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Right now, ILECs have a near monopoly on the "last mile". Cable is about the only near competitor, but as there's never been a universal access requirement for cable, it's not something that can be as universal and thus important as standard telephone wire.
ILECs use their wire to supply a number of services that require that last-mile line but do not, by themselves, need to be provid
Rather than strapping our country into a PSTN that was never designed for DSL data rates, we should have a free-for-all on wifi, where anyone with the dollars can set up a subscription network.
Land-line broadband is hopelessly bundled with services that I don't want (cable tv, POTS). wifi is the only hope for unbundled broadband.
It is tempting to let municipalities do wifi - they would do it well, but the phone companies will always be at their throats with the legislative process.
I'd rather see the FCC set aside much more wifi bandwidth, and have my pick of 50 providers. I probably won't get that either, since everyone in government is bought and paid for.
Yes, write your representative, tell him he's lost a vote.
There's no need to make any threats; it's implicit that if you're sufficiently annoyed to write, then you'll also be paying attention to how they vote. Just explain what position you think they should take, on which bill, give a simple argument, say thanks, and say that you'd like to know their current position. Make sure they have your name and address so they can reply and so they know you're a constituent. The letter will be read by some rand
Suprising? No. News? Yes.
As a resident of Texas, I actually wasn't aware fo this until I opened up Slashdot today. First, shame on me.
While your general tone of apathy is not suprising, it's also not helping the situation. In fact, Slashdot's "whining" is doing far more than you're overated post. When voting rolls around, I'll be sure to do a bit of simple research to find out which politicians are supporting this type of iniative, and assuming their opponents aren't asshats, vote for their opposition.
I've also forwarded this article to no less than 9 coworkers (geeks), who I'm sure will spread the word. We're all registered voters. So saying zero, no wait ZERO! effect on the issue is just plain wrong. It might only have
Lose the apathy, captain whiney, it is what's wrong with this place (and country) in the first place.
On a side note, imagine that. I learned something from Slashdot today. And as a bonus, I learned something before noon.
What happened? The governor still signed it. And you know what? He'll get reelected in spite of the fact that he gave away some control of our municipalities to corporations.
Conservatives are right when they say money is speech. It's the only speech politicians every listen to.
You know why money is the only speech? Because regular speech by regular citizens gets in the way of Must See
Yet posting about this on slashdot can create widerspread discussion and can allow people to advocate action. It's a fine line.
Didn't they do a survey a number of years ago that discovered that many people do not understand the connection between the government's money and taxes? There are people who think the government just has its own money to spend.
I hate that kind of self-proclaimed libertarians. They're the nuts that think every cooperative venture in their ideal world must be some sort of corporation driven by market forces. Real libertarians realize that people can just get together and (say) form a volunteer fire department rather than everyone having to subscribe to a for-profit fire-fighting service if they want their burning house doused.
And yes, I would say that "generally" the government is not the most efficient means to acheive a goal. Governments aren't generally set up to be efficient, and they usually have little motivation to be efficient, so they generally aren't that efficient. But then agai
Or does it seem to you we disagree? (or are you just going into detail/examples?)
But what about all the companies that have invested to put WiFi where it is? Is it fair for the cities to decide that it should be free and drive them out of business?
Sure. The "cities" are made up of citizens. They all have priorities. If they collectively decide to fund a "free" wifi system, then they have decided that they would rather do it themselves than pay a private firm. Just because a company has "invested" in an infrastructure, that does not mean that they have a god-given right to profit
Do you object to paying for the road he has to travel down to buy pr0n from a shop?
The bill history for HB789 [state.tx.us] is interesting. Notably, it shows how quickly (and without a recorded vote so those of us who live in Texas can't even accuse our representatives of actually supporting this legislation) the bill passed.
Austin Wireless [austinwireless.net] and Austin Wireless City [austinwirelesscity.org] both have coverage of what it means to Austin. The Save Muni Wireless [savemuniwireless.org] group was put together in response to challenges like this; they include much better commentary on why HB789 is a bad idea than would be worth repeating here. If you really want to understand the issue, check some of these sites.
Even the High Tech Broadband Coalition [unibex.com] (a group of telecom, hardware, and software companies) was against HB789.
Several local news stories:
For those in Texas who want this law changed, it's probably a good time to call or write your state Senator today before this bill sails through committee and a floor non-vote.
"Full grassroots and PAC management functionality"
"Legislator targeting".
Run the online demo. Especially the "asset tracking system", which generates maps It looks like Hollywood's vision of something a corrupt organization would use. But it's real.
Hey, if the telco's and cable companies charged per bit transported over their backbone or through their access points, they'd still see the money for transporting the bits from the city's wi-fi access points, wouldn't they?
But, of course, the telco's and cable companies don't do that, they sell access to one customer at a time, and (in the case of the cable companies, at least) threaten users who share the access via their own wireless links.
If the telco industry moved to charging for bits transported
It would really suck if we had this infrastructure and weren't able to allow people to access it - the plan was to have full Internet access from most of the city.
The network is already up, with a nice page that explains what it is when you connect and open up IE.
I suppose it's encouraging that SBC thinks there's enough of a correlation between pulic support and a bill passing that they're campaigning with ads and a website...?
There's some otherwise very smart people living and working in Austin on technology right now. For example, one of the two IBM Linux Technology Centers in the US is there. The other is in my hometown of Portland, Oregon---one of the most wireless-friendly cities in the nation.
I hope Texans pass this bill, and rigorously enforce it. It'd be good for the Oregon economy.
Have you ever noticed that the people who are always trying to tell you `there's a time for work and a time for play' never find the time for play?


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Archives for: September 2008, 30
Wall Street vs Main StreetSeptember 30th, 2008 , by Suzanne
The next time I hear about the conflict between Wall Street and Main Street, I may throw a shoe at the TV or the computer monitor. Surely all of you are too intelligent to fall for that kind of class warfare! When banks start failing, everyone is going to be hurt, whatever street we're on.
I grew up hearing stories of the Great Depression from my parents who vividly remembered it. (They were born in 1917 and 1918) A local bank held the mortgage on my grandparents' ranch. For years the family struggled just to pay the interest on that mortgage so they would not lose their means of livelihood. My other grandfather was an officer in the bank in a small farm community. The officers didn't get their money out until everyone else had been paid. Both families kept food on the table with backyard gardens. Ironically my mother learned to love cooked greens, and my father learned to hate them.
I hope that enough of our representatives in Washington will have enough backbone to put election year pontificating aside and do the right thing to stabilize the financial markets, but I'm not counting on them.
I have begun to think about what I need to do to keep healthy food on the table. I am seriously considering a garden on the back of our property. I have a lot to learn if I'm going to break ground for a spring garden. Even without a garden, increasing vegetable servings and portions is one way to make our food dollars go farther. That would be beneficial for both the Type Os and Type As in the family.
I fear that most Americans will increase their wheat and potato portions. That will fill them up, but will cause health problems, especially for Type Os.
I don't know how long I will buy spelt bread at $4.50 a loaf. HH likes it much better than the less expensive Ezekiel Bread. I can dig the bread machine out of the closet, but I wish I hadn't sold my bread slicer before we moved. Organic will be out of the question, and when I finished the leftover salmon for lunch today, I may have been eating my last wild caught fish – unless I'm fortunate enough to find a sale.
I have already started ordering supplements on the Internet. I really want to support my local health food stores. But their supplement prices are twice as high as the same products on line.
Perhaps you think I'm over reacting. Here are a few facts. Most employers no longer provide pensions; they provide 401K plans. Unless you plan to die young, you have to generate enough income from your 401K so that you don't spend your principle. Falling stock markets, falling interest rates, and inflation (all of which increased at the speed of light this week) decrease your 401K income. Social Security expenditures will exceed income in 2017, with bankruptcy following unless benefits are cut. Medicare expenditures began exceeding income last year. The program will be bankrupt by 2020. Those "facts" are suddenly very personal when HH hoped to retire this year and we have two children in college.
It will help if I can find a good job quickly. I'm working at that every day. It will also help if I get away from the computer and pound out some of this stress in intense physical exercise.

subset: commoncrawl


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Here are some eBooks for your Kindle or Kindle app priced at under 4 bucks! Here are some Middle Grade and Young Adult sale book to feed your fantasy and PNR craving
Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy) by Jennifer Estep – $2.99
My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.
But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .
You can also purchase a bundle with First Frost, Touch of Frost, Kiss of Frost & Dark Frost for only $12.64!
Celia and the Fairies by Karen McQuestion – 2.99
When Celia Lovejoy's parents announce that her grandmother is coming to live with them, Celia is delighted. Now while her parents work at their toy company, she can spend time with Grammy instead of going to bossy Paul's house. When her grandmother tells stories about the fairies living in the woods behind Celia's house, her parents are quick to dismiss it. "Just a lot of nonsense," says her father with a wave of his hand. Her mother reminds her that a ten-year-old girl is too old to believe in magic. But if there are no fairies, how to explain the glimmers of light she sees from her balcony at night? And why does she dream of a fairy girl begging for help? All of the answers are in the woods, if only Celia is brave enough to find out. An engaging story sure to delight readers everywhere.
Darkwood by M E Breen – 1.99
Darkness falls so quickly in Howland that the people there have no word for evening. One minute the sky is light, the next minute it is black. But darkness comes in other forms, too, and for thirteen-year-old Annie, the misery she endures in her Uncle's household makes the black of night seem almost soothing. When Annie escapes, her route takes her first to a dangerous mine where a precious stone is being stolen by an enemy of the king, and later to the king's own halls, where a figure from Annie's past makes a startling appearance. All the while, reported sightings of kinderstalk— mysterious, wolf-like creatures that prowl Howland's dark forests—grow more frequent. Eloquent, suspenseful, and imbued with fairy-tale motifs found in The Brothers Grimm, this is a riveting coming-of-age story of a girl who must learn to trust her instincts if she's to lead the people she is destined to rule.
Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott – 2.99
When 11-year-old Dmitri ("D") loses his mother to breast cancer, he finds himself taken in by an elderly white woman, Mrs. Martin. D loves to watch birds and, while in the park, is amazed to find an injured bird that can talk. He takes it home and soon learns there are malevolent forces inhabiting the region beneath Prospect Park and they are hunting for the bird; Nuru is a life force that has been kept hostage by the earthbound spirits who are ghosts of soldiers that died in the Revolutionary War. Nuru's mission is to guide the ship that will carry the souls of the dead back to her realm. D has been chosen as Nuru's host, and must carry the bird from Brooklyn to the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan where the dead await deliverance.


