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In Post-Recession Era, Young Adults Drive Continuing Rise in Multi-Generational Living
The number of Americans living in multi-generational households, which spiked during the Great Recession, has risen to a record 57 million in 2012, including about one-in-four young adults ages 25-34.
Parents' Time with Kids More Rewarding Than Paid Work — and More Exhausting
There's no tougher job than being a parent, or so the saying goes. This sentiment seems to be confirmed by a new Pew Research Center analysis of government time use data. Parents find caring for their children to be much more exhausting than the work they do for pay. At the same time, parents find much more meaning in the time they spend with their children than in the time they spend at work.
Modern Parenthood
The way mothers and fathers spend their time has changed dramatically in the past half century. Dads are doing more housework and child care; moms more paid work outside the home. Neither has overtaken the other in their "traditional" realms, but their roles are converging, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of long-term […]
Young Adults After the Recession: Fewer Homes, Fewer Cars, Less Debt
After running up record debt-to-income ratios during the bubble economy of the 2000s, young adults shed substantially more debt than older adults did during the Great Recession and its immediate aftermath—mainly by virtue of owning fewer houses and cars, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Federal Reserve Board and other government data. […]
Second-Generation Americans
Chapter 1: Overview Second-generation Americans—the 20 million adult U.S.-born children of immigrants—are substantially better off than immigrants themselves on key measures of socioeconomic attainment, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. They have higher incomes; more are college graduates and homeowners; and fewer live in poverty. In all of […]
Young, Underemployed and Optimistic
Young adults hit hard by the recession. A plurality of the public believes young adults, rather than middle-aged or older adults, are having the toughest time in today's economy.
Migration Ups and Downs
Net migration–the number of people who move into a place minus the number who move out–can reflect local economic conditions, but a new analysis of population loss in rural areas finds that other factors also can play a role.
The Fading Glory of the Television and Telephone
One day you're the brightest star in the galaxy. Then something new comes along — and suddenly you're a relic. It's a turn of fate that awaits sports heroes, movie stars, political leaders. And, yes, even household appliances.
Lost Income, Lost Friends – and Loss of Self-respect
Long-term unemployment takes a much deeper toll than short-term unemployment on a person's finances, emotional well-being and career prospects.
How the Great Recession Has Changed Life in America
Of the 13 recessions that the American public has endured since the Great Depression of 1929-33, none has presented a more punishing combination of length, breadth and depth than this one.


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The singular focus of this weekend's racing is easy: I'll Have Another needs to win the Belmont Stakes to sweep the Triple Crown.
Not so easy to answer is the question: Can he do it?
Eleven horses have won the crown. The last 11 with a chance to win it have been turned away. And now 11 rivals stand in the way of I'll Have Another.
A little luck couldn't hurt. It's worth noting that in the 11 failed bids since 1978, the Kentucky Derby-Preakness Stakes winner finished worse than fourth only twice. So those were good horses who certainly had every chance.
On the other hand, the crown has been won 11 times. And, while it's true racing has changed dramatically in the past 34 years, I'll Have Another does look like a legitimate contender.
And if he were to win the Triple Crown, it would be interesting to see if history repeats in the sense of winners coming in bunches.
Sir Barton won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1919, although there was no thought at that time of such a thing being a "Triple Crown."
The trick was turned again in 1930, 1935, 1937, 1941, 1943, 1946 and 1948. Then there was a drought until 1973 when Secretariat, "moving like a tremendous machine," opened the door. Seattle Slew became the only undefeated Triple Crown winner three years later and Affirmed's legendary rivalry with Alydar produced the most recent sweep.
So what about Saturday?
I'll Have Another drew post position 11 for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes and trainer Doug O'Neill said that's okay with him.
"We're going to huddle up and talk," O'Neill said after the draw. "Being in the 11th hole, we're able to kind of see how the pace sets up. If they're crawling, we'll hopefully be leading the crawl. And if they're flying, we'll be sitting in behind the horses flying."
I'll have another and rider Mario Gutierrez probably won't be the only contenders with that game plan. Dullahan, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby, and Union Rags, who finished seventh in the Run for the Roses, are back in the fray after passing up the Preakness. If I'll Have Another gets into the stretch with the lead, he's likely to have either or both of those rivals testing his ability to stay the 1 1/2 miles.
American horses seldom run that far and Dullahan's trainer, Dale Romans, said Thursday he has discussed that issue with rider Javier Castellano.
"I said, 'I don't want you to be quite as concerned with how fast you're going as you are with how much horse you have under you,'" Romans said. "'Don't worry about if you're 5 lengths off or 10 lengths off. Just try to be in tune with the horse, how much horse you think you have, and just realize that you have a long ways to go, even when you start into the final turn."
John Velazquez, who replaces Julien Leparoux as the rider of Union Rags, likely will have similar thoughts and, if all plays to the script, it could be an epic stretch run.
Still, the Belmont is famous for producing longshot winners and if the favorites roll boxcars rather than 11, the contenders with stakes experience and/or blazing speed include Paynter from Bob Baffert's barn, Optimizer from D. Wayne Lukas's stable and late entry My Adonis, trained by Kelly Breen.
The others: Street Life, Unstoppable U, Atigun, Ravelo's Boy, Five Sixteen and Guyana Star Dweej.
The National Weather Service says there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening but calls for mostly sunny skies and a high near 82 for Saturday.
The Belmont Stakes will be broadcast on NBC-TV with an approximate post time of 6:40 p.m. EDT.
Other than the Belmont itself, there is a lot of weekend action on the grass and in some top-level sprints.
The 1 1/4-mile grass specialists will be in action on both coasts -- in Saturday's $500,000, Grade I Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap on the Belmont undercard and in Saturday's $250,000, Grade I Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park. Sunday's $200,000, Grade II Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park is run at 9 furlongs over the turf.
The Manhattan drew an internationally spiced field of eight including Omayad, making his first start outside his native Chile; Desert Blanc, making his second start after coming from France; and Boisterous, winner of his last three starts at New York tracks. Hudson Steele is the likely choice, not having missed the exacta in his last seven starts.
Acclamation, the champion older male of 2011, will make his first start in eight months when he aims to win the Whittingham for the third straight year. Acclamation hasn't raced since winning the Grade II Clement L. Hirsch Oct. 2. The victory was the fifth in a row for the son of Unusual Heat. He is scheduled to have five rivals in the 1 1/4-mile event.
Filly and mare turfers will go 1 mile in Saturday's $500,000, Grade I Longines Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park. Three-year-old fillies will try 9 furlongs on the grass Saturday in the $150,000, Grade II Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood.
Winter Memories, Taptisfly and Hungy Island look like the stickout prospects in the 7-horse Just a Game. In the Honeymoon, look for Lady of Shamrock, winner of three stakes during the Santa Anita meeting and four of her seven career starts. A field of five was drawn.
Turf sprinters have stakes chances Saturday at Belmont Park in the $150,000, Grade II Jaipur Stakes, at Monmouth Park in the $60,000 Crank It Up Stakes, at Woodbine in the $125,000 (Canadian) Bold Ruckus Stakes, at Hollywood in the $70,000 Manhattan Beach Stakes and in Sunday's John McSorley Stakes at Monmouth.
The Belmont is the marquee event but not the only one in the handicap division. Belmont on Friday offers the $200,000, Grade II Brooklyn Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on the main track. Saturday, 3-year-olds not ready for the Belmont go 1 1/16 miles on the main track in the Easy Goer Stakes.
Among the 12 set to go in the Brooklyn is last year's winner, Birdrun, a son of Birdstone, who upset the 2004 Belmont Stakes after finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby. He, in turn, is a son of Grindstone, winner of the 1996 Kentucky Derby. The Easy Goer features a field of nine, ranging from recent maiden winners to Teeth of the Dog, who finished third in the Wood Memorial.
Weekend sprints on the main track are headlined by Saturday's $400,000, Grade II True North Handicap at Belmont, featuring Giant Ryan and Caixa Eletronica, coming back in two weeks after running fourth in the Met Mile. On the same card is the $400,000 Woody Stephens featuring the likes of Derby Trial winner Hiero, Triple Crown trail refugees such as Currency Swap, Isn't He Clever, Il Villano and Trinniberg.
In a bit of an oddity, two of the likely favorites in Belmont's sprint stakes are owned by the same person. Shivananda Parbhoo, a 43-year-old native of Trinidad & Tobago, owns Trinniberg, who goes in the Woody Stephens, and Giant Ryan, set to contest the True North. The contenders are trained by the owner's father, Bisnath Parboo, and both already are graded stakes winners.
Calder Race Course has three main-track stakes sprints on Saturday that serve a local preps for the "Summit of Speed" July 7. Two of the 6-furlong events are restricted to 3-year-olds while the others are open to 3-year-olds and up. The "Summit" itself consists of six sprints worth a total of $1.3 million and draws top sprinters from around the country. Local preps often fail to reflect the quality of the "main event" but that isn't so here. Saturday's four races drew good-size fields with quality contenders.
Things are quiet on the foreign front this weekend, although less than two weeks' time brings the historic pageantry, sometimes outlandish style and stellar racing of Royal Ascot. Australian superstar mare Black Caviar got the "style" part off to a good start by wearing a custom-designed Lycra compression suit for her first-ever plane rides and a date in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
Black Caviar completed the three-leg trip through Singapore and Dubai without incident and is being bedded down at Abington House Stables as a guest of Sheik Mohammad bin Khalifa al-Maktoum. Australian commentators, confident their sprinters are the world's finest, are predicting Black Caviar will have no trouble winning her 22nd straight race.

subset: commoncrawl


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Recent News
May 03, 2013
Missouri Firm Recalls Meatballs Due To Possible Listeria Monocytogenes Contamination
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services received information regarding a recall of approximately 123 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat meatballs due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
The following products are subject to recall: [Label]
- 15-oz. packages of "Fazio's Meatballs"
Each package has a lot code of "041114," and bears the establishment number "EST. 13051" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were produced on April 11, 2013, and sold at retail locations in the St. Louis area.
Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.
The full recall can be found at www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_032_2013_Release/index.asp.


