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Aozora in, Genji out in Jericho
Aozora is the new name and Japanese-Thai-Korean the new theme at the former Genji restaurant in Jericho.
The sleek, contemporary spot is under the same management, but the emphases have shifted a bit with the inclusion of items such as Thai red curry and japchae, the Korean noodle dish. There's still a full sushi and sashimi repertoire as well as hibachi dishes, tempuras and teriyakis.
Aozora is open for lunch Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday from 12:30 to 3 p.m.; Dinner Monday to Thursday, 4:30 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 4:30 to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, 2 to 10 p.m.
Aozora, 111 Jericho Tpke., Jericho; 516-876-8855.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Assemblyman John Ceretto welcomed Anne Welch, the Village of Lewiston clerk/treasurer, and her husband, Bob Welch, Wednesday to the State Capitol and introduced them on the floor of the Assembly Chamber.
During their introduction, Ceretto noted that Bob Welch's great, great uncle was Thomas V. Welch, who served as the region's New York state assemblyman in the late 1800s. Thomas V. Welch was a prominent political figure in Western New York and, in 1885, he became the first superintendent of the Niagara Falls State Park.

subset: commoncrawl


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A recently publicized economic study by the Egyptian Economy and Foreign Commerce Ministry, as reported by the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper, shows that the value of Egyptian investments in Romania amounted to $1.9 billion by the end of last September. Egyptian investments in Romania are equivalent to two percent of the total foreign investments in that country.
According to the report, the value of exchanges between Egypt and Romania totaled $188 million in 2000, $17 million of which were Egyptian exports and $171 million Egyptian imports from Romania. The exports to Romania consist of fruits, vegetables, grain, chemicals, mineral and plastic, while the Egyptian imports from Romania consist of livestock, wood, cars and tractors. –(Albawaba-MEBG)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
© 2000 - 2020 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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5 Keys to Victory for the Seahawks vs. the Atlanta Falcons …
And then there was one. The NFL Wild Card Weekend opened this past Saturday with an unprecedented 3 Rookie QB's starting for their respective teams. Andrew Luck (the 1st Overall Pick of the 2012 NFL Draft) … Robert Griffin III (the 2nd Overall Pick) … and an unheralded too short rookie QB taken in the 3rd Round by the name of Russell Wilson each entered Wild Card Weekend … but only Wilson came safety through the other side. Though it wasn't a dominant performance by any means, Wilson and the Hawks in the end made enough plays to advance to the next round, in the process ending a 29 year drought, as December 31, 1983 was the last time the Seahawks had won a road playoff game prior to this last Sunday. They did it in grand fashion too, coming back from a 14-0 deficit – which was not only the largest playoff comeback in Seahawks history … but also the largest playoff comeback EVER by an NFL Rookie Quarterback. Wilson continues to astound experts and to win fans. No rookie is supposed to be as cool as the other side of the pillow like Wilson has been – to be experiencing the NFL's bombs and mortars going off around him … and to treat it all as if he were at a beach in Tahiti sipping a Mai Tai. As a reward for knocking off RGIII and the Redskins, the Seahawks (as the #5 Seed) get the privilege this next weekend of flying to Atlanta of deploying their talons against the NFL's #1 seeded Falcons. It's an aerial showdown against two of the NFL's top birds of prey. Will the Seahawks swoop in and steal a victory … or will they ultimately get pecked to death? Here are 5 Keys to Victory the Seahawks will have to succeed in IF they are to knock off the NFC's #1 Team this weekend …
Key #1: Cancel All Scheduled Flights …
Unlike last week's opponent, the Atlanta Falcons are an offense that flies a majority of the time …
2012 Atlanta Falcons Offense …
615 Passing Plays … (61.93% of Offense)
378 Rushing Plays … (38.06% of Offense)
993 Total Offensive Plays
With that in mind, let's take a look at Atlanta's high-powered passing attack and how the Seahawks pass defense matches up …
|Falcons Passing Offense vs. Seahawks Pass Defense …
|Falcons Off. Category
|NFL Rank
|Seahawks Def. Category
|NFL Rank
|26.2 Pts Scored/Game
|7th Most
|15.3 Pts Allowed/Game
|#1 in the NFL
|281.8 Pass Yds/game
|6th Most
|203.1 Pass Yds/Game Allwd
|6th Best
|46 Passes of 20 Yards+
|19th Most
|40 Passes of 20 Yards+ Allowed
|6th Fewest
|45.1% 3rd Down Conv Rate
|Allw 38.4% of 3rd Down Conv
|32 Passing TD's
|5th Most
|15 Passing TD's Allwd
|2nd Fewest
|Score TD's 50.00% in Red Zone (AT HOME)
|TD's Allwd 55.0% in Red Zone (ON ROAD)
|16th in NFL
|28 Sacks Allowed
|7th Fewest
|36 Sacks
|tied for 18th
|99.1 Passer Rating for Matt Ryan
|6th Best
|71.8 QB Passer Rating Against
|3rd Best
Matt Ryan (6'4" 217 Pounds) has become one of the true elite passers in this game and a guy that opposing defenses need to really respect. He has proven to be a great leader who is very calm under pressure. Ryan is an incredibly accurate passer (the NFL's best this year) with a strong arm … makes good decisions … and can put up crooked numbers in a hurry. Focusing just on Ryan for a second, here were his numbers for 2012 …
|Matt Ryan's 2012 Statistics
|NFL Ranking
|422 Pass Comp
|4th Most
|615 Pass Att
|68.6 Comp%
|4,509 Yards
|6th Most
|32 TD's
|5th Most
|14 INT's
|tied 12th LEAST
|99.1 QB Rating
|6th Best
|74.5 Total QBR
The former Boston College star was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008 … has been named to 2 Pro Bowls (2010 and 2012) … and led his team to the playoffs 4 out of his 5 years in the league. For all that though, Matt Ryan is 0-3 in the Post-season. His Falcons Lost …
30-24 to the Arizona Cardinals in the Playoffs (his rookie season) on 1/3/2009 …
48-21 to the Green Bay Packers in the Playoffs on 1/15/2011 …
24-2 to the New York Giants in the Playoffs on 1/8/2012 …
Ryan has actually thrown for more interceptions than touchdowns in his young playoff career (4 INT's/3 TD's). And after 3 one and done performances each of the last 3 times the Falcons have been to the playoffs, many critics out there are asking whether Matt Ryan can win the big game or not. The Falcons have an explosive finesse offense that can put up points in a hurry … but there are those like former Seahawks linebacker Dave Wyman who has called this Atlanta Offense "soft", saying that they cave under the pressure of tough, physical defenses. Let's hope that's true because the numbers this group has put up this year are fairly impressive …
|(2012) Falcons Top Receiving Targets
|#Catches of 20 Yds+
|% of Passing Off
|WR Roddy White
|6'0" 211 Lbs
|TE Tony Gonzalez
|6'5" 247 Lbs
|WR Julio Jones
|6'3" 220 Lbs
|RB Jacquizz Rodgers
|5'6" 196 Lbs
|WR Harry Douglas
|6'0" 183 Lbs
|RB Jason Snelling
|5'11" 234 Lbs
|RB Michael Turner
|5'10" 247 Lbs
Those are the numbers … let's talk about them a bit …
Falcons Receiving Corps vs. Seahawks Secondary …
As you can see, the Falcons Offense has a number of guys at receiver who can make plays and make them down the field. On Sunday, there is little question who Ryan will be looking to get the ball to -- Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez. Roddy White (6'0" 211 Pounds) is a big, physical receiver with a lot of speed (4.47 in the 40), leaping ability (41 inch vertical), and a real knack for making plays downfield. Though he's had some nagging knee issues (like Sidney Rice), this is a guy who is tough and has not missed a game in his career. Lining up on the other side of him, last year's 1st Round Draft Choice (6th Overall) out of Alabama Julio Jones (6'3" 220 pounds) is another receiver who can turn most defensive backs around. With excellent speed (4.37 in the 40), elusiveness, strength, and toughness … he is a true force to be reckoned with. Rounding out the trifecta of terror for this offense is one of the greatest Tight Ends to ever play the game – Tony Gonzalez (6'5" 247 Pounds). Though he is an almost lock for the Hall of Fame, Gonzalez has never won a world championship. At 36 years of age, you just wonder when Father Time come calling. He's shown few signs of slowing down yet though, as he scored 8 touchdowns and accounted for 22.04% of all Atlanta's catches this season. Look for a very motivated Gonzalez to do everything he can do to power his team to the NFC Championship. Between those 3 guys, they had 25 of the Falcons 44 touchdowns … 62.5% of all the Falcons receptions … and 3,479 (73.7%) of their 4,719 Passing Yards this year. Obviously, finding a way to slow those 3 down is critical to Seattle's success this Sunday.
The Falcons have other tools in the shed that they employ however. Harry Douglas (6'0" 183 Pounds) is a fairly effective slot receiver who has decent speed (4.51 in the 40), quickness, and good hands. He comparables favorably to 49ers receiver Mario Manningham and as you can see, Ryan has targeted him quite a bit this year. And like most NFL teams these days, the Falcons also get the ball to their running backs a fair amount as well. Looking at the stats shows that 25.83% of Atlanta's completions this year have been to the running backs. In particular, Jacquizz Rodgers (5'6" 196 Pounds), the former Oregon State Beaver, is a fast little scat back that the Falcons like to employ in the passing attack and he has had 8 games this season in which he has caught 4 or more balls. Rodgers averaged 4.9 Yards/Carry … had 3,877 yards … and scored 51 touchdowns for the Beavers, so he is certainly someone to keep an eye on. Seattle has struggled with quick backs like these, as Reggie Bush and C.J. Spiller both averaged over 6 yards/carry against the Hawks.
But strange as it may sound, Seattle's Defense appears to have the personnel to match up with this group fairly well. In fact, they may what Luke Skywalker's X-Wing was to the Death Star … and actually be equipped to deal with them better than any team in the NFL. Can we thank Richard Sherman's lawyers enough for helping Sherman win his appeal? Having Richard Sherman (6'3" 195 Pounds) and Brandon Browner (6'4" 221 Pounds) available on the same field again is an incredible boost to this defense. The reason that the Seahawks led the NFL in fewest points allowed (just 15.3 Pts/Game) can in so many ways be attributed to the fact that they have those two. The Shermanator has shut down some of the top wide receivers in the game this season, so it will be very interesting to see if he can go in to the Georgia Dome and do the same thing. Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner will obviously be on Roddy White and Julio Jones in some form or another. Sherman and Browner held the Redskins' Pierre Garcon and Santana Moss to just 7 catches and 69 yards combined this past weekend. White and Jones are the best wide receiving duo in the league … Sherman and Browner the best defensive back duo in the league. It should be one heck of a battle on Sunday.
As I mentioned though, the Falcons have more than just White and Jones that the Hawks have to contend with. Yes, Sherman and Browner may be able to limit those two … but what about Tony Gonzalez and the other receiving threats I mentioned? I'm going to say that Seattle's linebackers … and SS Kam Chancellor (6'3" 232) in particular have got to step up in this game. Since the Falcons pass far more than they run (and Ryan isn't all that much of a threat to run), Chancellor comes in to play here – especially against Gonzalez in those short to intermediate zone areas. Chancellor is in many ways a real key to this game because how does against Gonzalez in those regions will go a longs ways towards determining who wins this game. Chancellor does bring that real physical presence that you'd like to have against a TE like Gonzalez, but he doesn't have the speed Tony Gonzalez does. While Chancellor runs 40 yard dash in 4.62 seconds … Gonzalez runs about that even at age 36. So, he does provide a bit of a match-up issue, as the only linebackers who can match that speed wise are MLB Bobby Wagner (6'0" 241 Pounds) (4.46) and Malcolm Smith (6'0" 226 Pounds) (4.44). Given that the Seahawks will also probably see Jacquizz Rodgers (4.47) a fair amount, and will be without their best pass rusher, the Seahawks will need as much speed as they can get in coverage. Malcolm Smith did get plenty of rotation time in the Washington game and that he has tended to make plays whenever he's in there, I'd look for him to get plenty of playing time in this game as well. And once again, like a broken record, what happens with the Nickel Corner in this game becomes incredibly important. Does 10 year veteran CB Marcus Trufant (5'11" 197 Pounds) – whom it looks like will get the start once again -- have the speed and quickness necessary to be able to keep up with slot receivers like Harry Douglas anymore? Trufant did help hold Danny Amendola to 27 yards in the Rams game and limit Santana Moss to 19 yards, but we'll see if he can repeat that this week. FS Earl Thomas (5'10" 202 Pounds) showed the Redskins why he's going to the Pro Bowl, as his speed (4.43) and amazing range was on display in that game, changing what was meant to be a home run ball to Pierre Garcon in to an easy interception. The Seahawks will need a lot more of that same kind of center field play from Thomas on Sunday.
But even the best secondary in the world can only cover for so long. As we talked about last week, the best pass defense is a good pass rush – which is where we turn our attention to next …
Key #2: Blunt Their Beaks at the Point of Attack …
Though it's not a glamorous topic by any means, there is perhaps no greater key to victory for Seattle in this game than the war in the trenches. How the Seahawks Defensive Front 7 ultimately plays against this Falcons Offensive Line probably determines the eventual outcome of this game. Let's start off by taking a brief look at that Atlanta Offensive Line and how they have performed this year …
2012 Atlanta Falcons Offensive Line …
LT Sam Baker (6'5" 301 Pounds) … 3.5 Sacks allowed … 0 False Start … 0 Holding
LG Justin Blalock (6'4" 326 Pounds) … 1.5 Sacks allowed … 1 False Start … 1 Holding
C Todd McClure (6'1" 296 Pounds) … 5.0 Sacks allowed … 2 False Start … 2 Holding
RG Peter Konz (6'5" 317 Pounds) … 4.5 Sacks allowed … 0 False Start … 0 Holding
RT Tyson Clabo (6'6" 329 Pounds) … 4.25 Sacks allowed … 1 False Start … 2 Holding
According to Football Outsiders, the Atlanta Falcons Offensive Line was the 8th Best unit in the NFL this season in terms of their Pass Protection. They allowed just 28 Sacks on the season (the 7th Fewest of any team in football this year). For a Seattle Defense that produced only 36 Sacks on the year (18th on the season) to go up against this group … on the road … without its best pass rusher is a daunting task indeed.
How can Seattle hope to get to Matt Ryan without Chris Clemons? Good question. With Clemons now done for the season with a torn ACL, the Seahawks are certainly trying to answer that question themselves. Obviously, the mantle has now officially been passed to DE Bruce Irvin (6'2" 248 Pounds) to make his Bobby Boucher (the Waterboy) act a full time gig. Irvin IS truly blazing fast, as though he ran the fastest 40 time of any defensive end at the combine (4.5) … has actually been clocked as fast as 4.38. With 29 Tackles for Loss and 22.5 Sacks in just 2 years at West Virginia – Irvin was a force to be reckoned with in college. Though there were concerns coming in to this year about Irvin's run defense, I don't believe that will be as big of an issue (especially in this game) given what Gus Bradley and the coaching staff were asking Clemons to do.