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Warwick Police put out call for department memorabilia, plan display
Warwick Police are looking to reclaim their history and have put out a call for photos, uniforms, badges and other items from the department's past.
After 48 years with the Warwick Police, Inspector Chris Mathiesen says he has become the department's "unofficial historian."
"I've been here the longest," he said with a laugh, saying that anytime a fellow officer or citizen has a historical question about the department, they are directed to him.
Mathiesen, who has been with the department since the mid-'60s, remembers getting calls from people living out of state who were looking for photos of relatives who had been in the force. It was then that Mathiesen realized the department did not have historical records like that.
"Documents, pictures are not available," he said.
About six years ago, Mathiesen and Major Thomas Nye took it upon themselves to gather police memorabilia to put on display throughout the department. The two gathered some of their own photos, antique sirens and gumball lights and badges from departments throughout the state to put in frames and a lobby display case.
"The problem is a lot of it did not relate to the department," said Mathiesen, pointing out that almost half of the items in the lobby display case are from the Providence Police Department.
Now, Mathiesen is in the process of collecting any and all memorabilia relating to Warwick Police including but not limited to photos, badges, uniforms etc.
Mathiesen explained that any photos would be scanned and returned immediately and other items could be given to the department through a "loan program." He said the property would be kept in the station and would be returned whenever the owner wanted it; they would have a ticket of some kind to show that they donated the item in the first place.
"I want to put emphasis on that we're not keeping it," said Mathiesen.
Currently, Mathiesen has been able to collect photos from the 1960s until now, but the Warwick Police Department has existed since 1921, so there is a lot left to find.
The inspector believes that by having mementos from the past on display throughout the department, younger generations of officers will be able to appreciate and understand the officers that came before them.
Mathiesen also teaches officer survival and terrorism classes at the Police Academy and says the students will often ask him about life as an officer in the 1960s. Mathiesen recalls being on patrol in a car with just the gumball siren; now there are monitor screens, radios and other technological advancements.
One item that Mathiesen is searching for is an original Warwick Police badge from the 1920s or 1930s. He explained that the original badges were shaped like shields; they looked like the traditional badges one would see in a TV show or movie. Now the department uses radiator badges, which look very different.
Mathiesen is also looking for a picture of Patrolman Walter G. McQuarry, who was killed on duty in 1911. Five Warwick police officers have been killed on duty, and Mathiesen explained that the department hopes to have portraits painted of all five to hang in the community room. Two have been created and are on display, and they have pictures of two others to use for the portraits.
Mathiesen also has a vision to get mannequins to display uniforms from the different decades, alongside photos and larger mementos in a corner of the community room. He also has a number of older firearms that he will disarm and include in the display.
If items are brought to Mathiesen that are not from the Warwick Police, he will gladly pass it along to the department it does belong to. He has a deal with retired captain John Glancy of Providence Police to turn over any Providence memorabilia he finds and Glancy will provide any Warwick Police items he finds.
"We don't want all this stuff of Providence," said Mathiesen when describing the display case in the station's lobby. "We're going to give it to John Glancy for his museum."
If you have any photographs or memorabilia you would like to give or loan to the Warwick Police for display, contact Inspector Chris Mathiesen by calling 468-4200.


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Mens mag debuts e-ink cover
Kindle display used in print publication
Sony wants everyone to ditch paperbacks in favour of its Reader electronic book, but man-mag Esquire is keeping the printed world alive with an e-ink magazine.
Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com
The 75th anniversary issue of the US edition of Esquire features a small e-ink display on the front cover which flashes between a "The 21st Century Begins Now" headline and a collage of images.
The screen uses technology from E Ink, the firm that supplied the e-ink screens for both Sony's Reader and Amazon's rival e-book, Kindle.
The magazine isn't wirelessly connected and so can't be updated – ah, the drawbacks of print... - but the magazine's editor-in-chief, David Granger told the Associated Press that if the concept's used in future then, hopefully, the screens could be linked to the web, allowing content to be updated post-sale.
Each e-ink Esquire runs on six batteries, which are said to last for between three and six months.
It's not known how much it cost Esquire's publisher to produce the October issue, but 100,000 copies of the e-ink edition go on sale today in the US at $6 (£3.40/€4.21) a pop - $2 more than usual.
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


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Participants learn about the power of the object and its role in the telling of history in this interactive workshop. Drawing on objects from the Museum's collection, pupils handle a yellow star, a passport, a hidden spice box and a Kindertransport child's suitcase. Each object conveys a powerful story and enables participants to contextualise the history of Jewish people in World War II; reflect on their learning; discover more about child refugees today and consider how they can learn from the past and actively respond to make an impact today
National Curriculum Links
History KS2: The impact of the Second World War; Finding out about, people and changes from an appropriate range of sources
To book your Take One workshop at the Jewish Museum
Please call or email our Learning Administrator
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Office - 020 7284 7384


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AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanians hurled stones at riot police and chanted unprecedented slogans against the monarchy for a second day Wednesday as growing anger over price increases threatened to plunge the US-allied kingdom into a wave of unrest.
So far, King Abdullah II has steered his nation clear of the Arab Spring that has swept across the region, toppling the rulers of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen along the way. But Jordan's massive budget deficit and other economic woes could increasingly push the population into the opposition's camp.
Tensions rose late Tuesday after the government raised prices for cooking and heating gas by 54 percent to rein in a bulging budget deficit and secure a $2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. Minutes after state television announced the increase, several thousand Jordanians poured into the streets across the country, pelting police with stones, torching government offices and private cars, and chanting slogans against the king.
''I like the king, but so what?'' asked civil servant Daoud Shorfat, 29, one of some 300 protesters in central Amman on Wednesday who police dispersed with tear gas and water cannons. ''He can't feel our pain. . . . He is watching the government raising the prices, while the people are barely able to feed their hungry children.''
Violent demonstrations broke out across the rest of the country Wednesday as well, hitting all 12 of Jordan's governorates, police said. Police said at least 120 people were arrested nationwide.
In the city of Salt, protesters unsuccessfully tried to storm the residence of the Jordanian prime minister, while in the city of Maan, demonstrators fired in the air to force riot police out of town, wounding one officer, police said.
Some 2,000 protesters in the city of Karak shouted ''Down, down with you, Abullah,'' and ''Get out and leave us alone'' as they marched through the town,eyewitnesses and police said.
Jordan has been hit by frequent, but small, antigovernment protests over the past 23 months, but these demonstrations have shifted the focus from the government squarely to the king.
The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Jordan's most powerful opposition group, called the protests ''a wake-up call to the king to avoid a replica of the violence in Egypt and Tunisia.''
''The street is seething with anger and an explosion is coming,'' Zaki Bani Irsheid said. ''We want to create a Jordanian Spring with a local flavor — meaning reforms in the system while keeping our protests peaceful.''
The Brotherhood, which has spearheaded the protest movement in the past, has harnessed anger over the price increases to form a loose — and temporary — alliance with Arab nationalists and Marxist and communist groups. The umbrella recently has expanded to include the militant Salafis and the largely secular protest movement, known as Hirak and composed primarily of young people.
The riots are reminiscent of those in 1988 and 1996 over similar increases on the price of bread and other food commodities under Abdullah's late father, King Hussein. At the time, Hussein was forced to introduce swift changes that ushered in Jordan's first parliamentary elections after a 22-year gap, an end to martial law, and the renewal of a multiparty system that had been banned for decades.
Jordanian political commentator Osama al-Sharif said the new wave of protests pose a ''serious challenge, probably the most crucial since [Abdullah] became king'' in 1999.
The 50-year-old king has been fighting to fend off a host of domestic challenges, including a Muslim Brotherhood boycott of parliamentary elections, increasing opposition from his traditional Bedouin allies, and an inability to keep the Syrian civil war from spilling over the border.
The king 'can't feel our pain. . . . People are barely able to feed their hungry children.'
So far, Abdullah has largely maintained control, partly by relinquishing some of his powers to Parliament and amending the country's 60-year-old constitution. His Western-trained security forces have been able to keep protests from getting out of hand. And most in the opposition remains loyal to the king, pressing for changes but not his removal.
The country's economic woes have added to the crush of challenges, and they show no sign of easing.
Jordan's budget deficit is expected to reach a year-end record of $3 billion, while foreign debt is expected to jump 27 percent to $27 billion this year as the country grapples with rising poverty, unemployment, and inflation.


