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heiko is matt millen
Unverified Voracity Throws Coins At Heiko
Heiko sings the hits! Remember Heiko? Used to badger Al Borges about bubble screens, was Adam before Adam was Adam. Currently turning in his Punt/Counterpunt column about sixty seconds before I want to post it. Draftageddon chaos agent. That guy. Doctor guy.
Well, if you'd like to see him sing(?), that is now a thing you can do. The med students have this charity, you see:
Every winter, Galens members don red ponchos, grab metal buckets, and take to the streets of greater Ann Arbor to collect monetary donations for the children of Washtenaw County. Held on the first weekend of December since 1927, Tag Days has become an important Ann Arbor tradition and occupies a central role in Galens' mission to support local children's charities. Galens members annually raise tens of thousands of dollars, with 100% of the collected money donated directly to local organizations and charities.
Last year they raised over 75k via various methods including people throwing coins at med students for singing*, and you can do this by THROWING COINS at HEIKO in front of Gratzi from about FOUR O'CLOCK TODAY to MIDNIGHT.
Or you could just donate here if you don't want to throw quarters at Heiko for some reason. Weirdo.
*[This is an assumption, but I'm sure you'll agree it is a good one.]
Things that happened. Ross Fulton breaks down events that transpired on Saturday.
Meyer and Warinner borrowed a page from Utah and Indiana. Both offenses had success outside against Michigan's cover 1-man defense by forcing Wolverine defenders with contain responsibilities to cover receivers while the offense runs outside, and by using spread read principles to outnumber a Michigan defense with a deep safety.
Meyer's staff used a similar strategy. Frequently using two tight ends - with one aligned as a blocking slot receiver - the Buckeyes' success began with power read. On power read the offensive line blocks power, but - rather than kicking out the defensive end - the quarterback reads the end. If he crashes, the quarterback gives on the sweep. If the end stays wide the quarterback runs power following the pulling guard.
With Michigan using a common opponent tactic - slanting towards Ezekiel Elliott to limit tight zone - Ohio State ran outside opposite the slant, providing Elliott a running lane beyond the crashing end.
When Michigan prevented this from happening again it opened up JT Barrett on the inverted veer, because Michigan took a basic and completely predictable approach to dealing with the OSU run game. Michigan changed nothing except occasionally running a 3-3-5. It was incredibly frustrating to see inverted veer gash Michigan over and over again as if the Wolverines had no idea it would be coming. On the above play they have not one but two 100% irrelevant players, as the backside corner and safety aren't blocked but can't do anything about the gain.
Durkin spent the entire year running the same defense predicated on decisively winning DL matchups, and when that was not true his answers were miserably bad. The final drive of regulation for Indiana saw Michigan passively eat run after run without reacting; this game was as if the last 15 years of football had never happened.
Let's not change anything. Iowa is 12-0, which is not something even Kirk Ferentz's family saw coming. Spencer on the power of doing nothing at all:
Iowa football never changed, and needed to badly, at least from the perspective of someone looking at the long decline of the program into a 7-6 stasis interrupted by bumps into 11-2 and drops into 4-8 territory. The Hawkeyes had become an EKG of a drunk man falling into a deep and dreamless sleep. This drunk man was also hypothermic and sleeping under a bridge.
Then in 2015, that drunk man woke up, found a flawlessly tailored suit under a concrete overhang beneath that bridge, downed a bottle of Steel Reserve, and walked into the nearest investment bank and become a confident, beaming tycoon overnight.
Iowa should have changed everything, and didn't. They're undefeated despite doing few things they haven't done for years. You didn't think they could do it, but they did. Iowa, the laziest hard-working team in America, wore the same shirt until it came back into style.
So if DJ Durkin runs that defense against OSU for the next 12 years it might work the 12th time. That's the ticket.
Veni, vici, Harbaugh. Jim Hackett is stepping down as Michigan's athletic director. He never did get the Notre Dame series back, but other than that probably impossible thing he hit 1.000 in a brief tenure as Michigan's athletic director.
Hackett decided he should hire Jim Harbaugh. Also he got Harbaugh. This seems like a rather obvious thing to do. But as we saw with the previous athletic director, sometimes people in charge of things are just in charge of them for no reason. Hackett, above all, was a solid dude acting sensibly.
I have heard that Hackett was close to exclusively focused on the big-ticket items, which was the right move for him and Michigan. Unfortunately that did mean that the department's Brandon-imparted momentum continued in various ways. The hockey schedule, accepting the worst possible basketball tournament for fans, and lingering Special K issues, particularly at Yost, irked me over the past 12 months. Hackett also paid virtually no attention to non-revenue sports. This is again fine for someone who is trying to get a few big-picture things right, but none of it is great for the long term.
Baumgardner wrote a column with a pithy headline:
Jim Hackett steadied Michigan's ship, but next AD must be able to steer it
Steering the ship. Michigan should be properly chagrined by their decision to pass on the actual athletic directors their department had spawned last time. Anyone other than the four sitting ADs that came from the pre-Brandon department would be an enormous upset. Those gentlemen:
- Warde Manuel, AD, UConn. Previously the AD at Buffalo, where he hired Turner Gill for those two years where Buffalo was not terrible. At UConn hired Kevin Ollie, which was a given after a national title, and Bob Diaco after taking a swing at Pat Narduzzi.
- Jeff Long, AD, Arkansas. Hired Bert out from under Wisconsin, which is pretty impressive. Also hired Bobby Petrino away from the Falcons, which was a good idea until it really really wasn't. Cofopoff chair.
- Brad Bates, AD, Boston College. Is, uh, at Boston College? Before he was at Miami and helped acquire Enrico Blasi and a new arena for the Redhawks. BC Interruption take here if you're inclined.
- Joe Parker, AD, Colorado State. The favorite candidate of many people who worked in the department when he was around. Recommended by most of the Brandon-initiated Michigan Athletic Department Diaspora. Only one year as an AD but has held posts just below that level for a decade.
Former Oregon State AD Bob De Carolis was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011 and resigned from his post in 2015. While Hackett brought him on as a consultant that probably doesn't indicate he's a serious candidate for the job.
Oh, and Tom Lewand's free! Anybody? Anybody other than Mark Snyder? Nobody? That appears to be nobody signing up for a guy with zero AD experience, but plenty of hiring Jim Caldwell experience. (Other staffers say he's the Lions' coach, and that the Lions are a local professional football franchise with a star-crossed reputation.)
I haven't heard much buzz on the search yet but a few months ago I did get a note that Manuel was probably the favorite.
Linebackers to be coached. Chris Partridge will pick up linebacker duties for the bowl game. This allows him to go on the road in the absence of Durkin, which is a good thing.
Given the way the release is phrased it doesn't seem like he's getting a position coaching slot permanently—or at least that's not the plan right now. Keeping Partridge for another year or two before he does move onward and upward is a good thing, especially with Michigan having most of New Jersey on lock.
Stats to be goggled at. Michigan features twice in a PFF column on crazy stats, and this is the craziest:
Even though [Jake] Rudock has had an underwhelming season, he has one thing going for him. He leads the country in accuracy under pressure at 71.4 percent. That's especially surprising considering he was ranked 40th last year in the same category at 56.8 percent. It's not a small sample size either. Only nine quarterbacks have had more snaps under pressure than Rudock.
I guess "underwhelming" is a thing you could say about Rudock's 2015 if you are not a Michigan fan. If you are a Michigan fan he's the guy holding onto your hand as you reach for the Holy Grail in a crevasse. Also, his first half was indeed very underwhelming. His finish not so much.
Related: I thought Michigan's pass protection was more or less good this year, what's the deal with all the pressures?
Chris Wormley (DT, Michigan) is having the best pass-rushing season by a defensive tackle in the last two years.
Wormley is the definition of a pass rushing specialist. On every one of the 269 plays that he has lined up as a defensive tackle the opposing offense has passed the ball. On every pass play, Wormley has rushed the passer. … Wormley currently leads the country in PFF's signature stat, pressure percentage (PRP) at 12.3. … The senior from Ohio has improved tremendously from last season. His current grade of +35.8 is over 25 points higher than is 2014 grade. He has graded positively in every game except last week's game against Ohio State where he struggled with his run defense.
When I saw that I thought to myself "he's a defensive end, not a DT," but they cover that in the paragraph on him.
