factors on the early development of breast cancer in African American women. To address these issues, interviews will be conducted with study volunteers from nine counties across the state. African American women aged 20 to 75 who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer are eligible to participate, though other criteria must also be met.
Women meeting the eligibility criteria will be asked to give demographic and medical information, as well as reproductive, lifestyle and diet histories. A saliva sample will be also collected for genetic analyses. Participants do not need to take any medications.
The study is being offered at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and at Cooper University Hospital. It is being conducted in collaboration with the New Jersey State Cancer Registry and Roswell Park Cancer Institute and is supported by the National Cancer Institute (P01CA151135-01 – Ambrosone, Bandera).
Cancer Institute of New Jersey epidemiologist Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD, is the lead investigator. "This research study aims to understand how lifestyle and genetic factors impact the chances of developing cancer so that better prevention strategies can be developed. Previous breast cancer studies in African American and Caucasian women generally have been based on too few African American women to fully understand the differences between these two groups. By focusing on larger numbers of African American women, this study will provide new and important information about the causes of breast cancer in African American women," noted Dr. Bandera, who is also an associate professor of epidemiology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and UMDNJ-School of Public Health.
"This is a tremendous opportunity to say something meaningful about how lifestyle and genetic factors influence risks of breast cancer in African American women," noted Robert Somer, MD, who is the principal investigator at Cooper University Hospital for the Women's Circle of Health study.
For more information on how to take part in the Women's Circle of Health Study call 732-235-8806 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
"It is through volunteer participation that researchers are able to identify better ways to treat, prevent, diagnose and understand diseases such as cancer, which will result in improved patient outcomes," said Susan Goodin, PharmD, deputy director at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and associate director for clinical trials and therapeutics. "Our collaboration with Cooper University Hospital allows more access to these trials and allows for more everyday heroes throughout New Jersey to step forward to help us accomplish this mission," noted Dr. Goodin, who is also a professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Clinical trials and research studies now underway at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey explore diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer, as well as management of cancer symptoms. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey currently enrolls more than 3,500 patients in clinical trials each year, including approximately 17 percent of all new adult cancer patients and approximately 70 percent of all pediatric cancer patients. That compares with fewer than five percent of all adult cancer patients enrolled nationwide.
As New Jersey's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey offers patients access to treatment options not available at other institutions within the state.
About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state's first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. Physician-scientists at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Foundation, call 732-235-8614 or visit www.cinjfoundation.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center, and Cooper University Hospital. Affiliate Hospitals: CentraState Healthcare System, JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), Somerset Medical Center, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. *Academic Affiliate


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Meatless Enchiladas
Sylvia Casares
Saturday, August 3, 2013 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (CDT)
Houston, TX
Contact the Host
When & Where
Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen
6401 Woodway Drive
Saturday, August 3, 2013 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (CDT)
Add to my calendar
Sylvia Casares
All Classes are taught by Sylvia Casares, a food scientist, chef and restaurateur. She is an engaging teacher who shares the history and traditions of each dish and spice. Born in Brownsville, Texas, she named her restaurant after her signature menu item, nineteen enchiladas. Each enchilada reflects a specific region of Texas, the Texas-Mexico border, or Mexico.As a food scientist, she learned that every short cut or substitution you make to a recipe will cost you flavor. And she is all about flavor! She has spent years perfecting her recipes, working hard to make each one a ten. She uses the best ingredients money can buy, so that when her customers dine at one of her restaurants, they are eating the very best Interior of Mexico, simple home-style Tex-Mex, or special mesquite grilled meats like Cabrito and Carne Asada.
Texas Monthly magazine said Casares serves the "Best Enchiladas, Best Flautas and Best Tres Leches" in Houston, and Television Chef Rachael Ray says her food "is out of this world!" And when H Texas magazine anointed Casares The Queen of Tex-Mex Cuisine," she was positioned as the cuisine's official spokesperson. In 2008, Casares was selected as on of the top ten best chefs in the USA by the Spanish Language magazine Siempre Mujer and as the number one Best Chef in Houston by H Texas magazine.
In fact, in 2005, Casares was selected by Jel Sert to create recipes using their gelatins, puddings and flans and to be their celebrity spokesperson and provided the voice for in their national radio advertising campaign. Just recently, Casares was chosen to be the Texas Spokesperson and Hostess for Unilever's national million-dollar cooking competition, Desafio del Sabor. Casares has appeared on the Food Network: in "The Secret Life of....Tex Mex Food,"
"Actually, Sylvia's is a local classic in its own right, thanks to the careful ministrations of its perfectionist owner, Sylvia Casares." Alison Cook, Houston Chronicle.
Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen's Cheese Enchiladas are "South Texas Tex-Mex at its finest and most genuine." Katharine Shilcutt, Houston Press
In 2012, Casares celebrated the Woodway location's third-year anniversary, the Westheimer location's eleventh-year anniversary, her cooking school's ninth-year anniversary, her twenty-fourth year as a food scientist and her fourteenth year as a restaurateur.


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Please help, I am very confused on how to go about doing these two problems.
1. Traders often buy foreign currency in hope of making money when the currency's value changes. For example, on July 6, 2011, one U.S. dollar could purchase 0.6985 Euros and one Euro could purchase 1.3822 Canadian dollars. Let f(x) represent the number of Euros you can buy with x dollars and let g(x) represent the number of Canadian dollars you can buy with x Euros.
a. Find a function that relates dollars to Euros
b. Find a function that relates Euros to Canadian Dollars.
c. Then use the results of a) and b) to find a function that relates U.S. Dollars to Canadian Dollars.
2. You make a purchase at a local store, but what you've bought is too big to take home in your car. For a small fee, you arrange to have the store deliver your purchase. You pay for your purchase, plus the sales tax, plus the fee. The tax rate is 8.5% and the delivery fee is $30.
a. Write a function P(x) for the total, including taxes, on the purchase amount x.
b. Write a function T(x) for the total, including the delivery fee, on the purchase amount x.
c. Calculate and interpret (P*T)(x) and (T*P)(x). Which results in a lower cost to you?
If someone would be able to help me with these two problems it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!


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During the recent snowstorm, I had a question and an issue about snow removal. It was way after normal business hours but I took a shot and called city hall. To my surprise, a nice gentleman answered and was very sincere in asking me about my problem and how the city could help. He took down all my information and promised that my situation would b promptly addressed. Within 15 minutes a truck arrived and took care of my concerns. The employees even rang my bell to make sure I was satisfied.
I called City Hall back because I wanted the Mayor to know how well I was treated. The same gentleman answered and I asked him to relay my thanks to Mayor Smith. I was totally surprised when he laughed and said, "I am Mayor Smith."
Everyone in Bayonne should know that we have a mayor who really cares about our community. I was impressed that he answered the phone and took care of my problem. The recent weather has taken its toll on everyone but it is clear that our Mayor and all city employees are working hard to keep our community safe.
Thank you, Mayor Smith and all of the city workers. Keep up the good work.


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But it's the type of stuff I like to read in the Spring.
Coaching Clinic Notes: Mattison And The Defense
A guest post from Craig Ross, who took in the coaches' clinic this year, as he does most years. If you're not sure what "technique" means or the basics of cover X defenses the UFR FAQ should be of some assistance.
Greg is not impressed, GERG
On a personal level Mattison is charismatic and impressive. I can't imagine that he won't be a absolutely great recruiter. His enthusiasm is manifest. He isn't a defensive personality (I don't mean football defense) in the slightest. Media guys kept asking him about his salary (incredibly rude, I thought) and he just said he didn't want to talk about. Not mean. Not tired. Not nasty. Just matter of fact. But after the second "no," these reporters got it.
Unlike GERG he has patience with questions, especially football questions. GERG wanted little to do with the press and had no patience with anything resembling a football question. [I asked whether he would be playing "one or two gap" a couple of years ago. He looked at me like I was crazy (maybe I am/was, probably the question was idiotic) but he responded (and repeated himself) with "Let's just say by the end of the season you'll be happy with our defense." Uh, well, not exactly.
I don't want to beat on GR. The media can be pretty awful and he had a right to some disinclination to talk about anything other than superficial sound bites. But even in coaching clinics he seemed loathe to talk about defensive structure, which he perceived as overrated (maybe he is right). His obsession was technique, notably tackling technique—stunning given what our defense did the last two years. But Mattison is a whole different deal. He gives smart questions their due. He gives sloppy questions more thought than they probably deserve. And, yeah, he isn't above the ordinary sound bite to the ordinary sorta-non-question.
Mattison's Philosophy
The Ravens were a 3-4 team until Mattison took over the defense. In 2009 he changed the Raven to a 4-3 look and there is every reason to believe he will attempt to mimic the success he had in Baltimore. Mattison's overall philosophies are
- stop the run,
- take away the offense's best receiver (I assume this means the D may tend to roll a bit to the best WR's side of the field), and
- keep the defensive formations stable but mix pressures and coverages.
Mattison will run a 4-3 with some nickel as a primary defense*. He was adamant about four things.
- Martin (or any NT) will never play right over the center, zero tech, that he will be shaded into the A gap, even if slightly**.
