text:
The Green Bay Packers have some decisions to make on a number of veterans this offseason.
Primarily, these decisions will come down to money, but the Packers will also have to take the player's productivity and their roster makeup into account.
Here are the guys who may be employed by someone other than the Packers next season… or not at all.
Oooh a slideshow!
Hate those things. I'm sure it gets the sites click numbers up, but they're annoying as shit.
Agreed, Doug.
I think Benson and Finley will be back. Woodson might be back if he takes a pay cut. Not sure about Tramon Williams. He is certainly not guaranteed a starting position. If he falls behind in training camp then they'll probably cut him.
What do we know? Saturday, Grant, Hawk, Jennings, almost as good as gone….I want to put Tramon Williams in that category in the worst way. What do we get for 6.2 million in Williams? Maybe a couple picks….Will not tackle, unless its with his shoulder, Whines, when he's called for blatant penaltys, receivers consistantly beat him. Loves to point fingers at team mates when gets beat. We have Casey Hayward, Sam Shields, Davon House…..I say go after Aqib Talib….Say what you want about him, he's a GREAT corner, 18 interceptions since 2008, all indications are he's cleaned-up his act. And most likely, will be a bargain. Talib is 4 times the player Tramon is. (See Anqwon Boldin, after Talib got hurt in the AFCCG)….Now Woodson is another story. Will they pay him his 10 million?….I dont know, but he's not worth 10 million anymore. Hayward took over his slot corner spot and argueably played to a Pro Bowl level. Maybe he'd take a pay cut, but its hard to see paying him more than 5 million, and the ? is would he be agreeable to a 50% pay cut?…..I have a hard time imagining any team in the league signing him for more than 5 million, if he were to be released.
Sam Shields was terrible last year (worse than Tramon this year, by far; Tramon actually had a decent year, granted not the last quarter of the season). I would expect Tramon to receive a similar treatment to the one Shields did last year, and I hope.\/expect him to rebound in the same fashion.
If it were up to me:
Benson – Back on a performance based contract.
Woods – Back. The run defense is still better with him and he's not drawing as many flags in the Safety spot. I also still believe he's better suited than MD or Jeron at this point. Even though he's lost a step, his versatility and leadership are still a key asset to that secondary. To also put it in perspective, if Nick Collins career hadn't ended, I think the Pack would be splitting ways with Woods this offseason.
Driver – I'll personally miss Donald. We all know what's coming. I'd love to see the team bring him on as a position coach.
Jennings – It's Greg or Jermichael. Flip a coin. Unless Hawk is cut and Wood/Tramon takes a pay cut, one of them is gone. Form what I saw this season, when Greg was out, the offense was sluggish (save for a few games). Jordy is still best suited as a #2, along with James Jones. Moving Randall to the #1 spot will limit his versatility for package options that include him coming out of the backfield or the slot. I like Greg a lot, and even more, I like the attention the defense pays to him. It frees up opportunities and man coverage for people like Jermichael, Jones, and Randall. In summary, I think the Packers approach to Greg depends on how they handle the rest of this list.
Saturday – Gone. Had a great career, in Indy. HOF material but EDS will take that job next near unless we draft a replacement.
Jermichael – Refer to Greg Jennings. Flip a coin. Jermichael is a Jekyll and Hyde type player, plus I'm not a fan of his constant media "work". But I also recognize his talent. He's definitely more of an offensive threat that I feel we should have taken more advantage of over the course of the season when defenses were playing cover 2 and leaving the middle of the field unprotected. His blocking is give or take. Not phenomenal, but not terrible either. I think I speak for a lot of people who were recycling the same "He's got all the potential in the world" argument year and year again, but never quite came to fruition like, say, a Jimmy Graham or Gronk. In the end, I think he'll be that player that if he returns, I'll be cursing his play next year, but if he leaves, I'll be wishing we still had him.
A.J. – Get him out. No questions asked. He's good for 2 solid games a year and 14 average-to-downright-terrible games. He's a decent run stuffer but good lord he can't cover shit.
Tramon – He stays. Yes Sam had a great year. But remember, it wasn't long ago (last season) when there were questions about whether or not he would even pan out the way we thought. There's no telling if this seasons performance was the real Sam or another flash in the pan result. Same goes with Casey Hayward. He was a rookie and only played sparingly. He benefited on many opportunistic plays because he's covering the offenses 4th option. With that said, I love what I saw form him this season. Next season will give us a solid understanding of his long term potential. With that said, I'm not comfortable giving a starting spot to him just yet. Tramon stays, but he needs to renegotiate his contract. Add some performance incentives because he's not the Tramon who earned it to begin with.
Ryan Grant – I love Ryan. I love his 4+ YPC average. I love his toughness. I love his work effort. I DON'T love his tendencies to fumble at the worst possible time. With the emergence of a younger DeJuan Harris and a more productive Cedric Benson coming back from injury, I don't see Ryan returning. Great guy, good player, but there's a reason he's not a starter anywhere else too.
Great post, Adam.
I just want to comment on Jennings and Tramon.
I agree the offense was not the same without Jennings. However, most of that was also without Dujuan Harris. I really believe the Packers can be a more balanced offense next season and not rely on the passing game so much. You leave Cobb in the slot with Jones and Nelson on the outside. You keep Finley, and you still have 4 bonafide receiving weapons for defenses to worry about. If you keep Jennings, then in the 3 WR package, favored by the Packers, Jones goes to the bench. I don't think you can justify that.
I still think Jennings is the best WR the Packers have, but he is not head and shoulders better than the other WRs. Finley IS that much better than our other TEs.
You go ahead and pay Tramon the big money without altering his contract. Was Woodson worth the money he was paid this year? Veterans have years where they weren't worth the money they were paid. It happens. If you are going to renegotiate with a player every time he has a down year, then you have to expect the players to want to renegotiate every time they have a good year and play above their salary. The Packers don't want to conduct business like that. Honor the contract.
I like the slideshow. It is something different.
Tramon is not going anywhere. It is tough to call Shields and Hayward the better corners when neither has to cover the opponent's best WR every game. Tramon is still the Packers' best option to cover Brandon Marshall and Calvin Johnson twice a year. His physicality needs to improve, but he was a year from his shoulder injury. Like Shields this season, Tramon could improve his tackling next season.
Because of the salary cap situation, AJ Hawk is not likely to go anywhere. Once a player is cut you no longer get to prorate his signing bonus. Instead the remainder counts against your cap the season you cut him. That would be a $4.8 million dollar hit in order to save $2.2 million. Just doesn't make a lot of sense. At the minimum, he's a dependable back up.
Finley is staying partly because the Packers have no comparable replacement. Quarless hasn't seen the field since his injury and DJ Williams has shown nothing.
One would think that if the Packers were going to restructure Woodson's contract, they would have done it by now. He may be gone.
Mason Crosby may also be gone. I expect a training camp competition is in order.
Ok — link me information regarding Hawk's contract (he's due $5.2 million in 2013, how the fuck would it cost $4.8 to cut him?) the only one spitting this information about it costing the organization that big of a cap hit is you. I know you like Hawk, you've backed him up on here before, but jesus christ man. I don't care about your one-sided opinion, link me information. Your not a valid or a reliable source.
He's in the same situation as Tramon Williams (why wouldn't it take a cap hit to cut him?) if he isn't going to start then why keep him around?
And let me spell this out for you on Hawk. HE WONT START IN 2013. Not with Bishop, Matthews, Smith, Perry, Moses, Walden, Jones and possibly an added draft pick. He serves ZERO purpose on a team where your going to pay a "serviceable backup" $5.3 mil/year — that's embarrassing. No fucking way. Even if they do cut him and take a hit (it won't be a $4.8 mil hit either) then over the course of the next three years it's worth it — the loser is signed through 2015 at a ridiculous salary.
It's also possible he's traded (did this occur to you?) — which would be all for the best, but no one is going to give up a 4th or 5th round pick for a below average OLB who has zero speed and no pass rushing capabilities for the amount of money Hawk's washed up ass will cost. He sucks, get over it. He's not good.
Hawk was "cut" — I celebrated.
Hawk was "re-signed" for even *more* money — I cursed.
Hawk got a $8 mil signing bonus, which is pro-rated over a 5 year contract. Only 3/5s is left, $4.8 mil.
If he's released AFTER June 1 — only $1.6 mil counts this coming season, the remainder of $3.2 the following season.
Either way, it's a nominal impact on a team's $121 million salary cap for 2013.
The money is still there for the Packers to spend in a way that won't impact the cap
It doesn't go to the league…
it doesn't get shredded…
it doesn't get burned…
it doesn't get burned BY GIVING IT TO HAWK.
I could fuckin' puke every time I see him crack his neck, or shake a leg — like he did something remotely athletic, that could have caused a cramp.
too far from LOS,
waits on a play to come to him,
overwhelmed by lead blockers,
can't plug the gap before the runner's through it,
over-runs plays,
can't cover — two-down-player
He can't leave soon enough to please me!
(never, ever heard of anyone saying they liked slideshows… WTF is with that guy?)
"Mason Crosby may also be gone. I expect a training camp competition is in order."
Why would you expect that? Because of his performance? Ha…you're funny. I think MM and Mason are eskimo brothers…
Iltarion….I gotta admit, you make me laugh….Yes, The Packers will have to eat Hawks 4.8 mill prorated signing bonus, but it will be spread out the next 3 years at 1.6 million each year, NOT go against the cap in 1 year as you post…….Then you say all they would save is 2.2 million, so it isnt worth it. Iltarion, if you did some research, you'd see the Packers, by cutting Hawk, would save (sit down for this) 17.1 million in salary and roster bonus's over the next 3 years. Meaning —-> The Packers would save on average 4.1 million a year by cutting Hawk……The Packers are not going to pay Hawk 17.1 million, to be a "dependable" back up as you wrote….HAWK is gone. Now…..As far as Woodson…..The guy played 7 games…..missed 9 games, 2 broken collar bones…If you think TT is going to pay him 10 million missing that many games, 2 recent collarbone breaks, being 37, you are crazy……Iltarion….In 1 post you write Packers will honor Woodsons contract, the next post under it you say that he may be gone….Which is it?………………On the other side….as much as i feel like Finley is a cancer on this team….I agree with Iltarion that the talent "drop off" to the other TE's is greater than the receiver drop off concerning Jennings. Based on that, and MM's recent praise of Finley, they may keep him around.
