text:
Protein synthesis of the pro-inflammatory S100A8/A9 complex in plasmacytoid dendritic cells and cell surface S100A8/A9 on leukocyte subpopulations in systemic lupus erythematosus
DOI: 10.1186/ar3314
© Lood et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2011
Received: 17 December 2010
Accepted: 14 April 2011
Published: 14 April 2011
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with chronic or episodic inflammation in many different organ systems, activation of leukocytes and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The heterodimer of the cytosolic calcium-binding proteins S100A8 and S100A9 (S100A8/A9) is secreted by activated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and monocytes and serves as a serum marker for several inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, S100A8 and S100A9 have many pro-inflammatory properties such as binding to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). In this study we investigated if aberrant cell surface S100A8/A9 could be seen in SLE and if plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) could synthesize S100A8/A9.
Flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and real-time PCR of flow cytometry-sorted cells were used to measure cell surface S100A8/A9, intracellular S100A8/A9 and mRNA levels of S100A8 and S100A9, respectively.
Cell surface S100A8/A9 was detected on all leukocyte subpopulations investigated except for T cells. By confocal microscopy, real-time PCR and stimulation assays, we could demonstrate that pDCs, monocytes and PMNs could synthesize S100A8/A9. Furthermore, pDC cell surface S100A8/A9 was higher in patients with active disease as compared to patients with inactive disease. Upon immune complex stimulation, pDCs up-regulated the cell surface S100A8/A9. SLE patients had also increased serum levels of S100A8/A9.
Patients with SLE had increased cell surface S100A8/A9, which could be important in amplification and persistence of inflammation. Importantly, pDCs were able to synthesize S100A8/A9 proteins and up-regulate the cell surface expression upon immune complex-stimulation. Thus, S100A8/A9 may be a potent target for treatment of inflammatory diseases such as SLE.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation in several organ systems, B cell hyperactivity, autoantibodies, complement consumption and an ongoing type I interferon (IFN) production [1, 2]. SLE patients usually have more activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in circulation than healthy individuals and there are numerous investigations demonstrating abnormalities in different subpopulations which illustrate the complexity of the pathogenesis in this disease. Increased numbers of plasma cells [3, 4], HLA-DR+ T cells [5, 6] and decreased numbers of circulating dendritic cells [7, 8] have been reported. Pro-inflammatory CD16+ monocytes have been described to be increased in rheumatoid arthritis but are so far not investigated in SLE [9].
The IFN-alpha (IFNα) production in SLE is detectable in serum [10], and over-expression of IFNα-regulated genes, termed the type I IFN signature, has also been demonstrated in PBMCs [11–16] as well as in platelets [17]. In mice, type I IFNs induce lymphopenia through redistribution of the lymphocytes [18] and there is an inverse correlation between serum IFNα and leukocyte count in humans [10]. SLE patients have circulating immune complexes (ICs), which often contain RNA or DNA [19, 20]. ICs could be endocytosed by the natural IFNα producing cells, the plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and induce IFNα production through Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 or TLR9 stimulation [21, 22], which is considered to have a key role in the pathogenesis of SLE [23]. IFNα has many immunomodulatory functions such as inducing monocyte maturation [24], increasing IFNα production from NK cells [25], prolonging the survival of activated T cells [26] and differentiating B cells to plasma cells [27].
S100A8 and S100A9 are members of the calcium-binding S100-protein family and are released at inflammatory sites by phagocytes as a complex (S100A8/A9; also called calprotectin or MRP8/14) [28]. Several pro-inflammatory properties have been described for the S100A8/A9 complex, such as activation of monocytes [29], amplification of cytokine production [30], regulation of migration of myeloid derived suppressor cells [31] and, as demonstrated recently, a ligand for receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and TLR4 [32]. Patients with SLE have increased serum levels of S100A8/A9 [33, 34] and the concentration correlates with disease activity. Here we have investigated the portion and activation status of several leukocyte subpopulations and measured cell surface S100A8/A9 on these cells, corresponding S100A8 and S100A9 mRNA expression as well as serum levels of S100A8/A9 in healthy controls and SLE patients to learn more about the role of these proteins in SLE.
Materials and methods
Clinical characteristics of the SLE patients at the time point of blood sampling
SLE (n= 63)
Control (n= 33)
Age, median (range), years
42 (19 to 81)
45 (24 to 79)
Female, %
Male, %
Disease duration, median (range), years
8 (0 to 45)
SLEDAI score, median (range)
2 (0 to 18)
Organic brain syndrome
Visual disturbance
Cranial nerve disorder
Lupus headache
Cerebrovascular accident
Kidney involvement (urinary cast, hematuria, proteinuria or pyuria)
Mucocutaneous activity (rash, alopecia or mucosal ulcers)
Low complement (C3 or C4)
Anti-DNA antibodies
Clinical characteristics of the SLE patients (n = 63) according to ACR 1982 criteria
ACR criteria
Portion of patients (%)
Malar rash
Discoid rash
Oral ulcers
Renal disease
Neurological disorder
Hematological manifestation
Antibodies and reagents
The following antibodies and reagents were used in the flow cytometry analysis of the patients and the healthy volunteers: anti-CD3-Alexa 647, anti-CD4-APC-Cy7, anti-CD19-Pacific Blue, anti-CD14-PE-Cy7 (all from BioLegend, San Diego, CA, USA), anti-CD3-APC-Alexa Fluor 750, anti-CD8-PE-Cy7, anti-HLA-DR-Alexa Fluor 700, anti-CD20-PE, anti-CD38-PE-Cy5, anti-CD27-Alexa Fluor 700 (all from eBioscience, San Diego, CA, USA), propidium iodide, anti-IgD-FITC, anti-CD16-PE-Cy5, mouse IgG1-FITC (all from BD Biosciences Pharmingen, San Diego, CA, USA), anti-BDCA-1-biotin, anti-BDCA-2-PE (both from Miltenyi Biotec Inc., Auburn, CA, USA), anti-S100A8/A9-FITC (27E10, BMA Biomedicals, Rheinstrasse, Switzerland) and streptavidin Qdot-605 (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA).
Flow cytometry
Blood was drawn into cell preparation tubes (BD Biosciences Pharmingen) and PBMCs were isolated on Lymphoprep™ according to manufacturer's instructions (Axis-Shield PoC AS, Oslo, Norway). PBMCs (1 × 106 cells) were incubated with 10% mouse serum in phosphate buffered saline pH 7.2 (PBS) at a total volume of 50 μl for 20 minutes at 4°C. The cells were washed in PBS (200 g 2 minutes) and incubated with biotinylated antibodies for 20 minutes at 4°C. The cells were washed twice and then incubated for another 20 minutes at 4°C with dye-conjugated antibodies and streptavidin-Qdot 605. Finally, the cells were washed twice and resuspended in 300 μl PBS before analysis in the FACSAria (BD Biosciences Pharmingen).
Confocal microscopy
T cells, monocytes and pDCs were isolated with negative isolation kits according to manufacturer's instructions (Miltenyi Biotec Inc). Neutrophils were isolated by density gradient centrifugation on Polymorphprep™ according to the manufacturer's protocol (Axis-Shield PoC AS). B cells and mDCs were isolated using a FACSAria cell sorter. B cells were labeled with Pacific Blue-conjugated CD19 antibodies and mDCs were labeled with both Alexa 700-conjugated HLA-DR antibodies and FITC-conjugated BDCA-1 antibodies. Purified cells (8 × 104) were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and permeabilized in 0.2% TritonX-100 (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) before incubated with PE-conjugated anti-S100A8/A9 antibodies (27E10, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA, USA) for 30 minutes. The cells were washed once in PBS and transferred to a glass slide (In Vitro, Braunschweig, Germany) by cytospin for two minutes at a speed of 1,000 g in a Shandon Cytospin 3 (Life Science International LTD, Cheshire, UK). The cells were analyzed in a LSM 510 META microscope (Carl Zeiss, Göttingen, Germany). Fluorescence was detected with pinhole settings corresponding to one airy unit.
Immune complex stimulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells
Isolated pDCs (2 × 104 cells) were cultured in 100 μl Macrophage-SFM (Invitrogen) supplemented with 20 mM HEPES (Invitrogen), 50 μg/ml Gentamicin (Invitrogen), 2 ng/ml GM-CSF (Leukine®; Berlex, Montville, NJ, USA) and 500 U/ml IntronA (SP company, Innishannon, Ireland) and incubated for 20 h at 37°C with 5% CO2 and 97% humidity with RNA-containing ICs prepared as described previously [37]. Briefly, anti-ribonuclear protein (RNP)-positive sera were pooled and IgG was purified on a protein G column (Protein G Superose HR 10/2, Pharmacia LKB, Uppsala, Sweden). To create ICs, purified IgG at a concentration of 0.25 mg/ml was mixed with necrotic material from Jurkat cell supernatant at a concentration of 5% (v/v). The cells were washed and resuspended in PBS with anti-CD123-FITC (Miltenyi Biotech) and anti-S100A8/A9-PE (Santa Cruz Biotechnology) antibodies for 30 minutes at 4°C before analyzed by flow cytometry. The ICs used in the experiments contained undetectable amounts (< 40 ng/ml) of S100A8/A9 as measured by the in-house ELISA (data not shown). As a negative control, PE-conjugated mouse IgG1 antibodies were used.
Serum S100A8/A9 detection
For detection of S100A8/A9, microtitre plates (Maxisorp, Nunc, Roskilde, Denmark) were coated with monoclonal antibody MRP8/14 (27E10, BMA Biomedicals) at a concentration of 5 μg/ml, diluted in PBS at a volume of 100 μl/well, and incubated at 4°C over night. The 27E10 antibody detects a specific epitope of S100A8/A9 which is not exposed on the individual subunits. Between every following step, the plate was washed for three times in PBS containing 0.05% Tween 20. After blocking the plate with 1% BSA in PBS for 1 h, serum samples, diluted 1/100 in sample buffer (0.15 M NaCl, 10 mM HEPES (Invitrogen), 1 mM CaCl2, 0.02 mM ZnCl2, 0.05% Tween 20 and 0.1% BSA), were added at a final volume of 100 μl/well and incubated for 2 h at room temperature under agitation. Biotinylated anti-MRP8/14 (Abcam, Cambridge, UK), diluted 1/2000 in sample buffer, were added at a volume of 100 μl/well, and incubated at 4°C over night. Bound MRP8/14 antibody was detected with alkaline-phosphatase-labelled streptavidin (Dako, Glostrup, Denmark) diluted 1/1000 in sample buffer. After incubation for 1 h at room temperature under agitation, the enzymatic reaction was developed with 1 mg/ml disodium-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (Sigma) dissolved in 10% (w/v) dietanolamine pH 9.8 containing 50 mM MgCl2 and the absorbance was measured at 405 nm. S100A8/A9 content of one serum sample was quantified using a commercial S100A8/A9 kit (BMA Biomedicals) and used as an internal control. The values reported are means of duplicates with the background subtracted and the concentrations were calculated from titration curves obtained from a pool of normal human serum.
Real-time PCR