I think the way PFF is crediting rushes here is generous to Wormley. He benefited from the pile of stunts Michigan ran—without question the best thing Durkin did this year is base his pass rush on constant stunting—and in UFR I've started splitting credit between the guy who drives the lane open and guy who loops around for the glory. Wormley did have a major breakout season, don't get me wrong, but Michigan's ability to pressure was a team thing in which all three DT/DE types contributed about equally.
Etc.: NC State highlights. Holdin' The Rope on the game. Texas key plays. UT take on that game. Walton's issue a "slight ankle sprain"; exhale. Kansas still has a student athletics fee. Love Moritz McGary. The Big Ten has a big rights package coming up.
Big Ten Draft O' Snark: The Final Snarkdown
Rounds 1-3: At Jim Leyland's lakeside mansion in Somerset, quarterbacks are divided.
Rounds 4-7: In the War Room of the Toledo Ramada Inn, Heiko is replaced by a mysterious stocky middle-aged man with a mustache.
Rounds 8-12: In the Presidential Suite of of the Ishpeming Red Roof Inn, a 1970 Fiat 500 assumes the commissioner's chair, rules all picks must get 30 mpg.
Rounds 13-17: In a Secret Submarine Headquarters Underneath the North Atlantic, iPhones apparently get zero bars.
Rounds 18-something whatever: Onboard the Voyager II Spacecraft at the Edge of the Solar System, quarterbacks are put through a series of zero-grav tests to determine if there is anything they can't do.
Companion pieces: MGoBlog's All Big Ten Team, Googledoc spreadsheet of handiness.
Weary and ignoring the complaints of abused livers, SETH, HEIKO, ACE, and something that looks like a lanky sheep dog emerge from a secret lair in the PHOSPHATE MINES of the PACIFIC ISLAND OF NAURU. They ask for your ballot…
Seth "Progress" Fisher/Heiko "Progress" Yang/Ace "Progress" Anbender/Brian "Progress" Cook
POLLS ARE NOW OPEN. Go vote!
The Final Snarkdown
OFFENSE: Nathan Scheelhaase (QB, ILL), Fitzgerald Toussaint (RB, M), LeVeon Bell (HB/FB, MSU), Jared Abbrederis (WR, UW), MarQuies Gray (QB/WR, Minn), Kevonte Martin-Manley (WR, Iowa), CJ Fieodorwicz (TE, Iowa), Taylor Lewan (LT, M), Ryan Groy (LG, UW), Matt Stankiewitch (C, PSU), Chris McDonald (RG, MSU), Jack Mewhort (RT, OSU).
DEFENSE: Ra'Shede Hageman (DE, Minnesota), John Simon (DE, OSU), Beau Allen (NT, UW), Akeem Spence (DT, ILL), Jake Ryan (LB, M), Desmond Morgan (LB, M), Denicos Allen (LB, MSU), Terry Hawthorne (CB, ILL), Bradley Roby (CB, OSU), Blake Countess (CB, M), Daimion Stafford (SS, UNL), Christian Bryant (FS, OSU)
SPECIAL TEAMS: Mitch Ewald (K, Indiana), Andrew Maxwell (P, Michigan State), Abbrederis (KR/PR, Wis)
I didn't mean to do this but I ended up with a Rodriguez spread'n'shred circa 2007 with a running quarterback, a damn fast outside back, and a fullback type who can rip off runaway beer truck touchdowns. The offensive line is a lot more POWER based but I figure that's fine since Auburn and others have made the inverted veer and related plays major spread drivers. Then you've got an array of excellent WRs with big catching radius: the deep threat (Abbrederis), the unstoppable guy on intermediate routes (Gray), and a promising TE.
The defense is Greg Mattison.
FINAL SNARKDOWN (by Heiko): Dear Brian: You know that red and gray plaid shirt you wear all the time? You should wear it less. Oh, something mean about his team? Ummmm... None of your QBs have a winning record. I've seen Desmond Morgan in person, and he's still really small and liable to get crushed by offensive linemen. And you drafted two LOLphers.
[The drafters still got some splainin' to do. For the rest of the roundtable, and which school had the most picks, and stuff, HIT THE JUMP.]
Big Ten Draftosnark: The Endening
PICKS were made to start, and
PICKS were made to continue, and
PICKS were made to continue continuing, and
WOW this series got out of hand
We join our COURAGEOUS DRAFTERS on the VOYAGER II SPACECRAFT at THE EDGE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. HEIKO is on the clock for the second pick of round WHATEVER.
We put a JUMP in this one because we probably should have been doing that all along.
PICK: Fou Fonoti, OT, Michigan State
CURRENT O: Braxton Miller (QB, OSU), Taylor Martinez (QB/RB, UNL), Patrick Omameh (OG, UM), Fou Fonoti (OT, Michigan State), Kyle Prater (WR, NW), Devin Gardner (QB/WR, UM), DeAnthony Arnett (WR, MSU)
CURRENT D: Michael Buchanan (DE, ILL), Jordan Hill(DT, PSU), Baker Steinkuhler (DT, UNL), Craig Roh (DE, UM), Max Bullough (LB, MSU), Kenny Demens (LB, UM), Ryan Shazier (LB, OSU), J.T. Floyd (CB, UM), Isaiah Lewis (FS, MSU), C.J. Barnett (SS, OSU)
KICKER(S): Brett Maher, K/P, Nebraska
BRIEF EXPLANATION: He had 31 knockdowns, 10 dominators, and allowed zero sacks last season as Michigan State's starting right tackle. I have no idea what some of those things mean, but they all seem like good things.
SNARK: "... poised to blow up in the mold of previous Michigan cornerbacks like Woodson, Hall, and Jackson." Who are you, Angelique Chengelis?
PICK: Brian Mulroe, guard, Northwestern
CURRENT O: Montee Ball (RB, UW), James Vandenberg (QB, IA), Ricky Wagner (OT, UW), Keenan Davis (WR, IA), Travis Frederick (C, UW), Spencer Long (G, NEB), Jake Stoneburner (TE, OSU), Brian Mulroe (G, NW)
CURRENT D: Chris Borland (LB, UW), William Gholston (DE, MSU), Johnny Adams (CB, MSU), Mike Taylor (LB, UW), Ricardo Allen (CB, PUR), Ibraheim Campbell (S, NW), Will Campbell (DT, MICH), Ondre Pipkins (NT, MICH)
BRIEF EXPLANATION: I won't pretend to know a ton about Northwestern's offensive line, so I'll trust Phil Steele (Mulroe: preseason second-team All-B1G), the coaches and media (honorable mention All-B1G in 2011), and the NFL draft boards (CBSSports has Mulrue as NW's top draft prospect) in making this selection. Mulroe has solid size at 6'4", 295, and he's lauded for his athleticism; he'll be the guy pulling when I run POWER. With this pick, I've locked up the clear-cut best interior line in our draft, and it might not be particularly close.
SNARK: See, Heiko, the interior line is the part of your offensive line that... oh, I give up.
PICKS: Thomas Gordon, FS, MICH; and Josh Johnson, CB, Purdue
CURRENT O: Denard Robinson (QB, M), Rex Burkhead (RB, Neb), Jeremy Gallon (Slot, M), Kofi Hughes (WR, Ind), Kenny Bell (WR, Neb), Jacob Pedersen (TE, Wis), Michael Schofield (OT, M), Graham Pocic (OL, Ill), Ricky Barnum (OG, MICH), James Ferentz (C, Iowa)
CURRENT D: John Hankins (NT, OSU), Kawaan Short (3T, Pur), Marcus Rush (DE, MSU), Jon Brown (MLB, Ill), Gerald Hodges (OLB, PSU), Jordan Kovacs (SS, M), Thomas Gordon (FS, M), Micah Hyde (CB, Iowa), Josh Johnson (CB, Pur)
EXPLANATION: Michigan goes into 2012 with its best safety tandem since...? If you can answer that question, you get to be there next time we're trying to figure that out for Hail to the Victors. Anyway I've got both, meaning I have complete and utter immunity from big plays, and now I also get to smugly stand by as Brian tries to explain why my ludicrous fumble recovery rate is all luck, dammit. Gordon isn't the flashiest of free safeties but even if he's Brandent Englemon, with this defense he too can spend most plays reading Infinite Jest.
He gets some help in that endeavor from Johnson, who the Mathlete says was the Big Ten's best cornerback last year. Hammer & Rails is of course biased but..
After having a season where he recorded 64 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and broke up nine passes, Johnson showed us that he is perfectly capable of hanging with the top receivers in the Big Ten.
He's right-sized for the position, can tackle, and his coverage, while knocked because he was operating with no safety help, is no worse than any of the guys taken above, especially the Michigan duo who just went off the board.
SNARK: MarQueis Gray was up to 6'4-250 last I checked. You haven't even drafted Keith Nichol; you've got Andy Mignery.
[ED: After the jump, everyone drafts more quarterbacks. Seriously.]
Introducing The Big Ten Draft O' Snark
Brian Cook ([email protected])
to Ace, Heiko, Seth
Subject: Re: the draft in which whoever drafts denard wins
I've been enraged by the weird six-round BTN draft that makes no sense and want to do it for our site as a sort of All Big Ten preseason preview gimmick post.
Rules: Inverse snake. Everyone drafts a full team of 11 offensive/defensive players, two kickers, a FB/HB type (assuming 3 WR), and a nickelback. You can move people around within reason (OL, DL, LB) but those moves will be looked upon skeptically by your fellow drafters and viciously attacked when it comes to make a case for your teams. Once the three other players have drafted a position, the last to go must pick the last player at that position within two rounds*.
When we are done we put the thing to a user vote after making our case. Whoever has Denard wins.
*[to prevent QBs going 1st, 2nd, third, and dead last. Example: third tailback off the board is the second pick of the third round. Fourth player does not have to draft a tailback until the fifth round, but must do so.]
I used random.org to set the draft order, which is:
SETH, who will win since he will get Denard
ACE, who does not get Denard
HEIKO, who also does not get Denard
BRIAN, who also does not get Denard
Wait don't I get time to think...?
PICK: Denard Robinson, quarterback, MEEEEESHIGAN
CURRENT O: Denard Robinson (QB, M)
CURRENT D: [players TBA]
BRIEF EXPLANATION: He can run. He can throw. And you can all eat crow. Not that this requires an explanation but I'll give one anyway: Robinson is a senior quarterback who might also be the Big Ten's best rusher. His passing game has suffered through growing pains of learning various offenses, which is to say the piper's bill has been paid and I get to reap the rewards of a more polished passer who understands many different concepts. The threat of him running opens up everything else, and now he has the experience to exploit everything else. He's a zero academic and personality risk, and the kind of guy you can build everything else upon.