Now…I'd like to vent on Tramon….lol…What has he done since 2010?……Shoulder injury excuse for poor play last year?….Is that why he couldnt tackle in 2011?…….Then please tell me, why he couldnt tackle in 2012. Tell me why receivers consistently get open against him. Someone said Sam Shields didnt have a good season……Who did? Hayward did….Sam Shields had a great year in 2010, like Tramon did, alot of players had a good year in 2010, the defense was ranked 5th, not just Tramon. At least Shields is willing to tackle. Shields played 10 games, had 3 picks….Tramon played 16 games, had 2 picks……The Packers said the cornerback positions going into next season are wide open. Thats code for Tramon isnt playing well and getting the job done, and he's not going to be a back-up being paid 6.2 million……if Tramon was let go, i'd go to his house and help him pack.
I'm waiting for the Dom Capers article…I may not be so nice in that one :)…….Its one thing losing a game…Its another thing giving up 325 yards rushing in a playoff game, and 571 yards overall. Did that really happen?…I still cant believe it. Is our defense THAT bad? OR……Was it coaching?…Did Capers get out coached?…..or, when Woodson was asked after the game "What adjustments did Capers make at halftime?" Woodson said: "He didnt make any adjustments". I dont think Woodson lied……..If someone was bleeding to death, do you not try to stop the bleeding?…..Does Capers not try something different, like playing zone?……or do you just do ….nothing?…..i dont get it…..As a Packer fan, that was highly embarrassing……Its no wonder why Capers elected NOT to talk to the media after the game.
This off season. The Packers need to make good sound personnel decisions…Not based on emotion towards a player…..Or the fact someone had a good year in 2010…That means coaches and players. Make decisions that are in the best interest of the team….2010 was 2 years ago….Lets look forward…We have too much talent on this team to get our asses handed to us the way it was last week. We also have to find some 1st and 2nd round picks that can actually make plays and get on the field.
MXZ600, PackAttack: I agree with you guys, and what you say makes a load of sense. I'd come pretty close to cleaning house. Send a message: "you don't come to work without a "heart."
However, I've got a sickening feeling… it started with the "appalled" comment: this group is accountable to no one. If they'd won another SB with this cast, I consider keeping 2/3rds of these people. But since they haven't won, but rather lost in a spectacular fashion — I'd jettison the lot…
I believe the Packers need to improve at the MLB spot, so I am completely fine with Hawk getting the boot.
I am not stating what I want. I am stating what I believe will happen. If you cut Hawk this offseason, you lose $4.8 million in salary cap space, whether all next season or over the next two years. Hawk's cap hit is $7 million next year. So, you would essentially be saving yourself $2.2 million.
You can't count future years as savings because that money is not guaranteed, only the signing bonus is. Hawk is scheduled to make $7.5 mil in 2014. You cut him next offseason, create $3.2 in dead money, and save yourself $4.3 million. That makes more sense.
The two best ILBs on the team- Desmond Bishop and AJ Smith are both coming off season ending injuries. Good idea to keep a guy around who knows the position.
All this info can be found right here- http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/a.j.-hawk/
The Packer defense made a bunch of adjustments in the 2nd half. Just rewatch the game once.
Now your fine with Hawk getting the boot after you've clearly advocated for him time and time again? Come on man. Is he dependable or not? Stick to one opinion but don't change your stance because everyone on this board thinks your a looney tune for being the only one standing by Hawk.
"Iltarion….I gotta admit, you make me laugh….Yes, The Packers will have to eat Hawks 4.8 mill prorated signing bonus, but it will be spread out the next 3 years at 1.6 million each year, NOT go against the cap in 1 year as you post…….Then you say all they would save is 2.2 million, so it isnt worth it. Iltarion, if you did some research, you'd see the Packers, by cutting Hawk, would save (sit down for this) 17.1 million in salary and roster bonus's over the next 3 years."
That's all that needs to be said about you. That's it. Your done. You have no rebuttal for that. Call it a day and have a coke and smile and we'll be seeing ya Illitarion.
Who the fuck is AJ Smith? You mean DJ Smith. The guy who outplayed Hawk in training camp and pre-season? And Bishop one of the more well established LB's the past few years? Okay they're coming off season-ending injuries — so what? So was Woodson a few years ago, so was Finley in 2010, WHO THE FUCK HASN'T BEEN ON IR ON THIS TEAM!? Who cares. Hawk sucks. Move on. He's fat, he's slow, he's old, he's ugly, he's shitty. See ya. Fly away Hawk.
Cut: Tramon, Hawk, Crosby, Woodson, Driver — save all the money you can.
Sign: OT, bring in Jake Long and draft a center Barrett Jones or Travis Frederick. I'd attempt to re-sign Jennings but whatever if you can't get him target Terrance Williams.
DT/DE – You need someone here to step in and create some kind of a pass-rushing presence, I feel this is one of the biggest areas of need. Pickett is old, flow and shitty.
DB – With Woodson and Tramon leaving (possibly) you need to re-establish some depth back here and it'd be nice to dip into free agency to do. I don't see the draft being able to solve this problem.
#1 – THE RUN GAME – Apparently no defensive coordinator in the NFL was scared at Mike McCarthy's pathetic attempts to run the football 430+ times this season, a margin which couldn't even net him 4.0 yards per/carry, instead they welcomed McCarthy to do so instead of letting the league MVP throw to one of his 5 legit WR's. I'm sorry but DuJuan Harris, James Starks, Benson, Grant and whoever else aren't going to keep safeties from playing 25 yards deep vs. GB. An established dual threat RB will. This is the one area McCarthy needs to strike gold with if he hopes to contend in 2013. Since McCarthy has switched over to his 50/50 run 430 times pass later approach, the Pack are going to need a "feature back" to carry that load.
Illitarion you suck
"The Packers will have to eat Hawks 4.8 mill prorated signing bonus, but it will be spread out the next 3 years at 1.6 million each year, NOT go against the cap in 1 year as you post…….Then you say all they would save is 2.2 million, so it isnt worth it. Iltarion, if you did some research, you'd see the Packers, by cutting Hawk, would save (sit down for this) 17.1 million in salary and roster bonus's over the next 3 years."
That's all that needs to be said about you. That's it."
Ah… except that shit is WRONG, as already pointed out by GBslacker. If the Packers cut Hawk before June 1st, the entire $4.8 million counts against the 2013 salary cap. If they cut him after June 1, then $1.6 counts against 2013 and $3.2 counts against 2014. Either way, it is a $4.8 mil hit in order to NOT pay Hawk $7 mil this year. Lets try basic math 7-4.8 = 2.2. It really isn't that complicated.
As I already said, you can't count Hawk's entire contract as savings. None of that money is guaranteed and much of it is likely to never be paid to him. You can only count as savings the money you save THAT year.
Here's some more food-for-thought, regarding the GB salary cap(*)…
…Once a player's yearly salary is roughly equal to his accelerated cap hit, IMO he's disposable.
Pay the guy: be out the money.
Dump the guy: be out the same amount of money.
I'm thinking it's better to dump him BEFORE June 1st, so the poison-pill can be absorbed in one season — instead of having it linger to the following season. This will help clean up the salary situation when contracts for Raji, Matthews, and others come due.
The same goes for Tramon: dump him. At 29, both Hawk and Tramon won't be playing better in the future, likely as mediocre as they play today. Additionally, as players go deeper into their contract, the more money they're paid and the more injury-prone they become. Can't play the game with "Woodsons" on the sideline; can't field a competitive team with "Woodson" money tied up in injured players.
(*) don't know if this info is valid, but it's likely close:
While GB is not in the red, they're fairly close — far from the situation in IND, MIA, or TB. Of course, at this time of the year, there's "bizarro" money on the line — in terms of off-season bonuses, etc that teams know they have to re-work.
PackAttack please take your 12 year old gay ass to another website. You obviously have a sexual attraction to Itarion judging by your constant preoccupation with him and his posts. The funny thing is that while Itarion often has intelligent, legitimate things to say, you on the other hand know as much about football as I do about quantum physics… Your a fucking retard of the greatest order.
Please do us all a favor and Log Off Life. Thanks…
Oh and:
Tramon dont let the fucking door hit you on the way out you piece of shit.
Its not JUST about talent, Tramon obviously had personal issues this season and was a detriment to the entire team, he needs to take that shit down the road….
Talk about intelligence of the highest caliber. Sexual attraction to message board posts? Do you got some issues that need to be worked out or what? Go out and get laid or something dude. In two posts you didn't manage one single coherent sentence or thought you just bitched, complained and managed to lay out three sexual innuendo remarks and proved your stupidity by thinking anything Illitraion posts can be regarded as intelligence.
Furthermore, while Tramon might have underperformed this year — I'm not so sure I would say he's a piece of shit. I'd say the real piece of shit is the guy with issues sitting behind his computer screen bitching and whining about sexual attractions and calling out people for being gay instead of making an actual point. Tramon is wiping his ass with money right now while your sitting in your parents basement talking about homosexuals on message boards — I'd say that makes you the real piece of shit.
Slideshow! Awesome tech Monty. I think Charles is back at a reduced salary cap rate which still pays him his contract but extends it by another year after he hangs it up (spreads cost).
With the money we save from letting these guys go, we may have about 7 Million in cap space from what I read elsewhere. If that's the case, it would be enough to pay our upcoming picks + maybe grab a guy from another team to add depth to our D Line.
Here are a couple of names I like in Free Agency who should be versatile enough, based on body type, to fit our scheme.
Ricky Jean-Francois (Justin Smith's backup) http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/12443/ricky-jean-francois
Henry Melton (yes, a former Bear) http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/12695/henry-melton
Terrance Knighton (lost his starting job and has some "issues" but still talented and might be cheapest option)
Go post, VJ. I don't see anyway that the Bears let Henry Melton go though, unless someone offers him something insane, which we won't.
With Mike Daniels and Jerel Worthy waiting in the wings, I don't see us making a move there.
My theory is that PackAttack is either two people or a schizo. He had about a 2 month stretch there when he was actually being a solid contributor to the conversation. Now he is back to blathering nonsense like LT after an 8 ball.
As Rebel properly noted, he also has an odd fixation to my every word. He is like an iltarion clone on crack.
lmao….I dont care about how anyone wants to slice it up…..Get rid of players who are afraid to tackle and their multimillion dollar contract…DON'T keep players because they used to be good…Fix the GOD DAM 0 line TT!!!!…….And don't EVER. EVER….have another shit poor embarrasing defensive performance like the one we saw against the 9ers……I wouldnt have mind losing that game so much……..IF i saw some fight and toughness in the defense………..middle of the field WIDE fuckin open for Kaepernick, all game long, because no one can keep their assignments….Because no one can get off blocks……if that means getting rid of Capers….so be it…..No one seems like they have to be accountable on this team
I wonder what was said between TT and Capers goes after the game……Does TT pat Capers on the back and say good effort?"….Does he say "They played their hearts out?"……"They really battled out there?"………….or, did they not talk at all?….That wouldnt surprise me.