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The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has been hit with fines totalling £390 million over its Libor failings.
It was fined £87.5 million by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission fined it $325 million (£207m) and the US Department of Justice fined it $150 million (£95m).
The banks has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud relating to Yen Libor and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement in relation to one count of wire fraud relating to Swiss Franc Libor and one count for an antitrust violation relating to Yen Libor.
RBS chief executive Stephen Hester said: 'I want to speak very clearly and on behalf of the 137,000 employees of RBS. We condemn the behaviour of the individuals who sought to influence some LIBOR currency settings at our bank from 2006-10. There is no place at RBS for such behaviour.'
A joint investigation between the FSA, the CFTC, the DoJ, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA) uncovered wrongdoing on the part of 21 RBS employees, predominantly in relation to the setting of the bank's Yen and Swiss Franc Libor submissions.
The investigation found:
- Yen and Swiss france derivative traders sought to influence the Bank's Yen and Swiss franc Libor setters in the period October 2006 to November 2010;
- Two RBS traders based in London colluded with other banks and brokers in making and receiving requests for higher and lower Yen and Swiss franc Libor;
- RBS's Yen, Swiss franc and US dollar money market traders on occasion considered their own money markets books as a factor in their Libor submissions.
RBS said all 21 wrongdoers referred to in the regulatory findings have left the organisation or been subject to disciplinary action.
Six have been dismissed for Libor related misconduct, including two managers.
Six have been severely disciplined or are going through a disciplinary process.
Eight left the organisation before disciplinary action could be taken and one was dismissed for misconduct not related to these findings.
In addition to the 21, two managers with supervisory responsibilities have also left RBS.
The FSA said RBS's misconduct was widespread with at least 219 requests for inappropriate submissions documented – an unquantifiable number of oral requests made.
It said RBS did not have any Libor-related systems and controls in place until March 2011, and failed to adequately address the risk that derivatives traders would seek to influence its Libor submissions until June 2011.
It also failed to adequately address the risk that money market traders would take into account the impact of Libor on the profitability of transactions in their money market books, until March 2012.
Hester said: 'Libor manipulation is an extreme example of a selfish and self-serving culture that took hold in parts of the banking industry during the financial boom. We will use the lessons learned from this episode as further motivation to reject and change the vestiges of that culture.'


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Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Must see TV: "On the Beat" at NFL Network
NFL network is putting together its very own mock draft, in this case, asking beat writers for each team to make the pick they believe makes the most sense. So far they've covered the first 8 teams. Each video is well produced and exciting to watch. The top 4 picks went predictably, but KC pulled a minor surprise at #5 (I always thought he made a ton of sense for KC). Overall, its a top 5 projection I'm sure Rob would appreciate very much.
Steve Raible covers the Seahawks selection, and given the way the top 5 picks went, I think he makes the right choice at #6. I've always liked Raible for his enthusiasm and surprising talent on the radio, but I respect him also for usually knowing the team as well as anybody that covers the Seahawks. And for those who just skip to the Seahawks- both Suh and McCoy were gone before #6.
Thankfully, NFL.com posts these videos on their website. Due to the flash player they use, I can't embed the video- so I'll provide the links instead.
With the 1st pick in the NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams select...
With the 2nd pick in the NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select...
With the 3rd pick in the NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select...
With the 4th pick in the NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select...
With the 5th pick in the NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select...
With the 6th pick in the NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks select...
With the 7th pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns select...
With the 8th pick in the NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders select...
20 comments:
- Nano said...
I think that's probably the right pick. There are tons of options at 14, but not too many that really seem worth #6.
- 30 March 2010 at 16:06
- DUWORKSON said...
It address a positon of need with the number # 6 pick the Seahawks acquire the number # 1 DE in the draft.
- 30 March 2010 at 16:31
- Mind of no mind said...
I like the pick too. While I think they could land him at 14, that's not really factoring in trades. While I'd love the Seahawks to trade back a couple of picks if possible, if you wait until #14, then you have to worry about the Giants and Titans sitting at #15 and #16, who wouldn't have to give up all that much to jump ahead of the Seahawks and grab him.
- 30 March 2010 at 16:36
- Mind of no mind said...
Also, the videos for the Browns and Raiders didn't work for me, can anyone tell me who they selected?
- 30 March 2010 at 16:38
I'd be quite happy with that selection. I feel there is above a 50% chance that Morgan falls to #14, but I haven't really found anyone I'd rather see at 6.
- 30 March 2010 at 16:44
Videos don't work. Can someone please end the suspense and list the selections??? Thanks!
I'm assuming Raible picked Derrick Morgan???
- 30 March 2010 at 16:45
- Mind of no mind said...
Yeah, they stopped working for me too before I finished. The picks I saw were;
#1 Bradford
#2 Suh
#3 McCoy
#4 Okung
#5 Davis
#6 Morgan
Then it stopped working for me too.
- 30 March 2010 at 18:00
- Kip Earlywine said...
All 8 videos work fine for me. Maybe Adobe Flash player issues? Also, some of the video's begin with advertisements, but that didn't cause any problems for me.
Cleveland selected Eric Berry.
Oakland selected Bruce Campbell.
- 30 March 2010 at 18:05
- Kip Earlywine said...
Its too bad some of you can't see the last two videos. I laughed out loud watching Campbell's. Towards the end, in a totally serious and complimentary highlight package, they ended on him committing an atrociously flagrant hold. I like Campbell, but given his rep for "bad tape", and Al Davis reputation, I thought that was a funny little jab NFL network got in there.
- 30 March 2010 at 18:10
- DUWORKSON said...
What do guys and gals think at 14th? Personally, I would continue with the theme draft another defense a player. Address the offense later. Plus, Brandon Marshall still a viable option trading our # 2nd and #4th rd. picks. Gibbs can still address the OL with the other picks.
- 30 March 2010 at 18:26
- DUWORKSON said...
My pick at 14th Dan Williams DT.
- 30 March 2010 at 18:32
- DUWORKSON said...
My bad Earl Thomas!!
- 30 March 2010 at 18:43
I don't think we can ignore the offense in the first round. I think Morgan is a solid pick up, but we also need offense too. No matter how much we upgrade our defense, if they're on the field the majority of the game, they will give up points. Not to mention, if our offense gives the other team great field position by turning the ball over or going 3 and out, then our defense/team will continue to struggle. I like the Morgan/Spiller combo because we try to address both sides of the ball.
- 30 March 2010 at 19:42
- gonzhawk said...
Okay, my 2 cents...I have to agree with going offense, and I really need someone to tell my why Morgan at 6 is a good pick-does he have elite edge speed? How do we know he is not a "rich man's LoJack? he is built just like him isn't he...I know I will get shot for this, but I wouldn't even take him at 14...rebuild our terrible offense-I know, BPA, okay, I would argue that maybe, we look at him at 14, but no way does he get my vote at six...come on Raibes-your an offensive player! bottom line, unless the defender is Suh or Mccoy, our offense stinks, and will continue to do so unless we get elite speed/players for it....IMO-cheers
- 30 March 2010 at 19:59
The issue with picking O at #6 is that besides the two QBs there is nobody worth taking at that side of the ball.
Unless we take Berry, Mccoy or Suh (suh wont happen but IMO the others could be there), we must trade back because BPA is a jumbled mess and no player is worth more than the next 5 or so.
I see almost no drop in value from pick 6 to pick 20 in this draft so I would take two picks in the teens and another pick in the 2nd.
Here is a question for yall
Would you rather have Berry or Morgan at 6 or have Earl Thomas at 15 and Arelious Benn at 46 if we were to trade down with the 6th pick?
Earl Thomas is almost just as good as Berry and Benn gives us a starter opposite Housh if we can't pick up Marshal.
- 30 March 2010 at 22:31
Earl Thomas ia prototypical cover two safety. Excellent discipline, great tackling, nice vision and instincts. He is no where near the playmaker Berry is. Eric Berry plays in a low impact position and still manages to make more plays than most corners. Thomas will be a solid free safety at the next level but he doesn't warrant the consideration that Berry deserves.
Berry has the skills that you can't coach up, it comes down to elite instincts that very few defensive backs are born with. Is tackling is something that will improve over his career but he has all the intangibles that make him a top ten pick that Earl Thomas lacks.
And I am a huge fan of Thomas I think he will have a great career and you wont have to worry about him being a liability in a secondary but he is not on the same level as Berry. The fact that people are talking about berry converting to a corner shows just how impressive his overall complete skill set is. As a corner or a safety Berry is going to make a bigger impact in the NFL.
- 31 March 2010 at 07:01
- fountaindale said...
With the 14th pick the Seattle Seahawks select... Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma.
Williams owns the second fastest 40 time, the highest vertical, and the third longest broad jump among all offensive linemen at the combine. Many project him as a right tackle in the NFL but he has great initial burst and the athletic body to get to the second level when run blocking in the ZBS. He may never be a pro-bowl pass protector but the Hawks will do whatever it takes to build a running game and Trent Williams would be a foundational piece.
- 31 March 2010 at 07:48
From the SF Chronicle today.
As the Raiders reportedly look to trade for another veteran Pro Bowler, they are getting every opportunity to get back the premium pick they traded away in a similar deal last year.
An unnamed team has offered the Raiders a second-round pick this year and a first-round pick next year in exchange for the Raiders' No. 8 overall pick. (Well, the team has a name, but our league source wouldn't share).
Do you guys think the Hawks should look into a trade like this?
- 31 March 2010 at 10:15
- Rob Staton said...
I don't see why the Seahawks would want to acquire a third first round pick this year.
- 31 March 2010 at 14:38
- DUWORKSON said...
Gonzhawk- What's the strength of the Hawks Defense? You would answer that it's our LB crew. Now who do you think is going to be available at the 6 pick that has the best value and can be an immediate impact that will help the LB? The answer is Eric Berry who's also a play-maker is considered the best safety to come into the draft in 32 yrs. Imagine an immediate Pro Bowler at the safety position who can cover the opposing best receiver and play safety. It's a no brainer! Going DE at the 6 pick is too much of a reach. At the 14th pick CJ Spiller an elite play-maker is worth the value and fills a position of need.
- 1 April 2010 at 14:35