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: I'm gonna go giggle for awhile while you guys fight over Rex Burkhead or something.
PICK: Montee Ball, running back, Wisconsin
CURRENT O: Montee Ball (RB, UW)
CURRENT D: [players, eventually]
BRIEF EXPLANATION: For starters, Ball tied a record set by Barry Sanders (39 TDs in a season), which doesn't happen every day/year/decade. Everybody knows that Wisconsin is going to line up and hand the ball to, er, Ball, but he still managed to average 6.26 yards per carry last season. He's remarkably consistent: his 109 total yards against South Dakota represented his lowest total in the 2011 season. Also, has not lost a fumble in 617 career touches. If I can't have Denard (*shakes fist in Seth's general direction*), I'll take being able to hand it off to this guy 25 times a game.
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: Ha, good one.
PICK: Braxton Miller, quarterback, Ohio State
Current O: Braxton Miller (QB, OSU)
Current D: Offense.
BRIEF EXPLANATION: Braxton Miller should approach the production of 2010 Denard Robinson. OSU RB Jordan Hall will be iffy the first few games coming off a foot laceration, so Miller is going to have to account for a lot of the ground game because he is the team's other most effective rusher. He's also a quarterback (Dear Jim Bollman:
Surprise!). When he was actually allowed to throw during the most recent spring game, he went 24/31 for 258 yards. That's pretty good for having just a month to learn Urban Meyer's offense. With another fall camp's worth of practice and the luxury of a real defense, staying healthy will be Miller's only obstacle to having a monster season.
Yes I lifted this from 11W.
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: Shotty Zach Boren.
PICKS: Taylor Lewan, LT, Michigan and John Simon, DE, Ohio State.
CURRENT O: Taylor Lewan (LT, M)
CURRENT D: John Simon (DE, OSU)
BRIEF EXPLANATION: With spread quarterbacks I actually want gone I'll go the Tony Gonzalez route and draft the guy with the most relative value left on the board. That's Lewan, the Big Ten's only elite pass protector this year. He also doubles as a donkey-mauling run blocker. He's deflecting NFL draft speculation before his junior year even happens, and he's an offensive lineman. Whoever I get at QB will have a clean blindside all day. And will suck. But whatever.
With the first pick of the second round, I'll grab John Simon, the muscle-bound OSU SDE who's the 2012 version of Mike Martin in terms of interior-ish defensive linemen who will not stay blocked. 17 TFLs a year ago and seven sacks, and he's poised to increase those numbers to the 20 TFL level as he moves from "LEO"—OSU's label for WDE—to the strongside position that's a better fit for him. He doesn't have NFL size but he does show up to work out at approximately the time I'm going to sleep.
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: Montee Ball is a product of the Wisconsin offensive line and is liable to have five unknown assailants tackle him for loss on any given play. GAMES ARE WON IN THE TRENCHES AAAAAAAAHHHHH.
PICK: Taylor Martinez, quarterback, Nebraska.
CURRENT O: Braxton Miller (QB, OSU), Taylor Martinez (QRB, Nebraska)
CURRENT D: Just you wait.
BRIEF EXPLANATION: Whoa whoa whoa WHOA. Did I just draft two quarterbacks? [Pause for effect] Yes I did. But that's not allowed! Yes it is. You said we could move offensive players around within reason, so I'm drafting Martinez as a running back. So what if he had fewer than 1,000 yards as a rusher last season? He's clearly masteredthe art of the halfback pass. 3,000 yards of total offense? Yes, please.
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: BWAHAHAHA bet you didn't see that coming.
PICK: James Vandenberg, quarterback, Iowa
CURRENT O: James Vandenberg (QB, IA), Montee Ball (RB, UW)
CURRENT D: [Functional equivalent of 2009-10 GERG outfits]
BRIEF EXPLANATION: I planned on going defense with my second pick, but after Heiko's one-man run on quarterbacks I wasn't willing to risk getting stuck with, like, Caleb TerBush. So, the pick is Vandenberg, the B1G's winner by default in the "best pocket passer" category. Aside from Denard, Vandenberg is the conference's returning leader in total offense and passing efficiency, and he also takes care of the football, throwing just seven interceptions in 404 attempts last year. With Ball in the backfield to take care of all the running, that's all I need from a quarterback.
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: Heiko's next pick will be Matt McGloin, cornerback, Penn State.
Holy hell guys, way to leave me dudes I never planned on getting, thus forcing me to re-think my entire draft strategy for all of three minutes before doing what I meant to do anyway.
PICKS: Kawann Short, defensive tackle, Purdue; and Johnathan Hankins, defensive tackle, Ohio State
CURRENT O: Denard Robinson (QB, M)
CURRENT D: Kawann Short (DT, PU), Johnathan Hankins (DT, OSU)
BRIEF EXPLANATION: Running backs and running quarterbacks are flying off the board and I'm leaving the last Big Ten Heisman hopeful in order to make sure none of this so-called "rushing" goes down the middle of my defense. What I've won are the two most likely guys in the conference after John Simon to go in the NFL's first round to be my three-tech and nose tackle, respectively.
Kawaan Short is a Ndamukong Suh-like hell-raiser in the interior who sometimes lines up at end and is only limited by having to suck up doubles all the time. To that end I have given him Johnathan Hankins (damn Archie Collins to a special ring of hell), a true nose tackle who forced Ohio State's opponents to run outside all season. My defensive line is already up to 120 tackles, 27 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks (2011 stats), and I haven't even drafted the ends yet!!!
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: Hey boss, I want you to know that I had nothing to do with this conspiracy to make you choose Nathan Scheelhaase as your 4th round pick (you made the rule!). Meanwhile Heiko has selected a QB controversy between two guys I wouldn't want, and Ace seems to be building something that has 4 tight ends.
PICK: Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin
CURRENT O: Montee Ball (RB, UW), James Vandenberg (QB, IA)
CURRENT D: Chris Borland (LB, UW)
BRIEF EXPLANATION: Well, I had planned on taking a defensive tackle here, but Seth appears determined to recreate Michigan's 2010 offense of Denard left, Denard right, Denard up the middle. Instead, I'll happily settle for Borland, who amassed 143 tackles—19 of them for a loss—from the middle linebacker position in 2011. If my team ends up being comprised mostly of Wisconsin players, I like my chances at winning this thing, if there is indeed any way of winning besides "draft Denard, win" (I'm guessing not).
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: Seriously, Heiko, I hear Nathan Scheelhaase is a beast at defensive end.
PICK: Kyle Prater, WR, Northwestern [ED: omg shirtless and lookin' like that dude from Scrubs]
CURRENT O: Braxton Miller (QB, OSU), Taylor Martinez (QRB, UNL), Kyle Prater(WR, NU)
CURRENT D: yawn.
BRIEF EXPLANATION: I'm at lab, so I don't have a whole lot of time to carefully mull over a decision, but I do know one thing: the B1G doesn't have receivers this season. While Prater is a completely unproven commodity, he is likely to immediately become the most dominant receiver in the conference. Given Northwestern's pass-happy spread (perhaps a little less pass-happy with the departure of Dan Persa), Prater's immediate debut at the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, and his 5-star ranking (which, according to the Mathlete, matters for receivers), what's not to like? Sometimes you have to invest in potential, and this penny stock is about to go Apple on all y'all.
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: Wisconsin's run defense was crap last year. Also, more than half of Borland's 143 tackles were assisted. They call him a "throwback" because pudgy 5'11 linebackers were last effective circa the Reagan administration. But I hear he's a beast at fullback, which is what you drafted him to be, right?
PICKS: QB Nathan Scheelhaase (Illinois), LB Denicos Allen(MSU)
CURRENT O: Nathan Scheelhaase (QB, Ill), Taylor Lewan (LT, M)
CURRENT D: DE John Simon (DE, OSU), Denicos Allen (LB, MSU)
BRIEF EXPLANATION: Ace, what is going on, man? You could have had your QB on the way back since I'm the only one without one and not forced me to take... ugh... Nathan Scheelhaase in round 4/5. We could have merrily played chicken for round after round. Anyway: I am not that broken up about taking Scheelhaase since he's got good legs and completed 62% of his passes last year and is a third-year starter and... aw, damn my rules DAMN THEM ALL TO HELL.
Obligatory QB out of the way, I'm taking the actual best pass rusher on Michigan State's defense, LB/missile Denicos Allen. Unlike Borland, my 5'11" LB is fast as hell and has the eyepopping stats to prove it: 11 sacks, 18.5 TFLs, multiple frustrating forays directly past the center of the Michigan offensive line. This guy is Larry Foote again, and he was just a sophomore last year.
OPTIONAL SNARK ABOUT PICKS MADE EARLIER: I have no snark because I'm shaking my ragefist at Heiko for taking Kyle Prater, who was going to be my secret weapon six rounds from now. And Ace, for forcing me to take Scheelhaase this early, and Seth for getting Denard. I am a defeated man. GAMES ARE WON IN THE TRENCHES AND AT WLB AAAAAAAAAH.
To be continued whenever Heiko figures out where he's going to put Rob Henry, Kain Colter, and Devin Gardner, Brian stops screaming "NO THROW IT FORWARD" at Scheelhaase, Ace gets the slightest grasp on game theory, and Seth decides his entire team will be fat guys from Ice Hockey.