text: Central Archives selection, The Netherlands - Constructor Group Archive Reference The archive shelving of CAS is expanded with more then 72 km of storage capacity. Thanks to the Compactus® Double Decker that is installed, a multi-tier mobile storage system, there is created ultimate use of space. The solution The multi-tier mobile storage systems that is installed at CAS is quite unique. This is the first Compactus® Double Decker in the world with a 'slave'. A 'slave' is an extra mobile that runs simultaneous with the first mobile cabinet when this is set in motion. That way longer aisles can be created. The mobile storage system at CAS is executed with aisles with a unique length of 14 meter. Special to this project Compactus® Double Decker with slave. Unique length of aisles: 14 meter.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
1. "Revolution 9," The Beatles, The Beatles
Beatles fans have long debated whether The Beatles (a.k.a. The White Album) would have been better as a single album instead of a double, but just about everyone can agree that if the album had to lose one song, it's "Revolution 9." The archetypical turd in the caviar, it's a collection of noises, musical clips, and sound effects—an abrasive, sometimes disturbing sonic experiment dropped into a pop record. Not only doesn't it fit contextually (especially between the lullaby-esque "Cry Baby Cry" and "Good Night"), but it's also the longest track the Beatles ever released—nearly eight and a half minutes—making it extra-punishing. The song's defenders like to complain that naysayers simply don't get its avant-garde content, but next-level shit or not, "Revolution 9" isn't good.
2. "Less Than You Think," Wilco, A Ghost Is Born
A harrowing concept record about substance abuse and anxiety disorder, Wilco's A Ghost Is Born explores the darkest regions of Jeff Tweedy's psyche sonically and lyrically, juxtaposing melody with dissonance to convey a feeling of slow, aestheticized emotional disintegration. Conceptually, the album's penultimate track, "Less Than You Think," communicates this smashingly well, starting off as a spare piano ballad before melting into a cacophony of electronic noises that goes on for a seemingly endless 12 minutes. As a musical expression of the panic attacks and crippling headaches Tweedy was experiencing at the time, "Less Than You Think" is a successful song. But as a piece of music anyone would want to listen to in its entirety more than once (if that), "Less Than You Think" is a willfully alienating slog. Even Tweedy admitted to skipping the track occasionally when he plays A Ghost Is Born.
3. "The Lady In My Life," Michael Jackson, Thriller
Thriller is many things to many people, but its universal constant is that it's a catchy, exciting, unforgettable album—with the exception of "The Lady In My Life." The closing song of Michael Jackson's 1982 tour de force, "Lady" is by far Rod Temperton's (or anyone's) worst contribution to Thriller. A phoned-in, sleepwalked, half-assed excuse of a song, it just hangs there like a mild fart—and it concludes Thriller on an utterly noncommittal, hookless note. Worse, it breaks the cardinal rule of great pop: It's boring. Some may argue that Jackson's duet with Paul McCartney, the schmaltzy "The Girl Is Mine," is the album's one bum track—but really, love it or hate it, who could imagine Thriller without it? On the other hand, if "Lady" were to be surreptitiously removed from all existing and future versions of Thriller, few would even notice.
4. "Free," Prince, 1999
Prince made classic albums before 1999, but his 1982 double album let him show the full breadth of his genius, from the apocalyptic pop of the title track to the thrilling weirdness of songs like "Lady Cab Driver" and "All The Critics Love U In New York." Then there's "Free," an unexpected bit of flag-waving of the red, white, and blue variety, instead of Prince's usual purple freak flag. While it's kind of strange and cool to hear some unabashed patriotism thrown in the middle of a bunch of songs about sex, obsession, and partying—since those are also things that make America great—it's still a funkless drag of a track.
5. "Motorcycle Mama," Neil Young, Comes A Time
For the most part, Neil Young makes two kinds of albums: good and bad. Which is why it's a rarity for a single subpar tune to pop up on one of his otherwise excellent discs. Such is the case, though, with "Motorcycle Mama," the penultimate track on 1978's Comes A Time. Where the rest of the album is a lush yet skeletal work of folky introspection laced with the homespun harmonies of Nicolette Larson, "Motorcycle Mama" is a croaking frog of a song full of nauseating, seesawing fiddle and Larson's forced growl. Not even she can make sense of the lopsided bar-blues jam as she unsuccessfully tries to wrap her typically angelic voice around it. Since Comes A Time is a hodgepodge of various lineups, studios, and recording sessions, it's actually a miracle that the album sounds as sweetly cohesive as it does. Still, it would sound that much better without the bulldozing thunk of "Motorcycle Mama."
6. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," Bob Dylan, Blonde On Blonde
If you've never heard Blonde On Blonde, you're missing out on one of the best rock albums ever made. The apotheosis of the "Dylan goes electric" period, the album throws in every sharp-edged, tenderhearted idea swimming around Dylan's pill-addled head in the mid-'60s. It's thrilling from beginning to end, so long as you start at the second track and skip "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," which sounds like an end-of-a-session goof, but somehow became an inescapable classic-rock-radio staple.
7. "Old Shep," Elvis Presley, Elvis
Backed by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Elvis Presley changed the face of music with his work at Memphis' Sun Studio, lighting a fast-spreading fire by combining country and R&B. When Presley moved to RCA, he didn't mess with the winning formula too much at first: He filled out the band and kept the same incendiary sound rolling through his eponymous RCA debut in 1956 and Elvis, its follow-up from the same year. The uptempo tracks burst with nervous energy, and the ballads have a sexy, haunted cool. Well, mostly. On Elvis, Presley pays fitting tribute to influences from Arthur Crudup to Webb Pierce, but somebody should have stopped him from taking on "Old Shep," Red Foley's maudlin remembrance of a dead dog. Not only does his interpretation sound unconvincing, it goes on for more four minutes, an eternity in the world of '50s rock 'n' roll. No dog deserves so turgid a tribute.
8. "The India Song," Big Star, #1 Record
And speaking of India, that country inspires a dull spot on Big Star's classic debut. Andy Hummel's sole composing credit on the album—the Big Star bassist had some co-writing credits on its follow-up—"The India Song" just kind of scoots along as Hummel shares a Rudyard Kipling-fed fantasy of escaping to India, where he can "drink gin and tonics" and "read a few books." And then the flutes come in. Skip.
9. "Meeting Across The River," Bruce Springsteen, Born To Run
Fans were thrilled when Bruce Springsteen announced he'd play Born To Run in its entirety as part of his final four-night stand in 2009 at Philadelphia's now-imploded Spectrum. But even the diehards took a pee break during "Meeting Across The River," the story of two would-be hoods trying to hitch a ride across the Hudson. Randy Brecker's echo-drenched trumpet sounds like a parody of film-noir clichés, and Springsteen's vocals strain to turn a thumbnail sketch into a sprawling mural. True, the album needs the breathing room between "She's The One" and "Jungleland," but by the time of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Springsteen had learned how to dial down the epic overreach without slipping into soft-jazz slop.
10. "Meat Is Murder," The Smiths, Meat Is Murder
From start to finish, The Smiths' second album, 1985's Meat Is Murder, is perfect—that is, assuming you strategically forget to download its final, eponymous track. Ditching the poignant, understated angst-and-jangle of classics like "The Headmaster Ritual" and "How Soon Is Now?" "Meat Is Murder" is about as subtle as being brained. Following a melodramatic intro that samples the oh-so-sinister hiss of buzzsaws and—Lord help us—actual panicking cows, Morrissey bleats hideously overwrought anti-carnivore lines like "Heifer whines could be human cries / closer comes the screaming knife / this beautiful creature must die." Meanwhile, Johnny Marr's guitar weeps—not gently, but histrionically. Regardless of how well-intentioned the sentiment is, "Meat Is Murder" is embarrassing enough to send the most ardent vegan straight to the nearest Burger King.
11. "Darling Nikki," Prince, Purple Rain
The cultural significance of "Darling Nikki," the sole inessential track on Prince's classic Purple Rain, lies not in its negligible creative worth, but rather in the outrage it inspired. Professional busybody Tipper Gore was so horrified by Prince's dirty little ditty about a "sex fiend" he encountered "in a hotel lobby masturbating with a magazine" that it helped inspire her to form the Parents Music Resource Center to fight profanity and sexuality in pop music. "Darling Nikki" is filthy all right, a nasty, paper-thin funk vamp that would sound perfectly at home on one of Prince's sprawling, overloaded later albums. But on the otherwise tight, perfect Purple Rain, it feels like a throwaway B-side that somehow made it onto a masterpiece. There are plenty of reasons to object to "Darling Nikki"; the sexual content is just one of them.
12. "Drunk And Hot Girls," Kanye West, Graduation
Even when Graduation isn't triumphantly upbeat, it's never indulgent: It's arguably Kanye West's tightest, poppiest album. The one exception is "Drunk And Hot Girls," the album's sole track co-produced by Jon Brion. He and West brought out the best of each other with Late Registration, matching West's soul-sampling tics to Brion's strings and distinctive keyboard collection; on "Drunk And Hot Girls," they egg each other on in the worst way. The song itself isn't consistently start-to-finish terrible, but the endless chorus (based on Can's "Sing Swan Song") intones the title over and over for an interminable five minutes. Brion's touch is most apparent in the gypsy strings and record-nerd starting point; West deliberately shifts from mildly funny to drunken asshole, singing badly the entire time. As an overtly confrontational song on West's most accessible album, it directly presages the oft-spiky, self-justifying experiments—for better and worse—of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, gypsy-violin outro and all. But it's still an annoying song.
13. "Chillout Tent," The Hold Steady, Boys And Girls In America
Hold Steady detractors typically blame Craig Finn's caustic vocal style for turning them off, but the teeth-grindingly awful "Chillout Tent" from the otherwise excellent Boys And Girls In America suggests that Hold Steady songs suffer tremendously when Finn hands the mic off to other people. Finn handles the verses, which fall in line with America's milieu of young scenesters fumbling through sex-and-drug-addled coming-of-age adventures. Then he hands the choruses over to mousy-voiced singer-songwriter Elizabeth Elmore and the more gravelly Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum. Not only are their voices wrong for the track, but the multiple-singer approach inadvertently makes "Chillout Tent" sound like the faux-Broadway stylings of Meat Loaf.
14. "Electronic Renaissance," Belle And Sebastian, Tigermilk
There's certainly something to be said of tracks inserted into albums that sound nothing like the rest of the album, so long as it isn't a major distraction. "Electronic Renaissance," the fifth of 10 songs on Belle And Sebastian's 1996 debut, is certainly stylistically different from everything else. Tigermilk is mostly simple indie pop fueled by catchy acoustic hooks, the occasional burst of horns, and Stuart Murdoch's crisp, understated sing-songiness. "Electronic Renaissance," however, kicks off with atonal fuzz, and only improves in that it finds its beat after about a minute. Murdoch's voice is muddled to "teacher from Charlie Brown, stuck underwater" levels. It's certainly a foray into more aggressive territory, but too underwhelming to be a "Renaissance"; "Mary Jo" has more build and nuance, and it has a freakin' pan flute.
15. "I [Heart] A Magician," The Dismemberment Plan, Emergency & I
Make no mistake: 1999's Emergency & I is a stone-cold classic of the indie underground, with songs like "The City," "A Life Of Possibilities," and "You Are Invited" going down as high-water marks for the D-Plan. "I [Heart] A Magician" isn't one of them. While the band sometimes makes its spazziness work for it (see "It's So You" from The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified), this scattershot song never coheres, and it isn't helped by Travis Morrison's irritating vocal performance. "I [Heart] A Magician" clocks in at just a little over two and a half minutes, so it's thankfully a memory by the time the great "You Are Invited" hits its crescendo.
16. "Enjoy Your Day," Alkaline Trio, Godamnit!
On its scrappy debut, Chicago-bred punk outfit Alkaline Trio bursts with charming, lovesick energy right up to track six, when Dan Andriano's supremely mopey acoustic song slams on the brakes. Andriano developed his unmistakable croon on subsequent Trio albums, but here, it's irritatingly whiny, worsened by the kind of self-pitying lyrics that give emo a bad rap: "My tears seep through the crack under my door," "So happy Valentine's Day / I hope the sun's out in New York / I hope he bought you roses." Matt Skiba's acoustic "Sorry About That," which closes Godamnit!, fares much better than the Dashboard Confessional-esque "Enjoy Your Day." Thankfully, "Clavicle" slips right back into the Trio's sweet spot after it.
17. "Luka," Suzanne Vega, Solitude Standing
Suzanne Vega's 1987 sophomore album is melancholy and winsome, with occasional perky percussion and pacing as the only real push in the direction of radio-ready pop. It mostly consists of lullaby-like confessionals that come across as intense without feeling forced; Vega breathes deep emotion into the hypnotic, hushed, referential songs "Calypso" and "Wooden Horse," and much of the rest of the album sounds like a lover's whisper in a vast, darkened room. The exceptions to the tone: the catchy opening a cappella version of "Tom's Diner" (which spawned a Top 10 hit remix), the closing instrumental version, and the album's breakout hit single, "Luka," an irritatingly bouncy song about child abuse, from the point of view of the abused child. "Luka" completely lacks the raw intimacy and pain of the rest of the album—odd, considering its subject matter—and its rhythm and rhymes are clunky and amateurish ("They only hit until you cry / after that, you don't ask why"). Of all Vega's songs, this may be the most calculated, the least personal, and the most falsely overwrought. Adding to the irritation factor: It was a huge hit, pulling Solitude Standing to platinum status, launching Vega to a new level of fame, and launching a female-singer-songwriter revolution—quite an accomplishment for such a grating ditty.
18. "Lotus," R.E.M., Up
R.E.M.'s underrated 1998 album Up—its first without drummer Bill Berry, who retired before its creation—is an austere, reaching, gorgeous set of songs that capture a striking mood and stick with it. Except for "Lotus," which feels like a record-company-mandated compromise: It's sort of a rocker, but it sounds tossed-off and generic. Thankfully, it comes near the top of Up, and it's fairly easy to skip the track before it, the quiet, Eno-inspired "Airportman." Oh, and if you want to really hate "Lotus," check out the video, which includes Michael Stipe writhing around in, and eventually covered by, some sort of shiny paint.
19. "The Baby Song," Hüsker Dü, Flip Your Wig
In his biography of Hüsker Dü, Andrew Earles describes "The Baby Song" as "a heartfelt, albeit forty-six second, tribute to the recent birth" of Grant Hart's "love child." It's hard to believe there's anything heartfelt in such a silly larf, because it sounds like the kind of throwaway track bands record when studio cabin fever has reached its peak. The instrumental begins with a quick announcement of the title before moving into an irritating, improvised-sounding melody played by a flute and something like a xylophone. The elements of a lullaby are there, but "The Baby Song" could double as a score for a horror movie featuring a killer doll. Thankfully, a slew of amazing songs—"Flexible Flyer," "Private Plane, "Keep Hanging On," and "The Wit And The Wisdom"—follows to cleanse the palate.
20. "Megamanic," Bob Mould, The Last Dog And Pony Show
In an interview for his ostensible final rock record, 1998's The Last Dog And Pony Show, Bob Mould mentioned that he was able to break a stifling case of writer's block—and finish the album—only after he wrote this song, thus making it the epitome of a mixed blessing. Dog And Pony is an underrated addition to Mould's catalogue, but "Megamanic" is a painfully terrible song. Presaging Mould's shift into electronic music on 2002's maligned Modulate, "Megamanic" plops nearly four interminable minutes of Nine Inch Nails-lite beats and Mould's goofy rapping ("I know this one is the shit 'cause someone told me so," "Wake me up, roadrunner") toward the end of the album, just before the excellent, Sugar-esque "Reflecting Pool." It takes guts to take such a left turn on an album, but thankfully fans can easily delete it from their iTunes.
21. "Drugs Or Me," Jimmy Eat World, Futures
It could be argued that Jimmy Eat World's most celebrated album, 1999's Clarity, belongs on this list due to "12/23/95," a momentum-killing trifle dropped in the middle of the record. But that song is a wispy nuisance, unlike the six-and-a-half-minute after-school special that is "Drugs Or Me" from 2004's Futures. At least the groan-inducing title offers listeners fair warning. The lyrics are equally obvious and ham-fisted: "Keep my heart somewhere drugs don't go," sings guitarist-vocalist Jim Adkins, later adding "You promise you promise that you're done / but I can't tell you from the drugs." The song's plodding tempo drags it down further, unnecessarily stretching out each line, which Adkins repeats over and over. And over.
22. "New Number Order," Shellac, 1000 Hurts
Shellac has always been confrontational. Steve Albini, Bob Weston, and Todd Trainer don't bother to hide the enjoyment they derive from screwing with people's expectations, be it closing shows with the patience-testing "Didn't We Deserve A Look At You The Way You Really Are" or opening 2009's Excellent Italian Greyhound with the similarly patience-testing "The End Of Radio." So it's perhaps not surprising that the band dropped this 1:40 trifle near the end of 2000's otherwise fantastic 1000 Hurts. Although the tempo varies, "New Number Order" can only be described as "plodding," with nonsensical vocals proclaiming a new number order: 1,000,001 to six to 1 billion to 25 to 75,000. Etc. No, it doesn't make sense, and no, you don't need to hear it more than once.
23. "You'll Miss Me," They Might Be Giants, Lincoln
For those who believe They Might Be Giants died the moment the duo started working with a live band, 1988's Lincoln will always stand as the group's unassailable masterpiece—or almost unassailable. Its Achilles heel, sandwiched between the larkish "Santa's Beard" and the classic "They'll Need a Crane," is the car-crash melange of "You'll Miss Me." Over faux-funky jazz bass and discordant horns, John Flansburgh gruffly mock-raps a tough-guy screed, the irritation of his affected vocals doubled by the distortion in which they're slathered. For a band who've always lived by their wits, "You'll Miss Me" is bafflingly witless; anyone waiting for a sign that it's some obscure joke ends up waiting in vain.
24. "Test," Ministry, The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste
The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste, Ministry's first album after the stylistic rebirth begun on The Land Of Rape And Honey, is filled with weird samples and strange noises. But nothing's more jarring than rapper K. Lite saying "Yo, this is a test!" at the beginning of the album's seventh song, the cringe-inducing rap/industrial hybrid "Test." Aside from the so-so "Cannibal Song" in the fourth track, the first six songs of The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste range from strong ("Never Believe," "Burning Inside") to industrial classics ("Thieves," "Breathe," "So What"), but "Test" derails the album with six interminable minutes of basically one riff and drumbeat paired with herky-jerky vocals shouting dopey lyrics. ("Don't be commercial or sell out!" "Be your own person!") Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen was one of the innovators of experimental music in the '80s, but "Test" is a novelty genre exercise from which Mind barely recovers.