Though DE Greg Scruggs (6'3" 284) becomes the next man up to take Irvin's spot in the rotation, it wasn't surprising whatsoever that the Seahawks signed former Viking, Bronco, and Buccaneer DE Patrick Chukwurah (6'1" 250 Pounds) on Tuesday as extra insurance. Chukwurah, the 33 year old former University of Wyoming Cowboy, last played for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League from 2009-2010, leading the league in sacks each of those years. Chukwurah, who says that sacking the quarterback brings him joy, will undoubtedly get his jollies met, going after quarterbacks as a situational pass rusher and helping out on special teams.
As a result of Clemons's injury and Irvin's reputation of having difficulties against the run, I'd actually expect the Falcons Offensive Coordinator Kirk Koetter to try to establish somewhat of a running game on Sunday … and to take advantage by going right at Irvin. Greg Scruggs might see a lot more time as a result, as he is better against the run than Irvin. Still, Atlanta not only has not made running the ball that much of an emphasis this year … but during those times when they have they frankly haven't done a very good job. The Falcons averaged only 87.3 Yards/Game during the regular season (4th Fewest) … and only 3.7 Yards/Rush (5th worst average). Though the Hawks will probably not see RB Michael Turner much (on average, he only gets about 14 times carries a game), they'll need to pay attention to him, as his 10 Rushing TD's were the 8th Most in football this year. Still, their aerial attack remains the primary mode of how the Falcons have moved the ball this year …
[And now back to our regularly scheduled program of previewing the Falcons Passing Attack ...]
Interestingly enough, Atlanta has had its biggest problems in pass protection right up the middle. In terms of this weekend, the matchup that I'm going to be paying particular attention to is DT's Brandon Mebane (6'1" 311 Pounds) and Alan Branch (6'6" 325 Pounds) against C Todd McClure. Mebane and Branch both played extremely well and dominated this past Sunday. We'll see if those 2 can continue that trend this weekend.
One other idea we might see that the Seahawks could employ is to roll Kam Chancellor down closer to the line of scrimmage on occasion. Since Seattle probably won't have to worry as much about the run … Chancellor could be employed from time to time on safety blitzes. With Clemons now out for the season, we'll undoubtedly see Gus Bradley and Seattle employ more blitzes. In particular, I'd look for LB's K.J. Wright (6'4" 246 Pounds) and Malcolm Smith to be utilized in that capacity. S Jeron Johnson (5'10" 212 Pounds) could also be employed as well, as he not only had 2.0 Sacks during the regular season, but also laid a good shot on RGIII this past weekend as well.
The Atlanta Falcons have been a team that allowed 83 hits on the quarterback this year (8th Most in the game). To give you some perspective on that, Green Bay's line allowed 85 QB Hits, so opposing teams HAVE actually gotten to Matt Ryan a surprisingly large percentage of the time. If Seattle doesn't get too crazy and blitz constantly, such a move could obviously pay dividends. Ryan is one who can make mistakes if pressured. Lost in the shuffle of Arizona's 23-19 loss this season is the fact that a very quality Cardinals Front 7 (Football Outsiders ranked them the 7th Best Pass Rushing unit) forced Matt Ryan in to throwing 5 interceptions against an very good secondary.
One thing's for certain – against a quarterback like Matt Ryan … with the arsenal he's got at his disposal … you absolutely cannot allow him time in the pocket back there on a consistent basis or he's going to burn you.
There's another way to get some fairly reliable fire insurance though …
Key #3: Rule the Roost …
Matt Ryan and the Falcons Offense can't beat you if they don't have the ball. Last Sunday, the Seahawks did an excellent job of playing keep away, as they won the time of possession battle quite handily …
Seahawks Time of Possession … 34:20
Redskins Time of Possession … 25:40
Of course the reason that the Seahawks were able to control the clock … was that they were able to ram Marshawn Lynch down their throats for most of the game. As we talked about last week, no team in the NFL had more rushing attempts during the regular season than the Seattle Seahawks (536 Rush Attempts). Can they be successful again this Sunday in Atlanta? Let's take a look at how the numbers compare …
|Seahawks Rushing Offense vs. Falcons Rush Defense …
|Seahawks Off. Category
|NFL Rank
|Falcons Def. Category
|NFL Rank
|25.8 Points Scored/Game
|9th Most
|18.7 Points Allowed/Game
|5th Fewest
|161.2 Rushing Yards/Game Avg.
|123.2 Rushing Yds/Game Allowed Avg.
|4.8 Rushing Yards/Att. Avg.
|tied for 5th
|4.8 Rushing Yds/Att. Allowed
|4th Worst
|14 Runs of 20+ Yards
|7th Most
|16 Runs of 20+ Yards Allowed Avg.
|5th Most
|16 Rushing TD's
|tied for 9th Most
|16 Rushing TD's Allowed
|8th Most
|311 First Downs
|298 First Downs Allowed
|9th Fewest
|7 Rushing Fumbles
|15 Forced Fumbles
|Stuffed Behind LOS 15% of Time
|Best in NFL
|51 Tackles for Loss
The Falcons know as we do that the Seahawks plan coming in to this game will be to do exactly what they did to the Redskins – pound Marshawn Lynch, control the clock, and tire out the Falcons Defensive Front 7, and keep the ball out of the hands of Matt Ryan and the explosive Falcons Offense.
In short, the Seahawks need to be the ones who Rule the Roost … and the way you begin to do that is defending it with Bird Bird Marshawn Lynch.
Defensive Tackle Jonathan Babineaux (brother of former Seahawks SS Jordan "Big Play Babs" Babineaux) talked this week about his unit's responsibility against the run coming in to the playoffs …
"Every play starts with the (defensive) line," Babineaux said. "What we do up front dictates a lot of what happens on the back end. It's our job to fill in our gaps, secure our gaps and make sure that the ball doesn't run in our gaps. If it does, we have to make the tackle. That's the type of attitude that we have to have from here on out. We have to be stout in everything that we do."
Atlanta Journal Constitution (Falcons Blog) 1/6/13
Last time the Falcons and Seahawks met back on 10/2/2011 … the Falcons held Marshawn Lynch to just 24 yards on 8 Carries.
The time before that (12/19/10) they did allow Lynch to score a touchdown … but they again limited him to just 60 yards on 12 Carries.
As you can see by the numbers above, there is a high likelihood that won't be the case this time. Though they come in to this contest as one of the best scoring defenses in the league, the Falcons have also had a lot of problems stopping the run this season. If there is an Achilles Heel on this team – that's it, as they are statistically one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL.
The Seahawks Offensive Line (on the other hand) comes in to this game as one of the very best in terms of establishing and maintaining the run. Again, according to Football Outsiders, the Seattle Seahawks Offensive Line …
has been stuffed either at or behind the line of scrimmage 15% of the time this year (Best percentage in the league) …
ranks #2 in the league in terms of Second Level Yards (number of yards earned 5-10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage) …
are the 8th Best team on number of yards earned beyond 10 yards …
is successful 70% of the time in short yardage situations (3rd or 4th Down and 2 or less) – 2nd Best of any team in football.
The Falcons, meanwhile, were gashed this year by power running backs at many points this year. They allowed …
Broncos RB Willis McGahee to gain 113 yards on 22 carries (a 5.1 Yards/Carry Average) and to score 2 touchdowns.
Redskins RB Alfred Morris to gain 115 yards on 18 carries (a 6.4 Yards/Carry Average).
Saints RB's Chris Ivory and Mark Ingram to collectively gain 139 yards on 23 carries (6.04 Yards/Carry Average between them) and a score a touchdown.
Cardinals RB LaRod Stephens-Howling to rumble for 127 yards on 22 carries (a 5.8 Yards/Carry Average) and score a touchdown.
Buccaneers RB Doug Martin to roll for 142 yards on 28 carries (a 5.1 Yards/Carry Average) and get in the end zone for a touchdown.
If I'm a Falcons fan, I'm fairly concerned about that trend heading in to this game. As I shared last week, Marshawn Lynch has been a beast on many occasions this season … and he has done so against some of the very best rush defenses in the game …
|2012 Marshawn Lynch Rushing Performances (Against Top Defenses)
|Week (Date)
|Opp. Rush Yds/G Allwd
|Opp. Avg. Pts. Allwd/Game
|6 (10/14)
|vs. Patriots
|101.9 (9th)
|20.7 (9th)
|7 (10/18)
|at 49ers
|94.2 (4th)
|17.1 (2nd)
|9 (11/4)
|vs. Vikings
|105.8 (11th)
|21.8 (14th)
|13 (12/2)
|at Bears
|101.7 (8th)
|17.3 (3rd)
|16 (12/23)
|vs. 49ers
|94.2 (4th)
|17.1 (2nd)
And as I mentioned last week, the only hiccup on that list was his Week 6 performance against the Patriots, as New England stacked the box and made a real point of keying in on Lynch and stopping him. As we also know though, that game had a very positive effective for the offense as a whole, as it marked the real beginning of the rise of Russell Wilson. With Lynch under wraps for most of that game, Wilson put the offense on his back, completing 16 of 27 passes for 293 yards and 3 TD's (including the dramatic game winner to Sidney Rice). Teams that load up to stop Lynch … now find themselves getting slashed by the very powerful talons of Russell Wilson.
Last week, the Redskins DID load up the box, crowding the line of scrimmage in order to bring heat on Russell Wilson and to take away the running threat of Marshawn Lynch. That worked to some degree, as Wilson was sacked 5 times … but the offense as a whole got clicking midway through the 1st Quarter and never looked back. Lynch rumbled through the Redskins defense, finishing the day with 132 Yards Rushing on 20 Carries (a 6.6 Yards/Rush Avg) and a touchdown.
That was against a Redskins defense that was (statistically speaking) much better against the run in many categories than this Falcons group that the Hawks will be facing on Sunday.
That said, the Falcons Defensive Front is superior in some ways. Football Outsiders had the Atlanta Falcons Front 7 ranked …
#11 in stuffing opposing runners at or behind the line of scrimmage (they do 20% of the time)
#15 in Second Level Yards (number of yards earned 5-10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage)
#21 in Power Success -- stopping opposing runners from converting on 3rd or 4th Down and 2 or less situations (they allow opposing runners to make 1st Downs 65% of the time in those situations).
Overall, Football Outsiders ranks the Falcons Defensive Front #10 overall, so there IS some talent up front. Whether Lynch has a rousing encore repeat performance this week or not though, he's going to have an impact on this game. Let's turn our attention now to our commander and see whether or not he can make this crew can take flight …
Key #4: Straighten Up and Fly Right …
Can the Seahawks stretch their wings and fly? Before we begin our discussion, let's take a look at the comparison numbers …
|Seahawks Passing Offense vs. Falcons Pass Defense …
|Seahawks Off. Category
|NFL Rank
|Falcons Def. Category
|NFL Rank
|25.8 Points Scored/Game
|9th Most
|18.7 Points Allowed/Game
|5th Fewest
|189.4 Pass Yds/Game
|242.4 Pass Yds/Game Allwd
|45 Passes of 20 Yards+
|53 Passes of 20 Yards+ Allowed
|40.25% 3rd Down Conv Rate
|Allw 40.5% of 3rd Down Conv
|33 Sacks Allowed
|12th Fewest
|29 Sacks
|5th Fewest
|27 Passing TD's
|7th Most
|14 Passing TD's Allwd
|#1 Fewest
|10 Interceptions Thrown
|5th Fewest
|20 Interceptions
|tied 5th Most
|8.0 Yards/ Pass Attempt
|3rd Highest
|7.4 Yards/Pass Attempt Allwd
|tied for 20th
|100.0 Passer Rating for Russell Wilson
|4th Best
|77.1 QB Passer Rating Against
|5th Best
It's become almost cliché to keep going on and on … week after week … gushing about Russell Wilson and how great he's been this season. But, well – he HAS been nothing short of phenomenal.
Last week, he became just the 6th Rookie Quarterback in the history of the Super Bowl Era (since 1967) to win a playoff game.
Wilson's 12 wins are already historic in and of itself, as it's just the 3rd time that's been accomplished by a rookie QB since the inception of the Super Bowl. This week, he can join Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez as the only rookies to ever advance to the Conference Championship Game.
No Rookie QB has ever reached, let alone ever won the Super Bowl. Can Russell Wilson become the first?
To accomplish that, Wilson and the Hawks have got to best a defense that finished 5th in the league in fewest points allowed per game (18.7) … yielded the fewest passing touchdowns of any defense in the NFL (14) … allowed the 5th lowest QB Rating against them (77.1) … and picked off the 5th most passes in the league (20 interceptions).
Obviously, quite a few things went right for that Falcons defense this year. Let's take a look at the matchups of who the Seahawks receivers will be facing this weekend …
Seahawks Receiving Corps vs. Falcons Secondary and Zone Coverage …
As has been the case of late, it seems like new and different heroes step to the forefront for the Seahawks receiving corps every game. Against the Redskins, if not for TE Zach Miller (6'5" 255 pounds), the Hawks might have be home watching the Redskins against the Falcons this weekend. Miller had a whale of a game, making several clutch catches, including a key 3rd Down and 12 conversion that really was the catalyst in getting the entire Seahawk offense clicking for the rest of the game … and later a 22 yard hookup that was a central play in Seattle's 2nd Touchdown Drive. Inside slot receiver Doug Baldwin (5'10" 189 pounds), continued his big play ways, making a 33 yard reception that set up Seattle's 2nd Field Goal … and FB Michael Robinson (6'1" 240 pounds) (as he has done a lot lately) scored the Seahawks first touchdown. And though Sidney Rice (6'4" 202 pounds) only had 1 catch (albeit a big one in impressive fashion for 27 yards) … Golden Tate (5'10 202 pounds) picked up the slack with 4 catches of his own to tie Miller as the leading receivers in that game. So that theme of diversification really continued on Sunday, as this Seahawks team continues to show more and more ways to thwart opposing defenses. Look for that same kind of spreading the wealth around to continue, as TE Anthony McCoy (6'5" 259 pounds) is another who could be due for a big game. Though it's great others have stepped up recently, I still remain concerned about Sidney Rice and his seeming lack of dominance of late. Rice has had only 2 catches over the past 3 games. During the regular season, Rice was targeted by Wilson (on average) 5.6 times per game. Over the course of the last 3 games, Rice has only been targeted 6 times … and was targeted only once in the Rams game. It all brings me back to that earlier knee issue and makes me wonder if it's not still really bothering him. Let's hope not because the Seahawks are going to need him to have a big game against a high powered Falcons team who has a very good and physical defensive backfield.