text:
New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) Against the backdrop of the controversy over Kamal Haasan's film "Vishwaroopam", the central government Thursday said it will form a committee for a "re-look" into the Cinematographic Act to make the censor board's regulatory framework more robust.
"Certain issues have come up as a result of certain decisions which have been taken in the past by certain state governments so it was felt that maybe a time has come to have a re-look at the Cinematographic Act and that is why I have suggested to the secretary, Information and Broadcasting to form a committee to go into the matter in a holistic manner," Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters here.
He said that under the constitution, the centre has been vested with powers to certify whether a film was fit for viewing or not. "The central government exercises those powers through the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)."
"When the CBFC comes to a certain conclusion, it is expected that the state governments would implement that decision because this is something which falls under the centre's jurisdiction," he said.
"If the states are to raise concerns... which have an effect on the decision of the CBFC then I think there is a need to revisit the Cinematographic Act," he added.
Tewari said the committee would see whether there was a need to make the statutory architecture or the regulatory framework of CBFC more robust.
"Once a decision is taken then that decision should be implemented. If at all the state government has a difficulty with it then they should have avenues available under the act to see that this grievance is redressed," he said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said Thursday that Kamal Haasan's movie "Vishwaroopam" was banned in Tamil Nadu due to fears of violent protests and not because she had a grudge against the actor.
The chief minister also announced that she would file cases against DMK chief M. Karunanidhi and sections of the media that maligned her on the issue.
Jayalalithaa said it would have been near impossible to provide security to all the 524 cinema theatres in Tamil Nadu where the multilingual film was to be released after Muslim groups announced a string of protests.