- He always wants four guys down. Always. He said "If I have to limp in there we are playing 4 guys on the line." (A couple of times in the spring game it looked like we had three guys down. Reviewed this. On play one he had Big WC at NT and Mike Martin standing up on the edge. Denard breaks the play for 55 yards. Of course, we did have 4 DL in the game so he didn't violate his abstract principle. Also, as noted, against spread looks he went with three DL. [Ed: my impression was that these sorts of games were reserved for passing downs, when run soundness goes out the window and you're just trying to hassle the QB.])
- GM prefers (strongly) that the defense generally have the same look. He stated that his defense will not "stem" into different looks. That said, he wants the defense to have variations out of the singular defensive formation.
- As every coach on the planet says and means, he wants the D to pressure the QB.
Mattison stresses that he has been left with attentive kids. He talks about their seriousness, that they have behaved and been supportive of each other. Unlike Borges, who spent a lot of time looking at last year's offense, Mattison claims he did not watch "one minute" of last year's tape. (I wish I hadn't.) There are two reasons for this. First, he didn't want to bias his impressions of the players. He preferred that he and his staff make their own valuations, as opposed to those that accrued in a different system. Second, he was going to run a different system anyway. Looking to last year's model wasn't going to provide any information likely to have value.
This is a treacherous judgment—my understanding of the lingo may hamstring my perceptions—but it looks to me like Mattison will to use a 4-3 under as his base defense. The NT will be shaded into the A gap toward the TE, the defensive end in 5 technique but slightly shaded to the outside, and the SAM lining up near the LOS outside of the tight end, assuming there is a TE on the field. On the weak side the tackle will be in 3-tech and the rush end will shaded slightly outside of the offensive tackle***. Basically this:
I think Michigan will look like this a lot but the black "elephant"—the rush end for UM [ed: around here we called it Deathbacker when Greg Robinson was trying to use that guy as in coverage more]—might be a bit closer to the tackle. Mattison's drawing also had the Mike (Middle LB) and Will (Weakside LB) slightly more shaded to the TE. In the diagram above the Mike has the strongside B gap and Will the weakside A gap. The Will just has to make sure his gap isn't threatened and then can flow to the ball.
Coverage: The field (wide side) corner and safety will often play "quarters," while the other safety will be responsible for half the field. [ed: This is also known as quarter-quarter-halves. It's a cover three that splits the field unevenly. Hit up this Smart Football post for more detail—look for the first diagram with color in it.] If there is a receiver to the boundary (short side) that corner will squat, but if there is no WR he may have a "fire" read, rushing the passer or having weakside run support.
A couple variants: A primary variation of this will be the DL all slanting to the weak side of the formation, the Mike and Will dropping into hook and curl coverage, with the corners and weakside safety splitting the field into thirds and the strong side safety having responsibility in the flat. Note that this comes out of the same 4-3 under look. I assume, on this choice, the Sam (Strongside LB) has edge integrity and the Mike and strong safety have primary run support to the play side.
Mattison didn't mention the 4-3 over but they definitely played a bit of that in the SG. In that the NT shifts to a shade into the weakside A gap and the linebackers are more balanced. I have to look back at the tape some---pretty sure they played a bit of it, at least late in the SG.
It also looks like they will play some "Bear" defense, bringing the Will down into the gap between the End and the SAM. In such instances he said they will always be in man defense, they won't try to zone. Mattison also stressed that "setting an edge" to the defense is always important and on their base defense that's up to the Sam on the field side. He said this was "a huge deal."
In terms of personnel note that Troy Woolfolk and JT Floyd were out in the spring, as was Kenny Demens. In a surprise Marrell Evans started with the ones (I didn't know he was on the team until 10 days ago) in the Spring Game. Herron was there, too. Herron was shucked by Cox on his long run. I thought Evans played pretty well.
Tony Anderson and Avery both played pretty well at corner (or was this just the weakness in our passing game?) so with Floyd and Woolfolk healthy in the fall, there should be a lot of competition there.
In a huge surprise to me, I saw some really good play from Greg Brown—at corner—in the last Saturday scrimmage [ed: ie, the Saturday before the spring game]. This was mentioned by the coaches, so it is not a secret or my insanity. Brown did give up the TD near the end of the spring game but he was in great position and just misplayed the ball. Right now Carvin and Kovacs are running with the ones at safety, but Marvin Robinson is going to be a monster if he can learn the D. Parents of a player mentioned this to me, that Marvin had the chance to be awesome, once he steps up his understanding of the playbook. Josh Furman made a couple of plays but I didn't focus on him so I can't evaluate his play yet. Marvin made numerous big plays in the last weekend scrimmage.