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The always-fascinating CAF Africa Cup of Nations begins Saturday, and FIFA.com marks the 29th continental showdown with some equally interesting statistics about the tournament.
stadiums will be used for the 2013 finals in South Africa, all of them built or renovated for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Soccer City in Johannesburg hosts the two matches on opening day plus the final on 10 February, but the rest of the action is being played in Durban, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth and Rustenburg.
is the record number of AFCONs won, held by Egypt, who are not in South Africa. The Pharaohs won the event three times on the trot from 2006 to 2010 but failed to reach the last and the current finals. They were shockingly eliminated in qualifying by Central African Republic but will not fear losing their record as Ghana's Black Stars are the closest qualified team with four continental triumphs.
is the number of tournaments that veteran French coach Claude Le Roy will now have coached in. He will lead the Democratic Republic of Congo to the 2013 finals after having done the same for Cameroon (1986, 1988), Senegal (1990, 1992), DR Congo previously (2006) and Ghana in 2008. He has never failed to get past the first round and won the event with the Indomitable Lions in 1988.
of the finalists at the 2013 finals have lifted the trophy before, giving the field a heavyweight feel even if Egypt and four-time champs Cameroon both did not qualify. The six from the 2013 field who have not won are Angola, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo and debutantes Cape Verde Islands.
months have elapsed since the last edition of the Nations Cup co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. The timing of the event is now changed from every even to every odd year and the next tournament is set down for early 2015.
is the number of times that Nigeria have reached the last four, second-most behind Egypt's 14. The Super Eagles have won six of those semi-final matches and gone on to win the event twice.
foreign-born coaches have won the tournament in past editions, starting with the Hungarian Josef Titkos at the helm of the Egyptians in 1959. Fourteen is also the number of the victories by locals in charge of their national team, including Hassan Shehata of Egypt from 2006 to 2010.
is the record number of goals scored in the tournament in a career, held by Samuel Eto'o. Didier Drogba and his 10 goals are unlikely to challenge the Cameroonian legend's mark in 2013.
nations have hosted the Nations Cup with South Africa now getting a second opportunity after their previous tournament in 1996, which they won. The next two hosts – Morocco (2015) and Libya (2017) – will also be doing so for a second time. Egypt and Ghana have hosted the tournament four times each (Ghana co-hosting with Nigeria in 2000).
is the number of Nations Cup tournaments played including 2013 since the first edition in Sudan in 1957. It started with just three teams and slowly expanded over the years to eight finalists, and then 12. In 1996 it was increased to 16, although Nigeria's withdrawal means only 15 competed.
years passed before South Africa, a founding member of the Confederation of African Football, appeared in their first Nations Cup finals. They formed CAF with Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan in 1956 but were expelled the next year for the Apartheid policy. It was only after Nelson Mandela became president at the end of white minority rule that Bafana Bafana first participated in the 1996 event.
goals were scored at the last finals up from 71 the event before. The record of 99 goals was scored at the 2008 finals in Ghana in a total of 32 games.
players will compete at the finals. Each team is allowed a squad of 23 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers. Changes can be made up to 48 hours before their first game but only in the case of injury.
is the approximate population of the Cape Verde Islands, making them the smallest country to ever compete in the tournament, edging below last year's co-hosts Equatorial Guinea.