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Kotaku - The Metacritic 90. Rare upland territory. Dishonored hit it (on PC) and XCOM: Enemy Unknown fell tantalizingly short, 89 (same platform). You'd think that no one has anything subtstantially bad to say about either. You'd be wrong.
Personally, I feel this game is being a little romanticized. Having played it for about 10 hours, I just don't see the depth some claimed. I don't feel there are enough tools in the sandbox. I mean, the game definetely wants you to play stealthily.
There's a solid combat system, but it's really a contingency plan, not the true way the expect you to play. And that's what baffles me, for all the weapon upgrades that seem to want you to go into straight combat, why aren't their more stealth buffs? And there are only 6 base magical tools, which don't change substantially to give you a new tier of combinational possibilities. It doesn't feel as deep as deus ex in that way, (there are more ways to complete missions tho)
That and you don't truly know when your in stealth. Sure there's "stealth mode" but it's more or less just crouching, it's not like splinter cell where you know you're truly in stealth from the enemy or even mark of the ninja which used clear visual clues. I mean clear not a few bolts on the head.
And then there's the simply fact, that it's not as distinctive as everyone is making it out to be. It definetly feels like it's borrowed from good sources, but I don't think the final identity coalesces into something original.
People are calling it a breath of fresh air. I can see that, but is it really? a deus ex game came out last year.
This is coming from someone who was legitimately excited about this game. I'm not even trying to hate just for the sake of it.
I've heard quite a few people say the game isn't great, I think it all depends on personal taste and opinion. Certainly I wouldn't let someone else opinion affect how I feel about a game or even if I'd buy a game.
I know quite a few people who don't like this game. I knew it was crap from the first gameplay showing. It's a poor bioshock ripoff with a bland and flat art style and a claim it is a stealth game when really the ai is extremely stupid if you can walk up in board daylight stab a guard in the face a walk away while another guard keeps talking like the guy is still alive. It was a good concept that had potential but the devs failed big time
Whether or not SOME people like it, it's nice to know a new IP is being generally received well. I personally think that some reviews have been far too gracious as within the first two days it was coming off like this was the holy grail of stealth and power-usage games...
I'm not a fan of the art-style, but I can appreciate virtually everything else.
I think it's important to give any new IP its dues, especially when it turns out as good as Dishonored. The game is far from perfect, no doubt. I think the soundtrack could be better, the controls a little tighter, the AI smarter, and the story more involved etc. but I don't think it detracts from the core of the game, which is excellent.
Consider the fact that this game doesn't even have a map, that's a developer that has confidence in its own level design, and the level design here is exemplary. There are a multitude of ways to tackle any mission, who doesn't like that? It means if you want to play a certain way, you can. Simple in theory, but tough to implement. A game that is gratifying for both its action elements and stealth gets my seal of approval.
Yes, it draws inspiration from some big titles. Bioshock, Deus Ex, Assassin's Creed and Half-Life 2 to name a few. Does that inherently make it bad or stale? Hell no. Is it a promising IP that can be further refined and improved? I think so. What I've gotten from it already is more than I could have hoped for leading up to its release. Without a doubt, it's the sleeper hit for the year.


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Kevin Duffy: Ridgefield's Bubblewrap Brothers playing their roles for Denver lacrosse
Updated 12:41 am, Friday, May 24, 2013
They're two of the most accomplished lacrosse players from southwest Connecticut. They're both former captains of Ridgefield state championship teams, both chasing an NCAA title this weekend.
They are ... the Bubblewrap Brothers.
"That's the joke around my family," said Aidan Scott, a sophomore on the Denver University lacrosse team. "They tell us to stay in bubblewrap."
Here's why.
Aidan Scott: shoulder surgery and what he estimates to be five "bad" concussions.
Colin Scott: fractured ankle, broken thumb (twice), broken wrist, broken nose and two recent knee surgeries.
And the healthy one, Tyler Scott: One golf cart accident.
"It was at this hockey party, it had to have been in middle school," Tyler said. "(The golf cart) like ran over my face and I had to go to the hospital. Split my lip, broke my nose, cut my eye. That was the worst for me. I've actually been pretty fortunate compared to Colin and Aidan."
The youngest of three Scott brothers, Aidan, has missed the entire 2013 season, a run that has culminated in Denver's second Final Four appearance. He hasn't gone to the away games, but has been present at all but two practices and has traveled throughout the postseason. He'll be on the sidelines for Saturday's national semifinal against top-seeded Syracuse (5, ESPN2), sharing his insight with Colin, a senior who's finally healthy and one of Denver's top attackmen.
When Denver punched its first Final Four ticket in 2011, Colin was in Aidan's spot: relegated to the sidelines due to an early season meniscus tear in his left knee. He was on the bench as his Pioneers fell to Virginia, a perennial power led by his high school teammate, ex-Ridgefield All-American Matt White.
Two weeks after that Denver loss, Aidan tallied three goals as Ridgefield High rallied from a five-score deficit and stunned Fairfield Prep 11-10 for the Class LL title.
"It was great winning one with my brother," Aidan said, "and I was able to win one without him, too."
It's his preference, though, to be with Colin. Campus and program aside, it's why Aidan committed to Denver. His two older brothers -- Tyler (a 2007 Ridgefield graduate) and Colin (2009) -- grew up playing together, with Aidan always trying to keep up. Tyler went on to play hockey at the University of New Hampshire while Colin -- an All-American who racked up 85 points as a senior -- chose a Denver program with some question marks: The Pioneers had never won an NCAA tournament game, let alone reached a Final Four. And Jamie Munro, the coach who recruited Colin, resigned in May 2009.
Still, Colin remained firm in his commitment, and Aidan followed because "Colin taught me everything I know in lacrosse. I thought it would be best to keep playing with him."
When they were reunited in 2012, Colin was supposed to be healthy, fully recovered from the meniscus tear and ready to contribute to another Final Four run. He played seven games, but wasn't himself.
"I felt that my knee was completely fine and I still wasn't able to play as well as I know I could," Colin said. "It was the most frustrating part, not being able to do things I was capable of because of my knee."
Turns out Colin had two additional tears in that left knee. His cartilage was worn down, and another surgery was required.
"It definitely was hard (for him)," said his father, Daniel Scott. "Even this year, after two years of not playing, he felt like, `Gosh, can I become the player I was before?'"
Last weekend, with his family watching, Colin netted a pair of goals against North Carolina, the second of which cut the Tar Heels' lead to 11-10. Denver would add two more, solidifying its second Final Four appearance in three years.
And for once, Colin's been healthy. Regular training with a running coach "worked wonders." He's appeared in 17 games this year, nearly double his total from the past two seasons.
"You have to treat every game like you might be sitting out for the next couple," Colin said. "That's how I've taken this last year, not knowing how my knee would hold up or if I could make it through the whole season."
Aidan, meanwhile, is planning a comeback next fall. He's played in just three games during his two years in Denver, his 2013 campaign shut down after a concussion suffered in the preseason. Although he's clear of symptoms today, he is, as his dad said, "faced with the decision of whether he should (retire) or not."
Five concussions before a kid's 21st birthday will do that. Especially after the doctor told Aidan that he may have to consider stopping, a devastating proposition.
"I've thought about it -- when's the next one, what's going to happen?" Aidan said. "(My career) is up in the air if there is a next one. I don't really know because (lacrosse) has been my life forever. I try not to think about that."
"It's too depressing," he adds, laughing.
These days, he's in a new role -- one he learned from Colin. You see, when Colin sat for two years, he remained plugged in, studying the opposing goaltender from the sidelines and relaying tips to his fellow attackmen. This year, Aidan has done the same for Colin. It's not the most glamorous responsibility, but Aidan knows every bit of help matters.
"I try to do whatever I can," Aidan said.
He knows what's at stake this weekend: No team west of Syracuse has ever won the NCAA lacrosse title. Hell, no team west of Ithaca, N.Y., has ever made the final. In a sport entirely dominated by the East Coast, Denver -- with kids from Colorado, California, Minnesota, Texas, British Columbia and of course the Bubblewrap Bros -- has a chance to change the game.
Finally, Colin Scott has a chance to play in it.
email@example.com; @KevinRDuffy


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Saturday, March 30 2013
I write with tragic news that our dear friend and esteemed colleague, Harrold McDermott, died Friday. I am simply heart-broken at the loss of such an extraordinary man in the prime of life.
Anupam Agarwal and I have spoken with Theresa, Harrold's widow, yesterday and today. She is in Birmingham with a couple of their children, who are in their 20s and 30s, and their other children are on their way. Anupam and I will visit with Theresa and their children this afternoon. We will do all we can to support her and their family through this devastating time, and I hope that each of you will hold them in your thoughts and prayers.
In this time, perhaps the most important thing we can do is to recognize and honor those around us, and to tell those who are dear how much they mean to us. Especially on this Easter weekend and in this time of Passover, I am mindful of the extraordinary gift of life and love, and I am deeply grateful for the gifts we have, even in the midst of tragedy. I hope you will join me in this gratitude and in supporting each other and those around us.
If I can provide further information or help address any concern you have, please call me at 934-7719 (direct line to my office).
I love working with each of you across the Department, and a big part of my joy at work has been working with Harrold. So I know that many will miss his leadership and collegiality. While each of us is stunned and heart-broken by our tragic loss of Harrold, let us remember our great gifts of family and friends, be thankful for these gifts, and reach out to those around us.


