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Buying insurance against a low-probability event associated with a large cost, like a house catching fire, is an easy decision for most people.
However, insuring against living longer than average through the purchase of an immediate annuity (described in my last article) is not an equally easy decision.
Multiple reasons can be attributed to the lack of willingness on the part of retirees to use immediate annuities, such as permanent loss of access to one's capital and remorse at giving up an opportunity to earn relatively higher investment return.
One important reason I believe stems from the key difference between conventional insurance contracts and longevity insurance provided by immediate annuities. In a conventional insurance contract, you pay a small premium for covering a potentially large loss; whereas in an immediate annuity, you pay a large premium to receive small payments for a lifetime.
If you see the large premium payments as a loss of capital and are thus not able to coax yourself into purchase of an immediate annuity contract, there are alternatives — alternatives similar to the conventional insurance where you pay a small premium to protect against a low-chance-event of running out of money. For example, you rely on an investment portfolio to generate the cash flow during retirement and believe there is a good chance that you won't run out of money but still seek protection for a small chance that you may. A Variable Annuity with a guarantee is a perfect match for that kind of need.
Unlike an immediate annuity, a variable annuity lets you retain control of your capital. Your assets are typically invested in mutual funds that can be withdrawn from after you reach a qualifying age. The guaranteed benefit rider provides you the protection of continued retirement income after your assets run out. To avail of this rider, you pay a fee which is relatively small compared to the large upfront premium of an immediate annuity.
Let me explain the workings of a variable annuity. It tracks a hypothetical amount called benefit base in addition to the market value of investments under the annuity. The benefit base is initially set to the initial investment in the annuity. Periodically, if the market value of annuity investments (net of the fees) rises above the benefit base, the benefit base is reset to the higher market value. The benefit base is a hypothetical amount that can't be directly tapped by the retiree for withdrawal. It is used to determine the guaranteed payments for life. The percentage of the benefit base that is paid out as a benefit for life is based on the age the retiree decides to invoke the guarantee.
The cost of a typical guaranteed lifetime benefit rider is around 1% of the benefit base. So, if you have invested $100,000 in a variable annuity, you will be initially paying $1,000 as the annual fee for the guarantee. The fee will increase if the benefit base gets reset to a higher value. This annuity contract also carries other fees, all of which are deducted from the investments held under the annuity. The insurance company steps in to honor the guaranteed lifetime benefit only after the underlying assets in the annuity are exhausted. The above $1,000 fee is similar to conventional insurance where you pay a small premium that is never returned to you except in the case of an unfortunate event, like the event of exhaustion of assets in the annuity.
It is not necessary for the retiree to invoke the income benefit guarantees at the onset of the contract purchase. The retiree can let the variable annuity be in growth phase where its assets grow net of fees for a period of 10 years or more while the retiree uses other retirement assets to generate the income. Shielding the annuity assets from sale in early years of retirement gives the retiree an opportunity to lock in a higher benefit base and thus a higher guaranteed payment for life.
Finally, I share a few words of caution about using this product in your income plan: firstly, they are a part of your retirement portfolio, not the whole portfolio. Secondly, you should understand all fees and find the lowest fee guarantee from an insurance firm with a good credit rating.
The last and the most important point is that, guaranteed payments under most variable annuity contracts do not adjust for inflation. As you live longer, the cumulative impact of a snap of high inflation over a few years can be devastating. For example, inflation would have increased a household essential budget of $10,000 in the year 1970 to approximately $44,000 in the year 2000. An immediate annuity with adjustment to inflation index (described in my previous article) would have increased the payouts in exactly that proportion. A payout without inflation adjustment as in variable annuity guarantee would have lost its purchasing power to less than one-fourth of its initial value over those 30 years.
I hope this article and the previous article arms you with sufficient knowledge of the strategies for using annuities in your income plan to make a decision that is best for you. I would encourage you to consult your financial advisor as the annuity purchase decision is generally an irrevocable one.
This article is for information purposes only and is not investment advice. Please consult your financial advisor to evaluate the benefit of variable annuities in your retirement income plan. The author and his firm neither sell variable annuities nor are they compensated in any way by their sale.


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Italy's first black Cabinet minister, targeted by racist slurs following her appointment last week, said on Friday that Italians are not racist, but that some are merely ignorant of other cultures and the "richness" that immigration can bring.
Italian Minister of Integration Cecile Kyenge, a surgeon born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), held a news conference to introduce herself to Italians so they could get to know her.
"I am not 'colored.' I am black. It's important to say that. I emphasize it proudly," she said.
Kyenge's appointment had been hailed as a big step for Italy, which has only recently had to cope with waves of immigration and the resulting problems of integration into a largely homogeneous society.
However, the move prompted racist taunts from xenophobic politicians and members of neo-fascist Internet groups — a reaction so vile the government authorized its anti-discrimination office to investigate. (One European parliamentarian from the anti-immigrant Northern League party called her a member of a "bongo bongo government.")
One of her chief defenders, Italian Chamber of Deputies President Laura Boldrini, the lower house speaker, told La Repubblica in an interview posted on its Web site on Friday that she herself has been the target of death threats, which began after she stated publicly that Italy's laws about inciting racial hatred on the Internet should be tightened.
Boldrini showed the newspaper hundreds of printed pages containing the threats that she said showed "sexist aggression" against her personally, and women in public office in general, ranging from the innocuous to the violent.
"I am not afraid to open a battle front, if necessary," Boldrini was quoted as saying. "Will we give visibility to a group of fanatics? Yes, it's true, but they are not a few, there are thousands and thousands. They are growing every day and they constitute a part of the country that we cannot ignore."
Kyenge, in her comments, thanked her defenders, but refrained from lashing out at her detractors. She stressed that Italy has a long tradition of welcoming foreigners and that tradition must be appreciated anew and applied in daily life.
"In reality, Italy isn't a racist country," she told reporters.
The problem, she said, is ignorance of the "other."
"We need to knock down these walls: Until you know the other, skepticism grows, discrimination grows," she said. "At this point, what is identified as racism has at its base not knowing other cultures. Because in reality, immigration is a richness. Diversity is a resource."
Kyenge, 48, was born in the DR Congo and moved to Italy three decades ago to study medicine. An eye surgeon, she lives in Modena with her Italian husband and two children. She was active in local center-left politics before winning a seat in the lower Chamber of Deputies in February elections, and Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta brought her into his coalition government last week.
"We hope she will start a new era for Italy, let's hope," said Kaius Ikejezie, a Nigerian shopping at Rome's Piazza Vittorio market on Friday.
Kyenge has said her priority would be to work to make it easier for children born in Italy to immigrant parents to obtain Italian citizenship. Currently, such children can only apply when they are 18.

subset: commoncrawl


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UPDATE 5:35 p.m.
Every detail gets prepared down to the painting of the end zones at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Crews were assembling the stage on Bobby Bowden Field. The same stage where the Heisman and Coaches trophies will be on the display.
"These guys are excited to celebrate this celebration as much as the fans are excited to be here," said FSU director of marketing. "So it should be a good time and we're glad to be able to do it."
You can read more about the celebration further below.
News Release: Florida State University
January 23rd, 2014
The National Champion FSU football team will hold its official celebration of the BCS title Saturday, February 1 at 12:00 p.m. inside Doak Campbell Stadium. The event is free as is parking and will conclude no later than 2:00 p.m. Stadium gates will open at 11:00 a.m. and Seminole Village on Langford Green will be open at 9:00 a.m.
Following the celebration of the 2013 BCS National Championship, fans will be invited on to the field to congratulate the players personally for their undefeated run to the national title. The meet-and-greet with the team will follow the formal program. While on the field, fans will be asked to refrain from seeking autographs so the players have the chance to meet and talk with as many of the team's supporters as possible.
Numerous activities are on tap leading up to the in-stadium celebration. From 9:00-11:00 fans will be able to have their photo taken with the Dr. Pepper Coaches' Trophy on Langford Green. They can also visit the Indoor Practice Facility and check out where the Seminoles train. It will also be the only chance for fans to see the turf from FSU's road wins at Florida, the ACC Championship and the piece taken by Telvin Smith at the Rose Bowl on display in caskets at the Sod Cemetery before they are buried.
Following the event, 20,000 free commemorative posters will be given to fans in attendance as they exit the celebration.
Fans are asked to enter Doak Campbell through Gates B, C, D, F, G or X on the south side of the stadium by the Seminole Sport Shop and Unconquered statue. The normal bag policy for home games will be in effect, which limits bags to a size of 6x12x12. The Moore Center will not be open so the best way to see the National Championship Trophy up close and personal will be on Langford Green or during the official celebration. The celebration will conclude with plenty of time for fans to attend the Seminoles' men's basketball game versus Clemson in the Civic Center at 3:00 p.m.
News Release: Florida State University
January 15th, 2014
Florida State athletic officials announced Wednesday that the National Championship Celebration scheduled for Saturday in Tallahassee is postponed. A new date for the celebration will be announced once plans are finalized.
"Due to travel conflicts and recent schedule changes for some team members, we did not feel it was fair to the fans or our players to host the celebration this weekend," said Rob Wilson, FSU Associate Athletic Director. "Our draft eligible players expressed that they very much wanted to be part of the celebration. We felt that our fans, many of whom were traveling some distance, might be disappointed that key contributors to the national championship could not be present."
The United Way's Downtown GetDown this Friday night at the Adam's Street Commons in Tallahassee will go on as planned.
News Release: Florida State University
January 10th, 2014
Tallahassee, FL - The National Champion FSU football team will hold its official celebration Saturday, January 18 at 2:00 p.m. inside Doak Campbell Stadium. The event is free as is parking. Stadium gates will open at 1:00 p.m. and Seminole Village on Langford Green will be open at 11:00 a.m. Parking will be available on the south side of the stadium as well as in the parking garages next to the intramural fields and by the soccer/softball complex.
Fans are asked to enter Doak Campbell through Gates C, D, F, G or X on the south side of the stadium by the Seminole Sport Shop and Unconquered statue. The parking lots outside the Moore Athletic Center on the north side of the stadium will not be available for fan parking. The celebration is expected to last a little over an hour
By: Bailey Myers
January 8th, 2014
Tallahassee FL- It's official. FSU will have a celebration dedicated to the National Championship Win.
We spoke with university officials earlier today. They told us Head Coach Fisher didn't want to make too many plans before the big win for fear of jinxing it. Now they are planning on hosting an event on Saturday the 18th at 2:00p.m. at Doak Campbell Stadium.
FSU Associate Athletic Director Rob Wilson explained, "The whole idea is to just get together lets join each other for an hour-- hour and a half. Give the players one more time. And give the fans a chance to see the when it gets here. Hear from coach Fisher in person."
We have been told the event is free to the public and every Nole fan is welcome to attend.
Tallahassee, Fla. -- FSU has told WCTV that they will be holding the 2014 BCS National Championship celebration Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 2 pm, and that it will be free to the public.
WCTV will bring you all the details as they become available.
Go Noles!
By: Bailey Myers
January 7th, 2014
Tallahassee FL- For weeks the City of Tallahassee and FSU have been discussing the possibility of a National Championship celebration here in Nole Country. With plans still up in the air we decided to ask the fans what they want to see.
In Tallahassee fans screamed as the Noles won the National Championship. Tuesday, they flaunted their Semionle pride.
"14 and 0 season? Like I was a student here and I witnessed it. I just can't put it into words." Explained one FSU fan. Now those fans who couldn't make it to Pasadena hope to show their support here in Nole Country with a special ceremony.
"What would you want to see? I want to see a huge block party," said another fan.
"It would be just awesome to see a huge parade. The whole team up there you know with the trophy."
"Fireworks lots and lots of fireworks."
FSU Student Veronica Pitocchi said, "I would love to see some kind of parade or some type of festivity. I think it's necessary to do something fun to celebrate such a big event because it's not everyday you win a national championship."
The last time FSU won a national championship, back in 1999, a ceremony was held at Doak Campbell Stadium with the trophy being presented to the team and coach in front of all the Seminole fans. This year we have been told FSU is planning their celebration in the stadium on Saturday.
No word on the time or details just yet but the second we have more details on Saturday's event we will relay those to you.