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Chris Johnson is expected to hit free agency for the first time in his career this offseason. If that happens, he'll do it coming off surgery.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports that Johnson will have surgery this week to repair a torn meniscus, per a source who has spoken to the running back. Johnson's knee bothered him for most of the season. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean first reported the news.
Johnson said in December that there's "no way" he'll take a pay cut to stay with the Tennessee Titans, so he probably won't stay with them. Johnson is owed $8 million next season and there's no reason to think the Titans will pay that amount. Johnson was limited to 3.9 yards-per-carry and 1,077 rushing yards in 2013. NFL Media columnist Mike Silver reported in December that Johnson is not in the team's long-term plans.
While the injury gives Johnson a reason for his sluggish play, coming off knee surgery doesn't help his market value. Johnson has been remarkably durable in his career, missing only one game in six years. Johnson has the league's longest active consecutive games started streak for running backs.
Teams simply don't pay for running backs in free agency unless they are truly special. Johnson gets what's blocked; he has struggled to make defenders miss in space for years. He's a fine complementary piece to a running attack, but we don't expect Johnson to carry the load for any team next season.
We handed out awards for the 2014 coaching class and talked all the latest headlines in the latest "Around The League Podcast."


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Bay Area News Group archives
DEAR JOAN: I have question about birds chasing cats.
We believe there is a nest of mockingbirds somewhere in the backyard, either ours or our neighbors. The birds guard the area, and I have seen birds chasing out lot of animals — cats, squirrels, other bigger birds.
I have two cats that enjoy my backyard every day. The birds always attack and chase one cat but leave the other cat completely alone. Unfortunately, the other cat has caught couple of chicks this season. The cat being chased and attacked has not done anything as far as we know.
Its both incredibly amusing and annoying to watch the cat chased out of area. Within a minute of the cat going out of the house, it is attacked. Birds sometimes team up and attack the cat.
Most of the times it seems like there always is a guard bird on duty who has nothing else to do but watch for the cat and attack it. This goes on for hours; neither cat nor birds seem to get tired of that screeching music.
The birds also are very brave as they get within two feet of the cat to express their annoyance about the cat's existence and perform flying attacks on the tail and neck. The cat has to seek shelter under the chair.
Do you have any thoughts about why the birds are chasing only one cat? If they are trying to chase the cat that has attacked them earlier, then they are certainly chasing the wrong cat.
Bay Area
DEAR NIRANJAN: New research indicates that mockingbirds, like crows, can recognize individual human faces, and remember acts of kindness or cruelty committed by those people. They also have the ability to recognize animal predators, but probably not distinguish among them. In other words, when your cats go into the yard — a yard that the mockingbirds have claimed as their territory — the birds recognize the creatures are cats, but they probably can't tell one from the other.
The picked-on cat must be exhibiting behavior that makes it appear to be the bigger threat, perhaps wandering too close to the nest.
The birds are incapable of hurting the cat, except perhaps giving it a complex. The cats, however, can inflict serious damage to the birds. It might be better for all concerned if you kept the cats indoors, at least until the birds have left the nest.
DEAR JOAN: I have a somewhat odd question. We have a "Raticator," which cleanly and humanely electrocutes rats and mice.
We have turkey vultures that sometimes fly overhead. Is it safe to lay a rat body out in the sideyard for, say, an hour or so, for a creature that might like to partake of a poison-free carcass?
M. Turner
San Ramon
DEAR M: It's a nice gesture, but perhaps not that safe. You may attract more than turkey vultures.
Coyotes, foxes, cats and dogs may be lured into your yard by the aroma, and large creatures then may be attracted to the scavengers.
While you might not be fussed about them being in your yard, your neighbors might be. It could turn out bad for the wildlife. It's probably best to dump the rodent bodies in a plastic bag, seal it and put it in the garbage.
The devices that electrocute rats and mice make disposal easy, but still use precautions to avoid contact with the bodies.
Contact Joan Morris at email@example.com. Read the Animal Life blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/pets.


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Where to Buy LaTorre's Critter Out
Rodent Repellent, Mouse Repellent, Rat Repellent, Squirrel Repellent, Raccoon Repellent
CRITTER OUT is sold nationally. Contact your local garden center, nursery, or hardware store and ask them if they carry our products. If they do not, ask your local retailer to carry LaTorre's Critter Out and have them contact us at (908)-769-4242.
If there are no retailers in your area, you may do any of the following:
- Buy now online
- Phone in your order to us (908) 769-4242 (Visa & Mastercard)
- Print/complete order form, mail back to us along with your check, money order or credit card information
Recommend a store
If you'd like to buy any of our products at a store near you,
Please let us know of a nursery, garden center, or hardware store that you shop at, and we'll give them a call. Remember, we do not sell to the big box stores (Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart). Email us now!
We ship FedEx direct to your door.


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| January 3, 2013, 8:26 am
It's that time of the year when we're tempted to make resolutions. Fashion and shopping deserve consideration along with all the pledges to eat better and exercise more.
I polled a few fashion leaders around town and here's what they had to say.
Nancy Sagar, public relations director, Neiman Marcus: "My resolution is to make a clean sweep of my current wardrobe, consolidate my black pants and skirts and add light and bright things to my closet!"


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TRS shares soar 900% after Dotcom's Mega flags $210m backdoor listing on NZX
Shares of TRS Investments, a penny-dreadful shell company, soared 900 percent after Kim Dotcom's Mega Ltd announced plans for a backdoor listing on the NZX that would value his data storage and encryption firm at $210 million.
TRS stock rose to 1 cent, the highest in seven years, from 0.1 cent. The company would buy 100 percent of Mega by issuing 700 million new shares to Mega shareholders at 30 cents apiece, after undertaking a 148 for 1 consolidation. Mega shareholders would own 99 percent of TRS, which would adopt Mega as its name.
Mega had no immediate plans to raise new capital although it may offer a share purchase plan for existing TRS investors to allow them to build a meaningful stake after their holdings are diluted, chief executive Stephen Hall told BusinessDesk.
"Mega's fundamentally a growth company, and we do consume cash, so there's a possibility of raising capital," Hall said. The company had always planned to list in New Zealand to cement its place in the local corporate community and had made the approach to TRS. A back-door listing offered "time and cost efficiencies," he said.
The news sparked record volume of trading in TRS shares, with some 42.6 million shares, or 3.8 percent of the company's stock changing hands. At 1 cent, the company has a market value of about $11.1 million.
Dotcom staged a global media launch for Mega in early 2013 to replace Megaupload, his previous venture which was shut down in a US-led operation that alleged the file-sharing firm and its owners had committed mass copyright infringement and money laundering of more than US$500 million
This week Dotcom and his co-accused, Finn Batato, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk lost a bid in the Supreme Court to access US government evidence against them ahead of the extradition hearing.
Pacific Fibre co-founder and internet commentator Lance Wiggs said the listing will give Mega the opportunity to bypass the traditional investor community, which may be wary of the company and its high-profile founder, and attract funds directly from the public.
"This is a good thing, because we need to broaden the investor community in New Zealand," Wiggs said. "The big thing hanging over this is really Kim himself - he's obviously their best asset, but also the biggest liability."
Wiggs said it's hard to judge the investment proposition until more details are made public, and he will be looking for monthly revenue growth. "It's the sort of thing that could be growing steadily now and take off next year" though would be less attractive it its growth was "linear."
The deal needs approval from TRS shareholders, and is conditional on regulatory approvals. Hall said Mega is aiming for a May completion, although the timeline could slip.
TRS's biggest shareholders are Paul and Lynette Choiselat, who own 73 percent of the existing shares. Melbourne-based Paul Choiselat is currently facing 25 charges relating to market manipulation and concealing his interests in listed companies, laid by the Australian Securities & Investment Commission in December.
On March 20 the Melbourne Magistrates Court ordered an adjournment for a committal mention on April 7.
TRS Investments had previously been looking at a back-door deal to list Cornerstone Mineral Corp. They ended their talks and the mining company decided to focus on the new NZX market being touted for small and medium sized companies.
Mega's existing shareholders include Dotcom's wife Mona, who owns 26 percent of Mega via MD Corporate Trustee Ltd, followed by Wolf Ortmann with 18 percent, and Michael Sorensen via VIG Ltd with 11 percent, according to Companies Office filings. John Schollum, via Hobson Street Holdings emerged as a Mega shareholder last week with a 2.3 percent stake.
Dotcom stepped back from a hands-on role at Mega last year, resigning as a director in August to focus on his extradition hearing, music streaming website and political aspirations via the Internet Party. He doesn't hold any directorships in New Zealand, and his only direct shareholding is in RSV Holdings.