The DL looks set with Van Bergen at DE, Roh at rush end, Big Will at the three tech and Martin at NT. However, Martin was moved around a bit in the SG so I have to look at the tape of that. Depth is thin, but I saw some good play from Black (inconsistent, but flashes), Wilkins (big plays in the SG) and the other Will (Heininger) who has been moved inside to NT.
The LBs were Jones (Will) and Cam Gordon (Sam) and I thought they did OK. Jake Ryan just stood out on the last scrimmage (with the 2s)—he made play after play—and he did the same thing in the SG. He was a way under the radar recruit but he really looks like he will be a player.
This was the worst defense in the history of the galaxy (maybe not universe, there may be a planet where some team was worse) last year so I am surprised by what I saw this spring. It was a more ordinary spring--- the UM defense making the offense struggle to get any run game going (except for Denard), though maybe two big plays were broken by the RBs. I predicted before the SG (based on the prior week's scrimmage) that this would be an average or above average defense. I still think that. Something in the back of my head thinks it might even be an "almost good" defense but I suspect this is delusional. Now the coaches seem nervous. Mattison was unhappy after the SG but they sure seem ahead of anything I have seen for a few years.
*[Editor's note: given how much we saw Thomas Gordon in the spring game I'm guessing the nickel will be the base defense against spread looks.]
**[During the spring game it seemed like were pretty close to a zero technique at times, something he seemed to disavow. From the endzone, where I sat, there always seemed some shade. But on the Tivo of the game (from the side) of course, it seemed like we had a NT in zero tech every now and then. I reviewed it. Seems like this was when the offense was in a spread, when GM went completely odd with a 3 man front—as George Halas suggested against the single wing.]
***[Mattison is concerned that too many rush ends tend to get too wide as they attempt to speed rush the tackle. He thinks this is too easy a mark for an offensive tackle unless the end is a blur. He wants him closer to the tackle. He especially wants Craig Roh to not get too wide, allowing him to probe in either direction.]
Due to the post its hard to comment unless you have a question regarding the scheme. These posts and recruiting are my favorite to read.
This post is top-notch...full of information, caters to the layman (me), and specific to this fall's season prospects. Thanks Craig
The kind of post that makes my stops at mgoblog worth the time. Thanks a lot!
Here's an image of what the "Bear" or "46" defense looks like. it uses 4-3 personnel:
What are the advantages/disadvantages of the Bear Defense?
Is it my imagination or does the Will come all the way across the formation to get to the Bear from the base?
It's what the 85 Bears (the greatest defense of all time, try to argue with me) ran. Pretty much it's an aggressive defense where you send 6 and man up on the "skill" spots. The west coast offense was the offensive counter to it, quick passing was its downfall
"A hyper-aggressive variant of the 4-3 base set, the 46 dramatically shifted the defensive line to the weak side (the opposite end from the offense's tight end), with both guards and the center "covered" by the left defensive end and both defensive tackles. This front forced offenses to immediately account for the defenders lined up directly in front of them, making it considerably harder to execute blocking assignments such as pulling, trapping and pass protection in general. Moreover, the weak side defensive end would be aligned one to two yards outside the left offensive tackle, leaving opposing tackle 'on an island' when trying to block the pass rush."
Do you see that FS standing all alone back there? That is where you are most vulnerable in the Bear D. It puts your Corners on an island with little help up top.
You need corners to play bump-and run, and be able to cover really well. This is why the Jets can pull this off occasionally with Revis and Cromartie
May have had a pretty good teacher for that defense.... ;-)
Thanks for this!
I can honestly say I feel "safe" with mattison as the DC. I think he knows the ins and outs very well and will make our defense great.
linked to this post under the title "Paragraph of the day." Great blogs linking to great content on other great blogs, I love it. (The paragraph of the day is the 2nd paragraph of this post).
thank you!
Much appreciated. This is the stuff I like to read.
Instead of constantly arguing about whether or not Rich Roch "gets it," lets just talk about how awesome Greg Mattison is.
Maybe that's how I should have said it yesterday....
I look forward to seeing this defense in fall camp. I think that it is no mistake or random occurrance that the first commits are O lineman and LBs
Glad to hear the reports on Jake Ryan. The word out of St. Ignatius in Cleveland last year was that he was better than Scott McVey, a supposedly higher rated recruit also at St. Ignats who went to tOSU. They thought Michigan got the better of the two.
ahm gone gib da brain cook his props. dis were a good rite.
tanks brain cook
wut no lub fo kreg ros?
tato sellid?
Loved watching Mattison during the Spring game. He always has that scowl on his face like he's not pleased. He appears to demand perfection. After one of Johnson's interception, he called him over to point out something to Carvin. Ends don't justify the means with GM.