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Cleveland Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a Jason Kipnis double during the second inning.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge
CHICAGO — Early leads weren't safe and late advantages weren't, either. It all added up to two jarring losses for the Chicago White Sox and one long, crushing doubleheader sweep.
Nick Swisher ripped a long solo homer to cap a four-run ninth inning against Addison Reed Friday night, lifting the Cleveland Indians to a 9-8 victory over the White Sox for a sweep of the longest doubleheader by time for two nine-inning games.
After pounding Chicago 19-10 in the opener in a game that lasted 4 hours, 2 minutes, the Indians came through in the end to take a nightcap that ran 3:51. The 7:53 total made it the longest doubleheader with two nine-inning games on record, but the marathon came to an end after Swisher delivered a crushing blow.
Throw in 63 minutes between games — a 38-minute break, and, get this, a 25-minute rain delay — and that's one long night at the ballpark.
"It seems like a break here and there obviously doesn't go our way. Or when things like this happen, you're devastated about it," White Sox slugger Adam Dunn said.
Reed (3-1) entered with an 8-5 lead in the ninth but quickly ran into trouble, blowing his fourth save in 25 chances.
"They did everything they could to get the ball in my hands," Reed said. "I wanted nothing more than to close that game out and get the win tonight."
He started the inning by giving up three straight singles to Ryan Raburn, pinch-hitter Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Bourn to make it a two-run game. He then threw a wild pitch to pinch-hitter Jason Giambi, allowing Cabrera to score.
Jason Kipnis then tied it with a sacrifice fly to center field, driving in Bourn, and Swisher drilled a 3-2 pitch well into the seats in right to put Cleveland ahead.
"When you've got a closer throwing that hard, man, all you got to do is just try and find the barrel, man, and he'll provide a lot of the power," Swisher said.
The late rally made a winner of Matt Langwell (1-0), who got his first career win even though he allowed two runs in the eighth.
Vinnie Pestano walked Wells with one out in the ninth but struck out three for his sixth save in eight chances, finishing a game that ended just after 1 a.m.
Alejandro De Aza had three hits and scored four runs in the second game for Chicago. Jeff Keppinger had a pair of three-hit games for Chicago, with a homer in the opener.
Adam Dunn drove in two runs in Game 2 after going deep in the opener, and the White Sox looked like they were going to come away with the split before Reed gave it away.
"Ball was over the plate and up in the zone and they made me pay for it," Reed said.
Jose Quintana lasted six innings, allowing five runs and five hits for Chicago. Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco allowed six runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 and saw his ERA rise from 7.78 to 8.17.
But in the end, it was the Indians handing the White Sox another brutal loss.
In the opener, Jason Kipnis reached base six times and scored four runs, while Ryan Raburn homered and drove in four.
The Indians matched a season high for runs. They also set a season best with eight doubles while falling one hit shy of their most hits, 21.
Yet despite all that, Cleveland had to dig itself out of a five-run hole after the first inning and hang on after a nine-run lead dwindled to four.
Raburn gave the Indians some breathing room with a two-run drive off Ramon Troncoso in the seventh, making it 16-10. He also had a two-run single to break a 5-all tie in the fourth and spark a six-run rally.
Kipnis, who grew up in suburban Northbrook, Ill., extended his hitting streak to 10 and reached safely in his 30th straight game. He had three doubles, drove in two runs, and the only out he made was when Alejandro De Aza ran down his line drive to left in the ninth.
Then, in Game 2, the Indians somehow pulled one out in the end.
"To kick and scratch and fight," Giambi said. "We just kept going and going and going."
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How are the Blazers not getting any love here? I don't think they are the best but they are better than several teams listed.
Batum (only 23)
Meyers Leonard
I'm a Portland fan, but I'd say Sacramento. They've got a lot of talented pieces, and they have enough depth at shooting guard and small forward to put together a good trade package.
DeMarcus Cousins will be one of the best power forward-center combos in the league, even if he's not the best role model. He's already tougher than Aldridge, in my opinion.
Isiah Thomas hasn't been doing so hot this season, but he showed us last year that he can be a good point guard. If that doesn't work, Aaron Brooks is a pretty good second option to start.
I bet most teams would love to have the dilemma of choosing to start Marcus Thornton or Tyreke Evans at shooting guard. The Kings had the trade assets to even take a run at James Harden.
James Johnson, Travis Outlaw, John Salmons and Tyler Honeycutt equal insane depth at small forward, although none of them are particularly good. Johnson or Honeycutt might turn out well. At the very least, a combination of those guys and Evans could make a good enough trade package for one of the NBA's marquee small forwards.
Jason Thompson is that unassuming, hard-working forward-center every team wants to have. Being that Thomas Robinson will eventually start for the Kings, Thompson would be my pick for sixth man.
Last edited by mrblisterdundee; 11-15-2012 at 07:54 PM.
It's the Twolves easily. Once healthy this team not only has the most young potential but could possibly be a top 4 seed.
Of course the Hornets, but I say Cleveland and Houston have a nice chance too
Seattle Seahawks- New Orleans Pelicans- Atlanta Braves- Anaheim Ducks


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Viola C
Question: How to lock the hatch.
This is my second Rodeo and I still can't lock the hatch. It has a key insert but when I insert the ignition key, the only key I have it won't lock.
AutomotiveForums M
Car Brakes: How Do You Know When to Change Them?
By Zach Bowman For those who suffer a daily commute through heavy traffic, your vehicle's braking system can bring thousands of pounds of metal, plastic and empty Starbucks cups to a stop hundreds of times before you get to work. It goes without saying that these pieces wear out, but they do so slowly, meaning you may not notice they need attention until ...


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Glittered Wire Table Top Tree
Glittered Wire Table Top Tree
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Finding a spare five minutes at Christmas time can be a challenge, but personalising a traditional wreath is a great way to create a decoration for your home that's quick, easy and simple to make. Hang a Christmas wreath on your front door to impress your visitors, or place it centre stage on your dining table with an LED candle in the middle as a statement centrepiece.
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John B
Question: Rear brake line flare type
Hi folks,
I have spent the day trying to get a definite answer regarding the flares I need to make for the hard lines running from the rear wheel cylinders to the interface with the rubber lines that transit from the rear axle to the chassis. The info I have found so far but am not sure of is that all the flares on the hard lines throughout the van are double flares, except for where the braided lines connect to the ABS unit. I understand that those are bubble flares. Can someone offer me some guidance?? I have both lines out and they are sitting on my bench, ready to be duplicated using "Poly Armor". I brought one of the fitting over to Napa and picked up an even dozen new connectors. I am planning of replacing all the lines but am just starting with the above 2 mentioned lines.
Car Brakes: How Do You Know When to Change Them?
By Zach Bowman For those who suffer a daily commute through heavy traffic, your vehicle's braking system can bring thousands of pounds of metal, plastic and empty Starbucks cups to a stop hundreds of times before you get to work. It goes without saying that these pieces wear out, but they do so slowly, meaning you may not notice they need attention until ...