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There were lots of new faces in the Patriots QB's latest adventure. But in a familiar end, Brady was able to dial up his trademark magic. Plus, my other thoughts on Week 6
Last night was as memorable a regular-season game as I remember for our team.
-- Tom Brady, in an early-morning email, some 11 hours after the unlikely 30-27 New England win over previously unbeaten New Orleans.
The latest chapter of the Book of Brady starts with a strange character, one who didn't play or coach Sunday and was getting roasted for sitting the game out: Rob Gronkowski.
We all thought the Gronk story was over when the pregame shows finished filleting the man and his strange habit of practicing like an Olympian decathlete during the week and then sitting on the couch to watch the game, not play in it. But it turns out he had a very big role in this game, after all. Troy Aikman, early in the second quarter of the Saints-Patriots game on FOX, gave us a pretty big clue with the blanket coverage of Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib shutting out New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham to that point.
"You mentioned Rob Gronkowski and his situation,'' Aikman said to partner Thom Brennaman, referring to Gronk's being inactive for the sixth straight week with his mystery forearm injury. "One of the, I guess, positives that comes with that is he ran scout team all week. So the Patriots couldn't have gotten a better look for having to face Jimmy Graham this week than what Rob Gronkowski showed them … When Bill Belichick decides he's going to take [an opponent] out of the game, he does it as well as anybody. The key coming into this game for New England was trying to slow down and eliminate Jimmy Graham. That has happened.''
As if on cue, the Saints snapped the ball two seconds later, with 12:44 left in the second quarter, and Graham ran a 10-yard cross on 3rd-and-10 from the Saints' 23. Drew Brees fired it to him, with Talib in tight coverage. Graham had the ball in his hands, and Talib hammered it out. Incomplete.
I sensed Aikman was onto something, brilliant football mind that I am.
Brady confirmed it in his email.
"All of us have seen how badly Rob wants to help us win,'' Brady wrote. "He has definitely given all he could in practice, especially on the scout teams to replicate the other teams' best receiver. Though they may seem insignificant during the week, they are a huge reason why teams win.''
What does this have to do with the scintillating end of game for Brady, the one that left Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan looking like his dog just died? Simple: In his previous four games, Graham rubbed out opponents with games of 179, 134, 100 and 135 yards (and five touchdowns). With Talib in his shirt, Graham was targeted six times by Drew Brees, with zero receptions. When you go from one guy accounting for 137 yards a game to zero, that's going to tend to keep an offense down … and in this era of garish passer ratings and yardage numbers, Drew Brees going three-and-out on seven series in a game is pretty amazing.
"The good teams get better every week,'' said Brady. "The mental toughness, the work ethic and discipline of all 53 guys on the roster matter."
That leads us to the end of the game meaning something.
Tom Brady's targets on New England's 13 plays in the final 3:29:
(The ball was spiked by Brady once.)
Check out that cast. He met Dobson and Thompkins right after the draft. He met Collie two weeks ago. Bolden and Hoomanuwanui are bit pieces, who, with the right players healthy, wouldn't have been playing this late in a game.
With 3:29 to play, New Orleans took a 24-23 lead, and the Patriots took the ball over. Hoomanawanui caught a four-yard one-hopper on first down (the officials missed the ball hitting the ground before the catch). Second-down karma: Bolden dropped what would have been a first-down conversion, because he ran before he caught it. And on fourth down, Dobson dropped another conversion throw. Belichick clearly figured—reminiscent of his gambit against the Colts in his own territory in 2009, the difference being here he trailed—his chances to make a first down here were better than his defense's chances to hold the Saints without points. And if the Patriots held the Saints to a field goal, it was still a one-score game.
The Patriots held New Orleans to a field goal, all right. Saints, 27-23. But on the first play with the ball, Brady went for a big chunk downfield, to Edelman up the seam. Beneath him, Dobson was running an incut. It appeared that Brady figured Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis would shadow Dobson underneath when Dobson broke under Edelman. But Lewis stuck with Edelman and intercepted the ball.
"I saw Julian running through the safety,'' Brady said, "and made a bad read. My worst play of the night."
With 2:16 left now, the Patriots had one timeout plus the two-minute warning to stop the clock. One Saints conversion and New England was doomed. But they couldn't convert. So Brady took over at the Pats' 30.
How often does a quarterback have a chance three times in the last 3:30 to drive his team to victory? Now Brady was taking his third shot, 70 yards away, with no timeouts, and 73 seconds left. Collie had played one snap in this, his first game as a Patriot. But now he'd be on for the duration. The Patriots put their fastest four receivers on the field, all knowing that time was critical. When they caught a ball in-bounds, they knew to run it to the umpire or head linesman so the spot could happen quickly. Thompkins lined up wide left and Collie in the left slot. Edelman was wide right, and Dobson in the slot. All ran vertical routes, and Brady hit Edelman and Collie on the first two throws for 38 yards, then Dobson for six. After two incompletions, it was 4th-and-4, with 16 seconds left.
We have faced some pretty challenging circumstances these past few months. But no one has listened to the BS outside our football building. Guys have worked hard and have been ready when their number has been called.
Now, Collie had practiced with the team six times. He was in the game now because Danny Amendola was hurt again. "We've worked after practice on some things this past week so that he could be in position to help our team win,'' Brady wrote. "He runs great routes and I liked him on the option route he was running on that particular coverage."
On the biggest play of the game to this point (the seventh play of Collie's Patriot career), Brady saw he had the most advantageous matchup—against Malcolm Jenkins, and the Patriots thought the quick Collie could beat the bigger but not-as-quick safety on a little curl option route off the line. Brady's pass was spot on, Collie gained nine, and he ran the ball in a hurry to the umpire, who placed it down. Brady spiked it. Ten seconds left.
That's pretty good: A fourth-down conversion, receiver down, receiver pops up, runs the ball to the official, who spots it, the players get set, and Brady spikes it. All in six seconds.
With 10 seconds left at the 17, Brady knew he'd have two shots at the end zone, but he couldn't waste any time. Same four-wide formation: Thompkins, Collie, Dobson, Edelman. Brady didn't hide his intention. Thompkins, man to man with veteran Jabari Greer, got half a step on the defender, and Brady threw it a second after getting the snap. Perfect throw. The Patriots like the 6-1 Thompkins because he can be physical in going up to get the ball. He didn't need to be physical here, but he leaped above Greer and snatched it, getting his feet down cleanly seven yards deep in the corner of the end zone.
"You can't give Tom Brady three chances at a two-minute drill,'' said Brees.
Even when his team is as patchwork as he's played with in New England. In many ways, that makes this game, and this season, all the more rewarding for Brady. Peyton Manning has Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker; Brady has Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson. Manning has Julius Thomas. Brady has Michael Hoomanawanui. Manning's slot guy is Brady's beloved slot guy, Wes Welker. Brady's? Maybe Danny Amendola. Or Julian Edelman. Or Austin Collie.
What we love about sports is when we can't quantify the outcome of a game. This game in Foxboro, even with the Saints on the road, should have belonged to the Saints. But New England's defense is improving, and you always have a chance with Brady. And this morning, he took a minute to soak it in—before moving on to the next one. Just a minute.
"We have faced some pretty challenging circumstances these past few months,'' Brady wrote. "But no one has listened to the BS outside our football building. Guys have worked hard and have been ready when their number has been called.
"We have been grinding it out to get to 5-1. I would love to grind another one out to get to 6-1."
Patriots at Jets, Sunday at 1. The next chapter. It can't be as good as the last chapter. Can it?
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/115223595" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
And for the radio call …
Patriots radio analyst Scott Zolak's analysis after the Thompkins touchdown:
"BRADY'S BACK! That's your quarterback! Who left the building? Unicorns, show ponies, where's the beef!! Boy, when you thought you've seen it all, when it's total despair, 14 years in the league, this situation after situation he's been through, to elevate a rookie! My god!"
Could be the great non-sequitor radio call of all time.
The biggest reason Kansas City is 6-0: The D.
The only two unbeatens left are in the AFC West: Denver and Kansas City, both 6-0. The Broncos have gotten there with offense. But Kansas City's biggest spur has been a rebuilt defense by this week's coach of the week, defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, who has taken most of the same talent Romeo Crennel coached last season and made it a lean, attacking machine. Just six weeks into the season, the Chiefs have passed last year's sack total. The 10 sacks from Sunday's win over the Raiders boosted the total for the year to 31—four more than Kansas City had in 16 games last year.
For a detailed view of the Chiefs, read Robert Klemko's piece from the great Midwest on The MMQB. It's good and detailed.
For the defensive view, I asked outside linebacker Tamba Hali, who had 3.5 of the sacks against the Raiders, for the difference between this year's defense and last year's. The simplest way to look at it is the Chiefs, because Sutton's defense has some Rex Ryan tendencies (they worked together at the Jets), is a risk-embracing, odd-blitzing group. And it's working.
"We don't want to give the quarterback time to think,'' Hali said from Kansas City after the game. "We bring a lot of confusion. Sometimes it looks like all the pressure is coming from one gap.''
I told him Rex Ryan's defense, dating back to Baltimore, often featured two or three rushers flooding one gap. "Your rush looks like that sometimes—like organized insanity,'' I said.
"Insanity, yeah,'' he said. "Insanity is the right word."
But it must feel sane to Hali: By one measure, quarterback pressure and sacks, he too has surpassed his 2012 numbers. His combined sacks/pressures through six games is 46.5. Last year, he had 46 all season.
"As a pass rusher, I think the defense shows I can beat my man one on one, which is why I like it,'' said Hali. "Coach knows how to use us all, so we're all good in our roles."
But will it work?
Now we see the NFL's response to the month that set diversity back in the league. Last January, as you recall, NFL teams hired eight head coaches and seven general managers. All 15: white. (The Bills broke the schneid in May by hiring Doug Whaley, who is African-American, to be their general manager.] But in the months following, the league's executive vice president of human resources, Robert Gulliver, and senior vice president of player engagement, Troy Vincent, have cobbled together a list of eight former coaches and GMs, and the group had its first meeting Thursday in New York City to begin the process of improving the diversity scorecard.
The NFL Head Coach and General Manager Advisory Panel includes former GMs Ernie Accorsi, Ron Wolf, Charlie Casserly and Bill Polian, former Chiefs president Carl Peterson, and ex-coaches Tony Dungy, Dennis Green and John Madden.
One way that could help advance minority hiring, particularly of coaches, is to give owners and club executives involved in the hiring process blind resumes—that is, resumes with the background and accomplishments of candidates, but not their names. That way, the theory goes, those hiring could look at an impressive nameless resume and commit to pursue the candidate before knowing who the candidate is. Would it help to be told about a college head coach of a top-10 team who has won 69 percent of his games and been a defensive coordinator at three major-college programs? No one knows if a team would say, "Whoever that is, let's check him out." It would, though, render the process color-blind, theoretically, without knowing the candidate is Charlie Strong, the African-American coach at Louisville.
But no metrics or plans are near final form yet. The committee hopes to have a plan to help the process by late November, and it won't advance only the names of qualified African-American coaches, according to a league memo sent to the 32 teams.
The memo stated: "Through a series of facilitated panel meetings and individual discussions, the panel will assess potential head coach and general manager talent with the goal of identifying a viable short list of 'ready now' candidates. Panelists will consider both objective and subjective criteria. The panel is not intended to replace the work done by third parties such as search firms or advocacy groups like the Fritz Pollard Alliance, but rather, is intended to be a supplemental data point that can help owners and decision makers in the next hiring cycle. The panel will consider all talent, inclusive of diverse and non-diverse personnel."
That's some human-resource-speak right there. But the league knows it has a diversity problem on its hands after the January shutout, and something must be tried.
Fine Fifteen
1. Denver (6-0). Funny line, and apt, after Montee Ball dropped a pass in the 35-19 win over Jacksonville, from CBS color man Dan Fouts: "Do you think he eats with those hands? He'd starve to death."
2. Kansas City (6-0). Now the match of 9-0 titans in five weeks looks real. The Chiefs have Houston at home, Cleveland at home and the Bills on the road (and a bye) before traveling to Denver Nov. 17. Denver does have to get through an emotional Sunday nighter at Indy next week.
3. New England (5-1). Where does that rank on the Tom Brady all-time list of great wins? I say it's got to be in the top six or eight. Let's see. Three Super Bowls, and two AFC title wins over the Colts, then … what else?
4. New Orleans (5-1). In a couple of days, the utter shock of Patriots 30, Saints 27, will wear off, and the team will go on its bye week, and New Orleans coach Sean Payton will appreciate where the team is. Think of the Saints on Oct. 14, 2012: 1-5, in the midst of a horsecrap bye week with no hope. Think of the Saints on Oct. 14, 2013: 5-1, and in 14 days, they beat the 3-0 Dolphins by 21 at home, beat the 3-1 Bears by eight at Soldier Field, and almost beat the 4-1 Patriots by a point in Foxboro. This team's got a ticket to the NFC title game, minimum, barring a major injury streak.
5. Indianapolis (4-1). Comparing the first 21 games of the Indianapolis careers of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck: Record—Luck 15-6, Manning 6-15. Passing yards—Luck 5,518, Manning 5,134. Touchdown-interception differential—Luck plus-10, Manning plus-2.
6. Seattle (5-1). Now for Arizona on Thursday night, on the road. Even without Calais Campbell (assuming the injured Bird doesn't play), the Seattle line is in for a tough night.
7. San Francisco (4-2). So this is what the 49ers have been waiting for: an 18-play, 89-yard drive led by Colin Kaepernick, lasting over nine minutes, in the fourth quarter of a 22-20 game against Arizona. That made it 29-20, and was exactly what Kaepernick, who has struggled often in the first six weeks of the season, needed.
8. Cincinnati (4-2). Taking overtime to beat Buffalo is a worry. But Andy Dalton made enough plays when Cincinnati needed them.
9. Green Bay (3-2). Pack's allowed 26 points in the last two games, showing signs of life on defense that have been missing for, oh, about a year.
10. Detroit (4-2). Waiting for the time when there's a dance in Grand Rapids called "The Fauria."
11. Chicago (4-2). Not saying Marc Trestman has completely overhauled Jay Cutler's game, because he hasn't. But I think Trestman is helping Cutler play smarter, and not taking some of the risky chances he's taken in the past. He's a 70 percent passer with no interceptions in the last two games, including the win over the Giants Thursday.
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12. Dallas (3-3). The Cowboys are playing on offense (79 points in two games) the way Chip Kelly hoped his Eagles would be producing by now. Dallas at 3-3 Philly, Sunday at 1, for the NFC East lead. Looks like a Romo-Foles duel.
13. Miami (3-2). Out of the bye, Dolphins have the Bills at home, the Pats in Foxboro and the Bengals at home on a Thursday night.
14. Philadelphia (3-3). Finally, some impact plays from DeSean Jackson.
15. Baltimore (3-3). I don't know what the stranger stat line is. Ray Rice rushing (71 carries, 197 yards, 2.8 per carry) or Ray Rice receiving (20 catches, 87 yards, 4.4 yards per catch).
The Award Section
Offensive Players of the Week