Looks like the plan is to have Martin be the wildcard. He could play any of the postions along the d-line. Hopefully the other guys can be versatile enough (esp. Van Bergen) so Martin can find the mismatch. It's a similar concept to RRod's scheme. Keep the scheme simple and find the mismatch for your playmakers.
Marvin Robinson is the first safety I've seen to come up to the line of scrimmage, stick a runningback, and knock him back. I really hope he pulls it all together to start this fall, having a subdued Jamar Adams would be huge for this defense.
It is crazy to see Ezeh in that video. I feel bad for how things turned up last season with his back injury and all. I think he showed lots of resolve sticking through it even when he got benched.
solid info on that, thanks
I'm just happy to have Mattison back.
The only comfort I could think of the last 2 years in regards to the defense was telling myself that they couldn't possibly play any worse. And I was wrong.
Great post.
should update the positions on the defense in our depth chart wiki link. Maybe we can break down the DT's into DT and NT. We also have the LBs all in one group right now. I suspect that some players are in the wrong spots. For instance, both Kovacs and Carvin are listed in the same safety spot.
The "unofficial two-deep" has been updated.
Where did Mattison get that old school hat with the darker blue, big block-M, and no Adidas logo? Doesn't look like anything they have available at M-Den or anywhere else selling new stuff. Did he find that thing at the bottom of the closet or is this something I will be able to purchase in the fall?
I was wondering the same thing. I though Mattison was rocking some bootleg version that he picked up i Baltimore before moving to AA.
Perhaps an old school Dreisbach era version he kept after leaving to ND?
I guess that is why they were stressing that Cam needed to add some weight. I hope he can bulk up so he can "set the edge"
In the diagram of the defensive alignment, I love to see concept that the CB's are only 3 yards off the line of scrimmage versus the 7 yards off the line we frequently saw next year. Pressure the QB, the ball comes out quicker and less accurate and the CB has a much easier chance for an interception or at least a pass break up. I truly hope we double our number of INT's next year.
Good to see that "Michigan Football" is on its way back. 1997 was the year that forever burned into my soul the essence of this thing which we speak of in such reverential terms. Smothering, in-your-face, tough defence. Woodson is still my all time favourite Wolverine. Offence in those days always seemed to be a side show to the real heart of the game: defence. Shut the opponent down and all you have to do is score just enough points to win. Defence wins championships.
The experiment with having an offensive guru run a funky, trendy and "cool" offence that appealed to the statistics oriented computer science and engineering types was ok while it lasted. It might have worked if they had understood that the heart of what we are about here is defence first. Good people all of them, but in the end, the wrong fit. They were "system" and "scheme" first guys. We are a "fundamentals" and "its about shaping young men" school. The notion of the "Michigan Man" does mean something, an ideal to be striven for. Scheme and system are secondary. Great athetes, most of whom became great men, with sound technique are always sought after at the "next level." Unfortunately we became about installing the system above all else. And in the end this is not the first time a head coach with a "decided schematic advantage" failed to live up to the hype.
It is good to hear of the return of teaching fundamentals before scheme. It is good to hear recruits talk about how the staff does not talk about football, but life and other stuff. Its good to hear how much the young men in the program are buying into the new staff. It seems that "family values" are back.
oh man Forest City it's defense with an "s". It's spelled correctly in your signature.
EDIT: I see you are Canadian. That makes sense now.
Too funny. I actually had "defense" throughout and went back and changed them all to "correct" them. My time "south" of the border has messed me up that way. I still have a bunch of words that I say with a Michigan accent even though I have been back in Canada for over a decade now.
"Family values?" Oh no, he di'nt. Not this shit again...
STOP WITH THESE POSTS! RR sucks... we get it.
This post was awesome. It's also comforting that people who know much more about football than me also feel encouraged by the progress being made on the defensive side of the ball.
Greg Brown rocked my socks in the Spring Game


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The 135,000-square-foot membership club outlet underwent an overhaul that included major upgrades to the fresh food and produce areas.
Several hundred customers, employees and guests gathered Friday at Sam's Club for a grand re-opening ceremony.
The occasion highlighted a six-month store remodeling project and 22 years of doing business in the community.
The 135,000-square-foot membership club outlet, which had its grand opening on Nov. 21, 1991, underwent an overhaul that included major upgrades to the fresh food and produce areas.
The store, open to the public but originally geared — with "bulk" packaging — toward small businesses, currently employs 216, said store manager Daniel Philipsen.
At least 26 employees of the original opening crew are still working there, according to a press release from a Sam's Club representative.