Isolated PBMC from healthy donors were stained with anti-CD3-Alexa 647, anti-CD19-Pacific Blue, anti-CD14-PECy7, anti-CD16-FITC, anti-HLA-DR-Alexa 700, anti-BDCA-1-biotin and anti-BDCA-2-PE antibodies and sorted on a FACSAria before frozen at -80°C in lysis buffer. Total RNA was extracted by Purelink RNA mini Kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) and reversely transcribed to cDNA by SuperScript II Platinum synthesis system (Invitrogen) according to manufacturer's instructions. Ribosomal protein L4 (RPL4), S100A8 and S100A9 mRNA were quantified by real-time PCR using the SYBR GreenER kit (Invitrogen) in a MYIQ PCR machine (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA). The threshold cycle number and levels of each mRNA were determined using the formula 2(Rt-Et), where Rt is the threshold cycle for the housekeeping gene RPL-4 and Et the threshold cycle for the gene of interest.
Data were evaluated with analysis of variance (ANOVA) when comparing healthy controls with SLE patients or within the patient cohort when evaluating different disease manifestations. SAS version 9.2 for Windows XP (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) was used in the statistical evaluation. Correlations were calculated by Spearman rank correlation test without adjustment for multiple testing. All P-values were considered significant at P < 0.05.
SLE patients have more activated leukocytes
Frequencies of different cell populations in SLE patients and healthy controls
Cell population
Healthy controls (median and 95% CI) 1
SLE patients (median and 95% CI)
CD3 + T cells
60.9 (57.8 to 63.9)
65.1 (55.7 to 64.3)
CD4 + T cells
62.1 (57.0 to 64.7)
55.2 (51.3 to 58.9)
6.5 (5.3 to 7.2)
31.3 (24.9 to 36.9)
CD8 + T cells
15.7 (14.3 to 18.8)
20.4 (18.6 to 24.0)
40.8 (39.0 to 43.2)
36.9 (33.4 to 41.5)
BDCA-1 + mDCs
0.40 (0.34 to 0.46)
0.31 (0.28 to 0.62)
BDCA-2 + pDCs
0.07 (0.07 to 0.11)
0.09 (0.09 to 0.16)
CD14 ++ CD16 - monocytes
10.1 (9.6 to 13.3)
16.9 (16.0 to 25.2)
CD14 ++ CD16 + monocytes
0.17 (0.15 to 0.27)
0.30 (0.44 to 0.81)
CD19 + B cells
5.6 (4.7 to 6.3)
5.1 (5.0 to 7.8)
CD19 + CD27 + IgD - CD38 + CD20 -
0.43 (0.35 to 0.75)
1.0 (0.8 to 3.0)
< 0.0001
S100A8/A9 is detected on several different cell populations
S100A8 and S100A9 are not produced by all leukocytes
Increased levels of serum S100A8/A9 in SLE
If the presence of S100A8/A9 on the cell surface were due to external deposition, the level of cell surface S100A8/A9 might correlate with S100A8/A9 serum concentration. We found that S100A8/A9 serum concentrations were clearly increased in SLE as compared to healthy controls (P < 0.0001, Figure 2B), in accordance with previous published results [33, 34]. Furthermore, we also found the most pronounced increased serum concentrations of S100A8/A9 in patients with arthritis (P = 0.016), as was previously reported [33], as well as in patients with kidney involvement (P = 0.026). There was also a statistically significant correlation between serum concentration of S100A8/A9 and SLEDAI (P < 0.0001, r = 0.49). However, serum S100A8/A9 level correlated only with cell surface S100A8/A9 in PMNs (P = 0.027, r = 0.28) and not cell surface S100A8/A9 levels on other leukocyte subpopulations. Thus, we could demonstrate that SLE patients had increased serum levels of S100A8/A9 which correlated to disease activity, but there were no strong correlations between S100A8/A9 cell surface levels and serum levels.
We also investigated whether it was possible to deposit S100A8/A9 on leukocytes in vitro. Neither recombinant S100A8/A9 nor serum containing high concentrations of S100A8/A9 (> 5,000 ng/ml) gave any increased surface staining of S100A8/A9 (data not shown). This might suggest that the S100A8/A9 binding ligands were already saturated and that other mechanisms could also be involved in the deposition of S100A8/A9 on the cell surface.
Increased pDC cell surface S100A8/A9 upon activation
The flow cytometry data in combination with mRNA expression and confocal microscopy data strongly supported that monocytes, PMNs and also pDCs could produce S100A8/A9. Since the pDC is central in SLE pathogenesis and S100A8/A9 production is, to our knowledge, previously only described in monocytes and PMNs, we wanted to further investigate this subpopulation. When stimulating isolated pDCs with ICs in a serum-free medium the cell surface S100A8/A9 increased (Figure 2C) supporting that pDCs are able to synthesize S100A8/A9 and actively transport S100A8/A9 to the cell surface upon activation. Thus, pDCs could up-regulate cell surface S100A8/A9 in response to activation and we propose that pDCs are also able to synthesize S100A8/A9 proteins.
SLE is a heterogeneous disease with involvement of virtually all organ systems, including the skin, joints and kidney. T and B cell activation, production of autoantibodies, formation of ICs and the subsequent tissue damage if the immune complexes are not handled correctly are all well described important events in the SLE pathogenesis. Also, many other cell populations besides T and B cells are activated as demonstrated in this as well as in many other studies [3–8, 38]. We found that SLE patients had an increased percentage of plasma cells as well as increased expression of HLA-DR on their T cells as demonstrated previously [4–6]. Pro-inflammatory CD16+ monocytes have increased potential to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα [39] and are increased in inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis [9]. We could demonstrate an increased percentage of CD16+ pro-inflammatory monocytes also in SLE. Altogether, we have seen pathological changes with increased activation of B cells, T cells and monocytes in SLE patients and it should be noted that these very clear cut pathological changes were also seen in many patients with low disease activity. Although similar observations have been reported by others, our cellular analyses serve as a validation of methods and patient material used in this study. Also, it is important to assess numbers and activation status of the different leukocyte populations that we investigate for S100A8/A9 expression.
Despite the lack of S100A8 and S100A9 mRNA in many leukocyte subpopulations, cell surface S100A8/A9 was detected by flow cytometry on all of the investigated cell populations except for T cells. It is known that the S100A8/A9 complex is produced by phagocytes such as monocytes and neutrophils [28] and we could verify by mRNA analyses that, among the cell populations studied, only monocytes, PMNs and also pDCs could produce S100A8 and S100A9. To our knowledge it has not previously been shown that pDCs are able to produce S100A8/A9. Interestingly, S100A8/A9 seemed to be actively transported to the outside of the membrane upon pDC activation suggesting that the cell surface S100A8/A9 on pDCs indeed could have biological functions. The exact function of S100A8/A9 production in this particular cell remains to be shown, but the pDCs as an IFNα producing cell is clearly central in the pathogenesis of SLE. S100A8/A9 has been suggested to have several important functions in the immune system such as activation of monocytes, migration of myeloid derived suppressor cells and amplification of cytokine production [29–31, 40]. Furthermore, cells from S100A9 deficient mice display reduced TNFα production when stimulated with LPS, a deficiency that could be restored by addition of extracellular S100A8/A9 [29]. Also, the S100A8/A9 complex can increase TNFα production upon LPS stimulation [29]. Recently, Björk et al. [32] described that quinoline-3-carboxamides or antibodies against S100A9 could inhibit the LPS-induced TNFα production. Recently, Loser et al demonstrated that S100A8 and S100A9 are crucial for the development of autoreactive CD8+ T cells and systemic autoimmunity in a mouse model [41]. Altogether, this illustrates that S100A8/A9 could serve as an amplifier of inflammation and should thus be regarded as a potential target for treatment of inflammatory diseases such as SLE.
Increased serum levels of S100A8/A9 in SLE, as well as in other connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome, was first described in 1990 by Kuruto et al. [42] and was later confirmed in SLE both in serum and by a proteomic-based study on PBMCs [33, 34, 43]. We could demonstrate increased serum concentrations of S100A8/A9 in SLE patients as compared to healthy controls and a correlation to disease activity. Cell surface S100A8/A9 was also increased on several leukocyte subpopulations such as pDCs in patients with active disease as compared to patients with inactive disease. However, the cell surface S100A8/A9 on some leukocyte subpopulations such as B cells and mDCs could not be explained by protein synthesis. Furthermore, it has previously been demonstrated that endothelial cells were coated with cell surface S100A8/A9 but lacked mRNA expression of these genes [44]. Clearly, other mechanisms also explain why S100A8/A9 are present on cell surfaces such as ligand up-regulation and deposition of S100A8/A9 from other sources such as serum or neutrophil extracellular traps (NET), which have a high content of S100A8/A9 [45]. High serum levels were, however, not generally associated with high cell surface S100A8/A9 levels. Furthermore, incubation of S100A8/A9 rich serum with leukocytes expressing low levels of S100A8/A9 on their surface could not increase the cell surface S100A8/A9 suggesting that the ligands most likely were already saturated. The broad binding pattern of S100A8/A9 to many cell populations indicates a general binding partner, and heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans (GAG) structures and carboxylated glycans have been reported to bind to the S100A8/A9 complex as well as to the homodimer S100A9/A9 [44, 46]. The low level or absence of cell surface S100A8/A9 on T cells would then suggest a specific GAG-structure epitope not present on T cells but otherwise commonly expressed on most leukocyte populations.
Here we could demonstrate the presence of S100A8/A9 on monocytes and PMNs as well as pDCs, mDCs and B cells, which are all cells that are important in the inflammatory response in SLE. We could demonstrate that pDCs, a cell population believed to be central in the SLE pathogenesis, could synthesize S100A8/A9 and express this protein on its surface upon activation. However, the exact function of S100A8/A9 is not fully understood and needs further studies. In fact, there are ongoing clinical trials in SLE performed by us using a quinoline-3-carboxamide compound targeting S100A9 which will give us more information on the role of S100A9 blockade in SLE and if it can be used as a therapeutic target.
immune complex
- mDC:
myeloid dendritic cell
mean fluorescence index
neutrophils extracellular trap
peripheral blood mononuclear cell
- pDC:
plasmacytoid dendritic cell
polymorphonuclear neutrophil
receptor for advanced glycation end products
ribonuclear protein
systemic lupus erythematosus
toll like receptor.
Maria Trulsson is acknowledged for excellent technical assistance with the confocal microscopy. The study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council (2008-2201), the Medical Faculty at Lund University, Alfred Österlund's Foundation, The Crafoord Foundation, Greta and Johan Kock's Foundation, King Gustaf V's 80th Birthday Foundation, Lund University Hospital, the Swedish Rheumatism Association, Swedish Society of Medicine, Active Biotech AB, the Swedish Cancer Foundation and the Foundation of the National Board of Health and Welfare. The funding body had no part in the study design, the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, writing of the manuscript or the submission.
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11.16.12 Prospective Student Class Visit
Experience UDM: A UDM Law class visit event. Prospective students will have the opportunity to sit in on a mock Torts class taught by Pamela Wilkins, Associate Professor of Law. Come and see how our students learn from professors whose instruction, not only included theory and doctrine, but the practical application of the law.
RSVP today to get your readings for class!