Tom Brady, QB, New England. A meh day on the stat sheet (25 of 43, 269 yards, one TD, one pick, six drops), but the 30-27 victory over New Orleans was one of the great ones of a great player's career. Against one of the best defenses in the league, after two fruitless and frustrating late drives, Brady took the Patriots and their cast of newbies (Austin Collie, Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Thompkins, etc.) 70 yards in eight plays to the winning touchdown with five seconds left. While a third of the crowd was already on its way out of the place on Route 1, headed home.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay. Down to two wide receivers after a spate of injuries in Baltimore, Rodgers was trying to add to a shaky 9-3 lead late in the third quarter. With Jordy Nelson split wide right against ace Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb, Nelson got a step on Webb, who was caught peeking into the backfield at play-action. Launching the ball from his 34, Rodgers threw a perfect pass 56 yards in the air. The ball landed in Nelson's arms at the Ravens' 11, and he sauntered in for the first touchdown of a defensive battle. Not Rodgers' best stat day (17 of 32 for 315 yards with one TD and one pick), but the mark of a great quarterback is coping in adverse conditions on the road—against the defending Super Bowl champs, I might add.
Defensive Players of the Week
Tamba Hali, OLB, Kansas City. For 40 minutes, KC and Oakland were cuffing each other around in a 7-7 tie at Arrowhead. But the pressure D, led by Hali's 3.5 sacks, finally made Terrelle Pryor crack. Pryor was sacked seven times in the last 29 minutes of the 24-7 Kansas City victory, three times by Hali.
Ryan Clark, FS, Pittsburgh. In a typically stingy game for the Steelers defense, Clark had the first Pittsburgh takeaway of the year—an interception of Geno Smith near the end zone, preventing a New York touchdown—and totaled eight tackles plus a pass defensed.
Special Teams Players of the Week
Garrison Sanborn, LS, Buffalo. Long-snappers don't get noticed much. But on the last play of the third quarter in a tight game with Cincinnati, Sanborn snapped from the Buffalo 44-yard line to punter Brian Moorman and took off sprinting. Sanborn ran 51 yards to the Cincinanti 5-yard line, where Adam Jones was trying to find the handle on the punt. Just as he did, Sanborn wrapped up Pacman and downed him at the 5. Great example of hustle and what a big factor a special-teams play can be.
Rodney McLeod, S, St. Louis. With the Rams up 24-6 in the third quarter over an increasingly desperate team of Texans, Greg Zuerlein kicked off, and McLeod came flying in from the left, popping Keshawn Martin and forcing a fumble. Fellow undrafted rookie free agent Daren Bates picked it up and ran 10 yards for the touchdown. That finished off Houston—maybe for the season.
Mason Crosby, K, Green Bay. He might have been one of two big misses from losing his job at a couple points in the last 12 months, but Crosby repaid Mike McCarthy's faith on Sunday in Baltimore. He hit on field goals in every quarter—from 45, 31, 50 and 31 yards—in a 19-17 Packers win.
Coach of the Week
Bob Sutton, defensive coordinator, Kansas City. Same cast, basically, as the 2012 defensive team that allowed 26.6 points a game. This year's D is allowing 10.8, and the defenders swear by Sutton's send-blitzers-from-anywhere scheme. Against the Raiders Sunday, it was typical 2013 Kansas City defense: 274 yards allowed, 10 sacks of Terrelle Pryor, three interceptions.
Goats of the Week
The Candlestick fans who did the Wave while Calais Campbell lay injured on the turf. Galling. Made worse because Campbell appeared to be seriously injured. As Niners CEO Jed York tweeted late Sunday night: "To say I'm disappointed some fans did the wave this afternoon while @Campbell93 was down is understatement. Hope you get well soon Calais."
Terence Newman, CB, Cincinnati. I know, I know. The Bengals came back to win in overtime. Lucky for them after Newman's fourth-quarter gaffe. How Newman, singled against rookie Marquise Goodwin with the Bengals nursing a seven-point lead, lets the kid get two steps on him to catch the tying touchdown pass and force overtime is beyond me. But he did, thus earning the goat horns.
Quotes of the Week
"We're at a very strange time. We know there's a problem. We've identified a problem. But we don't have many answers. So it's a really uncomfortable time knowing a little but not knowing enough."
—Dr. Ann McKee, who has studied 46 deceased former NFL players' brains and found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy—a crippling brain disease—in 45, at a speech Thursday night at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. The remarks were reported by the Birmingham News.
McKee, one of the medical stars of the PBS documentary League of Denial, is in my opinion a hero of this movement for pushing for more answers, and more studies of how football affects the brain. As she told the News: "It's very inconvenient. This is a big problem. It's not something you can easily solve. It's going to make your life much more complicated if you're involved in sports at all. It definitely has huge financial repercussions. And sometimes it's hard to change people's minds."
"Rob is going to know when he wants to play, and Rob loves the game of football. When Rob wants to play, when Rob can play, he'll play. No one here questions Rob's desire about the game, about his passion for the game, and wanting to play the game of football."
—Patriots president Jonathan Kraft, on the strange case of tight end Rob Gronkowski's injured forearm, to radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston.
—Houston linebacker Brian Cushing, opining on the Texans fans cheering at a time when embattled quarterback Matt Schaub was laying on the field at Reliant Stadium with an ankle injury Sunday.
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"Never say never because then you become a hypocrite. I've seen too many other people in my profession say never and come back. Always keep doors open in life. That's the important thing to do."
—CBS NFL analyst Bill Cowher, to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, on his self-imposed exile from coaching, and his chances of returning to it now that he has a cushy job in TV and as a commercial spokesman.
I don't doubt a lucrative offer with the right team could tempt Cowher, but he's been out six years and nine months now. The earliest he could re-take a job, 2014, would be eight seasons after he last coached. That's an awful long time to be out of the game—to have seen all your assistant coaches from the Steelers years scatter with the wind, and to be accustomed to a totally different lifestyle than the all-consuming one a head coach experiences.
"It's going to be a long road."
—Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, to Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com Saturday, on the rehab from a hamstring injury suffered last week against the Giants. The long road started with a day off at Tampa Bay Sunday, and could continue next week against Dallas at home.
Stat of the Week
Reggie Wayne needs four receptions tonight at San Diego to become the eighth wide receiver in NFL history to catch 1,000 passes. (He'll be the ninth player overall; tight end Tony Gonzalez has 1,275 receptions.)
Wayne will be inextricably tied to Marvin Harrison in history, and to Peyton Manning. For eight seasons, from 2001 to 2008, they were Manning's targets in a time of unprecedented regular-season prosperity—91 wins. Harrison played with Manning for 11 years, and Wayne was Manning's target for 10. Now, while Wayne would appear to be in the twilight of his Colts career with wunderkind Andrew Luck, don't tell him that. In training camp this year he told one Colts operative who asked him how many years he had left, "Infinity."
But as he approaches 1,000, the most impressive thing to me is his durability. Wayne has played every game since the last one of 2001, his rookie season: 200 in a row, including playoffs. And his production is getting better in his 30s. Wayne turned 30 during his eighth NFL season. So I've drawn a line of demarcation between year seven and eight, and here's how the six years before and six years after that look:
Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me
In 10 minutes, the Ole Miss quarterback depth chart from a decade ago had a very bad Thursday night.
Ten years ago, Eli Manning was the starting quarterback at Ole Miss and Seth Smith one of his backups. They've gone their separate sporting ways since, Manning to the NFL and Smith to major-league baseball. And they've had better Thursday nights. Within 10 minutes of each other, Manning threw his third interception of the night at Chicago, dooming the Giants to a 27-21 loss; and Smith made the final out of the American League Division Series against Detroit. The Giants went home 0-6. Smith went home for the winter.
Tweets of the Week
"Bob McNair wasn't available after the game. I didn't need him to know he'll fire Gary Kubiak if Texans continue to embarrass themselves."
—@McClain_on_NFL, veteran Houston scribe John McClain, referring to the owner (McNair) and coach (Kubiak) of Houston, after the Texans embarrassed themselves at home in an ugly loss to St. Louis.
"Weeden just threw such a careless interception it makes Brett Favre look conservative."
—@richeisen of NFL Network, after Cleveland QB Brandon Weeden's second of two interceptions against Detroit.
"Breaking: Jets trade eight first-round picks for Thad Lewis, prepare to unleash 'WildThad' offense by 2015"
—SI.com NFL analyst @SI_DougFarrar, after Thad Lewis, on the Bills' practice squad a week ago, drove the Bills through the Bengals for a first-quarter touchdown.
"Sentences I never thought I'd type: If the Giants go 0-16, I do not think they should take Teddy Bridgewater.''
—@StevePoliti, columnist for the Newark Star-Ledger.
Ten Things I Think I Think
1. I think this is what I liked about Week 6:
a. Linebacker Jon Beason, in his Giants debut, with a team-high 12 tackles. That's what you call looking on the bright side of an 0-6 team.
b. Brandon Marshall's green shoes in the win over the Giants Thursday night. Easy for me to say, "Take the silly $5,000 fine,'' but it was worth it to draw attention to the issue of mental health.
c. Adam Podlesh, the Chicago punter, who had but three boots Thursday—but they pinned the Giants back at their 8-, 9- and 11-yard lines.
d. Where did that 106-yard evening come from, Brandon Jacobs?
e. What a throw by Ben Roethlisberger to Heath Miller, up the seam, high, between two Jets.
f. And loved the backward pass from Ben to Antonio Brown, who rolled out and threw a quirky spiral to Felix Jones for a first down.
g. Ref Gene Steratore's explanation
h. Great catch by A.J. Green, high above the defense in the Buffalo end zone.
i. Nifty shovel pass by Andy Dalton to Gio Benard, which Bernard freelanced into a touchdown gallop.
j. Brandon Tate's 29-yard punt return in overtime, weaving and bobbing, to set up the winning field goal for Cincinnati in overtime.
k. An efficient day for Cam Newton: 20 of 26 with no picks. And a 35-10 stunner in Minneapolis.
l. John Fox after the 16-point win over the Jags. "There is resistance out there. It's called the other team." Love that.
m. The New York Times headline on the Denver-Jacksonville game: "Broncos beat Jaguars but not the spread."
2. I think this is what I didn't like about Week 6:
a. It's easy to pick on Eli Manning, because he's thrown 15 interceptions. But it's also hard to pick on Manning, because he's getting chased all over the field every week, and because it appeared his second interception Thursday was a result of Reuben Randle running the wrong route.
b. Love so much of what you've done, Terrelle Pryor. But there's no way you make that careless, risky interception in a 7-7 game.
c. Speaking of utterly preposterous, I bring you the interception of T.J. Yates, who threw to Janoris Jenkins in the end zone like he was the intended receiver.
d. Cover the man, Sam Shields, not some invisible person in the backfield.
e. The Houston Texans are in the most stunning free-fall west of Atlanta (I say the Texans are a bigger surprise than the Falcons). The Texans were clearly one of the three or four most talented teams I saw in training camp this summer. Losing by 25 at home to the Rams? One of the strangest results I've seen in my years covering the league.
f. Geno Smith's consistency. Or lack thereof.
g. The Tennessee running game. Chris Johnson at Seattle: 12 carries, 33 yards. Maybe he's channeling his inner Trent Richardson.
h. Brandon Weeden's self-proclaimed "bonehead" shovel pass intercepted by Detroit's DeAndre Levy. Just another brick in the wall to a first-round quarterback for Cleveland in 2014.
3. I think Andrea Kremer deserves applause for her story on Packers defensive tackle Johnny Jolly, back from prison and addictions to drinking and codeine. "At the rate I was going, I could've been dead,'' Jolly told Kremer. And a lot more.
4. I think you're not going to need a first-round quarterback, Raiders, from what I've seen out of Terrelle Pryor. And that comes after he made too many mistakes at Kansas City.
5. I think this is just a guess, but I Donte Whitner/Hitner's going to wake up one day at, say, 39 and say to himself: "I'm changing it back. Like, right now."
6. I think in case you missed it, Justin Blackmon showed in the 35-19 loss to Denver why he's the most important Jaguar. This is the game Jacksonville was supposed to lose by 40 and didn't because the Broncos couldn't cover the rangy and dangerous Blackmon (14 catches, 190 yards). It's is absolutely incumbent on the Jags that they corral Blackmon's personal life and make sure he stays out of trouble for the future. As long as the Jags put him on the field, they'll be no offensive pushovers.
7. I think, after watching a good bit of college football over the weekend, I can picture Marcus Mariota throwing to Justin Blackmon over the corners of the AFC South for years to come, if Blackmon can find a way to stay on the straight and narrow after his dangerous dalliances with alcohol. (You can tell I'm dubious.) But as I said on NBC Sunday night, what was once a virtual certainty—either Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater or South Carolina pass rusher Jadaveon Clowney being the first pick in the draft next May—is now in doubt. Mariota will be draft-eligible next May (as will many other attractive quarterbacks, including Johnny Manziel) because he's in his third college season out of high school. And at least two teams love Mariota to the point that I believe if he comes out those teams would have him higher on their board than Bridgewater.
8. I think forcing a team to do Hard Knocks, as the NFL suggested it could do last week to ensure the show going on each summer at some team's training camp, is just plain wrong.
9. I think the Giants should trade Hakeem Nicks. They're not going to sign him after this season, and some team would give them a draft choice to rent Nicks for the last 11 weeks of the season. No downside for either side, if you ask me.
10. I think these are my non-football thoughts of the week:
a. David Ortiz knows drama, I'll say that.
b. Seventeen months ago, Michael Wacha was pitching at Texas A&M. Amazing to think he'll likely have a better pro career than the far more famous Texas A&M thrower.
c. Wow. How impressive is Wacha? Striking out Yasiel Puig with the bases loaded on a 3-2 count, then getting one of the best clutch playoff hitters, Juan Uribe, on a K next. Good to watch.
d. And Anibal Sanchez? And Max Scherzer? Lord. What pitching over the weekend in the two championship series. If Detroit had a bullpen, the AL series would be just about over this morning.
e. And I don't want to hear about what a horrible job Joe West did behind the plate Saturday night. The check swings that enraged the Red Sox all checked out correct on replay, and none of the marginal strike calls was over-the-top bad, the replay showing them at least touching or very close to the strike zone.
f. Good decision to step away and get as healthy as you can with your epilepsy issues, Jerry Kill. And good support from the University of Minnesota to back you as strongly as it does.
g. Coffeenerdness: I have nothing to say about coffee this week, other than I drank a lot of it during the week. Can I have a week off?
h. Beernerdness: So it's October, and I wrote last week about the cool pumpkin ale from Harpoon. I've got a weakness for trying these pumpkin brews. So over the week I had the Southern Tier Imperial Pumking Ale. I've praised Southern Tier Hopsun in the past, and hear great things about this brewery. But Pumking Ale's not for me. It's a taste explosion—too much pumpkin, too many spices (and too strong), and too sweet. I'll take my pumpkin ale on the conservative side.
i. Congrats, Alice Munro. I love modest, humble and talented people winning awards they truly deserve.
Who I Like Tonight
Indianapolis 27, San Diego 23. The focus will be on two high-pick quarterbacks, which is understandable given the Monday night stage. But I hope you take time tonight to appreciate a quiet one, Indy wideout Reggie Wayne, who is four catches from 1,000. This is how Chuck Pagano praised him Saturday: "He takes a beginner's mentality every year that he shows up to training camp. All the great ones do that. Phil Jackson, coming off winning six championships, right? You read his book, all he ever talked about with his players every year, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, whoever: take a beginner's mentality. This is your rookie season. And that's what he's done. Every year he comes in, it's like starting over. He's got his iPad out, he's got his notepad and he treats it like his rookie year."
The Adieu Haiku
Sunday in Boston:
Brady first, then Big Papi