subset: commoncrawl


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SNIPER 101 Part 1 - Introduction - Rex Reviews
Published on Sep 9, 2012
Snipers, hunters, target shooters, ladies and gentlemen... Finally, Rex Reviews releases this long awaited free online long range shooting / sniper tutorial. TiborasaurusRex will walk you through everything you will need to know about sniper ammunition and cartridge selection, rifle and equipment options, basic and advanced external ballistics, making effective ballistic charts, rangefinders and distance determination, long range marksmanship, shooter / spotter team dynamics and communication, choosing a FFP, making the shot, spotting the shot, and much more.
This course goes far beyond what is covered in the U.S. Army FM23-10. So, if you can't make it to Quantico or the AMTU to learn these long range shooting skills, this video tutorial series will have you covered. We will get you set up to make amazingly accurate first round shots at 1 mile and beyond. Do you want to be able to zap that white tail buck at 1,275 yards and be confident it will be a nice clean kill? Watch this series!
All law abiding men and women in the free world who treasure their rifles MUST have these long range shooting skills for the continuation of our shooting culture and for the future preservation of our wonderful nation! Peace is beautiful, insure it by sharing these marksmanship skills with your friends and families to exponentially increase our nations already robust defense stature against. Stay clean, obey the law, and keep smiling.


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- Designers : Isamu Noguchi
- Year of Design : 1951
- Material :
Lamp shade: Washi paper
Structure: Bamboo and metal frame
Legs: Painted steel wire
- Dimensions : H: 38cm; W: 22cm; D: 22cm
- Bulb : 1 x MAX 40W (excluded)
- Delivery : Hand Made 8 - 10 weeks
The Akari XP1 Table Lamp designed by Isamu Noguchi from Vitra was first designed in 1951 as part of the Akari Light Sculptures collection, a group of handcrafted lights named after the Japanese word "akari" which means "light".
The Akari XP1 Table Lamp represents therefore both illumination and physical lightness, with the combination of its design and the way the light filters through the lightweight paper form. The Akari XP1 Table Lamp is created from washi paper and bamboo ribbing and is supported by a metal frame.
See other Isamu Noguchi designs.
See more Table lamps.
See more from Vitra


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Typically, they're signing for folks outside the building. Monday, they were signing for each other.
"Guys don't want it to be over. They want to play another football game," said wide receiver
"It's not real right now."
Reality hit hard Sunday, when a Panthers team that closed the regular season by winning 11 of its final 12 games saw its season come to a sudden stop with a 23-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC Divisional Playoff.
"It's just shocking that the season ended. I didn't want to take those pads off," cornerback
The pain evident in the postgame scene remained the day after, but a collective resolve was present as well. After the final team meeting of the season, one that celebrated the successes of the year before turning toward the goal of greater success in the future, players talked as much about what can be as they did about what could have been.
"We're heading up," linebacker
"All we've got to do is just keep getting better. That's what everybody tries to do in the offseason, and it's whoever does the better job that will be better next year."
Carolina did that as well as anybody last offseason. The 2012 team won five of its final six games to finish 7-9, then the 2013 team stumbled to a 1-3 start but recovered to say the least, losing just once more prior to Sunday's setback.
The next task for the Panthers – who have now won 17 of their last 22 regular season games - is to sustain success, both into next season and the postseason. As is typical throughout the NFL, difficult personnel decisions must be made before the team again takes the field.
"It's one of those sad days - a lot of guys saying goodbye because they don't know if they'll be back," said LaFell, one of 21 Panthers who can become unrestricted free agents. "Hopefully they will."
This time last year, with the playoffs not in the picture, players said their so-longs a couple of weeks earlier.
There is still the Pro Bowl to come for five players – five more than a season ago. It's not quite the bowl the Panthers had in mind, but it is another sign that the franchise is moving closer to ending the season with a jubilant locker room scene.
"I want to finish this the right way with this group of men," safety
"It's a great group of guys, and I want to finish this."


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SEMI honors industry leadership of one of the world's most prestigious
independent microelectronics research institutes
Brussels, Belgium–7 October 2008– Professor Gilbert Declerck, CEO of IMEC, was honored with the European SEMI Award 2008 for leading IMEC into its position as one of the world's most prestigious independent microelectronics research institutes. The award was presented at the SEMI Executive Summit at SEMICON Europa 2008 in Stuttgart, Germany.
Professor Declerck, led process technology research at IMEC from its foundation in 1984, and grew this technical area into the most successful domain in IMEC. By building teams with the ambition and skills to match leading research with the needs of the industry, he implemented his vision and leadership and developed a highly-regarded and world-class institute. Over the years, he has been extraordinarily successful in keeping IMEC's research in many areas at the forefront of required semiconductor process development.
Professor Declerck was a driving force in the creation of a strong IMEC position in European cooperative projects during the early 1990s. This enabled IMEC to become a recognized leading research center in Europe by the end of that decade. This coincided with a transition from basic process research to full CMOS process integration R&D, with increased value for the main European players. European partnerships, both at university and industrial level, increased considerably during that decade.
In the new millennium, Declerck realized that a sustainable continuity of world-class R&D could only be guaranteed with an ambitious innovation program in terms of facility capabilities (300mm), resources, and state-of-the-art targets. This required an unprecedented commitment to collaboration with worldwide industrial partners in many semiconductor segments.
Professor Declerck has always been an advocate of cooperative R&D as the optimum method to stimulate IC manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, and leading groups to join IMEC. Together with Dr. Luc Van den hove, he has set up a cooperation model for IMEC's nanoelectronics platform, which helped attract the world's leading semiconductor companies to IMEC with substantial commitment toward leading edge sub-32nm CMOS research.
Over the past five years, they took up the challenging and risky task to build IMEC's research platform, which now employs 1500 people on site with an annual budget of 240 Meuro; over 80 percent this is from of industrial partnership contributions. Most leading world semiconductor manufacturers participate in this effort along with all major equipment and material suppliers, which makes it today the world's largest R&D consortium for semiconductor research in partnership. IMEC has built on this success by expanding its activity toward memory-related research. IMEC is able to sustain this industrial focus, while at the same time excelling in conference presentations, with a growing number of publications, IP filings, and so on.
Over the course of his career, Professor Declerck has always adopted an open-minded strategy toward the industry, building from its strong European base cooperating with the US and Asia, as he has always been convinced that a stronger European industry would emerge from strong worldwide alliances. Professor Declerck carefully and steadily invested in scientific and industrial relationships all throughout his career. At the same time, he continues to fight for Europe in various boards and committees such as ENIAC, Catrene, and others.
Today, many of the world's major semiconductor manufacturers have contracted research programs at IMEC. As such, IMEC plays an important role in the creation of new semiconductor technologies, which are manufactured and commercialized by IMEC's industrial partners. The R&D program at IMEC has given a major boost to the European capabilities on semiconductor technologies. It has been instrumental in the development of a cooperative academic/industrial ecosystem in Europe.
SEMI is the global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chains for the microelectronic, display and photovoltaic industries. SEMI member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. Since 1970, SEMI has been committed to helping members grow more profitably, create new markets and meet common industry challenges. SEMI maintains offices in Austin, Beijing, Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.semi.org
SEMI Contact:
Carlos Lee
SEMI Europe
Tel: +32.2.2896497
Email: email@example.com
# # #


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Yes, A Walmart Is Still In The Works For Windsor, Colorado
I lived in Windsor for seven years and every few months the conversation of, "Hey, did you hear they're building a Walmart here," always seemed to come up. Walmart bought land in Windsor back in 2007, but has done nothing with it.
The Coloradoan reports that Walmart and the Town Of Windsor are still planning on a supercenter...someday.
The planned location is between 15th and 17th streets on the north side of Main Street (Highway 392).
When will the building break ground? Who knows. The Coloradoan says Walmart has one year left on their vested property rights agreement, but they could file for another extension.
Presently, there is no timetable for construction. We will continue working closely with the Town of Windsor to ensure that when the process does move forward, the store will meet the expectations of the community and provide customers in Windsor with access to fresh food, groceries and other general merchandise at a great value.
Presently there are seven Walmart supercenters within 15 miles of the proposed Windsor location (The seventh location should open this month in South Fort Collins).
Is that too many Walmarts in Northern Colorado? Judging by how busy their parking lots are on Saturday afternoons, it might not be.


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UEFA Europa League holders Club Atlético de Madrid continue to strengthen ahead of the 2012/13 campaign, with Getafe CF centre-back Cata Díaz the latest player to arrive at the Estadio Vicente Calderón for a reported fee of €1m.
The 33-year-old former Argentinian international has agreed terms on a two-year deal with Diego Simeone's side. He scored two goals in 165 Liga appearances for Getafe after signing from CA Boca Juniors in 2007. Díaz joins fellow new faces Emre Belözoğlu – incoming from Fenerbahçe SK – and FC Porto winger Cristian Rodríguez at the Spanish capital club.
The Rojiblancos have also stated that midfielder Mario Suárez has reached an agreement to extend his stay in Madrid by a further four seasons until 2017.
Speaking after the announcement, the 25-year-old said: "My dream ever since I was a boy was to play for, and be successful with, Atlético de Madrid. For that reason I am delighted to be able to remain with the team I supported growing up." Atlético will start the defence of their UEFA Europa League title from the group stage next season.
©UEFA.com 1998-2017. All rights reserved.