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In the days following the freak tornado that hit Springfield on June 1, 2011, politicians from around the state flocked to the city. They met with municipal officials, toured devastated neighborhoods and, to a person, vowed to help Springfield recover from the damage.
Whether each of those visiting politicians was motivated by a sincere desire to help the city or by the presence of so many news cameras is subject to debate. But for Springfield City Councilor Kateri Walsh, one visitor in particular made a deep impression: state treasurer Steve Grossman.
Grossman, who chairs the state School Building Authority, promised to do all he could to help repair two Springfield elementary schools, Elias Brookings and Dryden Memorial, that were badly damaged by the tornado. Last month, Grossman was back in the city to announce that the SBA would cover 100 percent of the school repair costs not covered by FEMA (normally, SBA reimbursement is capped at 80 percent). Dryden has already undergone a $15.2 million renovation. A new, $27.9 million Brookings is now being built and is expected to be completed in about a year.
The SBA's commitment to the Springfield projects won the treasurer many fans in the city. But to Walsh, what was impressive was not just that Grossman came through with the money but the genuine, personal interest she believes he's shown in Springfield. In the aftermath of the tornado, she said, he was on the ground with a team of staffers ready to offer concrete assistance. When he visits schools that have benefited from SBA funding—like Forest Park Middle School, which last fall re-opened after a $43.4 million renovation, 90 percent of it covered by the state—he doesn't rush off after the photo op but lingers to visit classrooms and talk with students and staff, Walsh said.
"He's very sincere about that," she said. "When he comes to a school and does things like that, he makes people feel good, and they feel good about Springfield."
Those sorts of personal connections will be crucial for Grossman in the coming months, as he competes in the crowded field of Democrats seeking the party's gubernatorial nomination. Although relatively new to public office—the treasurer's position, which he won in 2010, is the first he's held—the 67-year-old Grossman is far from a political newcomer. A long-time party activist, he's chaired both the Massachusetts Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee and has been a formidable political fundraiser over the years. But while that mostly behind-the-scenes work has earned him the loyalty of many key political insiders, it hasn't necessarily translated into the sort of name recognition enjoyed by other candidates—specifically, Grossman's presumed chief rival for the nomination, Attorney General Martha Coakley.
Grossman's well-honed political skills will, of course, be crucial to his campaign. But he also needs to persuade voters that he's more than a party insider or a fundraising machine—labels that have limited appeal among the electorate. Instead, as he travels the campaign trail, Grossman is employing what he calls a "high-touch" approach, meeting voters and working to convince them that his background as a progressive business owner leaves him well suited to promoting a healthy economy in which "no one is left out and no one left behind."
Invoking a quote from the late Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas, who once wrote "You cannot redistribute wealth that is never created," Grossman told the Advocate about his vision for an economy that's both thriving and just. "To create wealth and economic opportunity is something we should celebrate, as long as it's broadly shared and as long as those who are willing to work hard, play by whatever the rules are, are able to benefit and to share," he said. "Income inequality has become a devastating fact in the lives of too many people."
That no-one-left-behind theme has been front and center in Grossman's campaign from the moment he formally announced his candidacy last summer at the Democrats' annual convention in Lowell.
In a speech before 3,000 party faithful, Grossman focused on his commitment to passing an earned sick time law, which would guarantee workers paid time off when they're ill or need to care for a family member. (A bill now pending at the Statehouse would grant workers at least 40 hours of paid sick time a year; for employees at very small companies, the time off would be unpaid but would come with guaranteed job protection.)
"There are 975,000, almost a million people [in Massachusetts] who got up this morning who didn't have any earned sick time—not one day, not one hour. They worry about losing their jobs if they stay home because they're sick, so they come to work sick," Grossman told the Advocate. "It's morally wrong, and it's economically unwise from almost every objective measure."
To business owners who protest that providing the benefit would make their companies uncompetitive, Grossman points to the experience at his family's business, Grossman Marketing Group. "I would submit as a business owner who's had it in his company for decades and has built a great workforce because of the benefits, including earned sick time, that it is the right thing to do. … We treat [employees] with respect, what do we get in return? We get loyalty, flexibility, craftsmanship, productivity. We built a great company that's profitable."
Grossman's business background is a key element of his campaign. A resident of Newton, he's spent the bulk of his career working for the family business, which began in the early 20th century as an envelope company founded by his Russian immigrant grandfather and, over the years, has expanded its scope, eventually becoming the Grossman Marketing Group. Grossman joined the Somerville-based company in 1975, after earning an MBA at Harvard and serving in the military. He was the company's president for 35 years before resigning in 2010 to run for treasurer but still retains about 50 percent ownership, according to the Boston Globe. Two of his sons succeeded him as co-presidents.
Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, a supporter, said he backs Grossman in part because of his background running a successful business while maintaining progressive values. (In addition to earned sick time, Grossman also supports an increase in the minimum wage. And his company, he said, is a longtime union shop that has never had a matter go to arbitration.)
"These are things he not only talks about, but he's implemented them," said Narkewicz. "I think he's got a commitment to trying to promote economic growth and do it in a way that's sustainable and doesn't leave anybody behind."
Grossman's business experience, Narkewicz added, makes him the Democrat best suited to take on the presumed Republican nominee, Charlie Baker, whose resume includes time as a healthcare executive. "He's been a CEO, he's run a business, he's created jobs, so he can certainly go toe to toe with Charlie Baker on that," Narkewicz said.
But in other respects, Grossman's business background could be a political liability. In December, the Boston Globe reported that some of his family company's "high profile clients," including the Bruins and Celtics, J.P. Morgan Chase and the law firm of Mintz Levin, "have lucrative financial relationships" with the Treasury or Lottery. The treasurer, according to the Globe, "was involved in the awarding of public contracts and gave lucrative financial and legal work to businesses and law firms that are substantial clients of his marketing company. Rarely did he recuse himself."
State employees, by law, can have an ownership stake in a family business that has contracts with state government. In the article, a Treasury spokesman defended Grossman's actions, noting that he has disclosed potential conflicts and sought guidance from the Ethics Commission on how to handle such situations.
But, Globe reporter Frank Phillips wrote, those relationships create "possible ethical conflicts. … There is no evidence [Grossman] has acted illegally. He can rightfully boast that he has been transparent and that his disclosures constitute compliance with state ethics laws. But now that he is running for governor, those business dealings will probably receive greater scrutiny."
Grossman's liberal credentials go beyond his support of a higher minimum wage and earned sick time. He's pro-choice and pro-gun control and opposes the death penalty. A supporter of marriage equality, last year he joined three other former DNC chairs in calling on the national party to add a "freedom to marry" plank to its platform. (It did.)
Grossman also supports voting reforms such as same-day registration and early voting, which, he said, would help engage more people in the electoral process and address the low turnout rates seen in too many elections. (The state Senate and House recently passed bills that would allow same-day and online registration and early voting, among other reforms; a conference committee will now address differences between the two bills.)
Grossman called same-day registration a "common sense" measure. "Other states have adopted it, and we've seen the results. This isn't just guesswork. This isn't just speculation. [Those other states] have had significant increases in voter participation," he said. "There are just any number of ways in which we can rethink the customer/citizen experience in voting and in participation, which is all about citizen empowerment, which is something that's really driven me all my life in politics."
For Grossman, politics has been as much the family business as manufacturing and marketing, going back to his grandfather's work on John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald's Boston mayoral campaign in 1910. Steve's uncle Jerome Grossman, who died last year at the age of 96, was a well-known anti-war activist who wrote a memoir of his political career called Relentless Liberal.
Grossman says his first foray into politics came in 1960, when the then-14-year-old hung a JFK poster out his dorm window at Philips Exeter Academy—"until the teacher who ran the dormitory … banged on the door and told me to take the poster down," he recalled. "Exeter, New Hampshire was definitely Nixon country in 1960, no doubt." In 1968, while in business school, Grossman, along with his father, Edgar, and other family members, worked on Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign.
But, in a story he's told often over his political career, the "definitive experience" that hooked him on politics, Grossman said, came in 1970. It was the height of the Vietnam War, and Jerome Grossman was running the campaign of the Rev. Robert Drinan, a Jesuit priest and peace activist who was challenging the local member of Congress, Philip Philbin, a fellow Democrat who supported the war.
Drinan wasn't the only one challenging Philbin for the party's nomination; John Kerry, who'd recently returned from Vietnam and become a war protestor, also wanted the nod. The two faced off at a caucus of liberal Democrats at Concord-Carlisle High School. "Hundreds and hundreds of people showed up to try to find a progressive candidate around whom to unify," Grossman said. "It was a battle back and forth all day, speeches and all kinds of organizing. It was incredibly, incredibly energizing."
As the day wore on, it became clear that Kerry didn't have the votes to beat Drinan but did have enough support to deny the priest the caucus' nomination. "There would have been no clear winner, there would have been no consensus candidate," Grossman said. In the end, Kerry withdrew and backed Drinan, who went on to beat Philbin.
After the caucus, Grossman and his wife, Barbara, went out to dinner. "I looked across the table," he recalls, "[and] I said, 'Wow! If that's what grassroots organizing is all about, the power of citizens to change the face of their communities, to elect a man who could help end the Vietnam War, who may very well serve as the conscience of the country, that's something to which I'm going to devote a significant portion of the rest of my life.'"
Grossman was elected chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party in 1991, at a time when the organization was in desperate need of a turnaround. Democrats were still feeling battered by Gov. Mike Dukakis' bruising loss in the 1988 presidential election to George H.W. Bush. In 1990, Dukakis opted against running for another term as governor, touching off an ugly intra-party battle that ended with the eventual Democratic nominee, John Silber, losing to Republican Bill Weld. (The Republicans also took the lieutenant governor's and treasurer's seats.) In the aftermath, the sitting chair, Chester Atkins, resigned, and Grossman decided to run for the position.
His candidacy met with some criticism after the Boston Herald reported that Grossman had made $5,000 in contributions to Republican Senate candidates over the previous five years. At the time, Grossman told the press that the donations were no more than "an occasional check to honor a request from a friend" to contribute to senators who'd shown strong support for Israel, a cause that he's long been involved in. Those donations, Grossman added, paled in comparison to the fundraising he'd done for Democrats over the years.
Ultimately, the controversy did not derail Grossman's bid to lead the state party. "We had lost the governorship; we had lost the lieutenant governorship. … I went all over the state, and we built this winning hand. We had a great election in '92, and I loved doing it," he said of his time leading the organization.
Not long after, Grossman left the state party and became president and then chairman of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, which describes itself as "America's pro-Israel lobby." He stayed with AIPAC until 1997 when, with the backing of Bill Clinton, he assumed the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. His tenure there was short—he stepped down in 1999 to be closer to his family, including his ailing father, he said—but successful: Grossman is credited with engineering a strong mid-term election for the party in 1998, with Democrats scoring some key upsets over Republicans and stymieing GOP hopes to expand its majorities in Congress in the wake of the Monica Lewinsky scandal as well as Democratic fundraising scandals.
In 2002, Grossman made his first run for public office, as a candidate for governor. As it is this year, the field was crowded, thanks to a decision by the incumbent not to seek re-election. (In that case, the incumbent, acting Gov. Jane Swift, was prodded to her decision by GOP operatives eager to instead advance Mitt Romney, who was newly returned to Massachusetts from a successful stint leading the Salt Lake City Olympics.) Grossman left the race before Election Day, when, he said, polling showed he couldn't win. In the end, Treasurer Shannon O'Brien won the Democratic nomination, then lost to Romney in the general election.
"I dropped out of the race, went back to business, went back to philanthropic activities, and always stayed involved politically," Grossman said. In 2010, he ran for and won the state treasurer seat, defeating Republican Karyn Polito, who this year is Baker's lieutenant-governor running mate.
Treasurer might not be the highest-profile or most glamorous position in state government, but it's an important one. "You're running the financial affairs of the commonwealth," Grossman said, explaining why he was drawn to the job. "You're running major pieces of the commonwealth's enterprises: the Lottery, the Mass. Water Pollution Abatement Trust, the state pension funds, the retirement system, unclaimed property and other things as well."
As treasurer, Grossman said, he's "revolutionized" hiring practices within the department to make it more diverse, instituted an "open checkbook" system that puts state spending information online, and overseen the raising of record levels of local aid through the Lottery.
He speaks with particular pride about the launching, during his tenure, of the Small Business Banking Partnership, which deposits state funds in Massachusetts community banks that commit to lending money to small businesses, with priority given to those owned by women, minorities and veterans. So far, according to his office, the program has resulted in $870 million in loans. The program, he noted, helps both small businesses and the regional banks and credit unions "that really helped stabilize the economy" when big national banks slashed their lending during the recession.
As governor, Grossman said, he could do even more: "As treasurer, I've got some tools in my tool box, and I'm trying to use every tool I have to have an impact. The governor has a really big tool box with a lot of power tools."
A centerpiece of Grossman's platform is a commitment to creating 50,000 new manufacturing jobs over five years—a key, he said, to providing economic stability for middle-class families. "This is not my grandfather's manufacturing, in an old envelope factory with glue and ink flying all over the place, and dust and noise," he said. "This is clean room precision manufacturing."
With more companies returning advanced precision manufacturing jobs to the U.S., Grossman said, communities with a history of manufacturing (and a present-day problem of high unemployment) like Springfield, Holyoke and Pittsfield should be poised to receive them. To help that effort, he calls for partnerships among businesses, labor groups, regional employment boards and schools to help ensure that students are graduating with the skills employers need. He also calls for continued investment in vocational and technical schools around the state, such as Springfield's Putnam and Holyoke's Dean high schools—both of which, he took care to note, have received recent upgrades with funding from the School Building Authority. (Grossman also advocates for upgrading technology in all schools across the state, to make them "digital-learning ready" by 2016.)
So, too, does Grossman see opportunities in "clean technology and green technology," a fast-growing field that, if it keeps expanding at its current rate, could employ 150,000 people in Massachusetts within six years, he said. It's a field, he added, that seems particularly well suited for the western counties: "I don't know of a part of the state that's more committed to reducing the carbon footprint than the people of Western Massachusetts."
To become governor, Grossman first has to get past four other Democratic hopefuls: Coakley; Juliette Kayyem, a former Homeland Security official; Donald Berwick, one-time administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Joseph Avellone, a former Wellesley selectman. (On the Republican side, Baker is competing with Mark Fisher, a small business owner and Tea Party member. Several independent candidates have also announced campaigns: health company executive Evan Falchuk, venture capitalist Jeff McCormick and Scott Lively, an evangelical minister from Springfield.)
Early polling suggests that, among Democrats, Coakley is the one to beat. In a Suffolk University/Boston Herald poll released last week, Coakley was the only Democrat to beat Baker in a one-on-one match-up, 44 percent to 31 percent—a finding that echoes several earlier polls. In a Grossman/Baker scenario, respondents favored the Republican 33 to 28 percent. (That was not the case in an October poll by Western New England University, in which Grossman beat Baker by 43 to 30 percent. Coakley, however, had the stronger showing in that poll, leading Baker 54 to 34 percent. Grossman does appear to be inching up on Baker; in a January WBUR poll, Baker also bested the treasurer, but by a wider margin: 33 to 23 percent.)
The Suffolk/Herald poll, like earlier ones, also showed that Coakley has much higher name recognition than Grossman: only 3.67 percent of respondents to the most recent poll had never heard of her, while 36 percent had never heard of him. (That, however, is an improvement for Grossman over earlier polls as well.) Twenty-two percent had never heard of Baker.
Interestingly, while Coakley had a higher favorability rating than Grossman in the Suffolk/Herald poll—53.67 percent versus 24.67 percent—she also had a higher unfavorable score: 28.67 percent versus Grossman's 10.17 percent. Some of those bad feelings about Coakley no doubt spring from lingering soreness among Democrats over her failed 2010 candidacy for Senate, which resulted in the seemingly unthinkable: Ted Kennedy's seat going to a Republican, Scott Brown. But in her favor, Coakley's position as attorney general gives her a visibility boost, and her work in support of issues like marriage equality, abortion access and relief for foreclosed homeowners appeals to many Democrats and left-leaning voters.
The Treasurer's office doesn't offer the same opportunities to snag the public spotlight; while municipal officials might appreciate the school building funding their communities receive, for example, do their constituents associate the new schools with Grossman? (Voters are perhaps more likely to connect, and connect favorably, the treasurer with programs like the Lottery, which in fiscal 2012 generated $840 million in local aid, and the Unclaimed Property Division, which reunites happy residents with old bank accounts and insurance credits they'd long ago forgotten about.)
One major reason Grossman supporters aren't losing sleep over the early polls: he far surpasses his rivals in fundraising. His most recent campaign finance report, which covered the period through the end of January, shows him with a war chest of $1,046,300; the next richest Democrat, Coakley, had less than half that, at $494,328. (Coakley's fundraising, however, is coming on strong; she raised about $493,000 in December and January alone.) Baker's campaign has $562,808.
Will Grossman's money make the difference? As more than one political activist pointed out to the Advocate, Grossman and Coakley are in agreement on major issues like the minimum wage, paid sick time, marriage equality and reproductive rights. Can Grossman, then, set himself apart in a way that would overcome Coakley's higher visibility?
Yes, the candidate—not surprisingly—responded. "There's no doubt she's the frontrunner and she has higher name recognition," Grossman said. But, he added, he brings to the table the experience to address the state's pressing needs—"our economic future; economic security, or economic insecurity; the creation of jobs, good jobs; how to keep our 18- to 35-year-olds living here, working here, playing here and staying here because they have an economic future they can believe in. I've spent my life in business and politics and philanthropy and now, as state treasurer, am doing exactly that: creating opportunity, creating jobs, using public policy to advance economy security broadly and fairly."•