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Well, until that first birthday rolls around, you can get the future tattoo-trading Tosu-student to-be started on that long road toward moral decline with The Ohio State Sweater Vest Onesie shown below.
|He wouldn't be smiling if he knew what he was wearing
I wonder if the apparel also comes with The Ohio State Parenting Handbook which includes such chapters as "Punishing the Buckeye Child" in which Tosu parents learn that when the little Woody does something wrong, you don't send him right to his room or put him in timeout. Instead, you let him continue doing whatever he was doing him but let him know he's in really big trouble down the road when he turns four.
And to really up sales, for a limited time only, The Sweater Vest onesie should also come with a "Championship Rattle" that the Tosu Toddler can then sell when he or she gets to pre-school or trade for things with other toddlers.
Order now! Operators are standing by!
(HT: @chengelis)


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Challenges to global economic growth continue to dominate every major newspaper headline, and the same was the case today at GFLC.
Raghuram Rajan, Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of India and a professor at the University of Chicago, spoke about both short and medium concerns for the global economy.
For example, Rajan explained the changing role of emerging economies in providing demand for industrialized nations' supply:
"Looking forward, people believe that the emerging markets may be the solution. The emerging markets can be a source of growth, and that would be natural for those countries that have relatively low levels of income to pick up the slack. The problem is that emerging markets have never provided demand to the rest of the world without starts and stops, without booms and busts. The last ten years have been good for the emerging markets because someone else provided the demand… Now industrial countries can't do it anymore. The emerging markets have to do it. Are they up to snuff?"
In addition to the austerity challenges in Greece and Spain, Rajan talked about a country we don't hear about as often in terms of financial challenges: France:
"France is an issue you should be watching. France could slide into the category of the periphery unless it does something dramatic over the next few months. They've taken a first step the last couple of weeks to try to improve the competitiveness of industry, but France is the big penny waiting to drop if it doesn't do enough."
Following his remarks, Rajan was joined by a panel of experts to discuss global growth and commerce. John Lipsky, former First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, Jerry Webman, Chief Economist for Oppenheimer Funds, and Zhou Yuan, Head of Asset Allocation for China Investment Corporation discussed the challenges to all major geographies, concentrating on two key areas: China and the United States.
Rajan led the discussion of two big shifts in China. In terms of demographics, he finds that China is shifting from an era of "cheap" labor growth in part due to its one-child policy. From an economic perspective, as the labor force changes, China is shifting in two ways. First, toward domestic consumption and away from investments and exports; and second, moving quite literally to grow its domestic economy inland. Previous growth has been concentrated in coastal cities.
The panel spent a lot of its discussion debating the implications of growth and the upside for the United States post-resolution of the fiscal cliff. In the short and medium term, all expressed optimism, predicting U.S. inflation five years from now would hover anywhere from 2 to 4 percent.
The discussion also touched on regulatory reform, and how approaching rules might affect the way markets function. On this point Lipsky said the role of uncertainty continues to determine the actions of market participants:
"Without going into great detail, in this room there must be uncertainty about regulatory reform, uncertainty about the different regulatory policies across the globe, and uncertainty about the political process and how this will be allowed to proceed.
"There needs to be a new level of cooperation and coherence. If not, we're going to continue with growing concern about volatility."


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We need two new team owners in our two Redszone-based fantasy baseball leagues. Both are free 5x5 roto dynasty leagues hosted on Yahoo. Both leagues are 9-10 years old. We have a great bunch of guys but two owners have gone off the grid. If you are interested in joining a fun dynasty league with other members of Redszone please let me know!
"No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda
I think threads about computerizing balls and strikes are giving "Adam Dunn Sucks" threads a run for the money.
The reality is computerized balls and strikes are not likely to happen in our lifetime. MLB is very conservative and does not react quickly to change. There is no system currently in place at any level of professional or amateur baseball so this alone tells me this isn't even on the radar for MLB to implement anytime soon.
I have no problem with instant replay being used on a limited basis but as far as balls and strikes I have no real opinion because again, it isn't going to happen in my lifetime so why think about it?
Don't think also that there won't be controversy should a computerized system ever be put in place. I gaurantee fans and players alike will still question and gripe about the calls.
The only real place I can find where people want some computerized ball and strikes system is on this board.
I will check back in a month or so when a new thread about this is started and will copy and paste the same thing again.
"Boys, I'm one of those umpires that misses 'em every once in a while so if it's close, you'd better hit it." Cal Hubbard
The point Doug makes is valid yet I am not seeing a pitch that is 6 inches off the plate. Can we get a consensus on that before I go on?
A ball whose center is 1.5 inches off the plate is still a strike though because its outer edge nips the black, correct?
"No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda
50 runs/80 games = .625 runs a game
I'm just struggling to compute all this.
Ok, I'm done for now.
If tennis can do it -- and do it efficiently -- there's no reason baseball can't. Not exactly apples-to-apples, but you get the drift. This isn't all that complicated with today's technology. And not EVERY call would be reviewed. Just the ones that are challenged. Wouldn't take but more than a few seconds ... just like when shots are challenged in tennis.
The calling of balls/strikes is a huge issue in baseball. One that certainly needs fixed. Guys are all over the map with their respective strike zones.
That said, I'd be very happy even it wasn't even something the ump had to follow, but just a training mechanism. Put it purposefully on a 5-10 second delay, let the ump make his call as he currently does, and then give him feedback. Ump keeps his role, but gets the feedback he needs to improve at his craft in real time, when he's still able to process the necessary adjustment.
Last edited by RedsManRick; 11-13-2012 at 11:19 PM.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
Like anything technical and complex, the devil is in the details.
I'd really like to see a working real-time balls and strikes video system get implemented in the minors where they can use it for a season and really work all the bugs out of it. With these kinds of things, the problems aren't the ones you think of, its the ones you don't think of and all of the unintended consequences.
Thinking it through, it seems that getting the geometry of the plate is a solvable thing. You have the front, sides, and back and they don't move. What seems the problem is the top and bottom of the strike zone.
Rule 2.00: The Strike Zone
The STRIKE ZONE is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.
That last sentence would be the tricky part. Is this a fully automated determination or is a human being setting it? If automated, the batter knows when he's being scanned and what happens if he crouches at that exact instant? Lots of things to work out.
And being a IT security guy, all systems better be firewalled and virus scanned and the code better be app-scanned for vulnerabilities and peer reviewed out the wazoo because it will come under intense scrutiny. White hat threats where a programmer can be bought out by organized gamblers to alter results. All solvable problems that all IT departments worth their salt take care of, but now instead of a human ump that is calling balls and strikes, you have a digital infrastructure that is doing it. Believe me, a lot can go wrong and lots and lots and lots of stuff needs to be worked out.
For a time, I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
Electronic strikezones already exist. They've been around for years and have been demonstrating to fans who know how to open up a Gameday window that, yes, umps do as poor a job of calling balls and strikes as we always suspected. And the electronic systems make an instantaneous call.
The technology is proven and in place. It adds no delay to the game. It increases the fairness of the game. In fact, it would eliminate all game-time wrangling over calls.
Wait until the year after next year.
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The BBC has just released a story about the forthcoming Microsoft online store due to arrive next year.
I suppose it was inevitable, but it does set one wondering. If "real" stores will only sell hardware with pre-installed software, is that an opportunity or threat for Linux and free software.
In the download world, Linux can have as fancy a store as anyone, their advertising warchest aside. Although it can be equally argued that the OS installed on the hardware will be, and remain to be, the lock in factor.
I will be interested to see if the Microsoft site will sell non MS products, as the Apple store does. Would that include Firefox or Chrome? I will not even suggest Libreoffice, but VLC or Audacity would make the criteria for inclusion problematic.
Since their software has been on line for years through retailers, how will this move affect that relationship. I would guess that whilst it will cut retailers profits, Linux are not in any position to benefit from that.
Maybe this is not even news and just an inevitable event turned into free publicity by the slick MS PR.