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October 1998
Readers of Positive Living met Ron Dennis for the first time in a 1994 article that chronicled his experience with AIDS. Since then, Ron has checked in with Positive Living from time to time to update readers on his life. Here is the latest from Ron.
Well, I do believe that I was quite remiss in checking in with you last year about my on-going survival. (I am not keeping up on my Ginko Bilboa like I probably should.) But I have forgiven myself for that lapse because I am compliant to the max on all the other meds that keep me trucking on and checking in with you, when I do.
Nineteen-ninety-eight: the year of the Total Return. Unlike the Saturn Return of the Horoscope, no earth-shattering revelations for me, except that I have learned once again that life is a BITCH! Lovely, but still a BITCH! Year three into the famous "cocktail regimen" -- even after switching this year -- I am once again undetectable, viruswise.
I recently have come to learn of my demise late this summer, having succumbed to AIDS. Wrong and wrong again. I received a phone call on my message center from a concerned physical therapist who had rehabilitated my shoulder after surgery a few years back. Calling him back ASAP, the concern in his voice was quickly followed with great relief upon hearing my voice. A present patient of his had passed on the rumor that I was kicking up daisies, as had the program from the AIDS Project Los Angeles Summer Party. I guess one of the perks of a long survival is the rumor of one's demise. (According to Liz Wheeler of APLA's Development Division, the name "Ron Dennis" was submitted to a memorial page in the Summer Party program in memory of an APLA staff member's partner. -- editor)
Let's see: 1985, I found out I was positive; 1989 the year the s_ _ _ hit the fan, two years spent with symptomatic pain, strange crap occurring to my wasted body, still I had 190 T-cells, too many to be classified as full blown. Ha! Couldn't tell my body that then. 1990: full blown -- finally. The hospital hell that ensued for the next five years no human should ever have to experience and endure again, even though too many folks still go through this hell but usually for a much shorter time. Even as I write this, I was interrupted with the news of the loss today of one more friend to AIDS. So, back to the BITCH part.
Having survived longer than I or my care-givers had ever expected until these cocktails came along, I am caught in between a rock and a hard place financially along with many of my HIV brothers and sisters. Trying to figure out how to re-enlist into the ranks of show business again which would definitely get me out of the dough doldrums. Then, I had a terrible thought that I could commit a really newsworthy crime and then be acquitted, or bite someone without their permission which for a gay male is no big deal as long as one bites parts that enhance the bite-ee, if you will.
Then came the BITCH part again, as a gay African-American (an oxymoron) male I would have been crucified and burned at the stake for any of the above deeds, as would any of my non Af-Am brothers or sisters.
So I continue to be honest sometimes to a fault. I endure the BITCH of being told that I was resented because the individual in question interpreted that I was saying that he was less than me, when I stated that I don't expect many people to really understand just what it is that I and the other long-term survivors have gone through in the pain/hospital hell department. Because he hadn't shared this experience. Duh? You share a meal or jokes with people not AIDS-suffering.
The BITCH of that one hurt a lot and won't be forgotten ever. AIDS doesn't make everyone insightful or kind. The BITCH pain of the racial-gender division I witness among our gay and lesbian citizens. Religious zealots who continue to promote homosexuality as a 99-cent special on your fast-food menu of choice. How many more of us will have to step forward before our hetero citizens "get it;" we don't know why we're queer either, it isn't a choice. Otherwise, I am sure we'd all be choosing to be rich and certainly free of the BITCH of living with AIDS!
The BITCH of ongoing compliance, keeping up this routine, is hard for everyone and there are days that I look up and ask: "What's it all about, Alfie?" And the answer comes to me that I am alive to write to you and share these thoughts with the hope that someone else out there will also keep trucking on and share their truth with whomever they choose. That word again. I choose to stay ahead of the BITCH of the hurt of having to rearrange friendships that are no longer working for me in my life. And of watching my mother who rowed with me on the AIDS voyage, lo these many years, as I am conscious more than ever that I may outlive her as she often stated to me during my/our hell years.
And I live and survive to bitch (little b) about whatever -- but only in small doses. I have learned and continue to learn so much more about myself and life that keeps me kicking that BITCH of the unpredictability of my actual demise in the huevos. In the hope that all of us living with HIV/AIDS will get to grow old and gorgeous gracefully, with a minimum of pain, to tell of these dark days to our youth and historians. That is, if I survive until there is a total and complete cure found.
Now, wouldn't that be a BITCH?
P.S.: Oct. 2, I turn 54. Didn't expect to see 43. Amazing!
This article was provided by AIDS Project Los Angeles. It is a part of the publication Positive Living.


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Several nights ago we were blessed with the sounds of hard rain on our metal roof, and that is always a treat. During these storms it is nice to sit under the porch roof and enjoy the smell of fresh water on the dry desert. But last week the strength of the storm drove the rain onto the porch and blew away the chairs. My little outside cat had to huddle in a corner on the only dry spot she could find.
As I stepped out of the house to catch the flying furniture, I felt a sense that the sounds were different. I sensed noises that I may only hear once every other year or so, the sounds of rock upon rock pushed by torrents of water emanating from usually dry washes. Every crevice of our valley was running with water.
"Flash flood in the creek!" I told my husband John as I jumped back into the house. "Let's go watch it!"
We hustled into our old one-ton four-wheel-drive Chevy and headed down the road. But not far. Just outside our front gate, where the deep sand in the broad dry wash has been known for causing small cars and rafting buses to get stuck, there was a torrent too huge to cross. We were not going to be able to see Onion Creek in flood, even though it was just a quarter-mile away. We were temporarily stranded at home because one of the major washes that drains Fisher Towers was in full action.
Though it was midnight and the storm clouds were blocking any light from the stars or the three-quarter moon, our headlights shone through pelting droplets illuminating wave after wave of thin mud. Our eyes were transfixed on the mad water that was rushing to the river, carrying a sand sage here, a rabbit brush there, prickly pear and rocks large and small. It was hypnotic.
The changing water volume of the flash flood created waves into our driveway as if on a small ocean; at one time rushing toward our pickup and into the cattle guard, and at other times receding to a trickle. Then within seconds, another huge gush would come, sending white caps over a newly deposited boulder.
What regulated that water action? A change in the rain volume from the skies, or little expansions of the wash bed above caused by sudden erosion? Perhaps it was sporadic blockages and openings in the four large culverts that carry water under state Route 128. Those culverts, which offer home to desert bats and other shade seekers, were working overtime that night.
But not so much as the bridge over Onion Creek, where the water jumped the road and the guardrail, as it does every few years. Somehow the little cliff swallow nests made of mud that are affixed to the underside of this bridge box are left unscathed during these events. We've seen Onion and Professor creeks flood a few times in the past several years, and it's one of the most impressive spectacles of nature that occurs in our area. This time it knocked out our phone service for a couple of days.
I look forward to the monsoons every summer. I love the thunder, the lightning, the waterfalls on the river road, the wondrous clouds and the smell of fresh rain on the tired desert. I can bear the sun-bleached days of long Moab summers knowing that the skies may suddenly darken, providing unequaled awe and entertainment, and that the desert can be re-sculpted and renewed by the priceless moisture.