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Elizabeth Warren has taken Scott Brown's Senate seat in Massachusetts, news outlets are projecting.
This is a major victory for Democrats. Brown, a Republican, is best known for destroying the Democrat's former majority in the Senate when he took the late Ted Kennedy's seat.
And Wall Street knows what Elizabeth Warren is best known for. A former Harvard law professor and bankruptcy expert, she made waves in Washington as an outspoken critic of Wall Street during and after the financial crisis.
She was also considered to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau but was passed over in favor of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray.
And if that isn't enough to scare Wall Street, check out this bit from Warren's Democratic National Convention speech:
People feel like the system is rigged against them. And here's the painful part: they're right. The system is rigged. Look around. Oil companies guzzle down billions in subsidies. Billionaires pay lower tax rates than their secretaries. Wall Street CEOs—the same ones who wrecked our economy and destroyed millions of jobs—still strut around Congress, no shame, demanding favors, and acting like we should thank them.
Anyone here have a problem with that? Well I do. I talk to small business owners all across Massachusetts. Not one of them—not one—made big bucks from the risky Wall Street bets that brought down our economy. I talk to nurses and programmers, salespeople and firefighters—people who bust their tails every day. Not one of them—not one—stashes their money in the Cayman Islands to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
Sleep tight.


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The M62 was closed both ways this evening after a serious accident.
Highways England said that the motorway was shut between junction 33 at Knottingley and junction 34 at Whitley Bridge after 3.30pm.
This was reportedly due to a collision between a car and a lorry, but some sources have said it was a single vehicle accident.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance has attended the scene as part of a large operation involving North and West Yorkshire fire services and North Yorkshire Police.
It is understood that four people were injured and were taken to hospital.
The eastbound lanes have since re-opened, while westbound lanes between junction 33 and 34 are still closed for a North Yorkshire Police investigation.
Drivers are being urged by Highways England to plan ahead. A diversion is in place.
A North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue spokesperon said; "Single vehicle road traffic collision. Selby, Goole and Pontefract fire and rescue crews in attendance.
"Crews have released two casualties from vehicle using cutting equipment. Remaining on scene assisting paramedics."


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UCITS are recognised in many jurisdictions outside of the EU owing to their harmonised rules and reputation for robust investor protection and transparency features. Over 70 jurisdictions worldwide currently accept Irish UCITS as suitable for distribution into their domestic markets. However, in order to benefit from the UCITS passport, UCITS are subject to detailed investment restrictions, diversification and borrowing limits, minimum capitalisation and substance requirements.
UCITS are widely used by retail, institutional and alternative promoters and are increasingly being structured to complement existing alternative mangers' offshore/onshore flagship funds of. Recent developments in the UCITS Eligible Directive and UCITS IV have only enhanced the flexibility and appeal of the product.
UCITS structure and benefits:
• As harmonised fund products, once established and authorised in one EU Member State UCITS can be sold cross-border to investors in other EU Member States without requirement for additional authorisation
• The "UCITS passport" – this distribution facility enables promoters to create a single EU product rather than having to establish on a jurisdiction by jurisdiction basis


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The Harvard women's basketball team will play in the WNIT for the second consecutive year (photo courtesy of Gil Talbot).
The Particulars
Harvard opens up postseason play against Syracuse in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). This is the second consecutive year that the Crimson has played in the WNIT, and the eighth time Harvard has played in the postseason.
Scouting the Crimson
The Crimson sports a 20-8 overall mark and a 11-3 Ivy League record and has won nine of its last 10 games. Emma Markley continues to lead the team with 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.75 blocks per game. Victoria Lippert is second in scoring with 13.1 points per game. Brogan Berry paces the team in assists with 5.9 per game and is third in scoring with 11.8 ppg.
The Crimson is shooting 42.9 percent from the field, which is
second in the league. Harvard shoots a league-best 38.3 percent
from beyond the three-point line and leads the league with 73.8
percent shooting from the charity stripe. The Crimson's 68.8
points per game is second best in the league.
Last Time Out
Christine Matera led five Crimson players in double figures as Harvard posted a 64-59 win over Dartmouth in the final regular season game for both teams March 9. Matera was 6-of-12 from the field and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc as the Crimson picked up its 20th win of the season.
Miriam Rutzen scored a career-high 11 points, while Emma Markley
and Jackie Alemany had 10 each. Alemany led the team with six
rebounds and also recorded two steals. Brogan Berry moved up in the
single season and career assists lists as she posted a career-high
10 helpers in the win. Harvard led from start to finish and held a
35-25 lead at the break. The Big Green closed the gap to six midway
through the second half before a 9-3 Harvard run made it 53-44.
Ivy League Honors
Three players were named to the 2009-10 All-Ivy League teams: Emma Markley was named to the All-Ivy League first team and Brogan Berry and Victoria Lippert were named to the second team. Markley is the 14th Harvard player to earn a spot on the first team.
In addition to the second team, Lippert was also named to the
All-Rookie team, a unanimous decision by league coaches.
A Winning Season
Harvard has already secured its 24th winning season in program history and 20th under head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith. This is the fourth season in a row with a record of .500 or better and eighth since 2000.
20 Win Plateau
With the win over Dartmouth March 9, Harvard secured its ninth 20-win season in program history Prior to this year, Harvard last accomplished that feat in the 2004-05 season. All of the 20-win seasons have come under the direction of current head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith.
Moving On Up
Brogan Berry has 166 assists entering postseason play, which is second on the Harvard single season assists list. She is also ninth on the all-time career assists list with 266 handouts, and she is eight assists away from moving into eighth.
Harvard Single Season Assists List
1. Jennifer Monti 178
2. Brogan Berry 166
3. Heidi Kosh 152
4. Jess Gelman 152
5. Jennifer Monti 152
6. Emily Tay 151
7. Maura Jealy 150
8. Emily Tay 147
9. Jess Gelman 144
10. Emily Tay 143
Postseason Action
The Crimson is headed to the postseason for the eighth time in program history and to the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) for the second time in as many years. Harvard has made it to postseason play seven times including six trips to the NCAA tournament. The Crimson has played in the postseason four of the last five years, including a trip to the WNIT last year.
Double-Digits for the Crimson
In the win over Dartmouth, five Crimson players scored in double figures. The last time this feat was accomplished was in 2007 when five players each scored in double figures in an 83-62 win over San Jose State (Dec. 12, 2006).
Harvard has had four players score double figures four times this season (Maine, Sacred Heart, Holy Cross and Cornell). The Crimson is 3-1 when four players score 10 or more points.
Scouting the Orange
Syracuse enters the postseason with a 22-10 overall record. The Orange fell in the Big East tournament to Connecticut, 77-41, but had won three in a row prior to the loss.
Nicole Michael paces the team with 14.6 points per game and 7.7
rebounds per game. The Orange holds opponents to 59.6 points per
game while their offense scores 71.6 points per game.
The Syracuse Series
Harvard and Syracuse have met on the court three times, with the first matchup occuring in 1981. The Orange holds a 2-1 lead in the series, with both wins coming in New York.
Last Meeting
Harvard defeated Syracuse, 79-76, in the first game of the 2002-03 season. Harvard trailed 34-37 going into the halftime break, but responded in the second half and outscored the Orange by six.
Hana Peljto '04 led four Crimson players in double figures with 20 points and she pulled down 15 rebounds.
League Leaders (as of March 12)
Brogan Berry leads the league in free throw shooting (.838) and assists (5.9). Emma Markley paces the conference in blocks per game (2.8) and Christine Matera leads the Ivies in three-point field goals made (2.5).
Nationally Speaking
Harvard has four players ranked among the top 250 in nine categories. The team is ranked among the top 45 in six categories.
Brogan Berry ranks ninth in assist/turnover ratio (2.37), 11th in assists (5.9) and 40th in free throw percentage (83.8).
Emma Markley ranks 15th in blocked shots per game (2.8), 121st in field goal percentage (43.8), 199th in points per game (14.1) and 208th in rebounds per game (7.1).
Christine Matera ranks 28th in three-point field goal percentage (41.5) and 43rd in three-point field goals per game (2.5).
Victoria Lippert stands 84th in field goal percentage (46.8).
Harvard ranks 10th in three-point field goal percentage (38.3),
16th in blocked shots per game (5.4), 32nd in three-point field
goals made (7.0), 40th in free throw percentage (73.8) and 45th In
field goal percentage (42.9).
On the Bench
Kathy Delaney-Smith, the winningest coach in program history, is in her 28th season on the bench for the Crimson. Delaney-Smith, who has led the Crimson to 11 Ivy League titles, recorded her 400th career victory with a 68-47 win over Brown on March 7, 2008. She sports a 439-307 record 28 games into her 28th season.
Assistant Coach Bri Fecteau is back for her seventh season, while Kelly Finley returns for her second. She served as a volunteer assistant in 2008-09. Todd Earl, another Colorado State graduate, joins the staff as a volunteer coach this season.