text:
Ludwig to vie for seventh European medal, van Iersel wants second crown
Ludwig and her partner Kira Walkenhorst showed a very solid performance to rout their compatriots Karla Borger and Britta Büthe 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) and get the right to play Swiss' sensations Tanja Goricanec/Tanja Hüberli in the semifinal on Saturday.
Marleen van Iersel, on the other hand, and Madelein Meppelink upset the home fans by seeing off Italian top team Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth after three close sets (21-19, 21-23, 15-10).
Ludwig is a two-time European champion with former partner Sara Goller in 2008 and 2010, and on Saturday may claim her seventh European Championship medal. As for van Iersel, after winning gold at home in The Hague two years ago with Sanne Keizer, she has now her sight set on another accolade to be added to her resume.
The women's quarterfinals got started with a surprise as German pair Victoria Bieneck and Julia Grossner confirmed their status as a rising power on the European beach volleyball scene with a straight sets (24-22, 21-18) victory over last year's silver medallists Liliana Fernandez Steiner and Elsa Baquerizo of Spain. The Spaniards wanted to complete their collection of medals from the European Championship after winning bronze two years ago in The Hague and silver in Klagenfurt last August, but their opponents confirmed they are in fine form after winning last week's Anapa Open in Russia.
Bieneck and Grossner set the pace all the way through the opening set before the Spaniards levelled the score at 13-all. Both teams were able to complete their side-outs but in the end the Germans showed nerves of steel to seal the final 24-22. The story repeated itself also in the second set where Bieneck and Grossner opened with a 7-3 run but once more Liliana and Elsa got back on track to draw level at 16. This, however, was the very last time they could stand a chance to call for a tie-break as their opponents pulled out another series of three consecutive points at 19-16) and then held on to it to pocket their ticket to the semis 21-18.
"It was very windy today but we were able to cope with these difficult conditions," Victoria Bieneck said. "We served really well and our performance was strong. We always play very good with them, we did so also last year in Argentina. We are pretty close friends off the court but this does not count anymore once you square off on the court. We now hope to keep on winning and are very motivated for the semis."
The surprises continued to flock on Poetto beach as Swiss duo Tanja Goricanec and Tanja Hüberli upset another one of Europe's top teams, Marketa Slukova and Kristyna Kolocova of the Czech Republic. The match started very well for the Czechs who imposed their rhythm in the first set 21-18 and continued to dictate the tempo of the game also in the second 6-4. The course of the game changed quite dramatically as the Swiss scored five consecutive points to flip the charts around and move up 9-6; their Czech opponents felt the pressure and looked nervous, started making mistakes in almost every aspect of the game and trailed by as many as four points before the Swiss cashed the second set with ease 21-16.
Goricanec and Hüberli were off to a very strong start also in the tie-break 5-1 and even though Slukova and Kolocova were able to storm back and cut their gap to only one point, the Swiss duo looked strong and broke away once more to cash an unexpected spot in the semis of the European Championship. On Saturday they will try to at least emulate their countrywomen Simone Kuhn and Nadine Zumkehr, the last Swiss duo to medal at the European Championship when they won bronze in Sochi in 2009.
"We did not really expect to be in the semis," Goricanec said. "I am particularly happy with the fact that earlier this morning, in our previous match with the Russian team, we kept calm also after losing the first set. We did the same this afternoon with the Czechs, kept focused and seized the chance once our opponents got nervous and started making mistakes. I am delighted with the opportunity of playing in the semis and now we hope to continue the same way. We will play rally after rally, match after match, being ready to seize our chance again and again."
The home heroines Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth could not make the semis though spearheaded by the noisy and passionate Italian crowd that got together on Friday night at Poetto beach, only some miles away from downtown Cagliari. The breeze had calmed down for the last couple of quarterfinal matches scheduled for Friday but Menegatti and Orsi Toth caught a slow start in their match with Madelein Meppelink and 2012 European champion Marleen van Iersel.
After losing the first set 21-19, Menegatti and Orsi Toth got back on track in the second where they claimed an early 6-4 lead and held on to it until the score was levelled at 16-all. The home girls missed out on a couple of set balls but they did not lose composure cashing the opportunity to play a tie-break 23-21. Though the fans expected their heroines would continue to play the same way, the "Azzurre" were able to stay in the race only up to 3-all, after that, the "Oranjes" exploited some excellent serving by Marleen van Iersel to record a 7-1 run to make it 10-4 advantage.
The game was almost gone but the Italians did not want to disappoint their fans and put on a strenuous fight to narrow their deficit down to three points 13-10. That was nevertheless all they could achieve with their late comeback since the "orange girls" scored the next couple of rallies to seal the 15-10 victory that propels them into the semifinal scheduled for Saturday morning versus Germany's Victoria Bieneck and Julia Grossner.
"We are a little bit disappointed because we thought that we could win this match and that a spot in the semis was really within our reach," Menegatti and Orsi Toth commented.
"This is really important for us after all our hard work, but we are not finished yet," Dutch player van Iersel said. "A fourth place is not good enough for us, we want to continue the same way. We felt some pressure, and that happened especially at the end of the second set where we missed out on a chance to finish it off. However, we regrouped for the tie-break, we spoke to each other and we agreed that we would win this one, which is what we eventually did."
The last match of the day was an all-German affair where Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst wanted to re-assert their home leadership. Last year's bronze medallists looked very focused and determined right from the start of their quarterfinal match with Karla Borger and Britta Büthe and eventually claimed the first set by 21-19.
They continued to perform strong also in the second going up by 3-0 and stretched their lead to 11-5 on good serving by Ludwig. Ludwig and Walkenhorst only had a very short setback halfway through the second set where they asked for a timeout by the time their lead had gone down to only three points at 16:13. Once the action resumed, they accelerated their tempo and finished it off at 21-16 with an ace by Ludwig.