Ocala Marion County Chamber and Economic Partnership President and CEO Kevin Sheilley praised the outlet, a division of Wal-Mart and named after founder Sam Walton, as a "great place" for employees and part of the retail giant which, when all local stores are considered together, is the "biggest private employer in the county."
Al Dunlap, 76, and his wife, Judy, were the first customers to enter the store following the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday. Al Dunlap thanked the Sam's Club staff for years of service with a wide array of well-displayed products from food to office products.
"I've been coming here for about 10 years. They run a first-class organization," said Dunlap, 76, a West Point graduate, former CEO of several companies and local philanthropist.
Philipsen discussed some highlights of existing and new offering at the store.
"We have self-checkout and checkouts convertible from employee-manned to customer self-service. We will soon have 'scan and go' a service available for customers to scan their orders by (mobile) phone," Philipsen stated. Wheelchair height was taken into account for checkout, and aisles are wide and accommodating.
The extensive remodel project included the installation of several new bright LED-lighted 16-foot refrigerated units, and more energy-efficient display cases with up to five shelves.
The cases have been added to display "more variety and items" of foods. Many items come packed in multiple family-sized packages in one container, Philipsen pointed out.
Philipsen explained branch stores incorporate localized items such as University of Florida and Florida State college logo goods and exclusive items, such as Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix.
Philipsen said Sam's partners with local businesses in the "Club of the Community" program. For example, wines produced at Island Grove Winery less than 30 miles north of Ocala are handled at the local warehouse under the program.
Sam's Club annual membership dues run $100 for a "plus" member card, which includes special restricted shopping events; and $45 a year for regular membership, Philipsen said.
Philipsen, 39, from the Tampa area, has been with the company 18 years in positions at branches as far north as Virginia. He has been manager at the Ocala branch since 2008.
"I love it here," Philipsen said, adding he found Ocala to be a family-oriented area.
Philipsen and his wife, Lora, have five sons.
Several employees at the local Sam's Club said they share a positive work environment.
Charter employee Daniel David, 60, and Dale McDuffie, 62, pull items ordered online, especially by institutional accounts.
David quipped that his fellow employees make working at Sam's Club "fun."
Employees Donna George, Melissa Litchfield and Jerry Catalino chatted on their breaks in an upstairs employee room.
Litchfield and Catalino were classmates at Lake Weir High School. Litchfield has been with the store 22 years and Catalino for 11.
"(The employees) here are like family," Catalino said. A number of the staffers wore small heart pins signifying support for a fellow store employee in need.
"I met my husband, Eric, here; we have three sons, Joseph, 13, Jacob, 10, and Jackson, 11. My husband continued school and went on to another position," Litchfield said.
Philipsen said further education is encouraged by the company.
Melissa Litchfield still has an Ocala Star-Banner newspaper clipping dated Nov. 22, 1991, covering the grand opening of both the Sam's Club and a Kmart store a few miles closer to Ocala on State Road 200. The Kmart is now closed.
Customers streamed in and out of the store throughout the morning. Customer Connie Veit stated "she liked the new layout" as she opened her van in the parking lot while customer Nicolle Debetta, shopping with her husband, Frank, said the remodeling was an "improvement once we get used to it."


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BOURBONNAIS – A reported crowd of 8,000-plus showed up Saturday for the Bears second practice of the preseason camp at Olivet Nazarene and talk of playoffs and Super Bowls filled the air.
Is any of it justified? It's just too soon to tell.
This much we do know. Fans and some media who keep suggesting if the defense can just be a little better, maybe just average, that it makes the Bears a contender are nuts.
Average defenses don't win Super Bowls, or even get the chance to lose one.
That is why the Bears brought in five new defensive linemen via free agency and drafted two more in the first three rounds, signed four free-agent safeties and drafted a cornerback in the first round, re-signed D.J. Williams and moved Shea McClellin to linebacker.
Again, it is way too early to say for sure how all that will work out, but the linebacker situation is troubling.
The Bears began rebuilding the linebacking unit by replacing 2013 linebackers coach Tim Tibesar with Reggie Herring. Phil Emery thinks it's a great start.
"Reggie Herring, I've heard people call him a throwback," Emery said. "He is. He's as entertaining as he is a great coach. Players love being around him. I love being around him. You want to go play for him."
We'll see. The fact is if Lance Briggs and Williams are healthy, which neither were last year, they can play for anybody. Well into their 30s, can they stay on the field this year?
James Anderson was the Bears' best linebacker last year and he wasn't even invited back because the Bears refuse to quit on Emery's first, first-round draft choice, McClellin, and they believe last year's No. 2, Jon Bostic can play as well.