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In 1997 the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education awarded the University of Central Missouri a statewide mission in professional applied science and technology. The mission reflected Central Missouri's strengths in technology, its capacity to reach a statewide learning community, and its highly qualified faculty and staff. As an element of the statewide mission, the Coordinating Board established mission enhancement goals and accountability measures. These included:
Over the past nine years, Central Missouri has achieved each of these goals and has expanded its technological capabilities in instruction, information retrieval, communications, and distance learning. For example, the University now provides technical training to hundreds of faculty and staff members annually, sponsors face-to-face and virtual technology conferences, conducts annual summer instructional technology seminars for faculty, promotes best practices in the use of classroom technology at Central Missouri and in the public schools, and surveys public school educators to determine instructional needs and to lay the foundation for partnerships between institutions of higher education and the K-12 system. These advances have been supported by the completion of the James C. Kirkpatrick Library, a superbly equipped educational resource for the twenty-first century, and new development and learning facilities such as the School of Technology, CentralNet, the Center for Teaching and Learning. In addition, Central Missouri's mission is now reinforced by extensive improvements in the institution's technical capabilities that include an expanded technical staff, improved services, a major upgrade of the campus ethernet backbone, over 150 fully equipped multimedia classrooms, remodeled laboratories, modern departmental equipment, and new high performance computers for virtually the entire Central Missouri faculty.
Central Missouri has also moved to enhance applied and science and technology education in Missouri. New degree programs derived from Central Missouri's statewide mission include the BS in Aerospace Manufacturing Technology; the MS in Library Information Technology; the MS in Rural Family Nursing; the MS in Educational Technology; the MS in Information Technology; the BS in Crisis Management; the BS in Electronics Engineering Technology; the Cooperative Ph.D. in Technology Management (with Indiana State University), and the BM emphasis in Music Technology. Taking advantage of Central Missouri's technological strengths, the University now also offers two completely online degree programs, the MS in Criminal Justice and the MS in Industrial Management. New technology degree programs are only half the story, however. Virtually every degree program at Central Missouri is now supported with technology made available through statewide mission funding. Some 1200 courses are now fully or partially presented online employing commercial software extensively used throughout the academic world.
During the past few years the University has made a considerable effort to develop partnerships with community colleges and vocational schools to facilitate the transition of students from two-year technology programs and certification programs to this four-year institution. For example, numerous transfer and articulation agreements have been arranged with the Kansas City Metropolitan Community College system and with Three Rivers Community College, Crowder College, Fort Scott Community College, Ozarks Technical Community College and State Fair Community College. These accords mean that students may build upon their earlier training to master skills in fields as diverse as automotive/power technology, construction management, computer aided drafting and design technology, electronics technology, instructional media technology, and graphic arts. With the advanced instruction and degree programs that Central Missouri provides these students, Missouri's technology workforce is directly improved and the state's economic situation is enhanced.
Although much effort has been directed toward expanding technical education for students, Central Missouri has not neglected its commitment to strengthen the state's core of vocational/technical instructors. Expanding upon earlier outreach efforts through the University's Office of Extended Campus, Central Missouri has established the Technology and Occupational Education program under the auspices of the College of Applied Sciences and Technology. This program provides in-service training by means of both face-to-face and distance delivery. Another strategy is to bring instructors to Central Missouri to take maximum advantage of the University's excellent faculty and infrastructure. Toward that end, the Missouri Skills USA program brings hundreds of vocational teachers to campus, and Central Missouri has advanced that program by establishing 12 additional training sites at which more than 5,000 technical teachers have received instruction. Not of least importance is the University's evolving partnership with the Missouri National Guard, which will permit many technology courses to be available to thousands of guardsmen via distance learning techniques. Indeed, the opportunities for Central Missouri, with its technological and educational resources, to serve the National Guard will continue to be the focus of much discussion and action in the future.
Central Missouri's capacity to deliver educational programs is greatly enhanced by its telecommunication network and public television station. KMOS-TV is one of two university licensed stations in Missouri, and the KMOS signal reaches over thirty percent of the geographical area of the state, the greatest range of any Missouri public television station. With The 2000-foot tower near Tipton, Missouri now in place, the University broadcasts education programs for the public schools, in-service education to vocational teachers, and just-in-time training at the work site over a large region. In fact, the recent improvements in transmission mean that an additional 300,000 Missouri residents and an additional 42,000 elementary and secondary students now receive the KMOS signal. Among the programs provided by the station are instructional services to over 170 public schools, instruction in the Missouri Migrant Education Centers, training in the Parents as Teachers and Head Start programs, and specific technology instruction for 84 public school districts. Every semester, the University reaches additional Missouri students and citizens with its public service broadcasts, technical instruction, and degree programs.
The statewide mission is on track and moving forward at the University of Central Missouri. Proud of our accomplishments in the technology arena, the Central Missouri community welcomes its mission responsibilities and will continue to build upon the strong foundations established in the first decade of its statewide mission. As the technology future unfolds, Central Missouri will be a step ahead to help Missouri meet it.


text: Daniela Fally The Lyric Opera of Chicago: Johann Strauss, Jr.'s Die Fledermaus (in German) Lyric Opera Airs Saturday, June 14 at 12 noon. This week the Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Johann Strauss, Jr.'s delighfull opera Die Fledermaus featuring Juliane Banse as Rosalinde with Bo Skovhus as Eisenstein, Daniela Fally as Adele, Adrian Eröd as Falke, Michael Spyres in the roll of Alfred, Emily Fons as Prince Orlofsky and Andrew Shore as Frank. E. Loren Meeker directs this production and Ward Stare conducts the Lyric Opera orchestra and chorus.


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Faculty Notes
Eileen Hulme, Ph.D.
January 25, 2013
Hulme, E., Schreiner, L., Ladd, K., & delaRosby, H. (2012, December). Thriving: A New Vision for University Student Success. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Australian Association of Educational Researcher, Sydney, Australia.
Faculty Details
|Eileen Hulme
Professor, Department of Higher Education
View Profile


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TWO strong gallops in Melbourne and Sydney on Saturday morning bolstered the confidence of two stables aspiring to win Saturday's $2 million Magic Millions Classic on the Gold Coast.
Sydney filly Assail worked at Warwick Farm, and Clevadude galloped at Caulfield, with both recording strong final lead-up performances.
Leading Melbourne jockey Craig Williams flew to Sydney to ride the Clarry Connors-prepared Assail and was pleased with how the youngster felt.
''I just wanted to get one more look at her before the Coast and iron out any problems that could have arisen. But she's in good order,'' Williams said.
In Melbourne, trainer Rick Hore-Lacy was also happy with how his unbeaten youngster Clevadude emerged from his final gallop over 1000 metres.
''He honed the final 200 metres going the Sydney way on a pretty tight track and he never left the rail,'' he said.
''Of course, I was pleased that he handled the reverse direction but here at Caulfield we're able to work the opposite way two or three times a week and he [Clevadude] has adjusted perfectly.''
Hore-Lacy said he was quietly confident of success on Saturday, but was mindful of the threat posed by Assail. He believed his two-year-old had much on his side heading into one of Australia's richest two-year-old races.
''It's a tightish track and ideally it's handy to be on the speed. While Clevadude might be able to lead, it won't be a problem if he also follows the leader. And, of course, having such a fine temperament is another aspect on his side.
''You find in the last two weeks leading up to the Magic Millions you have horses popping up as very real chances, so it won't be an easy event to win but I couldn't be happier with my bloke.''
Clevadude will fly out of Melbourne late on Monday and will be on the Gold Coast early on Tuesday, as will another Caulfield two-year-old, Calcutta.
Trainer Robert Smerdon confirmed on Sunday that Calcutta would accept for the event.


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By the way,
Conor Orr @ConorTOrr
Woody wouldn't say the report isn't true. Just said he would defer to Idzik and said he doesn't know where the report came from. #nyj
By the way,
Conor Orr @ConorTOrr
Woody wouldn't say the report isn't true. Just said he would defer to Idzik and said he doesn't know where the report came from. #nyj
When will Custer realize that Idzik is not going to tell him personnel decisions right now? They're going in a circle.
It is not so much as standing up to Rex as it is just not being a pushover. He can agree with Rex and not be a pushover. There is middle ground. Of course I want them to be able to work together.
I am hoping he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. We need a wolf.
He just said on SNY with Custer, that competition will rule the day. Competition everywhere, including most importantly, the QB spot.
That is music to my ears. Finally, a real live QB competition and ONLY allowing the best players to play no matter what position it may be.
Thanks SAR, at work and couldn't watch
Repair circus atmosphere:
"I look at is as fostering what we have here. We have a good group of people here. Its up to us all to join together. I don't sense dysfunction."
Was this guy on the moon all last year
I was a little nervous at the beginning of the press conference, but I think he did a good job of handling the media. And really, if you can handle the NY media, there's nothing you CAN'T handle.
I also agree that this whole "perception" of needing a GM who can stand up to Rex is just that - a perception. Being more thoughtful and soft-spoken doesn't disqualify Idzik from being a tough GM, and I think he's got the right idea: make the decisions and do the work required to make the Jets better. It sounds like his focus is 100% on that mission, and I don't see anybody (big personalities or otherwise) swaying him from that mission.
That being said, we'll see how it all works out this season.
Agreed.... and he actually said he has not gone over the team with Rex and whoever else... HE DID NOT SAY HE HASNT DONE IT, just that he hasnt done it with the rest of the staff.
He looked over the team between interviews, prolly actually before his first interview. That article that was posted out here from his friend suggested that Idzik has files on local high school players, and that his buddy who works for whatever other team CALLS HIM to see what research he has on players.
Carefully worded answer that was...
I think his comments seem fine with the direction the team should be headed in. He isn't going to give away specific personnel decisions when he has only been on the job for 3 days.
I mean, everyone loves something when it's working - but I am encouraged to hear that nonetheless.
That's what you do in pressers, you spit cliches and let the media print them. Then you go in the back room and take out the knife.
The GM shouldn't be making news in press conferences, SAR. He makes news when we see the product that runs onto the field in Week 1.
Are you telling me you wanted bold, groundbreaking news and rah-rah? Or, that you wanted him to disseminate some brand new knowledge or perspective on GMing that's never been heard before?
I didn't expect to hear the formula for Coca-Cola at his first press conference.
Media: "What do you think about Mark Sanchez at QB? Is he the starter?"
Idzik: "Did you watch him last year?" (laughs) "Would you start him?....No, he's not our starter. In fact, I'm trying to move him right now." (looks off to the right at an unknown guy in a suit wearing an earpiece) "(whispering)...did Arizona bite yet?" (guy puts finger to ear, nods no)


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Matthew Tyner (credit: Colorado Springs Police Department)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) – Colorado Springs police say no charges will be filed in a crash that killed a motorcycle officer.
Colorado Springs officer Matt Tyner died in a collision July 24 while he was conducting traffic enforcement. Prosecutors say there is probable cause to issue summonses to a person involved in the crash for traffic violations, but Tyner's family did not want to cause the person more pain by going through court proceedings.
Police haven't released many details of how Tyner died, but they said Friday they are still seeking the driver of a black motorcycle that was in the vicinity.
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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This is the core development home for the tktable, tile, vu
and winico widget sets and extensions to Tcl.
The tile project is a modified Tk styling engine demo.
Currently it supports a standard Tk theme, an
alternative Tk theme and an XP native theme.
The source is maintained as a CVS repository under the tktable
sourceforge project. You can get a copy by following the instructions
Winico is a Tk extension for Windows that provides enhanced icon handling and
permits manipulation of an icon in the Windows taskbar and system tray.
See the documentation for further details.
This is the primary site for Tcl users.
There is lots of information here, and this is the primary
site to get all the
Tcl/Tk releases.
An open discussion forum with thousands of pages of community managed
A lot of Tcl and Expect discussion also occurs on the
news:comp.lang.tcl newsgroup.
If you do not have newsgroup access, this newsgroup can be
accessed via the mirror.utcorp.net news server, or via the
Groups web server.
ActiveTcl is the industry standard binary Tcl distribution
available on most platforms.
This extension is included in ActiveTcl.