text:
I'm a single man who had a beautiful wife. We lived together for 4 years, enjoyed every minute. That day she called and asked to take her from work. It was pouring with heavy rain. She died as a result of an accident on the road. I drove home and crashed into a tree. I didn't get any scratch. Doctors tried their best, but they failed to save my wife.
I'm only 30, and my parents ask me to find a new wife. But I can not. I can not even think about it. I love only her, and I miss her. Her only dream was to make me a daddy. Since I don't want to get married again, how about if I go for surrogacy? I just want one child, with whom I can spend rest of my life. I really need some serious advice or suggestion. How and from where shall I start?


text:
Thanks to Roger Shipp for hosting FFftPP.
(I truly meant for this to be Flash Fiction, but the story just developed. Sorry about the way – over word count.)
Grandma June huffed at Natalie, her granddaughter visiting her at home."You're not getting any younger, you're thirty-eight. You can't barely have babies anymore!"
Natalie rolled her eyes at Grandma June,"Gran, I'm an elementary school teacher. I like going home and not having to worry about kids."
June sighed,"It was that man, you were supposed to marry. He's a thief and stole your heart; I'm right aren't I?"
Natalie ignored June's question. She hated when her Grandma or anyone, talked about Christopher. She'd never admit he was her one.
He had been since she was in grade ten and Christopher an attractive senior in high school. It was when he had first asked Natalie out. They'd broken-up, having had incompatible lives with Christopher away at university soon after.
Then, seven-years-ago, they'd ran into each other and started talking and dating again. Natalie had convinced herself this was finally it. Sadly, a few weeks before the wedding, Christopher had disappeared; the memories were agony for her.
Two-week's later, Grandma June called Natalie up to invite her to a wine and cheese night she was hosting for her neighbours. She had tried to decline but June was adamant Natalie attend.
She arrived at her Grandma June's surprisingly lively wine party, in jeans and a white t-shirt. She had barely bothered to apply makeup as Natalie had come from the gym and was worn out.
"Oh you came," Grandma June said excitedly, approaching Natalie as she let herself inside. She hugged June and kissed her cheek, as June poured Natalie a large glass of red wine and filled her plate with bread and cheese. She winked at Natalie and left her alone in a small sitting room to rest before joining the other guests.
"Natalie?" A deep voice said. She turned on the sofa towards the sitting room door. Christopher's voice shocked her, she had almost doused herself in red wine. His familiar timber filled Natalie with great pain. She peered up at him feeling raw, as if he'd only left her yesterday without explanation.
Tears began dripping down Natalie's cheeks; she was crying and couldn't stop herself. Christopher immediately sat down on the sofa beside Natalie and pulled her close; he wiped her tears away with his thumb. She tried to jerk out of his arms, but he wouldn't let her move.
"I'm not letting you go, ever again," Christopher swore."I can't explain much about why I had to leave you, only that I didn't have a choice."
Natalie shoved him hard, "You have nothing more to say, nothing at all?"
Christopher was noticeably upset, "I told you I worked as an IT consultant. But I could never tell you or anyone who I worked for until recently. I worked for Special Forces in the army and I was called out to a job. It's the only thing I can't about. The job lasted years, and I wasn't allowed to contact anyone. We saved countless lives, but it was awful what I did to you and being without you. I'm sorry."
Natalie rubbed her swollen eyes, "You're a liar Christopher. You could've mentioned something, anything. What do you want now? To stay for a while and then leave?To rip me apart again?"
Christopher buried his face in his hand, before gazing up at her: "I'm out now Natalie. I swear to you I work for regular businesses now, nothing to do with Special Forces or the army. I've no more secrets other than experiences of war and blood. I came back here for you, I even moved into a house on your Grandma June's street. I hoped somehow, you and I could be together again. I love you."
Natalie made a sound of frustration. Emotions of both anger and feeling relieved assaulted her. Despite her anger at Christopher, Natalie knew inside, there would never be another man for her but him.
To Christopher' surprise, Natalie moved to sit in Christopher's lap and be closer to him, to breathe in how delicious he smelt.
"Marry me now and we can do whatever celebration our families want later. I'm still mad at you Christopher but you're it for me. I've always loved you and always will. If you can be with me and never leave me like that again, I can forgive you."
Christopher nodded at Natalie, saying: "I promise." He held Natalie tightly and kissed her lips hungrily.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the sitting room door and Grandma June walked in, a smile on her face. June's boyfriend Nigel was with her and so was the local United Church minister.
Natalie looked at Christopher, "Did you do all this?"
Christopher shook his head, squeezing Natalie tight and kissing her cheek. He pulled out a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring set from his pocket. He slid the engagement ring on Natalie's finger, and Grandma June handed Natalie a ring which had been her Grandfather's wedding ring.
June smiled at Natalie and Christopher, a gleam in her clever blue-eyes. All was at it should be, she thought as her and Nigel witnessed her granddaughter's wedding ceremony.
©Mandibelle16. (2017) All Rights Reserved.