What exactly does that Falcons defensive backfield look like? Well, starting on the edges and moving inward, LCB Asante Samuel (5'10" 185 Pounds) (36 Tackles ... 19 Passed Defensed ... 5 INT) has been one of the best defenders that the Falcons have had this season. As a free agent signing in the offseason, he has helped bring a real physical presence to Falcons backfield and has been a real shot in the arm to them. Top corners aren't usually available free and clear in free agency generally like that, so that in and of itself should make people wonder why in the world the Eagles would just let him walk away for nothing essentially. Samuel is and has been one of the best ball hawks in the NFL – a guy who is very good at reading what opposing quarterbacks are trying to do and jumping routes. But Samuel also has a reputation for at times buying in to receivers juke moves and of getting burned by them. Could we see a bit of that in this game? We'll see – he'll probably be seeing a lot of Golden Tate – a guy who has certainly shown he can turn a lot of defensive backs around. On the other side, RCB Dunta Robinson (5'10" 183 Pounds) (65 Tackles … 1.5 Sacks … 6 TFL … 8 Passes Defensed … 1 INT) will be facing a lot of Sidney Rice in this game. Like Samuel, Robinson has a reputation as an "in your face" physical kind of defender with amazing toughness … and a lot of speed to burn (he runs 4.34 in the 40 yard dash). Robinson suffered a concussion during the last game of the season with the Buccaneers, but the cobwebs have since cleared and he was cleared to play in this game last week. Though he's one of the better cornerbacks in the league, he's far from a shutdown corner, as he's found himself turned around a time or two this season as well. Size may also play a factor here in particular with Rice, so we'll see how that all plays out. In the slot this week, Doug Baldwin will be seeing a lot of CB Robert McClain (5'9" 195 Pounds) (61 Tackles … 0 Sacks … 1 TFL … 10 Passes Defensed … 1 INT). As you can see by the numbers, McClain has been involved in most of the defensive snaps that the Falcons have taken this year. Though he's nowhere near as good as Samuel or Robinson, he's a very solid nickel corner who has a lot of experience in nickel coverage and has been known to make his share of plays. Continuing our back-peddle, SS William Moore (6'0" 221 Pounds) (69 Tackles … 1.0 Sack … 4 TFL … 8 Passes Defensed … 4 INT) is a hard hitting safety and one of the team's top tacklers. Moore missed the last 4 games of the season with a hamstring issue and returned to practice for the first time this past Saturday and coach Mike Smith has said he's 100% healthy and should be good to go. Still, with not having played for so long could we see some rust? FS Thomas DeCoud (6'2" 192 Pounds) (76 Tackles … 1.0 Sack … 3 TFL … 9 Passes Defensed … 6 INT) is a good free safety who has really thrived this season in Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan's system. DeCoud has been an extremely disruptive force in center field and one who many who follow the Falcons felt deserved Pro Bowl consideration this year. DeCoud and Moore together form one of the best ball-hawking tandems in the league, so Russell Wilson will have to be cognizant of where he throws the ball.
This is a Falcons team that finished 5th in the league in Interceptions (20), so they know how to make quarterbacks miserable.
But this is also a group that allowed a lot of yardage and a surprisingly large number of big completions against them (their 53 receptions of 20 yards or more allowed was the 10th Most by an NFL team).
Still, this Atlanta Falcons team is a group of Angry Birds who have lost three Playoff Games in a row … and don't want to make it four. They're going to come at Seattle with everything they have. And that brings us to our last and final key flying in to this contest …
Key#5: Be the Predator … Not the Prey …
The Seahawks just might be able to swoop on in and snatch a victory … but you've got to keep in mind that this is a fast swarming defense that the Seahawks will be facing on Sunday. Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan's 4-3 Defense utilizes a variety of fronts, looks, disguised coverages, and various other wrinkles that are very effective at confusing opposing offenses. Will the Falcons be successful in gashing Russell Wilson and the Hawks on Sunday?
The Falcons sure think so. From their point of view, this year they've beaten …
Peyton Manning … 27-21 (WIN) … as they forced Peyton to throw 3 interceptions.
Robert Griffin III … 24-17 (WIN) … they knocked him out of the game.
Tony Romo … 19-13 (WIN) … they sustained Romo's 325 yard and 71% comp. performance.
Eli Manning … 34-0 (WIN) … Eli had 2 INT's and completed 52% of his passes.
Drew Brees … 23-13 (WIN) … they forced Brees in to throwing 5 interceptions.
Matt Stafford … 31-18 (WIN) … Stafford had an INT and Detroit had 2 fumbles.
Those are 6 of the best quarterbacks in the league that the Falcons have knocked off this year, so what makes the Seahawks think Russell Wilson will be any different? Before we attempt to answer that, let's take a look at a few of the top hunters that Wilson and the Seahawks will have to contend with this week …
RDE John Abraham vs. LT Russell Okung or RT Breno Giacomini …
RDE John Abraham (6'4" 263 Pounds) (35 Tackles … 10.0 Sacks … 5 TFL … 7 Passes Defensed) is bar none the biggest predator on the field that the Seahawks will face on Sunday – a real sack master and terrorizer of quarterbacks. As a 4 time Pro Bowler and 2 time First Team All-Pro, Abraham is someone to be truly respected and a guy that offensive lineman need to keep their hands on. At 34 years of age he's no longer as explosive as he once was, but he does have good speed and can rush from either the left or the right side. If he remains over on the right side, he'll be facing a fellow Pro Bowler himself in Left Tackle Russell Okung (6'5" 310 pounds) – the NFC's Starter in Hawaii and one of the best in the game. That would be one of the real marquee match-ups of this game. However, it's also possible RT Breno Giacomini (6'7" 318 pounds) sees him … which would be interesting in and of itself to see how one of the Seahawks' top Dirty Birds deals with him. Abraham might not have all his feathers under him though, as he suffered a left ankle injury in the Falcons last game of the season in their loss to the Bucs. He sustained that injury in the 4th Quarter when fellow teammate Peria Jerry landed on him, so he may not be 100% for this game. Abraham has been listed as a Limited Participant in practice both Wednesday and Thursday … but like Marshawn Lynch's situation with the Seahawks, that may be purely precautionary. Watch for #55 on Sunday – the Hawks most certainly will be.
LDT Jonathan Babineaux vs. C Max Unger and RG J.R. Sweezy……
This Sunday, Unger will be going up one of the better tackles in the game -- LDT Jonathan Babineaux (6'2" 300 Pounds) (31 Tackles … 3.5 Sacks … 8 TFL … 5 Passes Defensed … 1 INT). Like his brother former Seahawks SS Jordan "Big Play Babs", Babineaux is a guy who is known for making plays. He is both an excellent run defender and pass rusher – one with a real motor that doesn't quit. Back in 2009, he led all NFL interior lineman with 6 sacks, so he is quite capable of penetrating in to the backfield and leveling either Russell Wilson or Marshawn Lynch. This season, Babineaux has been the Falcons top run stuffer, as his 8 Tackles for Loss leads the team. Center Max Unger (6'5" 305 Pounds) and Right Guard J.R. Sweezy (6'5" 298 pounds) get the joy of trying to block him this week. The Seahawks Offensive Line under a relentless onslaught of pressure allowed Russell Wilson to be sacked 5 times. They're going to have to do a much better job of taking it to defenders like Babineaux this week rather than the other way around.
WLB Sean Weatherspoon (6'2" 244 Pounds) (95 Tackles … 3.0 Sacks … 4 TFL … 4 Passed Defensed … 1 INT) – is one of the better all around linebackers you'll find in the game. Weatherspoon is one who is good rushing the passer when needed, can defend against the run, and also is very solid when the Falcons drop him back in to zone coverage. He's a very sure tackler, as the former Missouri Tiger finished 2nd in the team in tackles (he led Missouri in tackles each of his 3 years as a starter). Some out there felt he was one of the real Pro Bowl snubs and that he really deserved consideration. Looking at his overall body of work, it's hard to disagree.
SLB Stephen Nicholas (6'3" 236 Pounds) (97 Tackles … 2.0 Sacks … 3 TFL … 4 Passes Defensed … 1 INT) – is another who many out there thought deserved Pro Bowl consideration. Nicholas is a hard-hitting nasty attitude linebacker who has good quickness (runs a 4.64) and skills as a linebacker. Prior to this season, the team had always contended that Nicholas had never made full use of his talents. This year, he's responded by putting it all together and having his best year, leading the team in tackles and showing a propensity for making big plays.
So outside of the defensive backs (whom we've already taken a look at) the Falcons obviously DO have some guys who can make life tough on opposing quarterbacks.
But Russell Wilson is a different sort of bird altogether. In fact, he just might be the exact kind of quarterback who could give this Atlanta defense real problems on Sunday. As I mentioned before, the Falcons have had a fairly difficult time defending against the run this year. So, how have they done against those quarterbacks who are dual threats – whose legs are every bit as dangerous as their arms? I'm glad you asked.
On thing that can't be overlooked is the fact that the Falcons had a difficult time with running quarterbacks this season. Although the Falcons Defense did knock Robert Griffin III out of the game with a concussion when they played them back in October (a Washington team that was really struggling at that time) … Panthers Quarterback Cam Newton gave this Atlanta defense absolute fits this year …
|Cam Newton's 2012 PASSING Performances Against the Falcons
|Week (Date)
|Pass Comp
|Pass Att
|Pass Yards
|Pass TD's
|4 (9/30)
|14 (12/9)
|Cam Newton's 2012 RUSHING Performances Against the Falcons
|Week (Date)
|Rushing Carries
|Rushing Yards
|Yards/Rush Avg.
|Rush TD's
|4 (9/30)
|14 (12/9)
As you can see, Newton did extremely well against the NFC's #1 Seed this year. He lost the 1st Meeting by only 2 points (30-28) … but he and the Panthers WON that 2nd Meeting 30-20.
Might we see Russell Wilson have similar success? Perhaps. You see, Cam Newton and the Panthers run the Read Option … just like Wilson and the Seahawks do.
ESPN analyst and former NFL QB Ron Jaworski was on with 710 ESPN's Brock and Salk on Thursday, talking about just how difficult Russell Wilson and the Seahawks Offense has become for opposing defenses to prepare for …
Jaworski: "… but they've [the Seahawks] now evolved in to a wicked play action passing team. You know, they run the ball SO effectively that the play action opportunities are there. And normally off play action, you know you're going maximum protection, you're allowing your receivers to work deeper down the field, and you're going to hold on to the ball a little bit longer. And defenses are now MUCH MORE aware of the escapability of Russell Wilson. I'll give you a real good example in a minute, so you know you get much more of a mush rush form. In other words, he's going to have some time because they're not just cutting it loose. They're very disciplined in keeping their lanes and that way you're going to buy a couple of tenths of a second. In the NFL, a couple of tenths of a second is a long, long time. Now I'll just mention the impact that Russell has on a defense. Now, you may remember against the Washington Redskins, you know you had that nice run right up the middle. Well, he read that the Redskins were in man coverage – the middle of the field parted like the Red Sea – and he burst through there for a big gain. Well, then the Redskins adapted to that run. The next time they ran man coverage what they did was they spy on Russell. Well, he was alert enough and read the coverage quickly enough that realize that #97 was spying on him – and all of a sudden (to me the biggest play of the game) he hit Zach Miller for a big play on 3rd down. But here, he really dictated to the defense – hey, you're going to play man, you're going to spy me – and all of a sudden I've got a play to Zach Miller that is the turning point of the game. So, it just goes to show me what his ability does to the defense. He forced the Redskins defense to spy on him. He read it and then made a big play with a pass."
Source (Click on Link to Listen to Interview):
Ron Jaworski on with 710 ESPN's Brock and Salk – 1/10/13
Russell Wilson most certainly HAS proven to be a nightmare for opposing defenses to scheme against. If you pressure him, he beats you with his arm or his legs … but if you don't and give him time back there, he's shown a real propensity for making a big play downfield. The Falcons Offense comes in to this game only having had 29 Sacks on the regular season (the 5th Fewest of any NFL Team), so really outside of John Abraham, this team isn't very good at generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks without blitzing. They've also been pretty mediocre when it comes to their ability to stop the run – hence why Wilson may be able to do exactly what Cam Newton did to this group. Will this Falcons team take a page out of the Redskins playbook and bring the heat … or will they rely upon the schemes of Mike Nolan to try and outfox Russell Wilson. Whether it's been athletically or via his brain, Wilson has shown that he can beat defenses in so many ways. It'll be very interesting to see exactly what the Atlanta Defense has in store.
Bold Prediction …
Last week, I told you all how I wasn't completely sold on the Redskins team the Seahawks were facing. At the risk of jinxing things, I'm going to drink from that well yet again and say that there's a piece of me that's not buying what the Falcons are selling. How in the world can I say that about a 13-3 Falcons team? I'll answer that by looking once again at the Falcons Strength of Schedule, taking a look not only at how the Falcons fared … but by also examining the competition they faced to get where they are.
The table below shows the schedule along with each opponent's:
1) Average Points Allowed by their Defense (the only statistic that former Seahawks LB Dave Wyman says really matters)
2) Defensive Ranking according to Football Outsiders
3) ESPN's Power Ranking (as of Week 18)
Let's take a look, shall we …
|2012 Falcons Strength of Schedule
|Opp. Def. Pts Allwd/Game
|Opp Def. Football Outsiders
|ESPN Opponent Power Ranking
|at Chiefs
|26.6 (25th)
|#32 Team
|vs. Broncos
|18.1 (4th)
|#1 Team
|at Chargers
|21.9 (16th)
|#22 Team
|vs. Panthers
|22.7 (18th)
|#18 Team
|at Redskins
|24.2 (22nd)
|#8 Team
|vs. Raiders
|27.7 (28th)
|#30 Team
|at Eagles
|27.8 (29th)
|#29 Team
|vs. Cowboys
|25.0 (24th)
|#15 Team
|at Saints
|28.4 (31st)
|#19 Team
|vs. Cardinals
|22.3 (17th)
|#27 Team
|at Buccaneers
|24.6 (23rd)
|#21 Team
|vs. Saints
|28.4 (31st)
|#19 Team
|at Panthers
|22.7 (28th)
|#18 Team
|vs. Giants
|21.5 (12th)
|#14 Team
|at Lions
|27.3 (27th)
|#28 Team
|vs. Buccaneers
|24.6 (23rd)
|#21 Team
According to Football Outsiders, the Falcons had the #27 Strength of Schedule (in other words, the 5th easiest schedule) this year …
How difficult was Seattle's schedule you ask? According to Football Outsiders, the Seahawks had the 4th TOUGHEST schedule in all of football this year.
Yes, Matt Ryan's has an all time record of 33-6 in the Georgia Dome (including the postseason) … and the Seahawks are 5-7 all time in games that start at 10am during the Pete Carroll Era.
At the same time though, this is a Falcons that didn't exactly come in to the playoffs on a roll, having lost 2 out of their last 4 games. The Seahawks on the other hand, have won 6 in a row.
The Seahawks have not given up more than 17 Points in a game since Week 12 … and never allowed more than 21 number points over the last 8 games of the regular season. They have also shown that they can play with the big boys, holding the league's #1 Scoring Offense to just 23 points back in Week 6 (12 points under New England's season average). Atlanta's offensive attack is good … but they're not the Patriots. The Atlanta Falcons are a finesse team. I'm not saying that this is necessarily what the Seahawks are going to do this weekend … but I remember well what they did to the last finesse offense they went up against – the Dallas Cowboys. That was a team who had the exact same reputation as this Falcons team – soft. I don't know if they have faced the kind of physical, fast defense and unpredictable kitchen sink offense that Seattle has. I honestly believe that the Seahawks Defense has a much easier task ahead of them in trying to stop Atlanta's Offense … than Atlanta's Defense does in their quest of trying to stop Seattle's Offense.
On Tuesday, there were still 9,872 tickets to this game still available. That fact says a lot to me about the kind of environment the Seahawks will face this weekend. According to some ex-players who have played there, it sure sounds the Seahawks will be greeted more by Southern Hospitality … than by cannons a blazing. Though several experts out there are on the Falcons bandwagon in this one … it wouldn't surprise me whatsoever if the Hawks end up leaving the Georgia Dome in much the same condition that General Sherman left Atlanta.
The Seahawks shock the nation and unlock Mike Golic's Stone Cold Lead Pipe …
Let's call it:
Seahawks 24
Falcons 21