subset: commoncrawl


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Typically speaking, sports fans tend to worry about two things – the past and the future. They'll debate who was the greatest player of all-time, while also spending hours discussing whether or not a rookie is going to be develop into an All-Pro.
Both are fun exercises, things that keep fans engaged and the beer flowing at the local tavern. But they miss out on what is most important – the present.
Forget about yesterday. Never mind tomorrow. Let's talk about today.
Who are the best players in the NFL right now? Who can help a team win the Super Bowl this season? Who is writing a legacy with each passing week?
Those are the questions the editors at cover32 seek to answer in this series, "Top 10 in 2014." In the coming weeks, every position – as well as head coach, general manager and other off-field areas – will be graded, evaluated and ranked.
The series continues with the men who assemble the rosters – general managers. They are in charge of establishing a team's philosophy on talent evaluation, coordinating scouts and personnel people to seek players that fit those ideas, and then maneuvering through the draft and free agency in order to get those kinds of parts and pieces. In Bill Parcells' vernacular, they are responsible for buying the groceries.
Let the debate begin!
10. Bill Belichick
Plenty of people are critical of the way Belichick runs the personnel side of the Patriots, especially in recent seasons, but it's difficult to ignore the results. Does he trade down too much in the draft? Perhaps. Does he leave glaring holes in certain positions, such as wide receiver in 2013? Maybe. But at the end of the day, he builds a roster that almost always wins at least 11 games and is atop the AFC East. That's ultimately the measuring stick.
9. Rick Smith
Given the lack of playoff success in Houston, it may surprise some people that the guy who has been running the show on the personnel side since 2006 is on this list. But the Texans haven't fallen short of the ultimate goal because of a lack of talent, except for perhaps at quarterback. Look at the roster Smith has built; it's loaded with greatness on both sides of the ball, something new head coach Bill O'Brien can work with in year one.


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Since our Boardwalk experience is limited to the Maryland & Delaware beaches--we don't think Atlantic City counts, since it's got all those huge casinos and high-rises, etc.--this was our first time at a beach venue like Asbury Park. The one-mile Boardwalk is bracketed at both ends--by the old Casino Building at one end, and the equally geriatric Convention Hall, below, at the other. We'd never seen a beach boardwalk running through a building before, and in Asbury Park it happens twice!
FYI, Springsteen & Co. have played the old Convention Hall and the adjoining Paramount Theatre, which have both been renovated. Bob Dylan will be at the Paramount on August 13, if you're interested. The contest is sold out, but you can probably get tickets at some kind of giNORmous price on Stub Hub!
Of course, the Convention Hall is populated with the requisite restaurants, and shops, and a kiosk or 2. The really neat thing about this ongoing renovation is the Beach Bar, which runs along the outside of the building as it meanders across the beach to the water's edge.
The Beach Bar's terrace is a great place to grab a quick mid-day bite and a brew, and also convenient for seeking refuge in sudden downpours!Enough of the Asbury Park Travelogue for today. Here are your 2 Jersey-esque questions:
- In what Asbury Park venue did Bruce Springsteen film his haunting 1987 "Tunnel of Love" video?
- If you're headed home from Jersey on the Turnpike, you'll encounter many rest-stops (Jerseyites call them "Service Areas") named after famous Americans of New Jersey heritage. Name the last such rest-stop on the southern leg of the Turnpike. Hint: We think she had something to do with the Red Cross, if we're not mistaken!
Answers to yesterday's questions:
- New Jersey Turnpike
- Bruce Springsteen (as one respondent said, "Duh!")


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Qupid Trivia-78 Sneaker
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
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By: Sleepinb
Location: Illinois
December 26, 2014
Love these shoes!
"I love these. They're super comfy, adorable, and really versatile. I have gotten a lot of compliments. Only negative, I want to buy a pair right now and they don't have any sizes left."
By: ktrw24
Location: new york, ny
December 09, 2014
Adorable shoes.
"I bought mine in coral/salmon & they are adorable! The elastic band that holds your feet in place in between were pretty tight when I got them but after a few wears they loosened up & now they fit perfectly. The only downside to these shoes are they get dirty really easily. I used an old toothbrush, warm water, & soap to clean them off & they look almost brand new."
By: Pinguino
Location: Huntsville, AL
August 29, 2014
Big disappointment
"I bought these shoes and as soon as I opened the box, I was disappointed. The inner soles did not appear attached to shoe itself. Extremely poor quality. Also the color was not as vibrant as pictured. I took them back that day."
By: NSMom
Location: CA
July 19, 2014
Runs small
"I had to return these because they were about a size too small and a bit narrow at the toe."
Click anywhere to close this.