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Textbook-Integrated Guide to Educational Resources
Organic Chemistry, 5th Edition by Brown, et al.
18.9. Reactions with Organometallic Compounds
All Other Resources
Other Resources: 5 results
Molecular Models of Ruthenium(II) Organometallic Complexes
William F. Coleman
The featured molecules for this month come from the paper "Experiments in Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Phosphine Substitution in (p-Cymene)RuCl2(PR3)" by Ozerov, Moura, and Hoffman in which they study the reactions of a number of "piano stool" complexes of ruthenium(II). The synthesis of compound 2a offers students an alternative to the preparation of ferrocene if they are only preparing one metal-arene complex, and the use of the (p-cymene)RuCl2 dimer as a starting material introduces them to a compound that has become important for the synthesis of a number of ruthenium catalysts. Two structures are found for the dimer in the gas phase, one with the chlorides cis to one another and a more stable form with the chlorides trans. DFT calculations using the LanL2MB basis set and the B3LYP functional in Gaussian 03 (1) show the trans form to be about 90 kJ/mol more stable than the cis form. The structures of the trans form of the dimer and of compound 2a are presented in 2 formats with bonds from the ruthenium ion to all of the carbons in the aryl ring and with a single line to a ghost atom in the center of the ring. These are the two common ways of representing such structures but students should be made aware that the overall coordination about the ruthenium in both the dimer and in compound 2a is octahedral, and should look at the structures to convince themselves of that fact. It is also instructive to look at compound 2a, and the other piano stool complexes that are made in the paper, to see how deceptive representation of the triphenylphosphine moiety as PR3 is in terms of the stereochemical bulk of that group.
Carboxylic Acids
Ed Vitz, John W. Moore
A section of ChemPrime, the Chemical Educations Digital Library's free General Chemistry textbook.
Carboxylic Acids
Weak Acids
Ed Vitz, John W. Moore
A section of ChemPrime, the Chemical Educations Digital Library's free General Chemistry textbook.
Carboxylic Acids
Carboxylic Acids in Entomology
Robert Hetue
A section of ChemPrime, the Chemical Educations Digital Library's free General Chemistry textbook.
Carboxylic Acids |
Natural Products
ChemPaths 104 M Jan 24
John W. Moore
Today in Chem 104: * Lecture: Organic Chemistry * Reading: Kotz: Ch. 10, Sec. 3-4 Moore: Ch. 12: Sec. 1, 3-4 * Practice Quiz, Homework #1 due by 11:55pm Today! * Also, Safety Quiz is due before lab this week.
Alcohols |
Ethers |
Aldehydes / Ketones |
Carboxylic Acids |
Amines / Ammonium Compounds
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If some says something that's hateful or prejudicial -- and then says he's sorry, he didn't mean to say that and he doesn't really feel that way -- do you believe him? For example, if someone says I hope all fags get AIDS and die and then he recants because what he says has gone viral, do you think he's really changed his mind? Or is he just embarrassed because other people are now criticizing him?
Can someone truly change their mind about an issue that goes to the core of who they are as a human being? Would you ever be able to trust such a person?