There no longer is any denying McClellin can't play with a hand on the ground in the NFL, so he's been given the starting strongside linebacker spot. Allegedly, there's a competition for the spot with Bostic, but it's clear it's McClellin's to lose.
Trestman said he's warming up to the task.
"I've seen it all through the offseason," he said. "I think he's been encouraged by Reggie. We have a lot of confidence. We're excited about seeing where this can go with Shea."
At Saturday's practice, McClellin looked uncomfortable and awkward. The reality might be that while he did have exceptional athletic skills for the defensive end spot – he just didn't have the strength, power or instincts – at linebacker his athleticism is just average if that.
Bostic has been given the starting nickel linebacker spot and does appear a lot more comfortable and instinctive than last year.
The best linebacker on the field Saturday was actually 2013 fourth-round pick, Khaseem Greene. Like Bostic, he appears much more fluid and instinctive this year and parlayed that into an interception of Jordan Palmer that he returned for a touchdown.
Greene acknowledges Year 2 is like a different world for him.
"Definitely, I mean I know what to expect, I've got a better grasp of the playbook and I'm just going out there and trying to have fun and make plays," he said.
At the end of the day, here's the concern. If McClellin can play linebacker at all, he is probably best suited for the Mike/middle, or the outside rush spot in a 3-4 defense, which the Bears don't play.
Bostic and Greene both are natural Will/weakside backers and that will be Briggs' spot until at least the end of this season when his contract expires.
It's possible the only natural Sam/strongside linebacker on the team is undrafted rookie free-agent Christian Jones and although he's intriguing, he's got a ton to learn.
As exciting as Day 2 might have been for all those fans, it's a good thing we've got five weeks of training camp and exhibition season left to sort all this out.
• Chicago Football editor Hub Arkush can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @Hub_Arkush.


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Word for the Weekend - August 9
Elijah in the Desert by Dieric the Elder Bouts
(Click on image for larger version)
Ahead is the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time and just a click away are the readings for the coming weekend along with background material on the texts. Will you be taking children to Mass on Sunday (or Saturday evening)? Here are some hints for helping them prepare to hear the Word.
Ever feel like just giving up? So did the prophet Elijah and the first scripture this weekend tells his story and how the Lord's nourishment restored him and set him back on the the right path. Elijah was saved by food from heaven and the gospel passage from John (remember, we're taking a summer break from the Marcan sequence) reminds us that Jesus is "the living bread that came down from heaven and that whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that he will give is his flesh for the life of the world."
The second scripture echoes the Lord's sacrifice reminding us that "Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma."
This is the second weekend of my vacation and I won't be preaching on these texts. If I were, I think I might take my leads from the Elijah's being rescued from the depths of despair and the sweet aroma of Jesus offering himself to the Father, for us. Could it be that we miss the hearth cakes and jugs the Father provides for us, sometimes sleeping through his coming and leaving those gifts for us? If we were more familiar with sacrifice as a fragrant aroma, might the scent of God's gifts and grace more readily wake us to their presence? And how might we come to understand sacrifice (Christ's and our own) as a pleasing fragrance offered to God?
2 comments:
I haven't read the texts yet but the metaphor of the fragrance is intriguing. I will soon be able to read and pray on that.ReplyDelete
- michelleAugust 9, 2009 at 7:48 PM
how might I come to understand sacrifice as a pleasing fragrance offered to God?ReplyDelete
...I struggle with this, and I am afraid I don't know...
...could it, at least partially, possibly be like when we do something for another, even something small, a kind word or little help, and they give us a little smile and/or a thank you (or any connection at all)...
could that be what this means, at least in part, in some small way?
this weekend I had more than usual interactions or encounters with random people (either needing something small, like directions, or offering me a kind word)- and although I tried in each of the situations, because I was on guard or even a bit defensive, I'm afraid that I was not wakeful to the presence of them as God's gifts and grace.


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Red Sox 1st: The first pitch is a Bartolo Colon 94 mph fastball taken for a strike by Johnny Damon at 10:08. Colon retires the Sox in order in four minutes on 11 pitches. Damon and Renteria ground out to Orlando Cabrera at shortstop and David Ortiz is caught looking at a fastball on the outside corner.
Angels: Tim Wakefield falls behind Chone Figgins 3-0, gets two called strikes and then strikes him out swinging. Cabrera hits the first pitch to the track in left-center. Damon and Ramirez sprint over and nearly collide at the wall -- their hats go flying -- and Damon throws the ball in. No one is hurt and it's a double for the OC. Darin Erstad's grounder to Kevin Millar gets Cabrera to third. Vladimir Guerrero -- 4-for-10 against Wakefield, with four home runs -- gets ahead 2-0, and is then walked intentionally. It's a smart move, as Bengie Molina grounds out to shortstop.