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Guest Blog: Automation Refugees
By Jim O'Brien
By Jim O'Brien
As the Postal Service examines its business model and contemplates changes meant to increase its efficiency, Congress's role in postal operations has captured public attention. A prime example is the Postal Service's recent efforts to trim its retail operations. As a cost cutting initiative, on July 2, 2009, the Postal Service filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission a list of Post Office stations and branches it was considering closing. After the filing, many entities questioned the Postal Service's authority to close these facilities. An article published on the U.S.
March 18 marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most momentous events in postal history — the postal strike of 1970. The night before, postal workers in New York voted 1,555 to 1,055 to go out on strike in protest of a House committee vote to limit their wage increase that year to 5.4 percent on the heels of a 41 percent increase in Congress's own pay. The wildcat strike and picketing were effective in shutting down postal operations in New York and quickly spread to about 30 other cities. Within days about 152,000 workers in 671 locations were on strike.
On March 2, Postmaster General John E. Potter presented a 10-year "action plan" to meet the challenges faced by the Postal Service as it encounters declining mail volumes combined with increasing overhead costs. The plan comes as a product of a yearlong study by the Postal Service and a number of leading consultants to identify and analyze over 50 different actions that could help counter the changing marketplace. The Postmaster General warned that if the Postal Service continues to operate as it is, it will run a cumulative debt of $238 billion over the next 10 years.
The Postal Service uses forklifts to move mail in its mail processing facilities. To improve efficiency and cut the costs associated with using this equipment, the U.S. Postal Service purchased a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based tracking system called the Powered Industrial Vehicle Management System (PIVMS). [poll id="80"] Features of the system that help productivity include weight sensing, real-time location of vehicles, two-way messaging, driver authentication and maintenance scheduling.
We all know the Postal Service is going through rough times right now. Sometimes, when a situation is difficult, it's useful to look to the past for perspective. Forty years ago today, there was no Postal Service (and no Office of Inspector General). The Post Office Department was 5 months away from an unprecedented strike, and 15 percent of the Postal Service's FY 1969 revenues came from appropriations. Mail volume was 82 billion pieces. There were 739,002 employees and 43,220 post offices (including stations and branches).
News about disappearing collection boxes is everywhere these days. Even BBC News ran a story on the decline of the blue collection box in the United States.
The Postal Service argues that picking up mail from collection boxes is expensive. Removing underused boxes is a cost savings move and a reasonable response to the economic crisis. The Postal Service is removing boxes with less than 25 stamped mail pieces per day.
In these challenging times, reducing the cost of delivery operations — one of the Postal Service's largest expenses — could save millions. One option the Postal Service is considering is to discontinue Saturday city and rural delivery and collection services.
The Postal Service has a long and proud history in public service. It has always been viewed as part of the federal government, yet has also been told to "act like a business" and to be self-sufficient. These distinctions can lead to interesting real-world implications, such as the degree to which retail associates should "upsell" or otherwise assist customers as they transact postal business. On one extreme, some claim that retail associates should do everything to find the lowest price for the customer.
Should the Postal Service be allowed to freely award employees for a job well done? The Postal Service operates as a businesslike entity, but it is also part of the government. Appearances count — particularly in tough economic times. The Postal Service has an interest in recruiting and retaining talented employees to remain competitive, but what is appropriate? Competitors of the Postal Service are free to award employees with pricey gifts, tickets to major events, conferences held at resorts and other perks.


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Barnes & Noble came in second, followed by Williams-Sonoma.
Jon Love
Office Depot's mobile site produced the fastest iPhone access time across all service providers among large web retailers in February, says Compuware Gomez. Last month, OfficeDepot.com's mobile site loaded on an iPhone in an average of 4.64 seconds.
BarnesandNoble.com came in second for iPhone testing with 5.47 seconds, followed by Williams-Sonoma.com (5.55 seconds), Blockbuster.com (6.09) and Sears.com (6.40).
Gomez measures the average iPhone response time for the three major service carriers: AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. Testing for all 20 retailers takes place once per hour per carrier from two U.S. locations (Virginia and California).
Gomez measures response time as the end-to-end time elapsed while downloading each mobile site.
Click here for the full test results.


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We received the Rock 'N Learn Sight Words DVD for reviewing.
Rock 'N Learn has been producing cool educational music and videos for fun learning for over 22 years.
I can honestly say it is a great advantage my grandchildren are getting with the Rock 'N Learn Sight Words DVD. The 3 year old already can spot the word go by seeing it and hearing it in the song(which he loves)! It is starting to relate to some other words like up and funny but hasn't quite mastered them fully yet.
One of my readers will win a Rock 'N Learn Sight Words DVD for the little eager learner(s) in their family.


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After news that President Obama was re-elected, a crowd of about 500 people protested at the University of Mississippi, some shouting racial epithets.
Comments from Facebook:
Yet more evidence that some folks just can't handle having a black man as president.
Bill Halstead
While I don't consider myself to be among President Obama's biggest supporters, I nevertheless find the thought that such a display of racial hatred could take place in this day and age disheartening and contemptible. What good is it, I ask, to spew such venom? It certainly can't change the results of the election. All it can serve to do is to drive us further apart and reinforce the stigma of racism that still today seems to haunt America.
David Harrington
It is significant also that the night after the protest, many University of Mississippi students gathered by candlelight and recited the University Creed. It is a shame that a minority of idiots gets a lot of attention, but the majority recognizes not only reality but the future.
That said, I am saddened that parents of my generation have not taught their children better.
Joe Cliburn
As a native of Mississippi, I am deeply embarrassed by what I thought my generation would leave behind while raising our children.
The people elected a president. Now we should put aside political party differences and move forward as a nation, not responding as if we were in Egypt, Libya, or some other extremist country. We must work together to build our country by bending the people we elected to work toward the best good for us within the system, not by mob rule.
J Larry Ware
One positive thing is the expression of this hate overtly, not through oppression of those who are viewed as inferior. Before we can get past this, we have to acknowledge it.
San San B
Letter to the editor:
One under-reported story of election night concerned the mini-riot on the campus of Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) in Oxford. Upon realizing that a new American demographic, representing a dwindling white majority, re-elected the first African-American president, about 500 students poured into Oxford streets shouting racial slurs directed at the president.
As riots go this one was quite tame. Only two people were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct.
It did however, give pause to the notion that we've eliminated public expressions of intolerance for African Americans. It also conjured up memories of one of the worst university riots in American history, which occurred at the same Ole Miss campus 50 years ago. The cause then was the admittance of the first black, James Meredith. In that one, angry segregationists fought hundreds of U.S. marshals and thousands of Army and National Guard troops. Two people were killed and hundreds injured.
Walt Zlotow; Glen Ellyn, Ill.