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UFC commentator Joe Rogan has said that even an average college wrestler could beat Floyd Mayweather if the two were to square-off.
Mayweather has established himself as one of the finest boxers of all-time - and boasts a 44-match unbeaten professional record - but Rogan believes that he would lose if he was to face a moderately talented wrestler.
"Floyd Mayweather would get killed by an average college wrestler," Rogan stated to Inked Magazine. "There would be no competition.
"If you took Floyd Mayweather today and made him fight against your average college wrestler, that college wrestler is going to shoot on him, pick him up, drop him on his head, and knock him out.
"There's nothing that Floyd can do about it. He's going to get knocked out by getting slammed on his head. A judo guy would do the same thing to him. A jujitsu guy would strangle him, no question about it."
It re-opens the boxing vs UFC debate that has raged on for a long-time now, with members of both sports speaking up for their art.
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- Oral Stories : Him, Her And Me, Part 2
Him, Her and Me, part 2
My wife & I have been swingers for the better part of 5 years now and have had a number of very fun, erotic adventures. Most of them have been with other couples, but on a few occasions we?ve met just a single man to share our fun with. I?ve always thought my wife to be very sexy and attractive, and even though most other guys will not admit it, I think every man wants his ?girl? to be the center of attention in any situation. Luckily we are very secure in our relationship and sharing our sexual adventures with other people has been a lot of fun for both of us.
A little about her, she is 5?9?, reddish blond hair, with lovely 36c tits, weighs about 150 pounds and has the sexiest legs of all the girls I dated before we got married. Since we?ve started swinging she?s found the benefits of keeping her pussy well trimmed since the other girls she?s taken a liking too have told her how much nicer it is when giving oral sex. She loves to keep me happy and since I love to see her in short skirts and heels that has become her favorite dress when we go out. On the following special night we were going to meet a guy whom I had only met over the internet?.but we?d chatted enough that I felt he was respectful, decent, and genuine, and Brenda had liked him enough when she saw his pic not to go ahgggg (which she likes to do when I?m not talking about us meeting another couple).
That night we were to meet him at his hotel, about 40 miles from our house, and since we both worked until almost 9pm that night we didn?t get there until a little after 10pm, Brenda as usual was dressed very nice. She wore her recent favorite, short black skirt, a sexy black button up blouse, which was unbuttoned down to her tits, (with a push-up shelf bra) and since she didn?t like how white her legs were, she wore a pair of sheer nylons, underneath of a pair of black fishnet stockings with a pair of sexy high heels. The effect was not quite one of a call girl heading out for work, but there was no doubt she would be the center of attention anywhere we went.
Once we found the hotel, we had to take an elevator up to the restaurant/bar that we had agreed to meet Vince at?.and as soon as the doors opened the 1st person we saw was him. The look on his face let me know he was excited to see us (Brenda) in person for the 1st time?.and being the gentleman that he was, he immediately invited us in to the restaurant and found us a table.
Being a hotel restaurant/bar, and after 10pm, there weren?t a lot of other people there when we showed up, but everyone in the room seemed to notice the 3 of us as Vince walked us to a table. Brenda took a seat between the 2 of us and the conversation went so smooth among us, you?d think we had known each other for years. All through our dinner and drinks Brenda?s skirt was riding slowly up her thighs, and I could see Vince?s eyes trying to mentally push it up even more. When she finally excused herself to go to the bathroom he leaned over and told me ?she?s really driving me crazy here?.
Since it was so late when we arrived it seemed like almost no time until last call was given and we had to get over that ackward, what now phase? A lot of times when we 1st meet a person or couple, Brenda does not want to have sex with them the 1st night?.even though she likes them enough and we end up getting together again in a few weeks and have some great fun. Maybe it was the fact that Vince was only in town for a few days, but when he asked it we?d like to see his room she didn?t even hesitate to say yes.
On the way to Vince?s room we talked about needing something else to drink, and since I was the only one with a car it was quickly decided that I would leave them alone while I went to the store?..again this was a bit odd for Brenda, but obviously she felt comfortable enough around Vince, and I trusted him as well, so off I went. The whole time I was gone (and being in an unusual part of town for us it took me a lot longer that it should have to find a liquor store) I was wondering what was going on back at the room. I trust Brenda in anything she would have wanted to do, and it would not have surprised to me to find anything going on when I got back?..but I know she likes playing these swinger games for me and as I figured everyone had their clothes on when I got back.
Brenda was sitting on the couch, and Vince was kitty corner from her in an easy chair, and by the way he kept leaning forward I could tell he was dying to get a look up the last few inches that her skirt was covering. I poured everyone a drink and sat down next to Brenda on the couch. We chatted some more while Vince?s hand finally found its way onto Brenda?s thigh, and slowly began that long 12-inch crawl to heaven.
We finally flipped on the TV and I began checking out the hotel?s porno selection?.knowing that Brenda loves to watch a movie as she & I get ready to have sex. As the movie started she said if we got her another drink she?d take off her stockings?.and you can bet there was no argument from Vince and myself. She stood up in front of him and pulling her skirt up to her hips proceeded to quickly pull down both pair of stockings at the same time. Vince and I both held our breath as she sat back down and didn?t bother to cross her legs (which I don?t think she?d actually done all night).
Almost immediately Vince?s hand was back on her thigh, but this time he did not hesitate to slide it up under the edge of her skirt and to her panty covered pussy. Brenda leaned her head back & spread her legs further apart as Vince got down on his knees between her legs and I began kissing her neck & feeling her tits. I could tell right away how turned on she was by how hard her nipples were and I watched as Vince pushed her skirt up around her hips, spread her legs apart, pulled her g-string panties off to the side and covered her pussy with his mouth for the 1st time. After a few minutes she said to us both that she wanted to see her guys naked so at this point we all 3 stood up and took off our clothes.
Again the look on Vince?s face as Brenda took off her blouse was priceless. Brenda loves wearing a push up shelf bra because it gives her the cleavage she likes while leaving her nipples exposed. The effect with and without a blouse is outstanding?.her tits are almost like being presented on a platter and the nipples are just dying to be sucked. Of course Vince couldn?t help but lean in to do just that, and began sucking on her left tit while she was still sliding out of her skirt and then the last thing she took off, her tiny black g-string panties.
As Vince was licking her nipples I stood behind Brenda & let her lean against me and begin rubbing her ass against my already hard cock. Soon she was slowing starting to sink down as she got into the feeling of our hands roaming over her body so we had her sit back down on the couch and Vince was right back on his knees between her legs. At this point Brenda had her legs spread wide open, with her right leg up over the arm of the couch and her left a full 180 degrees the other way. Vince?s mouth was locked onto her clit, sucking it deeply into his mouth and Brenda was really enjoying the feeling. I decided she needed some cock so I knelt next to her on the couch and pointed my cock towards her face. She immediately grabbed it and began sucking the head of my cock into her mouth. Mmmmm, what a feeling it was having her warm mouth sucking my cock while watching Vince feasting on her pussy?.
After a few minutes of this Brenda looked up at me and as she slid my cock out of her mouth said ?more??.I knew what she meant so I pulled back and got down and told Vince it was time to switch. As he climbed up onto the couch Brenda reached for his cock right away and began giving him the same great blowjob she had just been giving me. Vince?s cock was about the same length as mine, but was definitely bigger around than mine and she was having fun getting used to his size. I watched her for a few moments sucking his cock and then focused on her beautiful, glistening pussy, which was right in front of my face. Using my thumbs I spread her pussy lips wide open, seeing her stiff clit shine with moisture and her pussy opening wink at me as it opened and closed milking little drops of sweet juice for me to enjoy.
I leaned in and began flicking up & down on her clit with my tongue, listening to the moans of pleasure coming from her with Vince?s cock in her mouth. Next I slid my tongue down her pussy to sample that sweet taste and to fuck her pussy with inward stokes of my tongue. She was really enjoying the feelings but I knew she wanted to feel something hard in her so I pulled my tongue out and put my left thumb in her pussy, using the angle to massage her g-spot at the same time. This is what she was waiting for and her hips began rising to the rhythm of my thumb in her pussy. As she began lifting her ass off the couch I took advantage and began licking her between her pussy and asshole?back and forth, pulling her pussy juice down to her ass. Once I had it nice and wet I began pushing a finger from my other hand into her ass.
Now she was really getting into it, she had all of her holes filled between Vince?s cock & my fingers and was loving the fucking rhythm we were all getting into. I moved my tongue back to her clit and began picking up the pace as I heard her moans getting more intense?.until she finally began cumming when I sucked her clit into my mouth & could feel her ass & pussy contracting against my fingers.
Once she came down a little bit Vince and I were ready to feel her hot pussy around our cocks?.I lifted her up from the couch and told Vince to sit down, then turned Brenda to face him. As she climbed forward, with her knees on either side of his legs, to mount his cock I watched from behind her as she reached down and guided the head of his thick cock to her opening. She was so wet there was no problem getting the head of his cock in, but because of his girth she slowly took him and inch or so at a time, deeper and deeper, until finally her ass was resting on his balls. I watched as she slid her pussy up the length of his cock and then back down, building up speed as she went until she was fucking his cock hard and banging her ass into his lap. They were both moaning and grunting at this point as Vince played with her tits and Brenda had her hands on his shoulders?.finally she slowed down & I moved a bit closer and put my hand on her ass. I worked my finger into her ass again and felt how full she felt?I thought about putting my cock in her ass but she was so tight that I decided we?d save that for another time.
I was however hard as a rock myself and ready to fuck her pussy too?as Brenda?s legs got a bit worn out from riding Vince?s cock I helped her off him & we had her get on the floor on all fours. I moved in behind her and slid my cock all the way in, in one stroke?.she was so hot & wet, it felt tremendous to have my cock buried in her pussy. Vince moved in front of her face and she took his cock into her mouth again, licking her own pussy juice off and devouring his cock at the same time. Now she was enjoying 2 cocks at once, one in her mouth and one in her pussy?we quickly got into a rhythm as I began fucking her pussy harder and harder while watching Vince fuck her mouth with his cock. That was all I needed, watching her suck his cock while fucking her hot pussy had me cumming and filling her pussy as we all were making more noise than the porno on the TV we had long since forgotten about.
As I slowed down behind her Vince decided he wanted to feel her pussy around his cock some more, so he and I switched ends while Brenda lay there with her head on her arms, her sexy ass in the air, her knees still spread wide and her pussy dripping my cum and her juice. For the umpteenth time that evening I wished I had brought my digital camera with me?.she looked so sexy at that moment?.any husbands dream, to have his wife be a perfect fucking being. Vince obviously felt the same way because he seemed to want a closer look at her pussy and another taste as well. As I sat in front of Brenda and had her rest her head in my lap he bent forward and gently gave her pussy a few good strokes with his tongue again. Brenda moaned softly this time and swayed her sexy ass back and forth against his mouth. He then straightened up and directed his cock towards her wide open pussy?.sliding it in to the balls in one long smooth motion that had Brenda gasping against my cock.
Once again I got to watch as he began fucking my wife?s pussy?massaging her ass cheeks with both hands and telling her how great it felt. As they built up the tempo I moved my hands to Brenda?s tits and felt her hard nipples slide back and forth across my palms to the rhythm of Vince fucking her. Brenda started urging him on at this point, telling him to ?give it to me?, ?give me that big dick? and ?fuck me hard big boy??.Vince kept looking at me saying ?god she?s feels great? and saying to ?what a sexy women you are? as he gave her the fucking she was asking for. Finally her moans became shouts of ecstasy as she began flipping her head back and forth, throwing her long hair around, across my stomach and quickly hardening (again) cock.
Vince finally slowed, and then stopped, resting his cock in her spasming pussy?..he obviously was enjoying everything about the evening and was holding back from cumming so he could enjoy it as long as possible, but as Brenda slumped forward again into my lap and Vince?s cock popped out of her pussy, she rolled onto her side finally running out of energy.
All 3 of us were panting by now, as Vince and I looked at Brenda?s sexy body lying there on the floor. Vince said something about moving to the bedroom but Brenda said sorry, no, she was about out of energy. He was slowly stoking his cock, looking at her naked ass and I knew that he had been holding back all night but needed to cum himself before we could call it an evening. I suggested he sit back down in the easy chair and Brenda moved in between his legs sitting on the floor. She?s given me plenty of ?quickie? blowjobs as we?ve ridden in the car, or been somewhere else that we didn?t have time to fuck but wanted to get me off, and she knows how to get a guy off when she wants to.
She took the base of Vince?s cock in one hand, his balls in the other, and began licking and sucking the head of his cock?.again she got to taste her own pussy juice on his cock and this got her into it even more. Vince laid his head back in the chair but never took his eyes off her sexy face as she sucked and stroked his cock and balls. I got behind her, loving the site of her taking his cock in her mouth, and began gently massaging her tits. Vince?s cock grew harder and wetter as she dripped her salvia along his shaft?.and as she began stroking his cock faster his hips started matching her movements. As he started getting closer and closer to cumming I could hear his moans getting louder and I whispered in Brenda?s her to lean back and show him her sexy body one more time?.she leaned against me with her legs spread wide around the chair and her naked, shinning body on display for him to enjoy one more time. Vince grabbed his cock and picked up the stroking rhythm Brenda had been doing and stood up, pointing his cock towards her tits. I told her to rub them for him and as she began rubbing her tits with both hands Vince went over the edge, spraying his cum all over her sexy body.
What a night it was for all 3 of us?.I love my wife very much and it is a tremendous turn on for me to see her be so sexy and so into getting fucked. The fact that other men and women get so turned on by her too is the icing on the cake for me and I know I one of the luckiest guys around. I can?t wait until the next time!!