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By Paula Katinas
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The election last week proved to be successful for Democrats in Brooklyn, with the party's incumbents in congressional and state legislative races winning re-election in the vast majority of races around the borough.
And then there's Bay Ridge.
Two of the seats Democrats in Bay Ridge had coveted the most, congress and state senate, were won by Republican incumbents, leaving Democrats wondering how the contests could have slipped away from them.
U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-Bay Ridge-Staten Island) and state Sen. Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge-southern Brooklyn) easily defeated their respective challengers, Democrats Mark Murphy and Andrew Gounardes.
Democrats said that the fact that a man who did fundraising for Grimm during the congressman's first campaign in 2010 is under FBI investigation gave them hope that voters would prefer to turn the page on the Republican incumbent and give Murphy a chance. Their hopes were dashed on election night.
"I think we miscalculated," said one leading Democrat who asked that his name not be published. "We thought the FBI thing would turn voters off to Grimm. It didn't. And we thought that Marty's missteps would do him in. They didn't. These guys are very popular," the Democrat said.
Golden came under fire from Gounardes and others for voting against a bill that would have guaranteed pay equity for female state workers.
A week after the election, Democrats said, at least publicly, that they are looking back with no regrets and are looking forward with hope.
"And although we fell short, together we sent a very strong message," Justin Brannan, president of the Bay Ridge Democrats, a leading political club in the community, wrote in an email to club members after the election.
The club worked tirelessly, knocking on doors, calling voters on the phone, and campaigning on behalf of Murphy and Gounardes.
"Make no mistake, our flag has been planted and our fight for better representation and a better New York is far from over. This wasn't our last chance - far from it. This is just the beginning," Brannan said.
The victories by Grimm and Golden were even more impressive, considering the fact that neither man did much campaigning during the final week leading up to the Nov. 6 election. Grimm was busy helping to coordinate relief efforts for Staten Islanders in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Golden was spending a great deal of time with constituents in the Gerritsen Beach portion of his district. Gerritsen Beach residents suffered massive damage from Sandy.
Murphy, who had refused to concede to Grimm on Election Night, admitted to supporters a few days later that "the journey we started back in January has come to an end."
Murphy, the son of former congressman John Murphy who was making his first try at public office, sent an email to supporters.
"We didn't win, but with the backing of thousands and thousands of voters, we succeeded in promoting the issues and ideals of hard working Americans. These are issues we will continue to support as we move forward to work with President Obama, Senator Gillibrand, Governor Cuomo, Senator Schumer and other elected officials who believe in the power and the value of America's middle class," Murphy wrote.


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NORFOLK — If you hear Old Dominion baseball players on the field barking and fussing at each other, don't assume that they dislike one another or that personality issues exist. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As the season progressed, some older players took it upon themselves to vocally police teammates for everything from lack of effort to sloppy execution to picking up balls and equipment.
"We're all best friends," first baseman Josiah Burney said. "If you just heard us, you'd go, wow, those guys are terrible toward each other. But right after the play, we explain it. It's like, hey, man, get after it. It's not personal and we realize that now. That's the maturity within the program and it's a great thing. We're headed in the right direction."
After an uneven first month, the Monarchs (22-15) settled into their first season in Conference USA. They are 10-8 in the league and have won their last four series, including last weekend's well-attended affair versus regional rival East Carolina at the Bud Metheny Complex.
"We've certainly showed we can compete with everybody in this league," coach Chris Finwood said. "I don't think there's any question about that. … I'm really proud of how our guys have competed. We haven't been intimidated by the league competition, by any means."
The Monarchs are scheduled to face William and Mary 7 p.m. Tuesday in a non-conference game at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, weather permitting, followed by a three-game home series versus UT San Antonio Thursday through Saturday at the Bud.
ODU is tied for sixth in C-USA, with four series remaining. The top eight of 13 teams qualify for the conference tournament. The Monarchs already won series versus ECU and Florida International, teams near them in the standings, and thus hold the tiebreaker, for qualifying and seeding purposes. UTSA (24-12, 10-5 C-USA) is above them in the standings, and another series win would aid the cause.
"We're finding ways to win some ball games. We've been pitching pretty well for the most part, (Sunday) being the exception," Finwood said, referring to Sunday's 12-7 extra-inning loss to ECU to conclude the series. "We're finally, over the last few weeks, we started being better at getting big hits — getting hits with runners in scoring position."
ODU is fourth in the conference in team batting average (.284), second in runs (223) and second in hits (381). The Monarchs are 18th in the nation in fielding, with 33 errors in 37 games.
Sophomore P.J. Higgins leads the Monarchs in hitting (.346) and is one of five players with at least 20 runs and 15 runs batted in. Nick Walker, a freshman from Virginia Beach batting .309, provided a spark since he was inserted in the everyday lineup roughly a month ago. Taylor Ostrich (.317), a junior college transfer from Iowa, has swung a hot bat lately.
Finwood and the staff have settled on a weekend starting rotation of Andy Roberts, Ryan Yarbrough and Victor Diaz. Roberts (3-0, 2.77 ERA) and Yarbrough (4-4, 2.96 ERA) are senior lefthanders, and Diaz (1-2, 3.11 ERA), a redshirt junior, has been solid.
The bullpen is led by converted starter Dean Ali (3-to-1 strikeout-walk ratio), Connor Overton (2.84 ERA) and Brad Gero (6 saves, 25 strikeouts, 3 walks).
Burney may best personify the improvement within the program this season. The senior from Gloucester is batting .306 and leads the Monarchs in RBI (32), home runs (6), slugging percentage (.602) and on-base percentage among regulars (.422).
He is a career .263 hitter whose newfound discipline at the plate resulted in career numbers thus far.
"Every time I got in the box, I was thinking about way too much stuff over the years," he said. "I'm finally just going: Pick your foot up; put it down; see the ball; swing at a strike. It's all about swinging at strikes. I usually don't swing at strikes."
Batting cleanup, Burney is the only one of ODU's everyday players with more walks (21) than strikeouts (14). He was 8-for-13 with six runs and five RBI versus East Carolina.
"I'm really proud of Joey," Finwood said. "He has completely turned himself into a good hitter. He used to be a swinger. If you threw it up there, he was swinging at it. But now, he's taking his walks. He's laying off pitchers' strikes and the bad pitches, and he's getting good pitches to hit and he's hitting them hard. He's playing like you hope your seniors play, in a nutshell."
ODU played the 12th-toughest schedule in the nation, according to WarrenNolan.com, and is 32nd in baseball's Ratings Percentage Index. Fifteen of their 37 games have been decided by one or two runs. Bet on the players keeping each other sharp in the final month of the regular season.
"If you make a mistake when you shouldn't be making a mistake, somebody's going to let you know about it," Burney said. "You definitely don't want a teammate yelling at you. But it helps. That's what good teams do."
Fairbank can be reached by phone at 757-247-4637.


text:
Jon returns to discuss "Chronicle", plus Liam Neeson gets his own Tumblr
As the camera swoops over suburban Las Vegas, a crescendoing score announces "Fright Night's" opening credits. Harkening to vampire films of old by blending a traditional summer movie sound with a timeless organ riff, the juxtaposition manages to call forth cinematic vampires from Bela Lugosi to Christopher Lee to Gary Oldman while also signaling a more modern setting. It's a deft touch that sets the stage for a vampire film -- indeed a remake -- that feels fresh and vibrant, a tough task in this post-"Twilight", post-Sookie Stackhouse world.
Back in the day (?) the roommates and I were on a Denzel Washington kick. We went through the higher tier/more accessible films quickly then moved on to the task of uncovering the true gems. It was on that fateful bargain bin run in early spring that brought 1984's "License to Kill." There he was, regally poised on the cover of the DVD, his symmetrical of symmetric faces glowing up at us sporting a dashing moustache. But we had fallen victim to packaging fraud. Denzel had roughly 30 minutes of screen time in a supporting role with NO MOUSTACHE to be found!
The crew tackles the heavy task of properly breaking down "Let The Right One In", and Eazy-E drops by with a special Holiday message.
Our review of "Ginger Snaps: Unleashed" leads us to spirited discussions on the pseudo-illness "female hysteria" and the disturbing trend of "purity balls".