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Deep thoughts III
Robin Brownlee
November 21 2008 12:03PM
"A lot of previous years, I'm trying to generate optimism and enthusiasm, but this year I'm probably more interested in quelling it a little bit."
"I can't remember a period over the last 15 years where we've been so excited . . . this is the best chance we've had in a long time to win the division . . . it's a very achievable goal. Young players have developed. Now we have lots of depth at virtually every position . . . we have a real good chance to do some great things this year."
So, was that a meteor in the sky Thursday or Craig MacTavish's lofty pre-season expectations hurtling to the muskeg on fire like a burnt weenie at a barbecue gone wrong after watching his Oilers get outclassed -- forget the 4-3 score -- by the Detroit Red Wings at Rexall Place? And, who says MacT has lost the dressing room? We're only 20 games into the season and the players have jumped onside with their coach in putting an end to talk this team has the combination of physical talent AND mental make-up to be a real contender in the Western Conference.
Consider it quelled.
At 9-9-2 through 20 games, the Oilers are right about where I thought they'd be in terms of record and the standings when I looked at them in pre-season. Given their schedule -- 14 of 20 games on the road so far -- and line-up changes, I didn't expect anything more at this point, although most fans were more optimistic.
How the Oilers got here, though, is surprising. After a misleading 4-0 start and with parade route planners looking down their noses at doomsayers who didn't see a Northwest Division title in the cards, the Oilers had a chance to not only survive the schedule-maker's handiwork, but hit the quarter-pole smelling like roses. But noooooooo.
With five days before they face Los Angeles, the stench wafting through Rexall Place has everybody checking the bottom of their shoes, expecting to have to scrape something off. With MacTavish sounding more frustrated by the day and having called out individual players -- hello, Dustin Penner, Shawn Horcoff and Mathieu Garon -- and his team in general for lack of jam and gamesmanship, I'm guessing that aroma is also filling the nostrils of Kevin Lowe and Steve Tambellini.
Something has to happen before the Kings come calling Wednesday. Doesn't it?
- This team, as MacTavish alluded to Thursday night, is way too soft and too easy to play against. Being a nasty bunch of SOBs isn't a matter of size, it's a state of mind, so there's no excuses, even with smaller players in the line-up. The next time Ales Hemsky gets planted into the end boards, a response, like maybe a punch in the mouth, might be an idea. Stink-eyes and name-calling doesn't get it done.
Then, there's the concept of actually initiating that kind of stuff instead of just reacting. No? More guys need to show some brass, and they need to do so before Steve MacIntyre's broken face heals.
- Please, pick two goaltenders and stick with them. Decide which one is your starter and which is your back-up. Garon and Dwayne Roloson. Jeff Deslauriers and Garon. Roloson and Deslauriers. Flip a coin. Pick a pair. Three's a crowd. It's not stop-the-presses stuff.
- There's no excuse, none, for the way the Oilers have started too many games and Thursday's loss was a prime example. Spot the Cup champs a 3-0 lead? What could go wrong? The Oilers have been outscored 18-10 in first periods. Brutal. Wake up.
- Outside of Hemsky, there isn't a top-six forward playing well enough to merit top-six minutes. That's five guys, with Shawn Horcoff, Sam Gagner and Penner being the most obvious, getting sugar time without earning it most nights. Either the situation changes or the personnel does.
- Given pre-season expectations and that Daryl Katz is now endorsing the cheques, what's the over/under on MacTavish's tenure if the Oilers don't start to climb above the .500 mark and stay there? And, no, 2007 doesn't count as a prediction.
- Bizarre as it sounds, is it too much to ask that defencemen, well, play defence? That right wingers play right wing instead of left wing or center? I know Laddy Smid longs for the Art Ross Trophy, but, like my mom used to say, "There's a place for everything and everything in its place."
- Not that it had any impact whatsoever, but whose idea was it to claim Jesse Boulerice off waivers in the first place? No, really. Was this a collaborative brain cramp or somebody's singular epiphany? Who?
- Just a thought, but with all the concern about a tough schedule to start the season, is anybody else concerned the Oilers have blown off too many of the few games they've had at home? Fellas, 2-2-2?
- Penalty killing. When does that start?
-- Listen to Robin Brownlee every Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. on Just A Game with Jason Gregor on Team 1260
It isn't an insult to Horcoff's ability as a player to suggest that he hasn't played that well this season. Or atleast as well as he is capable of.
I don't disagree with the idea that there's nothing wrong with saying he hasn't played up to his usual level, I just have a hard time reconciling it with what the numbers say about him. There seems to be a disconnect between what the numbers tell us that he's done this year (yes, yes, I know he hasn't piled up the points this quarter; I'm talking about the stuff like SF/SA, where his shifts start and end) and what the perception is. I have a hard time believing that, if he'd had a some more bounces, a lot of the heat would dissipate.
Guy with the list of centres above -
I won't trouble you with numbers from a spreadsheet. Obviously it's preferable to just say "You're wrong".
With that said, I'll give you most of those. I'm not buying Marleau, Carter, Kopitar, Sakic (obviously the far better player for career but now is what matters) and Jokinen. I've got doubts about guys like Savard and some others. A bunch of those guys on that list, I tend to think are awfully overrated - I don't know that the difference between Horcoff and them matches the salary. He doesn't match most of them in offence but then a bunch of them don't have his defensive game.
Lecavalier is an example. Obviously a brilliant offensive player. The problem is, he gives it all back. Is a team any better off having a guy who scores 95 points if he gives it all back in the other end of the ice? All other things being equal, a guy who is, for example, EV+ 60 EV- 60 and a guy who is EV+ 30 and EV- 30 make the same contribution to winning hockey games; the guy who's on the ice for so many more goals for costs more money.
November 22 2008, 02:23PM
That's a funny list, Braden. I'll agree with Tyler above, and then point out that a +35/-30 player does more to help his team win than a +60/-60 player and is paid much, much less.
This argument has gone back and forth, over and over for the past year and probably longer, and I'm not going to re-argue it.
Let's take a look at Getzlaf - Here is his matchup from last night in St. Louis. The three forwards who he played the most against were B.J. Crombeen (picked up off waivers from Dallas last week), Yan Stastny (9 career points) and Jay McClement (4 assists and no goals in 17 games this year). This despite the fact that Andy Murray, the Blues coach, had last change and therefore the advantage in the matchups.
Why, you ask? Because if he isn't playing fodder at evens, he gets killed. He's a powerplay point producer, and he's got a nasty edge, which makes fans happy, but coaches treat him like he's a liability at even strength.
Now, there's a place for a guy like that. But he isn't remotely close to being a complete player, and his coach and pretty much every other coach (going by who they play against him) know it.
Tyler - I left off a bunch of guys like Andy McDonald, Mikko Koivu, Henrik Sedin, Mike Ribeiro, Saku Koivu, Daymond Langkow, Jonathan Toews, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez ect off my list. Most off these guys have had careers on par or better than Horcoff. Depending on who you ask Horcoff could be all the way out of the top 30. Bottom line is he's not in the top 15 so clearly 1st line center is a weakness compared to other clubs.
I don't get how you don't give the nod to Sakic because it's "now that matters", yet Horcoff is on pace of around 35-40 points "right now".
Tampa had no goalie, no defense, and the the division he plays in is known for being a run and gun type game. Not really surprising that Lecavalier bled goals.
Are you actually suggesting that this is a better team with Horcoff than Lecavalier?
Jonathan Willis - Who Murray matches up against who doesn't tell me anything at all. When was the last time Murray even made the playoffs? Now your asknig me to judge my opinion of a player based on who Murray plays against who? Every GM in the league would take Getzlaf over Horcoff and that's not even a knock on Horc.
"I'll agree with Tyler above, and then point out that a +35/-30 player does more to help his team win than a +60/-60 player and is paid much, much less."
And using this logic, then the low event Marc Pouliot does more to help this team win than Horc because he's paid much, much less.
November 22 2008, 03:52PM
Braden - it isn't just Murray. It's everybody. Next time Anaheim plays Detroit, watch who Babcock runs at Getzlaf. It won't be either of the top two lines; it might be Kris Draper. Getzlaf looks good because Sami Pahlsson does a hell of a job on the heavy lifting - when the Ducks did their Cup run, the difficulty of minutes went Pahlsson - McDonald - Getzlaf. Because Getzlaf is a powerplay specialist and a guy who eats up the softies - not a guy who can carry a mail. He can help you win, but he doesn't carry the mail.
When Pouliot puts up the same numbers vs. the same opposition as Horcoff, than we can argue he's in the same range. He doesn't.
Basically, it works like this. Fans hype guys like Lecavalier and Kovalchuk, but they always give as much back as they generate. Barring a major change in their styles, they'll never even deserve to be mentioned alongside the Zetterbergs, Iginlas, etc. of the world, because they aren't complete players.
Horcoff's a lower-tier guy, but during the playoff run, he was taking on the bad guys, and Peca was helping, while the Stoll line tried to make hay against the softies. For all the potential of the Samsonov - Stoll - Hemsky line, they weren't winning series; series were won because Horcoff, Smyth and whoever outplayed Thornton while Peca and co. outplayed Marleau.
There is a huge difference between a player being successful against top opposition, and being successful against the waiver wire fodder of the world. The latter player can be useful; the former wins you games.
RobinB seems to be an imbittered has-been. Tough words for bagged milk.
+30/-30...+60/-60...Be damned! It matters when you score. Does anyone care about Horcoffs PP goal last Columbus game? If I'm down by two with 7min left to play in a critical divisional game I would rather send Lecavlier over the boards than Horcoff any day of the week! Plus/minus stuff is an overrated stat- otherwise we would all be in love with Penner right now!
Jonathan - No team has more points in the last 3 years than the Ducks so what opposing coaches are doing, well, isn't exactly working.
When Getzlaf finishes the year with 35 goals 100 points and +15 who gives a flying f who he plays against.
Thanks for the SCF rehash but if I was looking for a feel good story I would call Dan Tencer or rent Rudi.
You also forgot to mention how MacTavish outcoached Bobcock - Tencer's favorite part.
If you're looking to find out what kind of player Shawn Horcoff is, the answer isn't on a spreadsheet or from a fan who runs an Oiler's blog. Go ask someone who doesn't cheer for the Oilers, a NW team or the Ducks and you will find a more accurate diagnosis than any emotionally invested Oiler fan or number on a computer screen ever could.
MacT likes to go on about net offence. What you generate vs what you give up. Well MacT... How do you rate a player like Pouliot who gives you virtually nothing on a nightly basis? People don't drive for hundreds of kilometers or pay hundreds of dollars a ticket to watch Pouliot! C'mon Katz! You promised us some fun!
Well said regarding Horcoff.
Jonathon I really wonder how many games you actually watch, rather than just compile some stupid spreadsheet against opposition. You said Babcock plays Draper against Getzlaf...guess what. Draper is a defensive specialist so he will shut him down.
To even try and argue that Horcoff is better than Getzlaf is the dumbest thing I have heard. Try to base your opinion, just once, on something other than "soft minutes". It is old, and frankly you losing respect by the minute.
You have never spoken to one hockey person in your life I believe, and it shows the more you write. Your stat crap is limited to a few of you who just regurgitate what each other says.
Horcoff over Getzlaf...PLEASE..by far most asinine arguement ever. And I'm a fan of Horcoff.
Most people use statistics the way a drunk uses a lamp post, more for support than enlightenment. You can twist numbers anyway you want Willis but you must be drunk if you believe Horcoff is as good a player as Getzlaf.
pDan: You sound like an ignorant never-was.
Don't jump in with such a stupid statement when you "don't get it." We've been back and forth like this is 20 comments spanning seven or eight items over the past month. I no more want to maim poor baggedmilk than he wants to hug me. In fact, baggedmilk just asked me to be his buddy on Facebook, and I'm sure he would confirm that. I said, No way," and thumbed him in the eye (JUST JOKING HERE).
November 22 2008, 08:19PM
+30/-30…+60/-60…Be damned! It matters when you score. Does anyone care about Horcoffs PP goal last Columbus game? If I'm down by two with 7min left to play in a critical divisional game I would rather send Lecavlier over the boards than Horcoff any day of the week!
Agreed, because Lecavalier's offensive game is way past Horcoff's. That said, with a one-goal lead, I think it's equally clear that Horcoff's a better guy to have on the ice than Lecavalier. It isn't a coincidence that when Tampa Bay won the cup they had a decent checking line and a two-way player in Brad Richards; it isn't that Lecavalier's a bad player, but because he isn't a complete player, he needs other guys to handle the tough minutes to experience success on a team level.
Thanks for the SCF rehash but if I was looking for a feel good story I would call Dan Tencer or rent Rudi.
Well, if you think it was a "feel good story", you obviously didn't catch the point.
Jonathon I really wonder how many games you actually watch
Have you ever watched a game to look for who plays against who? Because that's what that spreadsheet shows - it shows that when the opposing toughs come on, Carlyle gets Getzlaf off the ice in a hurry. I'm assuming you don't catch a lot of Anaheim games because it's so obvious as to be farcical.
Horcoff over Getzlaf…PLEASE..by far most asinine arguement ever.
Read what I wrote, bright eyes. I didn't say Horcoff was a better player, I said he was a more complete player. This isn't EA Sports where you can toss out an 89 and an 86 and say the 89 is better. Real life doesn't work that way.
To quote what I said, which seems to be confusing people:
Because Getzlaf is a powerplay specialist and a guy who eats up the softies - not a guy who can carry a mail. He can help you win, but he doesn't carry the mail. Horcoff can carry the mail, but if you run him at Zetterberg/Iginla/etc. every night without a guy like Getzlaf to outscore the light-weights, the team will lose. They're different types of players - and it's a team sport - the team needs different types of players. It isn't about one being better than the other, although all other things being equal, the complete player is better every time. In this case all other things are not equal.
Reading comprehension, lads. Finish English 10, come back, try again.
November 22 2008, 08:27PM
To recap:
Jonathan: Getzlaf isn't a complete player. He's got a high-end offensive game, but his coach shelters him. Using the Oilers SCF run as an example, some guys score against soft minutes, while other guys try to play top-end opponenents to a standstill.
Braden: I'm too stupid to understand that the SCF Run example was an illustration of a point. Numbers don't provide answers. Stanley Cup winning coach Mike Babcock is worse than MacTavish. Duck's fans are smart - turn to them for player evaluations.
Mie: Jonathon, have you ever watched a hockey game? Geez, you're dumb. I bet you've never even talked to a hockey person. Numbers scare me.
November 22 2008, 10:51PM
Going back to Getzlaf, the game before the STL game was against Washington. Here's who played against Getzlaf, in order of ice-time:
1. Eric Fehr 2. Thomas Fleischmann 3. Tyler Sloan 4. Brooks Laich 5. Jeff Schultz 6. John Erskine 7. Tom Poti 8. Milan Jurcina 9. Boyd Gordon 10. David Steckel 11. Matt Bradley 12. Alexander Ovechkin
He's a useful player, but he isn't remotely a complete one. Given that Ovechkin played the most of any Washington forward, the implications here should be obvious - Ryan Getzlaf has inflated points totals because he plays gravy minutes with Perry and Selanne against low-tier opponents. It's in his favour that he takes full advantage of this matchup, but it doesn't make him a complete player by any stretch.
November 22 2008, 11:55PM
And that my friends, is having your ass handed to you in a debate. Well played Willis.
Jessica Fletcher - Marc Pouliot is more of a complete player than Pat Kane. Who cares. Getzlaf is one of the best players in the world.
Horcoff has zero physical game so is he really a "complete" player?
Mike Richards brings a physical game. Brenden Morrow brings a physical game. Ryan Kesler brings a physical game. Mike Fisher brings a physical game
Not so much.
He's a decent stopgap until Lowe brings in an impact player like Getzlaf to help Hemsky lead us out of mediocrity.
November 23 2008, 08:06AM
He's a decent stopgap until Lowe brings in an impact player like Getzlaf to help Hemsky lead us out of mediocrity.
Do you think that's the plan? Or do you think that the plan is to run Gagner, Horcoff and Brodziak/Pouliot down the middle?
That's why this year (Although this team should make some noise) is more of a development year than anything else. Gagner and Cogliano both are going to be very good players, and either of them should be able to fill the outscoring light-weights role in the next year or two. That leaves Horcoff in the Brad Richards role, and Brodziak or Pouliot or a vet third liner to handle checking duties.
November 23 2008, 09:12AM
Horcoff has zero physical game so is he really a "complete" player?
Depends on your definition of "complete" I suppose. Is Nik Lidstrom a "complete" player, despite his lack of physical game? Scott Niedermayer? Henrik Zetterberg? Patrice Bergeron? Paul Stastny? Joe Sakic?
What about guys like Modano or Yzerman in their primes? Sidney Crosby?
Obviously, we're talking guys with much greather high-end skillsets, but is it really neccessary to have a dominant physical game to be a complete player?
By my definition, a complete player is one who can play in all three zones and in any situation; players who are balanced and not a liability to their team in any facet of their game. Horcoff's no shrinking violet; he's shown his character again and again, blocking shots and taking hits to make plays, going into the corners where stuff gets nasty. A complete player, in other words.
Braden: Horcoff is as complete a player as you'll find. He's very well-rounded in all aspects. You're really reaching to suggest lack of a dominant physical component -- while he doesn't overpower anybody, he doesn't avoid traffic -- to his game makes him incomplete.
CONFUSED! 1) Why has MacT not tried Cogliano on the 1st line yet?
2) Suprised Mact want toughness when he handcuffed Laraque when he was here and benched Torres when he 'pole-axed' someone in Detroit?
Horcoff= most turn aways during a game! Does he ever finish a check?
Tyler Says: November 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm It isn't an insult to Horcoff's ability as a player to suggest that he hasn't played that well this season. Or atleast as well as he is capable of.
I don't disagree with the idea that there's nothing wrong with saying he hasn't played up to his usual level, I just have a hard time reconciling it with what the numbers say about him. There seems to be a disconnect between what the numbers tell us that he's done this year (yes, yes, I know he hasn't piled up the points this quarter; I'm talking about the stuff like SF/SA, where his shifts start and end) and what the perception is. I have a hard time believing that, if he'd had a some more bounces, a lot of the heat would dissipate.
Not playing as well as he is capable of does not mean that he isn't doing anything right. It just means he isn't playing as well as he is capable of.
You suggest that for Horcoff it almost boils down to puck luck for him. That the numbers show that he is doing better than the traditional stats indicate.
I think the stats you list (pts VS outshooting and where the shifts start/end) merry up they way I would expect them to at this point.
What the outshooting stats and shift ending stats don't tell you is how they ended or what kind of shots are being taken. Horcoff has done alright in moving the puck up the ice and generating a few shots, the problem is they aren't resulting in the quality chances he has been involved in when looking back.
In other words, he is doing fine in some respects but not so much in others. As such his game most definately is open for some critisism.
RobinB - I think you're confusing "complete player" with "2-way forward".
Alexander Ovechkin is the most "complete" player in the league.
Horcoff is a better 2-way player than Getzlaf.
Getzlaf is more of a complete player than Horcoff.
That's the way I see it. If you disagree that's fine.
Braden: I do disagree and, like you said, that's fine. I'm not that worried about making you see things my way.
As for being "confused," I'd like to think that after 25 years of being paid to cover hockey, I'm not that easily thrown off what's what and that I know the difference between a complete player and a two-way player. But thanks for the tip and the benefit of all of your experience.
"Depends on your definition of "complete" I suppose. Is Nik Lidstrom a "complete" player, despite his lack of physical game? Scott Niedermayer? Henrik Zetterberg? Patrice Bergeron? Paul Stastny? Joe Sakic?
What about guys like Modano or Yzerman in their primes? Sidney Crosby?"
Great comparison Willis...Yeah I would put Horcoff in the same category as all these sure fire Hall-of-Famers (Stastny and Bergeron not included).
When you are that great, it doesn't matter if you are physical. At least compare him to players he deserves to be in the same breath as.
As for your stats against Washington, with Carlyle having last change why would be go power on power, when he gets a better matchup going against lesser lights. That is good coaching, not a sign that Getzlaf is a liability.
And in the World Championships, wasn't it Getzlaf on the top line, facing the opposing teams top D-pair every game, and geez he did pretty good there. But I guess Hitchcock was so worried about his defensive play that he got him soft minutes.
Getslaf is tougher, scores more, changes the momentum of the game more often and is far from this PP softie that you claim.
Last year Getzlaf scored a whopping 4 goals on the PP out of his 24. This year he has 2 on the PP out of 8. Sure looks like he only scores with the extra man.
And compare his PP points to other top scorers, and he isn't any more of a PP scorer than them. Datsyuk had 40, Zetterberg 36, Malkin 40, Getzlaf 36.
But I guess you and Travis are the only ones who can use stats to back their point. Keep bringing up any stat you want, but 30 out of 30 GMs will take Getzlaf, and every Oiler would take him to. Not a knock on Horc, just that Getzlaf will give your team a better chance to win any night of the year.
Let's stock the team entirely with "complete players". Then we can "roll four lines" and "play for 60 minutes" at "both ends of the ice."
November 24 2008, 01:06PM
I'd be happy if we could role one line that would play for 60 minutes.