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News & Notes: Game 142
Buffalo Bisons
74-67, 3rd(-11.5)
LHP Adam Pettyjohn 2-4, 5.14
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
56-85, 5th(-29.5)
LHP Brian Mazone 6-13, 3.87
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Coca-Cola Park – Allentown, PA
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com
TODAY'S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the second game of a two-game series from Coca-Cola Park (6:35 p.m.). The Herd is looking for the series sweep after last night's 7-4 comeback victory. The Bisons' three remaining games this season are on the road as the team will travel to Rochester on Sunday to face the Red Wings for a pair of games. Buffalo is 32-37 on the road this season.
vs. IRONPIGS: The Bisons have already won their season series with Lehigh Valley. Buffalo is 10-5 against the IronPigs with only one game left. That record includes a 5-2 mark at Coca-Cola Park. This is the first time Buffalo has won the season series against the three years of the IronPigs' franchise.
COMEBACK KIDS: Last night's victory was the Bisons' 33rd comeback win of the season, 12 of which have come on the road. Last night's four-run rally was the Herd's third such comeback and first since beating Columbus 11-4 on August 5. In that game, Buffalo trailed 4-0 in the seventh inning.
BATTING RACE: The numbers are stacked against OF JESUS FELICIANO and his pursuit of an IL Batting Championship. Feliciano needs 30 plate appearances over the next three days to qualify. If he falls short, hitless at-bats can be added to his average. However, Feliciano's .341 average in 87 games is already a point behind Gwinnett's Barbaro Canizares (.342).
BISONS BITS: INF ZACH LUTZ hit his first Triple-A home run last night in just his second game with the Bisons. Lutz led Double-A Binghamton with 17 home runs in 61 games before his promotion…The Bisons have added INF JON MALO and RHP MANNY ALVAREZ to their roster. Both players were promoted from Double-A and both are making their third stint with the Bisons this season…C J.R. HOUSE has hit in 15 of his last 19 games with the Herd.
THE HONOR GOES TO…: On Thursday, the Bisons handed out their end of the season awards. OF LUCAS DUDA (.314, 17HR, 53RBI) was named the club's MVP while LHP PAT MISCH (11-4, 3.23ERA, 99K) was named Most Valuable Pitcher. RHP DILLON GEE was given Comeback Player of the Year. He missed 98 games in 2009 and this year leads the IL with 165 strikeouts.
METS UPDATE: The Mets (66-69) lost to the Cubs on Friday afternoon, 7-6, from Wrigley Field. INF DAVID WRIGHT homered for the second straight game and was 3-5 with three RBI. Former Bisons INF LUIS HERNANDEZ hit his first Mets home run, as well. New York takes on the Cubs again today at 12:05 p.m.
Follow the Herd:
Listen to the Game:CLICK HERE!
Bisons Baseball Network: CLICK HERE!
Broadcast Team email: CLICK HERE!
Everything about the Herd: CLICK HERE!
Get to a Game: CLICK HERE!