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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The UCSB Intercollegiate Athletics Department is pleased to announce another opportunity for fans to enjoy the great entertainment value that is Gaucho sports for one low price with the "1 Day, 1 Ticket" promotion!
Fans can purchase a $10 ticket that will admit them and get them a general admission seat for every athletics event on campus that day. The ticket is good for the Gaucho baseball doubleheader against the University of San Francisco which will begin at 11am at Caesar Yesaka Stadium, the women's basketball game against Cal State Northridge which will tip at 2pm in the Thunderdome and the 7pm men's basketball game against Sacramento State, also at the Thunderdome. Fans can come-and-go as they choose, moving from one event to the other with easy entry.
Also, everyone who purchased the "1Day, 1 Ticket" can also take it to Woodstock's Pizza and/or South Coast Deli in Isla Vista for a FREE non-alcoholic beverage.
At the men's basketball game, which will be sponsored by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, the first 500 fans will be give a free Golden 1 rally towel and samples of Rockin' Refuel will be given away as fans exit the Thunderdome.
For information or to purchase "1 Day, 1 Ticket" packages, please call 805-893-UCSB (8272) or drop by the ticket office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building on campus. Tickets can also be purchased at each venue one hour before the scheduled start of the event.


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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been warned that Robert Lewandowski won't come cheap if he wishes to pursue the striker in January.
The Red Devils were linked with a move for the Polish international forward during the summer transfer window, and Ferguson took a closer look at the 24-year-old on Wednesday night when Borussia Dortmund travelled to play Manchester City in the Champions League.
Whilst the former Lech Poznan star failed to get on the scoresheet at the Etihad Stadium, his performance will have done little to detract from a potential move from the Scottish boss, although Lewandowski will set the club back in the region of £24 million, according to the Daily Star.
"If Manchester United want him, they will have to spend big because he is so valuable to Dortmund," a source told the newspaper.
"He is one of the best strikers in Europe now and won't come cheap."
Manchester United already have a number of attacking options at their disposal, with Robin Van Persie joining Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez at Old Trafford in the summer.
However, Mexican hitman Hernandez is being linked with a move to Real Madrid, and his exit could open the door for Lewandowski to make a Manchester United move.
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Belgium have slowly been getting the recognition they deserve, and with the World Cup only next year, they could be ready to take the competition by storm. Here's why Belgium could light up the international stage.
Golden revolution of Belgium football
This particular point of time is considered as the golden period of Belgian football, as they possess plenty of specialists in all the positions around the field. Their records in the recent days have been simply astonishing. The immense growth in all the departments is awesome.
Defensive power
Probable starters: Jan Vertonghen, Daniel Van Buyten, Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Guillaume Gillet
Since his move from Ajax to Spurs in the summer, Jan Vertonghen's presence in the starting XI has become an inevitable event. Possessing the ability of playing as a centre-back as well as at left-back, Vertonghen has played a crucial part in Spurs defence this season. Vertonghen's ability was limited only with defence as he can create enough number of chances for the strikers, and even puts himself on the scoresheet if there is a possibility. The brace against Liverpool in the early March highlights his goalscoring abilities.
Belgian defence contains yet another versatile player in the name of Anderlecht's Guillaume Gillet. The 28-year-old player has the ability to play centre-midfield as well as the right-back, giving his maximum in any of the positions he plays. His goal against Croatia in the World Cup qualifiers last September, which ended in 1-1 draw, was found to be his notable contribution for his nation.
Central defence of Belgium seems to be very strong with Van Buyten and Kompany taking the role. Van Buyten has been enjoying a fine run with Bayern Munich this season, playing almost every game for the German super power. Van Buyten has not been failing to replicate his partnership from Dante to Kompany. The understanding between the centre-backs when Van Buyten is on is simply awesome. Kompany, who had enjoyed a title-winning season with Man City, is capable of producing plenty of impressive performances.
Probable starters: Moussa Dembele, Kevin Mirallas, Eden Hazard, Marouane Fellaini, Axel Witsel
The role which has provided Moussa Dembele in Spurs is different from the role he played in Fulham. Martin Jol played Dembele as playmaker during the player's years in Craven Cottage whereas Andre Villas-Boas has operated the 25-year-old in defensive midfield. Dembele's performance as playmaker was good but his involvement as the defensive midfielder has certainly brought much more credits. At present, his partnership with Scott Parker is awesome. The way he brings people into play makes him a perfect defensive midfielder.
When we discuss box-to-box midfielders in modern football, we can add players like Chile's Artuto Vidal, Ivory Coast's Yaya Toure and the list is incomplete if we fail to add the big name, Marouane Fellaini.
The 25-year-old Everton midfielder is serving as the real threat for opponents as he can cause danger at any position in the field. His stamina, pace and long-range passing has made his worth rise in recent months.
Kevin Mirallas is yet another player on Merseyside - a midfielder who possesses the ability to devastate the opponents defence.
Mirallas' role at left-midfield is to be praised and the game against Liverpool in October had proved his extraordinary ability. As Fellaini and Mirallas play for the same club, they have much more understanding and cause real threats to the opponents when it comes to the international stage.
Eden Hazard has been a big hit since coming to England. After a series of speculations, the 21-year-old winger decided to join the Champions League winners Chelsea, for a reported fee of £32.5m.
Arriving at Stamford Bridge, Hazard made an immediate impact under Roberto Di Matteo. Hazard's role in the current Chelsea side is different. Hazard scored a spectacular goal against Manchester United in FA Cup quarter-finals from the left corner of the box and this goal had brought Chelsea back into the game in which the Blues posted a dramatic comeback from two goals behind to draw 2-2 at Old Trafford. Recently, he scored the second goal for Belgium against Macedonia from the penalty spot.
Axel Witsel has many admirers playing in Russia and is another player that could attract interest from Premier League clubs.
Strike force
Probable starters: Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku
Apart from Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku is another striker who has been looking for a starting berth, but as the finishing abilities of Benteke has proven to be more efficient than Lukaku, coach Wilmots has been preferring the former in recent days. Though Aston Villa is threatened by relegation this season, Benteke's performances have never been brought into question.
Benteke gets credit not only because of his scoring abilities, but also because of his spectacular assisting quality. His goals at Anfield and the Madjeski Stadium highlights his class.
World Cup 2014
Belgium are currently holding the second place of Group A in World Cup qualifying table with 13 points from five games played, only behind Croatia on goal difference. Considering the present strength of the squad, it is expected that Belgium can qualify for the tournament in Brazil. If they qualify, then what impact can they have?
Even if Belgium reach the semi-final or final just like Uruguay, South Korea and Turkey did in past editions of the grand tournament, it won't cause much surprise.
With the quality they possesses, I reckon it will be a spectacular treat for the football fans to watch Belgium in Brazil next year.
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Not sure what the payroll for the Rays looks like, but they sure need a closer.Tampa Bay figures to explore the market for B.J. Upton this offseason. The Rays would be selling low, but they have needs behind the plate and in the bullpen, and it's possible a team could offer a package that would satisfy those needs. If they don't get an offer to their liking, Tampa will simply hold onto him.
The article says they want a catcher and a closer.
How about Cordero and Hanigan for Upton and Navarro?
Love to buy low on talents like Upton. He still was a two win player in this off year, and should be a 4 to 5 win player in the future, if he develops properly.
If they can't afford Cordero, how about Masset instead?


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Romney & Obama Focus On Debate Prep [VIDEO]
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is preparing for his second debate with President Barack Obama but still taking time to tell voters in Ohio that enthusiasm for him is surging both in Ohio and across the country.
Obama is prepping for their matchup by hunkering down Saturday in another battleground state, Virginia.
Romney plans to spend Saturday morning at a hotel outside Columbus, where he'll meet with top advisers and get ready for his Tuesday showdown with Obama in Hempstead, N.Y. He returns to Massachusetts in the evening but first makes two campaign stops in Ohio.
Obama is spending the next three days in Williamsburg, Va., in debate-prep mode. The president has acknowledged he needs a stronger performance when the two meet for the town-hall style debate.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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Friday, October 14, 2005
WJR Dumps U of M for MSU
Remember Ufer's classic line, "Broadcasting to you from coast to coast -- from the coast of Lake Michigan, to the coast of Lake Erie?" That's how far the WJR signal carries M games on the "Great Voice of the Great Lakes." Heck, growing up, when our family drove to Florida for vacations, we used to see how far down I-75 we could get before we lost radio contact with AM760. Seemed like it was just north of Macon, Georgia. WJR has greater reach than Radio Free Europe had at the height of the Cold War.
Now what station are the Michigan games going to end up on? WXYT? WWJ? Aren't those just a small step up from ham radio? If Ufe were alive, he'd have to change his signature line to something more like, "Broadcasting to you from...is this thing on? From the coast of that small man-made lake near Ypsi to the far reaches of Bellville -- on a good day if the wind is blowing just right..."
Boy, this season is turning out worse than I thought. Tomorrow I'm going to find out that U-M has been dropped by Nike and we're going to run out of the tunnel Saturday in our new B.U.M. Athletic Equipment uniforms, right under the big "M Go Blue, Ernie's Taco Shack Supports You" banner.
6 comments:
If "B.U.M." athletic gear doesn't work out, I hear "Big Dog" is interested.
- October 14, 2005 9:30 AM
- Benny Friedman said...
At first I was saddened by this news too. But then I thought about it and it's no big deal. I hate this phrase, but it's true, today's WJR isn't our father's WJR. They have no sports presence - all of the Detroit teams are on other stations. Their ratings and their impact on the culture is nothing compared to when Ufer, J. P. McCarthy, and Jimmy Launce made our dads laugh. Besides, commercial radio is dead. If you want to hear music listen to your iPod. If you want news, get on the Internet. If you're in the car listen to your XM or Sirius. Besides, who's listening to the games on the radio? Every game is on TV. If you're out of the house while the game is on, you probably don't want to hear the radio since you're TiVoing the game.
I realize plenty of people don't do this and still listen to dinosaurs like WJR. But that audience is shrinking. The impact a station like WJR has now is minimal. In 1980 Michigan losing WJR would have been a big shift. Now, it's nothing.
- October 14, 2005 10:47 AM
- Wangs said...
Good riddance. I was not a big fan of Beckman anyway. And there was something unsettling with me that the right wing yahoo station - that is WJR, today - carried my favoirte team.
My only hope is that our yachtsman ad gets blamed for being asleep at the switch and we get a full time ad - who will start to implement some of my stadium plans.
- October 14, 2005 12:06 PM
- Yost said...
Benny, good points about folks not listening to the games on radio much anymore. But I think it's more about the pre and post game. I know when I'm in A2 for games, I listen to 'JR on the way to the game. Afterwards, on the way home, I'll often tune in for the postgame comments. And let's not forget the Ufer retrospective they do once a season or so. Since they own those rights, what happens to those clips? Will we never hear him anymore.
Wangs, as for Beckman, the thing I found troubling about his comments were when they asked him if he was going to do the MSU games now and he said, "I don't know" or something like that. You don't know? I thought you were supposed to be The Voice of Michigan Football not just a play-by-play man for hire. Can you imagine if they'd asked Ufe that question back in the day?
- October 14, 2005 1:05 PM
- Yost said...
M82, I hear "Big Dog" passed b/c we've been playing more like "Untrained Puppies" this season.
- October 14, 2005 1:13 PM
- Wangs said...
When our AD gets back from his most recent voyage, I hope he fires Beckman for insubordination. There is no chance that Ufer would ever have agreed to be the voice of Spartie futbol. He'd sit in the Big Quiet House and talk into his cassette recorder before he'd venture to East of Lansing. Gadzooks. It is outrageous.
Plus - doesn't WPAZ with Jamie Morris have a better post game show.
- October 14, 2005 8:32 PM