text:
I always say this when I leave.
I'll be back - Almost every Terminator movie and it hasn't lost its epicness yet.
I always say this when I leave.
I'll be back - Almost every Terminator movie and it hasn't lost its epicness yet.
Pulp Fiction
Jules: ENGLISH, MOTHERF***ER! DO-YOU-SPEAK-IT?
Iron Man 2
Agent Colson:I'm here to make sure you don't leave the premises.
Tony:And if I do?
Colson:Then I tazer you and watch Supernanny while you drool on your carpet.
(sig by Cross)
my deviantart page...:http://hagane90.deviantart.com/
Note, I have no real drawing talent, so it'll be mostly literature.
Proud Grammar Nazi
Chronicles of Riddick (All by Riddick)
"I bow to no man"
"Skittish Toombs. Real skittish."
A delusional solitude brings about an ubiquitous corruption; entrancing you in a cycle of tormented thoughts, ensnaring you within dreams of grandeur as well as fueling the primordial catalyst; thus, you are a captive of your own utopia.
This one had me rolling on the floor. Picture the count in this conversation in his royal wear with a Russian accent.
Movie: Virgin Territory (2007)
Count Dzerzhinsky: I am Dmitry Vyacheslav Alexandrovich Dzerzhinsky first son of Alexander Pyotr Abramovich Dzerzhinsky
from the Kingdom of Novgorod and you...who are you?
You are Pampanea Anastasi's father, yes?
Gerbino De la Ratta: I am Gerbino De la Ratta. I am Pampanea Anastasi's father, No.
I'm Pampinea's husband to be.
Count Dzerzhinsky: Sir, there has been a mistake. Pampinea Anastasi is supposed to be married to me.
Gerbino De la Ratta: Count. You don't mind me calling you a Count, do you? You look like a big Count to me...
Pampinea Anastasi's soon to be my wife. You just didn't hear about it... That... is the mistake.
Count Dzerzhinsky: So you bring me all the way from Novgorod to tell me that Pampinea Anastasi is marrying
a man who is old enough to be her father, yes?
Gerbino De la Ratta: I did not bring you here, but I suggest you leave. Florence is a very bad place for the health
this time of year.
Count Dzerzhinsky: Geerbiiino De la Ratta.
De la Rat...Huh?
A rat is a small furry animal, yes?
Gerbino De la Ratta: Yes
Count Dzerzhinsky: I thought as much.
Later in the movie Count Dzerzhinsky talks to Lorenzo
Count Dzerzhinsky: I am Dmitry Vyacheslav Alexandrovich Dzerzhinsky.......
Lorenzo: Yeah Yeah I know "first son"
Count Dzerzhinsky: (Speaks undertone) first son, eight sisters.(speeds off after Lorenzo)
Last edited by Don.D.Bulky; 10-09-2011 at 01:22 PM.
__________________________________________________ __________________________
Currently planning war strategies at a tea party with Madara, Kabuto, Zetsu and Sasuke.
Movie: Chronicles of Riddick
Richard B. Riddick: You made three mistakes. First, you took the job. Second, you came light. A four man crew for me? Fucking insulting. But the worst mistake you made...
[Toombs darts for the gun rack which he finds to be empty while Riddick smiles]
Richard B. Riddick: ...empty gun rack
Riddick: I'm sure God has his tricks, but getting out of places no one else can, that's one of mine.
Richard B. Riddick: Remember that favorite game of yours?
Kyra: "Who's the Better Killer?"
Richard B. Riddick: Let's play.
Kyra: Death by tea cup
[pulls cup out of dead guards chest]
Kyra: Damn. Why didn't I think of that?
__________________________________________________ __________________________
Currently planning war strategies at a tea party with Madara, Kabuto, Zetsu and Sasuke.
Just like cross777 said this is by far my favorite movie quote of all time.Pulp Fiction
Jules: ENGLISH, MOTHERFUCKER! DO-YOU-SPEAK-IT?