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You are here...Into the Light Blog / Nina Laltrello's blog
Nina Laltrello's blog
...Into the Light
Welcome to my website and blog. This blog started as a vision. I am proud to finally make it reality. Similarly, many who struggle in addiction have a vision. The vision is one they can't quite realize and make reality for themselves. This blog is an effort to help others actualize the vision they may have for a life free from addiction, free from the chaos that often accompanies addictive process, and help achieve the vision of recovery. A sober life begins living with intention (and an admittance of powerlessness).
Some Things Are Not Always As They Appear: The Sobriety Anniversary
"You can't depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus."
-Mark Twain
Do you know those foreground / background pictures meant to trick your eye and fool your perception - the ambiguous images with a contrast of dark and light that can be interpreted in more than one way? One of the most famous foreground -background contrasting pictures is the old woman wearing a cloak or the young woman with the feather in her hat. Another is the "Rubin vase" where the multiple perceptions are either the vase or the silhouette profile of two people facing each other.
The sobriety date or "sobriety anniversary" in the marriage impacted by sexual addiction can be very similar in that way. Sobriety dates have measure and meaning for the addict. The date marks the progress of their recovery and can be a quantifiable measure of their hard work in recovery. For the spouse, the anniversary date often marks the anniversary of discovery. The date marks the beginning of understanding that all they thought was, really wasn't as it appears. The date marks the transition into a phase of trauma, uncertainty, and feelings of a lack of safety.
Technology and Signs of the Times:
Have you seen the AT&T commercial about the family that loses their Internet connection? It is a farcical depiction of what it might be like if your Internet goes down and how AT&T can save you from such horrors. The wife runs in breathless to her husband and asks, "Is the internet back on yet?" He answers in a deranged mental state with imaginary typing "Yeah-ssss!". The scene flashes to"19 minutes without Internet". The husband sits on the couch in almost a despondent and catatonic state while the wife, in hysterics, is trying to communicate a "like" on her friend's Facebook page, to no avail. Scene change: Minute 22 without the Internet. The husband is lying on the kitchen floor in front of the sink recalling fond memories of internet use. He is in a sweaty state of Internet Withdrawal as the wife applies cold compresses to his forehead. She comforts him. Scene change: Minute 27. The husband appears out of the upstairs window while shooting an emergency flare and angrily yelling "We are over here!" to the imagined beings that might help save them and restore internet power.
Farcical commercial? Or comedy imitates real life? How internet-dependent have we have become?
Achieving Recovery Success: Willpower vs. Habit
"Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality."-- Abraham Lincoln
By now the resolutions, that most people had set to enter 2016, have begun to fade. Goals and New Year's resolutions are great for vision, but lack the mechanics to get one to successful completion.
Sustained successful recovery cannot be attained with vision or willpower alone. Willpower is the unwavering strength to carry out one's wishes. Willpower is instinctual but needs help to be sustained. This is where mastery of self-control, repeated over time creates sustained successful recovery. If addiction is "habits to the bad", successful recovery is "creating habits to the good". "Pushing the dark out" is hard. "Inviting the light in" is so much easier.


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Due to circumstances beyond our control, Bookmentors is currently offline.
We are unable to process book donations because Baker & Taylor, our book procurement partner, has ended its retail distribution operations.
We are researching alternative solutions. We hope to be able to resume operations.
Thank you for your understanding, patience, and support.
The Bookmentors Team


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This week is another "just testing my camera" week because I am dopey and forgot to bring it to the restaurant we went to for dinner last night. Also, since I am writing this right before leaving for the airport, I have not edited any of these. This will truly be a test to see the quality of pictures my camera gives me. Forgive me for the blurriness in advance, won't you? Next week should be chock-full of great (edited) photos from this weekend because I am going away to New York for Labor Day weekend!
Spaghetti and shrimp and peas for dinner this week. Easy and fast dinner I recommend you make for dinner one night.
I'll give you one guess what I used these ingredients for. Hint: the title of these treats is on the blue box.
Found a leaf in my hot chocolate at Four Barrel this morning. So pretty!
Wait! Did you say hot chocolate? I don't see that on the menu. That's what you are thinking, right? Well, I know about the "secret menu". They make their hot chocolate with Dandelion Chocolate, who, by the way, have a new bar! Now you know!
Lastly, it is Foodie Pen Pal reveal time! I got all sorts of goodies this time. According to my pen pal this month, Sandra, they are all locally made. In case you can't tell what it is I got, it is Tim's Potato Chips, Annie's Homegrown Macaroni and Cheese, Moonstruck Milk Chocolate, Propeller Chocolate chip Energy bar Mix, and Cary's English Toffee. All good things.
Hope you have a great Labor Day weekend and extra day off of work!