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Any Given Sunday…..in Sderot, Israel
"How did you spend your Sunday? Most parents in Israel dropped their children off at school and then went to work. Parents outside of Israel likely spent the day with their children doing recreational activities, shopping, and visiting family.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets last year to protest the cost of living and housing, and tens of thousands protested inequality in national service this past summer. I believe we must show that same passion and rally on behalf of our brothers and sisters in the South. How can we carry on in our daily routines while they live in constant fear and under constant attacks? We must demand that our leaders take action to provide the most basic governmental function for its citizens – security."
Beersheba mayor calls for decisive end to 'war of attrition' with Gaza
Chief of Staff Benny Gantz convening special meeting on rocket barrage in south
Israel Facing Attacks on 3 Fronts, Strikes Back in Gaza and Golan, Awaits US Support at UN
"Inside Israel's security community, there is a growing realization that any deterrent value from the 2006 and 2008 Israeli military operations has vanished.
Alex Fishman, the military commentator of Yediot Aharonot newspaper said that Israeli leaders would have to do something severe militarily in order for Israel to regain its ability to deter terrorists."
BBC Watch: BBC's Jon Donnison thinks escalation in southern Israel is a "PR battle"
And whilst terrified Israeli children run for cover in air raid shelters, the BBC's Jon Donnison reduces the entire situation to a "PR war" on Twitter.
In Syrian spillover, experts see more chaos than chess
The latest cross-border fire in the Golan is a preview of the lawlessness to come and not a calculated move to draw Israel into the conflict
"Steiner projected that the territorial integrity of the entire Fertile Crescent — Syria, Lebanon and Iraq — was in peril and that those three nation states could crumble along sectarian lines. The Golan Heights, he projected, would soon become "a stronghold for jihadists who have come from Iraq to join the festivities."
On Boycotting Israel by Douglas Murray
"There are a lot of Nazi caparisons being thrown around these days. Where might they be most accurately directed? Toward the State of Israel? Or against the growing number of people who believe that it is permissible to boycott any herb, any product or indeed any tune if it comes from the hand or the heart of a Jew?"
PMW: No trace of Jewish history in Jerusalem and in "our land" - PA TV News (Video)
New book reveals French terrorist's anti-Semitic upbringing
Radicalization of Toulouse gunman began at home, brother says
"A documentary film covering similar topics was set to air Sunday on French television, featuring interviews with Abdelghani and his sister, Souad. "My mother always said, 'We the Arabs, we were born to hate Jews,' Abdelghani says in a scene from the movie. "This speech, I heard it all throughout my childhood."
Analysis: Hezbollah's lethal anti-Semitism
Norway, Austria slam Lebanon-based Shi'ite group's Jew-hatred; EU efforts to ban terrorist group focus on anti-Jewish rhetoric.
"If this is what he [Nasrallah] said, it would fall into the category of anti-Semitic statements that we strongly reject," Kjetil Elsebutangen, a spokesman for the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, wrote to the Post by email on Saturday.
Alexander Schallenberg, a spokesman for the Austrian Foreign Ministry, told the Post, "From our perspective, anti-Semitic statements... are totally unacceptable, regardless from what corner or personality they come from."
Man with Ties to Palestinian Islamic Jihad Set to Speak in UK House of Commons
"Though Abu Maria claims he is no longer involved with Islamic Jihad, as recently as May he was pictured standing next to Khader Adnan, a member of Islamic Jihad, while holding a poster that declared support for Palestinian Islamic Jihad members Bilal Diab & Tha'er Hala."
In phonecall with Obama, Abbas vows to carry on with UN bid
White House: US president expressed opposition to unilateral statehood push; spokesman for PA president says leaders spoke at length Sunday
IAEA head says Iran dismantling nuclear site ahead of inspection
"The International Atomic Energy Agency has raised concerns about what appears to be months of work to scrub the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran of possible traces of nuclear weapons-related work. It believes Iran may have run experiments at the site on triggering a nuclear explosion."
Mossad tried to kill Saddam in the 1970s
Bomb in a book was opened by a different top Iraqi official, killing him, Israel TV documentary reveals; agents also sent bomb that injured top Nazi Alois Brunner in Damascus
The mouse that roared (when it found a bomb)
An innovative Israeli-made explosives detection system will go on display this week at a major conference on homefront security


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For the second time this season, Oklahoma cornerback Reggie Smith has been named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
He received the honor for his play in the Sooners' 28-21 win over Texas last Saturday.
Smith, a junior from Edmond, Oklahoma's Santa Fe High School, was credited with six tackles, two pass deflections and one interception, which he returned 33 yards.
Two of Smith's key plays came at critical times in the fourth quarter. His interception came on the heels of OU's final and decisive touchdown. Then on the next Texas drive he batted away a long pass intended for UT's Limas Sweed while in single coverage. That play occurred inside the Sooner 10-yard line.
Smith's play helped preserve the victory, which was Bob Stoops' sixth in nine meetings with Texas.
Earlier this year, Smith received Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors for his work in OU's win over Miami. In that game, he scooped up a fumble and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown.
Other Big 12 honors for the week went to Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel (offense) and Colorado kicker Kevin Eberhart (special teams).
Oklahoma, No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 6 in the Associated Press poll, hosts No. 11 Missouri this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. FSN will televise and ESPN GameDay will originate from Norman as well.


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Like the original "The Electric Company," the new "The Electric Company" draws from pop culture — music, comedy, technology and celebrities — to create a playful, hip, multi-media experience. The series includes many modular elements — sketches, animations and songs — that will serve a scaffolded phonics curriculum that extends beyond decoding and connected text to reflect new insights into how best to help struggling readers.
Visit the Website: http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/


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The holidays always remind me that I need to be tending to several things right now besides my usual gardening. As much as I enjoy finding beautiful new colors and sizes of the lovely Christmas poinsettia; and doing Dumpster diving into the piles of discarded Christmas tree parts at the Christmas tree tents around town, I soon realize that something is happening.
Crowds of people are everywhere. This is the so-called "Snow Bird Season" for our area and, yes, there are a lot of them, as usual. However, they are more smiley as they go about their business of buying lots of holiday decorations and get settled into their warm Southern nests.
Merchants also love this increase of business and happily reduce prices until one is not sure just what we are actually saving on anything, unless we kept last week's receipts.
The first wave of Snow Birds is looked upon as just a necessity - they prop up the economy by filling up the restaurants, help make long lines at the stores and clog the doctors' waiting rooms.
However, all of a sudden, they are more mellow. The warm air and sunny skies seem to loosen them up and, of course, they now have the holiday season to share with the rest of us.
It is easier to start up a conversation about the holidays, easier to find someone to agree with you that everything costs too much and it sure is a lot easier to put up the holiday decorations.
It does not seem to matter that their neighbor has more lights in the yard, or even less. They now have something in common. You stand in line at the post office to send boxes back North, and you have someone to share your story about who is up there and waiting impatiently for something from down here.
There are parties and dances and newfound friends from the same state you just left. Someone you would never have met, if you had not left.
A lot of these friendly birds start right up volunteering in the hospitals and libraries and the many organizations so popular in the area. God bless them for their needed help.
Having something in common with others is a blessing.
Gardening chores seem to take a back seat for a bit. That is good, it is easier to be content and more creative when you relax and become aware of what is going on around your world.
A good garden needs good care, proper feeding, proper grooming, and proper plans. It should be an enjoyment to the gardener. Of course, if the gardener has just been digging four holes to plant palms or hibiscus bushes, or a row of Xzoras, then the real enjoyment will be coming later.
That is the same way with our farden of life. Mankind is made to love and be loved. We do not thrive without sharing our world with others. Some of us have dry spells, some of us fall through the cracks; some have forgotten what a great world they are living in. What do we really need to have in common? Love and respect for all.
Yes, I know the world is often cruel and heart-breaking. We can, however, till our life garden as we do our backyard garden. We can share a smile, a phone call or hug with someone and we will have made something beautiful grow. Sow a seed now.
There are so many people, old young, disabled or just lonely walking around in our world hoping for someone to care about them. That is a common misery. We can share our world with them this holiday season; try a friendly smile as you hold a door open for a slow-moving senior; say thanks for that hard working store clerk who would much rather be home with her family than working through the holiday rush hours.
How about the neighbor down the street that you have never waved at as you go by. You do not have to stop and become involved and he may be a bit startled, but watch, the next time you go by he will be ready to wave back.
I know, I have done it.
It does not matter which religion you swear by, you know there are many religions and none of them are going away. There is plenty of room for us all and we really do need to start allowing each other to worship or not worship, as we please. It seems to me that one very basic concept of religion is do not judge others. Well, lets start now.
Start growing a better life garden, one step at a time, no rush, just start. Love the fact that we have the freedom to be friendly and non-judgmental. Try this new gardening plan for the rest of December. When you see it works, you will like the warm, friendly feeling you experience. That is what we need to have in common.
It takes all kinds of people to make a world. Plant one good seed at a time and help start your life garden.
Happy gardening until we meet again.
H.I. Jean Shields is past president of the Cape Coral Garden Club.