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Mustang MonthlyHow To Wheels Tires
How To Install Power Front Disc Brakes
Upgrading to power disc brakes is a major improvement in performance and safety.
Installing front disc brakes ranks among the most popular upgrades for vintage Mustangs. We've covered the subject several times over the years and with good reason. From a pure safety standpoint, converting to front disc brakes is just about the single best improvement option.
This time we're looking in on a Master Power system as it's installed on a '67 Mustang. However, we're going beyond the installation of front disc brakes; we're detailing the conversion to power brakes as well. By adding Master Power's booster system, which includes the brake booster, a dual-reservoir master cylinder, and a power-brake pedal, we'll have better braking as well as a better feel.
While doing the whole setup at once is a great way to go, keep in mind that there are several options. If your '67-'73 Mustang already has manual front-disc brakes, you can convert to power brakes. Conversely, if you have manual drum brakes and want to do the power-brake conversion first, that's also possible. However, we recommend doing the disc brakes first and the power brakes later should you need to budget out the project over time. The power booster will work equally well with drum brakes or front discs. Master Power also offers complete power-disc kits for '65-'66s that came with manual drum, power drum, or manual disc.
We turned to our friends at Mustang Country International who supplied the installation know-how as well as the '67 Mustang subject car.


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An Ode to Photorealism Tattooing
Photo by Edgar Hoil. Tattoo by Josh Lin.
Despite being covered in ornamental blackwork tattoos, I love all genres of the art, which is why it has been fun exploring them all in my books when I can't have them all on my bod.
One of the volumes from the Black & Grey Tattoo box set, focused on photo realism in tattooing, and on its pages were lush renderings of images, from pop culture portraits to wild animals to family tributes, and much more. There are so many ways to explore photorealism in tattooing, which makes it an exciting art form.
And when something is exciting, well, it usually ends up on TV.
The folks at Oxygen's tattoo competition show, Best Ink, have asked me to do a post on photorealism in light of tonight's episode, which pits the tattoo artist contestants against each other as they vie to create the best realistic drawings, and tattoos on clients who expect an artistic miracle in five hours. You can catch a preview of the episode here.
Insect tattoo by Tim Kern, Tribulation Tattoo.
Realistic tattooing has not merely developed in in the past decade--it has mutated, leaping far beyond normal progression in its artistry and execution. There has been explosion of photographic representations tattooed with great precision and depth. It has invigorated the tattoo community with the possibilities of mastering a difficult art on a difficult canvas.
Both new and experienced artists face a number of challenges in realistic tattooing; the most obvious one is making it look real--capturing the look, and even the soul, of the subject. Many portrait tattoos, for example, commemorate the loves of the wearer: family, pets, cars and even fictional characters. The personal significance prescribed to these tattoos adds to the great responsibility of the artist. Another challenge concerns the longevity of the tattoo. A skilled tattooist may choose not to render certain details in the tattoo exactly as they appear in the photo because, as skin ages, lines blur and ink fades, which could leave a portrait of Marilyn Monroe looking more like Marilyn Manson. Realism specialists also find ways to create a harmony with the body so that the tattoos don't look "slapped on" but appear organic to the wearer. It's particularly difficult to have this balance and stay true to the image but stellar artists find the right mix.
Beyonce portrait tattoo on Karolina by Andre Tenorio.
Keeping all this in mind, it will be interesting to see if the contestants on Best Ink do justice to the genre and come up with work that demonstrates the true artistry and exciting possibilities of photorealistic tattooing. The show airs at 10 PM EST ... and yes, we'll be drinking.


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Reviewed By KLAUS S (SAN CLEMENTE, CA) Reviewed for a 2004 Hummer H2 —1/2/2016 8:44 PM
The mufflers arrived in a timely manner and installation was good. The are louder than stock at idle but menacing when you floor it.
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Reviewed By Cole H (Chicago, IL) Reviewed for a 2007 Hummer H3 —9/2/2015 3:53 AM
It's pretty simple. Rattle trap exhaust is now smooth reving, with zero loss of power after updated dyno. Only issue would be weight, pretty heavy part to add in. One of the ideas behind this Hummer H3 was to reduce weight and all lite weight exhaust just got killed back to stock weight with this installed.


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First-year Cal coach Sonny Dykes is putting no timetable on the Golden Bears reaching the Rose Bowl.
"Shoot, I want them to be in the mix from Day 1," Dykes said during an ESPN.com online chat when asked how long it will take for the Golden Bears to compete for a Rose Bowl bid. "I think that I don't know that this is a complete rebuilding job. That's not our philosophy.
"Our philosophy is to win now. I think that we have enough pieces in place. We're still trying to navigate where people go. There are enough pieces here for us to be successful. Stay healthy, be confident."
Dykes, one of six Pac-12 coaches who chatted with fans on ESPN.com Wednesday, said most coaches think their team is better than outsiders believe. He inherits a team that was 3-9 last season and is picked to finish near the bottom of the Pac-12 North.
"I pay attention a little bit to it and am aware of peoples' expectations of our program," Dykes said. "I like our team a little better than the national media. But there is a lot that needs to play out. A lot of things that will play out between now and Aug. 31."
The Bears open their season that day at home against Northwestern.
One storyline that will play out by then is the quarterback situation, where three candidates who have never taken a college snap will compete for the job when camp begins Aug. 5.
Dykes reiterated he wants to have a starter chosen from among Zach Kline, Jared Goff and Austin Hinder by the the start of the third week of workouts.
For more on Cal sports, see the Bear Talk blog at ibabuzz.com/beartalk. Follow Jeff Faraudo on Twitter at twitter.com/CalBearsBANG.