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Organic Community Garden will soon be accepting applications for garden plots for the 2013 growing season. The garden is located along Porter Road, just south of Medlar Field. Membership is open to all Penn State faculty, staff, students and community members. Benefits of membership include a 10-foot by 15-foot plot, access to tools and compost, and free educational workshops during the growing season. Prospective gardeners may apply at http://psucommunitygarden.org, beginning at 2 p.m. March 24. For more information, visit the garden website or contact Scott Salesky at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Last Updated April 30, 2013


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Entertainment Tonight Reporter to Michelle Obama: Your Husband is a 'Sex Symbol!'
On Tuesday's edition of the syndicated Entertainment Tonight, co-anchor Rosci Diaz did her part to pump up the President by giving Barack Obama the same sort of celebrity treatment that she would give Matt Damon as she asked Michelle Obama what it's like being married to a "sex symbol."
Diaz, in a sitdown interview with the First Lady, initially compared Mrs. Obama's style-sense to former First Lady Jackie Kennedy and then went on to praise the President's, as Michelle Obama called it, "swag."
The following exchange was aired on the April 2 edition of Entertainment Tonight:
ROSCI DIAZ: Jackie's [Kennedy] portrait still hangs on a wall inside the White House. The First Lady's style often gets compared to hers. Of course Michelle deflects all the attention on to her husband. What do you think about your husband looked upon as a sex symbol?
MICHELLE OBAMA: He's got a little swag. You know? That's, that's okay. I mean I'm proud of him. But no he's, he's, he's a stylish - I think - man who is healthy and he's smart and he's passionate and he's inspiring and who wouldn't fall in love with that? You know?
ROB MARCIANO: Aww, that's sweet.
DIAZ: And you know what I love about it? Was the First Lady saying our president has swag.
MARCIANO: First Lady can say that. Great interview Rosci.
While Diaz is an entertainment reporter it's hard to tell the difference between the way she talks about Barack Obama from the way supposedly hard-hitting political journalists like Chris "thrill up my leg" Matthews and Piers "Obama is handsome" Morgan have described the President.
"When you watch the President like that, I always feel he's got so many
pluses, doesn't he? In a sense, he's personable, he's handsome, he can
be funny. You know, abroad he has this great image for America. A lot of
things are just perfect about Barack Obama."
— Host Piers Morgan to Obama strategist David Axelrod on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, December 5, 2011.
"I have to tell you, you know, it's part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama's speech. My, I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don't have that too often" — Chris Matthews during MSNBC live Democratic primary coverage on February 12, 2008.
-- Geoffrey Dickens is the Deputy Research Director at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Geoffrey Dickens on Twitter.


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At the Vigil last night, I was struck by Baruch 3, that overlooked reading, seldom used unless your parish is one of the seldom communities that proclaim the full roster of readings. My staff colleague Misty did well proclaiming this text, and her gentle and enthusiastic voice drew me in, especially this bit:
The One who established the earth for all time … he who dismisses the light, and it departs, calls it, and it obeys him trembling; before whom the stars at their posts shine and rejoice;when he calls them, they answer, "Here we are!" shining with joy for their Maker. Such is our God; no other is to be compared to him … (Baruch 3:32b, 33-36)
The image above is M39, an open star cluster in Cygnus, the constellation of the swan. The image credit belongs to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy/National Science Foundation (NOAO/AURA/NSF)


text: 16 x 25 x 4 MERV 11 Pleated Furnace / Air Conditioner filters. Also used in ventilation filtration and commercial applications. Case of 6 filters. MERV 11Premium Quality16 Pleats per Lineal Foot40 Average EfficiencySpecificationsMQP40 Pleated Filters are available in 1 2 and 4 depth. Theelectrostatically charged 100 synthetic graduated density media iscontinuously bonded to a 30 gauge galvanized corrosion resistantexpanded metal support grid with an effective open area of 96. Themedia is resistant to a wide range of chemicals does not absorb moistureand will not support microbial growth.The controlled pleat spacing maximizes surface area and dust holdingcapacity and is bonded to the enclosure frame to prevent dust bypass.The enclosure frame is constructed of high wet strength moisture resistantbeverage board. The diagonal support members of the frame are bondedto the entering and exiting apexes of each pleat to prevent pleat collapseand filter bowing.BenefitsIdeal for those suffering from allergiesCatches and holds more pollen dust dirt etc. than standard panel or MERV 8 filter creating a healthier living environment.Mediumefficiency filtration protects expensive HVAC equipment from the effectof dirty air and significantly reduces costly building maintenance.Extends life of more expensive secondary filters RIGID CELLS HEPAS BAGS etc.Canlast up to four times the life of standard pads or panel type filtersthereby drastically reduces material and maintenance and labor costs.


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"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote the Bard, and truer words could not be spoken of Ina and Jack Polak, whose love survived the Holocaust. Michèle Ohayon tells their story in her new documentary Steal a Pencil for Me.Though Jack was already in a dysfunctional marriage with another woman, the randy young man took an immediate liking to Ina when both attended a birthday party in their native Holland. Not long after, Jack, his wife Manja, and Ina found themselves living across the same barracks in a German-run labor camp.
Under those heightened conditions, a new love kindled that would last over sixty years (and counting). The course of their fates is told partly through smooth use of archival footage and photographs, but primarily through the narrated secret love letters passed between the man and his lover. Transport trains to Auschwitz overshadow the story, which finds the lovers separated several times. In a moment of supreme understatement, Jack says of his love triangle, Believe me, it was not easy.
What it takes to survive is a minimum of consciousness, a maximum of good fortune, and physical and emotional fortitude. Clearly, the love between Jack and Ina is a crucial factor in their living to tell the tale. Ina describes Jacks sheer persistence in winning her heart, and both man and wife find their emotions once more raw in recounting stories of survivors guilt in the face of less fortunate family and friends.
Informal modern footage woven through pads out the film and somewhat dilutes the narrative impact of the war story, but its obviously important to acknowledge the survivor aspect of the story and get to know the now-nonagenarian characters. Certainly, its moving to see the emotional week during which the UN International Day of Commemoration coincides with Jack and Inas 60th wedding anniversary. For love-story enthusiasts, Steal a Pencil for Me brings to life an ultimate unconventional romance.


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1 killed, 3 injured in city shootings, stabbing
Baltimore City police are investigating three new shootings and a stabbing in the past 24 hours.
Police said a man was shot in the arm in 4200 block of Franklintown Road around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. No other information was released on that case.
Detectives are also investigating a fatal shooting in northeast Baltimore in the 1200 block of Walters Avenue shortly before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Police said they found a man who had been shot multiple times lying on the sidewalk.
The man was pronounced dead on the scene.
Less than an hour before that in west Baltimore, police were called to a stabbing inside Lexington Market. Investigators said the victim suffered a stab wound to the hand.
Police are also investigating a shooting in the 2100 block of Christian Street. Detectives said that's where they found a man outside of a car with a gunshot wound to his arm. The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he's listed in stable condition.
Police are still looking for suspects and motives in all of the cases.


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Big Brother's Jack addresses accusations of racism and apologizes
Jack Matthews has spent his summer sitting in hot water, which ultimately came to a boil this week. The 28-year-old Tampa-based personal trainer has received major backlash from many viewers on social media after making racist comments inside the Big Brother house this season – resulting in a petition to have the controversial houseguest expelled from the game.
But Jack's justice arrived in the form of an explosive 6-2 eviction on Thursday night and the outspoken competitor was ousted from the series, where he immediately faced host Julie Chen Moonves, who grilled Jack about his behaviour this season by rolling back the derogatory comments from the live feed tapes, as the hashtag #JackEvictionParty trended on Twitter.
While his initial response to Julie was to claim his remarks towards houseguests Kemi Fakunle and Isabella Wang had been taken out of context, the former Big Brother player is now acknowledging the consequences of his statements and is currently more remorseful than viewers had seen on Thursday's episode after a night of reflection.
"At the time, I did not believe my comments were controversial," he told Postmedia Network the afternoon following his eviction.
"As far as the first statement with Kemi, in retrospect, that was an ignorant statement. At the time, and in the moment, I thought that phrase was expressing frustration but I can see now how that could be seen as an aggressive statement. As far as Bella, when I had made that statement, it had no correlation to her ethnicity. I will never be able to apologize enough for the interpretation that was given upon what I said. Looking back at it now, the mention of Bella and the rice-pudding, I never made a connection until I came out of the house. And for that I am incredibility sorry to Bella if she was offended in any shape or form."
Along with his delivery of apologies to his former contestants, Jack is also adamant about clearing his name with fans of the show who tuned into the live streams to witness his antics play out this season.
"(I would like to) give the most sincere apology from the absolute bottom of my heart," he said.
"I have always tried to carry myself with integrity and character and those statements do not show that. I will continue to live proving that those statements aren't my true beliefs and I hope that I get the opportunity to show everybody just that."
While he deals with the blowback outside of the house, Jack's downfall in the game was swift after his Six Shooters alliance — which had been controlling the season — suddenly imploded right before last week's eviction vote. He sat on the block alongside his closest ally Jackson Michie, but was ultimately chosen as the one to exit the game by his fellow houseguests.
Jack is now the first member of the Big Brother 21 jury and will help in deciding which player will win the season's $500,000 grand prize.


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Italian Sausage with Peppers
Total TimePrep: 40 min. Bake: 35 min.
Makes8 servings
- 5 Hungarian wax peppers
- 1 large sweet yellow pepper
- 1 large sweet red pepper
- 2 medium sweet onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 8 Italian sausage links (4 ounces each)
- 8 hoagie buns, split
- Seed wax peppers if desired; cut wax and bell peppers into 2-in. pieces. In a large skillet, saute peppers and onions in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, garlic, bay leaves and seasonings; heat through.
- Meanwhile, in another large skillet, brown sausages. Transfer to an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with pepper mixture.
- Cover and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Discard bay leaves. Serve on buns.
Editor's NoteWear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.
Nutrition Facts1 each: 507 calories, 23g fat (7g saturated fat), 45mg cholesterol, 1295mg sodium, 54g carbohydrate (16g sugars, 6g fiber), 22g protein.
Recommended Video
Nov 7, 2017
Great recipe as written! Sprinkle a little mozzarella and parmesan on top- yum! I have also made this in the pressure cooker. Joyce Moynihan Volunteer Field Editor
Jul 21, 2014
My boyfriend said this was delicious and he wouldn't change anything. I did add a little mozzarella on top of his sandwich. It just looked like it needed it. I, myself, was not a big fan of the tomatoes with the peppers, but that's only because I don't really liked canned tomatoes. I didn't want to alter the recipe in any way though before we rated it.
Sep 20, 2012
No comment left
Jul 26, 2012
This is awesome!!! Taste just like it does at fair! Even BETTER! My hubby and I were very impressed...been telling everyone about it everywhere i go! :) gonna try to do ahead and stick in crockpot...hope it works!
Jul 23, 2012
I was raised near Chicago, IL and have searched for years for a recipe to duplicate what I used to get there - now I have!!! This is by far the best recipe I've tasted outside of Chi Town!!! Thanks so much!
Jul 22, 2012
No comment left
Jul 22, 2012
No comment left
Jul 22, 2012
Great recipe. We enjoyed it, even with the tomatoes! Why do people feel that they have to mention that they are of Italian Decent, then critisize the recipe? Beckie Clemetson never said she was Italian and this is how it's done! She said it's a fair favorite!
Jul 21, 2012
No comment left
Jul 20, 2012
I agree with salliegadden. So WHAT if you have never heard of making sausage and peppers with tomatoes! So??? Why be so critical? If you don't want to add tomatoes, then don't!!!! That's just being nit picky. That isn't a review.