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After nearly half a century of explosions, folks in Perquimans County, North Carolina, have become blasé about the sharp cracks and house-shaking rumbles that roll out of the secretive, government-owned peninsula in Albemarle Sound.
They scarcely bat an eye when a truckload of blackened, bomb-shredded cars rolls out, or a Boeing 727 passenger jet, minus wings and tail, rolls in on the back of a giant trailer.
Last week, though, news broke that a full-sized replica of the house and compound where Osama bin Laden had been killed had been built on the peninsula. That was different. Even longtime residents flocked to the Internet, clicking on a website where satellite images had been posted to finally get their first real look at Harvey Point Defense Testing Activity.
Or "The Point" as it's called by the CIA paramilitary operatives who have trained there since the early 1960s.
Harvey Point is suddenly international news because last month the first book was published that offers an eyewitness account of the bin Laden raid. "No Easy Day," written by former SEAL Team 6 member Matt Bissonnette under the pen name Mark Owen and North Carolina-based military author Kevin Maurer, mentions training that the SEALS performed in North Carolina, including practice assaults on a full-scale mockup of bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
That piqued the interest of at least one Internet sleuth, who hunted down images of Harvey Point, found one of the replica under construction and another a few weeks later of the site showing that it had been torn down. He or she sent them to a website called www.cryptome.org that posts various things governments want to keep secret.
Sidney Eley of Hertford, the Perquimans County seat, was among those who checked out the satellite photos, which by coincidence are marketed by TerraServer.com, a Raleigh company that specializes in aerial and satellite imagery.
"Oh, you hear some explosions, even here," Eley said. "If it's kind of overcast, it seems to let the noise travel, and it will kind of rumble like thunder."
Hertford is about eight miles from the base.
Like many locals, Eley, the director of the county chamber of commerce, chooses his words carefully when talking about Harvey Point.
"They're good neighbors," he said. "I don't have any problem with them."
He is among a handful of outsiders who have actually been on the base, for a tightly-controlled visit by a group of local dignitaries about 20 years ago.
"They just invited us to come out for lunch, and re-created some small explosions for us," he said. "They said that basically they practiced using explosives for things done throughout the world to help various parts of our government."
No one identified the organization that his hosts worked for, he said.
Not that they really had to: The CIA's presence there has long been an open secret, said John Pike, a military and intelligence analyst who runs the web site www.globalsecurity.org.
"I can tell you exactly what it is – a seaplane base," he quipped.
It was once.
Harvey Point was established in the early 1940s by the Navy, which saw easy access to the calm, broad waters as perfect for seaplanes.
After World War II, like many war-era bases, it was abandoned.
Then in 1958 the Navy re-established a base there for a new jet seaplane program that at one point employed nearly 3,000 military and civilian workers. But the giant P6M Seamaster aircraft proved to be a dud. The Navy shut down the program in 1959 and in the early 1960s apparently turned over control of the base to the CIA.
By the late 1990s, the agency's importance had faded. It was still using the base, but not heavily. Ironically, it was bin Laden who revived Harvet Point's fortunes, Pike said.
The budget for the branch of the CIA overseeing paramilitary activity – then called the Directorate of Operations – grew sharply after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"Since then, there has been a complete renaissance in snake-eaters," Pike said, using an insider term for special operations troops and paramilitary operatives.
The satellite images of the 1,200-acre base, particularly one on virtualglobetrotting.com, show intriguing details of the nearly two-square-mile training base. There are now nearly 100 structures, what looks to be a massive storage lot for old vehicles to be used as targets for explosive practice, ands several fields scattered with junk vehicles that clearly have circles of scorched earth around them.
In one photo, a military C-130 transport is parked beside the 5,000-foot runway.
The fuselage of a Boeing 727 passenger jet is also visible, apparently set up for some sort of training, and there is an array of 30 house-sized earth-covered buildings of the kind used for storing explosives.
Pike said he hadn't seen the images of the rows of storage buildings or other new-looking facilities, but based on descriptions said the base clearly had grown substantially in the past decade.
"They just opened up the coffers for that part of the agency after Sept. 11, and money was just no object," he said.
And money was certainly of little importance when planning and executing the raid on bin Laden.
Near the west side of the base, the opposite end from the tip of the peninsula, is where the mock compound stood.
A photo taken on Feb. 15, 2011, shows it under construction, but nearly complete. Another, Jan. 30 of this year, shows the compound had been completely removed. Bin laden was killed May 2, 2011.
Several media reports on the photos last week questioned why the compound had been destroyed. It seems obvious that secrecy for the mission was crucial. But another reason is likely that such temporary training mockups are usually taken down and the material reused. According to the new book, the mock-up was constructed of shipping containers, plywood and fencing
On Fort Bragg, for example, it is routine for soldiers to use entire villages built of shipping containers for training just before they deploy overseas.
Then the villages are torn down and the containers reused for some other training exercise.
The SEALs staged assault after assault via helicopter onto the bin Laden replica, until it was automatic, according to the account in "No Easy Day."
The intelligence experts who had been studying the actual compound in Pakistan via drone, satellite and other sources could accurately describe the outside, but had no way to know how the interiors of the buildings were arranged, so the mockup didn't have an interior.
Still, the fake compound was eventually so detailed that the doors and balconies were in the correct locations.
Bissonnette went out of his way to compliment the civilian staff there, which the SEALS sometimes asked to make adjustments to the mockup. The changes were always done quickly and without questions, he wrote.
Perquimans County Manager Frank Heath said many locals work on the based. It's one of the larger employers in the mostly-rural county, and is highly valued for those jobs.
He said that he, too, had checked out the images, but didn't want to say much about the base.
"We don't really comment on what they do, or who they are, except to say that they are an asset to the county and leave it at that," he said.


text:
I am seeing no CAPTCHA image when clicking on the "Reply" botton to a Craigslist ad.
I've never encountered the problem before. It's always worked fine. No nothing, no image, no image refresh button or audio button, it's all blank.
No new hardware or software, no new programs. No security settings have been tweaked*.
I have, however, under the Internet Options box, for the tabs Security and Privacy, added new Restricted Sites, and Blocked sites respectively.
Not while on Craigslist, making me think I might have blocked whatever service they use to provide the CAPTCHA technology, by blocking the site inadventantly via another website (I have Third-party Cookies set to "Prompt", and I blocked spammy ones).
The Craigslist System Status page says CAPTCHA image problems are mostly fixed but will not work for users with Internet Explorer 6 or older. I am on IE7 and it's always worked fine.
Any help?
Here's a picture of it:


text:
Hurricane Sandy Collection Day
December 1, 2012
Additional Information
Help the victims of Hurricane Sandy on Saturday, December 1st at the Belcoville Firehouse from 9am to 3pm. They are collecting gift cards from Home Depot, Lowes, ACME, ShopRite, Petsmart, etc. Those who were flooded in Belcoville will be helped first. For more informtion contact Ken at 609-476-2127.


text: The Santa Clara Sporting Club launched the Goals-For-a-Cure campaign during the month of October to raise awareness and collect donations to fight breast cancer. The 25 teams in the club raised $26, 537.45 through a series of fund-raising activities. During the month of October, all 25 Santa Clara Sporting soccer teams are competing in pink soccer jerseys, and worked towards a goal to raise $25,000 through flat donations and a goal-a-thon(pledge per goals scored). All funds raised will be used to provide mamogram exams at El Camino Hospital in Mtn.View for women who may need financial support.


text:
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#1 Medvedev threatens U.S. over missile shield
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"Ah The Old Carrot And The Stick Trick for Obama The Donkey !"
L'AQUILA, Italy (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned the United States Friday that if it did not reach agreement with Russia on plans for missile defense systems, Moscow would deploy rockets in an enclave near Poland. In sharp contrast to his positive words during President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow earlier this week when the two reached broad agreement on nuclear arms cuts, Medvedev used a news conference at the G8 summit to return to Russia's earlier tough rhetoric on arms control. Medvedev also appeared to change his tone on the missile defense shield itself. During Obama's visit he...
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