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As I near the end of my 19th year of school, I realize I still have a lot to learn. This applies to my professional knowledge, of course: I wouldn't consider myself an expert in any field, even when I complete my master of public administration.
But what I really mean is that I have a lot to learn about myself, and how my personal characteristics are used professionally, even after all these years.
Sure, I've gleaned some valuable personal information: I know I like to procrastinate, I know I'm competitive and I know I am motivated by others more than myself. It took years to learn those things, and even longer to learn how to harness them as tools instead of hindrances.
These challenges-turned-attributes miss something important, however: The way I interact and fit into a workplace with others.
Earlier this semester, one of my graduate classes addressed this challenge: How does someone harness their positive attributes and compensate for their challenges as part of a team?
Effort in school, from early childhood until post-doctoral work, is judged on an individual basis.
Everyone gets a single grade, based on work done individually.
Aside from the occasional group project, most of what we do in school is separate from others.
As I gain more and more traction in the professional world, I realize that isn't the case in many workplaces. In most offices, people are expected to work together. Teams, sections and departments make up much of the professional landscape.
In newspapers, I worked in sections or on "desks" with other writers and editors. Now I work in government for the manager's office, the public works department or the community development department.
People commonly associate themselves with others who work the same shifts or are assigned to the same projects.
Although I do some solo projects, many work-related endeavors require collaboration.
For me, this is a fairly new skill. Only in the past few years (college especially) have I gotten a taste for working with others.
Luckily, several class activities have focused on the way professionals should seek to function at work, based on their personalities. For example, I learned that I might work best in an environment with practical procedures and established methods and criteria.
I learned that although I don't like small talk, I should try to embrace it, so I am more approachable at work.
I learned that while I might see myself as precise, thorough and analytical, others may see me as picky, worrisome or fussy.
Of course, a personality test is no substitute for years of experience and interaction. But the practical knowledge has already helped guide me in interactions at work, and even at home.
Mostly, it has helped me better understand the value of professional relationships. As we do more and more work with the assistance of technology, there continues to be value (perhaps more so) in face-to-face interactions with other people.
In the meantime, it wouldn't hurt for schools at every level to place more emphasis on team-building, working together and structured and required interaction.
Why? Because the only thing I regret about this newfound insight into my working life is not having it sooner.
• Lauren Stott is a Maple Park native and a graduate student at Northern Illinois University in the master of public administration program. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Submission + - Scott Kemp on the next arms race: cyberweapons (thebulletin.org)
__aaqpaq9254 writes: Scott Kemp writes about the similarities between the nuclear arms race and the use of cyberweaponry for offensive purposes. As the article points out, offensive cyberwarfare leaves a nation's own citizenry vulnerable to attack as government agencies seek to keep weaknesses in operating systems (such as Windows) secret. A very thoughtful article.


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Volare Italian Ristorante provides guests with the ultimate fine dining experience. Inspired cuisine, beautiful surroundings and impeccable service are the hallmarks of this establishment.
We are currently looking for an experienced dining room floor manager to ensure that each of our guests receives the "Volare Experience" each time they dine with us. This position reports to the restaurant managers/partners and is responsible for supervision of dining room operations to maintain a high standard of appearance, hospitality and service. The preferred candidate will have excellent communication and computer skills as well as previous management experience in the hospitality industry.
To apply, please bring resume in person Monday-Friday after 3:30pm or call to make an appointment (502)894-4446


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Mitglied werden
- Enrolment in the Infinity MileageLands is limited to individuals. In case of loss or theft of your membership card, please contact your local EVA Air office or Infinity MileageLands service center immediately. 1,000 miles will be deducted to reissue a Green Card. You may also download EVA Mobile App- digital membership cards to look up the most updated membership information, it is equivalent to the official one.
- Your Infinity MileageLands card is the sole property of EVA Airways Corporation. EVA Air reserves the right to disqualify any member who fails to follow or abuses program policies.
- EVA Air reserves the right to interpret and apply the policies and procedures communicated in this membership handbook. All judgments by EVA Air shall be final and conclusive in each case.
- Members may make an inquiry or notice Infinity MileageLands service center about any changes in personal information which they have registered with Infinity MileageLands.
- Members can call any of our Infinity MileageLands service centers.
- Notify any of our Infinity MileageLands service centers via fax or mail. (* Print "Member Data Change Application Form")
- Inquire or modify your Infinity MileageLands membership personal data via EVA Air's website.
- Members can call any of our Infinity MileageLands service centers.
- A travel agency or a hotel address cannot be used as a member's mailing address.
- EVA Air is not liable for the loss or delay of any mailed correspondence resulting from incorrect address or any consequence resulting from the loss or delay of any mailed correspondence.
- Please show your membership card for entry to all EVA Air's and partners' facilities and to receive membership benefit entitlements. EVA Air reserves the right to refuse entry/entitlements to any member who fails to adhere to these regulations.
- EVA Air cannot be held accountable for countries/areas where the Infinity MileageLands award program mileage accumulation is illegal or unenforceable.
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- EVA Air reserves the right to rectify any inconsistency with regard to member's mileage accumulation.
- Members may terminate their Infinity MileageLands membership by sending a written notice to the Infinity MileageLands service center at any time.
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- EVA Airways reserves the right to terminate membership to those who violate public order, endanger flight safety, obstruct public interest or prevent the sound use of its services.
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- Once a membership is terminated, all information, accrued mileage, and electronic upgrade certificates related to the specified account will automatically become invalid and erased.
- The transferred mileage cannot be combined with a nominee's own mileage or any mileage transferred by a 3rd party.
- EVA Air reserves the following rights:
- to modify and/or discontinue the Infinity MileageLands program.
- to modify the terms and conditions of the Infinity MileageLands award program.
Please refer to EVA Air's website: http://www.evaair.com or contact Infinity MileageLands service center for update information.
- to modify and/or discontinue the Infinity MileageLands program.
- Your participation in the program will be governed by these provisions. It is the member's responsibility to read and understand all of them.


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Have you heard how the pornography industry is making money today? Music used to be the item that everyone pirated but pornography is now a prime target of illegal downloads. It has been estimated that the adult film industry has lost 90 percent of its revenue due to illegal downloads. It was rumored that it even lobbied for its own bailout.
While it might be easy to download copyrighted material, it's also easy to track the illegal downloaders. If you have ever downloaded copyrighted material, don't be surprised if you receive a bill for a few thousand dollars. Even the best lawyer isn't going to be able to help you. If you receive a bill, it is going to cost you some serious money.
This is another reason why you must protect your wireless network with a password. Open networks are a great way to download copyrighted material. Guess who gets the bill? "It wasn't me" is no defense if someone used your wireless network to download copyrighted material.
Internet trolls monitor the Internet, waiting for evidence of copyrighted material. When something shows up, the downloader is tracked and will likely incur a nice "pay-up-or-go-to-court" letter. You can go to court but you had better be ready to part with some cash. Being sued must not be any fun to begin with, but what about the publicity of being accused of illegally downloading pornography?
Lawyers for the adult industry have been accused of bullying people who allegedly downloaded copyright material.
It is estimated that 500,000 people have been sued for illegal downloads since 2007. Each downloader can be charged between $1,000 and $5,000. That is serious money, and the adult film industry is not going to let that money walk away without a fight. One could also wonder if it is more profitable to sue for illegal downloads than sell adult movies.
Some of the accused are not backing down. They are hiring lawyers and fighting the charges.
The adult film industry is vigorously taking action to defend its property. Illegally downloading copyrighted material is stealing. It is not worth taking the risk of any legal action because you decided to download copyright material.
Lowell resident Norm Morin is founder of NKC Systems (www.nkcsystems.com), which offers computer repair and consulting services. Readers are invited to call 978-453-1355; visit our offices at 155 Broadway Road, Dracut; or email email@example.com.