Red Sox 2nd: After Ramirez gets called out on strikes, Tony Graffanino drops a single into right center. Millar (after hitting a line drive down the left field foul line) grounds into a 5-4-3 double play. The legend continues. ... Millar's jogging down the first base line (as usual) as the first baseman takes the throw, but he will not be criticized in the press for his lack of hustle.
Angels 2nd: After Casey Kotchman drills a 3-1 pitch to right center for his fifth home run of the year -- Angels 1-0 -- Wakefield sets down the 7-8-9 hitters.
Red Sox 3rd: With one out, Doug Mirabelli singles to center. After Gabe Kapler flies out, Damon singles to right-center. Guerrero bobbles the ball and The Stud races to third without a throw. Renteria sees eight pitches -- half of Colon's total for the inning and a couple of them clocked at 97 -- and strikes out swinging.
Angles 3rd: Wakefield looks good: Figgins and Cabrera strike out, Erstad singles to center, and Vlad flies out to right.
Red Sox 4th: Colon looks better: Ortiz flies to shallow right-center, Ramirez whiffs on 97 heat up and in, and Graffanino grounds to short.
Angels 4th: With one out, Casey Kotchman walks and takes second on a wild pitch. Juan Rivera rips an 0-2 pitch down the third base line. Mueller dives into foul territory to snare it, but his throw to first pulls Millar off the bag. However, a run is saved. Wakefield then strikes out Finley and gets Kennedy to ground out first to pitcher. Still 1-0.
Red Sox 5th: Colon at 47 pitches through four innings (11-12-16-8). Millar hacks at the first pitch and fouls out to first. Mueller grounds to third (on seven pitches) and Mirabelli flies to right (on eight).
Angels 5th: Cabrera walks with one out. On a stolen base attempt, Belli's errant throw short-hops Edgar and goes into center. Damon throws a slow rainbow to third, well behind Cabrera. Infield in. Erstad loops a ball to left. Ramirez runs to his right, the ball drops and gets by him; Manny chases it to the track and Erstad goes to third (single and two-base error). The day off has done nothing to help his fielding. Guerrero is walked again. Molina pokes an outside pitch to right, Erstad scores and Vlad takes third. Kotchman lines a ball off Wakefield's right shin. Another run scores. Wakefield has to leave the game, although after 92 pitches and allowing the last five Angels to reach, he was probably close to done anyway. Myers (?) in -- against a RH?
IP H BB K WHIP AVG OBP SLGMaybe Tito knows something we don't. Rivera nails Myers's second pitch to deep left for a three-run home run. Anaheim's 4-0 lead is now 7-0. Nope, Tito's just an idiot.
Red Sox 6th: Does Kapler have the worst batting stance on the team? Despite his muscular build, he swings flat-footed and generates no power with his swing. He pops out in the infield. It's a 10-pitch AB, but then Damon (F8) and Renteria (4-3) end the inning on only three pitches.
Angels 6th: Figgins (another RH batter) doubles into the right field corner on Myers's first pitch. Two ground balls get him home and Anaheim leads 8-0.
Red Sox 7th: Colon at 76 pitches. Tiz whiffs on 96 heat, but Manny rips an opposite field ground rule double into the right field corner. A start of something? Graffanino fouls out to first, but Millar singles to left center! An RBI for Cabin! The Sox are on the board. Mueller lines a single past Colon's head and into center. Two men on for Belli. And he grounds a hit into right. Bases loaded for Kapler. Bud Black visits Fat Bart. Kapler singles up the middle -- two runs in. 8-3. Four straight singles -- but Damon flies out to shallow left. Colon at 104 pitches.
Angels 7th: Remlinger in. If Tito isn't throwing up the white flag, he clearly believes the team cannot come back, and is saving the better arms for Friday night. Two singles and a walk loads the bases with one out. Francona leaves Remlinger in to give up a two-run single to Figgins. 10-3. It must be tough pitching with a huge fork sticking out of your back. Remlinger remains in the game, and finally gets the third out.
Red Sox 8th: Brendan Donnelly in for Colon. He throws 22 pitches and gets the Sox in order.
Angels 8th: Remlinger is out for yet another inning. He gets the first two Angels (though one of them is a shot to deep center), but then gives up a double, single and home run (Rivera's second bomb of the night; he's 4-for-5, with 6 RBI). 13-3.
Red Sox 9th: Greg Jones in for Anaheim. Mueller hits a two-out solo home run. Game over at 1:03. The lead in the East is down to four games.