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Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Map of Arcadia
Arcadia is a Los Angeles County community in the northern part of the San Gabriel Valley surrounded by Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Mayflower Village, Irwindale, El Monte, North El Monte, Temple City, East San Gabriel, East Pasadena and Pasadena. To vote for other Los Angeles neighborhoods to be covered on the blog, vote here. To vote for Los Angeles County communities, vote here. To vote for Orange County communities, vote here.


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Q: How do I edit a list box item?
A: Individual items of a List box are not editable. How good it would have been, if each of the items are editable then and there! Here is a method to incorporate editing facility to the list box items where they are displayed.
You can't start editing of an item by single click of the mouse, since single click is reserved for selecting an item. One can open the editing session by many methods, by double clicking the item, by using any of the function keys (like F2) etc. In this method, I have used double click of mouse left button to initiate the editing. When I choose a different item of the list box, editing ends.
I derived my listbox class with editing facility CEditList from MFC class CListBox. I defined a variable m_Edit of type pointer to CEdit.
It is understood that when m_pEdit points to the edit object, if there is editing being performed or is equal to NULL when no editing is performed. The variable pEdit is initialised to NULL in CEditList constructor.Code:// In EditList.H public: CEdit* m_pEdit;
In the constructor, I insert codes for deleting the edit pointer after use.Code:CEListBox::CEListBox() { m_pEdit = NULL; }
I created two member functions, first to start editing (InitEdit) and second to end the editing (EndEdit).Code:CEListBox::~CEListBox() { if (m_pEdit) { delete m_pEdit; m_pEdit = NULL; } }
While starting the editing, I calculate which item to be edited from the information of mouse position. Then, the edit box is created and item copied to the edit box. For consistancy, font in edit box is matched with the list box.
In the function to end the editing, I copied the string of the edit box to the list box item and clears the pointer.Code:void CEListBox::InitEdit(CPoint point) { // Gets current selection int Index = GetCurSel(); if (Index != LB_ERR) // If there is a valid selection { // Gets item rectangle CRect Rect; GetItemRect(Index, Rect); // Creats an edit box around the item m_pEdit = new CEdit; m_pEdit->Create(WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER, Rect, this, WM_USER); // Sets edit box font as display font of list box m_pEdit->SetFont(GetFont()); // Copies item string to edit box CString Text; GetText(Index, Text); m_pEdit->SetWindowText(Text); } }
For starting the editing, I handle WM_LBUTTONDBLCLK mouse message to start editing of the item.Code:void CEListBox::EndEdit() { if (m_pEdit) // If editing is on { // Copies edit box text to item CString Text; m_pEdit->GetWindowText(Text); int Index = m_pEdit->GetDlgCtrlID() - WM_USER; // Changing of string is effectively deleting current atring // And adding the modified string DeleteString(Index); InsertString(Index, Text); // Deletes the edit box and points pointer to NULL delete m_pEdit; m_pEdit = NULL; } }
In the notification message function of changing the selection of the listbox (), I simply call EndEdit function to end the editing.Code:void CEListBox::OnLButtonDblClk(UINT nFlags, CPoint point) { // TODO: Add your message handler code here and/or call default InitEdit(point); CListBox::OnLButtonDblClk(nFlags, point); }
I have attached a simple project of dialog box type, where the list box is of type CEditList.Code:void CELBDlg::OnSelchangeList() { // TODO: Add your control notification handler code here m_List.EndEdit(); }


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I've Had Enough!
Nancy Morgan
December 25, 2009
I have been a law-abiding citizen all my life. I've always played by the rules. That is about to change. The
early morning passage
yesterday of the Senate health care bill requires every American to purchase health insurance. I refuse. I will not abide by this bill if it is passed into law. And if the government levies a fine, I will not pay it. I've had enough.
There comes a time when a line in the sand must be drawn. I've just drawn mine. I've listened to the outright lies our politicians have spouted in order to pass this legislation, which, by the way, has nothing to do with health care and everything to do with government control.
Democrats declared this bill was deficit neutral. Not so,
says the Congressional Budget Office
. Alas, this wasn't reported until minutes after the bill passed the Senate.
Dems say this bill will allow an additional 30 million people to be covered while not affecting prices. Helloo....this goes contrary to the very basic law of supply and demand.
I've had enough of the back door deals, the outright bribes, the lies, the rush, and the absolute arrogance of our elected officials who patronizingly tell me with a straight face that black is white and if I questions their wisdom, why I must be a loony tea-bagger who doesn't believe in the rule of gravity. Enough!!
I know the rule of law is essential to the health of a society and this sometimes requires a small loss of individual freedom for the greater good. We have a system of government now, however, that is imposing two different sets of rules. One set for Americans who pay the freight, and another system for government and union officials, politicians and rent seekers. When a country has two rules of law, it essentially has no rule of law.
Since our much vaunted 'free press' hasn't deigned to inform Americans about the basics involved in this health care bill, I'll touch on a couple goodies you might not be aware of:
First, the bill declares that certain sections of it
can't be repealed
by future Congresses. Meaning we the people will no longer be able to vote or amend it. This is rule by fiat.
Secondly, this bill will impose a mandatory,
fee of app. $15,000
on many families. That's a cool 15K you'll have to take out of your budget if you're not covered by employer health insurance. And its just too bad if you don't have a job.
I could go on... suffice to say, this American knows there is absolutely nothing in the Constitution that allows the federal government to force me to purchase something I don't want, need or agree with. Call me uncompassionate, but as a matter of principle, I refuse to pay for some-else's abortion, botox treatment or transgender surgery. And I refuse to let the government impose an unconstitutional mandate on me.
I refuse on the grounds that I am an American who has the right to decide what is best for myself and my family. I will not be coerced by posturing, rent seeking politicos who are misusing the powers we the people granted them. Enough!
I'm tired of being patronized by moral hucksters who pander to the lowest among us as they use my money to buy votes from deadbeats. I'm tired of being lied to. I'm tired of having my voice ignored. I'm tired of having my money used to support causes with which I disagree. I've had enough.
This is my line in the sand. I vow I will not allow one cent of my hard earned money to be used to further this socialist redistribution scheme. I refuse to participate. I will not be forced to pay for anything to do with this fraudulent bill. And I refuse to pay any fines that might be imposed. And taking a cue from the Democrats, I officially declare this debate over.
Nancy Morgan is a columnist and news editor for
She lives in South Carolina
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Globally, an estimated 1,000 women die every day from pregnancy and childbirth complications — the majority of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Both of these regions have a disproportionally high burden of diseases known as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). While NTDs affect men, women, and children, one NTD in particular, hookworm, has devastating effects for pregnant women.
Hookworm is an intestinal parasitic infection causes severe blood loss, anemia, and malnutrition. These effects are particularly harmful to pregnant women and their unborn children: long-term blood loss from hookworms increases a mother's risk of dying during childbirth. While hemorrhaging during pregnancy is not uncommon, African women are more likely to die from it because they are severely anemic even before they begin labor. Hemorrhage accounts for roughly one third of the pregnancy-related deaths in Africa.


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The Clenergy PV-ezRack® Mounting Systems allow you to quickly deploy solar power systems for small residential or large commercial installations.
Clenergy customers include utilities, corporations, businesses and homeowners. We ship Clenergy PV-ezRack mounting systems worldwide and work through a network of strategic partners, distributors and dealers.


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NEW YORK (AP) - Dirk Nowitzki and former Nets guard Vince Carter each scored 20 points, and the Dallas Mavericks avoided another late collapse by holding off Brooklyn 98-90 on Friday night.
Dallas led by as many as 20 points, then looked as if it might repeat its performance from its previous game, when it blew a 25-point lead against Memphis. But O.J. Mayo added 17 points as the Mavericks ended their three-game losing streak.
Deron Williams scored 17 of his 24 points in the first half in his first game against Dallas since deciding to remain with the Nets instead of signing with the Mavericks last summer.
Brook Lopez had 19 points and Joe Johnson added 11 as he returned to the Nets after missing the last three games with a foot injury.
Williams led the Nets to a 49-48 halftime lead before they had another dismal third quarter. Dallas outscored Brooklyn 29-14, as the Nets shot just 5 of 17 from the field.
Jae Crowder hit a 3-pointer after a turnover by C.J. Watson, then Mike James hit another behind the arc to give Dallas its biggest lead of the night at 83-63 before Brooklyn started to chip away.
The Nets went on a 17-7 run to cut the lead to 94-90 after Lopez hit a pair of free throws with 37 seconds remaining. Mayo then made one free throw, and Watson missed a layup and failed to tip it in on the second attempt, James was fouled and made one free throw to make it 96-90.
After Williams missed a 3-pointer, Carter got fouled by Mirza Teletovic and put the game away with a pair of free throws to give Dallas a 98-90 lead.
Williams was the Mavericks' top target in free agency, hoping he would be convinced to return to the area where he starred in high school. He said it was a tough decision, deciding to stay with the Nets with a five-year deal worth about $98 million.
He has battled minor injuries throughout the season but has played better of late, though did commit a game-high seven turnovers Friday.