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Founders Claire Merry and Dee Murren
How/where did it all begin?
Claire - I have always been obsessed with lingerie and fashion in equal measure , I modeled for 10 years worldwide and was immersed in fashion so it seemed the natural progression to design. My Business partner Dee has also always been involved in the fashion industry styling and producing shows - so with a meeting of minds dirty pretty things was created.
How would you describe your Style?
Claire - As a partnership, style wise there are a lot of similarities, we both love a very rock and roll look. Dee will go for the more vintage rock and roll feel, whilst I like it with the more modern sexier silhouette.
Do you have a Muse?
Claire- Not a current one , we love Anita pallenberg circa performance for now Emmanuelle Alt - she rocks.
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text: I saw on the national news that there are serious wildfires in Australia, with evacuation orders being given and people have lost their homes. That must be so scary. Around here we deal with tornadoes, rain and snow storms. I cannot imagine how frightening wildfires might be. Thoughts and prayers for the country of Australia tonight. :(


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While the Eagles' defense was terrible on Sunday (see yesterday's Man Up here), the offense didn't exactly do its part to help the Birds stay in the game.
After scoring a quick 10 points, the offense went: three-and-out, interception, three-and-out, field goal, three-and-out in the second quarter.
Just like that, a 10-0 lead turned into a 24-13 deficit.
Here's the player-by-player breakdown of the offense, after having re-watched the game:
Vince Young - His supporting cast didn't help him out (I counted six drops), but Young did not play nearly as well as the numbers (26-for-48, 400 yards, TD, INT) suggest. Early on, he made a good throw to Brent Celek for 22 yards. And he connected with Riley Cooper for 58 yards. Young hit DeSean Jackson for 44 yards in the first, but underthrew him on what probably could have been a touchdown. The interception came on an underthrown ball that looked similar to the play from the previous week. Young made a terrible throw to Jackson, who was open, on 3rd-and-12 in the second. He underthrew Celek on what could have been a touchdown, but instead was a 24-yard gain. Young consistently put his receivers in dangerous spots, including a pass that got Jason Avant crushed in the second half. As a runner, he had six carries for 40 yards, but doesn't look nearly as dangerous as Michael Vick. Young struggled against the blitz as well.
LeSean McCoy - Ten carries anad 31 yards for the guy who is producing potentially the best season by a running back in franchise history. The Eagles had two choices offensively: run McCoy, keep Tom Brady off the field and take your chances. Or go with a pass-heavy attack and settle for a shootout. They chose the latter. The plays were actually there, but the offense did not execute. Of course, with no Vick and no Jeremy Maclin, that's not exactly a surprise. McCoy had the 2-yard touchdown run in the first. He also dropped a couple passes, although neither looked like they were going anywhere with defenders close by. McCoy did not do a good job picking up a blitzer, James Ihedigbo, from the slot, on 3rd-and-12 in the second. His longest run of the day was for 22 yards to the right side.
Ronnie Brown - He played four snaps, did not touch the ball and was not a factor.
Owen Schmitt - He played five snaps, did not touch the ball and was not a factor.
Dion Lewis - He played zero offensive snaps.
Jason Peters - He was very good once again protecting Young's blind side. Peters did an excellent job on Young's 22-yard completion to Celek. He handled defensive end Andre Carter for much of the day. Carter beat him once in the fourth and hit Young. Peters had a key block on McCoy's 2nd-and-2 conversion in the second.
Evan Mathis - Mathis was good for the most part in protection as well. He made a nice one-on-one block on Young's 58-yard completion to Cooper. Mathis got beat once in the first and was called for holding as he tried to recover. In the run game, he did a good job on the linebacker on McCoy's 2-yard touchdown run. And he and Kelce had a nice double-team on McCoy's 2nd-and-2 run.
Jason Kelce - He seems to have improved quite a bit in pass protection. I don't see Kelce getting beat nearly as much as he was earlier in the season. He and Danny Watkins had trouble with a stunt on third down near the end of the first half as Young was hit while he released the ball for an incompletion. But really, that was it. In the run game, McCoy followed Kelce and Watkins on the 2-yard touchdown. And Kelce made a good block on the screen to McCoy that picked up 9 yards in the third.
Danny Watkins - Overall, he's showing improvement. Watkins won some battles and lost some others, getting matched up against Vince Wilfork for much of the afternoon. He did a good job on Wilfork in protection on Young's 22-yard completion to Celek. He and Kelce double-teamed Wilfork on McCoy's 2-yard touchdown. He held his block on Kyle Love on McCoy's 22-yard run. And Watkins made a nice block on Wilfork on McCoy's 5-yard run in the first. On the flip side, Wilfork threw him to the ground on a pass play in the first where Rob Ninkovich sacked Young. Watkins had some trouble with Wilfork on the Young INT in the second, but still kept him away from the QB. He was called for a false start in the second. Wilfork got by him and hit Young on an incompletion in the third. And he got beat by Wilfork and called for holding in the fourth. Watkins' growth and development becomes a major storyline to follow in the final five games as we look ahead to 2012.
Todd Herremans - Herremans was pretty good for the most part too. He had some trouble with Mark Anderson on third down in the first, but Young took off early. He shoved Anderson upfield, clearing space on McCoy's 22-yard run in the second. And Herremans joined the penalty parade, as he was called for holding in the fourth.
Jamaal Jackson - Did you notice No. 67 on the field for one play? He lined up in between Herremans and Watkins on the fourth down incompletion to Celek in the end zone in the third.
DeSean Jackson - I'll admit I did not see things getting this bad with Jackson. He held out during the start of training camp. He didn't dress a couple weeks ago because he missed a special teams meeting. And he dropped three balls, including two potential touchdowns, Sunday, earning him a spot on the bench in the fourth quarter. Jackson had a 44-yard catch in the first that could have been a touchdown had Young led him a little or gotten rid of the ball sooner. He dropped what would have been about an 18-yard gain in the second, with the Patriots safety looming. The Eagles took advantage of the corner playing off of Jackson with completions of 12, 9 and 8 yards on one drive in the second. He dropped a touchdown in the second with linebacker and former Eagle Tracy White looming. A score would have made it a 21-17 game. Instead, the Eagles settled for a field goal. And Jackson's third drop came in the end zone also. He sped up to get to the deep ball from Young, which hit him right in the mid-section before it fell to the ground. Overall, four catches for 73 yards, but he left a lot of plays on the field.
Riley Cooper - He showed excellent concentration and strength to come down with the 58-yard pass with Kyle Arrington all over him in the first. Cooper finished with three catches for 71 yards. He dropped a low throw from Young near the sidelines with under a minute left in the second. Cooper made a poor block on McCoy's 2-yard carry in the second, which might have turned into a nice gain, had he been able to turn the corner.
Jason Avant - Pretty much all his damage came in the second half, but Avant finished with 110 yards on eight receptions. He took a huge hit on a bad throw by Young in the third and was called for a false start in the fourth.
Chad Hall - He replaced Jackson in the fourth and had one catch for 16 yards on five targets. Hall also carried once for 2 yards. He was called for a false start in the fourth. Overall, 26 snaps.
Steve Smith - How telling is it that despite Jeremy Maclin being out and Jackson getting benched in the fourth, he only played five snaps? Smith's first action came with 4:28 left in the fourth. He was not targeted.
Brent Celek - He has had a very good season. On throws to Celek, Young was 5-for-6 for 75 yards. In the past two games, Celek has 11 catches on 12 targets for 135 yards. He had a 22-yard grab to start the game. Celek made a high degree-of-difficulty catch for 24 yards in the second. It should have been a touchdown, but Young underthrew him. As a blocker, he had ups and downs. Celek made a nice block on Carter on Young's 44-yard completion to Jackson. He took on a linebacker on McCoy's 22-yard run in the second. And he made a good block on McCoy's 2nd-and-2 conversion. He did not do a good job on Ninkovich, who dropped McCoy for a 4-yard loss in the second. And he let Julian Edelman get by him on McCoy's 2-yard run in the third.
Clay Harbor - He was only targeted once, but did a good job to absorb a hit and make a 25-yard grab in the third. Harbor's poor block on Ninkovich led to a first-quarter sack. I'm not sure how refs missed Ninkovich grabbing and pulling Young's facemask on the play though. Harbor did a good job blocking Anderson on Young's 24-yard completion to Celek.
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Earlier this week, Glenn said that he was not excited about the possibility of a Mike Huckabee presidency and said that he felt that politically, Huckabee was a progressive. Mike Huckabee did not take kindly to the comments, and responded to Glenn on Huckabee's website. Glenn addressed those comments on radio this morning, and explained why he said what he said:
The full story is here.


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Baltimore Ravens rookie cornerback Asa Jackson has been suspended four games by the NFL for violating its policy on performance-enhancing substances.
The fifth-round pick out of Cal Poly will miss the final three games of the regular season and if Baltimore clinches a playoff spot, he'll be eligible to return to the active roster one day after the club's first postseason game.
The Ravens enter Week 15 in control of the AFC North Division, holding a two- game lead over both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
Jackson has been used only on special teams in the past three games, registering one tackle.