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Makeover Old-Fashioned Banana Cake Recipe
When Jacqueline Kudron of Dracut, Massachusetts asked the Light & Tasty team to revamp her banana cake, we couldn't wait to give it a try. Luckily, this version is 171 calories lighter than Jacqueline's original and has 63% less fat. Best of all, the taste and moist texture of her specialty remains.
Recommended: 24 Upside-Down Desserts
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
- 2 cups cubed firm bananas
- 1 jar (10 ounces) maraschino cherries, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1-1/2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
- In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, egg whites, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Beat into dry ingredients just until combined. Stir in pineapple. Fold in the bananas, cherries and walnuts.
- Coat a 10-in. fluted tube pan with cooking spray and dust with flour. Add the batter. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 16 servings.
Originally published as Makeover Old-Fashioned Banana Cake in Light & Tasty June/July 2006, p17
Reviews forMakeover Old-Fashioned Banana Cake
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Reviewed Mar. 8, 2009
"Never mind...I just misread. Fine reading teacher I am!"
Reviewed Mar. 8, 2009
"Since I am doing Weight Watcher's, I really need the caloric count and fat and fiber for the makeover cake. You did not give that."


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Vinny T - favorite Jet QB ever
The Johnny Hector thread had me thinking. Hector wasn't the greatest New York Jets running back of all time, hell - he wasn't even close, but he's one of my favorites.
Does your favorite player have to be a Hall of Famer? I loved watching Wesley Walker, Wayne Chrebet, Erik McMillian, James Hasty, Aaron Glenn. I loved watching Dennis Byrd before the injury - the year he had 10 sacks he really started to come into his own. I just like rooting for good players who may not be the greatest, but they're our guys who you can cheer for.
Let's list a bunch of New York Jets that were your favorites. They don't have to be perennial Pro Bowlers (like we've had a plethora of those ), but players that you loved to watch.
Vinny T - favorite Jet QB ever
Kurt Sohn...one tough SOB
Scott Dierking
Wesley Walker
Jim Sweeney...one of the long history of excellent Jets Centers
Kevin Mawae...best C in the league the entire time he was a Jet
Marvin Jones
McNeil, Toon, Klecko.
Loved Boomer but for the life of me and cannot believe we went 8-8 and then 6-10 his first two seasons.
Dennis Byrd #90 - DE
Brian Washington #48 - Strong Safety
Mark Gastineau - #99 - DE
Wayne Chrebet #80 - WR
Freeman McNeil #24 - RB
Johnny Hector #34 - RB
Ken OBrien #7 - QB
Vinny T #16 - QB
Id like to ad Victor Green to my list above...loved him
Victor Green
Bobby Houston (never forget that hot on beebe)
Aaron Glenn
Adrian murrel
Mo Lewis
Wayne Cherbet
Vinny T
Ray Mickens (don't laugh)
My all star team would be Darrelle Revis...and that's it because he'd take up all the cap room.
Aaron Glenn. I have a soft spot for corners. Also, the big cat Ellis.
J Co my last "favorite" Jet. Before him it was Vinny T and before him it was Rob Moore.
Last edited by JonEJet; 05-13-2013 at 11:05 PM.
Jerome Barkum
Rich Caster
Mark Gastineau
Matt Robinson
Joe Willie
Not necessarily in that order.
These guys played hard for us. They were easy to like.
When I was young, I loved Mark Gastineau. Sacks, particularly when made by an athlete with his dynamic abilities, are exciting plays. He would dance triumphantly and I would jump around with him.
Then there was Joe Klecko. He threw Quarterbacks and Running Backs around like rag dolls. You don't see raw, violent power like that anymore. All defensive players want now is the big hit that will get them on SportsCenter.
Those 80's teams will always be special to me. We've actually had more sustained success over the last 15 years, and players like Curtis, Chrebet, and Mo Lewis were favorites of mine. But I'll always have fond memories of Bruce Harper, Freeman, Wesley Walker, Toooooon, Shuler, and even Kenny O.
Get rid of those ugly Titans throwbacks and give me back the green helmets!