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First published June 18th 2012
I am not the most dedicated gamer of my generation. I never owned a Pong machine or a Gameboy, a ZX Spectrum or a SNES. I've never played Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider or Final Fantasy. My only engagement with an XBox is the occasional attempt to prise my 10 year old son away from Minecraft, an experience roughly akin to dragging a hippie raver out of a K-hole. The closest I've come to pixellated sexual violence against women has been blasting a red shell up Princess Peach's exhaust pipe on MarioKart.
So I don't have much in the way of informed opinions about misogyny in video games, I'll leave that to others. Nonetheless I couldn't help but be sucked in by the debate surrounding Kickstarter Anita Sarkeesian, as good an illustration as we'll ever need of the vitriol of the new gender wars. An intense storm of hatred was roused by her modest idea to crowd-fund research into sexism in the games industry. The many thousands of hostile comments posted on Sarkeesian's YouTube video were of course heavily gendered and sexualised, but so too was some of the retaliation – notably Charlie Brooker's description of the mob as "idiotic pebbledicks" who are terrified of women.
If one of the worst offences committed by sexists and anti-feminists online is to reduce women and their opinions to their genitalia and sexual worth, I'm not sure how the cause is helped by turning the precise same missiles around and hurling them back in the other direction – however deserving of mockery and disgust the targets might be. Without doubt, the hate-fest directed at Sarkeesian was repellent and indefensible. It was a display of the madness of crowds which would have come as no surprise to Mackay or Le Bon (Gustave, that is, not Simon.) There were a few sane voices raised in defence of the gaming culture, and a few reasonable points made about creative freedom and the demands of the free market. But such comments were few and far between, and lost in a swamp of ugly abuse.
In all the online articles and commentary that appeared, a point recurred that this phenomenon is an inevitable price of freedom. If we grant free expression, we also grant freedom to abuse, insult and offend. It's a seductive argument, with a lot of merit. Offence is indeed in the eye of the beholder, and there has never been an opinion of value which didn't cause offence to someone. But just as my right to swing my fist ends where it meets your right to not be punched in the face, so my right to freedom of speech does not extend to the point where it silences others.
Let there be no doubt, the hate campaign waged against Anita Sarkeesian was a concerted attempt to silence her voice, using intimidation and psychological warfare. The misogyny expressed may have been rooted deep in the personalities of her antagonists, but in most cases I doubt it. Instead I suspect it was instrumental, using vocabulary consciously chosen to wound as deeply as possible, and aimed at the (assumed) weak points of a woman and a feminist.
The use of hate speech, threats and bullying to terrify and intimidate people into silence or away from certain topics is a far bigger threat to free speech than any legal sanction.
Imagine this is not the internet but a public square. One woman stands on a soapbox and expresses an idea. She is instantly surrounded by an army of 5,000 angry people yelling the worst kind of abuse at her in an attempt to shut her up. Yes, there's a free speech issue there. But possibly not the one you think.
This boot can sometimes be on the other foot. While there is no direct symmetry, we have seen the same principle at play in the concerted attempts of some feminists (mostly, but not entirely historic) to stifle debate about male victims and female perpetrators of domestic violence, with activists, writers and academics being branded misogynists and abusers for even raising the issues. Anyone who dares to raise a sceptical voice in many feminist blog spaces can expect more aggression and abuse than reasoned debate. The urge to silence opponents is probably a human one, and for that reason it is all the more important we are conscious of it in ourselves and wary of it in others.
Those who participate in online hate campaigns are not the champions of freedom of speech, but its worst enemies. If they consider themselves libertarians, they are a disgrace to the label. It is not easy to see the solution. Censorship is never the answer, far too many babies go out with the filthy bathwater. Nor do I want to see our prisons filled with hot-headed flamers and trolls.
All we can do is be wise to the nature of these online flame wars, and be prepared to challenge abusive, insulting, silencing behaviour wherever it emerges; be prepared to confront bullies and mob mentality wherever they arise.
We can do that by questioning what they pack in their politics, not what they pack in their pants.


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Farmingdale State - 2, #10 Marietta - 1
Port Charlotte, Fla. - Farmingdale State scored a run in each of the first two innings and held off #10 Marietta for the 2-1 non-conference victory this afternoon. The Rams improved to 6-1 on the year, while the Pioneers fell to 6-3.
Senior center fielder Edward Bergmann (East Meadow, N.Y.) led off the game with a single to the pitcher and advanced to second on a throwing error. After an Anthony Alvino (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) sac bunt, junior third baseman Tom Rydzewski (Franklin Square, N.Y.) hit an RBI single to right field to give the Rams an early 1-0 advantage.
In the top of the second, Farmingdale State increased the lead to 2-0 on an RBI bunt single by freshman left fielder Andrew Karkota (Manorville, N.Y.), which scored Michael Marino (Franklin Square, N.Y.).
With two runners on and one out in the top of the fifth, sophomore pitcher Kevin Cashman (Hicksville, N.Y.) struck out junior second baseman Christian Demko (Xenia, Ohio). Freshman pitcher Daniel Tierney (Patchogue, N.Y.) relieved Cashman and forced the final out to end the scoring threat.
The Pioneers cut the deficit to 2-1 in the sixth inning after plating an unearned run.
Sophomore Alex Weingarten (East Rockaway, N.Y.) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn the save and seal the victory for Farmingdale State.
Marino was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, while Rydzewski was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Cashman allowed no runs on four hits while striking out three in 4.2 innings of work for Farmingdale State, while Tierney earned the win after throwing 0.1 innings. Weingarten tallied his first save of the season after pitching three scoreless innings.
The Rams next will face Baldwin Wallace on the second day of the Snowbird Classic on Saturday, March 15th at 1:00 p.m. For live stats of this game - click HERE.


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rdkeister needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 44 designs submitted by 17 freelance designers.
My client needs a new site for their upcoming release of a very specialized healthy energy bar. Lots of information given in the site abstract!
Accepted File Formats:
Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai); Layered Formats (.psd or .tiff)
Please download the site abstract at:
Abstract is detailed with links to a site rendition similar to what they are looking for as well as their logo.
My client promises lots of feedback!


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HANOVER, N.H. - Four goals in the third period was the
difference Saturday night as the No. 12 Dartmouth men's hockey team
knocked off Clarkson, 5-1, at Thompson Arena.
A night after surrendering three in the final frame to St. Lawrence, the Big Green (11-7-2, 7-4-1 ECAC) bounced back in a big way with four of its own against the Golden Knights (5-13-6, 4-6-2 ECAC).
Tyler Sikura, Eric Robinson, Dustin Walsh and Alex Goodship all netted tallies in the third to put a game their team controlled out of the reach of a resilient Clarkson squad looking to build off of its own 5-1 win Friday night at Harvard.
The Green and White were dominant, putting 49 shots on goal in the game, far and away the highest figure of the season for the team. In contrast, their team defense allowed only 21 shots to reach junior netminder Cab Morris, who turned aside all but one in improving to 8-3-1.
The victory helps Dartmouth keep pace in the ECAC Hockey standings as the 15 points moves it back into a third-place tie with Union (6-4-3).
After Matt Lindblad gave his team a 1-0 lead midway through the game, the dynamic Dartmouth offense was put on display in the final stanza. Sikura finished a 2-on-1 rush with freshman Brad Schierhorn for a power-play tally and the two-goal advantage.
Joe Zarbo pulled the visitors to within a goal as he knocked in a rebound in the low slot with an even nine minutes showing on the clock.
However, just under three minutes later, a long stretch pass from team captain and senior Mike Keenan in the defensive zone hit Robinson in stride at the far blueline. A juke move and some nice hands saw the junior slide his team-leading 10th goal of the season beyond the outstretched pad of freshman goalie Greg Lewis in the Clarkson crease.
Walsh hit the empty net from center ice with 1:03 left to seal it, but the game wasn't over with just a three-goal difference. Goodship, making his season debut alongside fellow senior Jason Bourgea, let go a wrist shot that beat Lewis on the glove side to make it a 5-1 contest with just 36 seconds left.
The defensive pairing of freshman Ryan Bullock and Keenan helped start several of the scoring plays in their own end as each finished the night with a pair of helpers.
Despite the loss, Lewis was spectacular in goal, stopping 44 in 58:21 of action. He had 18 and 17 saves, respectively, in the first two periods before the Big Green awoke with their offensive surge in the third.
Dartmouth is back in action next week against Union in a crucial league contest. The game will be broadcast to a national audience on the NBC Sports Network. Puck drop from Messa Rink in Schenectady, N.Y., is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Huge Third Period Helps No. 12 Dartmouth Overpower Clarkson
HANOVER, N.H. - Four goals in the third period was the
difference Saturday night as the No. 12 Dartmouth men's hockey team
knocked off Clarkson, 5-1, at Thompson Arena.


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Product Details
- design led product
- poly resin
- contemporary
Product description
Questions about the Pig Garden Bench in Grey
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If your question isn't answered below, drop us an email using the form on the left. We'll respond to you personally by email and may also post the answer here to help others.
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This item is only available online. It will be delivered to your location.
Louisville Camera Rentals - EOS50D Digital Canon Cameras for Rent - Kentucky Photography Equipment Rental
Lexington Camera Rentals - EOS7D Digital Canon Cameras for Rent - Kentucky Photography Equipment Rental
Louisville Camera Rentals - EOS60DDLSRHD Digital Canon Cameras for Rent - Kentucky Photography Equipment Rental
Louisville Camera Rentals - EOS1DMARKIV Digital Canon Cameras for Rent - Kentucky Photography Equipment Rental
Lexington Microphone Rentals - EW122PG3 On-Camera Wireless Sennheiser Microphones for Rent - Kentucky Photography Equipment
EW122-P G3 On-Camera Wireless Mic System Camera Microphone Rentals in San Francisco, CA. Sennheiser EW122-P G3 Lavalier Wireless Microphone System + ME4 (B/626-668 MHz). RIT offers Camera rentals, camcorders, photography, video and digital equipment in Lexington, Louisville, and all of Kentucky.
The ME 4 clip-on cardioid microphone rental compliments this ENG set by blocking out extraneous background noise due to its high-directivity. The bodypack transmitter and portable adaptive diversity receiver are equipped with charging contacts built-in to the housing for use with Sennheiser's optional rechargeable batteries. Reception stays strong as the receiver is upgraded to utilize its line cable as a second antenna for adaptive-diversity operation.
Sennheiser EW122-P G3 Wireless Mic System + ME4 Lavalier Rental Specifications:
-Sturdy metal housing (transmitter and receiver)
-42 MHz bandwidth: 1680 tunable UHF frequencies for interference-free reception
-Enhanced frequency bank system with up to 12 compatible frequencies
-Adaptive-diversity reception for high reception quality
-Pilot tone squelch for eliminating RF interference when transmitter is turned off
-Automatic frequency scan feature searches for available frequencies
-Enhanced AF frequency range
-Increased range for audio sensitivity
-Wireless synchronization of transmitters via infrared interface
-User-friendly menu operation with more control options
-Illuminated graphic display (transmitter and receiver)
-Auto-Lock function avoids accidental changing of settings
-HDX compander for crystal-clear sound
-Transmitter and receiver feature battery indicatation in 4 steps
-Programmable Mute function
-Contacts for recharging BA 2015 accupack directly in the transmitter or receiver
-Wide range of accessories adapts the system to any requirement
Photography and Digital Equipment Rental Policies:
-Mail order rentals are available on all Lenses and selected Digital Cameras minimum 1 week rental (which is a 3 day rate).
-Most lenses please add a flat rate $40.00 for round trip insured shipping to anywhere in the US
-The rental duration begins as the item leaves the RIT premises and ends as it is returned
or you are welcome to supply your own account number
-Mail order renters must fill in a special request authorization form and submit to RIT along with a photo copy of both sides of credit card and a photo id.
-We will pre authorize your credit card for the full value of the rented items prior to shipping your rental and then bill credit card for rental charges.
RIT is the one stop camera rental shop based in New York City that ships equipment nation wide. They are able to meet the any needs for photo and video equipment rentals all under one roof, featuring camera and lighting rentals for still and video at the same location as well as expendables photo and video supplies They feature professional Camera rentals including DSLR HD, Medium format, Pro digital capture, Video and Cinema, Motion follow focus rigs and accessories. Their extensive rental inventory is maintained in peak condition by experienced professionals, every piece of equipment is triple tested and every order is checked before it leaves our door. RIT offers Camera rentals, photography, video and digital equipment Covington, Florence, Lexington, Louisville, Frankfort, and all of Kentucky.
For additional information you can view this item at Rent It Today-Louisville or you can use the contact form below.