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China chides U.S. over Ferguson violence, American racism
China, a country with its own ethnic tensions and record of excessive police action, remained quiet during the first week of clashes between protesters and law enforcement in Ferguson, Mo.
That has changed in the last two days. On Monday and Tuesday, the state media of the world's largest country has stepped up coverage of the Ferguson violence and protests. It has published commentaries accusing the United States of hypocrisy in seeking to be a global guardian of human rights.
"This is probably the largest protest launched by African Americans in recent years," the Global Times, an English-language offshoot of the People's Daily, wrote in an editorial Tuesday. "It tells us that racism still overshadows minorities in the US even while they have got a black president."
A day earlier, a commentary in China's Xinhua news service struck a similar theme.
"The Ferguson incident once again demonstrates that even if in a country that has for years tried to play the role of an international human rights judge and defender, there is still much room for improvement at home," wrote Xinhua writer Li Li.
While state media doesn't always reflect the views of China's leaders, strong commentary is rarely published here unless the Communist Party approves.
Global Times, for instance, often publishes editorials in English that are far more critical of the West than those published in state-run Chinese-language media. That suggests that China's leaders use Global Times and other English-language publications to deliver a message to the West that, for whatever reason, it does not want to play up at home.
In its editorial Tuesday, Global Times said that the United States "owes African Americans historical debts, which has resulted in many racial problems." In response to those problems, said the editorial, U.S. leaders have employed "a fairly tough approach . . . pushing African Americans to integrate into mainstream society at the cost of destroying their original cultures."
The editorial made no mention of China's own ethnic tensions, including recent clashes between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese in China's far-west Xinjiang province. Western human rights groups say China is partly to blame for such clashes by attempting to assimilate ethnic groups such as Uighurs, Tibetans and Mongolians.
More than week after a small-town police officer shot and killed an unarmed 18-year-old black man in suburban St. Louis, the Ferguson story has gone viral globally. Middle East protesters have offered Twitter advice to American protesters on how to cope with tear gas. Media in Russia and Iran have criticized treatment of protesters in Ferguson, an obvious attempt to deflect attention from the human rights record of those two countries.
While not a top topic on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, Ferguson is attracting comment from many Chinese netizens.
"How can the 'heaven of freedom' institute curfew?" wrote one commentator, Meimei from Beijing. "This is an absolute violation of human rights of the American people! We can't help but to ask, what right does the police have to shoot a walking man without a reason?"
Another Chinese commentator, Yahai from Dalian, in Liaoning province, said the riot reflected "America's racial discrimination of yet another time, the stubborn disease of America. . . . When America talks about human rights, it should first settle its own human rights problems."
Yet some Chinese commentators took a different view, including one that reflected Beijing's priorities when dealing with unrest.
"America has its own method in dealing with such riots, and has been very decisive and resolute in carrying out the curfew," wrote Zhang Yiwu, a professor from Peking University. "This means that America's social regulation is fairly effective. It cannot let itself fall into a mess of anarchy."
McClatchy special correspondent Tiantian Zhang contributed to this report.


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IMF Survey Vol.35, No.20 October 2006
- What's On
- IMF Financial Data
- In the News: Brazil's Murilo Portugal Set to Replace Carstens
- Carstens Leaves to Take Transition Post in Mexico
- IMF Declares the Kyrgyz Republic Eligible for Debt Relief
- Country Briefs: Indonesia Repays its IMF Obligations Early
- Saudi Arabia Pursues Domestic Growth and Oil Market Stability
- Regional Focus: Seven Years on: Assessing Europe's Central Bank
- Danish Flexicurity Model Holds Lessons for Rest of Europe
- Country Focus: Burundi Emerges from Civil Conflict to a Brighter Future
- Research: Helping Countries Cope with Aid Volatility
- Grading Central Banks on their Financial Stability Reports
- Books: China and India: Drawing Lessons from What Works
- Forum: Measuring Success
Books: China and India: Drawing Lessons from What Works
- International Monetary Fund. External Relations Dept.
- Published Date:
- November 2006
Show Summary Details
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View opening times, facilities, activities and more at Milnrow Library.
The library is open during the following hours. We're closed on bank holidays.
Milnrow Library has:
There are a number of regular activities taking place at Milnrow Library:
We have lots of special events taking place in our libraries across the borough.
Bookstart Bear Club sessions inspire a love of reading that will give children a flying start in life.
Find your next local Bookstart Bear Club session
Knowing how to use a computer and the internet can help make life a lot easier, you can join our free IT courses whatever your skill level. From starting with a keyboard and mouse, email to shopping online and much more.
See a list of IT training sessions in libraries
Milnrow Library Newhey Road Milnrow OL16 firstname.lastname@example.com 303 8876
Phone: Monday-Friday 8.30am-5.30pm.Closed for training Monday 11am-11.30am.
Joining a library is FREE. You can join any library in England and Wales to use their facilities.
So, if you can't find it with us, take a look at the services on offer at a different library.
It only takes a couple of minutes to join the library online. You can use your library membership to:
Please remember to bring identification when you first visit the library to borrow items - for example, utility bill, driving licence or bank statement.


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Can I check the status of my order?
You will receive an email to confirm shipment when your order leaves the warehouse. The email will contain a tracking code that enables you to check the delivery status of your order online at any time.
- Log in to your account
- Go to "My Orders"
- Select "View Order"
- Click on "Track Your Order"
What are the delivery times and shipping cost?
Orders are dispatched 24 hours following receipt of your order, after which delivery times are 1-2 working days for Italy, 2-3 working days for the rest of Europe, and 3-5 working days to countries outside Europe. Shipping costs may vary depending on your chosen payment method (credit card, cash on delivery, etc.).
Which countries do you ship to?
Santonishoes.com ships to more than 100 countries. The shipping times and cost vary depending on the country.
How do I pay?
You can pay in the any of the following ways:
- Credit card: Visa, Mastercard and American Express
- PayPal: After confirming your order information, you will be asked to log into your PayPal account to complete the payment.
You will be charged the total amount on completion of your order, after the appropriate checks have been carried out.
- COD (Cash on Delivery): In case of cash on delivery as a payment method , the payment for the Products on delivery shall be done only with cash. Charge the customer an additional service fee of up to € 16.90. Cash on Delivery will not be available if your order value exceeds € 750.00
- Bank transfer (available for European purchases with extra 8 € per order) the order is shipped after the receiving of the payment. If FiloBlu does not receive the payment in 5 days, the order will be canceled.
You will be charged the total amount when your order is confirmed. If you return the goods, this amount will be refunded to your credit card or PayPal account, and cash payments will be refunded by bank transfer.
When is the payment charged?
After receiving your order we carry out a standard pre-authorization check on the payment card to ensure that there are sufficient funds to fulfil the transaction. The goods will not be dispatched until this pre-authorization check has been completed. The payment will then be charged from your card after confirmation that the order has been accepted.
If FiloBlu does not receive the payment in 5 days, the order will be canceled.All orders are subject to verification. Filoblu reserves the right to request for identification documents in certain cases. Therefore, Customer Care could contact customers to obtain more details on payments before the order is confirmed. If the customer fails to send the required documents within 72 hours, the order will be deleted and standard reimbursement for the paid amounts will be issued.
Why has my payment not been accepted?
After receiving your order we carry out a standard pre-authorization check. There are a number of reasons why your payment may not have been accepted, such as the available balance on your card or entering incorrect card details such as the expiration date, card number or type of card. If the problem persists, we recommend that you contact Customer Services.
How can I exercise the right to cancel?
Santoni wants to ensure complete customer satisfaction. If for any reason you are not fully satisfied with your order, you may exercise your right to cancel by sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.com within 14 days of receipt of the goods.
If for any reason you are not fully satisfied with your order, you can return one or more of the items and receive a refund equal to the price of the returned product(s).
The goods themselves must also be returned within 14 days of their receipt, together with a completed Returns Form, to the following address:
FiloBlu c/o Snatt Logistica Spa Mag L (Area Filoblu) Via San Biagio, 65/67 42024 Castelnovo Sotto (RE) Italy.
Shipping costs for returning the goods shall be borne by the customer. In order to exercise your right to cancel, the goods must be returned in perfect condition, unused, with the original labels still attached, and with the original packaging. Returned products must be packaged so as to avoid damage to the original packaging. When returning goods, the risks of transport are the responsibility of the customer. For more information please see the Returns page.
How are refunds made?
Please allow about 14 days for refunds.
Delivery of the goods to Santoni c/o Snatt Logistica Spa, Via Galileo Galilei 21, 42024 Castelnovo Sotto (RE), Italy, may be delayed by the postal service. If you have not received your refund or substitution after 30 days have passed, please contact us on:
or send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
For further information please see the Terms and Conditions on Santonishoes.com.
What should I do if I have not received my order, or I have received the wrong product(s)?
Please accept our apologies if your order has not been processed correctly. You can contact us on
or send an email to email@example.com.
We will endeavour to rectify the error as quickly and efficiently as possible.
How can I contact Santoni?
If you have not found the answer to your question, please contact Customer Services on:
(+39) 041 8380044 from 8.30 am to 6.00 pm (GMT +1: Rome / Paris / Berlin time),
or send an email to email@example.com.


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250 cut out images of Anita, a Hispanic woman, wearing business casual clothing. Dozens of poses photographed from multiple angles allow you to tell a visual story with Anita in your eLearning course or presentation. We've gone through the tedious task of removing all of the backgrounds for you so that you can drop Anita onto any background with other characters of your choice to create a custom scene.
As a special bonus, the Anita set also includes a second outfit in business casual clothes so that you can tell multi-day stories with this character.