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Lady Gaga to help shut down New York City's Roseland Ballroom
Just a few days after serving as host and musical guest on "Saturday Night Live," global superstar Lady Gaga has announced plans to close out New York City's Roseland Ballroom early next year.
Gaga will perform four concerts at her hometown venue -- March 28, March 30-31 and April 2 -- after which it will close its doors. Tickets go on sale Nov. 25.
The multiple Grammy winner's schedule also includes a Dec. 8 concert in London and a Jan. 26 performance at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala in Los Angeles.
Gaga unleashed her fifth studio effort, "Artpop," Nov. 6 via Interscope Records. The chart-topping album, which features the Top 10 single "Applause" and the R. Kelly collaboration "Do What U Want," has already received platinum certification.


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The controversial head of a national gun-rights group is coming to Durango on Wednesday for a fundraiser in support of the recall against Rep. Mike McLachlan, D-Durango.
Larry Pratt, head of Gun Owners of America, will speak at a $50 per ticket event at CJ's Diner, and later will give a free speech at the Durango Community Recreation Center.
Gun Owners of America bills itself as the most strident gun-rights lobby in the country, and Pratt criticizes the National Rifle Association as too soft and compromising.
Pratt's controversial statements have kept him in the news for 20 years.
Days after the Aurora movie theater shooting last July, he insinuated it was a setup to drum up support for the United Nations Small Arms Treaty, which deals with international trade in weapons.
In a July 27, 2012, interview with the online video site Infowars.com, Pratt said mass shootings are common in American history. But federal authorities' involvement in a gun-trafficking operation called Fast and Furious, which led to many murders in Mexico, raised the specter of a government setup in Aurora.
"This is what human beings are capable of. Now, we have to admit that maybe this is something our government is capable of," Pratt said.
Lasamoa Cross was sitting next to her boyfriend, AJ Boik, when he and 11 others were shot to death at the premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises" last July.
"At the time, pundits like Larry Pratt rushed in to do media tours claiming that the shooting was some kind of United Nations conspiracy. Now a bunch of fringe gun groups are bringing him into Colorado for a fundraiser. This is not only an insult to me, but shows how completely out of touch these guys are," Cross said in an email forwarded by allies of McLachlan.
Dave Saleh, an organizer of the recall, defended Pratt.
"I've known Larry for 25 years, and he articulates the Second Amendment like nobody you've ever known," Saleh said. "I appreciate the fact that he's controversial, but that's because he kicks anybody's (butt) he gets into a debate with."
Saleh dismissed the idea that the Aurora shooting was planned by anyone other than the alleged shooter. But he said mass shootings almost always involve psychotic people who were overlooked by the country's poor mental-health system. Politicians such as President Barack Obama use the shootings to further their gun-control agenda, while foresaking mental-health care, Saleh said.
"There isn't any reasonable person who can deny that these guys grandstand on the bodies of dead kids," Saleh said. "It's shameless."
Pratt has been in the news before. He worked on Pat Buchanan's insurgent campaign for the Republican nomination for president in 1996. He had to leave the campaign after Buchanan's opponents called media attention to Pratt's appearances on stage in the 1990s along with white supremacist and militia leaders, speaking at gatherings that also featured officials from the Aryan Nations, Christian Identity movement on militia leaders.
Pratt, at the time, said the media was practicing guilt by association.
"Let's be fair, to speak to a group does not mean you sign up for their agenda," Pratt wrote in a rebuttal to his critics posted on the Gun Owners of America website.
McLachlan is recovering at home after suffering complications from surgery on his lower intestine. He was away from the Legislature all week, but is expected back at the Capitol on Monday.
The recall campaign needs to get signatures equal to 25 percent of the votes cast in the 2012 election, which adds up to 10,587 signatures from registered voters in House District 59.
Democrats are gearing up to defend McLachlan. They registered a campaign committee – Citizens for Mike McLachlan – and the Colorado Democratic Party contributed $1,000 to the effort.
Tickets to the Pratt event at CJ's Diner, 810 E. College Dr., cost $50, and proceeds will go to the San Juan Freedom Defense Fund, the campaign that is working to recall McLachlan. Tickets are available through Saleh at email@example.com. After the 4:30 p.m. dinner, Pratt will speak at the rec center at 6:30 p.m.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald


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Welcome to your morning dose of denim news, links, sales, and everything else we couldn't help but share. Check out what's happening (and totally not happening) in the world of denim now. Got a tip you think we should include, a sale you want to share, or a style you just saw and can't live without? Email us!
1. Here's an inexpensive denim deal we're really into: $62.40 for a pair of BLANK red cuffed jeans (normally $78) on sale at Nasty Gal. Get on it!
2. The PROJECT LV blog reporting has begun cascading down our RSS feeds—and we like what we see. Check out this post on menswear brand Publish from Selectism.
3. We were just daydreaming about our perfect late-fall/early-winter denim jacket after experiencing a cool Brooklyn breeze that made us believe autumn is pushing its arrival yesterday… and hark! The IRO lookbook arrives and makes us fawn.
4. Something is way off about this denim dress ensemble Alexa Chung is wearing, and we can't quite put our finger on it. Maybe it's her posture, or it'd look cuter with an up-do?
5. We're not even that crazy about these denim bikini designs, but it's still summer and we'll be damned if we don't post some photos of girls lounging next to the water in swimsuits!
—Michelle Christina Larsen
Tags: Alexa Chung, BLANK JEANS, cheap denim, colored denim, denim bikini, denim on sale, project las vegas, red jeans, selectism


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Happy Birthday wishes from family and friends of Maggie B. Hansen on her 92nd birthday, which was celebrated on Feb. 5.
Maggie still lives in her home in Emery. "She is an inspiration to all of us," said family members.
Claude Scovill is still alive and going strong at 85.
His family would like to wish him a Happy Birthday on Feb. 8.