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Chiropractic care, which doesn't utilize prescription medications, can often address the problem through spinal manipulation, rehabilitative exercise, massage or nutritional advice. A Chiropractor For Headache can help you regain proper posture through exercises and adjustments to the way you sit, stand and lay down. Simply select which body parts are causing you pain and which types of healthcare professionals you'd like to see, and you'll get a list of providers near your zip code. If the patient's disorder is beyond the scope of chiropractic care, the doctor refers the patient to the appropriate healthcare provider.
What is a Jacksonville, Florida chiropractor?
If you frequently deal with symptoms like joint pain, backaches or headaches, but are yet to ever visit a chiropractor for help, then you may be missing out on an effective and natural treatment option. Chiropractic in Jacksonville, Florida is a healthcare discipline that emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. For someone else, it could be that sciatica (nerve pain down the back of their legs) is compromising their quality of life, or for another person, gastrointestinal discomfort. Active manipulations reduced the number of days patients experienced moderate or severe back pain and other sciatica symptoms, and also caused no reported adverse effects.
After one year, approximately 53 percent of the two drug-free groups (chiropractic and exercise) continued to report at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, compared to an average of just 38 percent pain reduction among those who only took medication. By realigning the spine and reducing pressure on placed on certain nerves, the gut-brain connection is improved. In fact, the Journal of the American Medical Association just recently published its low back pain guidelines and suggested that people suffering from back pain first try chiropractic before resorting to surgery. While the benefits mentioned above might draw the most patients to visit chiropractors, there are also many more reasons why chiropractic care is such a valuable treatment approach.
What are the benefits of Jacksonville, Florida chiropractic care?
With an intense interest in medicine, especially bone-setting and manipulations of the neck and back, Palmer went on to teach many others his beliefs and techniques. Many people develop neck issues younger than ever, due to their constant position sitting in front of a computer screen or hunched over a phone. It also encases and helps protect the delicate central nervous system that controls and coordinates every muscle, tissue and organ of the body. Not to forget, we all remain glued to our chairs in our workplaces which lead to poor posture and thereby constantly put pressure on our spines. You don't want to visit a random practitioner and tell him to start cracking.a
Various studies have revealed that spinal manipulation is an effective chiropractic treatment for getting relief from tension headaches and headaches originating in the neck. Realignment of the spine and freeing up of the nervous system through chiropractic therapy causes a colicky infant to heal itself as the body's immune system can function to its utmost limit to ward off any ear infections. Out of this number, 22 percent signified that the seizures dropped by 90 percent after chiropractic treatments and 49 percent had a pain reduction intensity. The progression of scoliosis, abnormal curvature of the spine, can be prevented with chiropractic adjustments in Jacksonville, Florida 32202 coupled with robust rehabilitation techniques.
Visit a chiropractor near you:
How to choose the perfect chiropractor in Jacksonville, Florida?
A good chiropractor in Duval County, Florida is interested in helping his patients achieve optimal health and wellness. Chiropractic adjustments offer a safe, natural, effective, and drug-free alternative to pain management. Subluxations may result in muscle pains, back pain, trouble sleeping, allergies, and more. While Chiropractic care is mostly known for its assistance in relieving pain in your joints, patients of chiropractic care have also reported that their treatment resulted in significant relief. Although this is good for the chiropractic business, this program is not necessarily good for your banking account. A chiropractor is trained to make sure all of your parts are where they should be so that your body can function in the way that it's supposed to.
Through manual spinal manipulation, chiropractic care is a holistic therapy that focuses on maintaining healthy musculoskeletal and nervous systems to ensure overall wellness. By adjusting the spine with their hands at particular pressure points, chiropractors unblock nerve energy and allow it to flow better down your spin and throughout your entire body. A lot of people live their lives viewing alternative medicine that way. I already mentioned that chiropractic can help lessen the symptoms of asthma, but let's dive a little deeper. Obviously, you're not going to want to drag yourself to the chiropractor every time you feel one coming, and I'm not suggesting that.


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Teenaged romance shows are a dime a dozen, so it has to take something special for a series to catch my interest. For that, the past Autumn Season was a source of gold. Kamisama Hajimemashita was awesome, Sukitte Ii na Yo was a surprise hit, and Sakurasou also seemed like the series to bring new life in the shounen romance genre. It kinda did, but if you want to stay with that impression, then don't watch the second half.
Sakurasou really managed to set itself apart with its execution. From the outside it looked like an average romantic comedy, but when you started watching it became clear to me how good the chemistry between the characters was. The banter had a lot of comedic gold in it, and it was full of energy. Scenes were well set-up, and there were a number of really sharp characters in this series, whose lines pierced through all pretense. That made this series a roller-coaster of emotions that was actually really well balanced.
The level of writing really was good there, and consistently so. I can only recall one bad episode, which randomly introduced incest for no reason whatsoever). You'd expect this level of writing to get better as the series goes on and gets more chance to build up, but somewhere along the way it just loses its spark. Especially the final third just misses the energy and wit that made this series so addictive at the start.
The early parts of this series are about hard work versus talent, and working hard towards your dreams, and coming of age. The show ends with a love triangle and a silly subplot about a bunch of dorms being closed down. It totally lacks any kind of impact, and the series ends with a melodramatic ending that is too scared to really resolve anything. The only good parts about the final third is where the creators focus on the themes that made the first half so good, but there are unfortunately too few moments to really salvage the series.
It's a shame, really. I really endorse series evolving and changing. Doing the same thing over and over gets boring. But if you want to change your attention, you have to make sure that you have something interesting and logical to follow up with. Sakurasou didn't and just got bogged down in its genre conventions that unfortunately spoiled what could have been such a good shounen romance.
One-Sentence Review: If you are interested in Sakurasou, my tip is to watch until episode 16, and let your imagination fill in the climax, because if you do you'll get a really rewarding and witty romance series, instead of having to sit through the downer climax that follows…
– Kaze no Shoujo Emily
– True Tears
– Yumekui Merry


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In the last ten years the population of Detroit has fallen 25 percent.
From a strictly sports perspective, one has to wonder if the Motor City can maintain its status as one of the elite sports towns in this country.
In a recent census, the population of Detroit was measured at 713,777, the lowest total in 100 years. That total marks a decline of more than 237,000 residents in just the last decade, and marks the continuation of a trend that began in the 1950s when the population of Detroit peaked at 1.85 million.
Detroit has long been one of the great sports towns, with 22 championships in the four major sports. But if the population in Detroit is falling at such a rapid rate, attendance for the Lions, Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings could be impacted. And lower attendance means lower revenues, which means less money spent on players, which means fewer opportunities to win championships.
Here is a look at how each of Detroit's sports teams ranked in attendance for their respective leagues the last five years.
Both the Lions and Tigers, who each have built new stadiums in the last decade, have struggled recently in attendance. The Lions are regularly at or near the bottom of the NFL in attendance. (They also haven't had a winning record in 10 years.) And the Tigers have recently fallen back to the middle of the pack in Major League Baseball. Even the Pistons, with an arena in the suburbs and attendance that is typically first or second in the NBA, dropped to 18th this season.
Only the Red Wings, who have been in the playoffs each of the last 20 years, have maintained strong attendance in recent years.
The good news is that while three of the four teams have stadiums/arenas inside Detroit's city limits, television viewership extends beyond the borderline. According to the census survey, most people leaving Detroit are moving to the suburbs. As a result, Detroit still has the 11th largest TV market.
It is hard to imagine any of Detroit's storied franchises would abandon ship completely. But if the local population continues to move outward, there may come a time when the remaining teams leave Detroit and follow the people to the 'burbs.


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A critical challenge for any business is backing up the ever increasing quantities of data generated in day to day operations, especially when a significant portion of that data resides on laptops, servers, workstations, etc., located in ROBO's (Remote Office/Branch Office). This becomes even more challenging for small and medium sized businesses that lack the IT resources found in most large companies. In most cases these small businesses often have a single person who is somewhat technically proficient but whose primary job focus is not IT related.
In order to meet this challenge, many SMBs (Small/Medium sized Businesses) are turning to cloud based solutions which lets them properly protect their data while avoiding large scale costs for additional infrastructure and personnel. Equally important with the ability to securely backup increasing amounts of data is the ability to restore any or all of that data rapidly. One of the limiting factors in recovery from cloud based storage is the available bandwidth of your Internet connection.
KineticD is a SaaS (Software as a Service) company with a decade long track record of providing a powerful and flexible set of CDP (Continuous Data Protection) solutions that address the data protection and recovery needs of SMBs in a cost effective manner. KineticD recently announced their release of KineticCloud for Servers, a hybrid cloud backup solution, which addresses these critical data protection and recovery challenges for SMBs.
Download this document from KineticD™ below to read more.