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Chris Hardwick is a busy guy. He runs the popular podcast and website The Nerdist and travels the county doing standup. Last fall, his "Talking Dead," the popular aftershow in which he and guests dissect each episode of "The Walking Dead," grew to an hourlong chat fest.
As if Hardwick doesn't have enough on his plate, his "The Nerdist" specials on BBC America have been transformed into a weekly variety/interview show.
"I'm pretty good with time management," he told me earlier this week. "I'm a color coded calendar guy ... I know 'Talking Dead' works on Sundays, BBC America works on Saturdays, the podcasts record during the week, script meetings happen during the week, stand-up's at night.
"Don't get me wrong, it's a seven-day work week, but it's all fun stuff. And everything is very modular in that way."
The series premiere of "The Nerdist" airs at 9 p.m. CT March 30, focusing on BBC America's Supernatural Saturday lineup of "Doctor Who" and "Orphan Black" earlier in the night. The season finale of AMC's "Talking Dead" will be shown at 9 p.m. CT Sunday after the season finale of "The Walking Dead."
With Hardwick's very big weekend approaching, I asked him a very nerdy question: If you were transported to a horrific world where you could watch just one of two shows, "Doctor Who" or "The Walking Dead," which would you choose and why?
"Damn it, how could you do that to me? How could you do that to me? That's impossible," he said. "I mean, listen--man, why would you do that? No, it's a fair question. It's a fair question.
"The only difference between the two shows is that there are ... many, many seasons of 'Doctor Who,' so I guess just for having more content to watch over a period of time I would maybe--I don't know but then, see, if I take 'Walking Dead' and I'm only allowed one thing then it reminds me that I've been in some kind of apocalypse basically watching a drama about the apocalypse.
"I don't know. But then I feel like if the TARDIS just popped up in Atlanta then the Doctor might find the source of the zombie-ism and cure all the walkers somehow. It's probably some sort of an alien virus that he could change the frequency with a sonic screwdriver and manipulate it and then cure everyone.
"You asked me an impossible question. How could you 'Sophie's Choice' me like that? How could you?! You bastard."
I guess it goes without saying, but Hardwick geeks out for both shows.
He shared more about the new version of "The Nerdist," which you can read after the clip below.
Will your new "The Nerdist" be like the past BBC America specials?
No, it will be different actually. This is not going to be a satisfying answer; it's similar but different. When we first started the show, I had sort of pitched it as a turbo version of the podcast. The first episode of the BBC America show that we shot, my idea was let's go in, let's record a podcast in front of an audience with a nice set, and then we'll just chop down the 45 minutes or 50 minutes or whatever and cut it up for television.
Quickly we realized that it didn't work that way. Television really has to have some structure and the podcast is essentially structure-less. It's basically a phone conversation. I mean we're not on the phone but it works like a phone conversation or like meeting someone for coffee that you're interested and you want to learn more about.
So it evolved pretty quickly throughout the specials, but we never really caught any momentum because we were doing them at little bits at a time. But with this, since we have 10 episodes all at once, we blew out the set, kind of borrowed a little bit more.
We kind of moved away from, like, Chelsea Roundtable stuff and made it a little more "Graham Norton"-y in the sense that the set's more casual and there are sketches and games on the show and it's really kind of like a big hangout.
And the last act of every show is standup because I really feel like there's not enough standup comedy on television and I know a lot of really funny people. And so you know, the last act of the show is just basically us saying goodbye, but the second to last act of the show is a standup performance.
And we got amazing comics that I love like Maria Bamford and Ron Funches and Paul F. Tompkins and Natasha Leggero and Matt Kirshen--just some really great people who are complementing the guests. We aimed really high with the guests this season, like, well, why not?
And I have the same bookers, Ashley and Debbi, who book everything "Nerdist"-related. They book the podcast, they book the channel, they book "Talking Dead," they book our TV show. And they both worked at "Conan" for years, so we've just gotten to a really good rhythm with guest booking and they're so amazing.
And we got most of the people that we shot out for. So like, Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zach Galifianakis and Buzz Aldrin and Katie Sakhoff, Gillian Jacobs, Elijah Wood. It's just been an insane lineup. I would put the guest line up against any network late night talk show.
It's really just a hangout chat. I don't think it feels like an interrogation with the guests. I think it kind of has the soul of the podcast but structured a little more like television. So in the end I think we ended up with a nice, fun, relaxed Saturday night show.
Matt Smith will be on the show, but not necessarily on the set?
Yes, we built basically like a robot Matt Smith. I did basically a satellite interview with Matt. So then we built a Matt Smith mannequin body and then put this video monitor head on it, which No. 1 I thought was appropriate for the Doctor. ... I just thought it was a really cool way to do that rather than just have him on a monitor because obviously, he's in England and that makes it very difficult to get the Brits on the show when they are on the opposite time zone. I came in at like, 6 o'clock in the morning one morning and we did this interview but it was pretty cool. It worked out.
"The Nerdist" season has been pre-recorded, correct?
It's pre-recorded. The BBC America show shoots on Saturdays and "Talking Dead" shoots on Sundays. So you know, I've basically been working weekends for the past month or so. And we gang shot a bunch of the episodes at once and then we'll parse them out throughout the season.
So our first episode, because BBC America brought us back, we're kind of celebrating Supernatural Saturday. Our first episode basically is a tribute, sort of like our love letter to the BBC. It's all BBC America people on the show. Matt Smith does the thing that we do with him and Tatiana Maslany from "Orphan Black" and Dominic Monaghan. And then we shot some stuff in England that we're going to roll.
The first episode is basically BBC themed and then the next nine episodes after that--some of them are themed but some of them not themed. We don't always need to find reasons to just mash up cool people together that we love.
Want more? Discuss this article and others on Show Patrol's Facebook page.


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WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Actress Eva Longoria, who helped U.S. President Barack Obama secure the Hispanic vote in November, says she will be onstage with him at his inauguration.
The "Desperate Housewives" star stumped for the president last year and hosted star-studded fundraisers, generating millions of dollars for his re-election campaign, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
Longoria said her primary goal as a political power player in Washington is to argue that "Latinos aren't a drain on the economy or criminals crossing the border."
"Most are hardworking people who are America's emerging market," she added.
After working with Obama last year on immigration policy, Longoria is now planning meetings with his advisers and other politicos -- including one she's hosting this weekend with Mark McKinnon, a strategist for former President George W. Bush and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the Journal said.
She plans to meet with former Secretary of State Colin Powell and anti-tax activist Grover Norquist to discuss investments in housing and retail developments in Hispanic communities.


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PC » Action » Shooter » First-Person » Arcade
BioShock Infinite
1999 Mode Unlocked without beating the game first!
You can unlock 1999 Mode from the very start with a keyboard modified version of the Konami code at the Main Menu.
|Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Esc, Enter
|Unlocks 1999 Mode Difficulty
Contributed By: ATG4EVR.
Steam Achievements
|Killed 25 enemies with the Broadsider Pistol.
|A Real Pistol
|Killed 20 enemies with a Sky-Line Strike.
|Aerial Assassin
|Assisted the gunsmith.
|Armed Revolt
|Completed the game in 1999 Mode.
|Auld Lang Syne
|Killed 100 enemies with the Founder Huntsman Carbine or Vox Burstgun.
|Big Game Hunter
|Completed Emporia.
|Blood in the Streets
|Killed 5 enemies with a headshot while riding a Sky-Line.
|Bolt From the Blue
|Killed 20 enemies by knocking them off Columbia.
|Bon Voyage
|Looted 200 containers.
|Coins in the Cushion
|Performed all 8 of the Vigor combinations.
|Combination Shock
|Killed 20 "Heavy Hitter" enemies.
|David & Goliath
|Equipped a piece of Gear in all four slots.
|Dress for Success
|Collected every Voxophone.
|Boarded The First Lady.
|First Class Ticket
|Spent $10,000 at the vending machines of Columbia.
|Grand Largesse
|Killed 10 enemies by utilizing environmental hazards.
|Hazard Pay
|Killed a Handyman by only shooting his heart.
|Killed 30 enemies with the Founder Pig Volley Gun or Vox Hail Fire.
|Here Little Piggy
|Completed Comstock House.
|Higher Learning
|Killed 20 enemies with a Sky-Hook Execution.
|Industrial Accident
|Collected every Infusion upgrade in a single game.
|Infused with Greatness
|Fully upgraded one weapon and one Vigor.
|Kitted Out
|Killed 25 enemies with the Paddywhacker Hand Cannon.
|Loose Cannon
|Killed 5 enemies while you are drunk.
|Lost Weekend
|Killed 20 enemies with the Barnstormer RPG.
|Master of Pyrotechnics
|Killed 20 enemies using Possessed machines.
|Mind Over Matter
|Lured 3 enemies into a single Vigor trap 5 times.
|More for Your Money
|Killed 30 enemies with the Bird's Eye Sniper Rifle.
|On a Clear Day...
|Killed 30 enemies while riding a Sky-Line.
|On the Fly
|Killed 150 enemies with the Founder Triple R Machine Gun or Vox Repeater.
|Passionately Reciprocated
|Upgraded one attribute (Health, Shield, or Salts) to its maximum level.
|Raising the Bar
|Completed the game on Normal difficulty or above.
|Saw the Elephant
|Complete the game in 1999 Mode without purchasing anything from a Dollar Bill vending machine.
|Scavenger Hunt
|Killed 30 enemies with the Peppermill Crank Gun.
|Seasoned to Taste
|Retrieved Shock Jockey.
|Shock Tactics
|Unlocked 1999 Mode.
|Should Auld Acquaintance...
|Used all telescopes and Kinetoscopes in the game.
|Killed 5 enemies while they are falling.
|Skeet Shoot
|Completed the game on Hard difficulty or above.
|Stone Cold Pinkerton
|Killed 20 enemies using allies brought in through a Tear.
|Strange Bedfellows
|Killed 50 enemies with the Founder China Broom Shotgun or Vox Heater.
|Street Sweeper
|Opened 30 Tears.
|Tear 'em a New One
|Completed The Hand of the Prophet.
|The Bird or The Cage
|Used Elizabeth to pick 30 locks.
|The Roguish Type
|Completed the game on Easy difficulty or above.
|Tin Soldier
|Killed 75 enemies either with a Vigor or while the enemy is under the effects of a Vigor.
|Vigorous Opposition
|Reached Monument Island.
|Welcome to Monument Island
|Used all 8 Vigors against enemies.
|Well Rounded
|Completed Factory.
|Working Class Hero
|Completed Lighthouse.
|Written in the Clouds
Contributed By: Guard Master.


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Stocks & Bonds
This investment is for you if:
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When you purchase stocks in a company, you are buying part ownership, or shares, in that company. Investing in individual securities outside of mutual funds can generate increased returns for more sophisticated investors.
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