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| 15.2°C Belfast
Commonwealth Games organisers have said they abandoned controversial plans to demolish city tower blocks as part of the opening ceremony amid fears the event would turn from a "commemorative event" into a "potential protest".
Glasgow 2014 chiefs had intended to blow down five of the six remaining 1960s Red Road flats at the July 23 event, with the footage beamed into the Celtic Park ceremony and to an estimated global TV audience of more than one billion people.
But it attracted fierce opposition from critics who said it was insensitive to former residents and to the asylum seekers who occupy the sixth block, with thousands of people signing an online petition calling for the plans to be dropped.
Organisers said the plan would commemorate an important part of the city's social history, but aborted the idea yesterday.
They said that safety was a priority and that they had decided to abandon the plan following recommendations from police.
David Grevemberg, Glasgow 2014 chief executive, told BBC Scotland: "Our intentions from the beginning were to very much showcase the social history, commemorate the social history of Glasgow but also signify in a very bold way where Glasgow is going in terms of regeneration but we've always mentioned as part of this initiative that safety first.
"The nature of some of the debate and discussion and also some of the opposition to these ideas certainly became very, very focused and also we made a very very clear assessment over the past few days where that was going with our partners and had recommendations from Police Scotland that the nature of some of that opposition would make this not a commemorative event but would start moving this on to a potential protest and that's not what the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games is about and it's something we needed to reconsider and abort yesterday."
Organisers said the decision to scrap the blow down were taken after opinions were expressed which ''change the safety and security context''.
While they did not give details, recent reports suggested that some families living near the demolition site were vowing not to leave the blast zone in protest at the proposals.
Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) will now reschedule the demolitions.
Mr Grevemberg said that the blow down was intended to be a "commemorative moment" not a celebration.
He told the BBC: "It was always seen as a bold statement of regeneration and as a bold statement of commemoration of this is where we've come from, this is a point of time and this is a bold statement of moving forward, as has been a major running theme of part of the Commonwealth Games."
He said they would now find "other ways of telling that story".
When they were built between 1964 and 1969, the Red Road flats were the highest in Europe at 292ft (89 metres). Six of the original eight tower blocks remain after two earlier demolitions.
They were designed to hold 4,700 people but latterly far fewer people remained there, after decades of the properties slipping into decline.
Their collective demolition was set to last just 15 seconds in an event described as the biggest demolition of its kind ever seen in Europe.
Former Scottish Socialist MSP Carolyn Leckie, who began a public petition against the demolition, welcomed the decision.
She told BBC Scotland: "It's the right decision and I think it should be welcomed that they have been prepared to change their minds, no matter what has prompted them to change their minds."
The event's organisers today released a new aerial image of the athletics stadium to mark 100 days to go until the event.
A giant 100 has been painted onto the grass at Hampden Park, which is being temporarily transformed from Scotland's national stadium into a track and field venue for the Games.
Glasgow 2014 chiefs will also mark the countdown by revealing the creative elements that will form the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Medal Ceremony later today, as well as the medals themselves.


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The next NASCAR champion? Brad Keselowski takes the points lead heading into the final race, after a slam-bam Phoenix 500 (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Mike Mulhern
Jimmie Johnson just lost the championship, barring something unusual in the Homestead finale next Sunday. And Brad Keselowski all but clinched the NASCAR title.
But what everyone at Phoenix International Raceway may remember are the raucous final moments of the three-hour Phoenix 500.
For most of the beautiful fall afternoon here nothing really happened. Kyle Busch dominated the race, leading comfortably, 237 miles of this 319-miler (which went seven miles into overtime).
Keselowski spent most of that stretch running an easy sixth; Johnson, who qualified poorly, was running 12th to 15th or so, with a car that didn't seem that strong.
Then Keselowsk began making a run at Busch and passed for the lead on lap 233. Just moments later Johnson blew a right-front, perhaps from abusing his brakes, and he hit the fourth turn wall.
Johnson needed more than 20 laps in the garage for repairs, and by the time he returned to the track he was 33rd. He managed to gain only one more spot the rest of the day.
Keselowski had only to keep out of trouble after that. And Busch went back to the lead....but surprisingly challenged suddenly by Kevin Harvick, who hadn't won in well over a year.
Harvick powered to the lead on lap 305, just after a restart. But moments later Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer were getting into it. Gordon, miffed at Bowyer, wrecked him in turn three and four as the pack headed toward the white flag. That crash, however, was a big one, and it brought out the yellow before leader Harvick could cross the line.
Here's the video: here
That set up a green-white-checkered shootout.
However, as safety crews were cleaning up the track, Bowyer's angry crew charged after Gordon, protected by his crew. According to one unconfirmed report Gordon was tackled from behind before his crew picked him and rushed him to safety.
The huge melee prompted NASCAR to red-flag the race for 15 minutes, while officials and sheriff's deputies tried to get the explosive situation under control. Mace was displayed and there were conflicting reports about whether or not it was actually used.
At one point Bowyer himself ran full-speed through the garage area and tried to enter Gordon's truck, only to be restrained by deputies.
And when Gordon, Bowyer and their crew chiefs were in the NASCAR hauler for a post-race discussion, the hauler doors were protected by four sheriff's deputies.
It was all so old-school as to be surreal.
Only last weekend at Texas promoter Bruton Smith had complained that drivers these days were just too nice to each other, and he said they ought to get out of their cars angry enough to punch another one out.
Kurt Busch, in the black car in the middle of this sandwich, bruised his foot in this race-ending crash. Fortunately the injury wasn't any worse (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Later in victory Kevin Harvick could laugh about it all: "The sport was made on fights.
"We should have more fights. I like fights."
At that he laughed, perhaps recalling a few of his own run-ins. "They're not always fun to be in," he conceded. "Sometimes you're on the wrong end.
"But fights are what made NASCAR what it is."
Danica Patrick at the finish (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Keselowski was not happy afterwards, and he ripped his fellow drivers for poor driving. NASCAR's no-call on the Danica Patrick incident that led to a multi-car pileup at the start-finish line the last lap nearly took out Keselowski, whose car was banged up.
"I thought I had gotten this close and I was going to wreck before the start‑finish line, so I just hit the gas as hard as I could, thinking I would just bounce off enough walls, like a game of pong, to make it across the start‑finish line," Keselowski said.
"I don't even know what happened; I've got to watch the replay."
Keselowski earlier figured out Johnson's troubles: "I knew somebody had blown out a right front tire, based on the marks on the wall, and when I saw a black car on pit road and saw the right side tore up on it, and I put two and two together."
Keselowski too had been worried about his right-fronts during the race. "I thought that could very easily be me, and I'd better manage my car and my tires to make sure it's not.
"You certainly can't play defense in this sport because it will bite you, and I wasn't about to play defense. But I was just trying not to be the cause of my own demise."
Clint Bowyer and crew chief Brian Pattie (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
The Gordon-Bowyer incident, though, sent Keselowski through the roof, and he said that fellow drivers criticizing him for hard driving at Texas, in light of what happened here, was aggravating:
"It just drives me absolutely crazy that I get lambasted for racing somebody hard,without there even being a wreck, and then you see stuff like this, and that's okay, from the same people that criticized me.
"And that's okay -- It's okay to just take somebody out.
"But you race somebody hard, put a fender on somebody and try to go for the win, and you're an absolute villain, and that's ridiculous.
"But then we can just go out and retaliate against each other and come back in and smile about it, and it's fine.
"That's not what this sport needs. It needs hard racing, it needs people that go for broke, trying to win races, and putting it all out there on the line...not a bunch of people that have anger issues.
"It really hurt my feelings to be a part of a chase race for the championship and have that jeopardized from people that can't keep control of their emotions."
Kyle Busch was not happy with NASCAR's no-call on Patrick: "There was oil on the exit of turn four, and we all about crashed.
"You would expect they would see all of that and see the oil slick. It wasn't small by any means; it was three feet wide."
Harvick agreed: "You can't throw the caution flag as fast as you can throw it one time, and then just let everybody run through a whole straightaway full of oil.
"Those guys are going to have to look themselves in the mirror, the guy who's calling the races, and decide if they're doing a good job."
Richard Childress, Harvick's car owner, said he was "really disappointed in the way the race was called (by NASCAR officials).
"We take the white flag, she's coming across down here, everybody seen what was happening. I just knew the caution was going to come out... and Kevin races back around and almost wrecks, and we could lose a car and could have hurt a driver.
"I'm just still a little upset about that last not being a caution."
Kurt Busch trailing sparks...Paul Menard about to get clobbered from behind...(Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Ryan Newman said he was " really disappointed in the way NASCAR handled that last lap there. That was not fair to the drivers at all."
Kurt Busch, after coming out of the infield hospital, was still trying to sort things out: "That was a wild ending... not sure at the time what was happening. I just stayed on the gas to get to the finish line.
"Everything was going smoothly and it was looking like a sixth-place finish. All of a sudden all heck broke loose. I saw the door of Greg Biffle come across my left front, and from there I went on to smack the wall."
Patrick, despite all her problems the final mile, finished 17th, her best Cup finish yet.
Her trouble began in a collision with Jeff Burton: "He went down and took the apron got down into turn three, and I did not think he was near close enough to be on me going into three. I left a little bit of room, not a ton of room for sure.
"Tony Gibson (her crew chief) said he went down and talked to him, and he said he just went in too deep. Clipped my left-rear, spun me around... and I just tried to limp back to the line.
"I didn't know exactly how much damage I had or what it was, but just trying to limp to the line."
Melee in the NASCAR garage, and sheriff's deputies are everywhere (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Patrick said: "but just trying to limp to the line."
next time limp down pit road so you don't tear up so many cars. you'll still get scored on that side of the wall.
"That's not what this sport needs. It needs hard racing, it needs people that go for broke, trying to win races, and putting it all out there on the line...not a bunch of people that have anger issues."
Took the words right out of my mouth. Get rid of the seat-takers and drivers that want to have "good points days" and look good for their sponsors, and replace them with Kyle Busch's and Brad Keselowski's. Fans don't tune in to see drivers who whine about "racing too hard" or "racing too early" in the race. NASCAR wants to neuter all of the drivers that race hard, and then wonders what's wrong with their sport.
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great product
Reviewed by Dorin M (hallandale beach, FL) Reviewed for a 2001 Dodge Neon — 2008-02-15 07:42:32
i had a hard time deciding between pro-kit and sportline. i went with the pro-kit and i'm glad i did. only because it's my everyday ride. now my neon looks much better and handels incredibile well. i just love it. definitely would buy again for my next car.


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From a code point of view, Equinox is an implementation of the OSGi core framework specification, a set of bundles that implement various optional OSGi services and other infrastructure for running OSGi-based systems. The Equinox OSGi core framework implementation is used as the reference implementation and as such it implements all the required features of the latest OSGi core framework specification.
More generally, the goal of the Equinox project is to be a first class OSGi community and foster the vision of Eclipse as a landscape of bundles. As part of this, it is responsible for developing and delivering the OSGi framework implementation used for all of Eclipse. In addition. the project is open to:
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The easiest way to get involved in Equinox is to try it out. See the Quick Start Guide for how to get up and running with the standalone Equinox OSGi framework and the downloads page for more information on acquiring various Equinox OSGi bundles.
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