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On Nov. 21 a call came into the Emery County Sheriff's Office dispatch center reporting a vehicle had left the road coming down Gentry. The accident was reported at 7:06 p.m. The accident took the life of Jordan Wallace Hatch, 46, of Huntington.
Hatch and friend Leon McElprang along with some of McElprang's children and friends were working on Gentry Mountain, reseeding in some of the areas burned by the Seeley fire.
They left the mountain and were heading home at the time of the accident. The Hatch vehicle left first and the McElprang vehicle followed shortly after.
Lt. Gayle Jensen reported that McElprang spotted a couple of the dogs in the road and stopped his vehicle. The horse rack was near the road and McElprang knew something had happened. He instructed Austin Jeffs to call 911 and report the accident.
The Hatch vehicle had left the road and dropped 140 feet down into a ravine. Lt. Jensen said it appears the vehicle came close to the side of the road and Hatch overcorrected flipping the vehicle in the road and then it rolled down the embankment. Hatch was ejected from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries at the scene. Lt. Jensen said Hatch died on impact. The Emery County Search and Rescue rope team aided in the recovery efforts and Landon's towing brought the vehicle out of the ravine. Two horses were with Hatch at the time of the accident and one horse died and one survived.
Jordan Hatch was a cattleman and farmer in Huntington. He was an instructor at CEU Eastern where he headed the Heavy Equipment department. He was currently the chapter president of the Emery County Farm Bureau. Hatch leaves behind his wife Joel who works at Zion's bank and two children Holly and Elder Haden Hatch.


text:
Dr. Michael Charlton will lead the multidisciplinary team of experts who will provide care at the clinic. Currently, Charlton is the medical director of hepatology and of the liver transplant program at Intermountain Medical Center. Previously, he was chief of hepatology and medical liver transplantation at the Mayo Clinic. "Few areas of medicine have seen more advances than hepatology and this brings exciting and new opportunities and challenges," said Charlton.
The healthcare team of experts has broad expertise in the diagnosis and management of all forms of hepatobiliary diseases. The hepatobiliary system includes the liver, pancreas, bile ducts and gallbladder.
The Intermountain Medical Center Liver Clinic in St. George will partner with providers in the region to deliver the most advanced care for patients. Bringing the clinic here on a monthly basis will allow access to the most promising diagnostic and therapeutic clinical innovations.
"We saw a need to establish a liver clinic locally to better serve St. George and the surrounding community," said Gary Stone, hospital operations officer over the liver clinic. "Now, patients have the choice to receive their preliminary treatment close to home by some of the top specialists in the state."
The clinic is open the first Friday of every month and is now accepting patients. For more information call (435) 251-1696.


text:
Although a great deal of Indian secular art was produced, it was essentially made of perishable material and has not survived. What has survived in the medium of stone is religious art. In both Buddhist and Hindu art, symbolism in gesture, posture, and attribute contains many levels of meaning. In images of the Buddha, different hand positions (mudras) signify religious states, such as the Enlightenment (Nirvana), Meditation, and Preaching. In Hindu sculpture, deities (see Vishnu, Krishna, and Shiva) are frequently represented with many hands to indicate their power to perform multiple deeds at the same time, and the hands each carry their characteristic attributes. With the exception of Mughal art and architecture, which demands separate treatment, the major trends in Indian art–Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain–are discussed within this article.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.


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Michael Antonio Rockford Platform Sandal
Sorry, this item is sold out!
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Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
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By: kitkatkate
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February 06, 2013
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By: MalGal724
Location: Detroit
January 20, 2013
"The sexy strappy sandal you want to pair with your LBD! Its cute, comfy and best of all cheap! Great purchase"
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text:
Students who wish to have a transcript of grades sent to another college, organization or for employment have three options for requesting a transcript:
Somerset Community College has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide transcript ordering via the Internet. You can order transcripts using any major credit card. Your card will only be charged after your order has been completed.
Transcripts from high school or other colleges will not be duplicated. You must contact that institution directly for transcripts.
Partial transcripts are not issued. Transcripts show all work completed at this institution.
All transcripts given to the student will indicate "ISSUED TO STUDENT" which means some institutions will not accept them. Check with the institution and/or employer first.
Tina Watson
606 451-6636


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Purple Double Flared Steel Tunnels
$11.99 $6.00
This variant is currently sold out
What is it?
It's Sterile, It's fairly inexpensive, and it looks awesome. What's not to love?
Product Details
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Material: 316L Surgical Stainless Steel, Anodized in black.
Wearable Area: Coming soon
Class: Steel
Color: Purple


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Celebrate St. Patrick's Day right with Irish party decorations from Lillian Vernon. Whether you're looking for Shamrock Table Runners or Irish jewelry, Lillian Vernon has all of your Holidays & Occasions needs covered! Make your St. Patrick's Day party a huge hit!


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Show your team colors Unstructured Custom Caps with your logo.
Be prepared for your next trade show or event with this custom badge holder.
Every time you use this promotional stadium cup your logo, school, or marketing message will get exposure!
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Plan your next promotion with this colorful 14 month Mini Vinyl Weekly Custom Pocket Planner.
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Finding the Future of Agriculture
Agricultural producers in rural America represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, yet they produce almost 75% of the food we eat in this country and much of the food eaten throughout the world. Among that 1%, the average age of the American farmer is 57 years old—making it imperative for us to engage and encourage young people to pursue agricultural careers.
Earlier this summer, while visiting Browning, Montana, I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Billie Jo Kipp, President of the Blackfeet Community College (BCC) and Mr. Terry Tatsey, Director of Agricultural Programs at the college. Their efforts and commitment to educate local students and keep young people in agriculture is inspiring. Read more »


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Nikon 1 NIKKOR 18.5mm f/1.8
Further readings for the Nikon 1 NIKKOR 18.5mm f/1.8
To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.
Nikon 1 Nikkor 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6 VR & 18.5mm f/1.8 lens reviews: best performing lenses in the range
Nikon was one of the last big camera makers to offer a mirrorless model but when they finally announced the Nikon 1 system back in September, 2011, they attracted some controversy for adopting a new smaller sensor than rivals. Since then, they've done well to increase popularity of the system by expanding the range of lenses in a relatively short time frame. The 1 Nikkor 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6 and the 18.5mm f/1.8 are two of the newest models from the firm. Read on to see how well they perform when mounted on the Nikon 1 V1 body.
Added by glastoria | June 27 , 2013
I fail to understand the scores...
As far as sharpness is concerned, the 18.5mm achieves 6 out of 10MP, the Sigma 12 out of 24. How could it achieve an higher point when it resolving only 50% of the sensor pixels?
Furthermore the Canon 300 and 400mm f/2.8 score extremely low in transmission. Of course they are no f/1.4 lenses, but they are no 50mm either...What about weighting the values? A 400mm with T=3.1 should score much more than a 50mm with T=1.7, in my opinion.


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Read about 3 lies enterprise storage vendors like to tell SMB resellers. This IT solutions provider's experience with enterprise storage vendors taught his one thing; you can't cram an enterprise storage solution into a small to midsize business.
Here is an excerpt from this Q&A:
What were the biggest challenges you faced selling managed services to SMBs? Every SMB client has data that it needs to manage, and this is the most important service a VAR, integrator, or MSP can offer. Yet, this subject has been the most difficult piece of the puzzle. We've been doing this for 20 years, and it's only within the last two years that providing backup and disaster recovery (BDR) services to our customers hasn't been a frustrating part of our business.
Download this web exclusive article below to read more.


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Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz #1)
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- Brief Synopsis:
- A hero with an incredible talent... for breaking things. A life-or-death mission... to rescue a bag of sand. A fearsome threat from a powerful secret network... the evil Librarians.
- Long Synopsis:
- Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. Alcatraz must stop them!... by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutziness.
- Book Quality:
- Excellent
- Book Size:
- 316 Pages
- 9780439925525
- Publisher:
- Scholastic, Incorporated
- Date of Addition:
- 09/27/09
- Copyright Date:
- 2007
- Copyrighted By:
- Brandon Sanderson
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Categories:
- Parenting and Family, Humor, Literature and Fiction, Teens, Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Grade Levels:
- Fourth grade, Fifth grade, Sixth grade, Seventh grade, Eighth grade
- Submitted By:
- Daproim Africa
- Proofread By:
- Daproim Africa
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
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